Chu Qingmeng really lay in bed sleeping heavily for a full three days, only managing to get up with difficulty on the day of the Longevity Festival. She started tidying up from early morning and didn't finish until the *shen* hour, leaving her completely exhausted. Fortunately, they were taking a carriage into the palace so she could rest along the way. Even inside the carriage, she remained listless and drained. Full of self-reproach and heartache, Mo Liujue pulled her into his arms and let her lean against him. Shuangcheng, disguised as Xiazhi, and Hui Wenzhong, disguised as Chunhe, felt utterly heartbroken seeing the state their master was in, and they glared fiercely at Mo Liujue. Quan Si had told them everything! At his age, the son-in-law was really something else!
When they arrived at the palace, they discovered that almost all officials of a rank eligible to attend the Longevity Festival had already arrived. They belonged to the late arrivals. The group stepped down from the carriages, and each man supported his wife inside to find their respective seats. But while the others only gave their wives a perfunctory supporting touch, Mo Liujue was truly supporting Chu Qingmeng. Chu Qingmeng walked very slowly, and Mo Liujue held a relatively high position at court, so by the time she walked to the front, most people had already taken their seats. As before, couples sat at the same table, with civil officials on the east and military officials on the west. After taking her…
Chapter 160