Aunt Gu watched from the sidelines, utterly speechless, as if she were witnessing Xin Xin and Si Si acting coquettishly towards their grandparents.
Oh my god!
That big brother is shameless! He actually tried to win over the old lady by acting cute like his own daughter and niece. He really has a thick skin!
Uncle Gu, oblivious to everything, continued to complain about how tiring it was to farm, and how his second son had sent Huo Junhao to spy on him. He complained that Huo Junhao was the son-in-law he had his eye on, so how could he let his son-in-law spy on his father-in-law? His second son was going too far.
Then he complained about Zhang Shi, saying she forced him to have a child, and even if the second son didn't send him out, he wouldn't want to go back. Luckily, Zhang Shi had a child, otherwise he probably wouldn't have wanted to stay in the capital and never go home.
He also complained about Grandpa and Grandma Gu, saying that the two had a good relationship but didn't care about their three sons. He said that Grandma Gu even scolded him, and of course, she also scolded the second and fourth sons.
He's like a chatterbox, never stopping.
The Empress Dowager listened to him with a smile and had someone refill his tea.
She adores her eldest grandson so much that she knows exactly what he wants to hear and says whatever he says. This aggrieved complaint is all about things she likes to hear!
Of course, she was also very satisfied with her daughter-in-law. The four children had very different personalities, and only someone with her daughter-in-law's personality could raise them all to be good.
When it was time for dinner, the emperor arrived, and the three aunts and their three siblings, Guo Rui and his sister, came to the palace.
Guo Rui is already a ten-year-old child. He is very serious and looks like a primary school student. The twins can already walk on their own and can call out to people.
Uncle Gu was a cheerful and easygoing person, and he quickly won the favor of the twins.
There were no rules at the dinner table; it was just like a family eating together in a lively atmosphere.
When the emperor asked Uncle Gu about the situation, Uncle Gu stopped complaining and honestly told the truth, focusing on his experiences in Jinan Kingdom. He also told the emperor that it was all a scheme devised by Prince Kang and Duke Chengen, and that he still had a lot of land in Chunnan City to harvest!
The emperor said speechlessly, "You're not going to take the opportunity to be rewarded by Prince Kang and Duke Cheng'en? Are you stupid?"
Uncle Gu pursed his lips: "Did they give me a chance? They just hadn't had enough fun and were afraid you wouldn't let them go again when they came back. Besides, the things in my fields grow so well. I've grown so many vegetables and fruits for the Great Zhou. Don't you plan to reward me, Your Majesty?"
"Hahahaha..." the emperor laughed loudly, "Reward, reward, reward! How about I reward you with the title of Marquis of Huinong?"
"Excellent! That's fitting, I like it!" Uncle Gu stood up, then bowed in gratitude, "Your Majesty, I thank you for the reward!"
Emperor: ...I thought you didn't know any manners!
Marquis Huinong, this title is very much like the emperor's, and also very much like Uncle Gu.
The Empress Dowager looked at the two brothers speechlessly. "Fine, as long as you're happy."
Then, the next day, the emperor issued an edict detailing Uncle Gu's achievements, including not only farming but also his contributions to the Jin Nan Kingdom. Uncle Gu was rewarded with a five-courtyard mansion, a hundred acres of fertile land, and gifts of gold and brocade.
This title has been passed down for five generations, and descendants can continue to strive for its hereditary succession.
The court officials had no objections; after all, they had to listen to the emperor, and besides, the produce grown by Uncle Gu was indeed fresh and delicious, and it had solved many problems for the farmers.
The social hierarchy is scholar, farmer, artisan, merchant, and merchant; farmer ranks second, and Uncle Gu's contribution cannot be underestimated.
Uncle Gu, who had become the Marquis of Huinong, put on his specially made marquis's robes that very evening and attended the banquet for the King of Jinnan.
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