The following morning, Guan Zhiyue, who had successfully lost 70 pounds, was greeted with an imperial decree at the end of the year as soon as she got up.
"Your Majesty, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager both care a great deal about this family banquet. We hope Your Majesty will give it your all." Hua Quan looked at Guan Zhiyue, who was wrapped in a large quilt, and awkwardly twitched the corner of his mouth.
Hua Quan couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, what do you mean by this?"
"Father-in-law, you may not know this, but the charcoal in my palace has run out recently, and the weather is extremely cold. I had no choice but to wrap myself in the quilt." Guan Zhiyue was lying through her teeth, clearly afraid that she would amaze everyone by being too thin.
"This matter... shall I discuss it with His Majesty when I return to the palace?"
"Hehe, then I'll have to trouble you, Father-in-law. It's such a cold day, and it would be a real sin to make you come all this way."
"Since the Emperor has issued this decree, there is no need to talk about hardship. In that case, Your Majesty, please make preparations as soon as possible!" Hua Quan, accompanied by two eunuchs, headed back the way they had come.
Guan Zhiyue returned to her room, tossed the imperial edict onto the kang (a heated brick bed), and was somewhat speechless. She had only just lost weight when the emperor's uncle and aunt arrived, and she was asked to go along to greet them and prepare a family banquet.
"Hmph! This is outrageous! Are they trying to make me a cook?"
"Your Majesty, since ancient times, even an ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her parents-in-law. You have been hiding for half a year without formally meeting the Emperor's family. But Your Majesty, think about it, this opportunity is unique to you. Other concubines and noble consorts have not had this opportunity."
"Besides, Your Majesty, you are already a celestial beauty. Shouldn't you go out and let them envy you?" Bilian looked at Guan Zhiyue now and was absolutely delighted. She was so thin and beautiful. She was practically her goddess.
Guan Zhiyue looked at herself in the bronze mirror with a smug expression. Her once big, pig-like face had now transformed into an oval shape. Her eyebrows were delicate and graceful, her eyes bright and clear, and her fair and radiant skin gave her a healthy and beautiful appearance, making her look particularly healthy and energetic.
"I'm at 92 jin now. I'm still more than 10 jin away from my goal of 80 jin. It seems the revolution is not yet successful. Comrades, we still need to work hard!" Guan Zhiyue was as energetic as if she had been injected with chicken blood. She clenched her right fist and pulled it down to encourage herself.
Bilian swallowed awkwardly as she listened to Guan Zhiyue's words and said, "Your Majesty, you are already very beautiful. There is no need to pursue anything like eighty pounds. Healthy beauty is the most beautiful."
"Not bad, you know how to use my words to motivate me now." Guan Zhiyue tied her hair up high and clicked her tongue unhappily.
"What's the deal with this uncle and aunt? I've never heard of them before," Guan Zhiyue began to feel melancholy and a sense of inexplicable panic.
Bilian quickly shared the information she had gathered with Guan Zhiyue, breaking it down and analyzing it in detail for her.
"The Empress Dowager's brother?"
"Yes."
"He was a Grand Secretary of the previous dynasty, and his hometown was in the Jiangnan region. He came from a family of scholars. After the new emperor, who is your husband, murdered his father and ascended the throne, he voluntarily resigned from his post and left the capital, taking his wife back to his hometown in Jiangnan."
"Is this Grand Scholar a high-ranking official position?" Guan Zhiyue thought the title sounded very impressive.
Bilian: "Greater, he's one rank higher than the master. The master is a first-rank official, but Lord Xin is a full first-rank official."
"That's it, we're doomed. A scholarly family, a first-rank official..."
"Your Majesty, are you afraid?"
Guan Zhiyue rolled her eyes at Bilian, as if to say, "Aren't you just spouting nonsense? A first-rank official, higher than my father's rank, aren't you just talking nonsense? Me, a nobody, facing someone like that, ah!!!!!!!!!"
“Wait a minute, if his uncle is so amazing, what about his aunt?” Guan Zhiyue asked.
“Oh, Madam Xin was Old Master Xin’s childhood sweetheart. Her family was a scholarly family, but it declined in her parents’ generation. So, by her generation, there were no outstanding talents. However, her various brothers and sisters were all quite accomplished.” Bilian told her everything she knew.
"Did they combine in pairs?"
"Yes, a good match!"
Guan Zhiyue's eyes widened upon hearing this. She had married up! Her family was just a military family, but now she had married the king of Nan Ding Kingdom and become his wife. This was definitely a huge blow!
"Your Highness, are you alright? Don't be nervous. Although our master is now a first-rank official, we still have our eldest and second young masters!"
"Bilian, you can't understand how I feel right now. It's like being on a spaceship, all ups and downs!"
Seeing Guan Zhiyue like this, Bilian reluctantly dropped another bombshell.
"Your Majesty, actually His Majesty has an older cousin."
"Big cousin, do you have any other female cousins or older cousins?" Guan Zhiyue suddenly became interested.
Bilian shook her head. "There are no cousins, but there is an older cousin. When Madam Xin gave birth to Lord Xin, she damaged her body and was unable to have children again. Lord Xin is the only son in the Xin family."
"Lord Xin? Could this person be an official in the court?" Guan Zhiyue asked.
Bilian nodded, her face contorted with disgust. "This person is a household name in the capital."
"Who is it? I don't know them."
“Professor Xin, the King of Hell, from the Imperial Academy,” Bilian replied.
Guan Zhiyue crossed her arms, somewhat confused. 'King of Hell'? "Why is he called 'King of Hell'?"
"Because he was known for his strictness and ruthlessness, he would beat any student who disobeyed him, and all the students were afraid of this professor."
Guan Zhiyue's mind conjured up a modern job title: "Dean of Academic Affairs!"
"Alas! It seems the heavens are against me, Guan Zhiyue! I'll be arriving in the capital in two days, and they're going to be preparing a welcoming banquet. This is just ruthlessly crushing me! Li Qiji, you're so cruel!" Guan Zhiyue gritted her teeth, her eyes blazing with fury, as if she wanted to burn anyone alive.
The Imperial Study.
"Your Majesty, this servant has already informed the Empress."
"Hmm! How is that woman doing lately?" Li Qiji asked Hua Quan, who had just entered the room, without even looking up.
Hua Quan bowed and said, "Your Majesty seems to have lost weight."
"You've lost weight? Really?" Li Qiji was shocked.
Hua Quan: "This servant couldn't see very clearly either, but I heard Your Majesty say that the charcoal in the Cold Palace has burned out."
"Then let the government send over 100 catties."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Hua Quan bowed and prepared to leave.
"Oh right, come back!"
"emperor."
"What was that woman's attitude after she heard that a welcome banquet was going to be held for my uncles?" Li Qiji asked.
Hua Quan thought for a moment, as if recalling Guan Zhiyue's expression just now, "She was very shocked, and then said that she would take care of it."
"Hmph! I wouldn't dare neglect her duties. Alright, you may go!"
"Yes, this servant takes his leave!"
Li Qiji chuckled and went back to processing the memorials.
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