"..." Feng Yang subconsciously rubbed the amulet hidden in his sleeve pocket with his fingertips.
This was given to her by Gu Yanfei on the day of the love banquet.
Wei Jiaoniang looked back and forth at Fengyang and Gu Yanfei, and felt that what they said was too mysterious. She really didn't understand what they said.
Fengyang was just about to ask the waiter to bring them another pot of tea when a woman's impatient voice suddenly came from not far away: "Go away! We don't want to listen to any ditty."
"Sorry to bother you." The little girl, with her back to Fengyang and the others, bowed repeatedly to apologize. She looked timid and thin, as if she could be blown away by the wind.
She was a pretty girl of about twelve or thirteen years old. She was wearing a washed-out green skirt and holding an old erhu in her hands.
Feng Yang changed his words temporarily and said, "Waiter, call this little girl to sing a little song for me."
The waiter naturally agreed and quickly called the little girl holding the erhu over.
Fengyang asked the little girl to sing a few cheerful songs for them.
After a while, a melodious erhu sound mixed with a girl's oriole-like singing voice rang out. The song "Suo Nanzhi" was sung so beautifully that it attracted some passers-by to stop and some people simply went into the teahouse to have a cup of tea and listen to a little song.
Fengyang looked at the singing girl, with a hint of nostalgia in his eyes, as if he was looking at her, and as if he was looking at an old friend through her.
This sentimental mood only lasted for half a song and soon dissipated.
After the little girl sang four or five songs in succession, the secret guard from the princess's mansion came back on horseback.
Fengyang threw a piece of silver to the girl, and the girl left with gratitude.
She sang the little song very well indeed. Just as Feng Yang sent her away, guests from another table called her over.
After the young secret guard got off his horse, he walked quickly to Fengyang.
Fengyang made a gesture, indicating him to sit down and talk. After all, it would be too conspicuous for such a big man like him to stand here like a pillar.
The secret guard sat down opposite Fengyang with a little restraint, his posture was straight and his voice was also full of restraint. The first sentence he said was: "Xu Yan has been taken to the Ministry of Justice's Tianlao and will be tried by the three courts."
"Wow!" Wei Jiaoniang opened her mouth slightly in amazement, and looked at Fengyang with burning eyes, "Did you know this a long time ago?"
Fengyang smiled and sighed, "Your grandfather is not a man without ideas."
He is not someone who can be persuaded by just Xu Yan.
Wei Jiaoniang was finally relieved and asked the secret guard, "Anything else?"
The secret guard replied politely: "The title of Marquis of Anji will be inherited by his eldest daughter Xu Yao."
Huh?! Wei Jiaoniang was dumbfounded, her jaw dropping in shock.
"This, this, this..." Wei Jiaoniang opened and closed her mouth, once again feeling dumbfounded, not knowing how to comment.
How did things develop in this direction?!
Fengyang smiled gently, with a wise and understanding light in his eyes.
She grew up watching Wei Shen, Duke of Wei, so she naturally understood him much better than Xu Yan and Wei Jiaoniang.
Xu Yan, you are still too young after all.
He thought that using the title as bait would be enough to tempt Wei Shen and make him show mercy and let him go.
However, he didn't expect that his self-righteousness would actually remind Wei Shen of a new idea.
"This prince can be appointed or deposed." Feng Yang said with a smile, with a hint of guidance for Wei Jiaoniang, "Rather than worrying all the time for the next few decades, it is better to..."
Feng Yang paused meaningfully, and Wei Jiaoniang's curiosity was aroused. She asked eagerly, "How about this?"
"Leave the father and keep the daughter." Feng Yang uttered these four words slowly, with a playful smile in his eyes.
This is indeed something that Wei Shen, this brat, could do! When he was young, he was good at taking the enemy by surprise and attacking them when they were unprepared. Now he is old, but his brain is not old.
A few breezes blew in from outside the tea stall, causing some ripples on Fengyang's clothes like water waves, adding a bit of unrestrained temperament to her whole body.
"Puchi!" Gu Yanfei couldn't help but burst out laughing, and a pair of shallow dimples appeared on his lips.
Wei Jiaoniang was stunned when she heard what Fengyang said, but she also felt that what Fengyang said made sense. She felt that the door to a new world had opened, and her eyes were shining.
Wei Jiaoniang felt as if her heart was being tickled by a feather, and hurriedly said, "Quick, quick, tell me what happened."
She regretted it. If she had known earlier, she should have dragged Gu Yanfei to the palace to watch the excitement. How could she have missed such a big excitement! Oh, it was her fault. It was her fault for not having enough confidence in her grandfather.
My grandfather actually accomplished such a shocking thing! The secret guard took a look at Fengyang's expression and reported everything.
When Duke Weiguo and Xu Yan entered the palace, the emperor had already finished his morning court session and met the two in the Qianqing Palace.
As soon as the Duke of Weiguo saw the emperor, he indignantly accused Xu Yan of colluding with bandits, robbing passers-by, and occupying the land of the people. He also presented both human and material evidence and asked the emperor to order severe punishment.
Xu Yan originally thought that the Duke of Weiguo had been convinced by him and was stunned at the time.
After coming to his senses, Xu Yan naturally tried to refute Duke Weiguo, saying that the evidence was forged and the witnesses were bribed by Duke Weiguo, but Duke Weiguo refuted it lightly:
"Your Majesty, you have seen it too. There is all the evidence, but Xu Yan still refuses to repent. It is truly despicable!"
Even the secret guards had to praise the Duke of Wei for being so cunning. The scenes in the Qianqing Palace just now appeared clearly in their minds, and the Duke of Wei's passionate voice was still ringing in their ears:
"Your Majesty, please keep the title of Marquis for the sake of Xu Bing, the ancestor of Marquis Ji'an."
"Don't let your unfilial descendants ruin Xu Bing's brilliant life. After all, Xu Bing died to save the late emperor..."
When it came to the "touching part", the Duke of Weiguo even knelt down, wiping his tears with his sleeve as he spoke. His affectionate behavior was like he told everything, good or bad.
When the young secret guard described this vividly, Wei Jiaoniang could not help but clap her hands vigorously and praised happily: "Great, Grandfather is really great!"
Wei Jiaoniang felt that she had to have three drinks with her grandfather when she returned.
"What did Xu Yan say?" Wei Jiaoniang asked again.
What else could Xu Yan say?! The secret guard's expression became more complicated, "Marquis Ji'an didn't react at the time..."
At that time, Xu Yan was also confused by the unexpected actions of Duke Weiguo.
"The Emperor is also grateful for Xu Bing's contribution to the late Emperor's rescue, and said that he would grant him extra grace to retain the title of Marquis of Ji'an. However, if Marquis of Ji'an is not punished for colluding with the bandits, the people's anger will not be appeased."
"My Lord, please ask the Emperor to punish Marquis Ji'an impartially, saying that Marquis Ji'an has no legitimate son, so it would be better for his legitimate daughter Xu Yao to inherit the title."
"The Emperor has considered it and agreed. He will issue a formal imperial decree today to confer the title of Emperor."
The secret guard said the last sentence with a sigh.
He could also imagine what kind of storm this incident would cause in the court, the capital, and even the entire Dajing.
Xu Yao was only six years old, and she was about to become the first female marquis of the Dajing Dynasty.
Wei Jiaoniang's face was blossoming with smiles, and she really wanted to go back home right away and hug her little cousin Xu Yao and spin around.
It's great, grandpa really did a great job!
Feng Yang suddenly raised his hand and rubbed Wei Jiaoniang's head, with a little bit of the kindness of an elder to a younger generation, and said with a smile: "Others say that your grandfather is a rough man, but this is just appearance."
"Do you think your grandfather really didn't need your grandmother to put a knife to his neck?" Feng Yang said jokingly, stretching out his finger and lightly flicking Wei Jiaoniang's brow, "You, learn from your grandfather and stop being so nagging all day long. You're as stupid as your grandmother."
What? Wei Jiaoniang was stunned, and once again sighed in disbelief: Grandfather is such a grandfather, he looks so straightforward! Wei Jiaoniang wanted to ask some old stories about her grandparents, but she saw Fengyang put down his teacup and stood up.
"Are you leaving?" Wei Jiaoniang quickly stood up.
Feng Yang curled his lips with a smile, "Some of those old-fashioned people are against a woman inheriting the title. I have to make this happen while I am still alive and can still suppress them."
"It's so hard to get such an opportunity, we can't miss it."
"As long as there is a precedent, it will be much easier in the future."
On this point, Fengyang and Duke Weiguo thought the same thing. If they were going to do it, they might as well do it big and ruthlessly. If they failed this time, they would probably not have such a good opportunity again in another fifty years.
When Feng Yang said this, he released a dignified aura that shocked Wei Jiaoniang. She thought of the female general her grandfather and grandmother had told her about who was invincible on the battlefield.
The Fengyang who was extremely charming in her youth.
Fengyang stood up from the bench, his body suddenly swayed slightly, and he immediately stood up again by holding on to the table.
Almost at the same time, Gu Yanfei also stood up and helped Fengyang, pressing his pulse inconspicuously, and said with a faint smile: "I read the fortune, it's a good omen."
Feng Yang smiled and patted the little girl on the shoulder, "Thank you for your good words."
Fengyang's carriage was still parked across the street, so Gu Yanfei and Wei Jiaoniang saw her off to the carriage and then watched it leave.
Before the emperor's imperial edict conferring the title of female marquis on Xu Yao was sent out of the Qianqing Palace, those well-informed nobles and court officials came to the Qianqing Palace one after another to ask to see the emperor, but were stopped in the main hall one by one.
These people expressed their opposition in unison:
"It's unprecedented for a woman to inherit a title, and it's inappropriate."
"Men are capable of standing tall and upright, fighting on the battlefield, serving in the imperial court, and maintaining peace and stability in the country. How can women do that? If they cannot be loyal to their country, then this title is just vacant!"
"Men are responsible for the outside world, women are responsible for the inside world, and the husband is the leader of the wife. This principle must not be reversed, as it will lead to the chaos of the family."
“…”
These people quoted from classics one after another and spoke very lively, making the huge Qianqing Palace as noisy as a vegetable market.
"Why not let a woman inherit the title?"
Until a female voice with a majestic presence sounded from outside the main hall of the Qianqing Palace. The female voice was old, but still resounding, with a force like lightning and thunder, and it was particularly clear among the noisy male voices.
The main hall was suddenly silent, and all the ministers looked in the direction of the voice.
At the gate of the Qianqing Palace, a green figure appeared at some point. Although the old woman with gray hair was old, her posture was still as straight as a pine tree, and her temperament was still noble and extraordinary.
Holding a long sword with a golden scabbard, she stepped over the high threshold and entered the main hall.
The golden scabbard was engraved with golden dragon patterns and inlaid with seven glittering gems. Everyone knew that this was the imperial sword bestowed upon Fengyang by Emperor Taizu - the Seven-Star Sword.
Feng Yang walked leisurely in the complex gazes of the crowd, and said slowly and calmly: "Back then, Taizu intended to make me the crown prince, so why couldn't he make a woman the marquis?!"
Fengyang's old and dashing face was very calm, with a faint smile on the corner of his lips. His voice was neither light nor heavy, but it carried an air of superiority, and his whole body exuded a sharp aura like a sword.
At that moment, all the nobles and court officials in the hall were suppressed by her superior aura.
The surroundings became even quieter, as if all sounds had been sucked away. Only the faint chirping of birds could be heard outside the hall.
"Her Royal Highness Princess Fengyang." Prime Minister Xiao bowed to Fengyang indifferently, thinking that the emperor must have asked someone to invite reinforcements for Fengyang.
He is the Prime Minister and the leader of all ministers, so he would not be afraid of Fengyang!
Prime Minister Xiao raised his eyes and looked straight at Fengyang, saying righteously: "But back then, all the officials also opposed Taizu..." to establish a female crown prince.
However, before he could finish his words, Feng Yang stopped only three steps away from him. She gently moved the sword with her left hand, which was holding the sheath, and the sword came out a little bit, making a slight sound.
The silver sword flashed a chilling cold light.
Feng Yang's originally cold eyes turned extremely cold at this moment, with a hint of bloodthirsty sharpness, as if she was a soldier on the battlefield who would draw her sword at any time and make her enemies bleed on the spot.
The distance between the two of them was too close. As long as Feng Yang drew his sword, he would...
Prime Minister Xiao shuddered in his heart and took half a step back.
He knew Fengyang really dared.
Fourteen years ago, when the previous emperor was in power, Fengyang used this Seven-Star Sword to kill the former Minister of War Wang Xin in the Golden Palace. The former Minister of War had proposed surrendering to the enemy and negotiating peace at the morning court session.
When Prime Minister Xiao was retreating, he accidentally stepped on another minister behind him. The other minister groaned in pain, staggered, and bumped into another person.
Fengyang put the sword back into the sheath and sneered at Prime Minister Xiao.
"..."The corners of Prime Minister Xiao's mouth drooped, and his facial features were tense.
Back then, Fengyang was only one step away from becoming the crown prince, but unfortunately...
Fengyang ignored Prime Minister Xiao and walked straight towards the South Study.
All the eyes in the hall were still on her.
Even Prime Minister Xiao did not dare to confront the Grand Princess Fengyang, let alone the others, who were all like wilted cabbages.
The atmosphere in the hall became increasingly solemn and depressing.
From the moment Feng Yang appeared just now, Xiao Shoufu and others had a vague premonition in their hearts that they were afraid they could not stop him.
The enthronement of Xu Yao as the new Marquis of Ji'an was a foregone conclusion.
This was the first title inherited by a woman in the Da Jing Dynasty, and Xu Yao was also the first female marquis in history.
When the imperial edict to confer the title of Emperor Xu Yao was delivered to the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion, Wei Wan, who was kneeling on the ground with her daughter to receive the edict, was completely dumbfounded.
The wife of the Duke of Wei secretly pinched her, and Wei Wan finally responded. She said dryly, "I will accept the decree on behalf of my daughter. Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."
Wei Wan and her daughter Xu Yao kowtowed to express their gratitude, and raised their hands high to take the imperial eunuch Zhao Rang's handover of the imperial eunuch, though they still felt a sense of disbelief in their hearts.
Afterwards, she stood up holding the imperial edict, and read this precious edict over and over again in her hands until she was sure that all this was not a dream but reality.
Xu Yao, who was only six years old, was also ignorant. Since childhood, people around her had said that her brother Xu Luo was the future prince of the Marquis' Mansion, but now she had inherited the title.
Wei Wan looked at her daughter's innocent little face. At this moment, her thoughts were extremely confused and her mood was extremely complicated. She even forgot to thank the eunuch Zhao Rang who came to convey the imperial edict.
"Thank you for your help, Eunuch Zhao." Lady Weiguo thanked Eunuch Zhao in person with a big smile on her face. She secretly praised Wei Shen for his excellent work, and at the same time hinted to the housekeeper to give Zhao Rang a big red envelope.
This was a great joyous event. Eunuch Zhao accepted the red envelope without hesitation and conveyed the emperor's intention in a friendly manner: "Madam Guogong, Madam Wei, the emperor said that the daughter is still young and cannot leave her mother. He has granted her special permission to let her mother raise her. After she reaches the age of marriage, she will move back to the Marquis of Ji'an Mansion."
Madam Wei? Wei Wan opened her eyes slightly and was stunned for a moment.
My daughter was conferred the title of Marquis of Ji'an. Logically, shouldn't she be the Marquis of Ji'an's wife?
The emperor allowed his daughter to return to the Marquis of Ji'an's Mansion after she reached the age of 15. Does that mean his daughter can live with him in the Duke's Mansion?
As if he could see what Wei Wan was thinking, Zhao Rang said cheerfully, "The Emperor has already granted Madam's divorce from Xu Yanyi, and also said that if Madam meets a suitable candidate, she can remarry. There is no rule of chastity in our Great Jing Dynasty."
Everyone knew that this was an extra favor from the emperor.
"..." Wei Wan's heart was filled with excitement. She blinked slowly, her eyes became sore and moist, and a few tears appeared on her eyelashes.
She once thought that the best outcome she could expect was that she would break up with Xu Yanyi and let her daughter follow her back to the Wei family.
Perhaps, she could avenge her poor other daughter whom she had never met, and let Xu Yan and Yu Qing be severely punished...
She could never have expected this result!
"Please, eunuch, thank the emperor on behalf of my daughter and me." Wei Wan's voice was a little hoarse, and she could hardly hide her sobs.
She still hated Xu Yan for being cruel and hated herself for not being able to judge people well, but at this moment, the joy in her heart outweighed the hatred.
It was like a festering wound was reopened, the pus was squeezed out, and the rotten flesh was cut off. Although it was painful, she knew that after this, the wound in her heart would heal sooner or later.
One day, she will let it go! That day, after the Duke of Wei returned home, he ate a quick meal and hurriedly took his youngest sister and niece Xu Yao to the palace to express his gratitude.
After the Wei family came out of the palace, they did not go directly back to the Duke's Mansion, but went to the Gu family first.
Before this, Wei Wan and the wife of Duke Weiguo had visited Gu Yanfei once to thank him. Now that the matter was settled, they went again with valuable gifts.
Gu Yuan was on duty in the palace today, so Gu Yanfei entertained them himself.
The words of gratitude had been expressed last time, but Wei Wan couldn't help but hold Gu Yanfei's hand and thank him again. As she spoke, her eyes began to turn red.
Gu Yanfei saved the lives of the mother and daughter.
She will remember this kindness for the rest of her life.
Wei Wan wiped the tears from her eyes with a handkerchief, and after calming down, she talked about another important matter of this trip: "Yan Fei, I have decided to hold a funeral for my youngest daughter who died young in three days. If you are free, I would like to invite you to come over."
Wei Wan was afraid that if something was not done well during the ritual, it would affect her youngest daughter's reincarnation.
"It's a small matter." Gu Yanfei agreed readily.
Xu Yao sat obediently beside them, just watching Wei Wan and Gu Yanfei quietly. Her dark pupils were as black as ink under her thick black bangs.
Children's eyes are like this, clear black and white, and unpolluted.
Compared to the first time Gu Yanfei saw her at the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion, something had changed about the little girl. The innocence on her face had faded a little, and she looked more calm.
After a series of dramatic changes in the family, the six-year-old girl has become a little sensible. The scene of her father wanting to kill her and her mother will be forever engraved in her heart, and she will have to spend her whole life to heal this wound.
Gu Yanfei stared at Xu Yao's face carefully for a while, and suddenly said, "Let your daughter learn martial arts."
(End of this chapter)
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