Before the imperial decree from Taiyang Palace was spread out, the concubines in the harem had already been tortured to death by the scriptures.
"Five days! Su made me copy scriptures for five whole days!" Concubine Ning looked at the scriptures on the table with bloodshot eyes. She waved her hand and wanted to tear all the scriptures on the table into pieces, but thinking of Su's torturous methods, she endured it.
"Your Majesty." The maid looked at the furious Concubine Ning, shrank her neck and stammered, "Concubine Su from Mingyue Palace sent someone to say, to say..."
"What did she say?" Concubine Ning's chest was heaving with anger, and she held the table tightly with both hands: "Speak!"
"Concubine Su said that she was grateful for the kindness of the ladies and would continue copying the scriptures tomorrow...tomorrow."
"Su Meidai!" Concubine Ning finally couldn't stand it anymore and dropped the scriptures on the table to the ground: "This bastard is really going too far!"
"Your Majesty, calm down." The female official bent down and picked up the scriptures scattered on the ground. "The Su family is favored by the emperor, so you should be patient. Throughout history, every treacherous concubine had a glorious youth but ended up in misery. You still have His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi. His Royal Highness is a man of outstanding talent, and all the officials in the court praise him. As long as you keep calm, everything will be fine."
"The Lingzhou group..."
"Your Highness!" The female official put the scripture on the table and said, "You forgot that eight years ago you were ill and Your Highness was kind and filial, so you stayed in the palace to take care of him. You and Your Highness did not accompany him."
"You are right." Concubine Ning gently smoothed the curled corner of the scripture and said softly, "My son is kind and filial. How can he be compared to a fool like Prince Chen?"
In Mingyue Palace, Concubine Su Gui looked through the files sorted out by the Dali Temple and snorted without commenting: "A concubine who was not favored by the previous emperor went to great lengths to bribe the maids in Mingyue Palace and use embroidery to stir up the relationship between me and Jiuzhu. What is she trying to achieve?"
If she had such great ability, she would have won the favor of the late emperor long ago. How could she still be just a low-ranking official when the late emperor passed away?
"I don't care who is behind this. Before I completely calm down, you have to continue copying scriptures for me." Throwing the file on the table, Concubine Su closed her beautiful eyes lazily: "Once the resentment in their hearts is resolved by the scriptures, they will not have so much energy to do small things behind the scenes."
"These people with ulterior motives thought they could use these little tricks to alienate you and Miss Ming, but they didn't know that Miss Ming was smart and good at arguing. Not only did they expose their conspiracy, but they also lost many of their confidants." Xiang Xian smiled: "That day, even I didn't expect that Miss Ming would pretend to agree to the other party and then secretly tell me."
"It shows that in her heart, she regards me as someone she can trust." Concubine Su knew very well that if other noble ladies from aristocratic families were to see this, most of them would choose to decline politely, or remind her in the most appropriate way.
This is the only way to protect themselves to the greatest extent and avoid being dragged into the harem conspiracy.
In fact, this is the perfect solution. But sometimes, the most touching thing is precisely the unreserved imperfection.
"Alas." Concubine Su Gui suddenly sighed: "Xiangshen, if the Ming family has any objections to this marriage, will Jiuzhu be stuck between my son and the family? Will it be difficult?"
Xiangshen was silent.
Your Majesty, Miss Ming and His Highness haven't gotten married yet, you are thinking too far ahead.
"Oh, by the way, Madam, a little thing happened the day before yesterday involving Miss Ming." Xiangshen said, "The old lady of the Marquis of Pingyuan was on her way back from burning incense with her family members. She encountered Miss Ming's carriage on the way and didn't even say hello. She just waited for Miss Ming to get out of the way. Later, she happened to meet the Prince of Qi, and the old lady of the Marquis's mansion finally spoke up and let Miss Ming go first."
"Those women in the Marquis of Pingyuan's mansion who pretend to be beautiful are worthy of asking my daughter-in-law to condescend and avoid them?!" Concubine Su opened her eyes, "Did I give them face?"
Xiang Xian reminded quietly: "Your Majesty, Miss Ming has not yet married His Highness."
"So what if they haven't gotten married yet? Wasn't I clear enough about it at the birthday banquet that day?" Concubine Su sneered, "Summon the wife of Marquis Pingyuan. There are rumors that the Marquis's mansion is extravagant and indulges the servants' nonsense. I want to know how the Marquis's mansion manages its family."
If they dare to tell her future daughter-in-law to avoid them in public, don't blame her for slapping them in the face.
When it comes to bullying others by taking advantage of one's power, she is more skilled.
Ming family.
Shen walked into her daughter's yard and stopped in her tracks when she saw her daughter painting under a tree.
"Mother." Jiuzhu was very sharp-eyed and had heard footsteps as soon as Shen entered the courtyard. She put down her paintbrush and looked towards the door. "Is there anything you want to talk to your daughter about?"
On weekdays, her mother never came to disturb her when she was painting.
"The Ministry of Rites sent someone to say that an imperial decree will be issued later. You should change your clothes so as not to appear negligent." Shen walked to her daughter's side, glanced at the painting of withered lotus leaves on the table, and looked away calmly: "I don't know what the decree will be."
It's so serious, it doesn't seem like a trivial matter.
Could it be... related to my daughter's wedding date with His Highness?
"I'll go right away." Jiuzhu asked Shen, "Mother, what do you think of the painting of 'Kinkoi Playing with Lotus' that I painted?"
This question brought Shen's memory back to more than 20 years ago, when she had just met her husband. Her husband was like this, holding up a painting whose shape could not be identified, and confidently asked her if she liked the painting he had made especially for her.
If he wasn't good-looking and had a nice voice, she would have wanted to ask him right then and there, "What is that?"
It was all because his eyes were too affectionate that she lied against her will.
Unexpectedly, after many years, when she finally waited for her husband to have a clear understanding of his painting skills, she still could not escape the fate of lying.
"The artistic conception is extraordinary and the brushwork is interesting. Very good."
How can it be considered a lie when a mother praises her daughter? That is love.
"Since even my mother says it's okay, I'm relieved." Jiuzhu hung up the painting: "When the painting is dry, I will give it to His Royal Highness Prince Chen."
Shen: “…”
Although it is said that His Royal Highness Prince Chen does not like poetry and calligraphy, he should still have the ability to appreciate paintings. If my daughter sends this painting to his mansion, will he think that she is deliberately insulting him?
"Is it not possible?" Jiuzhu's eyes gradually dimmed when she saw her mother remained silent.
"Of course you can." Shen said, "But your daughter's writing is precious and should not be shown to others easily."
"Please rest assured, mother." Jiuzhu smiled happily, "My daughter will not send anyone away except her own family."
Shen forced a smile, hoping that Prince Chen could make Jiuzhu happy like she had done to her husband.
At three quarters past the hour of Wei, Li En, the Minister of Rites, entered the residence of Minister Ming with the imperial edict, and he was accompanied by Yu Bu, a palace official wearing golden armor.
"Brother Ming." Li En looked at Ming Jingzhou and his family, who were dressed in their best clothes and waiting at the middle gate, and said to him with a smile, "Today I am here to announce the decree by His Majesty. Minister Ming, please listen to the announcement."
"Long live His Majesty!" Ming Jingzhou looked at the golden armor behind Li En and was very confused. Why did His Majesty send all the ceremonial guards in the palace?
"…loyal to the emperor and patriotic, caring for the people…"
"I am grateful for your loyalty and I will treat you as an earl and confer you the title of Ningkang."
Ming Jingzhou knelt on the ground in a daze, unable to believe his ears.
Title?
Your Majesty actually conferred a title on him?
Many famous ministers and generals dreamed of being granted a title and being enshrined in the imperial temple after their death. However, the emperors of the Dacheng Dynasty would not easily confer titles on ministers outside the court, so the title of nobility was particularly precious.
Even though the Ming family had two top scorers and one third place in the imperial examinations, they did not dare to think about conferring a title. Now they are giving the title to him?
Jiuzhu knelt on the ground and secretly looked at Ming Jingzhou. Her father, who was always elegant, tactful, and expressionless, actually showed an expression of surprise and joy. She was curious about how great this title was.
"Congratulations, Lord Ning Kang." Li En handed the imperial edict to Ming Jingzhou, with emotion and worry in his eyes. The two were not only friends but also colleagues, and he naturally understood the intention behind His Majesty's giving this title to Ming Jingzhou.
"The wedding date for His Royal Highness Prince Chen and Miss Ling has been set." Li En helped Ming Jingzhou up from his kneeling position, "On the second day of the second month of next spring."
The second day of February...
Ming Jingzhou suddenly looked down at his daughter kneeling on the ground and whispered, "The second day of the second month..."
"Father." Jiuzhu helped Shen to stand up, winked at Ming Jingzhou, and quietly reminded him that he had not yet thanked His Majesty.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness." Ming Jingzhou knelt down towards the palace holding the imperial edict. "As a subject, I shall serve Your Majesty with all my heart and soul to repay your kindness."
Holding tightly the imperial edict that was worth more than a thousand gold pieces, he bowed his head.
"Father." Jiuzhu knelt down with Ming Jingzhou, and held his arm with her tender hands, soft but strong.
Ming Jingzhou looked at his daughter's still childish face, stood up and sent Li En and Jinjia Yubu away, then sat down in front of Jiuzhu: "Jiuzhu, do you like the King?"
Jiuzhu nodded. His Royal Highness Prince Chen was kind and Concubine Su was considerate. She liked them both very much.
"Father understands." Ming Jingzhou was silent for a long time: "You are the apple of the Ming family's eye. No matter what time, your mother and I will never watch you suffer any injustice."
"I know." Jiuzhu hugged Shen's arm and said, "You are the best father and mother in the world."
She had been abandoned so far away for so long, yet they searched for her and thought of her day after day, never giving up and never forgetting her.
It was winter already. The Prince was covered in morning mist and sat in the carriage, leaning against the soft cushion, his face full of numbness.
The clatter of horse hooves could not drive away the fatigue in his heart. Even he was unwilling to believe that he had gotten up so early in the morning just to go to the Ministry of Rites to learn how to do things.
"Your Highness." The carriage stopped and the attendant whispered outside the carriage: "Someone is blocking the carriage ahead."
The Prince lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked at the figure in the mist.
"Your Highness." Jiuzhu turned around, jumped twice on the spot, and waved to Prince Chen in the carriage.
Why is this silly girl here? The Prince of Chen didn't even use the horse stool, but jumped off the carriage and strode to Jiuzhu: "It's so foggy outside, what are you doing here?"
"I'm waiting for His Highness." Jiuzhu took out the painting tube hidden behind her body and said, "On the day of the Queen's birthday banquet, I saw that His Highness really liked the carp flower ornament between my eyebrows, so I specially made a brocade carp painting for His Highness."
Taking the painting tube that Yu Daijiuzhu held in his palm, Prince Chen sighed, "The morning mist is thick and the dew is heavy. It can be delivered at any time on weekdays. Why wait here so early in the morning?"
"Official business is more important. Your Highness is usually worried about the affairs of the Ministry of Rites. How can I disturb him?" Jiuzhu smiled like a flower: "The painting has been delivered. I will go home now."
Prince Chen looked at Jiuzhu's hair that was wet by the mist and her nose that was red by the cold wind: "Wait."
"What's wrong, Your Highness?" Jiuzhu looked up at him.
Taking out a handkerchief, Prince Chen wiped the mist from her hair stiffly. After wiping it a few times, he stuffed the handkerchief into Jiuzhu's palm, turned his head and said in a rough voice: "Your hair is wet, wipe it yourself."
After saying that, he went back to the carriage to get a small hand warmer and put it into Jiuzhu's hand: "You should go back earlier. There are some things in the Ministry of Rites that cannot be handled without me."
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