Chapter 153 Chang Le
By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:
"I, the Emperor, believe that the prosperity of the nation depends on the assistance of virtuous and capable officials. Now, with the plague raging and the people suffering, we are fortunate to have Lady Xiao Yuxuan, who has offered strategies and implemented effective treatments, achieving remarkable results. I am deeply pleased. To recognize your merit, I hereby bestow upon you the title of Princess Changle, granting you the fief of Changle County, bestowing upon you a golden book and jade seal, and awarding you an additional one hundred taels of gold… You must uphold benevolence, remain humble and diligent, and live up to my high expectations. So be it!"
After hearing this, not only was Xiao Yuxuan stunned, but even the Princess couldn't believe her ears.
Chang Le County?
Of the 358 counties in the Qi Kingdom, Chang Le County is one of the most prosperous. If it were to be used as a fief, it would be no exaggeration to give it to a prince or princess. Yet now, they are willing to give it to Yu Xuan as a county princess's fief?!
And this title...
May you enjoy lasting happiness.
After all, he was her brother, born of the same mother, and they were kindred spirits; he knew what she wanted.
Isn't her wish that the little girl will have a peaceful, joyful, and carefree life from now on?
"Chang Le kneels in gratitude for the Emperor's boundless grace! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
Xiao Yuxuan touched her forehead to the ground and expressed her gratitude in a hoarse voice.
She looked up and met Qi Jun's gaze, who had been watching her the whole time.
Seeing the glistening tears in her bright, sparkling eyes, the young man raised his handsome, arched eyebrows.
It seems the little girl really likes this title; she's almost moved to tears.
Two hours ago, in the Imperial Study.
“Father, the name Hui Ru is too common; Kun Yi is too heavy and solemn; An Le... is not bad, but I remember there is no An Le County, but there is a Chang Le County.”
The emperor was already getting impatient listening to the crown prince pick and choose a title for a princess, and now that he heard the prince was even going to grant her a fiefdom, the emperor almost threw down his pen.
"Give her a fiefdom? The national treasury is already empty; to give her the meager tax revenue we have is inappropriate! I disagree."
Qi Jun had anticipated the emperor's reaction, and without any haste, nodded knowingly.
“Father is right. After all, even if she offered a good remedy to save the people of the capital, persuaded the Zhao family to spend tens of thousands of taels of silver to purchase firewood and medicine, and uncovered the conspiracy of the Southern Yue spies, and is now regarded as the only daughter by my aunt, we cannot make an exception for her.”
After being lectured by him, the emperor silently picked up his imperial brush.
"What was the fiefdom of Chang Le County last year?"
Minister of Revenue Dai, who was also Dai Cheng's grandfather, immediately calculated the answer in his mind, stepped forward half a step, and respectfully replied:
"About half of what is in the capital, one million koku."
Of the 358 prefectures in the Qi Kingdom, Chang Le Prefecture was among the top in terms of annual tax revenue. If so much tax revenue were to be handed over to Xiao Yuxuan instead of flowing into the national treasury, the emperor would feel a pang of regret.
Moreover, the princess is only the daughter of the eldest princess and the prince. In recent decades, the princess has not been granted a fiefdom. Even if she is as beloved as Qi Wenyue, the only daughter of Prince Duan, she is just a bald princess. She has neither a fiefdom nor a title.
"Then, what do you two ministers think?"
When the emperor spoke, Lord Dai and Zheng, who were participating in the discussion, exchanged glances and then looked at the crown prince.
Their granddaughter and Xiao Yuxuan are close friends, so naturally, they are on Xiao Yuxuan's side.
As the saying goes, "One who stays near vermilion gets stained red, and one who stays near ink gets stained black." If Xiao Yuxuan becomes the only princess with a fiefdom, then their granddaughter befriending her would be a sure-fire win.
Besides, if you do something for others, there might be times when others will do something for you in return, so why not?
As for why only the two of them were present at the palace meeting today, one only needs to look at the Crown Prince's attitude to know the answer—
The Crown Prince must have known that both the Dai and Zheng families had daughters who were close to Xiao Yuxuan, which is why he only summoned them to the palace.
Since that's the case, whether it's out of consideration for their own daughter, for the Crown Prince, or simply out of their own conscience,
How could one not feel a little pity for such a young girl who saved people from dire straits and who had just sent someone to deliver medicine to their home a few days ago?
Zheng Xiang stepped forward first; although his hair and beard were all white, he was vigorous and his voice was booming.
"Your Majesty, I believe the Crown Prince is absolutely right. Miss Xiao first saved the people from the plague, and then she recognized Princess Ningyang as her godmother after the disaster. Now that the capital has been pacified, she should be richly rewarded. Only in this way can the people be truly convinced and the country be at peace for a long time."
Lord Dai, falling a step behind, also seconded the motion:
"Your Majesty, in matters concerning the world, rewards should be given based on merit, and punishments should be imposed based on crimes. The people will naturally respect the law and trust the court."
The emperor was somewhat troubled. If that was the case, then this fiefdom still had to be granted.
Otherwise, even if the people in the capital don't say anything, and the Zhao family doesn't say anything, if the eldest princess starts a fight with him, then it will never end.
When the late emperor was still alive, he once said that if his elder sister had not been a woman, he would have been far inferior to her in terms of imperial talent.
Even after so many years, this sentence still lingers in his heart like a leech.
But as time went by, his elder sister devoted herself to assisting him in ruling this vast dynasty, working diligently and never asking for any benefits. Later, the prince consort and her own children all... Thinking of this, the emperor's heart, which had been cold and ruthless for most of his life, finally softened a little.
Even if we disregard the monk's feelings, we should still consider the Buddha's feelings. Logically and emotionally, since his sister personally came to ask for this honor, he couldn't refuse.
"Then let's do as the Crown Prince says. Chang Le County shall immediately become the fief of the Princess of Chang Le County, and this shall be announced to the world."
Qi Jun reacted quickly, as if afraid the emperor would change his mind, and immediately knelt down to express his gratitude:
"Father is wise!"
Two senior ministers followed suit, saying, "Your Majesty is wise—"
**
The imperial edict with its dark background and gold patterns fell into Xiao Yuxuan's palm, its weight bringing her a sense of peace.
This is what she will rely on for her livelihood from now on.
From then on, Xiao Yuxuan was no longer a helpless nobody, powerless to fight back.
She wasn't an orphan, but she was better than one.
Now she has the eldest daughter-in-law and foster mother, the crown prince cousin, and the status of a fiefdom and a princess...
If this is a dream, she hopes she will never wake up.
"You're so happy you've gone mad! Your cousin, the Crown Prince, is calling you!"
The eldest princess was also very happy. Seeing that Xiao Yuxuan was just staring blankly at the imperial edict in her hand, she pinched her fair little face.
"What?"
Xiao Yuxuan suddenly looked up and saw the gazes of the Eldest Princess and the Crown Prince. Her eyes curved into a smile, and she smiled gratefully with tears in her eyes.
"Thank you, Godmother, and thank you, Cousin Crown Prince!"
A gentle breeze carrying the fragrance of grass and trees brushed past his eyes and brows, blowing the little girl's long, smooth, dark hair. Her delicate face was now full of pure joy and happiness, finally losing the composed, gentle, and dignified demeanor she usually displayed in front of him.
Qi Jun stood with his hands behind his back, his handsome eyes carrying a hint of barely perceptible doting affection.
"Finally, you're starting to look like a young lady. Smile more in the future and don't let down the title of Chang Le."
May you enjoy lasting happiness.
This little girl has so many things on her mind. When will she finally find true happiness?
"This game isn't over yet. You come, let's continue."
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