Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress novel Chapter 1342

Chapter 1342: Chapter 1337: Marriage Proposal

Just as during the Jin Dynasty, quite a few daughters from noble families, possessing both talent and beauty, also strategically pursued the most honorable position for women in the world... the position of Empress. Naturally, there were also ambitious men who desired to ascend to the position of Emperor’s consort.

However, during the Jin Dynasty, the entrenched belief in male superiority over females was still extremely pervasive. Despite desiring the position of Emperor’s consort, men worried about being secretly criticized if they used means to attain it, so they were more reserved than women and did not adorn themselves too much, although they still put a lot of thought into it.

Originally, it was assumed that after the Yan envoy’s assassination attempt on a major Zhou Dynasty official in Dadu City, Bai Qingyan would certainly not invite the Yan envoys to the floral banquet. Unexpectedly, the court still invited the Yan envoy group and even accorded them the honor of entering the palace according to national etiquette first.

It’s already May, and the sun is still quite fierce during the day. The young ladies, adorned like delicate flowers, alighted from their carriages outside the palace gates and, following custom, walked into the palace with their elders. Some, in their pursuit of elaborate dresses, were already slightly sweaty, and after walking for some time with the eunuchs, fine sweat appeared on their foreheads, slightly smudging their makeup.

On the contrary, those like Dong Tingzhen and Lu Baohua, dressed in very simple attire, were adorned in a more understated manner. Although they too were sweating, the natural blush on their unadorned faces made them look even more charming. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

The flowering banquet was set by Mrs. Li and Mrs. Wang at the Pinxiang Palace. This Pinxiang Palace was originally constructed by the Jin Emperor for Consort Tong during her period of favor...

Pinxiang Palace is nestled among a multitude of flowers, surrounded by fragrant blossoms, with no walls on all four sides. Only several sturdy and heavy painted gold lacquered alabaster lotus columns serve as the foundation, with carved agarwood pillars supporting the grand and majestic roof. Beyond the glazed gold tiles, even the beam ends are adorned with sculptures of golden phoenixes.

Beneath the eaves of the palace hang bronze bells and hollow tung balls filled with herbs to repel mosquitoes. The light breeze causes the bronze bells to emit a melodious and pleasant jingle.

From the columns of the grand hall hang layers of sheer gauze curtains, gathered at the sides of the columns with golden hooks, their colors transitioning from dark to light, akin to gradually blooming petals.

The floor of the grand hall is paved with agarwood, with no railings obstructing the view. Every five steps at the edge stands a bronze crane lamp taller than a person, with the multitude of blossoms close at hand. Standing within the hall, one can inhale the fragrant aroma of flowers and grass, an embodiment of elegance in every corner.

On a clear day, Pinxiang Palace, set amid this rare collection of exquisite flowers, stands out more prominently against the backdrop of blue skies and white clouds, becoming a true spectacle of splendor, shining even brighter than the surrounding flowers under the sunlight.

The daughters were all elaborately dressed today, with many youthful girls, akin to flower buds, adorning their foreheads with golden peach blossom adornments, wearing beautiful gowns in various colors, making them exceptionally attractive.

Before the floral banquet began, the Empress Dowager Mrs. Dong allowed the women of various families to admire the flowers on their own, filling the air with voices of cheerful conversation, creating quite a lively atmosphere.

Pinxiang Palace served as the dividing line; on the left, officials gathered with familiar colleagues for tea and conversation, sometimes introducing their progeny to one another or even inviting colleagues to tutor their progeny in literature, with discussions occasionally resonating with the words of the sages.

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