"Zhengjun, please have breakfast first."
After Lixiang tied Mu Lige's hair, Shumo also brought the meal prepared from the East Palace's small kitchen and presented it on the Bailing table in the dormitory.
Yuanyu and Sang Rou, one on each side, helped Mu Lige up from his position at the dressing table and carried him to the Bailing table for dinner. Before Mu Lige sat down, Shu Mo was already skillfully setting the table for him.
At five minutes past noon, after ordering the palace servants to clear away the cups and plates, Shu Mo, Yuan Yu and Sang Rou began to change clothes for Mu Lige who had just had breakfast.
Mu Lige, stripping out of her nightgown and donning a white undershirt and trousers, donned the dark royal court robes, designed for the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince, which had been painstakingly crafted overnight by the Wardrobe Department over several days. The finest fabric, exquisite embroidery, and ingenious tailoring all exuded nobility, signaling the extraordinary status of the wearer.
At five minutes past noon, after dressing Mu Lige in the royal court dress of the Crown Princess, Yuan Yu, who had been planning to put makeup on Mu Lige, was in a dilemma.
"Zheng Jun is truly a man of heaven. If he were to lose a bit of his beauty, or add a bit of complexity, Yuan Yu really doesn't know where to start."
"Yuanyu, let's leave it like this for now."
Mu Lige's lips curled up slightly, his eyes filled with laughter. Born in Zhaoyang Country, he had always disliked makeup. Back in Huaqiao Village, he occasionally wore makeup, but it was solely to deceive the violent Hua Qingcheng (the original owner).
"It's Zhengjun." Upon hearing this, Yuanyu breathed a sigh of relief as if she had been pardoned.
The conferring ceremony began at the hour of Si in the Baohua Hall, not far from the Golden Throne Hall.
At six quarters past noon, Mu Lige, who had dressed well, walked out of the East Palace with the help of Shu Mo, Li Xiang, Yuan Yu and Sang Rou. He got on the sedan chair specially allowed to him by Emperor Nalan Yunzhi, and surrounded by many palace servants, he slowly walked towards the Baohua Palace in the front yard.
Meanwhile, today's heroine, Hua Qingcheng, was being attended to by her four personal maids, One Hydrogen, Two Helium, Three Lithium, and Four Beryllium, as she changed into the bright yellow court dress embroidered with multicolored auspicious clouds and a soaring phoenix. The bright yellow alone, worn only by the emperor and the crown princess, fully demonstrated its owner's noble status.
"Your Highness, it's time to set off!"
After packing Hua Qingcheng's clothes, the four maids, One Hydrogen, Two Helium, Three Lithium, and Four Berylium, led the palace people and escorted Hua Qingcheng to Baohua Palace.
Eligible to attend today's imperial conferral ceremony and the subsequent banquet included not only the royal family and some princes and nobles, but also officials of the third rank and above and their families (referring only to mothers, fathers, legal husbands, legitimate daughters and sons). Before Hua Qingcheng and Mu Lige even arrived at Baohua Hall, the hall was already packed with people.
The seats in the hall were arranged according to titles and ranks. Feng Cailan and Situ Luoyun, the leaders of the civil and military officials, were naturally given seats closer to the front. Of course, there were exceptions, such as Hua Rongsheng and Ye Maochun.
Although Hua Rongsheng was merely a powerless official, and Ye Maochun was only a fifth-rank imperial concubine, their statuses were somewhat special because of Hua Qingcheng. An Zihao, who was in charge of the palace banquet, had Hua Rongsheng and Ye Maochun's seats moved alongside those in the Grand General's and Prime Minister's mansions to please Nalan Yunzhi and demonstrate his magnanimity.
"Hey? Who is this?"
"How dare anyone sit in the seat of a first-rank official?"
"Where is Murong Jinghe, the commander of the inner court guards? Why isn't he quickly driving these two audacious men away?"
When General Ouyang Yiqin arrived at the table, she saw the rustic Hua Rongsheng and Ye Maochun looking disdainful. Even she, a General Ouyang Yiqin, could only sit in a second-rank seat, just two country bumpkins. Why?
"General, my name is Hua Rongsheng. My husband and I are from Fufeng County. We were seated according to the seating cards and did not overstep the boundaries."
Hua Rongsheng, dressed in a lilac brocade gown with a dark pattern, stood up from her seat and saluted Ouyang Yiqun with a resounding gesture, neither humble nor arrogant.
If it was just Hua Rongsheng's personal honor and disgrace, she, who was indifferent to fame and fortune, might not have paid any attention to the ridicule. But now, she bore the title of the Crown Princess's stepmother, and her relationship with Hua Qingcheng was one of shared success and failure. She couldn't let her daughter lose face.
"Master Ouyang, you don't know that these two are not simple people!"
Xiahou Jing, the Prince of Pingxi in the front row, turned around upon hearing this and joined in the fun, saying, "Although Hua Rongsheng is just a poor scholar, and her husband is just an illiterate, uncouth peasant, they are the adopted mother and father of the Crown Princess, so their statuses are naturally incomparable."
"snort!"
"The seats at palace banquets have always been divided according to rank. Even if they are the adoptive mother and father of Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess, they cannot violate the rules of etiquette." Ouyang Yiqin sneered.
Her brother Ouyang Yuming had been an imperial noble for more than ten years, but was suddenly demoted to a noble. Perhaps the new imperial noble An Zihao was behind this.
This time, An Zihao happened to be in charge of the palace banquet, so Ouyang Yiqin seized the opportunity to find fault with him. This way, she could both annoy Princess Nalan Qingcheng and give the newly promoted Emperor An Zihao a reputation as someone who disregarded etiquette and was unworthy of a high-class place. Perfect!
Ouyang Yiqun's words immediately caused everyone in Baohua Palace to whisper.
"Mother..."
Ye Maochun, who was beside Hua Rongsheng, tugged at her sleeve and felt a little scared when he saw the aggressive Ouyang Yiqun.
"General, this is wrong! As the saying goes..." Hua Rongsheng patted Ye Maochun's hand to comfort him. When she was about to say something, the people at the table next to them became angry.
"Bang!"
Suddenly, there was a sound of angry slamming of the table.
"You little bitch! Are you really disrespecting the Emperor?"
Feng Jingyun slammed the table and stood up, glaring at Ouyang Yiqin, who was standing in front of Hua Rongsheng and Ye Maochun's wife and husband. "Hua Xiucai and Ye Mingfu are the adopted mother and father of Her Highness the Crown Princess. They were personally appointed by the Emperor as 'Adopted Mother' and 'Adopted Father' of the Crown Princess. Although their ranks are not high, they are of great significance to Her Highness the Crown Princess."
Although Feng Jingyun was already over sixty years old and had long since retired from the imperial court, her black hair had long since turned white, but the majestic aura of years immersed in the battlefield remained. Her words were full of energy and resounding.
"Furthermore, since the Emperor has ordered Noble An to be in charge of this palace banquet, he naturally trusts him. You've been quite critical of the seats Noble An has arranged for the Crown Princess's adoptive mother and adoptive father. Could it be that you're dissatisfied with the Emperor?"
Feng Jingyun glanced at Ouyang Yiqun fiercely, making the other person feel a little frightened.
Although Ouyang Yiqun was also a military commander and his rank was not low, there was definitely a big gap between him and Feng Jingyun, who had fought on the battlefield for decades and was a powerful figure.
"General Feng, please calm down!"
Ouyang Yuming, who was sitting in the seat of honor in the upper harem, came over upon hearing the sound.
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