After the Empress’s arrival, everyone entered the Pear Blossom Brothel. Pear Blossom Brothel is a place specifically for entertaining guests at Duke Li Guo’s Mansion, with a spacious hall capable of accommodating hundreds of people for dining and seating.
Since today is the Second Lady’s birthday, there are many female guests. Mo Qingshan is not a governnt official and has no colleagues, so the male guests consist only of family mbers, with no outsiders. Therefore, the few male guests were arranged in the Osmanthus Pavilion, leaving the most spacious Pear Blossom Brothel for the female guests.
Upon entering the Pear Blossom Brothel, Cai Wei was invited to sit at the main seat. The Old Mada, Lady Liu, sat on her left, and everyone persuaded Lady Bai to sit at the accompanying seat on the right. Lady Bai refused several tis, but after Cai Wei said, "The birthday celebrant deserves the biggest seat," she reluctantly accepted and sat at the accompanying seat on Cai Wei’s right.
The rest of the Madams sat in order of rank, the misses sat in the left interval, and the right side was prepared for reputable servants. For instance, the eight palace maids and eunuchs brought by Cai Wei from Inside the Palace, except for Huan Qiu and Xiao Zhi, who served beside Cai Wei, were all invited to the right interval. So of the major maids beside the Old Mada, the First Lady, the Second Lady, and the visiting Madams and misses were also invited to sit at the right interval.
When arranging the seats, Juhua felt embarrassed. She ca with Miss Ning, but the left interval was for the misses. However, she was no longer a miss but a married woman, naturally unable to sit with Ning Huaixiu, and there was no place for her among the Madams. She had nowhere to sit.
Just as she felt awkward, Cai Wei noticed Juhua and was surprised why Juhua was here. Since she was married, it ant she couldn’t be with Mo Zili anymore. Logically, Duke Li Guo’s Mansion shouldn’t have invited her. But why is she here?
Sensing her awkward situation, Cai Wei quietly called Fei’er, who was organizing things on the floor, and asked her to arrange Juhua to be next to Lady Du, so she wouldn’t be gossiped about.
It wasn’t starting ti yet, and families ca to offer birthday congratulations, delivering birthday gifts and saying so auspicious words. Second Lady Bai sat in her seat, smiling broadly as she responded to everyone. She had married into Duke Li Guo’s Mansion for over twenty years. Although she is the daughter-in-law of Duke Li Guo’s Mansion, her husband is common-born, and she has never been so dignified before.
The first to present a gift was naturally the Empress.
Cai Wei gifted Lady Bai an exquisite ancient zither, three feet six inches long, symbolizing the three hundred and sixty-five days of the year, about six inches wide, and two inches thick. The lower part of the zither body is flat, and the upper part arches upward, respectively representing heaven and earth, in harmony with the saying that the sky is round and the ground is square. The zither body is made from the middle section of paulownia wood sourced from In Space. The upper end of paulownia wood is for zither, producing lighter sounds, and the lower end is for zither, producing heavier sounds. Therefore, using the middle section as the zither is just right.
The strings are made of Jiangnan’s silkworm silk, harmonizing with the zither body of paulownia wood, producing bright and resonant tones when played, lodious and lingering, indescribably wonderful.
Lady Bai played a few notes, imdiately earning thunderous applause. So praised the zither’s tone, while others comnded Lady Bai’s skillful playing. Cai Wei laughed and said, "I heard both uncle and aunt love music. I hope this birthday gift from my Palace pleases both of you."
Lady Bai stood up and thanked her, saying, "The zither bestowed by the Empress has an extraordinary appearance and an exquisite tone; it’s comparable to the ’Horned Bell’ and ’Lingering Beam’!"
Following this, the Old Mada also gifted her daughter-in-law a present, which turned out to be a large manor in the Suburbs of the Capital City, a gesture so grand it was astonishing!
The First Lady, Lady Wu, gifted her sister-in-law a set of extrely fine jade headdress jewelry. Although sowhat tacky, it was incredibly valuable; if placed in the Masterpiece Building, it could not be bought for less than four or five thousand taels of silver. Fei’er presented a double-sided embroidered screen that she embroidered personally, with Happiness, Prosperity, Longevity, and Joy on the front and Bamboo, Orchid, Plum, and Chrysanthemum on the back. After years of relentless practice, Fei’er’s embroidery skills have greatly advanced, and now there are few in the entire Great Jin Nation who can match her embroidery skills. If her double-sided embroidered screen were to be sold outside, its price would certainly not be lower than the jade headdress jewelry given by her mother-in-law...
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