The next day, the birthday banquet for Imperial Princess Zhaode was held at Jinlan Cottage as scheduled. This grand royal feast was hosted by Your Majesty to celebrate the eighth birthday of his youngest daughter. Firstly, it was meant to delight the Imperial Princess and her mother, Consort Liu; secondly, it brought imperial relatives, veteran ministers, and high-ranking officials together in one place to admire flowers, drink wine, and win people's allegiance. Therefore, the scale of the banquet followed the highest royal standards. As early as three days prior, Jinlan Cottage had ceased receiving outside guests to meticulously prepare the grounds.
The banquet location was set in a courtyard in the northwest corner of Jinlan Cottage. The yard was filled with blooming peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, and magnolias. In the middle of the courtyard meandered a winding stream, its clear surface drifting with pink and white petals. A subtle, lingering fragrance floated throughout the entire courtyard. Dozens of ebony tables, placed right along the edge of the stream, were laden with all sorts of exquisite and appetizing delicacies.
Yuling wore a light, thin white silk gauze dress embroidered with light blue magnolias and rugged, pitch-black branches. The blank spaces were outlined with silver thread to depict swirling white snowflakes drifting across the sky. This was specially chosen by Zhao Lanzhi and sent to Tingyu Pavilion. Although Yuling had prepared three favorite outfi…
Chapter 100