There are still a lot of things for Third Sister to take care of today.
Anran and her sister were naturally received by the two concubine daughters of the Prince's mansion. Anran chatted and laughed with them, but she was anxious inside. The Prince valued this child very much, and even when he was busy outside, he would take the time to come and see his son. However, it was obvious that the Third Sister did not get along well with Madam Li and the concubine son.
This clearly shows that the couple is drifting apart.
Lunch was served in the flower hall in the west garden of the Prince's mansion. Fortunately, there weren't many guests, and all five tables of female guests were seated.
Before taking her seat, An Ran secretly observed the expressions of the Dowager Madam and Zhao Shi. The Dowager Madam remained composed, smiling broadly as she greeted everyone, as if she were overjoyed that her granddaughter had given birth to a legitimate son. Zhao Shi, however, was less perceptive; An Ran keenly sensed a hint of unease in her expression.
Could it be that the talks with the Princess Consort didn't go well? Could it be that something really happened to Third Sister?
Even if she was curious, she couldn't pry at this moment, so Anran could only sit down and talk with everyone as usual.
All the young ladies from the Nan'an Marquis's family, including the Dowager Madam, had arrived. The Princess Consort's family, including her sister-in-law and niece-in-law, had also arrived. The Princess Hui'an and the Prince Tai's family, who were close to the Prince Yi's family, had only sent their daughters-in-law.
Although the eldest son of a concubine is valued by the Prince's Mansion, the current emperor values the legitimate heir, so the imperial relatives should at least put on a show.
The main event of the day was the third-day bathing ceremony after lunch, so everyone quickly finished lunch and tea before having someone hold the baby to officially begin the ceremony.
Just as everyone was about to move over, a maidservant came to report that the Prince had said an important guest had arrived and that the Princess Consort and the Crown Prince's wife should go to greet him personally.
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
Who is this person? Why such a grand entrance? (JustL)
Chapter 34 The Visitor
The Princess Consort and Third Sister went to the second gate to greet the guest, and everyone was eagerly awaiting his arrival.
An Ran was equally curious.
The third-day celebration is usually attended by close relatives, while formal celebrations involve inviting friends and family to the full moon or 100-day celebration. This unexpected guest required the Princess Consort and the Crown Prince's wife to greet him, suggesting he is of high status.
Could he be a member of the royal family?
An Ran was still speculating to herself when she saw the Princess Consort and Third Sister helping a woman with a full head of silver hair walk in, one on each side.
She didn't recognize the person, but then she heard Yunfang, the concubine's daughter from the Prince's mansion, exclaim softly, "Is this the Grand Princess of Lin'an?"
An Ran blinked, looking completely bewildered.
Yunfang and Anran had met twice and were somewhat familiar with each other. She then whispered to Anran, "This is the current emperor's aunt, the Grand Princess of Lin'an, who is quite influential among the royal relatives. She is the half-sister of the former crown prince and was raised by the empress for a period of time."
An Ran knew how Emperor Yun Shu came to the throne. When the former crown prince was murdered, Yun Shu was secretly taken away and raised by the Duke of Dingguo. After Yun Xu killed the crown prince, he obtained the throne. Most of the relatives dared not speak out at the time, so after Yun Shu ascended the throne, his contact with these relatives faded.
On the contrary, the noble families and court officials who were the first to stand up for him had closer ties with the emperor. Although the royal relatives wanted to get closer to the emperor, they lacked confidence because of past events. In addition, Yun Shu made it clear that there was only one empress in the harem, so the path of sending daughters to the harem to influence the emperor was also cut off.
Yunfang lowered her voice and muttered again, "They just took advantage of not being in the capital at the time, and didn't do anything worthwhile! ... Now they're acting all high and mighty like elders."
"Fang-jie, what nonsense are you talking about!" Yunrui quickly and quietly stopped her, "Don't you know what time it is!"
Yunfang reluctantly shut her mouth.
Hearing these few words, An Ran's doubts deepened. This Grand Princess of Lin'an seemed to be someone of great importance, otherwise the Princess Consort wouldn't have personally come to greet her. But judging from Yun Fang's words, this Grand Princess didn't seem so powerful?
When everyone saw the Grand Princess arrive, they all stood up and bowed.
Logically speaking, given her status as the Grand Princess, it was merely the addition of an illegitimate son to the Prince's residence; there was really no need for her to come in person.
The Grand Princess of Lin'an was dressed in a dark blue palace gown adorned with gold accents. Her long, silver hair was meticulously combed, and the jewelry she wore was of royal standard, with cool-toned gemstones gleaming against her silver hair. Her eyes shone with a sharp light, and her slightly downturned lips conveyed a sense of seriousness, giving her a strong and resolute appearance.
"There's no need for such formalities, everyone." The Grand Princess of Lin'an smiled slightly and waved her hand, saying, "Today is a joyous day for the Prince Yi's residence. The young master has had his first son, which is a great celebration. If you all become reserved just because I'm here, then it would be my fault."
This sounded perfectly normal, but An Ran still had a strange feeling about it.
Princess Lin'an was not originally among the guests for the baby's third-day celebration. Even now that Third Sister has given birth to a legitimate son, the Princess Lin'an might still not be among the invited guests. Now that she has come uninvited, it's hard to say whether it's a blessing or a curse.
"I think it's about time. Let's not delay the boy's third-day celebration." The Grand Princess said with a smile, "Quickly bring the boy here so I can see him."
The ceremony for the baby's third-day celebration had already been prepared, but it was delayed by the arrival of the Grand Princess. Now that the Princess Consort had given the order, everyone was busy in an orderly manner.
Soon, two wet nurses, along with a midwife, arrived before the Princess Consort and the others, carrying a three-day-old baby.
"The boy is so handsome." The Grand Princess of Lin'an even took him and hugged him in her arms, revealing a loving smile. "I think his eyebrows and eyes look more like the young master's! As his features develop, he will definitely be a handsome boy! I like his mother's appearance very much, and this child's mouth is just like his mother's."
As soon as the Grand Princess spoke, Third Sister's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
Not only her, but Madam Zhao's expression also flickered slightly. Only the Grand Madam calmly added a compliment, saying, "He truly resembles the young master; the boy's face is indeed very auspicious."
The guests were all wondering what the Grand Princess had said. The proper Crown Princess was right there, so why was the Grand Princess bypassing the Third Sister to praise a Li Shi who had hardly ever appeared in front of everyone?
This is so unusual!
Fortunately, everyone was offering compliments and auspicious words, which quickly covered up the topic.
In front of all the distinguished guests, Anran and the Liuniang sisters naturally had no seats, so she stood back with Yunfang and Yunrui.
The altar was set up with statues of thirteen deities, including Bixia Yuanjun, Qiongxiao Niangniang, Cuisheng Niangniang, Songzi Niangniang, and Xiaozhen Niangniang, and various offerings were also arranged.
A golden basin filled with soup made from osmanthus, longan leaves, and mugwort has been set out.
After the "adding water" ceremony began, the first person to perform it was the most distinguished Grand Princess of Lin'an. A palace servant attending to the Grand Princess handed her a purse. After adding water, the Grand Princess took out a pair of golden unicorns inlaid with gemstones and placed them into the golden basin.
A look of surprise flashed across everyone's eyes.
The Grand Princess actually added such valuable items! It seems she came prepared. When did the Grand Princess of Lin'an and Prince Yi become so close?
The midwife quickly said a few auspicious words.