A few days later, Qin Qianluo accompanied her mother to the residence of the Minister of Works to attend the coming-of-age ceremony of the Minister of Works' youngest daughter. Qin Qianluo herself was not familiar with Minister Luo Qi'an. Among the six ministers, she was only familiar with the ministers of the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue. So she was invited by the Minister of Works' wife today. Of course, Qin Qianluo was just an afterthought. The Minister of Works' wife mainly invited Lin Ruoqing.
Qin Qianluo accompanied her mother into the residence of the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. The ladies and young women of the various families bowed in unison: "Your subject/daughter/son greets Princess Qingyun. May the Princess live a thousand years!"
With a graceful smile, Qin Qianluo said, "My lords, please rise. I have come here today to congratulate you on your coming-of-age ceremony. This is a momentous occasion, so please do not stand on ceremony. You should all be happy and share in the joy."
After speaking, she looked at the main character of today's banquet and took out the gift she had prepared: a jade hairpin carved from a rare pink jade stone, with a lotus flower carved at the end and two pink pearls adorning it, making it even more lively.
With a smile, Qin Qianluo presented the gift and said, "A beautiful lady has come of age, shining like a pearl in the world. Today, I bring you a jade hairpin to celebrate. May this hairpin bind your black hair, and may your years be carefree. May your path be accompanied by gentle breezes and illuminated by the bright moon, and may your life be smooth, blessed with both happiness and longevity. May every step you take be like pearls falling on a plate, full of sound and color, may all your encounters become beautiful memories, and may all the people you meet become true friends."
The youngest daughter of the Minister of Rites happily accepted the gift box and immediately fell in love with the jade hairpin. She bowed gracefully and said, "Your Highness, I am deeply grateful for your presence. It is my great honor that Your Highness graces my coming-of-age ceremony. It is like basking in the warm sun, and my humble abode is filled with glory. This is my greatest blessing. The jade hairpin presented by Your Highness is exquisite and I cherish it dearly. I will never forget Your Highness's kindness."
Qin Qianlu smiled and chatted with the Minister's wife for a few more minutes before finally sitting down. She quietly let out a sigh of relief; there were so many formalities in ancient times, and she could finally sit down.
Fortunately, I have this space, otherwise I wouldn't know what to give. The space contains many jade hairpins and other jewelry, as well as a lot of rouge, face powder, sachets and spices, enough for me to give different gifts to various banquets.
Qin Qianluo took a sip of tea and chatted with 001 in her mind: '001, is there anything unusual at the Minister's residence?'
After scanning the area, 001 said, "Luo Bao, there's nothing unusual at the Minister's residence. The maids, servants, and guards are all locals from Tianxuan."
Qin Qianluo was not disappointed upon hearing this. She knew that it was impossible to find it in one go. After confirming that there were no problems in the Minister's residence, she sat up straight, drank her tea elegantly, maintained a proper smile, and chatted with the people who came to greet her.
The ladies, young ladies, and young gentlemen exchanged glances upon hearing this voice. They had all been informed of the details by their masters, and now that they heard there was no problem at the Minister's residence, they were relieved but also even more anxious, wanting Princess Qingyun to come to their residence.
The Minister's wife and her youngest daughter exchanged a glance and smiled. The Minister's residence was safe, and there were no enemy spies around, which put their minds at ease.
The banquet proceeded as usual. Qin Qianluo watched the singing and dancing, her eyes squinting happily. She noticed that many ladies were greeting the Minister's wife with their sons. She wondered why they were all bringing their sons up.
Qin Qianluo was puzzled and wondered to herself, "Why are all the ladies bringing their sons to greet everyone? Why aren't they bringing their daughters? Today is the coming-of-age ceremony for the Minister's young lady; shouldn't she be making more friends?"
The ladies and gentlemen who were greeting each other paused upon hearing this thought, and even the Minister's wife froze. What should she say? Should she say that she was choosing a husband for her daughter? It wasn't that she couldn't say it, but Princess Qingyun was still young. Would it be inappropriate to say it?
001 glanced over there and casually said, "Luo Bao, the Minister's wife is choosing a husband for her youngest daughter, which is why all the ladies have brought their sons forward. They all wish to form a marriage alliance with the Minister's family."
Qin Qianluo exclaimed in shock, "The youngest daughter of the Minister of Rites is turning fifteen today! If I remember correctly, she's only fifteen? She's already betrothed at fifteen? She's not even an adult yet, her body isn't fully developed. Marrying at such a young age isn't good for her health. No wonder children in ancient times often died young; the mothers were still young when they gave birth, the children didn't get enough nutrition, so they definitely died."
The ladies were stunned. Was there really such a saying? Wasn't reaching adulthood at the age of hairpinning? If reaching adulthood didn't count, then at what age was it? Could getting married and having children before adulthood cause the child to die young? Was having children too early likely to damage one's health?
Everyone lowered their heads in thought. Upon reflection, it was indeed true. In many families, the first child died young, and even more so, the second child died young. Many women also experienced health problems after giving birth to their first child. Could this be the reason?
So, at what age is considered adulthood? At what age should one get married to avoid harming their daughter's health and ensuring their child grows up healthy? The crowd exchanged puzzled glances, and the chatter at the banquet subsided considerably. Many young ladies and gentlemen were listening intently, as this concerned their own health, and everyone was very concerned.
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