Moonlit Calamity: The Dragon Girl's Life of Idleness is Broken

Today happens to be the Beginning of Winter. The Emperor will lead his officials to the northern suburbs to offer sacrifices to welcome winter, and afterwards a banquet will be held in the palace to celebrate.

Xiao Han left early in the morning, and he and his brothers accompanied the emperor and ministers to attend the sacrificial ceremony.

Everyone was dressed in black, wearing black jade ornaments, and the carriages and flags were all predominantly black.

The royal guards led the way, with the emperor sitting in a magnificent carriage, followed closely by Xiao Han and his entourage on horseback, and then civil and military officials and the imperial guards...

With one hand holding the reins and the other pulling his cloak tighter around himself, Prince Xuan turned to Xiao Han beside him and said, "Seventh Brother, don't you feel particularly cold today?"

Xiao Han glanced back at Prince Xuan, then continued looking at the road ahead, and said, "Because you usually travel by carriage, riding a horse today will definitely feel colder than usual. Besides, it's already winter, and the weather will definitely get colder every day."

"Hiss..." As he spoke, another gust of cold wind blew in his face, and King Xuan couldn't help but shiver.

"It must be because he doesn't exercise enough; now his body can't even withstand the cold."

King Xuan, rubbing his empty stomach, continued, "It's also possible that I didn't eat breakfast!"

"Sixth Brother..." Xiao Han asked after hearing this, "Didn't you eat anything this morning?"

"I haven't eaten! I was just thinking of sleeping a little longer, and it was already very late when I got up, so I didn't have time to eat anything!" At this point, King Xuan asked in confusion, "Could it be that you ate something this morning before coming here?"

"Hmm... I got up a little earlier than usual and had breakfast before leaving!" Xiao Han replied, "Isn't anyone in the manor preparing food for you?"

"I was prepared, but I forgot to take it when I left the house."

After hearing their conversation, Prince Qi pulled on his horse's reins and came to Prince Xuan's side, taking out a large cake wrapped in oil paper from his bosom and handing it to him.

"Sixth brother... I have another cake here. If you don't mind, you can take it."

Upon seeing the food, King Xuan quickly accepted it, saying, "Thank you, Fifth Brother! I was starving!"

After receiving it, King Xuan began to eat it himself. When people are hungry, they can enjoy their food even if it is not a delicacy.

"Eat slowly," Prince Qi carefully reminded him. "Don't choke if you wolf it down."

The group arrived at the northern suburbs of the city at the originally scheduled time.

Today, the Emperor wore a black dragon robe embroidered with a golden five-clawed dragon. His tall and upright figure, coupled with his solemn expression, made him appear extremely majestic.

He walked steadily up the high platform and led the crowd in worshipping the god of the north, welcoming the winter through a series of elaborate rituals.

Since ancient times, people have followed the seasons to bless the country with favorable weather, abundant harvests, and a prosperous and peaceful society, ensuring that the people can live and work in peace and contentment.

During the sacrificial ceremony, the emperor and the people would express their condolences, respect and gratitude to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country.

They also expressed their sincere condolences to the families of the martyrs.

At the same time, the emperor would also honor the martyrs who sacrificed their lives, and inscribe their names on the Martyrs' Monument for future generations to admire and remember.

Moreover, the imperial court would provide comprehensive care for their families, including generous pensions and winter clothing and quilts.

At the same time, the emperor would also bestow winter clothing upon his officials.

For those widows and orphans who have lost loved ones, the emperor would also order appropriate compensation to ensure their basic living needs so that they could comfortably get through the cold winter.

Ordinary people would also organize their own sacrificial activities, going to temples or altars to sincerely thank the gods, burning incense and praying for a bountiful harvest in the coming year and for every family to live a peaceful and prosperous life.

Because of the invitation personally sent by the Empress, this year's Winter Solstice Banquet was exceptionally grand and lively.

Those who did not go to the sacrificial ceremony today arrived one after another in the afternoon, as were the people who were going to attend the palace banquet tonight.

This year, the wives and noblewomen of various officials attended tonight's banquet, along with their sons and daughters.

They were all dressed in gorgeous clothes, each showing their best side.

The young men were all dressed to be handsome and dashing, exuding an air of nobility.

The girls were all dressed up carefully, with powder and rouge, and adorned with jewelry and hairpins; each one of them was beautiful and charming.

The banquet was filled with all kinds of desserts and fruits, and the surrounding area was also carefully decorated with the most beautiful flowers of the season.

Almost all the princesses attended today, while those who were getting married brought their husbands with them.

Everyone gathered in small groups to chat, gossiping about everyday things, creating a lively atmosphere.

He Wanqing and Ye Lingwei, who came with their families, were chatting together.

Fang Qiuyu arrived later than them, and she searched for familiar figures in the crowd.

When she saw them, she called out from afar, "Wanqing, Lingwei." The two looked over and waved to her, so she walked towards them.

Grand Tutor's granddaughter, Shen Anning, also came today. She stayed with her mother, Madam Zhou, and sat aside listening to her mother chat with the other ladies.

Princess Yu and the young princess also arrived at the banquet. She stayed with Princess Rui and shared some of her experiences with pregnancy and childcare.

Princess Rui listened patiently and shyly while holding the little princess and making her laugh. The two got along very well.

The concubines from various palaces arrived one after another, and they sat and talked with the Empress in the pavilion in the garden.

Upon seeing them, everyone came to the pavilion, paid their respects to the Empress and the concubines, and then withdrew to find their own places to continue chatting together.

By this time, the trees in the garden had almost lost all their leaves, and only the osmanthus and chrysanthemums were in full bloom, with a faint fragrance of osmanthus wafting through the air occasionally.

The table in the pavilion was set with melons, candied fruits, tea, and snacks.

The concubines sipped tea and chatted idly.

Consort Xian looked outside for a while, then turned back and said with a smile, "Look how lively it is today. Seeing the smiles on everyone's faces, even this early winter weather doesn't feel so cold."

"It's all thanks to Her Majesty the Empress's thoughtful arrangements that this has brought warmth to this cold weather," Consort De said with a smile, putting down her teacup.

The Empress was pleased to hear the flattery and to see the lively scene outside.

"Not at all..." The Empress looked at the Consort and smiled gently, saying, "It was all Consort's idea. I thought that the palace hadn't been this lively in a long time, so I decided to make today's banquet a bit more grand, so that everyone could get together and chat about everyday things."

"I was just speaking casually, and I dare not take credit for it." The Imperial Concubine smiled and said, "It is Your Majesty the Empress who is so thoughtful and considerate."

Everyone smiled upon hearing this.

Consort Rong glanced outside and said, "The weather is so nice today, the sun is shining brightly. If it were as windy as usual, my face would hurt."

Consort Jing, being the oldest among them, was quite moved by what she heard. She touched her face and said, "That's right. It's been windy and dry lately, and my face feels so rough to the touch."

"Alas..." Consort Jing continued to sigh, "Perhaps it's because I'm getting old; no amount of skincare seems to work."