Chapter 859 The Grand Finale

Everyone knelt down in a dense mass, listening to the emperor personally read out the imperial edict to reward those who had contributed to the cause.

The deceased were given generous funeral expenses, and the living were given generous rewards. Whether they were commoners or officials, they all received substantial rewards.

"Twenty years ago, Princess Taiping volunteered to marry a foreign ruler to the Western Rong, ending the brutal war and giving the Great Yu Kingdom a chance to recuperate... Twenty years later, for the sake of the Great Yu Kingdom, Princess Taiping once again paved the way for her soldiers with her own life..."

The emperor's voice was slightly hoarse, and his eyes fell on the coffin inlaid with gold, silver and jewels under the city wall.

He did not have a deep relationship with this half-sister and they had no personal relationship... Twenty years ago, when Taiping volunteered, the struggle within the palace was very serious and he had no time to take care of other things.

Later, Taipingyuan married and became the queen of Xirong, and there was no contact between them anymore. He couldn't even remember what his sister looked like.

Yet this very sister, whom he had neglected, once again stepped forward when the Great Yu Kingdom was in peril.

She set fire to the Western Rong palace, burning herself and her only surviving daughter to death. She knew she would be desecrated after death, yet she still did it...

The only thing to be thankful for is that Daewoo won.

Therefore, the best outcome would be for her and her child's bodies to return to their homeland and for their souls to rest in peace.

"Princess Taiping dedicated her life to the country and was posthumously named Princess Xiaoci Suyi. She was buried in the Xiao family mausoleum of Dayu..."

Cheng Wanwan raised her head slightly and looked at Princess Taiping's coffin.

Although returning to Dayu Kingdom was not the princess's obsession, being buried with her two children, a son and a daughter, and being able to reunite with her father and mother after their death should be another form of perfection.

"For her meritorious service in defending the borders, and for the bestowal of imperial favor, Lady Zhao Cheng of Sui has contributed to the friendship between the two countries, and for her courage and wisdom in leading to victory in the war against the Western Rong... Therefore, by imperial grace, Lady Zhao Cheng is hereby granted the title of First-Rank Lady, with the honorary title of Zhenguo, and this title shall be passed down to her descendants. This is the imperial decree!"

The moment the imperial edict was issued, the entire audience was incredulous.

The title "Protecting the Nation" carries immense weight. Everyone has heard of the General Who Protects the Nation, but never of the Lady Who Protects the Nation. This is the highest honor.

Being a first-rank lady is already the pinnacle; adding the title of "national protector" elevates her to a height that is beyond the reach of most!

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

Cheng Wanwan knelt on the ground, her head touching the ground, and loudly expressed her gratitude.

After expressing her gratitude, she stood up and walked step by step up the corner tower to the top of the tower, where she received the imperial edict.

She turned her head and looked at the thousands of people kneeling at the city gate, and suddenly felt an indescribable sense of pride.

She was once known as Lady Sui, the name of which signifies her contributions to the country in agriculture.

Now, she has become the Lady of the State, and the title of "Lady of the State" carries such weight... Moreover, the imperial edict states that this title will be passed down to her descendants, meaning that one of her four sons can inherit her title and become the Marquis of the State. Furthermore, as long as the Zhao family does not commit any major offenses, this title can continue to be passed down from generation to generation... Such an honor should only be bestowed upon her alone in the world.

This time, in the distribution of rewards based on merit, every member of the Zhao family received a reward.

Cheng Wanwan was promoted to First-Rank Lady of the State.

Zhao Dashan was promoted to the sixth rank and appointed as the cotton ambassador.

Zhao Ergou was designated as a royal merchant, allowing him to do business with the royal family.

Zhao Sanniu was promoted to the rank of Fourth-Rank Martial Guard General.

Zhao Sidan was a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. It was not easy for him to get promoted, so he was directly transferred to the Imperial Study.

Cheng Zhao and Shen Zheng were each promoted by half a rank...

Cheng Wanwan's residence has a new plaque with five characters personally written by the emperor: "Residence of the Lady Who Protects the Nation".

Having survived such a perilous ordeal, she requested to return to Dahe Town. The Emperor and Empress did not refuse, but instead bestowed upon her many generous rewards once again.

As the spring breeze of February blew, Cheng Wanwan finally set out on her return journey.

"Sister Wanwan, don't worry, I'll take good care of Sidan!" Lu Yingxue held her hand. "Remember to write to me."

Madam Ruan said loudly, "Jingyu is being taken care of by Old Ruan in the military camp, so Wanwan, don't worry about him."

Madam Shen said with a smile, "I will also keep an eye on the two children. Xiao Zheng and Zhao'er are both here, so we will look after each other and nothing will happen."

The King of Qin waved his fan, his eyes filled with reluctance: "After I finish dealing with the affairs of Xiao Qin University, I will go to Dahe Town for a visit. The mountains and rivers there are beautiful, and the scenery is wonderful. It's a good place to retire."

The Empress, dressed in plain clothes, said gently, "His Majesty and I have the same idea. His Majesty has decided to allocate funds to the Prefect of Huzhou to build a temporary palace in Dahe Town. Whenever the palace is completed, His Majesty and I will go to Dahe Town to take a look."

"Okay, then I'll wait for the Emperor and Empress to arrive." Cheng Wanwan said with a smile, "It's getting late, I'll board the ship first."

She waved to the crowd, then turned and boarded the large ship.

Zhao Sanniu and Zhao Sidan stood at the front. They were both very tall, with tears in their eyes, and they were almost crying.

Shen Zheng and Cheng Zhao waved goodbye with reluctance on their faces.

The King of Qin fanned himself faster and sighed barely perceptible.

There was hope in the Queen's eyes. She really wanted to go to Dahe Town and take a look...

The big ship slowly moved away and disappeared at the junction of water and sky, becoming a small black dot.

The trip went smoothly. In less than ten days, the ship arrived at the dock of Dahe Town. Because people had written letters back long ago, the dock was full of people.

"Grandma Mountain is back!"

"Stop what you're doing, hurry to the dock, Aunt Dashan is really back!"

"That's great, that's great! Dashan Niang has been gone for over a year and is finally back in our Dahe Town!"

"..."

The villagers told each other, and in less than half an hour, thousands of people crowded the dock, and everyone stood on tiptoe to look in the direction of the ship.

Cheng Wanwan stood on the deck and saw many familiar faces.

Grandma Zhao and the village head's husband supported each other as they gazed into the distance. Grandpa Zhao looked anxious. Madam Wen and Madam Sun struggled to squeeze through the crowd. Wu Huiniang and Cao Yingying each carried their children and searched for open spaces. Chunhua and Xiahua were pushed to the side. Qiuhua and Donghua helped each other climb a tree. Aunt Wang and Wang Yongcheng craned their necks...

"I'm back!"

Cheng Wanwan couldn't help but shout loudly.

As soon as she opened her mouth, cheers erupted on the dock.

Zhu Huzi managed to stay upright, but was pushed off the boat into the river. Fortunately, there were many people on boats watching the spectacle, and he landed directly on Master Zhao's boat.

The crowd laughed and chatted, their eyes crinkling with joy.

Cheng Wanwan also laughed.

She looked at the scenery in the distance of Dahe Town, which had undergone new changes in the past year or so.

The docks had been widened, and the rows of newly built warehouses showed how much traffic this new town had.

The market expanded once again, the shops were well-organized, and the streets were bustling with activity.

Countless forsythia flowers are blooming in the flower beds in the distance. From afar, the flowers are in clusters and are particularly beautiful.

The wheat in the fields swayed its tender leaves in the spring breeze, heralding the joy of the spring harvest...

Every resident of Dahe Town has a neat face, clean clothes, and a calm demeanor; everyone lives freely and with dignity.

Old friends, farmhouses, green waters, and green mountains... all combine to create a beautiful picture.

Cheng Wanwan walked off the boat and took a deep breath of fresh air.

"Grandma!"

"Grandma is back!"

Grandma, we miss you so much!

One, two, three, four little glutinous rice balls bumped over and hugged her legs.

She bent down and hugged her four grandchildren, saying gently, "Grandma missed you all too!"

Family is the only true haven. I'm so glad she has a home here, a place she cherishes for a lifetime.

—End of text—