The day after the vigil for the Empress Dowager ended, Zhao Yi sat upright in the Golden Palace, wearing a dragon robe, looking majestic and solemn.
Zhao Yi coughed slightly, and Li An inside the hall immediately understood, loudly announcing, "Proclaim the imperial decree!"
Then, an official holding a yellow silk handkerchief stepped out of the line and read out Emperor Zhao Yi's decree in a loud voice, word by word: "By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: My younger sister, Zhao Chunhua, was lost to the common people due to the war when she was young. I have searched for her for many years without success and feel deeply ashamed."
Fortunately, Heaven has blessed my Great Xuan Dynasty, and I have finally learned of the whereabouts of my imperial sister. I am greatly relieved.
To make up for my regret and to demonstrate the imperial grace, I hereby bestow upon my younger sister, Zhao Chunhua, the title of Grand Princess, with the name "Chaoyang" and her fiefdom being Chaoyang County, which is adjacent to Yun Dynasty.
The eldest princess enjoys the privileges of a princess and holds the power of governing the prefecture. It is hoped that she will uphold the proper etiquette and laws and benefit the people. So be it!
Upon the issuance of the imperial decree, all the civil and military officials chanted in unison, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Princess!"
Chaoyang County is located in the southern part of the Great Xuan Dynasty, bordering the Yun Dynasty, and has been a strategic military location since ancient times.
This area is characterized by towering mountains, crisscrossing rivers, fertile land, and abundant produce.
The people of the prefecture are hardworking, simple, and live in peace and contentment, and are utterly loyal to the Great Xuan Dynasty.
Chaoyang County is famous for its three unique specialties: Chaoyang wine, which is mellow and has a long aftertaste; Chaoyang silk, which is delicate and lustrous like jade; and Chaoyang tea, which is fragrant and has a sweet aftertaste.
The raw materials for Cui Shenghe's exclusively sold tongue-shaped snacks come from Chaoyang.
Zhao Yi had ulterior motives in bestowing this place upon Zhao Chunhua.
Once Zhao Zhi learns that her birth mother is Cui Jiao, the former empress of the Yun Dynasty, she will surely feel indignant about Cui Jiao's fate.
Although the Great Xuan Dynasty would not openly provoke a war with the Yun Dynasty, Zhao Zhi could do much more behind the scenes.
He offered her this convenience if she wanted to avenge her mother.
Zhao Yi felt sorry for his younger sister, Zhao Zhi, whose identity was quite awkward, so he did her a favor by giving her Chaoyang County.
In the Golden Palace, after announcing the decree, Zhao Yi pondered for a moment and then added, "My imperial sister is deeply grieved by the passing of the Empress Dowager and is overwhelmed with sorrow."
She took the initiative to suggest that the grand investiture ceremony for the eldest princess be cancelled, so as not to offend the spirit of the late Empress Dowager.
Therefore, I have decided to temporarily suspend preparations for the grand ceremony and hold it at a later date.
After a moment of silence, these words were spoken, and then discussions arose.
"The Princess is truly a kind and filial person!" an old minister exclaimed first.
“Yes, the princess’s actions not only demonstrate her filial piety, but also reflect her humility and modesty as a member of the royal family,” another official echoed.
As Zhao Yi listened to the discussions below, his gaze lingered on Prince Rui, Shen Hanshan.
Shen Hanshan held the jade tablet in his arms, remaining silent, seemingly lost in thought.
Zhao Yi thought to himself, "He probably doesn't know that Zhao Chunhua is Zhao Zhi, right?"
Zhao Zhi requested Zhao Yi not to announce to the public that she had become Princess Zhao Chunhua.
She didn't want others to know that Princess Zhao Chunhua was the second daughter of Grand Secretary Zhao Shouzhen.
"Are you worried that after you become the eldest princess, it will be awkward for you to return to the Zhao family?" Zhao Yi said, revealing his guess.
Zhao Zhi shook her head. "I'm afraid it will be difficult for my mother."
She was also afraid that rumors would cause trouble for Zhang Wan.
Zhao Yi knew that the mother she was referring to was Zhang Wan, so he agreed to her suggestion.
Therefore, to the outside world, the common people only knew that the Great Xuan Dynasty had suddenly gained a Princess Zhao Chunhua.
Internally, only Emperor Zhao Yi, Empress Qin Sheng, and foster mother Zhang Wan knew that Zhao Chunhua was actually Zhao Zhi.
After the court session, Shen Hanshan stood outside the Imperial Study, requesting an audience with Zhao Yi.
"I wonder what business Brother Wang has with me?" Zhao Yi asked bluntly.
"I want to continue with my marriage to Zhao Zhi," Shen Hanshan said frankly and without hesitation.
"I may not be able to make the decision on this matter," Zhao Yi said with a wry smile. "Before the Empress Dowager passed away, she left a will stating that no one should interfere with Zhizhi's freedom to marry. Even the marriage I previously bestowed upon you two is no longer valid."
After saying that, he watched with great interest the wonderful expressions on Shen Hanshan's face, which were as varied as a condiment dish.
"If you hadn't made such a scene in the main hall with Chief Minister Zhao, there might still have been room for maneuver. But now, alas—"
Zhao Yi shook his head helplessly, "It's difficult!"
Shen Hanshan stared at him intently and said, "Is there really no other way?"
Zhao Yi was amused by his words.
He casually pulled a memorial from the table, tapped Shen Hanshan on the shoulder, and said, "Brother Wang, you're the one who lost your wife. Why are you asking me for her now?"
"Alright, if there's nothing else, you can go back and rest. You've worked hard keeping vigil for the Empress Dowager these past few days." Zhao Yi gave him the order to leave.
"Fine! She's my own wife, I'll pursue her myself!" Shen Hanshan stormed off.
"Hey, Brother Wang, what are you saying? You don't pursue your own wife, do you expect me to do it for you?!"
Zhao Yi deliberately provoked Shen Hanshan.
He hadn't seen Shen Hanshan look so dejected in a long time.
Once Zhao Yi saw that Shen Hanshan had walked away, he smiled and said to the person behind the screen, "He's gone, come out now."
Zhao Zhi emerged from behind the screen, looking exhausted. He pinched his brow in worry and asked, "Brother, why is Shen Hanshan still so persistent in his pursuit of me?"
Seeing her conflicted expression, Zhao Yi suddenly laughed, "Zhizhi, have you really forgotten?"
Zhao Zhi wrinkled her nose, racking her brains, but she couldn't figure out what she had done to cause Shen Hanshan to misunderstand.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
