Qingying received the imperial decree, and all those items were sent to the Liu residence, filling an entire room.
Eunuch Yu said that these were all betrothal gifts specially prepared for her by His Highness the Crown Prince.
Qingying bestowed rewards upon each of them.
After seeing off Eunuch Yu, only a room full of silent people remained in the mansion.
The word "嫡" (legitimate son) in the imperial edict put them in a difficult position.
A moment later, Liu Yu took the imperial edict and enshrined it, then said to Madam Pan, "You should prepare for the matter of establishing the heir."
The so-called establishment of the legitimate heir meant formally registering Qingying under the name of Madam Pan, making her nominally the legitimate daughter of the Liu family.
Qingying's name wasn't even written in the Liu family's genealogy, so she always felt that she had no status or position in the household, and even outsiders could use this to mock her.
She pretended not to care about it, but she still couldn't help feeling heartbroken when people criticized her.
Unexpectedly, the matter that had troubled her for so many years, which she had never dared to mention easily, was resolved by an imperial edict.
She knew this must be Wei Huaixu's idea, and a sense of gratitude welled up in her heart.
Qingying returned to her dormitory in a good mood, checking Wei Huaixu's betrothal gift list while calculating how much dowry she should give back.
Suddenly, Madam Pan arrived.
As soon as she entered, she inquired about Qingying's injuries as usual, then took her hand and said with a gentle and loving expression, "Shushu, your mother has come to see you about something."
"Mother, please just say what you need. There's no need to be so polite."
She looked at Qingying's face, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke again: "The matter of establishing a legitimate heir... could it be postponed a little?"
Qingying's smile froze for a moment, but she quickly realized what was going on, and her expression unconsciously softened. "How long does Mother mean to postpone it?"
"Not long, not long, let's postpone it until your coming-of-age ceremony, okay?"
Qingying looked at her cautiously, "Mother, can you tell me the reason?"
Madam Pan released her hand, seemed to struggle for a moment, and slowly said, "Now that you're all grown up, I might as well be frank... I used to have a daughter too."
Qingying was stunned. She opened her mouth, but for a moment she didn't know how to respond.
She suddenly remembered what Liu Chenglin had said before he left. So, she really had taken someone else's place...
Madam Pan's gaze was fixed intently on Qingying's face as she continued, "She was about your age. After she left, I brought you back to raise you. Shushu, you've always been sensible, and I believe you can understand your mother."
"Does Mother intend to preserve her identity until after she comes of age?"
"Yes, that was a deadline I set for myself, so that I could... forget her little by little."
Qingying pursed her lips and nodded in agreement.
She thought, what am I arguing with a dead man for? After all these years, there's no rush.
Besides, Madam Pan has treated her very well over the years. Apart from not giving her a respectable status, she has given her everything she deserves. She should repay her kindness.
...
The imperial edict had barely been issued when people came to offer their congratulations the very next day.
Qingying looked at the ever-growing pile of visiting cards in front of her and sighed helplessly.
At this moment, Xie Jiaoying was sitting opposite her, drinking tea, and clicked her tongue and said, "The people in the capital are so shrewd, they all know how to take advantage of any opportunity."
Qingying scoffed, "Heh~ I've never seen them fawn over the Crown Prince like this before."
"That's because they know the Crown Prince doesn't have anyone backing him up. The Yan family controls half the court, and the situation could change any day. They don't dare to show their strength easily. But now it's different. Your father holds military power, so they have to rush to show their faces in front of you, the future Crown Princess."
Qingying glanced at her and said irritably, "Don't tell me you came here today just to see me make a fool of myself."
"No, I have some really good news for you." Xie Jiaoying's smile held a hint of mystery.
Qingying understood and immediately leaned in to listen, saying, "Tell me quickly, what incredible news have you found out?"
"Regarding the case of your assassination attempt."
She was shocked. How could Xie Jiaoying know something that she, as the person involved, didn't even know?
She swallowed hard and asked, "Have you found anything?"
"No, they found a scapegoat."
Fortunately, she already knew about this.
"The scapegoat is Lu Xingli."
Qingying had actually guessed this much long ago. After all, if she needed to find someone who wanted to harm her to be a scapegoat, Lu Xingli was the perfect one.
Xie Jiaoying shook her head and sighed, "The Lu family is finished."
Qingying glanced at her and said, "Weren't you close to her before? How come you're not sad at all about what happened to her?"
"I have many friends," Xie Jiaoying said calmly, taking a sip of tea. "Who can really say what's right and wrong?"
Qingying smiled and said, "Yes, whether it's genuine or feigned, only I know."
The two of them looked up at the begonia tree in full bloom not far in front of them, and neither of them said anything more.
...
Before long, it was early October, and the envoys from the Northern Yue entered the city of Pandu.
The delegation was led by the second prince of the Northern Vietnam, who came to sign a new peace agreement on behalf of the Northern Vietnam royal family.
When foreign envoys come to pay homage, the palace will naturally hold a grand banquet.
The first day was for welcoming the envoys, and only officials of the sixth rank or above were allowed to go.
The next day, due to the friendly relations between the two countries, all unmarried daughters of officials of the third rank or above in the capital, as well as daughters of dukes and nobles, were to attend the banquet.
It was clearly for the purpose of a marriage alliance.
The recent incident involving Princess Yongning has caused a great uproar, with public opinion rising and opposition becoming increasingly apparent. Some ministers in the court have also submitted memorials urging the emperor to reconsider.
The emperor was furious and summoned Jin Heng to his side to reprimand him. He threw the memorial he had submitted at Jin Heng's face, leaving a noticeable bloodstain on his jade-like cheek.
"Very well, Jinheng! I've promoted you all the way to this point, and now you're turning against me?"
Jin Heng knelt on the ground, his back ramrod straight, repeating only, "Your subject has absolutely no intention of rebelling."
But what he is doing now is forcing the emperor to compromise. The emperor is the Son of Heaven, how can he tolerate his subjects challenging his authority?
The Emperor immediately ordered Jin Heng to return to his residence and stay there, saying that he was not required to attend court for a while and also fined him a year's salary.
From that day on, Jin Heng confined himself to the Jin residence.
However, public opposition remained strong, and the emperor's edict could not be issued.
The matter was delayed again and again until the envoy from Northern Yue arrived in the capital. Finally, after discussions among the court officials, the emperor made the decision to let Northern Yue personally select a "princess" for the marriage alliance.
That's how this whole thing happened.
On the day of the palace banquet, Qingying deliberately dressed simply to avoid attracting attention, but since it was a palace banquet, she still needed to appear dignified and proper. So she specially chose a moon-white dress with a faint blue tinge, and the embroidery was an elegant and unique magnolia. She also wore a pair of silver butterfly hairpins in her hair.
But to her utter surprise, all the noble ladies attending the banquet were dressed in plain clothes, standing in a sea of white, like they were attending a funeral. Yet she herself was considered quite elegant standing among them.
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