When Lu Yuyan arrived, all two hundred or so people from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion had gathered in the front yard.
One was an imperial edict from the Empress Dowager bestowing a marriage upon Prince An and Princess Zhenguo.
Another imperial decree was issued to commend Lu Yuyan for his great contributions during the plague in Mu City and for rescuing Princess Ruoling, and to confer upon him the title of Marquis Yongyi, granting him a fief of two thousand li.
It was Zhang Zhongwei and the chief eunuch from the Empress Dowager's palace who came to announce the decree.
"Congratulations to the Duke of Zhenguo, congratulations to the Princess, congratulations to the Marquis Yongyi!" The servants all offered their congratulations.
The entire household was overjoyed, and everyone received five taels of silver as a reward. Soon, no one discussed the fact that the Second Miss had been given by the Emperor to a mentally challenged man as a concubine.
The Duke of Zhenguo hurriedly invited the two eunuchs to have tea, as this was a joyous occasion, and the two eunuchs naturally did not refuse.
The Duke of Zhenguo gave each of them a generous sum of money as a reward for their hard work, which they accepted with smiles.
Lu Xiaoyun and Zhu Yu's wedding date is set for the eighth day of the fifth lunar month after the new year.
A prince's wedding usually requires more than six months of preparation, and today is the 26th of the twelfth lunar month, so there are only four months left.
Upon receiving the imperial decree, the entire household sprang into action.
Qi Wanting, heavily pregnant, wanted to teach her younger sister to embroider her wedding dress, which greatly troubled Zhu Yu.
He was a grown man, good at wielding knives and guns, but absolutely no match for embroidery needles. He was stunned to see his sister-in-law threading the needle and quickly embroidering a twin lotus flower.
Qi Wanting taught him for a whole day, working up a sweat in the dead of winter, but he ended up embroidering leaves as insects and flowers as something unrecognizable.
Lu Yucheng laughed uncontrollably and advised his wife to give up on treating his sister.
Furthermore, since the Ministry of Rites was in charge of the wedding of her younger sister and Prince An, and their wedding attire was also prepared by the Ministry of Rites, Qi Wanting had no choice but to give up.
The wedding was scheduled for a very tight schedule, and Lu Xiaoyun was extremely busy. She had reviewed the betrothal gifts prepared by Yuan Xiu several times, but she was still not satisfied.
Zhu Dan had been on the throne for several months, and under his and Lu Xiaoyun's swift and decisive actions, many new policies were being implemented throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Therefore, Zhu Yu and Lu Xiaoyun discussed that after their sister-in-law gave birth safely, they would request to go to their fiefdom after their wedding.
Zhu Dan gave them Huainan and the Jiangnan region.
Qi Wanting's due date is around the end of March or the beginning of April.
Lu Yuyan was also going, but his marriage to Ruoling was still undecided.
This year, Lu Xiaoyun attended the New Year's Eve family banquet in her capacity as Prince An, accompanied by Zhu Yu.
Zhu Dan made an exception and allowed Lu Yuyan to participate as well.
Ruoling wore a thin veil, but it couldn't hide the burn scars that ran across her entire face.
Since only five months had passed since the old emperor's death, the imperial relatives simply ate a meal without any music or dance.
This was also the simplest and purest family dinner.
Because of her leg problems, Consort Duan did not enter the palace.
Zhu Dan looked somewhat dejected. Ever since the Empress Dowager issued the imperial decree of marriage on the 26th of the twelfth lunar month, he had been numbing himself and burying himself in state affairs every day.
Even during holidays, he would spend all his time in the Imperial Study.
Throughout the entire family banquet, he didn't glance at Lu Xiaoyun and Zhu Yu once, only drinking continuously, which made Zhang Zhongwei somewhat apprehensive.
After the family banquet, Lu Xiaoyun and Zhu Yu took Lu Yuyan to the Empress Dowager's Cisui Palace.
Lu Yuyan didn't visit the palace often, but every time he did, he would pay his respects to the Empress Dowager and have her pulse checked. The Empress Dowager was very fond of this young man who, despite his age, possessed remarkable medical skills.
Upon seeing the three of them enter, before they could even offer their greetings, the Empress Dowager said with a smile, "Come and sit down, come and sit down. It's the New Year, no need for so many formalities."
Lu Yuyan still bowed respectfully to her, took out a pulse pillow and said with a smile, "Empress Dowager, I would like to take your pulse to check your health."
The Empress Dowager smiled and extended her hand: "You silly child, you never forget this every time you come to the palace. You're so thoughtful. How many more New Year's Eve dinners can this old woman have?"
Lu Yuyan smiled and released his hand from taking her pulse: "Empress Dowager, you are in very good health and will live to be a hundred years old. It is a blessing for the Emperor and Prince An."
The Empress Dowager pointed at him and said to Lu Xiaoyun with a smile, "Look, look how eloquent this child is."
"My headache has tormented me for decades, but you have completely cured me. I haven't had a chance to properly thank you yet. Tell me, what do you want?" The Empress Dowager looked at Lu Yuyan with a loving expression.
Lu Yuyan looked at his older sister nervously, while Lu Xiaoyun nodded to him, signaling him to be brave.
Lu Yuyan took a deep breath and knelt down before the Empress Dowager, kowtowing and saying, "I have long admired Princess Ruoling. She is gentle, kind, and beautiful. However, I was originally just a humble physician in the Prince An's residence. Although I have long admired the princess, I dare not disrespect her in the slightest."
"Now, thanks to His Majesty's favor, I have been granted the title of Marquis of Yongyi. Although I dare not say that I am worthy of the princess, I can ensure that she will have a life free from want. Therefore, I respectfully request the Empress Dowager's permission to marry Princess Ruoling to me. I beg the Empress Dowager to grant my request."
After saying that, he kowtowed heavily.
Ruoling stood to the side, looking at the man kneeling on the ground begging his grandmother to marry her with a look of surprise. He hadn't said anything to her.
Her heart was pounding, and her face gradually turned red. Even though her face was covered by a veil, it was all clearly visible.
Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager's smile slowly faded, and she stared at Lu Yuyan kneeling on the ground for a long time without saying a word.
The hall was extremely quiet, with only the soft sound of sand flowing in an hourglass.
Lu Xiaoyun gently squeezed Zhu Yu's hand, signaling him not to rush.
Lu Yuyan knelt there, his hands clasped together on the gleaming bluestone slab, his heart pounding in his chest. He feared the Empress Dowager would disapprove, saying that he came from a humble background and was not worthy of the princess.
He was even more afraid that his words had angered the Empress Dowager, who thought that he had only recently been granted the title of Marquis and yet dared to be so presumptuous, unworthy of being a princess!
After a long while, the Empress Dowager finally said, "You said Ruoling is beautiful?"
"Yes. Princess Ruoling is like the brightest star in the sky, as beautiful as a peach blossom in spring, and as pure as a chrysanthemum in autumn. I am afraid that I am too crude."
Ruoling burst into tears; she wasn't as good as Ayan had described.
"Heh." The Empress Dowager chuckled softly, glancing at Ruoling, whose face was streaked with tears, and hardened her heart. "Ruoling's face and arms were burned in the fire in Nanliang. Any random woman in this palace is prettier than her. You call her beautiful?"
"Empress Dowager!" Lu Yuyan exclaimed, "Princess Ruoling's injuries are not ugly at all; on the contrary, they are extremely beautiful. No woman in this world is more beautiful than her. She protected the people with her own body and was seriously injured. I am heartbroken for her, how could I say that she is not beautiful? I dare to be so bold as to ask the Empress Dowager not to say such things."
"Moreover, I am confident that I can remove the scars on the princess's face and arms."
Everyone present was deeply moved, even the eunuchs and palace maids standing to the side secretly wiped away tears.
However, the Empress Dowager did not immediately agree. Her imposing gaze fell on Lu Yuyan's back: "Do you know that in Southern Liang, Ruoling was... by the Third Prince of Southern Liang..."
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