Chapter 699 - 255: Holy Birthday Festival

Chapter 699: Chapter 255: Holy Birthday Festival

Unable to decline, the Empress Dowager had to accept. Thus, the Holy Birthday Festival was celebrated in a lively manner a few days later.

For the Empress Dowager’s Holy Birthday Festival, all officials of the Sixth Rank and above in the capital, along with their female dependents, were permitted to enter the palace for the banquet.

Everyone in the Xu Mansion was on the invitation list, but since Chen Wanqing was heavily pregnant, she would not be going this time. Actually, she did not want the female members of her family to enter the palace either. The Xu family was originally part of the Royalist Party, naturally putting them in a different camp from the Empress Dowager. If the Empress Dowager wanted to make things difficult for her grandmother and mother, how could they avoid it?

Moreover, regarding Zhao Jing’s matter, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager had once argued. The Emperor had even forced the Empress Dowager to retreat to the inner palace right in front of the eunuchs and palace maids. If the Empress Dowager wanted to take her anger out on someone, none of the women in their family would be able to escape.

But on second thought, how could the Empress Dowager, who was capable of stirring up storms in the previous dynasty, be simply viewed as a common inner-courtyard woman? Her open-mindedness should be far broader than Chen Wanqing had imagined, and her insight should be far more extensive. She would certainly disdain venting her anger on female dependents, much less bickering with women and children.

Chen Wanqing had guessed absolutely right.

The Empress Dowager, immersed in the royal court and concerned with the whole world, would not take these trivial matters to heart.

Even before the banquet started, someone was already slandering them in front of her, saying, "Mr. Zhao’s wife didn’t attend the banquet, though the rest of the Xu family did. Old Madam Xu is truly blessed. Not to mention having a house full of children and grandchildren, her family is also harmonious. Her granddaughter and daughter-in-law have been by her side ever since they entered the hall..."

The underlying meaning was clear: Who were they guarding against? In the end, wasn’t it her? Mr. Xu opposed her in the royal court, which was why the women of his family acted as if they were facing a great enemy upon entering the palace. She sat upon the world; of course, she wouldn’t stoop to their level. But by acting this way, weren’t they showing disrespect to her?

Hearing this, the Empress Dowager did not even lift an eyelid. She simply held her teacup, gently skimming the foam off the tea with graceful and leisurely movements. The entire hall grew increasingly quiet due to the Empress Dowager’s silence. The woman who had just spoken realized her words had annoyed the Empress Dowager, and a thick layer of cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

After a long time, the Empress Dowager finally spoke at a leisurely pace. "You said it yourself, the Xu family is harmonious. The Lady of the Cabinet is already sixty years old. Her children and grandchildren worry about her health and watch over her constantly. What’s wrong with that? Setting aside the fact that Mr. Xu has dedicated his life to the country, and that I ought to treat his family with favor, just considering the old lady’s advanced age and her effort to attend my birthday banquet, I should show enough consideration."

The woman was trembling with fear, her body shaking uncontrollably. Fortunately, she was rather quick-witted. She immediately fell to her knees with a THUD, touching her forehead to the ground.

"The Empress Dowager is wise!" she said with a trembling voice. "I was thoughtless. I only wanted to ensure all etiquette was perfect, fearing someone might disrespect you, Madam, but I failed to consider Mr. Xu’s everlasting contributions, and that the Lady of the Cabinet is advanced in years... I deserve to die. I beg the Empress Dowager for forgiveness."

These words were spoken beautifully, but it was a pity that between the lines, she still did not forget to subtly speak ill of Mr. Xu.

The Empress Dowager cast an indifferent glance at the kneeling woman. This person was none other than Chief Minister Zhou’s wife, a woman she had single-handedly elevated. If his wife was this glib, short-sighted, and foolish, how much better could Chief Minister Zhou be? Although he was reasonably capable, he was far inferior to Mr. Xu in both character and ability. Back then, in order to consolidate her power, she had forcefully pushed Chief Minister Zhou into his position. Come to think of it, she had truly made a mistake that time.

No one knew what the Empress Dowager was thinking. Everyone only knew that after Chief Minister Zhou’s wife backed down, the atmosphere in the hall was silent and oppressive for a moment. Fortunately, as the Empress Dowager raised her eyes, the atmosphere in the hall quickly softened like a gentle spring rain, restoring its joyous harmony.

Palace maids came forward to announce the arrivals. Xu Suying and Mrs. Guo supported Old Madam Xu as they stepped forward to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager. They presented their birthday gifts and offered their congratulations. After the Empress Dowager told them to rise, they stood up and sat to the side.

The Empress Dowager did not like a room full of people gathering and making noise. When she summoned noblewomen, she always received them individually or one family at a time. Because of this, besides the Empress Dowager, her palace maids, and nannies, only the Xu family’s party was present in the hall at this moment.

In earlier years, when the Xu family entered the palace to offer birthday congratulations, the Empress Dowager had held absolute power. Whether she was busy with state affairs or held a grudge against the Xu family because of Mr. Xu, she would always dismiss them after exchanging just a few pleasantries. They thought it would be the same this time, never expecting the Empress Dowager to keep them for so long.

She first asked about Chen Wanqing. "I heard that Mr. Zhao’s wife is also resting at the mansion?"

Everyone’s heart tightened. Old Madam Xu breathed a soft sigh of relief and spoke calmly, "In reply to you, Madam, that child is currently seven months pregnant. It is very inconvenient for her to enter the palace with her heavy belly. Moreover, her pregnancy was discovered right after she returned to the capital, and I have not had the time to teach her the palace rules. So, I did not let her enter the palace this time, lest she lose her manners, offend you, Madam, and spoil the auspicious mood."