The Minister of Rites, Lady Liu, was not a foolish person and naturally refused Liu Lanxi's request.
Liu Lanxi sat beside her, neither crying nor making a fuss, her entire being quiet, but it was precisely this that made her despair and sadness all the more palpable.
Lady Liu had led a rather satisfactory life over the years, with a loving husband, no concubines vying for favor, a well-married elder daughter, and a son who was a source of pride. The only problem was her youngest daughter who, smart since childhood, had set her heart on Yan Qing before he turned into a profligate. Having caught sight of him years ago, she had been infatuated ever since and was determined to marry him, much to her mother's worry. If not for this obsession, there would have been few as content as she.
With great earnestness, she persuaded, "Xi'er, even if Mother were willing to set aside her pride and use that old favor to plead with the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager might not agree."
