Chapter 19: Entering the Palace for New Year Greetings and the Auspicious Sign

Every single one was a precious treasure of immense value.

Among these few noble families, such items might not be considered particularly valuable, but in Marquis Marquis Yongyi's Hou Fu, Xu Xu Zaijing's four older siblings possessed at most one each, whereas Xu Xu Zaijing now had four or five.

In the blink of an eye, the Spring Festival had arrived.

This year, Xu Minghua did not return home; he merely sent a letter stating that the situation in the north was somewhat tense, and generals holding actual power could not return home for the New Year.

In the Xu Fu, the eldest brother, Xu Xu Zaiduan, assumed the role of father, leading the three sons of the Xu family to paste couplets, sweep the ancestral hall and offer sacrifices, set off firecrackers, stay up late to eat the reunion dinner, and before dawn, pay New Year calls to the noble families and high officials they associated with in Jingcheng.

However, Marquis Marquis Yongyi's Hou Fu no longer possessed the brilliance of previous years, so there were only a few families left to visit.

The women of the household were busy cooking food for the New Year at home.

Early on the morning of the first day of the lunar new year, once the sky had brightened, the titled ladies of the noble families in the capital gathered together to go to the palace and pay New Year calls to the Emperor, the Empress, and the consorts.

Sun Shi took Xu Xu Zaiduan and his three brothers onto a carriage and headed for the palace.

Although a smokeless charcoal stove was lit inside the carriage, it was still somewhat cold.

Fortunately, everyone was dressed in thick clothing, and the five siblings, having risen early, grew drowsy amidst the bumping of the carriage.

Upon entering the palace, wherever one looked, nobles from various families clad in thick fur coats could be seen.

Paying New Year calls was divided by rank; first, the Imperial Princes entered the Main Hall to pay respects to the Emperor, the Empress, and the consorts.

Afterwards, others entered to pay their respects according to the order of noble titles: Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron.

Some remained within the hall, while others departed directly for home after paying their respects.

When it was the Xu family's turn to enter the hall, the eunuch at the entrance announced in a loud voice:

"The Xu family of Marquis Marquis Yongyi's Hou Fu enters the hall!"

Xu Xu Zaijing followed his family into the hall.

The current Emperor of Great Zhou was quite benevolent and righteous; Great Zhou was very tolerant toward its subjects, and there were no strict rules forbidding one from looking directly at the Emperor.

This was especially true for children like Xu Xu Zaijing, so he was able to see the appearance of the great hall.

He saw the Emperor, dressed in yellow robes, sitting on the Dragon Throne, and beside him sat a graceful and luxurious, beautiful woman wearing a phoenix crown that concealed her age; that was the Empress from the Cao family.

Standing behind the beautiful woman was a delicate young woman in her twenties, the daughter of the Rong family from the common people.

Behind her were three more beautiful women.

One could tell their status in the palace just by the order of their seating.

Sitting below the Empress was Princess Princess Pingning, who was speaking with the Empress; the content of her speech caused the Emperor to glance sideways and lean over, wanting to hear clearly.

Presumably, Princess Princess Pingning was speaking about matters that interested the Emperor.

The delicate young woman beside the Empress was also listening with eyes full of surprise.

Princess Princess Pingning's father, Marquis Marquis Xiangyang, had lost a leg while protecting the current Emperor back then, so Princess Princess Pingning had grown up before the Empress since childhood, and now that she had married into the Duke of Qi's residence, it was quite normal for her to speak before the Emperor and Empress.

After the Xu family entered the hall, the Empress and the young woman standing behind her immediately spotted the youngest, Xu Xu Zaijing.

The Emperor, seated high above, allowed everyone to rise after Xu Xu Zaiduan and the others had paid their respects, offering words of encouragement regarding the head of the Xu family still guarding the borders for the nation during the Spring Festival; it was clear these were mere formalities, nothing special.

However, Empress Cao, beside the Emperor, asked Sun Shi a few questions about whether her parents were well, showing that she still cared for the Sun family.

After all, when Empress Cao was still an unmarried maiden in the Cao family, her third uncle had been the relative who treated her best.

The Empress saw that the youngest, Xu Xu Zaijing, had a fair complexion, wore deep cyan silk clothing, and possessed lively, sensible eyes, making him appear even more cute and handsome.

The Empress glanced at the Emperor beside her and Princess Princess Pingning at her side, then beckoned to Xu Xu Zaijing, saying softly, "Third young master of the Xu family, come, come here to me."

Xu Xu Zaijing looked at his own mother, and Sun Shi quickly said, "Go ahead. Do not be rude."

Xu Xu Zaijing walked before the Empress, bowed, and performed obeisance, saying, "Xu Xu Zaijing of the Xu family pays respects to Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Empress, the various Consorts, and Her Highness Princess Princess Pingning."

"Hehehe, truly a polite and sensible good child."

As she spoke, the Empress removed an emerald ring and placed it in Xu Xu Zaijing's hand; Xu Xu Zaijing was just about to kneel in thanks when the Empress grabbed him.

"Good child, this is my reward to you; there is no need to kneel in thanks."

"Yes, Her Majesty the Empress."

The delicate young woman standing behind the Empress also hurriedly removed an exquisite filigree red-gold hairpin embedded with green gems from her hair, squatted down, and placed it in Xu Xu Zaijing's other hand.

"Good child, this is my gift to you."

Princess Princess Pingning, standing nearby, said, "Zhang Sanlang, this is Consort Rong. There is no need to thank her either."

"Yes, Consort Rong."

Hearing Princess Princess Pingning's words, the Emperor looked at the Empress with an expression of satisfaction in his eyes.

The three consorts standing behind Consort Rong also each had gifts to bestow upon Xu Xu Zaijing.

This left the wives of the other noble families who had finished paying their New Year calls in the hall looking utterly puzzled.

They were far away and naturally could not hear what Princess Princess Pingning and the Empress were saying; even the Emperor had to lean his ear close to catch some of it.

Princess Princess Pingning was telling the Empress about what happened after she returned home following her encounter with Xu Xu Zaijing at the polo field; upon returning home, she discovered she was pregnant and had since given birth to a son.

The current Emperor was a benevolent Son of Heaven, yet he sadly lacked numerous offspring, and as the Empress, Lady Cao bore immense pressure and criticism from the court.

Consort Rong and the other few consorts had also heard this.

If any of them could be the first to conceive, give birth to an Imperial Prince, and raise him to adulthood, although the Prince's formal mother would still be Lady Cao, as his birth mothers, they might potentially become the Empress Dowager of their own palace should their child succeed to the throne.

Thus, Xu Xu Zaijing was an auspicious sign in their eyes; having shared his good fortune and formed a karmic connection, the gifts they gave represented their own hopes, and they could not let Xu Xu Zaijing return thanks, lest the luck cease to work.

Princess Princess Pingning did not make things difficult for Consort Rong and the others regarding matters of the rear palace but instead introduced them, clearly showing that the Empress had taught her well.

After the noble officials' families finished paying their New Year calls and received generous rewards from the palace, everyone departed one after another, arriving home just in time for the midday meal.

Sun Shi placed the rewards from the palace into a precious wooden box, which also contained the other gifts Xu Xu Zaijing had received.

Looking at her own son, Sun Shi said, "You little rascal, just these gifts are almost catching up to the bottom-of-the-chest dowries of your several aunts."

Xu Xu Zaijing said, "Mother, these things were rewarded and gifted specifically to me; may I give them to my older brothers and sisters on their birthdays?"

Xu Xu Zaijing vaguely remembered watching a television drama where an old nursemaid had said that within a family, glory and ruin are shared, and only when brothers and sisters are united can the household prosper.

Xu Xu Zaiduan and his three siblings, who had just returned to the residence and changed clothes, were preparing to go pay their respects to Sun Shi when they happened to hear their youngest brother's words from outside the door, and the four siblings exchanged glances.

In the room, Lady Sun stroked her son's head, her eyes full of gratification.

At the Assistant Prefect's residence in Quanzhou City, Fujian Circuit,

Shou'an Hall,

The Old Lady of the Sheng family was accepting the kowtows of her own children and grandchildren.

Standing beside her grandmother was Sheng Sheng Hualan, nearly ten years old; seated below were the couple Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong and his wife,

while the two grandsons, Sheng Sheng Changbai and Sheng Sheng Changfeng, were kneeling on the ground kowtowing to their grandmother.

"Give... dance... read..."

Sheng Sheng Changfeng was not yet two years old and could only speak indistinctly.

The look Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong cast upon his eldest legitimate son was dignified yet gratified.

The look he cast upon Sheng Changfeng was full of affection.

"Sister Sister Suqin, bestow rewards."

Mama Fang, by the Old Lady Sheng's side, hurriedly helped the two young masters up, giving each a small brocade pouch of New Year's money.

Thanks to the readers for your monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and tips.

My heartfelt thanks!

Bowing again in gratitude!

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(End of Chapter)