Bai Chuxiao returned to Liuli Courtyard, where a group of maids immediately surrounded her.
"I hope Miss's journey will be safe and successful," Qingzhu asked, her eyes slightly moist.
Bai Chuxiao patted her head and chuckled, "Miss, I'm perfectly fine. Who are you trying to fool with your mournful expression?"
Qingzhu quickly wiped away her tears, "No, I was just worried about you, Miss. You always take me with you."
"Alright, alright, has anything major happened in the capital recently?"
Lanxiang smiled and said, "There's more than one big event; both Prince Xiang and Prince Qi have gotten married."
Bai Chuxiao was somewhat surprised, "So fast?"
"Princess Zhaoyang and Prince Consort Zhang were eager to return to Yingzhou, so they wanted to hold the ceremony as soon as possible. The eldest princess also wanted Princess Lingxiang to get married soon, so they decided to hold the ceremony around the same time."
Bai Chuxiao nodded, but there might be something His Majesty meant in this. His Majesty hadn't dealt with the assassination attempt, and now it seemed he wanted them to get married and return to their fiefdoms as soon as possible. That was fine, saving her the trouble of attending.
The next morning at court, Emperor Wenxuan was greatly pleased. The Prince of Yan and other generals received rewards, but since the Prince of Yan was already a prince, there was nothing more to be granted, so he was only bestowed with some gold and silver jewels.
Then he praised the Crown Prince extensively. Chu Tianyou stood in the hall, his face beaming, feeling that the trip had been truly worthwhile.
Emperor Wenxuan shook his head inwardly at his performance. Judging from the battle report, the Crown Prince's performance this time was less than satisfactory. However, since he had decided to support him, he couldn't afford to embarrass him in front of the court officials.
As for Wei Junyan, he naturally got nothing. Emperor Wenxuan was already being lenient by not scolding him.
Finally, Emperor Wenxuan suddenly issued another decree, bestowing upon Bai Chuxiao the title of Princess Changning, granting her a fief of one thousand households, and stipulating that her title would be retained even after she married. The decree caused an uproar among the court officials.
After all, there has never been a precedent in this dynasty for a daughter who is not a member of the imperial family to be granted the title of Princess. Moreover, it is generally assumed that a Princess will no longer retain her title after marriage, and everything will follow the honors of her husband's family. For example, after Princess Changyun married Prince Qi, she can only be called Princess Consort of Qi now, and is no longer a Princess. Your Majesty's special emphasis on this point is an immense honor...
Seeing the crowd's surprise and confusion, Emperor Wenxuan, unusually good-natured, explained, "Bai Chuxiao, daughter of the Left Chancellor Bai Linan, fought against the rebels and enemy generals. She is a heroine who is no less capable than any man, and she has the grace and charm of my first wife, Empress Wenguang. I am very pleased and hereby bestow upon her a princess in marriage, with the title of Changning."
Bai Linan was overjoyed. He hadn't expected His Majesty to be so generous, directly bestowing upon him the title of Princess. This was an immense honor for the Bai family.
He quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty."
Chu Tianze remained calm. He hadn't expected his father to pull this stunt; it wasn't like his usual style. However, Princess Xiaoxiao was certainly capable of handling it.
So he stepped forward, neither servile nor arrogant, and said, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty."
Emperor Wenxuan nodded slightly, quite pleased with his youngest son's calm and unassuming nature.
Since His Majesty has spoken, the court officials couldn't say anything more. One reason was the late Empress, and another was that the Prince of Yan had rendered meritorious service in this battle, so this was a tacit reward for him. After Bai Chuxiao married the Prince of Yan, she would be considered a member of the royal family; it's best not to let such a valuable asset remain within the family.
However, the Crown Prince looked somewhat displeased. His father's actions had completely overshadowed him, especially with the mention of his "first wife"—what did that say about his mother?
Emperor Wenxuan took in the attitudes of the crowd below, and when he saw Chu Tianyou's expression, he couldn't help but sigh...
"The Crown Prince and the Prince of Yan, please stay. The rest of you may leave."
Bai Linan walked out of the Taiji Hall with a radiant face, and the other court officials quickly surrounded him, smiling and offering their congratulations.
Seeing the lavish praise he was receiving, Liu Jinhan, who was passing by, couldn't help but snort coldly.
Bai Linan naturally saw it and cast a smug glance at it. He felt his recent gloom dissipate instantly. Because of the mess his second daughter had made, the Bai family had lost face considerably. But now things were different. His eldest daughter was a princess personally appointed by His Majesty. Who would dare to laugh at the Bai family in the future?
In the imperial study, looking at his two sons with completely different personalities, he felt a sense of helplessness. Ze'er was good, but his birth mother's status was too low. If he were to be made crown prince, his other six sons would likely be unhappy, and the empire would be unstable. You'er, on the other hand, was the legitimate heir, and no one could find fault with him. However, in a peaceful and prosperous era, he could be a ruler who maintained the status quo. But now, Bei Yan was restless, and Xi Yue was also showing signs of stirring. He was not at ease entrusting the empire to him. If Ze'er were willing to sincerely assist him...
"Tianyou, I'm bestowing the title of Princess upon my seventh son's wife. Are you not happy about that?"
The crown prince quickly bowed and said, "Father, I dare not."
Wen Xuandi snorted coldly, "There's nothing you wouldn't dare to do. Look at what you did when you went to the North. If it weren't for Seventh Brother, could you have won this battle?"
The Crown Prince was shocked. It turned out that his father knew everything he had done. He had thought... "Father, I know I was wrong."
"I've done all this for you. There are signs of great chaos again in the land, and I don't know how much longer I have to live… The future of the Great Xia Dynasty rests on the shoulders of you two brothers. I hope you two can support each other, respect each other, and love each other. You'er, that girl from the Liu family has already been bestowed upon you. Have you managed to persuade the Right Chancellor to support you? Clearly not. Besides, with all the trouble you've caused, the Left Chancellor is also dissatisfied. Neither of the two chancellors in the court supports you; how will you establish yourself in the future? This time, bestowing the Bai family girl upon you is firstly to reward the Seventh Prince, and secondly to appease Bai Linan. Do you two brothers understand?"
The crown prince was somewhat moved upon hearing this. He realized that his father had always cared for him and had done so much for him. "I understand," he said, "Father, everything you've done is for me. It's all because I've been so disappointing."
Emperor Wenxuan turned to look at Chu Tianze, "Seventh Brother, what do you say?"
Chu Tianze remained calm, saying, "Your subject understands," but inwardly he was somewhat dismissive. Did the Crown Prince really think he could wholeheartedly assist him? Judging from the Crown Prince's current performance, he didn't seem qualified.
Emperor Wenxuan nodded, "It's good that you understand my good intentions. Go back and think it over carefully."
"yes"
Inside the Glazed Tile Courtyard of the Left Prime Minister's Residence, Bai Chuxiao frowned deeply, wondering how to perfectly recreate the items used in Qing'an... Just then, Lanxiang entered with a beaming smile, "Miss, I heard that His Majesty has bestowed upon you the title of Princess. Eunuch Jinzhong is already in the front courtyard, waiting for you to receive the imperial decree."
Bai Chuxiao was taken aback. Would His Majesty be so generous? Was there something fishy going on? But there was no time to think about it now; she should go and receive the imperial decree first.
"Bai Chuxiao, daughter of the Left Chancellor Bai Linan, is of upright character, beautiful and intelligent, quick-witted and brave, and has rendered meritorious service to the country. I am greatly pleased and hereby bestow upon her the title of Princess, with the honorific name 'Changning'. This is my decree," Jinzhong read aloud from the center of the courtyard.
The Bai family members all knelt on the ground. The people from Liuli Courtyard were naturally overjoyed, while Xie Shi and Bai Chuwan looked grim. What did this girl do to deserve this... She was already arrogant, and now that she's been made a princess, she's even more superior to them.
Bai Chuxiao accepted the imperial decree and said with a smile, "Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Jinzhong."
"Your Highness is too kind. It's all what this servant should do. Congratulations, Your Highness. This servant must return to report, so I won't disturb you any longer," Jinzhong said respectfully with a smile. In his opinion, this Miss Bai, oh no, now Princess Changning, is no ordinary person...
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