Seeing the sacred objects of the Great Yong is like seeing the monarch.
Upon seeing this, the people in the courtyard were either astonished or excited, and they all shouted and knelt down.
If I had only heard about it before, now I have seen it with my own eyes. The General's Mansion really does have a certificate of merit!
Having the sacred object in hand also proves Jiang Wan's innocence.
She defied Tuoba Hui's coercion and protected the sacred artifact of Dayong.
Jiang Wan lowered her eyes. The iron certificate, shaped like a roof tile, was as black as ink, with neat and regular characters and gleaming gold inlay. It lay quietly in her palm.
This was the first time she had ever seen a certificate of merit, and she was slightly shocked.
She caressed this treasure of the Great Yong Dynasty, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes, and looked towards the distant gate through the noisy and excited crowd.
There stood a man in black robes, tall and elegant, with a refined and ethereal face.
Pei Xuan held a white-feathered crossbow, his phoenix eyes half-closed, as if there was a faint smile in them.
Jiang Wan was slightly taken aback, as if something had struck her heart, and ripples gradually spread across her chest.
The commander of the Imperial Guards quickly returned to the Emperor and reported everything that had happened in the General's Mansion.
Since hearing that the people of Donglai had besieged the general's mansion, the officials had lingered, waiting for the outcome.
Upon hearing the report, the court officials were both astonished and excited, yet also filled with doubt.
To everyone's surprise, the Song family actually possessed the imperial edict, and Jiang Wan, a mere woman, protected the sacred artifact of Dayong from the Donglai scimitar.
Someone immediately commented, "Lady Jiang is truly commendable for her loyalty and courage!"
In recent years, Donglai has become increasingly arrogant, repeatedly lurking near the capital and ready to make trouble. If the imperial edict falls into their hands, who knows what kind of storm it will cause.
The hall erupted in uproar as everyone marveled at Jiang Wan's act of loyalty and righteousness.
"but…"
Amidst the enthusiastic atmosphere, a courtier suddenly asked a question.
Why is His Highness the Crown Prince at the General's Mansion?
And coincidentally, he also saved Madam Jiang; this was far too much of a coincidence.
Emperor Jingyuan covered his lips with his hand and coughed lightly.
He was also very confused.
How could Pei Xuan, who was supposed to be confined to the Eastern Palace, have received the news so quickly and rushed to the General's Mansion to rescue people?
But now is not the time to dwell on these things.
Emperor Jingyuan's thoughts raced.
Although Pei Xuan's move was unexpected, it gave him a good reason to explain the current situation.
"The Crown Prince was sent to the General's residence by me."
Emperor Jingyuan stood up and said with his hands behind his back.
"To be precise, I sent him to protect the safety of the General's Mansion."
Upon hearing this, the minister was momentarily surprised, then suddenly realized: "So those Eastern Palace guards standing at the gate were also ordered by His Majesty? These past few days, they haven't been imprisoning Lady Jiang at all, but rather... protecting the sacred relic of Dayong—the Iron Certificate of Cinnabar!"
"Exactly." Emperor Jingyuan nodded, speaking with an air of seriousness, "The matter of the imperial edict has caused quite a stir. I had long anticipated that someone would harbor disloyal intentions and harm the General's Mansion, so I instructed the Crown Prince to send guards there."
He said in a deep voice.
"The reason I didn't say it outright is because I didn't want to make it too obvious. Otherwise, if everyone knew that the General's Mansion had a sacred object, Madam Jiang's situation would be even more dangerous."
"Unexpectedly, this has led to the Crown Prince being misunderstood to this extent. Fortunately, he saved Lady Jiang today."
The courtiers were taken aback for a moment, then exclaimed in unison, "Your Majesty is wise!"
"Your Majesty's considerations are thorough; you are truly a wise and sage ruler!"
"Your Majesty's strategic planning is superb, and His Highness the Crown Prince's courage in defying rumors has protected the sacred treasure of the Great Yong Dynasty. We, your subjects, are truly impressed..."
Emperor Jingyuan smiled slightly as he listened to the endless flattery from his ministers, secretly relieved.
At this moment, Minister Xue suddenly stepped forward: "Your Majesty, what about Lady Jiang..."
"Lady Jiang is loyal and brave, and remains calm in the face of danger. She is truly a role model for the women of Dayong."
Emperor Jingyuan pondered for a moment.
I originally thought Jiang Wan was too young to be worthy of the title of First Rank Imperial Consort.
But after she made many great contributions, apart from being granted the title of First Rank Imperial Lady, the other rewards seemed to have lost their significance.
In an instant, Emperor Jingyuan made his decision and said to the eunuch beside him, "Go to the General's Mansion immediately to issue an imperial decree to promote Jiang Wan to the rank of First-Rank Imperial Lady. Choose a day to come to the palace to receive the imperial decree and express your gratitude."
A hint of surprise flashed across Minister Xue's eyes, and then he spoke loudly.
"Your Majesty is wise."
The court officials all echoed this sentiment.
It is rare for a first-rank imperial consort to be so young in the Great Yong Dynasty, but if this person is Jiang Wan, no one can give a reason to object.
After the imperial edict from the palace reached the general's mansion, everyone in the mansion came to congratulate Jiang Wan.
Jiang Wan stroked the elegant and luxurious first-rank imperial robes, momentarily stunned.
The first-rank imperial consort she had longed for had finally come true.
Aunt Ru held Song Zhao in her arms, smiling happily as she distributed rewards to everyone on Jiang Wan's behalf.
Although the Yuan family and Song Ziyu fell, the General's Mansion did not.
Jiang Wan became a first-rank imperial consort, her status became even more noble, and Song Yu achieved early success, with a promising future.
Aunt Ru even felt that life at the General's Mansion would be better than before.
The crowd had a lively time at Xingzhi Temple before gradually dispersing.
Biluo helped Jiang Wan back to the house and saw that she had put the imperial edict into a box.
Now that there were no outsiders around, Biluo finally voiced her doubts: "Madam, how did this thing end up with you?"
Others may not know, but as Jiang Wan's confidante, she naturally knows the situation best.
After guessing what was in Song Lin's exquisite eight-treasure box, Jiang Wan sent the item to the East Palace and never asked for it back.
But today, the iron certificate suddenly appeared in her hands.
Jiang Wan said, "It was given to me by Tuoba Hui."
At that time, Tuoba Hui pretended to kidnap her, but handed something to her through his wide sleeves.
When Jiang Wan guessed what this thing was, she was secretly shocked.
However, considering Tuoba Hui's unusual behavior, she immediately understood everything that had happened that day.
Jiang Wan turned her gaze away from the iron certificate and instead looked at another bronze token on the table.
She said to the door, "After Yu'er returns to the manor, tell him to come see me immediately."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com