Chapter 803: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 803: The New Year's Feast (1)
At a quarter past the hour of You, an inconspicuous carriage stopped at the palace gate. At this time, several carriages had already gathered there, and more continued to arrive, each with ministers dressed in official attire, accompanied by their wives disembarking.
Of course, all these ladies carried imperial titles; without them, no matter how high their husband's rank, they wouldn't be allowed to enter the palace. As for the ministers' children, unless granted special permission, they had no right to attend the New Year’s feast.
Thus, when the young and unfamiliar Mo Yan appeared, many ministers and their wives, who hadn’t yet entered the palace, were quite surprised and speculated about her identity. However, being well-mannered, no one stared at Mo Yan outright, though they were curious.
A few ministers had seen Mo Yan during the court hearings. Although she held no real power, her title still warranted respect, and they approached her with their wives to pay their respects. “This humble official (and wife) greets Lady Hejia, the county princess!”
Mo Yan didn’t recognize them, but upon seeing their official robes adorned with the cloud-and-swallow pattern of a fourth-rank official, she courteously returned half a bow. “There is no need for such formalities, my lord and lady!”
There was no other county princess in the entire Da Chu. Even though people knew Mo Yan’s humble origins, no one dared to look down on her. After all, she had caught the eye of the crown prince and had been personally bestowed the title of county princess by the emperor himself.
Everyone quickly realized her identity, and no one dared to act carelessly. They all approached to offer their greetings.
Mo Yan smiled and returned their courtesies with grace, neither acting arrogantly due to her title nor feeling self-conscious. She held herself with dignified poise, making no mistake in her manners. Those who had hoped to see her falter were secretly taken aback.
She had practiced these rituals in advance because, if she made a mistake, it would be she who would be ridiculed. Others would not excuse her for coming from a farming family without knowing proper etiquette.
After the ministers and their wives departed, Mo Yan let out a quiet sigh of relief and turned to Li Zhong, the coachman who had brought her to the palace. “Grandfather Li, the palace banquet won’t end until the hour of Zi, which will take quite some time. If you find it boring, you can take the jujubes and stroll around the streets for a bit!”
The palace banquet began at the hour of Xu and wouldn’t end until the hour of Zi, meaning there was still at least three hours to wait. Mo Yan had forgotten that tonight was New Year’s Eve, and every household would be staying up to celebrate. The streets were extremely quiet, offering nothing to explore.
Li Zhong didn’t point that out and instead gestured to the coachmen who were gathered in small groups chatting nearby. He smiled and said, “You’re not the only one here, Grandfather Li. Go talk with them, and the time will pass quickly. You can leave with peace of mind!”
Mo Yan saw this and quickly reached into the carriage to pull out a bulging bundle. “Grandfather Li, in case you get bored, I’ve prepared some snacks for you. You can share some with them later; there’s plenty!”
“Ah, you’re so thoughtful, Yan girl. With this, I won’t feel bored at all!” Li Zhong joyfully accepted the bundle. Even before opening it, the scent of roasted pine nuts, mixed with peanuts, melon seeds, and ginkgo nuts, wafted through the air.
Mo Yan smiled and reminded him to keep warm and avoid the wind, then turned and entered the palace gates. Just as she did, a young eunuch approached to lead the way, and Xiao Ruiyuan and Yan Junyu entered.
Yan Junyu, with his sharp features, spotted Mo Yan ahead of them and nudged Xiao Ruiyuan with his elbow, raising his eyebrows as he said, “I didn’t expect to run into that girl here. We should go greet her.”
With that, he strode forward confidently and casually greeted Mo Yan, “Little girl, the New Year’s gift you sent the other day was greatly appreciated by the old man. Next time, send more so he doesn’t keep bringing it up in my ear. It’s driving me crazy!”
Yan Junyu’s tone was very natural, and his casual, carefree mannerisms led no one to suspect anything between the two. After all, that was his usual demeanor, and he was well-acquainted with the crown prince. It was not unusual for them to exchange New Year’s gifts, especially considering that their gifts had even caught the attention of the Marquis of Wu'an.
[End of Chapter]
Thank you for ths chapters
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