At the third quarter of the You hour, an inconspicuous carriage stopped at the palace gate. By then, several carriages had already pulled up, with others arriving continuously, all belonging to ministers in official attire, accompanied by their Ladies as they descended from the carriages.
Of course, each of these Ladies had an imperial command, for without it, no matter how high-ranking her husband's position, she would not be qualified to enter the palace. As for the children of these officials, unless specifically permitted, they also had no right to attend the New Year's banquet.
Therefore, when they saw the young and unfamiliar Mo Yan, the ministers and Ladies who had not yet entered the palace were quite astonished and privately guessed at her identity. However, being well-mannered people, they might have been surprised, but they did not stare rudely at Mo Yan.
