Chapter 65 – Look More, Think More, Speak Less!

It had been nearly a month since Xia Tian had last seen this young lady, and she was quite surprised. She didn’t know what had brought her this time.

“Miss, why have you come?” Xia Tian quickly got off the Kang (heated bed) and offered to let Shen Hui sit. “Sit here, it’s warm.”

Shen Hui had brought only her personal maid, Bi Yuan, this time. After taking off her cloak and handing it to Bi Yuan, she didn’t hesitate and directly took off her shoes and climbed onto the Kang.

“Hmph, if it weren’t for caring about my brother, I wouldn’t have come!”

Xia Tian was a little surprised. Was she here to cause trouble again?

Ning Xiang came in with tea, and Xia Tian took it, placing it in front of Shen Hui on the low table. She also sat back down.

Shen Hui drank a few sips of tea to warm up before speaking.

“My brother sent me to tell you about the current interpersonal relationships of the major families in the capital, so that you won’t accidentally offend anyone and cause trouble for him.” Shen Hui blew on her tea, speaking in a displeased tone.

Oh, so that’s why, Xia Tian smiled and said, “Thank you, big sister.”

Shen Hui snorted coldly. How pretentious!

After putting down her teacup, she looked at the paper full of writing on the table. “Did you write this?”

“Yes, I copied it.”

Shen Hui picked it up, glanced at it, and disdainfully said, “What a waste of good paper.”

She didn’t wait for Xia Tian to respond, just put the paper down and began to explain.

During this time, Ning Xiang came in to refill their tea three times, and by the time Shen Hui finished speaking, over an hour had passed.

Shen Hui stood up, put on her shoes, and prepared to leave.

Xia Tian quickly tried to keep her, “Big sister, stay and have lunch before you go.”

“Hmph, I’m afraid of indigestion,” she said, and without a hint of reluctance, had Bi Yuan help her put on her cloak before leaving.

Xia Tian hurriedly followed her out to the door, “Big sister, thank you so much today.”

“Just don’t cause trouble for my brother!” The proud young lady didn’t look back and said this with a haughty tone.

Watching the two of them leave the yard, Xia Tian finally went back inside.

“This young lady sure is fiery,” Xia Tian mumbled to herself. But then again, she was the head of a household now, so she couldn’t afford to have a weak character.

After the young lady left, and after dinner, Shen Nian sent someone to call Xia Tian to Lingyun Pavilion.

Shen Nian had Mu Chen explain the current major situations and the tangled relationships of the capital once again.

If the morning’s lecture from Shen Hui had focused on the rivalries and conflicts between the women in the inner court, then Mu Chen’s explanation that evening was about the blood-soaked, stormy relationships between the men of the former dynasty.

Xia Tian listened with wide eyes.

Good grief, she was just going to a palace event for an ice festival, not heading to the battlefield—was all this really necessary?

Shen Nian explained that knowing both oneself and the enemy was better than being blind.

Xia Tian nodded, feeling enlightened!

This pre-royal palace training was now officially complete!

Over the next three days, she reviewed everything that had been taught to her, making sure she could recall it all when needed.

Finally, with a mixture of excitement and nerves, the ice festival event arrived.

That morning, Xia Tian, with the help of Ning Xiang and Ning Xue, was dressed and ready. She joined the rest of the Wu’an Marquis household at the front gate, where they boarded a grand carriage to head to the palace.

The Ice Festival was an annual event of the Da Qian Dynasty, held every winter and lasting for three days. It was open to royal family members, nobility, and officials of the fifth rank and above, along with their families.

That day, the Wu’an Marquis household, led by the Marquis and his wife, Liu Shi, joined by other family members, went to the palace to attend.

Shen Nian and Xia Tian shared a carriage, while Mu Feng and Ning Xiang followed behind.

By the time they reached the palace gates, the area was already crowded with carriages of high-ranking officials and nobles.

Everyone had to get off the carriages and line up for inspection. After passing the inspection, they were allowed inside, but entering the palace itself required walking.

Xia Tian and her party had to wait for over half an hour before they were allowed in. It was even more chaotic than modern-day tourist spots.

Since it was the Ice Festival and featured a grand display, there was no requirement for separating men and women; instead, family units were assigned viewing seats.

So, from the moment they entered the palace, Xia Tian and Ning Xiang stayed close to Shen Nian.

“Look more, think more, speak less.”

This was the advice Shen Hui had given her earlier while waiting in line.

When they reached the ice skating arena, many people were already seated in the stands.

The Emperor, Empress Dowager, and Empress had not yet arrived.

Shen Nian led Xia Tian to pay their respects to the Empress Dowager first.

While waiting outside Ci Ning Palace to be announced, Xia Tian clenched her fists, trying to calm the nervousness rising in her chest. Soon, she would meet the most powerful woman in the Da Qian Dynasty—something unimaginable in her previous life.

Her emotions were a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

It didn’t take long before the Empress Dowager summoned them inside.

Xia Tian carefully followed Shen Nian, keeping her eyes down and bowing properly.

Once the Empress Dowager had acknowledged them, Xia Tian remained standing, eyes lowered, not daring to look up.

After a while, the Empress Dowager spoke a few polite words, and one of her attendants gave Xia Tian a pouch.

Shen Nian and Xia Tian bowed again and left.

Throughout the whole encounter, Xia Tian never saw the Empress Dowager’s face.

First, the Empress Dowager was sitting high above, too far for Xia Tian to see her clearly.

Second, Xia Tian remembered the rules from Old Madam Cao, who had taught her that when greeting someone noble, if they don’t ask you to raise your head, you must never do so to avoid offending them.

Once they exited Ci Ning Palace, Xia Tian sighed deeply and felt a bit more relaxed.

Shen Nian noticed and gently squeezed her hand, sharing a quiet smile as they walked toward the ice rink.

Once seated in their viewing spots, Xia Tian dared to look around. She didn’t dare whisper with Ning Xiang; there were too many people, and it was better to be cautious.

After a while, the stands filled up, and the event was about to begin. The three imperial leaders appeared with their entourages.

Once everyone had paid their respects and the Emperor finished his opening speech, the Ice Festival officially began.

The sound of cannon fire echoed, and the drums and music filled the air!

The event was held at the Lingze Lake on the west side of the palace.

Each year, after the Winter Solstice, the lake would freeze to a thickness of over a meter, making it perfect for ice sports. Even though the weather was cold, the festival was a much-anticipated entertainment event.

The area was packed with people, and the excitement was palpable.

Xia Tian was also thrilled, pulling Ning Xiang along to enjoy the performances.

She occasionally stood up to cheer with the others.

The performances were mostly group events like ice ball games and other ice sports.

It was like attending a live sporting event, and the atmosphere was quite spectacular.

The first day of the Ice Festival passed without incident.

That evening, after returning to Jinglan Courtyard, Xia Tian had dinner and immediately fell asleep. Watching a whole day of live sports was more exhausting than she expected!

The next day, she woke up early, ready to head back to the palace.

However, this time Ning Xiang was replaced by Ning Xue, as Ning Xiang had been quite worn out from the previous day. They were taking turns to serve Xia Tian.

Today, there would be individual performances, and the lineup included both men and women.

While Xia Tian was watching attentively, someone approached her, wanting to challenge her to an ice-skating competition.