Chapter 187: A Farce Over the Hair-Pinning Ceremony

Jun Yiyi was furious; a mere servant in the manor dared to ride over her head and say there was something wrong with her brain!

Just as she was about to lash out, Wei Zhong stepped forward and hurriedly spoke before Jun Yiyi could:

"Oh my, Eldest Young Lady, hurry inside, the Old Madam is waiting for you!"

The steward felt bitter inside; although that was just a guard, he was one of the Emperor's Dragon and Tiger Guards, who dared to slight him?

If the Eldest Young Lady offended these people, he, as the steward, would have a hard time answering to the Master.

Jun Yiyi bit her lower lip, her heart filled with monstrous hatred, but she could only endure it for the time being.

Today was the day of Jun Yiyi's hair-pinning ceremony; in that era, when a girl reached the age of 15, she would bind her hair and hold a hair-pinning ceremony. The hair-pinning ceremony was the most important event in a girl's life.

The significance of the hair-pinning ceremony was solemn; it carried not only a family's responsibility and regard for the girl, but also the girl's responsibility toward life and her role in society.

Today should have been her big day, but the entire Jun manor had placed all their thoughts on Jun Zijin, who had returned after escaping death; not a single person had remembered her.

The manor was bustling with activity, maids and matrons hurried about; the family banquet laid out was not for her hair-pinning ceremony, but a welcome banquet set up to receive Jun Zijin.

Jun Yiyi was stunned for a long time before she finally understood the situation. She nearly ground her teeth to pieces and charged toward the Old Madam's Jingzhu Courtyard.

Jun Yiyi rushed into Jingzhu Courtyard and saw a room full of people surrounding Jun Zijin, asking after her well-being with laughter and joy.

The Old Madam sat in her wheelchair, holding Jun Zijin's hand with a face full of affection.

Jun Yiyi took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in her heart, and curtsied gracefully:

"Yiyi pays her respects to Grandmother."

The crowd was startled by this sudden voice. When they looked up and saw Jun Yiyi standing in the room, they seemed to remember something, and after a long while, they woke up as if from a dream.

Today was the day of Jun Yiyi's hair-pinning ceremony, and the entire manor had actually forgotten about it.

The Old Madam looked up, the smile in her eyes fading slightly, and said:

"The eldest girl is back. Your second younger sister has been through life and death, and those in the palace value her extremely highly. These past few days, the entire Jingcheng has been turned upside down, and the family has been running around in worry and fear. With all this chaos, we forgot about your affairs."

She paused for a moment, then continued:

"It is too late to send out invitations to guests now, but fortunately, today's banquet is already prepared, so the eldest girl will just have to make do."

Finally, the Old Madam tapped the armrest of her wheelchair lightly and added a reprimand:

"Among the sisters in the manor, you are the eldest and should be the most sensible. Since you have returned to the manor, be well-behaved in the future and do not cause any more trouble."

Jun Yiyi's hair-pinning ceremony was thus brushed aside by the Old Madam with a few light words.

The crowd was shocked, but also felt satisfied; who present hadn't suffered at Jun Yiyi's hands? No one wished her well.

Jun Yiyi hated them to death, her heart almost dripping blood, and she cursed a thousand times internally, "Old thing, bitch, may you all die a horrible death."

She had looked forward to this hair-pinning ceremony for 15 years and had rehearsed it thousands of times in her mind.

She had always thought her hair-pinning ceremony would be the most glorious in all of Jingcheng, that this day would be filled with distinguished guests, that all the nobles in the capital would send her gifts and congratulations, that all the noble ladies would envy and be jealous of her, and that everyone would revolve around her.

Such a grand day. A damn "make do" had cut off all her hopes.

Furious to the point of liver pain, Jun Yiyi wanted to curse in public, but the Old Madam not only told her not to cause trouble but also brought up the Emperor and Empress. After weighing it repeatedly, she ultimately did not say a word of opposition.

She turned her head and immediately saw Jun Shuyan's gloating face, and Jun Yiyi's feeling of grievance grew even stronger.

This little concubine-born daughter who once hid in the shadows had suddenly transformed into a legitimate daughter, not only suppressing her everywhere but now openly provoking her—how could she endure it?

But in front of the Old Madam, she dared not lash out and held it in.

With Jun Yiyi's appearance, the Old Madam felt a bit weary; she only said they would start the banquet when the Master returned from court, kept only Jun Zijin, and sent everyone else away.

Jun Shuyan made a face at Jun Zijin and pulled Lady Zhou out the door.

On this day, in the imperial court, sunlight filtered through the intricate window lattices, dappling the magnificent golden hall and adding a touch of warmth to this solemn place.

Inside the hall, incense smoke curled, and the officials stood solemnly on the imperial dais.

The Emperor, Quan Wuji, sat high on the dragon throne, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, the gold-embroidered dragon patterns appearing as if they were about to take flight under the candlelight.

His majestic gaze slowly swept over the kneeling officials below. Finally, it landed on Jun Zhengming.

He used to look down on this foolish son of the old Jun man, but now, the more he looked, the more pleasing he became.

"Minister Jun."

The Emperor's voice echoed leisurely in the hall, steady and powerful.

Jun Zhengming, dressed in court attire, stood tall and straight. Hearing the summons, he immediately stepped out of line, lifted his robes to kneel, and said loudly:

"Your subject is here."

"The Jun family has been loyal for generations, exhausting their efforts for the sake of our dynasty, with outstanding achievements."

The Emperor nodded slightly, his gaze full of approval.

"Today, the Jun family has even produced a remarkable woman with the world at heart; she is truly the backbone of the nation and the fortune of our dynasty!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a slight commotion arose in the court.

The ministers whispered to each other, their eyes turning toward Jun Zhengming, full of curiosity and speculation.

The Emperor's words were filled with praise for that daughter of the Jun family; she was already a Princess, could it be that she was to be titled a Princess of the Blood?

This was the very Minister who used to be quiet, never daring to stand out in court, and acted timidly. Ever since his second daughter returned to the capital, the Jun manor had hit the jackpot, and now he had leaped to become the Right Chancellor of the country.

The crowd's eyes scanned Jun Zhengming back and forth, as if they wanted to see right through him.

When the Emperor's words fell, Jun Zhengming's heart tightened. He naturally knew who the woman the Emperor spoke of was—it was his second daughter, Jun Zijin.

Previously, the Emperor had titled her a Princess, and although it was a great honor, it was bestowed upon her personally. Hearing the Emperor's tone today, it seemed there would be an even greater favor.

"The entire Jun family takes the Princess of Qingping as their model, loyal to the Emperor and patriotic, truly a role model for the court."

Jun Zhengming remained prostrate, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, his heart both proud and anxious. He knew deeply that if the Emperor was so unsparing with his praise, there must be more to come.

"Today, I specially bestow upon the Jun family an Iron Certificate of Merit!"

The Emperor's words exploded like a thunderclap in the court, leaving the officials completely stunned.

In an instant, the entire court fell into a deathly silence; everyone was so shocked by this sudden, heavy news that they stood frozen on the spot.

An Iron Certificate of Merit—what kind of glory and protection was that? It symbolized a guarantee of immunity from punishment for generations; it was the honor that countless meritorious officials dreamed of. And it had been obtained by the Jun family so easily.

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!"

Jun Zhengming realized what had happened and hurriedly kowtowed to express his gratitude, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

The other ministers also came to their senses and followed suit, shouting, "Long live, long live, long, long live the Emperor."

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