Chapter 179 Princess Jiahe, Receive the Imperial Decree!
Meanwhile, Su Xiaoyu and her family of three had just settled into their brand-new general's mansion when the gatekeeper announced that an imperial edict had arrived and everyone was to go to the front courtyard to receive it.
The family hurriedly tidied their clothes and rushed to the front yard.
The one who came to deliver the imperial decree was none other than Fu Gui, who had previously crossed paths with Su Xiaoyu at the hunting grounds.
"Imperial edict has arrived!"
As Fu Gui echoed his words, Su Xiaoyu, bewildered, knelt down with her parents and heard Fu Gui unfold the bright yellow imperial edict and loudly proclaim its contents.
"By the grace of Heaven, Your Majesty, there is a young woman named Su Min, intelligent, resolute, loyal, and courageous. During the palace coup at the autumn hunt, she remained calm in the face of danger and selflessly protected Your Majesty, shielding you from the threat of lightning with her frail body. Her merit is immense. I am deeply gratified and hereby bestow upon her the title of Princess of Jiahe County, granting her fifty taels of gold and thirty bolts of brocade. She is permitted to enter and leave the palace and is exempt from kneeling before nobles. I hope she will fulfill her duties faithfully and live up to Your Majesty's grace. This is my decree!"
After Fugui's voice faded, the courtyard remained quiet for a long time. Su Xiaoyu was unable to recover from the shocking news for quite some time.
She? A county princess? And fifty taels of gold, with permission to enter and leave the palace?
this……
It inexplicably feels like I'm daydreaming.
Zhao Yueru and Su Zhong were equally shocked, their mouths agape, wide enough to fit an egg.
Fu Gui stepped forward with a smile and reminded Su Xiaoyu, "Princess Jiahe, please accept the imperial decree."
Zhao Yueru then realized what was happening and quickly and quietly pulled her still dazed daughter along.
Su Xiaoyu then seemed to wake from a dream, and hurriedly kowtowed and bowed: "Your Majesty, I accept the decree and thank you for your great favor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
Su Zhong and Zhao Yueru both kowtowed heavily, their voices trembling with excitement: "On behalf of our daughter, this humble general thanks Heaven for its grace."
Fu Gui handed the bright yellow imperial edict to Su Xiaoyu and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Princess Jiahe! This is an immense favor from His Majesty."
Su Xiaoyu was also very excited at this moment, feeling as if she had been hit by a pie falling from the sky.
Zhao Yueru hurriedly invited Fugui to the main hall and served him tea, but Fugui smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Madam Su, you are too kind. I still have to go to the palace to report to my godfather and His Majesty, so it is inconvenient for me to stay any longer."
He turned his gaze to Su Xiaoyu: "Princess, I shall take my leave now. Your mansion will surely be blessed with long-lasting fortune in the future."
Su Xiaoyu then noticed that Fugui's attire today was completely different from his previous rank at the hunting grounds.
"Has the wealthy eunuch been promoted?" She had disguised herself as a eunuch at the hunting grounds and had some knowledge of the eunuchs' clothing and ranks.
Upon hearing this, Fu Gui's smile became even more genuine, tinged with a touch of emotion: "Thanks to the county princess, I was fortunate enough to perform some minor duties while working for you and my godfather at the hunting grounds. Now, I serve under my godfather, and can barely be considered a capable errand boy."
Shen Guangnian was the Grand Eunuch in charge of the seal and concurrently the Director of the Eastern Depot. For Fugui to become his capable subordinate, his status was already very high.
Su Xiaoyu was genuinely happy for him. "Congratulations, Father-in-law."
"Congratulations to you too." Fu Gui cupped his hands in greeting and gave Su Xiaoyu a meaningful look: "Your Highness is very fortunate. Your future is sure to be limitless."
Su Xiaoyu didn't understand the deeper meaning in his eyes, and took it as just a regular congratulation.
Zhao Yueru was a shrewd woman. She had prepared a heavy purse in advance and secretly slipped it to Fugui while she was seeing him off: "Father-in-law, you've worked hard. This is just a small token of my appreciation for tea."
This time, Fu Gui did not refuse and accepted it readily. He said in a low voice, "Madam, you are too kind. The county princess is destined for great things. If you need anything in the future, just let me know and I will do you a favor. You and the county princess need not stand on ceremony."
After saying this, Fugui led his entourage of eunuchs away as he had come.
As the door slowly closed, the family of three breathed a sigh of relief and looked at each other in bewilderment.
Holding the bright yellow imperial edict in her hands, Su Xiaoyu felt as if she were walking on clouds, an unreal experience.
"Little Fish, pinch Mommy, are you dreaming?" Zhao Yueru belatedly realized, tightly gripping her daughter's arm, also filled with surprise.
Su Zhong stared at the imperial edict, and his eyes suddenly reddened.
A man who could face swords and spears on the battlefield without batting an eye was now choked with emotion: "Good, good, my daughter is a county princess... a county princess personally appointed by His Majesty! Father... Father's life... has been worthwhile."
Looking at her parents, who were visibly excited, Su Xiaoyu felt a slight ripple in her heart as well.
Who would have thought that just yesterday she was a maid in the Marquis's mansion, and in the blink of an eye, she was not only a young lady in the General's mansion, but now she had become a county princess, with a status even higher than most noble ladies in the capital.
It is often said that "life is like a game of chess, constantly changing," and this is certainly true.
Zhao Yueru was excited for a while, wiped away her tears, and patted her daughter's shoulder, "Xiaoyu, I know you are a woman of your own mind. This title of county princess is an honor, but also a responsibility. From now on, you must be more cautious and thorough in your actions, and you must not betray His Majesty's trust."
Su Zhong nodded repeatedly, "Yes, your mother is right. From now on, our family should be even more careful with our words and actions."
As the family of three was talking, a servant came to report: "General, Madam, Miss, people from the Lu family have arrived."
The family of three were all taken aback.
The Lu family? Lu Xinghe?
...
Fifteen minutes later, in the main hall of the General's Mansion, Zhao Yueru's older sister, Zhao Yuelian, along with Lu's father and Lu Xinghe, sat neatly in the reception room, with gifts brought by the Lu family placed to the side.
Zhao Yuelian wore a brand-new dark purple jacket and skirt with intertwined floral patterns, and her hair was adorned with a heavy gold hairpin. Her face was full of smiles.
She looked around at the furnishings and scenery of the general's mansion, clicking her tongue and saying, "Oh my, Yue Ru, you've really finally reaped the rewards of your hard work! Look at this general's mansion, how magnificent and spacious it is! It's so much better than the little courtyard we temporarily rented in the capital!"
She held Zhao Yueru's hand affectionately, her tone tinged with undisguised jealousy: "Brother-in-law is truly capable. He quietly achieved such great merit and was promoted to general! Now your family has finally made it through the tough times. From now on, you'll be proper officials, wives, and daughters!"
Zhao Yueru looked embarrassed, but subtly withdrew her hand and said, "Sister, brother-in-law, please sit down and have some tea."
Mr. Lu, dressed in a slightly reserved dark blue long gown, quickly cupped his hands upon hearing this: "Sister-in-law, brother-in-law, I heard today that you have moved to your new home, so I specially brought my wife and son to congratulate you. This is just a small gift, nothing more."
On the octagonal table to the side, there were several boxes of pastries and two bolts of ordinary silk, which were the congratulatory gifts they brought.
After speaking, Lu's father gestured to Lu Xinghe.
Lu Xinghe stood behind his parents, his figure still upright, but his tanned face showed a slight embarrassment and awkwardness.
He had made a point of dressing up today, wearing clean, smart clothes, but his eyes darted away, avoiding Su Xiaoyu's gaze. Seeing his father's signal, he stepped forward and bowed to Su Zhong and Zhao Yueru, saying:
"Uncle, Aunt, Cousin, congratulations on moving to your new home."
Su Xiaoyu nodded slightly in return, without saying anything more.
Su Zhong nodded, his tone still polite: "Thank you for your kindness, please have a seat."
Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit cold, Zhao Yuelian smiled and tried to smooth things over: "Oh dear, look at these two kids, they've probably been apart for too long and they're acting strangely. Xinghe, why don't you sit next to your cousin? Can't you see her tea is getting cold?"
"Oh right, didn't you bring your cousin's favorite snacks? Hurry up and take them out so your cousin can have some?"
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