A group of people dressed in official robes suddenly appeared on the street where the affordable pharmacy was located. The two men at the head of the group were holding gongs, and the gongs and drums that Shen Yuan heard were coming from them.
She walked to the door and, like the people from the other shops on the street, ran out to see what was going on.
Seeing that the person riding a tall horse in the crowd was Prefect Jiang, Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, vaguely feeling that these people were all coming for her.
But... what could be the reason for such a large-scale operation?
Shen Yuan couldn't understand it, nor did she need to, because Prefect Jiang had already dismounted and led a group of people to stand before her.
"Imperial edict has arrived! Jian'an people, Shen Yuan, kneel down immediately to receive the decree!"
Imperial edict?
How could there be an imperial edict for her?
Shen Yuan was filled with doubts, but her body reacted faster than her mind. Before she could come to her senses, she had already knelt on the ground with composure.
"This humble woman, Shen Yuan, kowtows to Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"
Accompanying Prefect Jiang was a eunuch from the capital, who was also an official in charge of conveying imperial edicts.
He saw that Shen Yuan, a commoner, was performing the grand court etiquette, which was not only more standardized than that of the well-trained noble ladies of the capital, but also elegant and composed, as if she had performed it countless times and seen countless more grand scenes.
But he didn't think much of it, assuming that Prefect Jiang had sent a governess to teach Shen Yuan etiquette in advance, so as to prevent her from embarrassing herself in front of so many people.
He walked straight to Shen Yuan, unfolded the imperial edict, and loudly proclaimed: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I have heard that the rise and fall of the nation is the responsibility of every citizen. Now, there is a woman from Jian'an named Shen Yuan, who is benevolent and virtuous, and possesses superb medical skills. During the time of the plague, she has saved the people and offered effective remedies. Her actions are commendable and her heart is worthy of praise."
"In recognition of his merits, I hereby bestow upon him the title of Ninth-Rank Confucian Scholar, and grant him ten acres of fertile land, ten taels of gold, and ten bolts of brocade, to honor his virtue and inspire future generations. I hope he will continue to uphold benevolence and bring blessings to the people, and live up to my high expectations! This is my decree!"
Ninth-rank... Confucian scholar?
Shen Yuan stood there, stunned, her heart filled with disbelief. She actually... actually had an official position?
Although the title of Ninth-Rank Confucian Scholar in the Great Yan Kingdom was merely nominal and she wasn't a true court lady, it was still an official position. Commoners were required to bow to her.
Seeing Shen Yuan kneeling there blankly, Prefect Jiang reminded him, "What are you standing there for? Quickly accept the imperial decree!"
Shen Yuan snapped out of her daze, hurriedly knelt and crawled a few steps forward, saying, "This humble woman, Shen Yuan, receives the imperial decree! Thank you for Your Majesty's great grace!"
The official delivering the imperial edict handed it to Shen Yuan.
Shen Yuan accepted the imperial edict and prostrated herself on the ground: "This humble woman, Shen Yuan, will remember Your Majesty's teachings! I will do my utmost to live up to Your Majesty's expectations and repay Your Majesty's grace!"
The official announcing the decree said calmly, "You are now a lady of the house, rise!"
Shen Yuan obediently stood up.
Outside the affordable pharmacy, a large crowd had gathered, all eyes fixed on Shen Yuan.
They were all incredulous that right beside them, an ordinary commoner, a sixteen-year-old girl, had received an imperial edict and a reward from the emperor!
This is absolutely incredible!
Ordinary people can actually receive the emperor's praise and rewards!
But then they thought about it again and realized it made perfect sense. Shen Yuan was a kind-hearted girl, and there wasn't a single ordinary family in the city who didn't know her.
She would give credit to those who couldn't afford their medicine temporarily, and she would treat them for free. Even if they really didn't have money to buy medicine, they could work as assistants at her pharmacy for a few days to offset the cost of the medicine.
Moreover, news of the plague in Chu Family Village has recently reached Jian'an City. It hadn't spread into the city before because of concerns about panic among the city's residents.
Later, the plague in Chujia Village was brought under control, and the villagers recovered greatly. This news gradually spread to Jian'an City.
The owners of several shops near the pharmacy also knew that Shen Yuan had been away from the pharmacy for more than a month to treat and save people in the village infected with the plague!
Therefore, these people all felt that it was reasonable for Shen Yuan to receive the emperor's commendation and reward.
After all, she saved over a hundred lives! These were all citizens of the Great Yan Kingdom!
After the official read the imperial edict aloud, he had the rewards carried into the pharmacy and then left.
However, before leaving, Shen Yuan asked Granny Liu and Tian Tian to prepare red envelopes for the imperial envoys.
Sweetie was very clever. She replaced the red paper boxes prepared by Granny Liu with sachets from an affordable pharmacy, stuffed silver into each sachet, and then handed them to Shen Yuan.
Shen Yuan presented these sachets to the imperial envoy and others, saying, "These are sachets that I mixed myself, and they are filled with herbs to repel mosquitoes. I hope you gentlemen will not find them offensive!"
The official who delivered the imperial decree was from the palace. He reached out and touched the secret inside the sachet. He cupped his hands and smiled, saying, "Thank you, Madam!"
He then left.
Prefect Jiang did not rush to leave, but instead specifically instructed Shen Yuan to properly store the imperial edict delivered by the messenger and the court robes of a ninth-rank lady.
Shen Yuan listened and carefully wrote it down.
She said, "I will remember the great kindness of the Prefect forever!"
Magistrate Jiang smiled and said, "Though my efforts were meager, I managed to turn the tide. You're the one who did a good deed, so why are you thanking me?"
There are indeed many precedents in the Great Yan Kingdom where commoners have performed meritorious deeds and been rewarded by the emperor, but not every good deed done by a commoner can be reported to the emperor.
If Prefect Jiang hadn't written her name on the memorial, how could the Emperor have possibly rewarded her?
Seeing that Prefect Jiang did not intend to take advantage of her kindness, Shen Yuan did not say much. She silently made a mental note that she would repay Prefect Jiang's kindness if she had the chance in the future.
The group arrived in a hurry and left in a hurry.
After these people left, everyone who had been surrounding the discount pharmacy rushed into it and eagerly gathered around Shen Yuan.
"Miss Shen, oh no, I should call you Madam Shen! Greetings, Madam Shen!"
Seeing that the neighbors were all about to bow to her, Shen Yuan quickly stopped them, saying, "Uncles and aunts, please get up! Don't make me feel uncomfortable!"
"You used to call me Miss Chen, and you'll continue to call me that in the future. I'm still Yuan's girl from our street!"
Seeing that Shen Yuan had received the Emperor's personal favor and was still so approachable, the neighbors couldn't help but like her even more.
Jin Mudan was imprisoned in the government jail for a full ten days before being released.
She hadn't washed or groomed herself for ten days, and looked as disheveled as a vagrant outside the city. When she walked on the street, pedestrians made way for her, as if afraid of being overwhelmed by the stench emanating from her.
On the way, she encountered a familiar patron who had promised to redeem her from prostitution and marry her once he had saved enough money. She wanted to go up and say hello.
But when the man saw her cover her mouth and nose and step aside, he didn't even recognize who she was.
Jin Mudan couldn't help but feel sorrow.
She walked forward in a daze, and when she came to her senses, she realized that she had unknowingly walked into the Flower Restaurant.
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