Chapter 553 Final Chapter
The princess that Su Tai mentioned was Chen Tian's only daughter. She had been treated with great respect and honor since childhood. Perhaps because she was a girl and posed no threat, the emperor and empress doted on her to no end.
Chen Tian made a special trip just for the little princess's appetite, and when the news got out, everyone would just think it was natural and would not associate it with anything else.
"Thank you, sister-in-law." Chen Tian nodded in agreement and got on the carriage with the help of the maid.
Su Tai turned around and went back to the main courtyard. Her eldest daughter-in-law, Sun Yudie, was already waiting in the house.
That year, the emperor's palace banquet was a bloodbath, and all the noble families were frightened. The Duke of Rong was even sick. Fortunately, the old lady was able to calm the situation and put down her status to ask Princess Huai'an to act as a matchmaker, wanting to marry Sun Yudie to Shen Congrong.
After Su Tai sent someone to learn about Sun Yudie's character, he sought Shen Congrong's opinion and finally agreed to the marriage.
Now Sun Yudie has been married into the Shen family for eight years and has given birth to a daughter and two sons.
"Mother, your daughter-in-law originally wanted to come and pay her respects to you earlier, but when she heard that the Sixth Prince's concubine was here, she avoided it."
Su Tai nodded slightly, "Nothing important, it's just that the little princess has a poor appetite recently. In the past, the concubine loved to eat the snacks I made the most. So, I came here specially for the little princess."
Sun Yudie suddenly understood, "So that's it! The snacks my mother made are really great. Xuan'er only misses her snacks now."
Su Tai smiled, and thinking of her granddaughter's greedy look, she asked Yu Mei to send another portion of snack over.
Sun Yudie hesitated and said, "Mother, I heard that the emperor wants to choose a study partner for the little princess. I wonder which girl will catch the concubine's eye?"
The Shen family has been the clean stream in the court over the years. Shen Yi is only loyal to the emperor and is rude to other people. Su Tai will not go out for banquets easily, and only hangs out with a few ladies she is familiar with, showing her self-righteousness to the fullest.
When saying this, Sun Yudie didn't even dare to breathe, for fear of being scolded by Su Tai.
Su Tai raised his eyes to look at her, his eyes thoughtful, "Yudie, just ask whatever you want to ask."
Sun Yudie's face turned pale and she lowered her head. "Mother, actually it was my mother. Some time ago, my mother brought my niece to visit Xuan'er in the mansion and mentioned this to me. In recent years, the Rongguo Mansion has been declining, and my father is just like that. My eldest brother, second brother, and third brother are good at maintaining the status quo, but not good at exploring new things.
A big tree has many branches. No matter how rich the family fortune is, it will eventually run out. I can't rely on my son, so my mother can only rely on her grandchildren. The little princess is very favored. If I make friends with her, I won't arouse the emperor's suspicion and I can also seek help for the family.
"I know the rules of the Shen family, so I dare not agree easily. I have been thinking about how to refuse my mother these days. I didn't expect that the concubine would come today. I dared to ask, please forgive me, mother."
Su Tai sighed secretly and waved her hand, "Since my mother-in-law wants to ask, just tell me frankly. There is no need to be so embarrassed. It won't be that quick to choose a companion for the little princess. Besides, there is the Empress in the palace to check. How can we influence it? As long as the child is excellent, he will definitely be selected."
Sun Yudie responded respectfully.
Walk out of the main courtyard.
The maid Changxi whispered, "Madam, you are not so cautious when speaking in front of the old lady, why do you lose your courage in front of the lady?"
Sun Yudie smiled bitterly and said, "My mother-in-law is different from my grandmother. Even my grandmother admires her skills and abilities. It was the eldest princess who came forward to mediate the marriage, and my mother-in-law agreed. I heard that the daughter-in-law that my mother-in-law originally liked was not me."
Changxi was very surprised and didn't dare to ask more questions.
Sun Yudie returned to her own yard somewhat depressed.
In the evening, Shen came back from work and saw that she was in a bad mood, so he asked her.
Sun Yudie remained silent for a long time before she could not help asking, "My husband, I heard that my cousin from the Su family will be returning to the imperial capital soon to report on his work. Will my widowed cousin from the Su family come back with him?"
Shen Congrong nodded without knowing why, “Cousin Yongzhang has been training outside for these years, and it’s time to transfer back. If my aunt and uncle come with us, my cousin will naturally not be left behind.”
Su Yongzhang's sister Su Xiaoxiao became a widow three years ago. She was driven back by her husband's family because she had no children and has been living in her parents' home ever since.
Sun Yudie's eyes were red, and she gritted her teeth and asked, "Back then, if the princess hadn't acted as a matchmaker, would you have married Su's cousin?"
"Puff!" Shen Congrong was so shocked that the tea in his mouth sprayed out, and he looked stunned, "Yudie, what nonsense are you talking about! Where did you hear such a ridiculous thing?"
Sun Yudie was about to cry, looking very aggrieved, "Isn't it? At the wedding banquet at the Princess's Mansion, my father heard my father-in-law and Uncle Su talking about their children's marriage. He said that my mother-in-law liked my cousin from the Su family very much and hoped that her future daughter-in-law would be like her."
This matter had become a thorn in her side, so much so that she was always cautious in front of Su Tai and didn't dare to get close to her.
Shen Congrong was somewhat speechless, stroking his chin as he looked at the pitiful Sun Yudie, and personally wiped away her tears, "I don't know what my father-in-law heard, but my mother will definitely not let me marry my cousin. According to her words, even blood relatives cannot get married, and my cousin is just a cousin.
But it is true that my mother likes my cousin. She said that her family was poor before, and her aunt gave her many good things the first time she met her. My mother has a very good relationship with my aunt, and since she loves her mother, she naturally loves my cousin as well.
Besides, my cousin is self-respecting, self-reliant, and talented. She is also very good at poetry and songs. Mother appreciates talented women the most, so it is not surprising that she likes my cousin. If you are bothered by this, it is not worth it."
Sun Yudie was surprised and happy, and confirmed again and again. Seeing Shen Congrong's determined expression, she actually started crying.
After crying, her depressed mood suddenly brightened up. Thinking of what Su Tai said, she wrote a letter herself and asked Changxi to send it back to her parents' home.
I felt much more relaxed when I went to pay my respects to Su Tai.
Su Tai noticed the change in Sun Yudie, but didn't think much about it because the emperor had passed away.
The funeral bell rang at the hour of Yin, without any warning, and all the nobles, civil and military officials in the imperial capital were awakened from their dreams.
Shen Yi and Shen Congrong hurriedly changed into court robes and rushed to the palace.
Su Tai and Sun Yudie also got up, put away the red things in the house, changed into mourning clothes and went to the palace.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law rushed to the palace gate and found that many ladies of honor were there, and a group of people were kneeling outside.
The two of them quickly found a place to kneel down and wait for news from the palace.
Inside the palace.
The nobles of various families and court officials above the fourth rank all looked eagerly at the several highly respected princes of the royal family.
The old prince walked up the stairs with a brocade box in his hand and a sad face.
"This is the will left by the emperor before his death. We were all present at the time. The brocade box was sealed by the emperor himself. The three layers of paper on the outside were all wrapped by the emperor himself. It is stamped with the imperial seal and thirty-six seals. Please take a look."
The item was passed around among everyone, and no one objected.
The third prince and the fourth prince stared at the brocade box with their heartbeats speeding up. The ninth prince was not favored and his mother was not of high status, so he dared not hope for anything. The sixth prince knew he was not qualified and was the calmest.
The old prince took everyone's reactions into consideration and began to open the envelope with an expressionless face.
Then the last layer of paper was removed, Eunuch Zhou brought the key, and the old prince opened the brocade box and took out the imperial edict inside.
He read aloud, "The Emperor proclaims, in compliance with the Will of Heaven: I have been the ruler of the country for thirty-nine years, and I have been cautious and careful, fearing that I have not been able to bring peace to the people and preserve the legacy of my ancestors. Now that I am dying, I know that my time is up, but I am worried about the country, so I write this edict in person in front of my bed to decide what to do after my death. I hope all the ministers will follow it.
Among my grandchildren, Murong You is kind, filial, generous, virtuous, and talented. He has a deep understanding of justice, knows the sufferings of the people, and cares about the people of the world. In the court, he assists me, repeatedly offers good advice, and has made many achievements in the affairs of the country; in the military, he is also able to plan and strategize, showing his heroic spirit. I see that his words and deeds are all like those of an emperor, and he is indeed the best candidate for the crown prince.
I hereby appoint my grandson Murong You as the Crown Prince, who will take the throne. After my death, I will order the Ministry of Rites, the Imperial Clan Court and other government offices to prepare for the coronation ceremony in accordance with the old system of our ancestors, so that the new emperor can inherit the throne as soon as possible and stabilize the government.
I also hope that after the new emperor ascends the throne, he will put the people first, reduce taxes and levies, promote agriculture and sericulture, emphasize education, so that the people can live and work in peace and contentment, and the country can prosper. Internally, he will rectify the administration of officials, severely punish corruption, appoint the virtuous and capable, and open up channels for people to speak out; externally, he will be lenient to distant countries, protect the territory and the people, and enhance the prestige of our Langya country.
As for the princes and ministers, they are all the pillars of the country, and I have always relied on them. The new emperor is young, and I hope you will be of one mind and one heart, assist him wholeheartedly, and not form cliques for personal gain or harbor different intentions. If anyone dares to disobey my will and disrupt the government, he will be punished according to the law of the country, and will not be tolerated.
I have devoted my life to state affairs, and I have lived up to my ancestors and the world. I have no regrets in handing over the country to Murong You. I wish that future generations will enjoy peace and prosperity forever.
So decreed! "
The old prince who read the imperial edict was also surprised, and the others were stunned for a long time.
After a few breaths, the old prince respectfully held up the will and came before Murong You, "Grandson Murong You, accept the order!"
Murong You stepped forward calmly in front of everyone, "Murong You accepts the order, and thanks the Lord for the grace."
The news of the new emperor's choice spread out of the palace like the wind.
The ladies kneeling outside the palace gate waiting for news were all shocked. They looked at each other, and finally their eyes fell on Su Tai.
The reason is simple. The biological mother of the new emperor is Concubine Shen, Concubine Shen is the adopted daughter of Marquis Yong'an, and Su Tai is the daughter-in-law of Marquis Yong'an, and can be regarded as the maternal grandmother of the new emperor. The Shen family has really risen this time.
Su Tai didn't react much, but the people in the Rongguo Mansion were extremely excited. The Shen family was rising, and as the in-laws of the Shen family, even if the Rongguo Mansion didn't get any benefits, they could still get more protection, and that was enough.
After the emperor's funeral.
The new emperor ascended the throne.
Just when everyone thought that the Shen family would rise rapidly, Shen Yi, who was already a first-rank minister, decided to retreat at the right time and resolutely resigned and returned home.
Murong You disagreed.
However, Shen Yi made up his mind and submitted six memorials in a row before the new emperor was forced to release the person.
All the nobles and court officials were puzzled.
At this time, Chen Yi had already taken Su Tai to Zhaohua County in a leisurely manner.
Su Tai breathed in the air outside the imperial capital, and felt that even her pores were free. "Great, I can finally leave this cage!"
Shen Yi nodded happily, "For the sake of the children, I have wronged you over the years!"
Su Tai glanced at him in reproach, "If you want to say that you feel wronged, it's you who feels wronged. I don't feel wronged at all!"
They had four children. The eldest daughter was the daughter-in-law of Princess Huai'an. Murong Jue had made great contributions in redressing the injustice and was conferred the title of Prince by the late emperor. Shen Yuezhang also became the Princess of the Prince, and they lived a life of wealth and glory.
The eldest son was originally a capable minister trained by the previous emperor, and he holds the fourth rank. The new emperor will definitely promote him after he ascends the throne. If Shen Yi does not step down, Shen Congrong's career will always be suppressed and it will be difficult for him to realize his ambitions. Now that Shen Yi has taken the initiative to resign, the new emperor can rest assured to reuse Shen Congrong.
The youngest son, Shen Congyu, has been at the border all these years and has made some military achievements. He is now a fourth-rank military officer and married the daughter of a military officer. He has the support of Yue family.
The youngest daughter is the Lady of Anyue County appointed by the late emperor. She has status and position. She married the eldest son of the aristocratic He family and will be the clan leader of the aristocratic family in the future. She has brothers and sisters to take care of her, so the couple does not need to worry about her.
Without the worries of their children, the couple drank happily in the carriage.
"Wife, how about we go sightseeing together and I'll show you the beautiful mountains and rivers of Langya Country?"
“Very good!”
The couple smiled at each other and ran towards their free world.
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