The doorman's earlier words were just a slip of the tongue in his panic. He quickly realized what he had said and hurriedly corrected himself, "No, no, I was just too anxious." Not satisfied with that, he lightly slapped himself on the cheek before continuing, "It's a good thing, a very good thing!"
Wei Zheng and Sun Lurong also got up and walked over. Wei Zheng asked in a deep voice, "So what exactly is going on?"
"The Emperor has issued a decree! The Third Miss has already gone to the front courtyard to receive it. The Emperor has bestowed a whole host of wonderful gifts upon her!"
Everyone looked bewildered, but Wei Zheng was the first to recover and hurriedly asked, "What did the imperial edict say?"
The gatekeeper scratched his head, looking troubled: "I didn't understand much of what that nobleman was saying, but there was one sentence I did understand: it was about bestowing a marriage upon the Prince of Qiaochuan and the Third Miss!"
...
In the front yard, Wei Shuwan knelt and accepted the imperial edict with both hands before being helped to her feet by Ziqiao and Miaoxiang.
Emperor Pingjia specially bestowed a marriage upon her and Li Qingchen, which she found somewhat incomprehensible. Logically speaking, since Li Qingchen had already come to propose marriage, the emperor's bestowal of a marriage at this time was not so necessary. The significance lay more in rewarding and acknowledging the matter.
Wei Shuwan glanced at the expensive fabrics and jewelry being held in the arms of the young eunuchs, feeling both flattered and unworthy of the gifts.
If Emperor Pingjia had known that Li Qingchen would soon seize his throne, imprison him, and murder his crown prince, would he still have bestowed so many treasures upon her, the "Little Princess of Qiaochuan"?
At this moment, the middle-aged noblewoman, who had been relaxed after reading the imperial edict, finally smiled and said politely, "Madam Wei, His Majesty has another oral message for this old servant to convey."
“Please speak, sir,” Wei Shuwan replied in the same polite tone.
"His Majesty said that you are permitted to enter the palace for an audience during the Autumn Festival."
Wei Shuwan was taken aback. This was an immense honor for the noble families of Shengjing City, but she was still somewhat puzzled: "Father-in-law, I am grateful for the Emperor's grace, but I am also a little overwhelmed. Please give me some pointers."
As she said this, she casually slipped a bag of silver into his hand, her movements practiced and the angle just right so no one could see it.
Having received the bribe, the eunuch leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice, saying, "His Majesty has gone to great lengths for the young prince's marriage, even more so than His Highness the Crown Prince. But the young prince hasn't taken a liking to any of them, yet he has set his sights on Lady Wei..."
Having said this much, the eunuch stopped speaking; a wise person would understand what he meant. He then nodded in farewell and, with a group of eunuchs behind him, took his leave.
Wei Shuwan saw the person to the door, but her heart was pounding.
In Emperor Pingjia's eyes, Li Qingchen would eventually return to Qiaochuan to replace his father and become the true ruler of Qiaochuan. Emperor Pingjia's previous efforts in selecting consorts for him were probably not simply because Li Qingchen was his adopted son.
More importantly, he probably wanted to place one of his own people next to Li Qingchen.
Unfortunately, Li Qingchen did not choose the person Emperor Pingjia had selected. In the end, Li Qingchen chose himself, and Emperor Pingjia's plan failed.
In a sense, he could be considered a pawn that ruined Emperor Pingjia's overall strategy.
Having seen this clearly, Wei Shuwan was naturally unable to remain calm. It seemed that this grand banquet for the Thousand Autumns Festival was destined to be anything but easy for her.
After respectfully seeing the person off, Wei Shuwan turned around and saw her grandmother, father, mother, and aunt already standing in the front yard. They had obviously come over to inquire about the situation as soon as they heard the news.
Wei Shuwan handed the bright yellow imperial edict to them for them to read, and casually said, "Actually, it's just that His Majesty is mindful of the father-son relationship with the Prince of Xiaoqiaochuan, and is just going through the motions."
"Such disrespectful words are not allowed to be spoken carelessly!" Wei Zheng cautiously interrupted her.
Lady Wei closed the imperial edict and asked, "Just now I heard that eunuch say that His Majesty has granted you permission to enter the palace on the Emperor's Birthday?"
"Yes," Wei Shuwan replied to her grandmother, but she couldn't feel happy at all.
Just as the group was asking questions, Wei Ping, the aunt who had been squeezed at the back, felt like an outsider to the Wei family. She was unhappy and turned her attention to the imperial gifts of jewelry and fabrics.
The items were neatly arranged on the stone table. Wei Ping walked closer and reached out to touch them. The silk felt smooth and the Hepu pearls were round and luxurious. Wei Ping couldn't resist the urge and picked up two pearls to play with in her palm.
It feels warm and smooth, even more comfortable to the touch than warm jade.
Wei Ping glanced back and saw that everyone's attention was on Wei Shuwan, surrounding her completely, and no one noticed her side. The two Hepu South Pearls in her hand were only a small part of the box of pearls, and in fact, no one would notice if they were missing.
Wei Ping swallowed nervously, clenched her fist, and accepted the two South Sea pearls with a smile.
When Wei Ping returned to the group, she overheard Wei Wen solemnly admonishing Wei Shuwan that she must be fully prepared for this trip to the palace. As the future Princess Consort of Qiaochuan, she must not disgrace the Qiaochuan Prince's Mansion.
Everything I wear should be of the highest quality, and I should also have a nanny give me a crash course in etiquette and manners these next two days, so as not to embarrass myself like I did when I went to the palace to attend Consort Wen's plum blossom banquet last time.
Wei Shuwan casually agreed and hurriedly made an excuse to return to her room.
Wei Ping also went out around noon. She went to the government office where Cai Die was being held and pleaded for her again. However, the yamen runner with a full beard was as difficult as ever, cold-faced and refusing to show any mercy.
Seeing no hope, Wei Ping had no choice but to give up. However, she did not leave immediately but hid at the corner of the stone wall, only occasionally peeking out to observe the situation in front of the door. If she remembered correctly, it would be time to hand over the shift in another incense stick's time.
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