Chapter 169: Peach Blossom Party (2)

There were more rules when it came to the imperial family. On the way up to the mountain, people took a horse carriage, followed by servants. But once entering the garden, most servants were blocked outside. The imperial garden wasn’t available to everybody. Certainly, there were servants inside, so all attendees were allowed to take only one servant girl, just in case.

Mo Qianxue took Chuyi who was clever and prudent. The red-clothes girl was followed by a servant girl with a heart-shaped face who was as arrogant as her lady.

The ushers had left after pointing the way for Mo Qianxue. The imperial garden was full of noble ladies, too tricky for the servants to hang around. If they accidentally offended any lady, they would suffer.

At this moment, there were only four of them, without a third party to mediate.

Wengzhu? Mo Qianxue slowly looked up and regarded her, cursing inwardly the damn society with strict ranks and meanwhile recalling what she had learnt in books about Tianqi’s rituals and ranks.

The noble ladies of Tianqi had distinct ranks. A Great-Grand Princess was the aunt of the Emperor; a Grand Princess was the sister of the Emperor; a Princess was the daughter of the Emperor; a Junzhu was the daughter of a prince; a Xianzhu was the granddaughter of a prince; a Wengzhu was a daughter of a princess or a daughter of a specially-entitled official with feats…

Meeting with Mo Qianxue’s sight, the red-clothed girl raised her eyebrows and chin, “What are you looking at? Why don’t you kneel to greet me?”

She was quite strong and plump and now stood, fists at her waists, right before Mo Qianxue to block the beautiful scenery, like a thick tree against a small sapling. Mo Qianxue narrowed her eyes and asked calmly, “Can I know what level is a Wengzhu?”

There weren’t many princesses, princes or the daughter of princes, so they often had a title based on their names which didn’t show clearly the grade, but the grade was known. A prince was, according to her mother’s status, no lesser than third-level. A Junzhu, according to her father’s status, was no lesser than fifth-level.

However, a Xianzhu and Wengzhu had a wider range of levels, because there were loads of daughters of princesses, the concubine daughters of princes, and the daughters of officials with feats. Hence, their rank was suggested by the names of their titles.

A Xianzhu or Wengzhu’s title started with a Jin was fifth-level; Yu, fifth-level; Jing, sixth-level; Hui, sixth-level; Chu, sixth-level; Yuan, seventh-level.

Usually, women curtsied to one another even when there was a huge gap between their levels. Kneeling was done only to a senior, on the first encounter or in an important ceremony or festival.

A Wengzhu arrogantly demanding kneeling on the first encounter was bare bullying.

Mo Qianxue really wanted to cut open her head and took a look at what was inside.

The heart-shaped face servant girl strutted forward, “My lady is YuanAi Wengzhu. Hurry and show your courtesy.” A plainly-dressed girl in such a grand party couldn’t have a high rank and should kneel to her lady.

A Wengzhu with Yuan in her name was at the lowest level, the seventh! Mo Qianxue scorned to herself and planned to ignore her, but at this moment, several other noble ladies walked in from outside and stopped to watch the quarrel.

Seeing her lady was displeased and the girl was so rude, Chuyi was about to argue with her, when Mo Qianxue stretched out an arm to stop her and smiled, asking in confusion, “According to Tianqi rules, except for meeting the Emperor or in a criminal case, I should bow to a person one-level higher than me; curtsy to a person two-level higher; squat three-level higher; and kneel above that. Although you’re a noble Wengzhu, but you’re only at seventh level, the same as me. Why should I kneel to you?”

The words were uttered powerful and clearly. Daring as the stupid girl, she wouldn’t have the courage to challenge laws brazenly or pick fault in it.

YuanAi Wengzhu seemed to be amused by her, squinting and ridiculing, “You? The same with me? Have you been entitled?”

Mo Qianxue answered unhurriedly in a moderate pitch, “According to another set of rules, a legal daughter of a super noble family is fifth level; a legal daughter of the first-level family is sixth level; a legal daughter of a prince is seventh level; a legal daughter of a first-level minister is eighth level; a daughter of the second- and third-level ministers is ninth level; other girls have no ranks…”

Wengzhu YuanAi was a little impatient at the listing of ranks and smirked, “Just now you also said that a daughter of a third-level ministers is at most ninth-level. You are the same with me? Then…tell me about your father’s level, so that I can admire you…but I’m afraid it would be just a laughing stock. You’ll still have to kneel to me…”

She had been attending to the peach blossom party since twelve years old and this was her third time. Besides, she was also invited to all kinds of parties in the capital and knew every noble lady with a rank higher than or the same with her and would found familiar with those lower than her.

This girl in blue dress looked fifteen years old, but she met her for the first time. She only wore a jade hairpin, in good quality, but no better than the ones she was wearing all over her head. It seemed that she couldn’t even have a ninth-level rank.

An unruly girl!

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Wengzhu YuanAi tidied her clothes, ready to accept Mo Qianxue’s kneeling in public.

Catching her subtle movement, Mo Qianxue arched her lips corners and smiled, “I’m Mo Qianxue, daughter of the Founder. Do you still think you’re higher than me?”

Wengzhu YuanAi was stunned momentarily, but since more ladies were gathering around, she couldn’t just give in like this. At a second thought, she didn’t need to be subjugated to her because the Founder had long gone.

She was used to be arrogant, now fury bursting out of her eyes, saying while gritting her teeth out of rage, “So what even if you’re the same with me? I’m entitled by the Emperor personally, still nobler than you. Don’t talk nonsense anymore, just kneel to me.”

She took it for granted and pushed in an imposing manner.

The on-lookers stayed neither far or near, in twos and threes, seemingly chatting intimately with each other. But Mo Qianxue knew that their ears were posing towards here, and they were paying close attention to over here from the corner of their eyes.

If she greeted to this Wengzhu YuanAi, tomorrow she would become a laughingstock in the capital and everybody could bully her in the future.

With this in mind, Mo Qianxue squinted and pulled her face down, saying coldly, “Even if someone should kneel, then it’s you who should kneel to me.”

YuanAi almost jumped from anger, “How dare you!” She was burly-built and now glared her eyes wide open in rage, as if she was going to devour Mo Qianxue in whole. A timid girl would be scared by her.

Mo Qianxue wasn’t moved, her face looking chillier, emitting an air of sullenness, eyes and brows stern and calm, which gave her an indescribable autocracy.

“Because I’m the heiress of the Founder’s title! Because the Emperor has promised my father: From now on, expect for take the Founder’s post to attend court, Mo Qianxue is granted with the honor and identity equal to that of a noble lord.”

This was the promised that the Emperor had made soon after Mo Qianxue was born and when the Founder had just conquered the two cities, Heimu and Ruoshui.

For this promise, many official had submitted memorials to impeach the Founder for breaching the convention regardless of the rituals… However, at that time, the Emperor had just taken the throne, a time he was in need of support, so he refuted with one excuse: how could I, the divined Emperor, take back my words and break a promise? Don’t you know that an emperor must keep his words?! He not only refuted the memorials but also punished those who had challenged this promise.

Such a big even, even after many years, was still a fuss and heard by all people in the capital.

YuanAi’s face turned red and purple. She had never met a lady who was so aggressive against her. The air around Mo Qianxue made her take a step back out of scare.

The Founder was super-level, so his heir or heiress, even without a post, was at fifth-level.

Originally, she had planned to display her power as a Wengzhu on the girl without a rank, but to her surprise, she kicked on a steel board. At this moment, she really wanted to rush over and tore up Mo Qianxue’s face.

However, she didn’t dare to do so. Mo Qianxue’s sullen face really scared her. Besides, here was the imperial garden and there were other noble ladies. She didn’t dare to go too far.

However, it was impossible for her to greet Mo Qianxue. She was a Wengzhu, so under such a circumstances, she would become the laughingstock in the capital if she greeted the daughter of the Founder.

It went into a deadlock for a time.

The on-looking ladies didn’t display it on their faces, but they were stunned secretively. They had never expected that arrogant Wengzhu YuanAi should be beaten up like this one day.

It was also surprising that Mo Qianxue could use such a reason to fight back neatly. After all, it was many years ago that the Emperor had this promise, but there wasn’t an official entitling ceremony. Hence, on the surface, she was only at the seventh-level.

The air stilled for a while, and one lady walked out of the on-looking crowd, taking a glance at Mo Qianxue and then at Wengzhu YuanAi, a ghost of disdain flashing by, and pulled her to persuade in a pleasing tone, “Sister, why argue with such a person? Let’s go to appreciate the flower shower and greet Princess Yuhe.”

This girl was Huang Ziqing, cousin of Wengzhu YuanAi. She didn’t come to persuade her with good intentions, but just because they were of the same clan. If the situation continued and YuanAi really greeted Mo Qianxue, it would be a shame on them both.

YuanAi was just trying to find an excuse to leave and she readily took the opportunity, “You’re right. It’s degrading to argue with that kind of people. Let’s go to find Princess Yuhe…”

The two cooperated and was about to leave, when Mo Qianxue said calmly, “Wait!” Take her as air and just leave like this after bullying her?

The two stopped, as Mo Qianxue questioned with acid words, “Just now, didn’t you emphasize that a person with lower level should kneel to the one with higher rank and force me to greet you? Now what? I’m the one with a higher rank, and you want to leave without kneeling to me?”