With the year drawing to a close, the Empress and the Crown Prince in the palace have recovered completely.
The emperor has also freed up his hands, and in recent days he has demoted many officials in the court. Vice Minister Wen has also been criticized a lot and had his annual salary deducted. Now the officials in the capital are much more obedient.
Once the marriage was arranged, things proceeded quickly. Li Xuming cooperated fully, accompanying Mo Qiaoniang to the homes of the Wang and Wen families to formally propose marriage.
The family knew about what Li Xuming had done. As Li Xuming's sons, the twins couldn't very well criticize their father, but they couldn't help but curse him in their hearts for being so foolish. They felt very awkward at home now, as they felt they had let their brothers down.
Li Xushi himself knew he was in the wrong, and after learning that Vice Minister Wen had been reprimanded by the Emperor, he was so frightened that he dared not sleep for several days and became quite haggard.
He rarely sees anyone now, except when Li Qingduan and Li Qingyi proposed marriage. He only hopes that the two children will get married soon, and then he will leave the capital and never come back.
Li Qing and Fu Ning successfully exchanged marriage certificates. With three children in the family getting married, Mo Qiaoniang was extremely busy. Fortunately, she had Yan Min's help and her daughter Li Qingruo's assistance.
Since learning what her father had done, Li Qingruo has been tormented. She can only do more to help with household chores and try her best to make amends. She is also very concerned about the marriage between Li Qingjing and Fu Ning.
As for Wen Leyang, the Li family wouldn't have any particular feelings towards a young girl. If it weren't for her, it's uncertain whether Li Xushi would have survived.
Not to mention, Wen Leyang inherited his father's good looks and was quite handsome, only his family background held him back. Therefore, the Li family was tolerant of Wen Leyang.
Li Qingyi and Li Qingduan even went to Li Qingjing to apologize. Although the matter was resolved satisfactorily, it was still a problem caused by the second branch of the family, and the two of them still had to express their attitude.
The brothers drank together, vented their frustrations, and the matter was finally over.
As the weather grew colder and the New Year approached, the Li family finally received an imperial decree.
"There is a woman named Li Pan, who is wise and clever. She investigated folk rumors and discovered the secret of smallpox in the countryside. This is truly a blessing for all people in the world!"
Smallpox ravaged the land, causing immense suffering to the people. Life and death were uncertain, and fear gripped the nation. The Pan family's smallpox vaccination method brought the epidemic under control, saving countless lives from this calamity.
Pan has made outstanding contributions to the country and its people by successively offering recipes for tofu, regenerated rice, and breeding strategies. Now, he has also contracted smallpox. His achievements are remarkable, and I am always gratified when I think of him.
Now, she is hereby specially granted the title of Lady of Liang, enjoying the salary of a lady of a higher rank, and is permitted to enter the palace without imperial decree. Furthermore, Lady Pan is bestowed with one thousand taels of gold and one hundred bolts of silk as a token of commendation.
So be it!
"Your Majesty, I accept the decree. Long live the Emperor!"
Pan Jinhua knelt on the ground with her hands raised above her head. After Liu Daban solemnly handed the imperial edict to Pan Jinhua, he personally helped her up.
"Lady Liang, please rise quickly."
"Thank you for coming to deliver this decree, my dear wife. This time, we must collect some money to share in the joy. Qiao Niang."
Mo Qiaoniang, hearing Pan Jinhua call out, handed over the money bag she had prepared earlier. The money bag was light and had almost no weight.
"Thank you, Lady Liang. We should certainly share in this joyous occasion."
Liu Daban, of course, wouldn't refuse. Having spent so many years in the palace, he knew perfectly well what kind of money he could and couldn't accept. This kind of money was one he could accept, and it even sounded nice.
As soon as he touched it, he knew it contained silver notes.
As Liu Daban put the money bag away, he glanced around at the Li family members, a hint of doubt appearing on his face.
"I don't seem to have seen your second master?"
"Please forgive me, my second son is in poor health and is seriously ill. He can't get out of bed. It's not appropriate to ask him to come out and cause trouble in this situation."
"So that's how it is."
"There is one more thing to tell you, Madam. Her Majesty the Empress has decreed that Lady Liang is invited to the palace banquet on New Year's Eve, and the younger members of her family may also accompany her."
"Your subject obeys the decree."
After saying what he needed to say and congratulating Pan Jinhua, Liu Daban went straight back to the palace, as he had many things to do at the end of the year.
"Mother, Lady Liang!"
Mo Qiaoniang, Yan Min, and even the children of the family were all present. Everyone was extremely excited, for this was the title of a first-rank lady.
Pan Jinhua, however, was not as optimistic as the others. Liu Daban's condition just now had confirmed their previous thoughts.
Why would Liu Daban, a favorite of the emperor, pay special attention to someone without official rank or status? He must be watching how the Li family handles Li Xushi.
Otherwise, the Empress's edict wouldn't have been revealed only after Pan Jinhua's reply.
It seems the second prince will have to remain ill for the rest of his life. There's nothing he can do about incurring the emperor's displeasure.
"Don't be arrogant. The tallest tree in the forest will be felled by the wind. But if there are truly malicious people, we must also show some strength. The Emperor has bestowed many fine bolts of cloth. Everyone should go and pick out a few to share. It's just in time for the New Year."
"Thank you, Mother/Aunt/Grandmother."
"Qiao Niang, please work hard and pick out a few more bolts of cloth to send to the Wen, Wang, and Fu families."
"My granddaughters-in-law haven't even entered the house yet, but I'm already thinking about them."
Mo Qiaoniang noticed that Pan Jinhua was not in a good mood, so she pretended to be jealous.
"You're about to become a mother-in-law, and you're still jealous of your future daughter-in-law and niece-in-law."
"Your mother loves you after all, so she'll allow you to take two more bolts."
Pan Jinhua noticed that Mo Qiaoniang was deliberately being silly, so she also shared her own thoughts and joked with her.
"Grandmother, is it possible for Zhi'er to have one?"
"Me too, I want more!"
Li Qingzhi and Li Qingjun also squeezed forward, as if afraid of being left behind, and spoke up one after another.
"Yes, yes, yes, we have them all, hahaha."
Pan Jinhua did not need to prepare her own clothes for entering the palace. Now that she was a first-rank Lady of Liang, the palace's clothing bureau sent someone to her door the very next day to take her measurements.
Besides this, she also needs to formally learn palace etiquette with the Li family. Last time, she entered the palace in too much of a hurry and didn't learn much. This time, she was specifically invited to the palace banquet, which was bustling with people. It was also her first time appearing in front of everyone as the Lady of Liang, so she naturally had to take it seriously.
The news of Pan Jinhua being granted the title of Lady of Liang spread, and the Ouyang, Wen, Wang, Fu, and Zheng families all came to deliver congratulatory gifts. Many families who had never been to Pan Jinhua before, including Yan Min's maternal family, also sent gifts to her door.
The Yan family not only sent gifts, but also had their servants deliver a message to Yan Min, telling her not to forget to support her maternal family.
Yan Min was so angry that she wanted to throw away the gifts sent by the Yan family; they were just too disgusting.
Li Qingyao was also furious with his maternal family. He had become quite good at controlling his temper, but he couldn't calm down whenever he was around his maternal grandparents.
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