326. New Year's Day
Time passed day by day.
With the confession of Dou Shichen, the heir apparent of the Prince of Zhennan, the imperial army seemed to have eyes, advancing smoothly and effortlessly to defeat the stubborn Prince of Zhennan. They also captured the princes who had secretly colluded with him to rebel, and none of them escaped.
When the news reached the capital, cheers erupted throughout the streets and alleys.
Two days later, more news came—
The rebellious Prince of Zhennan "accidentally fell into the water" during his escort and died.
Many people understand the meaning of this "accident," but few say much about it.
After all, the Prince of Zhennan's rebellion was a capital offense, so this unexpected turn of events was already a way of giving him some leeway.
What's commendable is that Wei Xiuming didn't make things difficult for the Princess Consort of Zhennan. He specially arranged for her to be brought to the palace, provided her with spacious accommodations, and reunited her with the Crown Prince. Their food, clothing, and daily necessities were all provided to a lavish standard, without making them feel wronged in the slightest.
When the people heard this, they all praised the emperor for his benevolence: "Your Majesty is truly kind-hearted. The Prince of Zhennan made a mistake, but you did not implicate his wife and children. You even let them live a good life. This is a wise ruler!"
This combination of kindness and severity caused the remaining princes who hadn't caused any trouble to waver.
They had initially clung to a sliver of hope, unwilling to relinquish their military power. But now, seeing the rebellious Prince of Zhennan meet a tragic end with an "accidental death," while the innocent Princess and Prince were able to enjoy wealth and honor, they immediately understood the situation.
His Majesty is making an example of someone; if he continues to hold onto military power, he himself will be the next to suffer.
It would be better to relinquish power. Since His Majesty intends to appease them, those princes who haven't caused trouble can surely enjoy a life of wealth and honor, living a carefree and leisurely life as princes.
Within a few days, the other princes voluntarily went to the capital, knelt before Wei Xiuming, handed over their military power, and voluntarily gave up the management of some of their fiefdoms, retaining only their princely titles and sufficient stipends, and living a peaceful life.
Seeing that they were sensible, Wei Xiuming didn't make things difficult for them. He smiled and comforted them, even giving them a lot of gold and silver jewelry as a reward, telling them to go back to their fiefdoms and live well, and not to covet things they shouldn't be coveting.
Now the dynasty was completely stable, and everyone was overjoyed.
Red lanterns hung everywhere in the streets and alleys, and the vendors' shouts were louder than before. Many families even prepared delicious food to celebrate this peaceful life.
-
The residence of the Marquis of Beiding.
The little girl was sitting in her room, listening to her second brother tell her about the excitement outside. Her eyes sparkled: "Second brother, are there really lots of red lanterns hanging outside? And are there people performing lion dances in the streets? Yue'er wants to go see them too!"
"Really!" Second brother nodded, his face beaming. "I went out to buy toys today and saw someone performing acrobatics on the street. They could do somersaults really high! There were also people selling sugar paintings. The dragons they painted looked so realistic. I bought one for you and put it on your desk."
The little dumpling got excited and was about to get up to get the sugar painting when the Marquis of Beiding walked in with a smile: "Yue'er, I have good news for you. His Majesty has rewarded our mansion with many things and even said that he would praise you at the palace banquet!"
"Really?" The little dumpling's eyes lit up even more. "Then at the palace banquet, will Yue'er be able to see the little princess, the little prince, and Sister Fufu?"
"Yes!" Marquis Beiding nodded with a smile. "The princess and prince will also be attending the palace banquet, and Miss Lin will be there too. The three of you can play together, watch the singing and dancing, and see the lion dance. It will definitely be lively!"
Just as the little dumpling was having a good time, Xie Wenling and Qu Zijin came to visit one after the other.
Xie Wenling has now completed most of his tasks and is feeling relaxed. He brought the latest news about Dou Shichen: "Dou Shichen is now living with his mother. His Majesty said that when he gets older, he will be sent to an academy to study and become an ordinary person, no longer involved in these conflicts. This is a good way out for him."
"Mmm." The little dumpling nodded.
Shiny Bean Prince cried so pitifully before, but now that he can live with his mother and go to school, things should be a little better, right?
Qu Zijin then walked in, smiling, and said, "Your Majesty did a good job. You not only eliminated the rebellious Prince of Zhennan and stabilized the court, but you also did not kill them all, which shows your benevolence. Those princes also wisely handed over their military power. From now on, the capital can live in peace, and we can have a proper and lively palace banquet."
"Yes!" Marquis Beiding nodded. "The whole capital has been celebrating these past few days. It will definitely be even more lively on the day of the palace banquet. We'll spend some quality time with Yue'er then."
As they were talking, the steward walked in cheerfully: "Master, Miss, Lord Xie, Grand Tutor, many people outside are saying they want to erect a monument to His Majesty's merits! They say His Majesty is a wise ruler who helped the people rid themselves of scourges and allowed everyone to live a peaceful life!"
“This is a good thing,” Qu Zijin nodded with a smile. “His Majesty cares about the people, and the people will naturally remember his kindness.”
The little dumpling didn't understand what a merit monument was, but she knew everyone was happy, so she clapped and laughed along, "Great! Everyone's happy, the palace banquet will be very lively, and Yue'er wants to play with everyone!"
Looking at her smiling face with her eyes crinkled, Xie Wenling felt a sense of ease in his heart.
When the government is stable, the people are at peace, and children can live happily.
That's good.
-
The day of the palace banquet happened to be New Year's Day.
From the main streets to the back alleys, the capital was filled with joy.
Although it wasn't Lunar New Year's Eve or the Spring Festival, the great victory coincided with the auspicious time of year, so everyone celebrated, making it just as lively as the New Year.
Red lanterns were hung all over the streets, rustling loudly in the wind.
Red couplets were pasted on the doors of every household, and the scent of ink mingled with the warmth of cooking, creating a cozy atmosphere.
The air was filled with the sweet aroma of roasted chestnuts and brittle.
People on the street were dressed in new clothes, carrying gift boxes, smiling and greeting each other, creating a lively atmosphere as if all the joy of the whole year had been condensed into this one day.
The little boy, dressed in a red jacket and with a small red flower pinned in his hair, happily walked towards the palace with his father, mother, and two older brothers.
She walked quickly with her short legs, and every now and then she would ask her second brother, "Second brother, do you think there will be sugar paintings at the palace banquet?"
"Definitely!" Second Brother patted his chest. "The palace banquet is much more lively than our Marquis's mansion's banquet. Not to mention sugar paintings, there might even be pastries you've never seen before!"
As they were talking, they saw Qu Zijin and Xie Wenling walking side by side not far ahead.
Both men were handsome and tall, making them stand out even in a bustling crowd, easily attracting attention at a glance.
"Grand Tutor! Brother Xie!" The little dumpling greeted them happily, "You've come too!"
"I was afraid you'd be getting impatient, so I thought I'd come see you as soon as possible so we could go to the palace together." Qu Zijin smiled and patted her fluffy little head.
Xie Wenling nodded and reached out to straighten the crooked little red flower for her: "I didn't expect to run into the Grand Tutor, so we came together."
"Okay, let's go together!" the little dumpling cheered, and everyone walked towards the palace gate together.
As soon as we arrived at the palace gate, we heard a commotion.
A group of adults in official robes were surrounding a little girl, talking amongst themselves and looking down at her with barely concealed malice.
The little boy looked closely and realized that the little girl was none other than Lin Fuman.
"Lin Fuman? You dare to attend a palace banquet?"
"He's just an ordinary citizen, yet he dares to suggest that women should share the family property. It's utterly delusional and overestimating his own abilities!"
"Exactly! Women should stay at home to be good wives and mothers. What's the point of reading books or starting a business? Your ideas are utterly foolish!"
"Ha, she said she had developed an antidote for the plague. How could a five-year-old like her develop one? I bet she stole it from someone."
"It must have been stolen. That little bastard is obviously no good. The fact that she came up with those ideas is enough to prove her wickedness!"
"What a shameless slut! So despicable at such a young age. Who knows what shameful things she'll do in the future?"
"I think keeping this kind of person around is just asking for trouble, so it's better to get rid of him as soon as possible."
"Lin Fuman, you should think twice before you speak and act. You don't live alone, do you? You have a mother, right?"
They went further and further, even resorting to spreading rumors, attacks, and threats.
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