wear it lord god

Chapter 2672 Being an Empress Isn't Easy 18
The lotus banquet was held a month later, and Xining invited all the legitimate children of officials from the capital.

The banquet was strictly controlled, and invitations were sent out exactly as they were received.

They didn't invite any illegitimate children who had taken over someone else's place, or any foster children.

When the banquet began, the palace gates were bustling with activity; a huge crowd had arrived. There were many people coming to join the pilgrimage, and countless others. For every person invited, at least one more would come along.

The father-in-law and nanny in charge of receiving guests stood at the door, checking each person one by one, with a team of guards beside them.

Someone secretly slipped a purse to the head maid.

The old woman immediately refused, forcing a smile: "This is a matter of life and death, don't make things difficult for me. Unless it's as a maid or servant."

Some people thought this was a golden opportunity; the legitimate children of the top officials and powerful families in the capital had all come, including the Crown Prince. If they could get in, they would still have a chance; if they didn't, they would lose all their chances.

So he gritted his teeth and agreed.

Upon hearing this, the old woman immediately pointed to the two clerks sitting at the table. After receiving the invitations, they wrote the names on the invitations on a card strung with red thread.

After registering, hang the tag around your neck to prove your identity.

“The guest hangs this, the servants…” The old woman pointed to the other side, where two palace maids were facing a maid, applying rouge to both sides of her face to make her look like a clay doll with a big head.

The nanny added, "This rouge is special; it won't wash off in three days. Anyway, a servant doesn't need to worry about looking good or not; being loyal to one's master is one's duty."

That looks awful, and it won't wash off in three days.

Don't expect those noble young masters and ladies to be interested in a servant with two bright red rosy cheeks. When you get back, you'll just be laughed at by the people in your household.

Those who were thinking of getting away with it immediately gave up and had no choice but to go home.

There will be competitions during the event, including painting, poetry writing, and calligraphy. During the banquet, guests can showcase their talents, such as playing musical instruments, singing and dancing, and even cooking, with venues and ingredients provided.

Xining offered generous prizes to entice all the guests to participate in the competition. Furthermore, these were all unmarried young people aged twelve to nineteen, who were naturally competitive.

Furthermore, this isn't just a one-person affair. While gaining the favor of the First Lady or the Empress would bring fame within the circle and make marriage much easier in the future, the brothers and sisters in the household would also benefit as a result.

It's rare to see the Empress in such a refined mood. To bring glory to her family, she should put in her best effort.

Sure enough, things always go wrong during banquets...

"Oh dear~" A noble lady pretended to offer a toast, but ended up spilling the wine on another noble lady, staining her skirt with the wine.

It was considered very impolite to have clothes soiled, so the noblewoman whose skirt was stained informed the palace maid that she wanted to change. Usually, one or two sets of clothes would be prepared in the carriage.

The palace maid told her to wait a moment and went to report to the nanny.

The nanny told Qiu Shi that Qiu Shi had gone to the Empress's place again.

Xi Ning sat at the head of the table, smiling: "I knew it would be this kind of show again. Ask the person who spilled the wine to leave, and tell her that if she is not feeling well and can't even hold a wine glass properly, she should go home and rest as soon as possible. As for the one who stained her dress, do what you did before."

A short while later, a nanny came to the noble lady who was offering the toast.

The old woman bowed slightly and conveyed the Empress's meaning. The noble lady immediately erupted in anger: "Your Majesty must have misunderstood me! I will go and explain to Your Majesty right away!"

With feigned respect and a forced smile, the old woman said, "No need to explain, everyone knows perfectly well. You can still walk by yourself now, so we won't ask you to leave. We'll personally escort you back to your residence."

Sending someone home isn't just about dropping them off at the gate; it's about sending them directly to their parents. Not only would it anger the Empress, but it would also be a huge disgrace. Kneeling in the ancestral hall would be the least of their worries. They might be forced to marry someone who "pleases" the Empress, or be sent to a remote estate to fend for themselves.

The noblewoman's face turned ashen.

"Ouch! Clang!" Something went wrong over there again.

A noblewoman who had fallen and spilled her wine on someone immediately glared angrily at another noblewoman who was toasting with her, saying, "You pushed me."

He then quickly explained to the lady who had been splashed, "It's true, she tripped me with her foot!"

The noblewoman, who was about to be kicked out, immediately perked up: "What about them? Anyway, if we're going to be unlucky, we'll all be unlucky together. Nobody's going to be happy."

The old woman's lips curled slightly: "Since that's the case, I'll make sure you're completely convinced. Just watch, and then you can leave."

He turned and walked towards the other side where the accident had occurred.

When the palace maid standing behind testified, it was indeed someone who tripped over the other person, causing them to fall and spill the wine on a third person.

The noblewoman who tripped the person protested: "You're lying!"

The old woman gave a cold laugh, her voice turning icy: "What hasn't Her Majesty the Empress seen? She specially summoned so many people, one standing behind each table, doing nothing but watching. Do you think it's just fuss? It's so you won't have any misunderstandings later. These people were all carefully selected, with impeccable backgrounds and excellent eyesight. Anyone who dares to lie would have their entire family executed. Only someone with the audacity to risk their entire family's lives to frame a complete stranger."

The old woman took out a bamboo scroll, opened it, and read aloud: "Her Majesty the Empress has long ago decreed: Anyone who soils another's clothes shall leave the table. All participants shall leave the table."

He rolled up the bamboo scroll and gestured for them to leave: "Gentlemen, let's go!"

The noblewoman who had tripped was taken aback, but immediately protested, "This is not my fault."

The old woman looked at her with disdain: "Whether it was intentional or not, walking around without looking where you're going is a breach of etiquette in front of the palace."

Whether you're careless and fall unexpectedly, or you deliberately roll downhill, once you've fallen, you've fallen.

After receiving the bamboo slips, the nanny asked what to do if she encountered this situation. The Empress's words were... "Those who are cunning cannot be taken. Those who are naive cannot be taken either. This is for their own good; they will not live long in the palace."

Those with many schemes, like the many women in the palace now, have caused a lot of trouble; it's all due to their wicked intentions.

But the nanny and the other palace maids only listened to what she said after that. The Empress was indeed benevolent!
Three people left at once, and two palace maids handed two cloaks to the two noble ladies whose dresses were soiled: "The palace is too big. If you get lost or something happens, Her Majesty the Empress has prepared these for you. Please wear them to cover yourselves. If you do not wish to, we will escort you out of the palace."

Now that we're here, how can we leave so easily? Anyway, Her Majesty the Empress has given permission, so who would dare say they want to go out to change clothes?

The dark green cloak, like a lotus leaf, was quite elegant and fitting for the occasion, so the two noble ladies put it on to cover their stained dresses.

The cloaks were red for men and green for women. Xi Ning sat in the main seat, looking down at the banquet and saw that seven or eight people were wearing cloaks, red and green, which looked quite nice.

I can't help but sigh. Why do people always have to make trouble, and always use such outdated methods?

Everything here—competition results, talent shows, even those wearing capes—will be recorded and used for future consideration.