Transmigration: From Farmer To Empress-Chapter 1949 - 1956: Longevity Festival (Part 2)
The wife of Duke Li Guo and the other first-class Madames sat below the three Madames. Opposite them were several princesses, royal consorts, and young princes, including Princess Zhao Yun, the young prince of Meng slaves, the Eldest Princess Zhao Hua Chang, born to a talented woman favored by the Retired Emperor, Princess Ming Zhu and the First Prince Nangong Jin, Second Prince Nangong Yu born to the current Empress Dowager.
Lady Du, the wife of the Deputy Minister Mu Zhongqing, was also present. Mu Zhongqing had been promoted to a third-class Deputy Minister, making Lady Du a third-class Madam. Although her status was still slightly lower than those present, due to Cai Wei’s influence, everyone treated her politely, with no one daring to show her the slightest disrespect.
Fei’er was there too, being the wife of the Great General, she was already more than three months pregnant. As a new mother, she did not show any signs of motherhood, still looking as beautiful as a maiden before marriage, even more beautiful than all the mistresses attending the Shangsi Festival Banquet today.
Fei’er became increasingly beautiful, which was supposedly a good thing, but it worried her mother-in-law, Lady Wu. Because there was a saying among the people that during pregnancy, if a pregnant woman became uglier, she was carrying a boy; if she became prettier, she was carrying a girl. Although their family already had one grandson, one grandson was simply too few for their family.
Thus, she was anxiously hoping that Fei’er could give birth to a big fat grandson. However, seeing her daughter-in-law’s face becoming more beautiful each day, her and her husband’s hearts grew increasingly uneasy, feeling more and more uncertain.
Fei’er did not mind whether she was carrying a boy or a girl, she thought as long as it’s her child, she would love them equally regardless of gender.
Mo Ziqi also held the same opinion, although he needed a son to inherit the family business, he thought both he and Fei’er were still young and would have many children in the future, so whether the first was a boy or a girl did not really matter.
On the painted boat, the Emperor’s half-brother, King of Chu, was performing on the flute; the sound of the flute was melodious and lingered in the air, intoxicating those who heard it.
In past years, the King of Chu was a spirited and ambitious man, adored by many noble women in the Capital. Unfortunately, years ago, he was framed by Jin Guifei for the crime of witchcraft, and along with his mother, he was imprisoned by the Retired Emperor for a full seven years.
Seven years of time softened all his edges, transforming him from a youth of towering aspirations into a timid and mediocre man. During his imprisonment, he even secretly extended an olive branch to the party of Jin Guifei in a gesture of goodwill, but unfortunately, Jin Guifei did not appreciate it and ignored him.
Nangong Yi was aware of these matters, but due to the emotional ties from childhood, he did not delve deeply. After ascending the throne, he released him and bestowed him a mansion to live leisurely, allowing him to become a carefree prince uninvolved in worldly affairs.
Cai Wei had already decreed that the King of Chu would marry the Lord of Jingyang County from Qing Luo Kingdom. Naturally, the King of Chu obeyed the decree. The Lord of Jingyang County had a longstanding admiration for Wanyan Jingchen, but with no fruitful outcome over the years, upon hearing that her aunt wanted her to marry his Majesty Nangong’s brother, as the legitimate Princess of Chu, she was moved.
Firstly, her age was growing and she was close to becoming an old maiden, and in Qing Luo Kingdom, the reputation of an old maiden was quite unpleasant, she didn’t want to be pointed at by others; secondly, after years of testing and seduction, her cousin Jingchen showed not the slightest interest in her, clinging to him, she saw no hope, so she gradually became disheartened; thirdly, she had seen the appearance of his Majesty Nangong, such a man with dragon-like elegance and phoenix-like grace, even more handsome than her cousin Jingchen; she assumed his brother wouldn’t be far off either, so after much contemplation, she eventually agreed.
