Chapter 599: Twenty princesses were bestowed titles in one go!
"If that's the case, Your Majesty's wisdom and vision are truly extraordinary!"
Leaving aside the matter of Wei Dongzhu, His Majesty specifically requested the Ministry of Rites to handle the negotiations, but the Minister of Rites injured his leg a couple of days ago and is currently recuperating at home. His subordinates are not capable of supporting this negotiation.
The old Grand Tutor immediately recommended Mr. Ruohua.
"I recommend Mr. Ruohua, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, to serve as the negotiator for this negotiation."
The old Grand Tutor's faction immediately stood up to echo his sentiments.
"I also recommend Mr. Ruohua."
"Mr. Ruohua is being wasted in the Ministry of Works. I recommend him for a position in the Ministry of Rites."
"Your Majesty, I agree!"
"Your subject agrees!"
After all the dozen or so court officials had reviewed the matter, Shen Lanxi spoke up: "My esteemed ministers, do you have any objections?"
Wu Yanzhi frowned and remained silent.
Liu Mingxin remained silent as well.
"Since no one has any objections, from this day forward, Mr. Ruohua shall serve as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, in charge of the affairs of the Ministry of Rites. If he performs his duties well, I will reward him handsomely!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
...
Shen Yuantang was unwilling to be hastily married off to another place, so she stayed obediently in her room for the past few days. One day, the old woman guarding the door suddenly had to leave, so she immediately jumped out of the window.
"Second Aunt, Eldest Sister-in-law, I saved Xiao Chengfeng's life, you must save me..."
That evening, Shen Lanxi received a letter from the Shen family.
Shen Yuantang is willing to go to the Turks for a marriage alliance in the name of a princess!
She left the letter unanswered, and the next day news spread throughout the streets and alleys that Shen Yuantang was going to make peace with the Turks through marriage.
"Your Majesty, the news was spread by the eldest branch of the Shen family."
Shen Lanxi smiled indifferently.
"Don't worry about it, just wait for Shen Jia'er's reaction!"
Before noon, another letter arrived, this time from her mother.
The words written on it are: "Seek benevolence and you will obtain benevolence!"
Is this a test of her attitude?
At court
"By the grace of Heaven... Shen Yuantang is hereby conferred the title of Princess Zhaohua!"
"...The daughter of the magistrate of Weiyuan County was bestowed the title of Princess Qionghua by imperial decree."
"...By imperial decree, the daughter of the magistrate of Sanyang County is bestowed the title of Princess Minghua!"
"...By imperial decree, the daughter of the Prefect of Suiyuan is bestowed the title of Princess Manhua!"
"...Imperial conferment..."
Besides Shen Yuantang, Shen Lanxi bestowed titles upon nineteen princesses of different surnames in one go, bringing the total to twenty including Shen Yuantang.
"All the princesses mentioned above shall be included in the Imperial Register, and their names shall be recorded in the Imperial Ancestral Temple after their deaths. If they die in the Great Zhou Dynasty, they may be buried in the Imperial Mausoleum. This is the imperial decree!"
All nineteen princesses of different surnames were adopted daughters of Zhou Xinrou.
Shen Lanxi's actions shocked the officials, leaving them speechless, which caused the morning court session to end early.
"What does His Majesty mean by bestowing titles upon so many princesses at once?"
"Only Shen Yuantang is a princess of the same surname, so why is only Shen Yuantang granted the title of 'Shen Family Lady'? What about the other ladies?"
"His Majesty is definitely plotting something."
"Your Majesty's wisdom and foresight are beyond the reach of ordinary people like you and me."
"Among these twenty people, there must be one who is chosen for a marriage alliance!"
After Shen Yuantang fled yesterday, Zhou Xinrou knew that things would change, but she didn't expect that Shen Lanxi would bestow the title of princess.
After Shen Yuantang ran into the main house, she didn't leave. Because she used the life-saving grace as leverage, the main house helped her this time and helped her hide her whereabouts.
First wife
Shen Conglian didn't want to cause trouble. He knew that Liu Shi and her eldest son had been worried ever since they left Shen Yuantang in the courtyard.
"Based on my years of observation, my sister-in-law is definitely not as simple as she seems!" If we anger her, will our eldest son's family ever have any peace in the future?
"Father, His Majesty has granted me permission to visit my husband next month, so everything should be fine."
Liu complained in a low voice, "Yuantang is also my own flesh and blood. It's too cruel of you to marry her off to a faraway place."
“Mother, let’s help Yuantang this once, and then we’ll repay the debt of saving her life.”
Mrs. Liu nodded, agreeing with her son's statement.
Hu Jinyu is leaving next month, and seeing her in-laws like this, she is a little anxious.
I'm afraid their personalities won't be able to protect the children of the first wife.
“Mother, you must not believe what others say. Yuan Tang complained to Third Aunt that the child couldn’t live without her. When Third Aunt sent someone to take the child, she repeatedly obstructed it and refused to return the child. She is not as pitiful as she says.”
Shen Conglian: "She simply doesn't have children and wants to raise Yuan Hao's child under her care."
Hu Jinyu gently shook her head: "If only it were just like that."
Neither Liu nor Shen Conglian understood the other meaning, so neither of them responded.
“If it weren’t for the fact that I can’t take you to my husband’s place, I would love to take our whole family there.”
Shen Conglian waved his hand with a smile.
"No, no, His Majesty has been considering arranging an official position for me these past few days. He even spoke to me a couple of days ago. I can't leave."
Lady Liu: "Who goes to the military camp with their whole family? There was no such example in the previous dynasty. Many people have already been asking for His Majesty's permission to send you there."
Don't think that she can't hear anything just because she's in the inner quarters all day. Lady Liang loves to tell her about what's going on in the court.
Judging from Liang's words, it was the Prime Minister who suppressed those who were trying to stop him.
The Shen family is aligned with His Majesty, so why would those ministers be afraid that the Shen family would rebel?
Hu Jinyu wanted to say a few more words, but Shen Yuantang came over.
"Uncle, Aunt, people from the palace have arrived."
Shen Yuantang thought that Shen Lanxi had sent someone to stop her from marrying out of the country, but she didn't expect it to be an imperial edict bestowing the title of princess.
Not only her, but she also bestowed the title of princess upon nineteen other people in one go.
They were all adopted daughters of the mother.
"Yuantang, quickly receive the imperial decree!"
The women of the Shen family all looked at the imperial edict in Shen Yuantang's hand with envy.
She took a giant leap from county princess to princess, while they were nothing at all.
When will we bestow upon them the title of princess?
Zhou Xinrou's expression was calm, and she looked at Shen Yuantang without any hint of reproach.
"Get up!"
The eunuch who delivered the imperial decree dared not act arrogantly in front of the Shen family, so he obediently accepted the reward money and left.
Shen Congwen's expression was somewhat complicated.
"I don't know if making you a princess at this time is a good thing or a bad thing."
Liu said with a smile, "Isn't Princess Feng happy? Only your family members get such treatment, elder brother and sister-in-law."
The women in the other rooms could only watch longingly.
Zhou Xinrou: "If the imperial court wants to establish a marriage alliance with the Turks, the candidates for the marriage alliance will definitely be chosen from among these princesses."
Liu immediately shut up obediently. No matter how nice the title of princess sounded, she could not go to a marriage alliance.
Fortunately, Yuan Tang has already been married once, so he wouldn't choose her no matter who else he chose.
After hearing Zhou Xinrou's words, some of the other women in the Shen family felt relieved, while others remained indignant.
Zhou Xinrou changed the subject and looked at Shen Yuantang, saying, "I have already had our horoscopes matched. The nineteenth of next month is an auspicious day, and your family will prepare a generous dowry for you."
Shen Yuantang's heart sank; she hadn't expected that she still couldn't escape marrying into another family.
No, I can't just let her get married off so hastily.
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