The Imperial Garden was located on the outermost edge of the Imperial City. The doors to the side rooms were not closed, and one could clearly see the new green of the banana trees in the courtyard and the crabapple blossoms under the corridor. Beyond the layers of vermilion palace walls, the palaces and pavilions with vermilion paint and green tiles soared into the clouds, uneven yet well-arranged, as if one were in the clouds.
After reading the imperial decree, Eunuch Gao was not as amiable as expected. He watched as Xu Yunci's face gradually darkened. The bright yellow imperial decree in his hand felt like a hot potato: "Young Master, accept the decree."
Xu Yunci's eyes were icy cold; he remained kneeling on the ground without rising: "Does the Emperor already know?"
Eunuch Gao sighed softly, glancing discreetly at the figure behind the bed curtains: "The princess is mischievous and almost hurt someone. The Emperor was furious when he found out. The princess has now been sent to Qingliang Palace, which is next to Baozhang Hall. The Emperor said that the princess shall live in Qingliang Palace until she gets married, and shall not leave without an imperial edict."
"Both the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess went to the Funing Palace, and His Majesty knows the reason. It is not enough to punish the princess alone; the Heir Apparent and the County Princess have suffered an undeserved disaster, which is also His Majesty's intention."
"Although she is a county princess, she will receive the same treatment as a county princess. When she gets married in the future, the Emperor will promise to treat her with the respect due to a princess, as if she were his own daughter."
After speaking for a while without seeing Xu Yunci, who was receiving the imperial decree, Eunuch Gao looked at Madam Yang for help: "Madam of the Duke."
Imprisoning his own daughter, yet granting Li Shiyue the title of County Princess and a small fiefdom like a Princess, was the best the emperor could do.
If we look back at the history of previous dynasties, most women from other families would wait until after marriage to see if their husbands were capable enough to earn them an official title.
Xu Yunci kowtowed: "Your subject Xu Yunci receives the imperial decree on behalf of the Princess of Yichang."
The eunuch Gao breathed a sigh of relief, took two steps forward, and respectfully said to the figure behind the bed curtains, "Please rest assured and recover, Your Highness. When I came here, His Majesty had already summoned the imperial physician. A sedan chair will be arranged to take Your Highness back to your residence shortly."
As the matriarch of the clan, Madam Yang personally had someone escort Eunuch Gao away.
Only Xu Yunci and his siblings remained in the room. The bed curtains swayed slightly, and as a slender, white finger parted them, Li Shiyue's swollen eyes and half of her body were revealed.
"Cousin." Her voice was soft, like a startled fawn. The first person she saw was Xu Yunci, and her eyes showed dependence as she looked at him.
Xu Yunci held the imperial edict in his hand, took two steps forward and placed it on the edge of the bed: "The Emperor has conferred upon you the title of Princess of Yichang County and has also imprisoned Princess Chunhui."
Li Shiyue's brow twitched slightly, her tone flat, with only the lingering nasal sound of her earlier sob still detectable: "I heard it."
Xu Yunci clenched his fists tighter and tighter, but when he finally met her calm gaze, he let them loosen weakly.
Li Shiyue was personally escorted back to Chengyu Pavilion by Xu Yunci, while Yang Shi and the others had to accompany the Crown Princess to handle the follow-up matters.
Madam Xu had been waiting for a long time inside Chengyu Pavilion. As soon as she saw the two return, she hurriedly and shakily walked over: "Jiaojiao!"
Li Shiyue's right forearm was broken, and the imperial physician wrapped it in a wooden frame and tied it around her neck. There were no other visible injuries, but she was still the one that made Old Madam Xu call out "my darling" several times with heartache.
Standing to the side, Zhou said indignantly, "Luckily, Erlang was there in time. It takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone. We must take good care of him and make sure he doesn't develop any lasting health problems."
Madam Xu sat on the edge of the bed, tucking the blanket around her, and then carefully checked the cushion behind her to make sure she was comfortable before a hint of weariness appeared in her eyes. She raised her hand and lovingly stroked her cheek.
She must have been very frightened. Her face was rosy and pretty when she went out, but when she came back, she was so pale that it made people feel sorry for her.
Li Shiyue was unaware of how terrible her face looked. The fear she had felt earlier was gone, and she had actually calmed down considerably.
Noticing the weariness between Madam Xu's brows, she suppressed her last fear and, like a clingy child, rubbed her cheek against Madam Xu's palm.
Her eyes crinkled into a smile, but her face was pale, making the smile seem somewhat forced: "Don't worry about me. My cousin arrived just in time, and the imperial physician said it was just an arm injury. Since you care about me, please have someone make me some nourishing food, and I'll recover."
Madam Xu knew perfectly well that she was trying to comfort her. Thinking of how sensible she was, her usually kind face showed a hint of displeasure: "Even if she is a princess, she cannot be bullied like this."
Li Shiyue grasped Old Madam Xu's hand in return, looked up at Xu Yunci, and blinked her charming eyes: "Cousin hasn't told Grandmother yet, has he? To compensate me, the Emperor bestowed upon me the title of County Princess and said that I can marry with the rites of a princess."
"The one who hurt me was the Emperor's own daughter, a princess. Besides, my cousin protected me, so I didn't suffer any real harm. Moreover, when Eunuch Gao announced the decree, he said that the Emperor would confine Princess Chunhui to Qingliang Palace and she could not leave without an imperial edict before her marriage."
"Both thunder and rain are imperial graces. Your Majesty's actions to this extent are already a very good result."
Madam Xu asked in surprise, "Is that really what the Emperor said?"
Xu Yunci took out a bright yellow imperial edict from his bosom. Even Zhou Shi, who was behind Old Madam Xu, could not hide her shock and looked at Li Shiyue with shocked eyes.
Madam Xu only glanced at it and realized that the Emperor's sincerity was genuine. However, when she thought about how her precious daughter had almost become Princess Chunhui's victim, her heart nearly stopped beating.
If something were to happen to Li Shiyue, she would probably have to do something, even if it meant sacrificing her old bones, otherwise, how could she face her youngest daughter when she closed her eyes?
Even if she's some kind of princess, the most important thing is that Li Shiyue is safe and sound. Besides, even without the title of county princess, the Xu family could still protect Li Shiyue; having one is better than not having one. Since the Emperor has issued an imperial decree, there's no reason to retract it. Given the current situation, if this gets back to the censor, they'll inevitably say the Xu family is being arrogant.
“Yan Yan will be the county princess in the future, so we must take extra care of her. We must not let this arm develop any problems. Don’t underestimate her because she is young; she will suffer from illnesses later. It just so happens that the lord recently acquired a pair of thousand-year-old ginseng. Mother used one, and the other is for Yan Yan to make soup.”
Zhou's smile deepened, and her tone became much more intimate than before. She glanced at Old Madam Xu from time to time as she spoke, and her smile widened when she saw Old Madam Xu nod with satisfaction.
Her smiling gaze lingered on Li Shiyue, and she shook her head inwardly. She never imagined that the once despised young lady from the Earl's Mansion, whom everyone looked down upon when she first entered the manor, would now be a noble county princess.
Even for her sake, the Emperor could punish his own beloved daughter. Zhou felt envious, yet also somewhat afraid. Was the Emperor, out of consideration for their past relationship, trying to secure a foothold for Li Shiyue in the capital?
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