Chapter 1201 The Majestic Lady
The crown and tassels support the dragon robe, and the banners and pennants support the thousand palaces.
Those who followed Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi into the Taiji Hall, apart from Jiang Yan and Liang Youying, were mostly not first-time visitors to the palace to meet the emperor. Moreover, these two were not cowards and had seen a lot of the world.
But the moment they stepped into the Taiji Hall, everyone's breathing became heavy.
In a daze, they saw the magnificent palace, where civil and military officials stood in two rows, their robes neat and their expressions solemn. Although the huge palace was full of people, not a single cough or gasp could be heard. At this moment, everyone could almost hear their own heartbeat, rumbling like thunder, which made them even more nervous.
But Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi, who were walking at the front, remained calm and composed.
Not only because they had been here countless times, but also because they had brought these people back today. As their protectors, the two had to remain calm.
The two stopped in the center of the hall and looked up. There, they saw the familiar figure above them, looking down at them silently. Although he did not make a sound, the silence exuded an indescribable majesty, as if there was an invisible palace pressing down on their hearts outside the Taiji Hall. Even Shang Ruyi, who had been through many battles, couldn't help but take a deep breath.
The two bowed simultaneously, saying, "Your subject pays respects to Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"
Those following closely behind them also knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"
After they finished speaking, the person sitting on the dragon throne remained motionless, and the entire hall remained quiet, even quieter than before. This time, they could even hear the heartbeats of the people standing next to them.
For a moment, everyone held their breath.
Just as everyone was on edge, a rustling sound of sleeves waving came from above the hall. It was the emperor who gently raised his hand. The eunuch Yu, who was serving beside him, immediately took out the imperial edict that had been prepared in advance, unfolded it, and walked to the front of the hall, loudly announcing: "Imperial edict issued!"
Everyone in the entire Taiji Hall knelt down in unison.
The eunuch Yu said, “By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I have received the Mandate of Heaven to rule over all nations. All people within the world are my subjects, whom I cherish and care for as I would a father. However, there is often unrest on the borders, with the Turks invading and the people suffering, which makes me uneasy all night long.”
King Ye of Qin and Queen Shang, having led troops from two separate locations with one heart, relieved the crisis in Xia Prefecture and won the decisive victory at Hulao Pass. Their meritorious service, unparalleled loyalty and bravery, and awe-inspiring reputation throughout the army have spread far and wide. They are hereby granted a fief of ten thousand households, three thousand taels of gold, fifty thousand taels of silver, one hundred large pearls, five hundred small pearls, and three hundred bolts of silk.
The King of Qin bestowed upon his wife the title of "Majestic Lady," and the troops she commanded were all called the Women's Army, to commemorate her martial prowess!
So be it!
Upon hearing this imperial edict, all the civil and military officials in the hall stared in shock.
Although Yuwen Ye and Shang Ruyi were unaware, everyone in the hall understood that just over a month ago, Qi Wang Yuwen Cheng, the Grand General of the Henan Army, led his troops back to the capital. Although the investiture ceremony was celebrated in a grand manner, the rewards were meager. Apart from being ordered to establish his own government and military headquarters, the monetary rewards were less than half of what they were given this time.
This reward, more than double the usual amount, was clearly not intended for the King of Qin alone.
In particular, the last sentence of the imperial edict clearly indicates that the person to be rewarded is the emperor himself. The emperor bestowed a title upon a woman, and such a prestigious one at that, which shows how much Yuwen Yuan valued her.
The title "Majestic Lady" also landed heavily on Liang Youying and Shi Yuxin, who were following behind them.
The two exchanged a glance, both showing expressions of surprise.
Shang Ruyi was overjoyed. Before Yuwen Ye could react, she immediately knelt down and said loudly, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your grace!"
Yuwen Ye glanced at her, then knelt down to express his gratitude.
Only then did they hear Yuwen Yuan's deep, resonant voice, tinged with a distinct smile, come from above the main hall: "Rise."
Then everyone said in unison, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
After she finished speaking, everyone in the hall stood up. As soon as Shang Ruyi stood up, she looked up and met Yuwen Yuan's smiling eyes. He was sitting upright on the dragon throne, his hands firmly on either side, making him look even more robust and powerful. The crown and dragon robe made him look even more majestic and solemn, making people dare not look directly at him. But at this moment, the eyes that were revealed from behind the slightly swaying jade tassels were clearly looking at her with appreciation and even a happy smile.
He said, "My son and daughter-in-law have indeed lived up to my expectations. Ruyi, you have done a great job."
Shang Ruyi hurriedly replied, "It is all thanks to the Emperor's grace and protection; how could I dare to take credit for it?"
Yuwen Yuan's smile deepened, making him appear less like an emperor sitting on the dragon throne and more like the loving kindness of an elder: "I ordered you to lead the troops to relieve the crisis in Xia Prefecture, but many in the court questioned my decision, saying that women cannot lead troops?" After saying this, he raised his head to look at the crowd and asked with a smile: "Now, do you all understand?"
"..."
Some of the ministers in the main hall looked at each other and remained silent.
Yuwen Yuan laughed and said, "This is the daughter of the General of the Cavalry, a valiant woman from a military family, and the proud wife of my Yuwen family! Let the world take a good look!"
Upon hearing his proud words, the civil and military officials all stood up and shouted, "Your Majesty's decision is wise and decisive, and Princess Qin is brave and valiant!"
Yuwen Yuan let out a hearty laugh.
Amidst the laughter, Shang Ruyi clearly felt a gloomy gaze directed at her from the main hall.
She didn't turn her head, but just from his position at the front of the line, she knew it must be Crown Prince Yuwen Qian.
She thought for a moment, then looked up and said, “Father, you are too kind to praise me. This time, we were able to resolve the crisis in Xia Prefecture thanks to the favorable circumstances, the support of the people, and the divine grace of Father. We were able to achieve a great victory in a small battle. However, the battle at Hulao Pass was extremely dangerous. It was a victory for our dynasty that three thousand cavalrymen were able to hold off an army of one hundred thousand.”
She subtly steered the conversation toward Yuwen Ye.
Although it was a good thing to receive the emperor's praise, she did not forget that she was still the Princess Consort of Qin. The greatest victory in this battle should have fallen on Yuwen Ye. However, judging from the imperial edict just now, Yuwen Yuan mentioned Xia Prefecture and Hulao Pass, but he omitted the most important Luoyang.
Furthermore, considering that Yuwen Cheng has already been appointed as the General Who Guards the North, it is likely that the emperor has already attributed the greatest credit to him.
Shang Ruyi continued, "If it weren't for the great victory at Hulao Pass, how could Luoyang have been returned to China?"
Upon hearing her words, Yuwen Yuan paused for a moment.
The jade tassels hanging in front of him could obscure most of his facial expression, but if one looked closely, one could still see the swaying jade tassels. Yuwen Yuan's smiling eyes gradually lost their joy.
In that instant, he transformed from a loving elder into a majestic emperor.
He said, "King Qin."
Yuwen Ye immediately stepped forward: "Your subject is here."
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