Chapter 509 Conferring the Title of Heir Apparent
At this time, the guests began to arrive one after another.
Meng Jinyao and her two sisters-in-law entertained the female guests, while the men of the house greeted the male guests in the front yard. Old Madam Gu also chatted with her old friends who had come to attend the full moon banquet. Servants carried fruits, snacks, and tea, moving back and forth, making the whole mansion lively.
Old Sister #1: "Old sister, your daughter-in-law is really a lucky charm for her husband. In less than two years since she married into the family, Yaoling's illness has been cured, and she has given you a big, fat grandson."
Older Sister #2: "That's right. Not only is she a good wife, but she's also a filial daughter-in-law. The embroidery on that outfit you wore last time was really good, and the style was nice too. I'll find an embroiderer to make a similar one. The style is nice, but the embroidery is not as good as your daughter-in-law's."
Old Sister Number Three: "I just saw your little grandson. He's so cute and adorable, just like your Yaoling when he was little. He's so lovable that it melts your heart."
Who doesn't like to hear nice things?
As she listened to her old friends' flattering words, Madam Gu's smile never faded. She replied with a smile, "Isn't your Xiaoxiao quite lovable too? She loves to laugh."
Sister Number Three replied, "Oh dear, he used to really love to laugh, but now I don't know why, he just pretends to be deep and doesn't laugh anymore."
Madam Gu said, "Xiaoxiao is ten years old this year. It's normal for him to be more mature than before. This young boy already has the demeanor of his father. He will definitely have a bright future."
After hearing this, Sister No. 3 shook her head repeatedly: "He still has the same demeanor as his father. You know how troublesome his father was back then. He was just like your Yaoling when he was young, both of them were troublesome children."
Old Sister Number One said, "Look at what you're saying. Isn't it normal for young people to be lively? Yao Ling and Mo Bai are very composed now. They are both literate and martial, with outstanding abilities, and are highly valued by the Emperor."
Older Sister Number Two chimed in, “That’s right. Your sons are both steady and talented. Our good-for-nothing son is a real worry. He’s already in his forties, but he’s still like a teenager. He’s completely unreliable.”
Upon hearing this, the group immediately thought of her son's usual carefree and irresponsible behavior, which would make even a dog shake its head in disgust. The father was not as composed as his son, but he was kind-hearted and would not do anything despicable like bullying the weak.
The second old friend added, "Luckily, my daughter-in-law is steady, otherwise this family would have fallen apart. Let's not talk about her, she's a real headache. By the way, it's already this late, why haven't we seen Old Madam Meng yet? It's the full moon celebration for her eldest granddaughter's eldest son, isn't the grandmother going to come and see her granddaughter and great-grandson?"
Madam Gu replied evasively, "She lives a secluded life, doesn't like crowds, and isn't in a hurry to see the child. You'll be able to see the child when Ayao takes him back to her parents' home later."
The old ladies didn't quite believe this. When it came to living a secluded life, Old Madam Gu was far superior. She truly preferred quiet and disliked crowds. As for Old Madam Meng, there were probably other reasons. Ever since Old Master Meng passed away, the Meng family had become increasingly troubled. Although the eldest daughter of the Meng family married into the Gu family, Old Master Meng was still hopeless. Only the second young master Meng had some potential, and perhaps things would improve in eight or ten years.
Everyone here is perceptive, and the elderly ladies quickly changed the subject to talk about the younger generation in their families.
Meanwhile, Meng Jinyao was greeting a group of women of similar age. She only saw Song Xinning and not Princess Jingning, so she took the opportunity to ask Song Xinning, "A-Ning, I haven't seen A-Yan today. Have you seen her?"
Song Xinning smiled meaningfully and replied, "Ayan probably won't be able to come today, but Prince Shen is here."
Meng Jinyao was puzzled after hearing this: "What's holding her back?"
Song Xinning said meaningfully, "I met with her yesterday. She wasn't feeling well, her appetite wasn't good, and the smell of fish made her want to vomit. She'll probably need to rest for a few days." As she spoke, she lowered her voice and continued, "Moreover, her period is delayed."
Upon smelling it, Meng Jinyao instantly understood. This situation most likely indicated pregnancy. However, since the pregnancy was still in its early stages and the fetus was unstable, it was indeed not advisable for her to appear in crowded places to avoid being disturbed.
Meng Jinyao said, "I'm out of confinement now, and we'll go to the Duke of Shen's mansion to visit her in a couple of days."
Song Xinning nodded and replied, "That's exactly what I was thinking."
Time passed by unnoticed, and the banquet was about to begin. We prepared to invite the guests to take their seats.
Suddenly, a voice rang out: "The imperial edict has arrived!"
Everyone present was stunned, somewhat surprised that an imperial edict had suddenly arrived. However, they all went to listen to the edict, even if it wasn't for them personally. They had to kneel and listen, otherwise it would be considered disrespectful to the emperor.
When the eunuch delivering the imperial decree saw that the Gu family members and the guests who had come to celebrate the baby's full moon had all knelt down to listen to the decree, he then unfolded the imperial edict and read it aloud.
The eunuch's high-pitched voice rang out as he read the imperial edict slowly and deliberately. Everyone was astonished to hear it. It was an edict appointing Gu Xiuheng, the eldest son of the Marquis of Changxing, as the heir apparent. The child was only a month old when he was appointed as the heir apparent.
Not only were the guests astonished, but Gu Jingxi was also greatly surprised. After all, he had not yet submitted a memorial to the emperor requesting the title of heir apparent, yet the imperial edict for the title of heir apparent had already been issued. This was an act of imperial grace.
Gu Jingxi reached out and accepted the imperial edict, then respectfully kowtowed to express his gratitude: "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"
After the eunuch who delivered the imperial decree left, the guests offered their congratulations to Gu Jingxi and Meng Jinyao.
Meng Jinyao glanced at her husband not far away, smiled, and thought to herself: He said he disliked Wanwan, but then he went and petitioned the emperor to grant Wanwan the title of heir. It's clear that her husband adores Wanwan.
When Gu Jingxi saw her smile at him, his expression softened. He nodded slightly to her, returned the smile, and then continued talking to the people around him as if nothing had happened.
Some guests noticed the couple's facial expressions and thought to themselves that they had a good relationship and were still like newlyweds even after being married for so long.
At this moment, a lady whispered to a close friend, "Speaking of foresight, we have to look at Madam Gu. We used to say she disregarded human ethics by marrying her fiancé's father, but now it seems she was smart. What's better than being the Crown Prince's mother than being his wife?"
Her friend replied, "Isn't that right? If the heir isn't good, then let's find another one. Regardless of whether the Marquis of Changxing's hidden illness can be cured, as long as there are children in this lineage, she will be the heir's mother. Last year, the Marquis of Changxing made meritorious contributions and even used his merits to get her an imperial title. If she had compromised and continued to marry Gu Xiuming back then, she wouldn't even be the heir's wife now."
The lady continued, "This also proves that marrying the right person is more important than anything else. Reputation is meaningless. So what if others mock her for marrying her former prospective father-in-law? Now she is the wife cherished by the Marquis of Changxing, and the old lady treats her like a daughter. She lives a very happy life in the Marquis's mansion. There are quite a few women in the capital who envy her."
My friend said, "That's fate, it's ordained by heaven. She's destined for a good marriage, something others can only envy."
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