863: Chapter 865: Acknowledging Relatives (6) 863: Chapter 865: Acknowledging Relatives (6) “Oh, Grandmother, you mustn’t say such things out loud.
If Zhao Yang hears about it, she’ll surely make a fuss.”
“Hmph, am I, an old woman, afraid of her?
If she dares to co here and throw a tantrum, I, the old woman, will discipline her on behalf of the Empress Dowager.”
“That’s right, Grandmother.
Although Zhao Yang is willful and petulant, she has always been utterly respectful toward you, not daring to show any neglect…”
While everyone was busily chatting away, Cai Wei stole a glance at the Old Mada and noticed that her attire was exceptionally plain.
She wore a lake blue Beizi, a sky blue horse face skirt without a single flower embroidered on it, and her hair was done up in a gold ingot bun, secured with a plain silver hairpin.
She had a saffron-colored forehead band and a pair of jade earrings dangling by her ears.
Apart from that, there was not a single piece of decoration on her body.
Her appearance did not resemble that of the dignified mother of the Empress and a First-class Mada of the Great Jin Nation at all.
Instead, she looked like an ordinary elderly woman from the people, speaking amiably with her grandchildren.
After the Old Mada finished speaking with them, she patted Fei’er’s hand kindly and said, “Go on, go and et your Great Aunt and Aunties, and all these sisters-in-law and sisters of yours.”
Fei’er, not understanding the situation, thought the gesture was just polite, so she followed Ming Yue and paid her respects to each elder of Duke Li Guo Mansion.
Although Duke Li Guo Mansion was a century-old family clan, its number of family mbers was not particularly prosperous.
Old Mada Liu had two sons and two daughters.
The eldest daughter had been the first Empress of Emperor Jin Ming, but alas, died in childbirth.
The current Empress Mo was Old Mada Liu’s youngest daughter.
Apart from these two daughters, the Old Mada also had two sons.
The eldest son, Mo Yuanshan, held the post of Minister of Rites and was married to the legitimate eldest daughter of the Marquis of Jian’an, Lady Wu.
Lady Wu gave birth to two sons: the eldest, Mo Zijing, was thirty years old, already married and with a child; after Mo Zijing, Lady Wu had two daughters, one of whom died young, while the other was already wedded to the legitimate eldest son of Han Zhicai, the Prefect of Lin’an Prefecture.
The youngest son, Mo Ziqi, was Lady Wu’s youngest child who remained unmarried at twenty years old with a cold deanor, unwilling to commit to any engagent, nor did he show any interest in won.
The Old Mada’s other son, Mo Qingshan, being of frail health, had not pursued official service and was married to Lady Bai.
They had only one son, Mo Zili, who was eighteen years old and had already been betrothed to his future sister-in-law Wu Xiangyun.
If not for the crisis at ho, the new daughter-in-law would have already been brought back to the family by now.
“This is the First Lady!” Ming Yue led Fei’er, introducing her in hushed tones.
Fei’er hastily curtsied and said, “Fei’er pays respects to the First Lady!”
The First Lady, Lady Wu, pulled her up with a smile that never left her face, sizing her up from head to toe, growing more pleased by the mont and constantly exclaiming, “Good!”
“This is the Second Lady!”
“Fei’er pays respects to the Second Lady!” Before Fei’er could curtsy, Second Lady Bai had already grasped her hand, refusing to let her continue with the ceremony.
“Good child, no need for such formalities.
We owe you a lot, otherwise, we all would have thought Zi Qi was going to beco a monk.”
Fei’er felt her cheeks grow warm, knowing that she had been misunderstood, but as a maiden, she was shy and could not find an explanation while the others had not clarified.
Thus, she continued to pay her respects with a flushed face and biting the bullet.
“This is the principal wife of the Eldest Son.”
Before Fei’er could perform the courtesy, Mo Zijing’s wife, Lady Yang, stopped her, laughed and said, “My little sister, please don’t be so formal, you’ll wear out.”
The Old Mada chuckled, “You are all alike, but you are the elder, and she is the younger.
It is proper for you to accept her courtesy.”
Hearing the Old Mada say this, Lady Yang released her hand and gracefully accepted a half curtsy from Fei’er.
“This is the Eldest Miss of the Eldest Son’s family, this is the Second Miss, here’s the Third Young Lady, and this is the Fourth Miss…”
Fei’er broke into a sweat.
Seeing these four misses in a row, ranging from twelve to five years old, it seed that the wife of the Eldest Son had managed to give birth to four daughters in one breath and had yet to bear a son.
It was no wonder everyone was pinning their hopes on Mo Ziqi to marry and have children.
It looked like Lady Yang was under great pressure—if she didn’t bear a son soon, concubines would likely be ushered in…
After being introduced to everyone, Fei’er felt dizzy, unable to believe how nurous the mbers of a great family could be, and she struggled to rember who was who.
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