On the day when the people from Jingning Marquis' Mansion returned to the capital, it was drizzling, but Liu Yulian and the others were still in a good mood.
Those who returned to the capital with Liu Yulian didn't stay at the Marquis of Jingning's residence. The Crown Prince arranged for them to live elsewhere, at a manor in the suburbs of the capital. Although it was in the suburbs, it wasn't far from the capital.
The Crown Prince had previously submitted a memorial to the Emperor, stating that the families Liu Yulian had brought with her were capable of conducting scientific research and that they should be given a proper title so they could focus on their research. Princess Rongning had spent so much money and brought these people back to the capital, and if the Imperial Family didn't show any appreciation, they would be unjust.
Moreover, this kind of scientific research should preferably be done by the imperial court as a public institution, and cannot always be left to Princess Rongning alone.
The Crown Prince wasn't worried about Princess Rongning, but rather believed they had more to offer. The imperial court should also keep pace. While the imperial court had its own Ministry of Works and Ministry of Agriculture, these individuals were somewhat different from those Liu Yulian had brought in.
In the past, the imperial court primarily employed those who had passed the imperial examinations or the children of the nobility. Those who studied unorthodox methods were often considered deviant and rarely rewarded by the court. Some artisans even had low status, which led to them being bullied.
The prince believed that these people engaged in scientific research should be given more opportunities. If they could come up with something, it would be good for the court.
Therefore, the emperor specially set aside a large manor for the researchers to live in. The court also provided them with a monthly salary, so they could focus on their research.
The imperial court poached Princess Rongning's people, so it is impossible that they did not make arrangements for Princess Rongning.
The emperor decreed that Princess Rongning be appointed as the director of the academy, allowing her to allocate personnel and arrange for some people to enter the academy. Of course, not everyone can enter the academy, and those who do must pass the exam, but the emperor has not yet decided what the exam will be.
The emperor wanted to ask Princess Rongning to think about it. Princess Rongning had read so many books and had come up with some new ideas. The emperor was willing to let Princess Rongning try it, and then ask Princess Zhaoyang and the Crown Princess to assist.
Why didn't the Crown Princess take charge directly? It was because she didn't understand research in this area, so she was asked to assist. The Emperor said he wanted the Crown Princess to assist, but in fact, he wanted the Royal Family to control the Institute and not let the Institute be separated from the court.
Liu Yulian and others never thought that the emperor would issue an imperial decree on the day they returned, and it was the eunuch beside the emperor who announced the decree.
"Congratulations, my lady." The chief eunuch said with a smile, "This is an official of the first rank."
The emperor took great pains to allow Princess Rongning to study those things with peace of mind. The status of a princess is not low for a woman, but the status of a princess is of little use in official circles.
There was already a precedent of women holding official positions in the Daliang Dynasty, and the empress of Emperor □□ even attended court with Emperor □□.
However, over the years, there are few women who are as strong as her.
The Cen family's daughters were fond of observing the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, and many families thought they were good. Especially after they became concubines, those people began to think they were good, and more families asked their daughters to emulate them.
The three obediences and four virtues, the rules and regulations for women, and the principle of not leaving the house and not stepping out of the main gate. Under such circumstances, how outstanding can those women be?
The emperor appointed Princess Rongning as an official, a very high position. This was because the emperor did not want others to meddle in the affairs of the academy. People in the academy only engaged in scientific research and did not need to attend court. This official rank was only useful within the academy; if she were to go elsewhere, her role would be much smaller.
That's why the emperor did this.
"Thank you for your trouble." Liu Yulian hadn't expected the emperor to do something like this. At most, she wanted to spend her own money on research. But she was also willing to accept the emperor's appointment as an official. Historically, there were people who were appointed prime ministers before the age of ten. She was just researching something at the research institute.
"I have to return to the palace to report to the Emperor," the chief eunuch said. "Princess, please take these house deeds."
"Okay." Liu Yulian handed the eunuch a purse filled with silver bills.
"Princess, take it." The chief eunuch did not accept it. He had heard the emperor say many times that Princess Rongning was short of money again. "Princess, please take a rest first."
The chief eunuch quickly took his men away. Since the emperor valued Princess Rongning so much, they must also value Princess Rongning.
When people learned that the emperor had appointed Princess Rongning as the director of the Academy of Sciences, they were all shocked. At most, they thought that the emperor might appoint Princess Rongning as a princess, but they had never thought that the emperor would directly appoint Princess Rongning as an official.
Even though Princess Rongning does not have to attend court, who can guarantee that Princess Rongning has no power at all?
This research institute will develop sooner or later and cannot be an empty shell.
So some people set their sights on joining the academy, thinking that if they joined the academy early, they would have a better future. Even though people in the academy did not have to attend court, there were ranks within the academy, layered, and their salaries were the same as other officials.
Unlike those craftsmen, those researchers can have official positions and they will have a better life in the future.
Not to mention that Liu Yulian did not expect the emperor to do such a thing, Jingning Hou did not expect the emperor to do such a thing either.
Marquis Jingning knew that he should retire, but he had no real job in the northwest.
Now, they returned to the capital. The emperor had conferred another title on Liu Yulian, and Marquis Jingning knew that the world was now ruled by the young. At least he didn't need to mingle in the court anymore, and could let Liu Yanjing do it.
Marquis Jingning didn't believe the emperor would allow several members of the Marquisate to become high-ranking officials; that was unrealistic. Even though Liu Yulian was just a woman, and she was managing the research institute, Marquis Jingning knew she wasn't fit to stay in the court. He had to let Liu Yanjing take over, so that he could be promoted quickly.
As Marquis Jingning, he only needed to grow flowers and plants, and occasionally visit the farm to check on his family's property. That was it.
"Do it well." Marquis Jingning said to Liu Yulian, his mood was a little complicated.
Having spent so many years in the imperial court, Marquis Jingning once considered returning to it. It would be a lie to say he wasn't disappointed, but he knew the Liu family would be able to thrive for the next hundred years.
So whether or not this marquis is an official is not that important.
"Okay." Liu Yulian nodded slightly. Her people were intercepted by the emperor, and she herself was also intercepted by the emperor.
At the Duke of Cheng's mansion, He Xiyuan returned home and first went to see the old lady. He hadn't been home for nearly two years, and he had grown taller and darker. He Xiyuan used to study at home, and since he went to the Imperial College, he didn't need much sun exposure.
After He Xiyuan went to the northwest, he was exposed to the sun a lot in the military camp, and he became much darker.
When the old lady saw He Xiyuan, her eyes turned slightly red. She was glad that her grandson had returned safely.
"Rongning is back too," said the old lady.
"I'm back." He Xiyuan joked, "Why don't you ask me how I am, but ask Sister Lian instead?"
"You're a grown man, there's no need to worry about you," the old lady said. "People like you should suffer more and get some sunshine so that they can grow up. Your sister Lian is so delicate, she should be allowed to rest more."
"..." He Xiyuan had long known what kind of personality his grandmother had, but he was still a little uncomfortable hearing her say such words.
However, He Xiyuan was very happy. His grandmother liked Liu Yulian, so Sister Lian would not suffer if she married him in the future.
"Speaking of which, next year, Rongning will be almost 15 years old, and it's time to prepare the betrothal gifts." The old lady smiled and said, "The betrothal gifts cannot be too small, so we need to prepare more. Rongning is still your brother's benefactor, so we can't lose face."
"Not too much." He Xiyuan knew that he was the second son, and since he was the second son, he could not go beyond his elder brother.
He Xiyuan was worried that the old lady would overprepare and displease his eldest sister-in-law. He knew his eldest brother's temperament and knew he wouldn't care about such things. But his brother was married, and people are always different after marriage. He still had to take care of his family more.
"You don't have to tell me." The old lady said, "I'm not asking you to prepare all those things."
He Xiyuan looked at the old lady. After hearing what she said, he became more and more curious about what she was going to do.
"Go wash up first." The old lady drove people away. She had already seen her grandson, so there was no need for anyone to stay by her side.
At the Cen family, Mr. Cen had someone keep an eye on the Jingning Marquis's mansion. When he learned that the emperor's eunuch had gone to the Jingning Marquis's mansion, he thought something must have happened. Mr. Cen originally thought that the emperor was going to use Jingning Marquis, but he never expected that the emperor would use Liu Yulian.
A weak woman directly became the director of the first rank, and the rank of the institute was separated from the ranks of those in the court.
Mr. Cen was not in a very good mood. It was not easy for the Cen family to attack Princess Rongning. They could not say anything more about the Three Obediences and Four Virtues. Mr. Cen suddenly felt that the emperor did not like women who followed the Three Obediences and Four Virtues that much. The emperor preferred women like Liu Yulian.
Old Master Cen originally thought that the daughter of the Cen family was a good person, but who would have thought that she would become like this.
"From now on, the girls of the Cen family...I'm afraid the girls of the Liu family will be the role models for those girls." said Old Lady Cen.
Concubine Cen was once a virtuous concubine, meaning she was in the harem. The women of the Cen family were mainly responsible for managing the men's harem, and they were famous for this ability.
The Cen family had never imagined that there would be a woman like Rongning Princess. Rongning Princess studied those things and even figured them out. Other women simply didn't have such great abilities. No, it's not that other women didn't have such great abilities, but that other women rarely studied these things.
"What role model? Now is not the time to talk about these things." Old Master Cen said, "Just wait."
Old Master Cen still didn't know what would happen to him. The emperor kept dragging it out. The emperor didn't kill the Cen family, but he didn't show much mercy either.
Old Master Cen knew how many people were busy distancing themselves from the Cen family. Seeing that the Third Prince had no chance of becoming emperor, and seeing how the emperor treated the Cen family, they were all afraid.
"Yes." Mrs. Cen responded.
The Mei family, the second young master's wife, was in a good mood after she learned that the people from the Jingning Marquis' Mansion had returned. Now that her family had returned, she wanted to see if the people from the Mei family dared to bully her.
"My father is back." Mrs. Mei said to Master Mei, "Tomorrow, you will come back to my parents' home with me."
"Tomorrow?" The second young master Mei frowned. He was a little nervous. He didn't know how Marquis Jingning would treat him.
The Second Young Master Mei had treated his wife so well before, and he hadn't considered whether the people in Jingning Marquis's Mansion would be unhappy. After all, the people in Jingning Marquis's Mansion were originally in the northwest, and the Jingning Marquis's Mansion had been raided once before, which gave the Second Young Master Mei the illusion that the people in Jingning Marquis's Mansion were easy to bully.
"Yes, if it's not tomorrow, is it a month from now?" Mrs. Mei rolled her eyes. "You've been going to that little bitch's place all day. Have you forgotten who your father-in-law is?"
"No." The second young master Mei certainly had not forgotten who his father-in-law was, but he always felt that something was wrong when they went to the Marquis of Jingning's Mansion.
"That's good," said Mrs. Mei, "just come with me when the time comes. Haha, after all, I'm the daughter of a marquis, and I can't compare to your concubine."
"What co-wife? She is just an ordinary concubine." The second young master Mei said hurriedly.
At this moment, a servant came over and called out to the Second Young Master Mei. It turned out that it was Mei Hanlin who wanted to see the Second Young Master Mei. Mei Hanlin had just returned from outside and had learned that Princess Rongning had been appointed as the First Rank Dean of the Research Institute.
Mei Hanlin was upset. He just wanted to be transferred to another government position and wait to come back later. However, he still failed to be transferred. He failed last year, and this year is still in jeopardy.
The people from the Jingning Marquisate returned to the capital, and Mei Hanlin didn't know what they would do. It was no secret that the Mei family had previously made Jiang a co-wife. In order to appease Jiang, the Mei family had even spread the word.
After the Liu family restored their title, the Mei family said that Jiang was just an ordinary concubine.
Under such circumstances, Mei Hanlin could not ensure that the people in Jingning Marquis' Mansion would not care about those things.
"You and your wife...see, see when you can go to your father-in-law's house," Mei Hanlin said. "It's your fault, so you have to admit it. You can't let people think you're a bad person. Do you understand?"
Mei Hanlin could only think of asking for forgiveness by carrying a thorn stick on his back. Otherwise, would he let his son pretend that nothing had happened?
That's impossible!
They can't turn a blind eye and pretend nothing happened. They can only actively admit their mistakes and not let others catch them.
"Send Jiang to the manor first," said Mei Hanlin. "If you want to see her, just stay there for a few days occasionally."
The Mei family still needed the money in Jiang's hands. Mei Hanlin would never let Jiang leave with the money, nor would he write a letter to release her as a concubine. Mei Hanlin wanted to let his wife take control of the money in Jiang's hands, but Jiang was very cunning and didn't keep all the money with her, so they couldn't force Jiang to hand over those things.
The Mei family wasn't cut out for business. They had no idea how to make their shop profitable. Some of their shops were even losing money. It was only after Jiang married in that they followed her instructions and started making a lot of money.
Jiang must stay in the Mei family!
"Okay." How could the Second Young Master Mei say no? His father had already said so, so he could only do as he was told.
Men in ancient times were like this. Even if it was clearly their own fault, they would put the blame on the woman and even send her to the manor. The Third Prince sent Concubine Cen to the manor, and the Second Young Master Mei sent Concubine Jiang to the manor.
Jiang was sent to Zhuangzi that same day, which made her very dissatisfied.
Fortunately, Jiang had already made preparations. She had planted people on the Mei family's farm to avoid being locked up there and unable to leave. She thought she had been very good to the Mei family, giving them so much money, but how did they treat her?
Jiang's face was cold, she wanted to leave the Mei family. However, her family would not allow her to leave the Mei family, so Jiang wanted the people from Jingning Marquis's Mansion to return to Beijing. Perhaps this was an opportunity, she wanted a female household, wanted to live on her own.
Perhaps, she would marry again in the future, but definitely not to someone like Second Young Master Mei.
Jiang had long thought that she couldn't stay in the Mei family forever, and she couldn't completely ruin her life for these people. Originally, they said she was a concubine, and they treated Mrs. Mei Ershao badly, making her think that she would become the main wife sooner or later. Even if it was just a proper main wife, she would think it was good.
But given the current situation of the Mei family, it was impossible for them to let her become the principal wife. Jiang Shi also didn't want the Jingning Marquisate to deal with her, so she had to strike first.
The Marquis of Jingning's Mansion is still the same mansion as before, but the furnishings inside are different.
"Put your things aside first, change your clothes and go get some rest." Mother Liu said, "You've been traveling a lot lately, and you must be tired."
"I'm fine," Liu Yulian replied. "I'll go read those books in a few days."
Liu Yulian's books were in another house, which she had arranged long ago. The emperor also gave Liu Yulian another house, and Liu Yulian planned to put the books in the house that the emperor had given her. This kind of reward did not need to be taken back, and it would be Liu Yulian's house from now on.
Houses like those owned by nobles may be taken back.
Liu Yulian wondered if the books had gotten wet in the rain, as it had been raining on the way back. Just because some people were escorting the books ahead didn't mean they hadn't been soaked by the rain.
"Rest for a few days first, there's no rush." Mother Liu said, "You should go to the palace again to thank the emperor for his grace."
Mother Liu had never imagined that her daughter would be appointed a First-Rank official. This was an extremely high rank, and it would take decades for the average person to reach this level. Even if someone achieved this quickly, which was only possible for a very small number of people, most people would still have a long way to go before reaching this level.
Fortunately, her daughter didn't have to go to court. Mother Liu didn't dare to think about her daughter going to court. If her daughter went to court, those people would definitely attack her. It was not easy for a woman to be an official.
The Emperor had previously overpowered his ministers and allowed the Empress to attend court with him. The Empress was also a capable woman, which was why she convinced the ministers.
"Yeah." Liu Yulian responded. She was a little nervous because she had never been such a high-ranking official before.
You should know that Liu Yulian was not an official in later generations, she was just an ordinary person.
She actually became an official, not only a princess, but also an official of such a high rank. It's really shocking.
Liu Yulian didn't know what the emperor was planning. She only knew this was an opportunity, and she had to seize it. By doing so, she could get more people to research together, and perhaps they could actually come up with something.
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