Shocked by the scene, Qiao Lian'er felt dizzy and uncomfortable in her chest, and closed her eyes, not wanting to look.
At the east end of the village, the Qiao family was wailing and crying. Mrs. Qiao quickly fainted, and Mr. Qiao, who had been stubborn, also started wailing and banging his head against the wall in frustration.
If he had comforted his daughter properly from the beginning, perhaps she wouldn't have ended up like this.
He hated it, he regretted it.
The villagers wiped away tears, for such a young life, for such a tragic price.
Apart from the weeping of the Qiao family at the east end of the village, this area fell into silence.
General Xu took a deep breath and waved his hand.
The Imperial Guards came over, carried the person away, and cleaned up the scene.
The three men, including Master Qiao, were also taken away.
The venue was spotless, as if nothing had happened. General Xu unfolded the imperial edict, ready to read it aloud, as if they had just arrived.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Qiao Lian'er, a native of Datian Village, Qingshui Town, Ning County, Yuezhou, is exceptionally intelligent and resourceful. In the recent battle against the Northern Tribal Alliance, he assisted our army in achieving a great victory with ten battle formations, making outstanding contributions. He also designed bridges for flood control, increased rice cultivation in plastic greenhouses, benefiting many areas, and defeated the Kui Niu Kingdom's first invasion in nearly ten years with battle formations, preventing future troubles. These numerous merits benefit the country and its people. Therefore, Qiao Lian'er is hereby granted the title of Princess of Dingxiang County, and awarded a fiefdom of one hundred li in the southern suburbs of the capital, Qingfeng Plain, with the authority to recruit three thousand soldiers and levy taxes on the people within the fiefdom. This is the imperial decree."
Qiao Lian'er already knew in advance, so her emotions weren't greatly affected; she simply felt at ease once it was confirmed.
The villagers of Datian Village gasped in amazement.
The county princess's fiefdom is not only outside the capital, but also so large, and she can recruit soldiers and collect taxes.
Qiao family girl, this is a meteoric rise.
It is a source of pride for Datian Village to have produced such a talented person.
The Qiao family members were all extremely excited, but they tried their best to restrain themselves and did not show it too much. They all kowtowed to express their gratitude.
Qiao Lian'er stepped forward to receive the imperial decree.
"Congratulations, Princess Dingxiang. Do you understand why the Emperor bestowed this title upon you?" General Xu said.
"Understood, I will do my utmost to share the Emperor's burdens."
Qiao Lian'er had learned about the previous county princesses, whose titles were either exquisite, peaceful, or splendid, somewhat like adding flowers to brocade, intended as auspicious symbols.
However, Dingxiang entrusted her with an important task, which showed that he valued her. She did not want to be a mascot; she wanted to be a useful person.
General Xu nodded. A smart person understands immediately.
In addition to the title of county princess, several large boxes of gold, silver and jewels, as well as silk fabrics, were also moved into the Qiao family's home.
After delivering the imperial edict, these generals and officials had no time to linger and had to rush back to report.
As for Qiao Lian'er, following the advice of the two generals, she should go to her fiefdom and meet the emperor.
Yes, Qiao Lian'er should express her gratitude for this honor.
She had told Pei Shijiu that if she could successfully overcome this difficulty, she would go to the capital for a month, and that was the reason for her decision.
Qiao Yuan and Qin Ren urged their horses onward, seemingly wanting to return to the capital ahead of them, while Yu Jianshan followed with a smile on his face.
"My lords, this matter is probably not just the idea of Master Qiao's family, but also the idea of others. What do you think?"
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