Chapter 809: 340 Forsaking sleep and food
On September 16th, Marquis Jingning adopted a foster daughter, and relatives were invited to witness the ceremony.
This event was unlike the master-apprentice ceremony. Although Mr. Yu Shan had invited few to the master-apprentice ritual, all were significant figures. For the adoption, relatives and friends flocked to offer their congratulations. With its centuries-old foundation, the Marquis’ household had intricate relationships in Capital City, and kinship ties were plentiful.
When the time came, Yueyao performed the rites before Old Marquis.
Since meeting Mingzhu, this was Yueyao’s first encounter with Old Marquis.
That day, Old Marquis was clad in a deep purple satin robe embroidered with ingot patterns. About fifty years old, he sported a trimmed beard, not very long, intermingled with black and white hair. His face looked very benevolent, which considerably eased Yueyao’s nervousness.
After the ceremony, Yueyao accompanied Madam Ping to the back courtyard to meet the relatives of the Marquis’ household. The family had many ties, which somewhat intimidated Yueyao.
As the main character today, Yueyao couldn’t dodge the attention. Fortunately, she approached these social interactions as a way to cultivate her temperament, which made them bearable.
Madam Ping led Yueyao around the back courtyard, introducing her to each relative one by one. Madam Ping had even provided Yueyao with a list beforehand, detailing all of the Marquis’ close relatives who often visited.
Confronted with the lengthy list originally, Yueyao was a bit shocked—there were over eighty people, not including those elsewhere.
Yueyao’s exceptional memory served her well, matching most of the crowd with the names on the list.
Looking at Yueyao, Wife of Crown Prince of the Duke of Lu’s Mansion said with a smile to Madam Ping, "Having such a fine young lady is certainly your good fortune."
Madam Ping replied beamingly, "Indeed it is! It remains to be seen who will benefit from her in the future."
Today, Yueyao was exceptionally radiant. She wore a goose-yellow gold lotus half-sleeve top, a white jade belt around her waist, and a pale teal twelve-sectioned moonlight skirt that rippled like lake water with each step. Her long black hair was styled up high, adorned centrally with a shimmering phoenix hairpin and angled with a jade phoenix hairpin, complemented by beeswax Buddha beads on her hands, and a pair of red gold bangles on her right wrist, all dazzling brilliantly.
After meeting Wife of Crown Prince of the Duke of Lu’s Mansion, Madam Ping introduced Yueyao to a well-dressed lady around fifty, saying, "Yueyao, this is your Fourth Aunt."
This Fourth Aunt was the daughter of Old Marquis’s half-brother and eventually married to Second Old Master of Earl of Yongchang’s Mansion, now his Second Madam.
Yueyao had heard of Earl of Yongchang’s Mansion through mentions by Loo Ying and Xiang Wei when discussing marriage, hence her unfavorable impression.
Second Madam looked at Yueyao’s attire thoughtfully.
Madam Ping, failing to discern what Second Madam was considering, cheerfully spoke to her and then led Yueyao to meet other guests.
After the guests had left, Yueyao was nearly exhausted: "This is truly no easy task." Luckily, Madam Ping was there to shield her; without her, Yueyao didn’t know if she would have managed to endure.
Xiang Wei joked, "It’s just this once." This grand event also reflected the Marquis’ household’s high regard for the young woman. Whether or not she would continue interacting with these people was now up to Yueyao.
Yueyao felt a bit sad: "I know, it’s just a pity Mingzhu couldn’t come today." Mingzhu had claimed she was not nauseous during her pregnancy, but the next day she had begun to experience morning sickness, rendering her too unwell to attend.
Xiang Wei gloated, "She always was a bit petty, boasting so much only to suffer for it."
Yueyao did not return to Ma’s Mansion that day, instead staying over at the Marquis’ household in the Bright Moon Courtyard previously occupied by Mingzhu.
No sooner had Yueyao settled in than she learned the Empress Dowager had sent gifts. Yueyao quickly prepared to receive these rewards from the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager, besides bestowing plentiful jewelry and study accessories, also granted four bolts of imperial silk; two were Glit Brocade, and another two were Satin: one Lock Pattern Brocade, one Cloud Brocade. Cloud Brocade was famously precious, but Lock Pattern Brocade was equally rare and esteemed.
Feeling the fabric of the Lock Pattern Brocade, Yueyao appreciated its soft texture.
Xiang Wei explained with a smile, as Yueyao was well-read yet unfamiliar with fabric types, "Miss, Lock Pattern Brocade is drawn with gold thread and is incredibly labor-intensive to produce, which is why so little is made—less than even Cloud Brocade. It’s highly valuable as it is rare and suitable for both summer and winter. This grand gift from the Empress Dowager clearly shows how much she values you."