As she was lost in thought, she saw Liu Qionghua gently supporting Yin Jiuchen's arm as they walked step by step into the solemn palace where the emperor's coffin was placed.
Gu Lili withdrew her gaze and knelt quietly on the ground, seemingly lost in thought.
On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, the solemn royal funeral was slowly held in a dignified atmosphere.
The officials, dressed in black mourning clothes, looked solemn as they silently followed the coffin, escorting the emperor's remains to the prepared mausoleum.
Sunlight streamed through the sparse clouds, as if mourning the departed emperor.
On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, the entire palace was immersed in an atmosphere that was both festive and solemn.
As the first rays of sunlight pierced the sky, Crown Prince Yin Jiuchen, surrounded by his entourage, strode confidently onto the throne that symbolized imperial power.
He stood tall and straight, his eyes revealing a sense of composure and majesty, as if he had grown into a true emperor overnight.
At the same time, Crown Princess Liu Qionghua, dressed in a magnificent phoenix robe and wearing a dazzling pearl crown, followed beside the Crown Prince with a smile on her face.
Her beauty and poise complemented each other perfectly, drawing envious glances from everyone present.
When the officials of the Ministry of Rites loudly read out the imperial edict of investiture, a hint of excitement and pride flashed in Liu Qionghua's eyes. She knew that from now on she would become the mother of the nation and shoulder the heavy responsibility of the empress.
From this moment on, a new dynasty officially begins, and a magnificent chapter of history is about to be written...
The officials in the Ministry of Rites seemed to be bewitched, flocking to the Japanese language and almost all of them mastering it quite skillfully. Gu Lili understood, after all, they had suffered losses at the hands of the Japanese, so they naturally wanted to know themselves and their enemy in order to win every battle.
As a result, Gu Lili felt that there was no need to go to the Ministry of Rites anymore, so she gradually stopped going.
She spent her days holed up in the magnificent princess's mansion, her heart filled with anticipation for the coming spring when the flowers would bloom and the snow would melt. She longed to return to the familiar Gu Manor as soon as possible and regain that peace and freedom.
Yin Jiuchen, on the other hand, was also constantly busy, throwing himself wholeheartedly into the complex affairs of state, so busy that he didn't even have time to summon Gu Lili.
Time quietly passed, and spring finally arrived. The snow gradually melted away, and the earth began to radiate new life.
Gu Lili chose a sunny day and entered the palace with mixed feelings to bid a solemn farewell to Yin Jiuchen.
In the palace, she and Yin Jiuchen stood facing each other, their eyes sparkling with an indescribable yet tightly restrained emotion.
After saying goodbye, she took Gu Huanhuan and embarked on the journey back to Gu Manor.
When Gu Lili returned to the manor, she also brought back the servant that Yin Jiuchen had given her.
Including Wei Yin.
This time, they once again chose waterways as their travel route.
Gu Lili has been away from Gu Manor for more than three or four months. She doesn't know if Gu Yanyu has passed the imperial examination. At this moment, she is already eager to return home.
After traveling for more than ten days, Gu Lili and her group finally arrived in Jiangbei Prefecture.
It must have been Wei Yin who sent a message to Wei Yue, which is why there were people waiting to greet them as soon as they got off the carriage.
Gu Lili originally thought it would be Wei Yue and several other guards.
To Gu Lili's surprise, Gu Yun Chu and Gu Yan Yu also appeared here.
"Sister, Huanhuan, I miss you so much!"
As soon as Gu Yunchu saw Gu Lili, she excitedly pulled Gu Yanyu towards her and shouted loudly.
Gu Lili waved to them with a happy expression.
After the group approached, she first carefully examined Gu Yanyu, then asked with a smile, "Is everything alright? How is the preliminary examination going?"
Gu Yanyu nodded confidently, "Of course, I passed the test on my first try."
Gu Lili gave a thumbs-up in appreciation.
"sharp!"
"Wow, little brother, you're amazing! When I get home, I'm going to study hard with the female teacher too!"
Gu Huanhuan echoed Gu Lili's praise.
Gu Yanyu, his face beaming with smugness, said arrogantly, "Hehe! You all don't even know whose brother I am, of course I'm powerful!"
The four of them burst into laughter, and the faces of those following behind them were also filled with smiles.
Gu Lili turned her head to look at Gu Yun Chu beside her. He also looked much taller than before the New Year, and seemed more mature.
"Sister, come on, let's go home. Everyone at home misses you."
Feeling Gu Lili's gaze, Gu Yun Chu scratched his head and grinned sheepishly, feeling a little embarrassed.
Gu Lili nodded, and the four siblings chatted and laughed as they boarded the carriage.
They sped towards Gu Village like an arrow released from a bow, running non-stop for several hours, and arrived at Gu Village in one go.
Gu Lili had just stepped off the carriage and hadn't even had time to react when she was bumped into by the galloping little fox.
Looking at the little fox that was almost the size of an adult tiger, Gu Lili couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
Luckily, this guy managed to stop just now, otherwise I would have been knocked flying.
"We commoners have come to pay our respects to Princess Yongning!"
Gu Lili looked up and saw that the entrance to her house was filled with kneeling villagers, all of them kneeling respectfully in front of her.
He saw that the village head, along with a group of villagers, including his maternal grandparents, were kneeling in front of him.
"Please rise, everyone! From now on, there's no need for formalities when you see me."
Gu Lili quickly spoke up to tell everyone to stand up.
After everyone stood up, they all crowded around Gu Lili, asking her to tell them about the strange and wonderful things in the capital.
Just then, it was Grandma Li who reacted quickly and stepped forward to separate Gu Lili from the others.
“Lili has traveled for so long, she should rest. Let’s ask her questions later,” Grandma Li said, raising her voice.
After everyone left, Gu Lili handed over the servants she had brought to Gu Chenxi for resettlement.
......
Gu Lili returned to Gu Manor, and apart from her status changing from a county princess to a princess, there was no difference between her and before.
Because Gu Lili mentioned glass to Yin Jiuchen when she said goodbye, he specially approved her permission to make glass.
Gu Lili then kept building houses and workshops to earn money.
Time flies, and four years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Over the course of these long years, Gu Lili's various workshops, which she had carefully managed, all came to fruition and developed in an orderly manner.
And she will soon be turning eighteen.
Gu Yun Chu had already married Zhang Da Hua.
Gu Yanyu, with her unwavering perseverance and tireless efforts, successfully achieved the top score in the imperial examination.
After achieving the highest rank in the imperial examination, he returned to Gu County with a deep longing for his hometown and took up the important post of prefect.
Yes, Guzhuang has developed from a poor little mountain village into Gu County.
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