Chapter 131 Chapter 131 Attending a Banquet Alone...
Sitting, talking, greeting, eating, changing clothes...
All these things had to be learned from scratch. Lin Qiuran was like a newborn baby, having to abandon his old habits and start from scratch.
Nanny Li was introduced by Yun. She used to be a nanny in the palace. Later, she left the palace to retire and was often invited by noble families to teach etiquette.
Lin Qiuran studied for one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon every day. He first learned how to stand and walk, and how to perform court etiquette.
Of course, the maids in the palace are different from others. When they come to the Duke's Mansion, they are honored guests. Not only do they have to prepare expensive gifts, but they also have to treat themselves as honored guests and learn to serve them carefully.
Her back and waist were sore after a day's treatment, but it was effective. When Lin Qiuran looked in the mirror at night, she found that her posture had improved a lot.
In terms of conversation, Nanny Li advised people to speak less, and say as little as possible except for bowing and greeting the distinguished guests.
The more you talk, the more mistakes you make; the less you talk, the fewer mistakes you make; and making no mistakes at all is the best. There were many people at the banquet, and the emperor and his ministers were enjoying themselves, perhaps even drinking. Nanny Li also instructed Lin Qiuran to practice her alcohol tolerance in the near future, so as not to get drunk and lose her composure in front of the palace.
It is said that Lin Qiuran can drink quite well. Although she doesn't drink with others, she can make wine by herself. Sometimes she makes higher-proof cooking wine. She will definitely taste the wine herself first and will not give it directly to guests.
There is no need to worry about his drinking capacity, Lin Qiuran will just try his best to learn other skills to perfection.
Lin Qiuran had been learning these for more than half a month. Seeing her like this, Sun couldn't help but feel lucky that she didn't have to go.
Her old bones would be broken if she tried to learn this. Who would walk with a bowl on their head? It would take half a month to learn. Whether her neck would be still okay was one thing, but she was afraid that she would forget it once she entered the palace. There were so many people around, and she didn't want to lose face.
Sun Shi didn't want to go, but Tang Yuan really wanted to go. He had never been to the Imperial Palace, such a big place.
Lin Qiuran said to him, "You don't need your parents to take you there. Who knows, you might have the chance to go there on your own in the future."
Tang Yuan asked: "What opportunity?"
Lin Qiuran: "Your father goes to the palace when he goes to court. If you also serve as an official in the future, then you can also enter the palace."
He was young and thought that places he had never been to were interesting, but Lin Qiuran felt that the palace was full of rules and was confined by high walls. Especially after learning etiquette for half a month, he no longer thought that entering the palace was so strange or such a good thing.
Tang Yuan's eyes lit up, "Then I have to study hard."
Lin Qiuran smiled. She didn't say anything bad about the palace to Tangyuan. Firstly, she was afraid that he would learn from others. Secondly, if he was ambitious, there would be nothing wrong in studying hard to enter the palace.
At the end of July, Nanny Li went back, but Lin Qiuran still took out half an hour every day to practice palace etiquette. She didn't ask for excellence, as long as she didn't make any mistakes when the time came.
The rest of the time was spent preparing for the Mid-Autumn Festival family banquet and sending gifts to various families. This also coincided with the shop inventory at the beginning of the month, and I was completely busy.
I sent gifts to my family once during the Dragon Boat Festival, and now I have to send gifts as well during the Mid-Autumn Festival. In the past three months, there have been a few new friends in the mansion, including Mr. Tangyuan, and I have to send gifts to them all.
Lin Qiuran asked Xu Yuanheng to bring back a holiday gift for her hometown. The manager in her hometown will read her letter and deal with it.
Besides these, there were also festival gifts for the servants in the mansion. As the number of people in the mansion increased, and with the addition of the shop assistants and the farmers in the farm, they all had to arrange festival gifts. Lin Qiuran handled all the big and small matters together, and she was busy until the ninth day of the eighth month.
After a busy period, Lin Qiuran took a few days off, doing nothing but reading and drinking tea. She would wander around the house to rest and recuperate. She would have a bowl of bird's nest porridge in the morning and evening, and go to bed earlier than usual. When Xiao Xun teased her, Lin Qiuran would push him away and say, "Stop it. Let's talk after the Mid-Autumn Festival."
Xiao Xun: "...Okay."
When Lin Qiuran saw him say this, he looked like Tang Yuan, with drooping eyebrows and looking down. He looked like a big dog that hadn't eaten a bone, pitiful.
But it really can't happen these days, she is tired.
In fact, on weekdays, when there are dumplings, it is sometimes late, which makes it not very convenient to do that thing, but business is important, and Xiao Xun is also afraid of making mistakes that day. No matter whether he is blamed or not, Lin Qiuran will definitely blame him.
A few days passed in a flash. On the night of the fourteenth, Lin Qiuran was still a little nervous. After coming to the capital, especially with Xiao Xun's return, everyone in the mansion acted very cautiously. Tomorrow they were going to meet the emperor and the empress. If they were not careful, they would be beheaded and their whole family would be implicated.
If she gets into trouble, it will affect the whole family and Tangyuan's future. How can she not take it to heart?
Seeing that she was not sleeping, Xiao Xun suddenly held Lin Qiuran's hand and said, "Actually, you can fall asleep when you are tired."
Xiao Xun didn't think Lin Qiuran would agree. After a while, Lin Qiuran leaned over, kissed the corner of his lips, and said softly, "I think what you said makes sense."
When you are tired, you fall asleep quickly. Thinking about the days when he was learning etiquette, Lin Qiuran went to bed early every day.
It should be the same today.
The next morning, Xiao Xun went to the military camp early. Lin Qiuran didn't rush to get up because the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet was in the evening. She hadn't eaten much during the day, and it would be inconvenient to change clothes in the palace, so it was better to eat less.
Of course, I didn't drink much water. When I was thirsty, I used a cotton swab to moisten my lips. When I was hungry, I sucked on a piece of candy. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing to faint in a place like a palace banquet.
In the evening, Xiao Xun came back. Lin Qiuran and Xiao Xun took a carriage into the palace. Her clothes were heavy, and the crown on her head was even heavier, but she had to hold her head up straight and not lower it.
Xiao Xun was also wearing auspicious clothes, but it was not as complicated as Lin Qiuran's. Xiao Xun was very strong and did not feel tired no matter how heavy the clothes were. Looking at Lin Qiuran breathing softly, he held Lin Qiuran's Zhaiguan with his hand, which made it lighter.
Lin Qiuran smiled at Xiao Xun. Before she was granted the title, she wished the emperor would give her an imperial edict, but it really caused a lot of trouble.
She said, "It's okay, it's not that bad. I'll get used to it first, otherwise it will be even more uncomfortable to enter the palace."
I didn’t wear so much when I was practicing etiquette, and I still have a tough battle to fight today.
The carriage stopped at the palace gate. No matter who was a marquis or duke, he had to get off the carriage and go in.
There were already quite a few carriages parked at the palace gate. Xiao Xun got out first, and he helped Lin Qiuran down. This was her first time in the palace, so she had to lower her eyes slightly to show respect. She followed Xiao Xun, and no matter what was going on around her, she had to keep her eyes straight.
After passing one palace wall after another and passing by one palace maid after another, we finally arrived at the place where the palace banquet was held.
The palace banquet was held in a building called Lanyue Tower, which had nine floors, with the banquet being held on the eighth. Lin Qiuran struggled up the stairs and followed Xiao Xun to the table. The emperor hadn't arrived yet, so everyone sat and waited.
There was food on the low table in front of them, but no one touched it. Lin Qiuran thought, if someone had eaten something, like grapes, and still had something in their mouth when the emperor arrived, they would definitely be in a mess.
Thinking about that scene, it’s quite funny.
After waiting for an unknown amount of time, the emperor, empress, queen mother and concubines finally arrived. The concubines sat opposite the ministers, and Lin Qiuran didn't even look up.
It was pitch black outside the Moon-Raising Tower, with the moon hanging high in the sky. However, the lights at the palace banquet were brilliant, just like in the daytime. Behind Lin Qiuran was a candle lamp, shaped like a tree, with dozens of candles on it.
The musicians were playing behind the screen, the sounds of stringed instruments were particularly pleasant, and the ministers and their families stood up to pay their respects, and the whole hall was filled with the voices of "Long live the emperor, long live the emperor, a thousand live the empress."
Lin Qiuran's voice was mixed in and was not noticeable. Then a male voice came, "My dear ministers, please don't bow."
Lin Qiuran didn't rush to sit down, but sat down only after he saw someone else sitting down out of the corner of his eye.
The emperor spoke a lot, about peace and prosperity, and the whole nation rejoicing. Given Xiao Xun's status, they sat in the back. Lin Qiuran couldn't hear some of the words clearly, but when the emperor finished, everyone stood up and saluted again.
The only good thing was that during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the emperor held a palace banquet to entertain his ministers, so they didn't have to kneel down and kowtow three times and bow nine times. However, the emperor said that everyone could do as they pleased, but no one dared to do so.
The emperor's authority was imposing, and everyone was cautious and circumspect. Lin Qiuran had been like this for the first year, toasting and chatting with the ladies around him. When the emperor toasted, they would also toast to the empress and offer a toast.
Finally, someone suggested going downstairs to watch the fireworks. Lin Qiuran followed them downstairs with a heavy hair crown on her head. When she came back after watching the fireworks, her neck was about to break, and her mind was not on the fireworks.
She couldn't help but think that last year she was still watching the fireworks in the direction of the palace, but today she didn't even want to watch them.
After sitting for a while, the palace banquet was finally over when the emperor spoke again.
The palace banquet was over, but it wasn't over until they left the palace. Lin Qiuran didn't eat anything at the banquet, so after leaving Lanyue Tower, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Only after getting on the carriage did she relax. As soon as she relaxed, her neck and shoulders started to ache, and her waist was stiff and straight. She had been standing there for more than an hour, and it hurt every time she changed her position.
Xiao Xun felt a little distressed, but this was not the only thing he could do, so he could only hold the crown for her first.
Lin Qiuran's voice was weak. "Don't need to help me yet. Just get me a piece of candy from your purse."
Xiao Xun quickly took it out, and Lin Qiuran ate it and felt much better.
Xiao Xun said: "You must be exhausted."
Lin Qiuran made a hushing gesture and said, "We haven't even reached home yet, so you can't say that."
Xiao Xun smiled and nodded.
Participating in the palace banquet and making a pilgrimage is a matter of bringing honor to the family. In other families, this event would be recorded in the family tree, so how could one complain about it being a burden?
The emperor would not accept hearing this.
Lin Qiuran leaned back and sat for a while. Since she couldn't take off her hair crown yet, Xiao Xun supported her.
Bo's house was not far from the palace gate, so they arrived home quickly. As soon as they got home, Tangyuan ran out of the house. He had been on vacation for the past two days and had finished his homework yesterday. He was still awake. When he saw Lin Qiuran, he wanted to pounce on her, but Xiao Xun stopped him in time.
Tang Yuan asked, "Mother, was the palace banquet fun? Were there many people? What does the emperor look like?"
Lin Qiuran thought to herself, does she look like she's out for fun? "...Go ask your dad. Mom's going to change her clothes first."
Xiao Xun hugged Tang Yuan and said, "Ask Dad if you want to ask anything."
Tang Yuan cried out, "Would you like to eat later? Grandma is waiting for you to have the reunion dinner."
Xiao Xun smiled and said, "You have to eat."
He hadn't eaten much at the palace banquet, so of course he couldn't skip a single bite, as that would be contemptuous. Now the two of them were very hungry, so they could probably eat quite a bit.
Tang Yuan: "Today is Mid-Autumn Festival, the full moon festival. We should all eat together, except that grandpa is not here. Otherwise, the family would definitely be together and happier."
Xiao Xun looked at Tang Yuan with a loving gaze and said, "That's true, but don't mention your grandfather in front of your grandmother."
Tangyuan didn't understand why, but nodded seriously.
It was already August, and Xiao Dashi had been away from the capital for more than half a year. The steward in his hometown would write to him once a month.
If there is nothing else, just write "Have a good day" to let everyone know that you are safe.
The letter I sent last month said that I was sending something to Xiao Dashi. Xiao Dashi now lives in Xiaojia Village, but the people in the old house moved to the county town, and they have never gone back to see Xiao Dashi.
This is what Xiao Dashi said was good to him. He felt guilty about what happened before and wanted to make amends. Now that he saw that Xiao Dashi had no money, he still ignored him.
Naturally, Lin Qiuran wouldn't let Xiao Dashi stay in Xiaojia Village forever, because Xiao Xun and Sun Shi wouldn't be able to bear it. Last month, Lin Qiuran wrote back, asking him to bring Xiao Dashi back to Yu An's house first. If the old mansion residents came looking again, Xiao Dashi would still trust them, and Sun Shi planned to divorce him.
Let’s just leave it like this for the future and not leave any money for Xiao Dashi.
Let it be. Sun thought that she would let Xiao Dashi stay in the original place. Life was good now and she wanted to live a few more years.
Sun couldn't help but think that today was a family reunion day, and maybe Bai had gone to pick up Xiao Dashi for a reunion.
Lin Qiuran came out in casual clothes, with her diadem removed and her hair simply tied up. Sun saw the deep, red mark on Lin Qiuran's forehead from the diadem, and said with concern, "Oh, you must be exhausted. Come and eat."
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