Chapter 22 Beautiful Daughter vs. Heirless Emperor 22
Ji Yunhuan also got on her own carriage. The interior was very comfortable and the ride was very smooth. She took a nap in the carriage and was awakened by Nanny Yan when she was almost at the palace gate.
There were many carriages parked at the palace gate, and it was very busy. Those who wanted to attend the Hundred Flowers Banquet had to get off the carriages and line up, waiting for the palace ladies to verify their identities one by one.
Ji Yonglian fanned herself desperately, but there was not even a tree to provide shade at the palace gate, and the sun made her dizzy and extremely uncomfortable.
From time to time, noble ladies would arrive late. Because of their noble status, they would naturally be put in front, while concubines' daughters from small families like her could only retreat back again and again.
"It's all Ji Yunhuan's fault for wasting time, otherwise I wouldn't be so far behind in the queue."
Ji Yonglian didn't dare to vent her anger on the noble ladies, and could only curse Ji Yunhuan inwardly, "Where the hell is Ji Yunhuan? She must be at the end of the queue, and she deserves to be late!"
Ji Yunhuan watched the carriage turn a corner and arrive at another palace gate.
This place is obviously not open to the public, and the guards at the door are even tighter. Nanny Yan took out the palace badge, and soon the guards were allowed in, and even the carriage was driven in.
Ji Yunhuan widened her eyes in surprise, "Madame Yan, this isn't good, is it? How about I just get down and walk?"
Nanny Yan smiled, "There's nothing wrong with that. Your Majesty is pregnant, and she will have to enter the palace sooner or later. I just came in to take a look in advance. There's no reason to let Your Majesty go in."
The carriage soon drove into the Hundred Flowers Garden.
It is the time when all flowers are in full bloom, and the garden is full of colorful flowers, which is beautiful beyond words.
There is a water pavilion in the garden, dividing the two sides. Men on the left and women on the right look at each other across the water, adding a bit of poetic beauty.
The main banquet was held in the water pavilion, and only the most distinguished clan members could have a seat there.
A family like the Ji family could only sit scattered around the garden. Ji Gongming had not been promoted for many years and was at the bottom of the list among the assistant ministers of the Ministry of Revenue. Ji Yunhuan could only sit in the corner.
Nanny Yan originally wanted to take Ji Yunhuan to pay respects to the Queen Mother, but Ji Yunhuan refused.
"I don't know the rules, and I'm afraid of offending the noble. It's better to wait until the Hundred Flowers Banquet is over before going to see the Queen Mother."
Nanny Yan nodded, "I was impatient, but Your Majesty is thoughtful. There are many people in the waterside pavilion, and the more low-key Your Majesty is, the better. It will be quiet here."
"This is Xia Liu, a lady-in-waiting in the palace. Your Majesty can ask her to do anything you need."
A woman in her thirties came forward to greet Ji Yunhuan, "Hail, Madam."
Ji Yunhuan helped the person up and said, "Thank you, sister."
Xia Liu followed Ji Yunhuan not too far away, not too close, without showing off, but Ji Yunhuan could find her at any time.
This place is remote, but it has beautiful scenery. Ji Yunhuan felt tired after walking around for a while. He didn't know where Xia Liu got the cushions and hot tea from, and also brought a plate of cakes, and then he left silently.
On the waterside pavilion, the high-pitched voice of the female official rang out, "The Queen Mother is here~ kneel~"
Everyone knelt down. Just as Ji Yunhuan was about to kneel down, someone beside her helped her up.
Xia Liu's gentle voice reached Ji Yunhuan's ears, "I am a servant of the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother has instructed that since Your Majesty is pregnant, these false formalities can be waived."
Ji Yunhuan was originally sitting in the corner. Everyone was trying their best to squeeze forward, but she didn't even ask for a proper seat. Instead, she randomly chose a stone bench to sit on.
Everyone was kneeling forward and no one noticed her.
Ji Yun was so happy and relaxed that she simply stopped kneeling, "The Empress Dowager is so caring, I really don't deserve it."
The Queen Mother swept her eyes across the room and immediately spotted Ji Yunhuan in the corner. This child was very patient and sat so far away that he did not feel wronged.
Ji Yunhuan knelt down and saluted the Queen Mother, and was soon helped to sit down by Xia Liu.
The Queen Mother felt even more satisfied, and the smile on her face became more sincere.
"When I get older, I like to look at young and bright girls. They are all well-educated and well-mannered. I like them just by looking at them."
"Today is the Hundred Flowers Banquet, everyone should be more casual and don't be too formal. Maybe we can even help to create some good marriages."
Now that the Queen Mother has spoken, everyone will naturally support her.
Many young men came forward to perform to liven up the party, some reciting poems, some showing off their boxing skills and some dancing with swords, which drew rounds of applause.
The ladies beside the waterside pavilion could no longer sit still, and they all went on stage to perform, some playing the piano and singing, some painting and calligraphy, and some embroidering, each with their own specialties.
The empress dowager smiled so much that she couldn't stop. She gave out rewards like water. Among them, Prince An and the eldest daughter of the Wu family received the most generous rewards. The empress dowager also gave an extra pair of jade ruyi.
Prince An is only eighteen years old and is the emperor's youngest brother. He and the eldest daughter of the Wu family are in love with each other.
"I really like the way you two play the zither and flute together. You are both good children. How about I grant you a marriage today?"
The two knelt down to express their gratitude, and their cheeks blushed as their eyes met.
Ji Yonglian looked at him with envy. If she could also gain the favor of the Queen Mother, not to mention marrying into the Marquis's Mansion, she might even have a hope of becoming a princess!
Su Honglang was performing sword dancing on the stage. He was only slightly literate and had no patience for studying hard. His poetry and songs were naturally not good, and his martial arts were also mediocre, but it was enough to fool the ignorant noble lady.
He was born with a pair of peach blossom eyes, which gave people the illusion of being deeply affectionate. When his gaze swept over, many noble ladies on the right blushed.
The empress dowager frowned and looked at him for a while, thinking that the boy was frivolous and dissolute, but she couldn't remember where he came from.
Marquis Dingyuan had an empty title, but he only held an idle position in Jingzhao Prefecture and received a salary for free. The eldest son of Marquis Dingyuan had no job so far and had never shown his face in front of the Empress Dowager.
Nanny Yan mentioned it tactfully, and the empress dowager suddenly realized.
"So it's from the Dingyuan Marquis family. Come here, give me a reward."
The Empress Dowager didn't say what the reward was, so the eunuch handed over a big red purse with some gold and silver dumplings inside.
Su Honglang knelt down to express his gratitude, but he felt very uncomfortable.
Others would receive large rewards for just reciting a poem, but why is it that for him, all he gets is gold and silver coins?
The Queen Mother clearly disliked Su Honglang. The noble ladies looked at Su Honglang with a bit more disgust in their eyes, and the shyness of the girls was gone.
As soon as Su Honglang left the stage, Ji Yonglian rushed up impatiently.
She danced, and the butterfly hairpin on her head trembled as if it was about to flap its wings and fly away.
Ji Yonglian knew how to show off her strengths. As she spun, her clothes fluttered and her light body seemed to take off with the butterfly, which was quite eye-catching.
The gentlemen sitting on the right side all stretched their heads to look, with ambiguous smiles on their faces, and commented on it a lot.
The Queen Mother felt that the dancing posture was enchanting and had a lewd air about it, which displeased her. However, she did not show it and only asked:
"Whose girl is this? Why haven't I seen her before?"
Ji Yonglian was overjoyed, standing on the high platform in a daze, and said in a brisk tone: "I am the daughter of Ji Gongming, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and it was the Empress Dowager who sent a Hundred Flowers Invitation to invite me to the palace."
Nanny Yan leaned over and explained something in the empress dowager's ear, and the empress dowager's face turned cold.
If she had known that the Ji family had such a concubine's daughter, she should have invited Huan'er into the palace by name instead of vaguely writing that she was a daughter of the Ji family.
Nanny Yan knew what the Queen Mother was thinking. She stepped forward, displayed the majesty of a palace lady, and sternly rebuked:
"How dare you! Why didn't you kneel when the Queen Mother asked you?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
