Chapter 48: Extra Pampering

Cheng Xingzuo held the divine edict in his hands, wanting to cry but unable to!

The emperor will personally offer sacrifices to the heavens to pray for rain in three days. What is the emperor thinking? Didn’t he make it clear enough that it would rain in half a year?

If it were normal times, the emperor would personally offer sacrifices to the heavens to pray for rain. Regardless of success or failure, it would show that the emperor loves his people like his own children.

But now, I don’t know where that nursery rhyme came from, and I don’t know how many people believe in the content above.

In addition to the inexplicable mud rain, the emperor’s prestige has already been damaged. He still insisted on offering sacrifices to the heavens to pray for rain at this time. This is clearly a road to self-destruction.

Of course, Cheng Xingzuo only dared to complain a few words in his heart. The emperor wanted to commit suicide. Could he stop him?

Cheng Xingzuo led the Qintianjian and the Ministry of Rites to work for three days and three nights without sleep, and finally prepared everything as scheduled.

Su Xiaoxiao was half asleep, and was pulled up by Zhao Wanyue to change clothes.

Su Bowen looked at his daughter who could fall asleep while sitting, and his eyes were full of distress: "For things like offering sacrifices to heaven, civil and military officials and court ladies can go, Xiaoxiao is so young, why do you have to take Xiaoxiao with you!"

Zhao Wanyue thought so. The emperor even drafted an edict for this matter, which was definitely not as simple as a whim. It must be a special arrangement.

After all, after Xiaoxiao met Li Yutang and the prince, their illness was cured without medicine. The emperor might just want to have a good start.

While she was tidying up Su Xiaoxiao, she said, "The emperor personally offered sacrifices to the altar to pray for rain for the sake of the people of Dashuo. This is a matter of accumulating merits. Xiaoxiao should do her part by going."

Su Bowen was still uneasy. The emperor was not a person who liked children. Besides, he was not a close minister of the emperor and had no outstanding achievements. There was no reason for the emperor to treat his children well.

Although he had saved the prince, the rewards had been given several times. The more Su Bowen thought about it, the more he felt uneasy in his heart - the emperor wanted to snatch his daughter from him.

Zhao Wanyue dressed Su Xiaoxiao up. She wore an emerald green dress, a flower ornament between her eyebrows, and a gold necklace around her neck, which made her look even more plump and cute.

Despite such a torment, Su Xiaoxiao still slept soundly on the soft chair.

Zhao Wanyue tied a cloak around Su Xiaoxiao and then put her into Su Bowen's hands: "Hold Xiaoxiao, I'll go see if mother is ready!"

Liu was a first-rank official, so she naturally had to participate in such activities.

Looking at Zhao Wanyue in her gorgeous dress, her mouth twitched: "Xiaoxiao is still young, you don't have to go, stay at home to look after the children, I'll take Yaxian!"

Zhao Wanyue had no rank, so she could only participate as an accompanying person. In the past, in order to let people know that she was kind to her daughter-in-law, she always took Zhao Wanyue with her.

Now, Zhao Wanyue seemed to have become smart overnight and began to be out of control.

How could Liu let go of the rare opportunity to suppress her.

Liu had never liked Zheng Yaxian, the daughter of a humble family, but she married Su Bohao because he had a bad reputation and women from aristocratic families avoided him.

This was the first time her mother-in-law took the initiative to bring her into the palace. She was so excited that she didn't sleep all night and dressed up early to wait in her mother-in-law's yard.

Zhao Wanyue didn't understand anything, so she didn't explain. She just watched Zheng Yaxian help Liu get on the carriage. She

turned around, hugged Su Xiaoxiao, and got on the carriage sent by the prince. When he didn't go with Liu, Su Bowen rode a horse beside the carriage to protect him. He felt much better when he didn't go with Liu. Until now, he didn't know how to treat Liu. After all, they had been mother and

son for more than 30 years. He also found out that his biological mother, Tang, had always been in poor health. If she was not the one who killed his mother, and Liu could behave herself, there was no need to kill her. But Su Bowen couldn't bring himself to say that he should respect her as his mother as before. The altar ceremony was grand and solemn. Before dawn, many carriages and horses had gathered outside the Tiantan. Tiantan was an extremely sacred place. Only during major events could court officials and their wives enter. When they arrived here, everyone had to dismount and walk, so the carriages and horses moved aside in an orderly manner. When Liu and Zheng Yaxian got off the carriage of the Duke's Mansion, they saw Zhao Wanyue holding the child and trying to get off from another carriage. Zheng Yaxian said sourly: "Sister-in-law is too outrageous. She came here without telling mother!" Liu snorted coldly. A lady of noble birth could only bring one female relative with her. So what if she came here? She didn't even have a place to sit in a while. She was carrying a child. It was not her own face that was lost. Unexpectedly, Zhao Wanyue was politely invited back by the palace servants before she even got on the carriage. The carriage was allowed to pass directly! Zheng Yaxian stomped her feet in anger. Why could she take a carriage? The joy of being able to participate in the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the heaven disappeared in an instant. Liu didn't understand what was going on. She wanted to take the opportunity to suppress Zhao Wanyue. After today, everyone would guess why she didn't bring her to offer sacrifices to the heaven. She would also spread some rumors that she would have to get back some of the industries she brought as a dowry. Now she was actually going in with the royal relatives. "Sister Liu, you are so lucky. Your granddaughter saved Master Yutang and the Crown Prince. The Emperor even specifically asked your granddaughter to come to the Heavenly Sacrifice. It is such a great blessing!" "Why didn't Madam Liu go with her daughter-in-law to save the trouble of walking so many miles!" "That was a car specially assigned by the Crown Prince to the Third Miss of the Su Family. The Crown Prince's wife took advantage of her daughter. It is not proper for Madam Liu to go!" The ladies talked about it in a flurry, all with envy in their eyes. Zheng Yaxian whispered, "So the eldest sister-in-law asked us to go together. If I had known, I would have let the eldest sister-in-law finish her words." The car was personally assigned by the Crown Prince. In her family, she can brag about it for the rest of her life! Mrs. Liu said in a low voice, "Shut up!" Zhao Wanyue relied on her daughter to get close to the Crown Prince. How come she didn't know anything about it? If the emperor really liked that bastard, it would be even more difficult to abolish Su Bowen's position as the crown prince. She really regretted keeping Su Bowen. If Caidie had been raised in the Duke's Mansion, this wealth would have belonged to her granddaughter Yingying. Zheng Yaxian was also a loser. Although she gave birth to a son, he had no ambition at all. Liu felt so depressed that she could hardly breathe. How could others know that she and Zhao Wanyue had a rift, and they could not hide their envy in their words: "Mrs. Liu is so lucky, she married a famous lady, and she obeys your words. Now her granddaughter has caught the eyes of the emperor and the prince. It is not impossible to bring her to the palace to be raised when she grows up!" Mrs. Liu was like a dumb person eating bitter herbs, unable to say anything, and left with a cold face. Those noble ladies only sighed that they were unlucky. If they had a daughter-in-law and granddaughter like her, they could also show their respect to others.

Zhao Wanyue was nervous as she rode in a carriage to the altar, where a maid and a palace maid were already waiting.

The maid smiled and said, "Madam Zhao, the prince was afraid that it would be inconvenient for you to take the third young lady with you, so he specially asked us to serve you. It's still early now, you can take the third young lady to rest first, and we

will come to invite you when the time is almost right!" How dare Zhao Wanyue? This is the place where the emperor and the princes rest. How dare she rest here? She doesn't have to carry Xiaoxiao and walk here. It's already a great gift from heaven.

Zhao Wanyue thanked the maid and continued to wait in the carriage with Xiaoxiao in her arms. The others could only shiver in the cold wind at dawn. Their treatment was already the best.

"The emperor has arrived!" A loud and powerful voice kicked off today's ceremony of offering sacrifices to the heaven and praying for rain.