At that time, she dared to beat the young prince in court, but now she has no control over her own actions and is always tired of observing people's words and expressions.
Has she improved or regressed?
Xiao Nanhui fell into an indescribable confusion. The world she had once desperately tried to fit into was now opening its doors to her, yet she began to hesitate. Perhaps she didn't understand what lay beyond the door. The world she had once thought would give her a "home" had, in fact, existed only in her imagination.
"The ceremony is over, give me some wine!"
The chanting of the ceremonial officer finally came to an end, and the guests lined up in two rows, standing on both sides of the incense burner in the center of Yi Garden. After the bell rang fourteen times, they all bowed in salute, respectfully welcoming the offering of wine.
It turns out that this is what Su Pingchuan called "receiving gifts."
The newly born prince, swaddled by his wet nurse, was at the head of the group, while Xiao Nanhui stood at the end. Shrike followed behind her, as quiet as a quail, as he had been since they met the old man in brown.
There were countless imperceptible gazes lingering on the Xiao family. Xiao Nanhui couldn't find an opportunity to ask Shrike alone, so he had to temporarily learn to salute like everyone else and hide in the crowd, but his eyes unconsciously glanced at the old man in brown.
The other person's movements were slow, and even the fingers that touched the wine were trembling with age. Two people followed behind him. One was Mrs. Bo, who was pouring wine; the other was a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, dressed like a ceremonial officer. He held a rhinoceros horn ruyi in his hand and had a somewhat emotionless smile on his face.
That was a geomancer.
The blessing ceremony actually follows the ancient sacrificial method. The worshiper must be present together with a geomancer. On the surface, it is to bless the newborn bloodline, but in reality it is to investigate whether there is any obstruction to the royal energy in the house and whether the feng shui is peaceful. If there are evil spirits, one or two must be driven away through the blessing ceremony, and sometimes even blood will be shed.
Since ancient times, the lives of the poor and slaves were not considered human lives. Sometimes, just a sentence like "disaster is coming and it will harm the head of the family" could easily take the life of a servant or maid.
Is that Ruyi sword designed to smash human skulls?
Xiao Nanhui suppressed the discomfort deep within her heart and forced herself to blend in with the auspicious and festive atmosphere. After about an incense stick of time, the brown patch finally appeared before her.
The old man in brown murmured a blessing in an unknown language, then dipped his fingers into the horned beast's goblet, dipped it in the wine, and gently sprinkled it on her head.
A few drops of cool wine fell on her forehead, bringing a hint of itchiness as it slowly flowed.
She wanted to raise her hand to wipe it, but she couldn't move because the ceremony was not yet completed. She could only listen to the long and agonizing speeches.
When she finally finished the ceremony and stood up, a bronze long-tailed jug was handed to her.
Xiao Nanhui had never drunk wine from a jug before. It was a wine vessel that only nobles could use, and she had never even seen it before.
Following the slender white wrist holding the wine vessel, her eyes unexpectedly met Mrs. Bo's.
The other person still had that dignified and beautiful face, but for some reason, she always felt that there was a flash of cunning in his eyes.
The process of bestowing wine had to be smooth and compact; any hesitation would be considered disrespectful. In just a moment of hesitation, the geomancer's gaze had already fallen on her.
Xiao Nanhui sighed secretly and was about to raise her hand to take it, but unexpectedly a hand reached out from the side and snatched the glass of wine away from her.
Xiao Nanhui raised his eyes and saw that the glass of wine was held in Su Pingchuan's hand.
Bang, the bronze jug was put back on the tray. The culprit stared at the young stepmother's face with his dark eyes, full of sarcasm and sneer.
Mrs. Bo's expression was somewhat ugly and difficult to conceal, but her voice still maintained its original gentleness.
"Chuan'er, what are you doing? Mr. Zong is still here, don't lose your manners..."
"She can't drink the wine you poured."
Su Pingchuan's voice was soft but his tone was firm. Many guests looked over when they heard the noise.
Mrs. Bo obviously noticed it as well, and her tone began to reveal a sense of grievance that she had to endure in silence.
"Chuan'er, do you not trust me?"
This hat is not too big, but not too small either.
Logically speaking, Su Pingchuan was the only legitimate son of the prince's family, so his exchanges with his concubine stepmother could only be considered a "family affair" within Prince Xuanyuan's palace. However, the situation today was different, and it was during a ritual sacrifice. Such behavior constituted a violation of etiquette, rebellion, and mischief, punishable by law.
The old man in brown had not spoken yet, but Xiao Nanhui could not wait any longer. She snatched the half-empty cup of wine and drank it all in one gulp.
The blessed wine was Tusu wine used for sacrifices, mixed with fangfeng, pepper and aconite. It tasted extremely spicy and went straight to the nose, but she didn't care much and drank it down her throat in one breath.
"General Zuo was just joking. Madam, please don't take it seriously and hurt the relationship."
As she said this, her eyes were always fixed on Mrs. Bo's face.
By now, she had a feud with the women of Prince Xuanyuan's palace. She wasn't afraid of them, but she was vaguely worried that her presence would harm Su Pingchuan. Ever since she learned he was Mei Ruogu's son, she'd felt an uncontrollable pity and partiality for him.
Mrs. Bo's gaze met her directly, and she even managed a few laughs as she opened her lips slightly.
"Miss Xiao is so decent and generous. She is sure to be favored by the noble family. I think she will be a blessed lady in the future."
This teasing remark seemed a bit frivolous, but the other party had already torn his face apart, so he was really saying this to disgust him.
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