Chapter 198 New Years Eve Feast

　　The weather in the capital gradually started to get colder. This day was this year’s New Year’s Eve. It has even begun to snow. The snowy scenery was beautiful under the cold moon nine days after the winter solstice, incarnating into countless dancing snowflakes, treading elegant steps descending into a corner of the world. That immortal pine tree, too, was moved by the sparkling crystals, scattering it with a layer of silvery white. On the ground was a white, plump snowman, suspiciously eyeing its beady eyes at the tree tops with the ice flowers glistening under the sun. The entire world seemed to have entered a world of snowy white.

　　Lan You Nian has already waken up. There were many things to do this day. In the afternoon, all the ministerial officials would be taking their children to the imperial palace to attend the New Years’s Eve Feast and return at night to celebrate the New Year. Feng Yi Xuan woke up a lot earlier and has already left You Nian Pavilion. A wangye, especially a wangye holding real power in his hands, wasn’t so relaxed. This day’s New Year’s Eve, Feng Yi Xuan not only had to attend the New Year’s Eve Feast at the palace, he had to show up at the military camp to see those soldiers.

　　“Young miss, you’re awake?” Lan Wu and Lan Qu stood outside, inquiring. It’s all because of Ming wang’s presence, they’ve formed a habit of no longer daring to barge into young miss’s boudoir carelessly, as they did before. Ming wang already left, so they finally have the chance to serve young miss.

　　Lan You Nian glanced to the side of the bed that was missing Feng Yi Xuan and sighed helplessly. She noticed she seemed to become more and more clingy. She really didn’t know whether this was good or bad.

　　“Come in!” Lan You Nian said and then climbed out from the warm blanket. By the bed, her clothes for that day was already set out. She really didn’t know how Feng Yi Xuan could be so attentive. No matter how busy, he will always take care of her.

　　Lan Wu and Lan Qu carried hot water in. One of them went to the bed to tidy up the room and the other assisted Lan You Nian with her outfit and makeup.

　　“Young miss, it looks like Ming wang has already picked today’s headdress!” Lan Qu teased, noting the headdress arranged on the dressing table. Ming wang was meticulous taking care of young miss. He even thought of such a trivial matter.

　　Lan You Nian smiled, nodding. The clothes and such things Feng Yi Xuan prepared for her were all the best. If he wasn’t busy, he would wait for her to wake and help her dress and do her hair. Even if he was busy and needed to wake early, he will prepare everything. He was extremely good to her.

　　Lan You Nian looked at an exquisite box on the dressing table. Lan You Nian opened it. Inside was the hairpin Feng Yi Xuan made personally, emitting a captivating fragrant. Feng Yi Xuan always wanted her to wear it, but Lan You Nian couldn’t bear to. She knew if she wore it every day, Feng Yi Xuan will probably go carve another one. She couldn’t bear to let him use the his swordsman hands to do these things. One was enough. It was enough for her to be aware of his sincerity.

　　Lan Qu also saw her young miss take out the hairpin Ming wang made and giggled. Lan Qu couldn’t help saying excitedly, “Ming wang treats young miss so well!”

　　Lan You Nian put the hairpin away and poked Lan Qu’s forehead, “Doesn’t Lan Ren treat you well?” Don’t think she didn’t see the two of them flirting with each other. Privately, Lan Ren’s eyeballs when looking at Lan Qu emitted a bright light.

　　“Young miss!” Lan Qu exclaimed bashfully. As a shadow guard and maidservant, they weren’t supposed to marry, but it was wonderful to have such fortune.

　　Lan You Nian eyed the people beside her. They will all receive their own happiness. Lan You Nian truly felt happy for them. Her only regret is that they won’t have children. As shadow guards and personal maidservants, they will be fed medicine from the very start, losing the ability to bear children. Only this way could they expend all efforts to do their master’s bidding. When they followed her, she didn’t let them drink that medicine, but they privately drank that sterilizing drug, so they won’t be able to have children, just like any other shadow guard and personal maidservant.

　　Though they couldn’t have children, whether it was Lan Qu or any one of them, none of them regretted their choice. Though they won’t have their own children, they will have little masters. They strived harder for young miss; they were already happy.

　　“Is Nian’er meimei ready?” Hua Mu Qing shouted from down the pavilion. Ever since Hua Mu Qing married Lan Mo Xian, the relationship between the two of them became better and better. Hua Mu Qing learned to manage Lan manor’s affairs while Lan Mo Xian followed his father’s footsteps, busying in the military camp. When Hua Mu Qing had nothing to do, she would always run over to You Nian Pavilion every two to three days, clinging to Lan You Nian even more than she clung to Lan Mo Xian.

　　“Ready!” Lan You Nian said and casually ate some breakfast before walking down the pavilion.

　　In You Nian Pavilion’s courtyard, Lan Jian Jun and Lan Mo Xian were waiting. It had to be said Hua Mu Qing was a filial girl. Towards Lan Jian Jun, she was filial as towards her own father. Towards Lan You Nian, she treated her like a little sister. Lan manor has become more convivial.

　　“Nian’er meimei, you are stunning! It wouldn’t be an overstatement to call you the world’s number one beauty!” Hua Mu Qing circled around Lan You Nian. Not far away, Lan Jian Jun and Lan Mo Xian nodded in agreement.

　　“Ming wang is so fortunate!” Lan Mo Xian mumbled, depressed. His little sister is still so little yet she’s already caught Ming wang’s eye and has become engaged. He didn’t know whether he should say Ming wang had good taste or Nian’er meimei was destined to meet Ming wang.

　　“Of course, whoever marries Nian’er, their ancestors must have burned incense to Buddha!” Lan Jian Jun stated proudly and thought, Ming wang’s ancestors seemed all to be ancestors of the imperial family. Lan Jian Jun laughed dryly and didn’t say any more; otherwise, he can’t guarantee he wouldn’t say something treasonous.

　　——

　　The New Years’ Eve Feast was being held in one of the imperial palace’s palace. Lan You Nian followed the crowd to a grand hall. This grand hall was made of white jade. The roof of the hall was very high, requiring countless large white columns to support it. The columns were carved with simple but elegant patterns, inlaid with countless large glow-in-the dark pearls and countless colorful jewels. The hall was rendered in simple tones, not too magnificent, but it added a certain style.

　　When Lan You Nian arrived, there weren’t many people. Lan You Nian sat very low-key by Lan Jian Jun, acting out the role of an obedient and dutiful legitimate daughter. Though many people’s eyes pursued her when she came in, with her identity placed before them, not many people came to look for trouble with her.

　　Among the seats, there was a woman who used a vicious gaze to look at her. Lan You Nian cast her eyes and saw An Si Yan’s eyes. That’s right, she let An manor lose two legitimate sons, but if An manor didn’t plot against her, she really didn’t have the leisure time to use their tricks against them.

　　In a moment, the wangye all arrived at the grand hall. Currently, the imperial palace was without a princess. Lan You Nian felt she was a little immoral. Even the youngest seventh wangye Feng Ling Ji who wasn’t usually seen also came. Lan You Nian didn’t have a deep impression of this seventh wangye. He didn’t attend many of the banquets. She didn’t know if it was truly not caring for court matters or disguising too well.

　　“Announcing His Majesty the Emperor! Her Majesty Empress Dowager! Her Majesty the Empress!” a eunuch raised his voice, exclaiming. All the people in the hall rose and knelt in ceremony.

　　“Leave the formalities!” Emperor Feng Xuan said smiling. Everyone rose. In the grand hall, only Feng Yi Xuan and Lan You Nian didn’t have to kneel. They only needed to learn over to bow.

　　This was the first time Lan You Nian saw the Dowager Empress. Whether big or small, this Empress Dowager never attended. All matters of the imperial harem was handled by the Empress. This Empress Dowager wasn’t the Emperor’s biological mother but she was the one to assist the Emperor onto the throne, so after the Emperor ascended the throne, he conferred her the title of Empress Dowager.

　　The Empress Dowager was over fifty years old. She wore a dark brown upper garment with flower clusters and gold embroidering, a brown pleated skirt, the edges were bordered with golden chrysanthemums. Her hair was combed without a single hair out of place. Her entire person seemed severe and dignified, with some degree of a noble demeanor. Just sitting there, she had the dignity of a Dowager Empress.

　　But what surprised Lan You Nian was the girl beside the Dowager Empress, looking quite familiar but Lan You Nian couldn’t remember. Concerning some unimportant people, Lan You Nian never remembered them. Lan You Nian knew she has seen this girl but she’s forgotten when and where.

　　Beside the Dowager Empress stod a girl wearing a light green long dress with peacock green feathers. Both hands supported the Dowager Empress. A pair of beautiful wide eyes scanned the palace. Her hair was done into a fallen horse hairstyle low on her head, leaving two locks of hair flirtatiously hanging down from both sides of her cheeks. The loose bun was inserted with gilt flower and bead buyao, dangling with a string of amber. As she walked, her posture was lissome and graceful, looking charming and elegant without losing dignity. Four palace maids followed closely behind, separating to two sides, appearing to have some demeanor of a princess, but Lan You Nian was certain there wasn’t such a woman in the palace.

　　That girl assessed the entire banquet and her eyes suddenly lit up. Lan You Nian followed her line of sight and her eyes landed on Feng Yi Xuan. Those eyes were filled with love and obsession, causing Lan You Nian to feel uncomfortable inside. She had to admit she was jealous. But from start to end, Feng Yi Xuan hasn’t spared that girl a glance. This let Lan You Nian feel a little better inside.

　　Lan You Nian lowered her head, considering. finally, she remembered why this girl looked so familiar. Wasn’t this the girl she and Feng Yi Xuan encountered when they encountered bandits? From the outset, that girl fell in love at first sight wit Feng Yi Xuan. She didn’t expect to meet again here. Lan You Nian glanced at the girl beside the Dowager Empress. She better be smart and not have any ideas on Feng Yi Xuan; otherwise, there will be one less pretty girl in this world.

　　Speaking of the New Years’ Eve Feast, it was only all the ministers sitting together eating and appreciating song and dance, the Emperor saying some words that tempered justice with mercy. Lan You Nian was already used to such banquets, not like before when she couldn’t sit still.

　　“Imperial Father!” Feng Xia Qi put down the teacup in his hand and faced Emperor Feng Xuan, “This subject-son has a woman I admire, asking Imperial Father to grant my wish!”

　　Emperor Feng Xuan’s expression, upon hearing this, became more joyous. His two son’s marriage gave him the most headaches. Old sixth’s marriage was already settled, just waiting for Lan manor’s legitimate daughter to reach maturity to perform the marriage. This old fourth hasn’t showed any movement, making him consider directly decreeing a marriage. But now old fourth has someone he liked, that was good too; it saved it from wrecking himself with anxiety.

　　“Oh? Which family’s young lady is it?” Emperor Feng Xuan asked, his eyes sweeping over the daughters of the officials. All of the women blushed pink, yearning for fourth wangye to pick them.

　　Feng Xia Qi wore a black brocade robe embroidered with golden bamboo, emitting a noble and elegant bearing as he gracefully walked to the middle of the hall. He glanced at the gazes of all present, his handsome face revealed a faint smile, and then amongst the many women’s longing gazes, he said firmly, “Subject-son admires Princess Bai Lian. I wish to marry Princess Bai Lian as this subject-son’s official consort!”

　　Yue Bai Lian knew what was going to happen the moment Feng Xia Qi asked for a marriage decree. She wasn’t happy, nor was she disappointed. She looked at Feng Xia Qi and felt if she was together with this man in this life, it was a good thing.

　　The women looked at Yue Bai Lian with envy. They didn’t expect the one to catch fourth wangye’s eye was a foreign princess, but Emperor Feng Xuan was happy. This Princess Bai Lian, from what the Emperor can tell, has a noble demeanor. Should old fourth ascend the throne, Princess Bai Lian would be a good mother of a country.

　　Emperor Feng Xuan chuckled, “Has Princess Bai Lian taken a liking to this emperor’s fourth son?” Feng Xuan asked this as merely a formality. Yue Bai Lian wasn’t Feng country’s woman but Yue country’s princess. He, as the Emperor, still needed to inquire after Yue Bai Lian’s wishes.

　　Yue Bai Lian rose. She wore a pink rose tightly fit upper garment, underneath was an emerald green floral skirt.

　　Around her waist was a gold-threaded brocade waistband that tied into a large butterfly bow. Her hair hung low and was inserted with jasper and phoenix hairpins, making her posture slender and captivating. Yue Bai Lian stood beside Feng Xia Qi and curtsied, her voice clear,”To be able to marry fourth wangye is this girl’s honor!”

　　Not “this princess” but “this girl” already represented Yue Bai Lian’s meaning. She would be Feng country’s citizen, Feng Xia Qi’s official consort, not Yue country’s princess.

　　How could Emperor Feng Xuan not discern Yue Bai Lian’s meaning, and regarded this girl even more highly. One who understands their situation was a great man.

　　“Excellent!” Emperor Feng Xuan picked up the wine cup on the table, taking a sip, “Then today this emperor decrees Yue country’s Princess Bai Lian to be fourth wangye Feng Xia Qi’s official wife. The two countries booklets will be sent to Yue country shortly!”

　　“Congratulate Your Majesty, Congratulate fourth wangye!” Many of the officials shamelessly flattered.