Transmigration: From Farmer To Empress
Chapter 1197 - 1203 Birthday Feast (1)

Chapter 1197: Chapter 1203 Birthday Feast (1)

Early September,

It was the Empress Dowager of the Great Jin Nation’s 72nd birthday, and the Great Jin Nation had always governed the world with filial piety. On that day, the Emperor decreed a general amnesty throughout the Great Jin Nation. Government offices would not accept any criminal cases for ten days. Prisoners scheduled to be executed this month would be delayed until the next month. The entire populace was forbidden from wearing plain-colored clothes, and even the lower-ranked officials had to set up an incense table in their local government office to bow in the direction of the Capital and wish for the Empress Dowager’s longevity.

When Nangong Yi ascended the throne, there were rumors in the capital that the current Emperor was on bad terms with the Empress Dowager. However, seeing the Emperor make such a grand spectacle to celebrate the Empress Dowager’s birthday, those rumors were self-defeating!

That was precisely Nangong Yi’s intention. As long as he could secure a good reputation for being benevolent and filial, he didn’t mind putting on a play with this old woman!

Early in the morning, the entire household of Third Elder Mu had gotten up. Today was the Empress Dowager’s Birthday Feast, and Mu Cailian had been excited and nervous all night. She had not slept at all; whether her dream could come true and like Sister Cai Wei, marry a handsome, rich, gentle, and affectionate noble young master depended on this day.

For this day, Third Elder Mu and his spouse had mustered all their strength, even if it meant going bankrupt, to fulfill their daughter’s heart’s desire. They generously used all their savings to make for their daughter a Shu Brocade beizi that only daughters of major households could afford. The light green Shu Brocade was as smooth and sleek as water and under the sun, it glittered in a dazzling array of colors. It was extremely eye-catching and beautiful!

But after making this beizi, worth over seventy taels, the couple no longer had money to purchase jewelry for their daughter.

Third Elder Mu suggested that it would be just as well to buy a few silk flowers from the Jewelry Store to wear. Their young daughter would look even more charming with the colorful silk flowers, which would accentuate her good looks. Cailian, however, disagreed completely. The women who would attend the Empress Dowager’s birthday feast were definitely ladies and misses from official families, all wearing extravagant jewelry. If she only wore a few silk flowers, she would, without a doubt, appear embarrassingly out of place. Far from dazzling the entire scene, she would rather become the subject of ridicule, which would be worse than not attending at all.

Third Aunt Mu suggested they might just buy some gilded head decorations to put on a show. Although not made of real gold, they would be hard to distinguish unless examined closely. Cailian still disagreed; while gold-plated trinkets could often deceive, if someone were to see through the imitation, the embarrassment would be even greater.

Without jewelry, Cailian was so anxious she cried, and Third Uncle Mu and Third Aunt Mu were also frantically worried. Third Uncle’s mouth corners even developed a chain of burn blisters. They were just two small street vendors selling fried goods, and even though their business was slightly better, they only made a profit of ten or eight taels a month. Asking them to afford three to five hundred taels worth of jewelry was simply impossible.

Out of sheer desperation, Third Aunt Mu had no choice but to shamelessly borrow a few pieces of jewelry for her daughter from Lady Du. Among them was a large pink pearl flower, a white jade bracelet, and a gold-rimmed coral butterfly pendant, as well as a jadeite jade pendant, all to bolster her daughter’s facade.

With these items, Cailian finally became cheerful.

At the crack of dawn, she quietly got up to dress and make herself up. Third Aunt Mu also rose early to cook a thick millet porridge and boil some eggs, hoping her daughter would be well-fed before entering the palace. Cailian dared not eat breakfast or even drink water, fearing an urgent need for a restroom once inside the palace. Up until Cai Wei sent for her, she had neither eaten nor drank anything, nor even sat down lest she creased her treasured beizi.

Once on the horse carriage, she sat down carefully, but not fully, for fear of wrinkling her clothes. For today, she had put in all her effort and strength to shine at the Birthday Feast. She was determined to attract attention and hopefully find an opportunity to marry the man of her dreams!