The Fourth Year of Jiayuan, May sixteenth.
The weather remained fine, the sun cheerful and bright. By the time noon arrived, it had grown somewhat sultry, yet it was still bearable. After all, the heat of summer had not yet descended, not to the point of leaving one gasping for air.
In front of Ningshou Palace, and separated by a high wall, stood Ninghe Hall. The courtyard was vast, usually left empty.
It was only during the year-end when ladies from official families would enter the palace to offer their salutations that it would be utilized. Given its size and spaciousness, with numerous courtyards, these ladies would receive the banquet after entering the palace, rest for a while, and take a stroll before exiting. The selection of the Fine Ladies could neither take place in Taihe Hall nor in Jiaofang Hall. The most spacious option was this Ninghe Hall.
