Capítulo 1834: Chapter 1834: Birthday Tribute (Part 2)
Gu Qingheng is a fifth-rank official, which makes him the lowest-ranking among those attending the palace banquet. Therefore, his seat is on the outer edge, quite towards the back, nearly by the main door of Taihe Hall.
The Princess of Pingning County and the Princess of Caiyun County both invited her to sit with them, but Yang Ruxin declined. In such settings, she naturally wanted to stay with her own man. Moreover, she quite liked this spot; it’s inconspicuous and provided a perfect opportunity to observe several people she was interested in, like Prince Qi Jinghao, Concubine Cui Meng, and also, the Gu Family members.
It seemed like she hadn’t seen the female relatives of the Gu Family along the way, and she wasn’t sure if Zou Qiuyue had come.
Just as she was mulling over this, she suddenly felt a gaze piercing through the crowd. Hastily looking over, she locked eyes with someone.
However, the other person clearly didn’t expect Yang Ruxin to be so sharp and was caught off guard, visibly startled. But, being an old fox, his expression only changed momentarily before he turned to glare at her fiercely.
Yang Ruxin touched her nose. She hadn’t glared at him; yet, this old man dared to glare at her? She couldn’t help but curl her lips, waiting for the day she’d deal with him soon enough.
Gu Sheng didn’t expect Yang Ruxin to be so audacious in her thinking; he felt quite uncomfortable. However, this wasn’t the time to confront this troublesome girl, so he withdrew his gaze.
Yang Ruxin also withdrew her gaze. Now that the acquaintance was made, she should send over a gift when she had time. After all, he was her father-in-law. She wondered if this old gentleman would appreciate her gesture. She was quite looking forward to it.
Soon, everyone took their seats. The Emperor joyously delivered the opening speech, speaking of ancestral blessings, the favorable weather of Daxuan, his own diligent governance, and his hope that everyone would prioritize the nation and the people.
These words elicited cheers from the crowd, with shouts of “long live the Emperor,” “the Emperor is wise,” and wishes for eternal prosperity of Daxuan echoing through the air intermittently.
Yang Ruxin was somewhat in awe; the scenes from television seemed quite lackluster compared to this.
Yet, fortunately, the Emperor didn’t say much and didn’t forget today’s main figure, Imperial Concubine Mu. She seemed to exude a calm demeanor; though middle-aged, she maintained herself well and spoke softly.
After saying a few ceremoniously polite words, she handed back the hosting duties to the Emperor.
In high spirits, the Emperor then began showcasing the gifts presented by everyone. Most gifts were prepared by the womenfolk of each family, carefully chosen to ensure propriety while expressing heartfelt intentions.
For instance, the Crown Princess Consort gifted an embroidered “Diamond Sutra,” which had previously been sent to Dahuguo Temple for Master Puji to recite sutras over for seven days, imbuing it with spiritual energy.
Imperial Concubine Mu was indeed very pleased. The Emperor held this young wife in great respect, as she had followed him since his days as a prince and was a very sensible person. Nowadays, she frequently accompanied the Empress Dowager, fulfilling filial duties on his behalf. Thus, he praised the Crown Princess Consort on the spot for her wisdom and elegance, exhibiting the demeanor of a great family.
Following this, the gifts from various princesses and noble families were mostly embroideries or scriptures.
When the last gift list was reached, the Third Eunuch responsible for announcing the gifts paused, his expression somewhat conflicted.