Although the Qian and Yu families were related by marriage, Consort Qian had always looked down on Consort Yu's frivolous behavior.
Similarly, Consort Yu also disliked Consort Qian's dull and wooden appearance.
Previously, when Consort Yu was a Noble Consort, she always had more influence than Consort Qian. Now that she has been demoted, her voice in the palace is not as strong as Consort Qian's.
So Consort Qian seized the opportunity to annoy Consort Yu, and said with a smile, "Sister, today is the New Year's Eve banquet, not some talent show or beauty contest."
Besides, those who came to the palace this time were at least daughters of high-ranking officials of the third rank. How could my sister allow them to perform the skills of these entertainers in public?
And my younger sister even wanted to gamble with some kind of stake; anyone who didn't know better would think she was a gambler.
Hearing this, many of the young ladies who had been harboring ambitions gave up their plans. Even the Emperor fell silent, as it was indeed beneath his dignity to have these noble ladies perform their talents in public.
From the perspective of the culture of the Great Yan Dynasty, these daughters of noble families learned household management skills from a young age, and they were all trained to meet the standards of a matriarch.
Those songs and dances were generally learned by concubines or entertainers. Of course, the arts of playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting were exceptions.
However, quite a few young ladies still learn singing and dancing in private, after all, having a beautiful woman by one's side is also a way to win over men.
Upon hearing this, Consort Yu's face darkened further. "That wretched woman, Qian, doesn't she want to live anymore? How dare she embarrass me in public!"
Her eyes darted around and she saw Yan Qingqing eating heartily to the side. She said sarcastically, "Oh, Sister Qian, I dare not accept such praise."
With Lady Mingzhao around, my sister is far from being a gambler.
Everyone in the capital knows that Lady Mingzhao earned 400,000 taels of silver from the gambling den.
This is truly the first time since the founding of our Great Yan Dynasty that officials have been caught gambling in public.
After Consort Yu finished speaking, everyone stared intently at Yan Qingqing.
Consort Yu's words were clearly pointed, and some people privately speculated that Lady Mingzhao had offended Consort Yu in some way.
Yan Qingqing cursed inwardly, "What a nuisance! They can't even let me eat in peace. It's like gods fighting and little devils suffering the consequences. I can't even get shot while lying down!"
However, Yan Qingqing calmly put down her chopsticks and said, "What Consort Yu said is true. This humble woman not only earned 400,000 taels of silver, but also gained a top scholar as a son-in-law for free."
It's clear that Han Yu is very fortunate to have such a good fortune in our family. How did I, a humble woman, end up with such a wonderful opportunity?
However, I would deny that we gambled in public.
After all, I don't even know which way the gambling den's door faces.
The reason I predicted that Han Yu would become the top scholar was simply because I didn't know any of the other students and was just trying to appear cultured.
Oh, and I also heard that Ji Tongwen, the second-place finisher in the same year, and Mu Yang, the third-place finisher, both bet on Han Yu.
If we're talking about officials gambling in public, it should be those two.
Besides, betting on the top scholar has always been permitted in our Great Yan Dynasty.
Anyway, Ji Tongwen is the grandson of Grand Secretary Ji, and Mu Yang is the eldest son of the Mu family in Jiangnan. They've both bet on Yan Qingqing, so what's there to be afraid of?
Not only them, but all the high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital placed bets; they just weren't as lucky as they were.
Yan Qingqing spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, and even openly admitted that she had gambled and made a fortune, so what could she do about it?
Of course, the story of the top scholar in the imperial examination who was favored by his mother-in-law also spread throughout the capital.
Hearing this, Madam Pei laughed and said, "Yes, Madam Mingzhao is right. I also bet three thousand taels back then, but unfortunately I didn't have Madam Mingzhao's discerning eye. I lost everything."
Madam Pei's words resonated with everyone, and they all nodded in agreement. They had all placed some bets, hoping to make some money.
Seeing this, Consort Yu's face turned red with anger, but she couldn't refute these words.
However, in the end, some people still stood up and asked to perform.
If they themselves are not afraid of losing their status, what does the emperor have to worry about?
Once someone is the first to try something new, others will naturally follow suit.
In the end, the New Year's Eve banquet turned into a talent show competition.
Yan Qingqing was also happy to watch the excitement; it was much more interesting than watching the performers.
Look at that young lady, she dances really well. Just that split shows how flexible she is.
And then there was that girl singing, I don't know whose name she was, her voice even had a soft, breathy quality, which made me a little flirtatious.
Madam Pei, standing to the side, spat and muttered, "These vixens aren't performing any talents; they're clearly trying to seduce the Emperor."
"With that awful voice, he dares to sing? You can tell he lacks breath control; isn't he afraid of suffocating?"
Madam Pei had always looked down on the daughters of these civil officials, and naturally, she spoke rudely to them.
Yan Qingqing almost spat out her tea when she heard her rambling.
The palace banquet lasted for two hours, until the emperor grew tired and announced its dispersal.
After Yan Qingqing had eaten and drunk her fill, she followed the large group out of the palace.
It was already 11 p.m. when they got home, and Yan Qingqing told Mu Xi to go back and rest as well.
The next day was New Year's Day, and the festive atmosphere in the capital was particularly strong. Around four or five in the morning, Yan Qingqing was awakened by a series of crackling firecrackers.
It's a new year again, and she quickly got out of bed.
As soon as Ru Xue saw Yan Qingqing get up, she quickly called Xiao Man and the others to help Yan Qingqing with her hair and makeup.
Ruyi got married, and although she was still serving Yan Qingqing, she didn't have as much energy as before. Yan Qingqing even stopped her from working overnight, so Ruxue had to pay more attention to things in Yan Qingqing's room.
Ru Xue looked at Yan Qingqing and asked, "Madam, you came back quite late yesterday, and you got up so early today. Did you get enough rest?"
Yan Qingqing replied, "Since I can't sleep on the first day of the Lunar New Year anyway, I might as well get up early."
"Those kids will be coming over to wish me a Happy New Year soon. What would I look like if I were still lazing in bed?"
Upon hearing this, Ru Xue quickly helped Yan Qingqing wash up.
Sure enough, just as she finished tidying up, Li Xiangping brought several of his younger siblings to wish Yan Qingqing a Happy New Year.
Yan Qingqing still prepared red envelopes for them, but today the amount was much larger, with each person receiving two thousand taels of silver.
Although Li Xiangjian was absent, Mu Xi was added, and the family was still very lively.
They knelt down one by one to wish Yan Qingqing a Happy New Year, and Yan Qingqing asked Ru Xue to give them red envelopes.
They are not short of money now, but just like before, they can't wait to open the red envelopes they receive.
Li Xiangkang was especially stunned when he saw that there were two thousand taels of silver.
He was the poorest in the whole family, and he used all the pocket money his mother gave him to buy books.
Moreover, he is now an uncle, an adult, and still has to give New Year's money to his nephews and nieces.
Now that he has these two thousand taels of silver, he feels much more confident.
Just as the family was having a lively time, Steward Yu came to report that Prince Chen and Lord Ling had arrived.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com