Cheng Shiyue heaved a sigh of relief when she heard her husband say that. "Grandfather made such a big fuss. I thought Mom and Dad had some objection to our entire family being in Quanzhou!"
Zhou Zhiyi smiled and comforted him, "Don't worry! Dad and Mom are not that kind of people. They love Chang'er and Kang'er, and they love Rong'er too!"
"I know. Ever since Rong Ge'er and I came to Quanzhou, my parents have given us countless goodies. They also sent over two land deeds. One is for a three-story house in Yuan'an, and the other is for a farm in Quanzhou."
Cheng Shiyue had no complaints about her father-in-law and mother-in-law. She gave them everything they deserved, and most importantly, her mother-in-law didn't worry about her and her husband's affairs.
As for their love for Chang'er and Kang'er, they were their grandchildren, so they should love them more. Moreover, given Chang'er and Kang'er's status, their closeness to the Cheng'en Marquis Mansion would also benefit Rong'er and the others in the future.
Cheng Shiyue thought she was not such a short-sighted person.
It was the day before Yuan Bohua left that he went to Cheng'enhou with Zhou Qiongyue to pick up the two children and have dinner with his father-in-law and mother-in-law.
When Yuan Chaochang and Yuan Chaokang saw Yuan Bohua and Zhou Qiongyue, they both looked aggrieved and turned their heads away stubbornly.
Zhou Qiongyue was the first to squat down and coax them, "Chang'er, Kang'er, come here and give me a hug. I miss you two. Do you miss me?"
When Yuan Chaochang and Yuan Chaokang heard their mother say that she missed them, they threw themselves directly into Zhou Qiongyue's arms. Zhou Qiongyue was squatting and almost fell.
It was Yuan Bohua who helped her up and patted the two children.
Yuan Chaochang and Yuan Chaokang both snorted at Yuan Bohua in tacit understanding.
Yuan Bohua took out the silver he had prepared long ago, ten taels each, and gave one to Yuan Chaochang and Yuan Chaokang, "Can you let father hold you for a moment now?"
Yuan Chaochang and Yuan Chaokang looked at each other, then took it quickly and called out, "Father!"
Yuan Bohua picked up his two sons, one in each hand.
Yuan Chaochang and Yuan Chaokang are very principled. As long as their father gives them money, they will still be the best father and son in the world.
Yuan Bohua had gotten to know his two sons pretty well over the past few years. He wasn't afraid of them holding a grudge. If he couldn't appease them, it wouldn't be because of anything else, but because he hadn't given them enough money.
In fact, he had been suppressing bandits over the years and had given his two sons a lot of good things. But the two sons kept those things carefully, only taking in and not giving out, and it was hard to tell who they looked like.
Zhou Qiongyue and her family of four stayed at the Cheng'en Marquis Mansion until dinner before returning. Originally, after returning, Zhou Qiongyue was going to ask someone to pack Yuan Bohua's luggage.
But just as they returned home, someone from the palace came to deliver the emperor's oral order, "Let Yuan Bohua stay in Yuan'an for the time being, and start attending the morning court tomorrow."
Yuan Bohua and Zhou Qiongyue were both confused. They immediately sent their confidants out to gather information, but they didn't get any useful information.
Zhou Qiongyue and Yuan Bohua discussed for a long time but could not come to any conclusion.
Zhou Qiongyue could only order people to keep an eye on the palace. "Your Highness, please go to sleep first! If the cause is still unclear in two days, I will go to the palace to ask my aunt."
This was the only way for now, so Yuan Bohua and Zhou Qiongyue washed up and went to bed together. Both of them had something on their minds, so they didn't sleep well the whole night.
When Yuan Bohua and Yuan Chaochang entered the palace together the next day, Yuan Chaochang was very moved. He thought that his father had sent him to the palace before leaving home for fear that he would be bullied.
Many people were surprised by Yuan Bohua's attendance at the morning court, including his father-in-law, Marquis Cheng'en, and the Crown Prince. If the morning court wasn't about to begin, the two would have definitely gone over to ask why.
When they saw that all the princes from the eldest prince to the sixth prince had arrived, including the fifth prince who was in the army (it was obvious that they had all traveled back overnight), everyone was even more surprised.
Even Yuan Bohua was very surprised. What could have happened that was worthy of the emperor specially recalling the fifth prince?
What surprised them even more was what happened next. The emperor waited until everyone had finished discussing urgent matters before he spoke personally, "I have an important announcement to make."
Everyone below was silent for a moment, their minds frantically wondering what kind of big event it was. All the princes who had come of age today were present, including Prince Fu'an, who had not appeared in the court for a long time.
Most people guessed that the emperor was going to confer titles of king on all the princes. After all, the crown prince had been conferred for several years, and the princes were still bald princes, which was indeed not a good look.
The emperor looked at the conjecture on the faces of his ministers and the crown prince, and without further ado, he said bluntly, "I intend to abdicate!"
Now everyone's first reaction was not surprise. Instead, they all knelt on the ground in fear and trepidation, "Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
The emperor was not angry about their behavior. He had already decided to abdicate. In less than two years, the war predicted by Xie Zixin would begin.
He wanted to give Tianyuan Kingdom time to adapt to the new monarch, and he was going to go to the battlefield in style.
"Alright, look at your courage, stand up and speak! I have thought it over, and Chen'er has been with me for so many years and can handle things on his own.
Maybe you don’t know that the prince has approved all the memorials independently in the past two years. I have not given him any advice, and many important matters have also been decided independently by the prince.
Facts have proven that the Crown Prince is now qualified for my position, and I can rest assured now!"
Crown Prince Li Jingchen immediately declined, "Father, I am still young and have a lot to learn..."
The Emperor knew that the Crown Prince was a filial son and had no such thoughts. But now he really wanted to abdicate. Ever since this thought came to him a few years ago, he could no longer suppress it. "Then I'll learn slowly after I become Emperor!"
"Father..."
The emperor didn't want to listen to this son's whining, nor did he want to listen to the whining of other sons and ministers. He directly moved on to the next step, "Alright, I have made up my mind. Eunuch He, please read the imperial edict!"
Eunuch He was a close associate of the Emperor, and he had guessed some of his thoughts. He was very efficient at this moment, stepping forward, reading the Emperor's abdication edict, and then announcing the withdrawal of the court.
As soon as Eunuch He finished reading the imperial edict, the emperor left without a second thought, not giving these people any chance to criticize him.
Only the people in the court were left, looking at each other in confusion. No one knew what the emperor was up to.
Instead, the prince gave those members of the prince's party a soothing look and left with Prince Fu'an and the fifth prince.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com