PDLP Chapter 266: Conferring the title of Crown Princess
Chapter 266: Conferring the title of Crown Princess
Wang Xinyao bit her lower lip lightly and said after thinking for a moment, "Perhaps she has a bigger plan, such as the throne. If her child ascends the throne, she will be able to control everything."
After hearing this, Zhao Haoxuan's eyes widened into the size of copper bells, and his heart was filled with turmoil.
If it is true as described, then the existence of such a person is simply creepy and chilling.
However, after a moment, he calmed down a little and began to think about the problem in reverse.
Although this possibility sounds extremely terrifying, if you think about it carefully, it does not seem completely impossible.
After all, the world is so big that all kinds of strange things are possible.
At this moment, Wang Xinyao gently reached into her arms and carefully took out two yellow talisman papers.
With a smile on her face, she walked lightly to Zhao Haoxuan, handed the talisman in her hand to him, and said softly:
"Brother Zhao, these are the sound transmission notes I recently learned to draw. Keep them safe for now. If we encounter any emergency or danger, we can use them to communicate with each other!"
Zhao Haoxuan's face was filled with astonishment. He had always known that his beloved Wang Xinyao was no ordinary person, but he had never expected that she possessed such magical skills.
For a moment, he couldn't help but look at Wang Xinyao with new eyes. At the same time, he couldn't contain his excitement and admiration, and blurted out:
"Xinyao, you are truly outstanding! A woman as outstanding as you makes me feel ashamed. I don't know how I can ever be worthy of you!"
"Brother Zhao is also very good!" Wang Xinyao replied embarrassedly.
"Xinyao, don't worry, I will ask my father to agree to our marriage as soon as possible!" Zhao Haoxuan emotionally hugged Wang Xinyao in his arms.
For the next entire month, Yang Chende devoted himself to a thorough investigation within the palace.
He worked tirelessly day and night searching every corner that might hide secrets, not missing any clues.
However, despite his great efforts, there was still no news of the palace maid named Xiaojing.
However, hard work pays off. During this long and arduous investigation, Yang Chende unexpectedly uncovered several spies from Japan!
This astonishing discovery was like a bolt from the blue, spreading throughout the court in an instant and causing an uproar.
Everyone in the palace was dumbfounded and overwhelmed by this sudden news.
The emperor Zhao Guoan, who was sitting on the high dragon throne, was furious!
He slammed the table and stood up suddenly, with an imposing manner that seemed to bring about a violent storm.
In this solemn and dignified imperial palace, there are spies from other countries lurking. This is a serious provocation to the dignity of the royal family and national security. It is a heinous crime and intolerable!
In a rage, Zhao Guoan issued an order without hesitation, demanding that the incident be thoroughly investigated.
No matter who or what is involved, we must never be soft-hearted or tolerate evil!
For a time, the atmosphere inside and outside the palace was tense and everyone felt insecure.
Faced with such a serious situation, Concubine Yin felt very uneasy and panicked.
She originally thought that she could cleverly hide the palace maid Xiaojing from the public, thus covering up those shameful secrets.
But I never expected that the situation would take a sudden turn for the worse and develop into the current situation that is difficult to handle.
If she continues to ignore the situation and allow it to deteriorate, it won't be long before even the basement where she is hiding in the dark will be exposed to everyone.
Thinking of this, Concubine Yin couldn't help but feel a chill on her back, and a layer of fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
In desperation, Concubine Yin decided to take a gamble and take a risk.
She secretly mobilized her most trusted confidants and issued them a cruel order.
Murder Xiaojing to eliminate future troubles! This vicious thought kept circling in Concubine Yin's mind, and her sinister and cunning face looked even more hideous and terrifying under the candlelight.
After careful planning, Concubine Yin cleverly arranged her trusted men to sneak into the room where Xiaojing lived under the cover of the basement.
They moved quickly and silently like ghosts, easily killing the unsuspecting Xiaojing.
Afterwards, these people followed the pre-planned steps and carefully hid Xiaojing's body in an extremely remote and little-known corner of the palace.
That corner was located deep in the palace, surrounded by weeds, dark and damp. Even the palace maids and eunuchs who were responsible for cleaning rarely set foot there on weekdays.
Not long after, Xiaojing's cold and stiff body was discovered by the careful and perceptive Lord Yang Chende.
At this point, all clues related to the palace maid Xiaojing seemed to be interrupted at once.
I had originally thought I could uncover the truth by following this clue, but now the case has hit a dead end again. The little clues I had finally found have now vanished into thin air, and everything is back to square one...
Ultimately, after a long period of investigation and trial, this complicated case ended in nothing due to the lack of key evidence and covert interference from various forces!
Not long after the drought ended, three imperial edicts issued by Emperor Zhao Guoan spread like three blockbuster bombs throughout the streets and alleys of the capital in an instant.
The first imperial edict arrived at the gate of Gou Mansion first.
A pale-faced eunuch with a voice as shrill as a woman's, holding a bright yellow scroll, entered the Gou Mansion and shouted, "Minister Gou, great joy, great joy! Please ask Miss Gou to come and receive the decree!"
Gou Hongying, who was handling official business in the study, heard the sound and hurriedly put down his pen and ink and rushed to the gate of the mansion.
He bowed to the eunuch with a big smile on his face, and hurriedly ordered the maid beside him, "Hurry and invite the young lady here!"
Soon, a sound of light footsteps was heard, and Gou Chunmei, dressed in a light pink silk dress, walked into the hall gracefully.
When she learned that the imperial edict in front of her was actually for her, she couldn't help but feel secretly delighted.
But on the surface she still pretended to be dignified and quiet, walked slowly to the center of the hall, then knelt on her knees, lowered her head and waited for the imperial edict to be read out.
Seeing this, the effeminate eunuch cleared his throat, slowly unfolded the imperial edict, and read in his unique shrill voice:
"It is destined to be blessed by heaven, the emperor decreed..."
With every word uttered by the eunuch, the entire hall fell into silence. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the turning point in fate brought about by this imperial decree.
The eunuch continued to read:
"When heaven and earth are in harmony, the sun and the moon shine together. The way of a nation lies in friendship and amity. I and the Lord of the Miao Nation both care about the well-being of the people. We hope that our two countries will maintain a lasting friendship and peace for generations to come.
My Crown Prince Zhao Xuanhao is gentle, respectful, frugal, and possesses both virtue and talent. The responsibility of being the crown prince is as heavy as Mount Tai, and he will inherit the throne.
Princess Gou Chunmei of the Miao Kingdom is gentle, intelligent, dignified, and virtuous, with a particularly kind and gentle disposition. She is hereby appointed Crown Princess and an auspicious ceremony will be held.
May this auspicious relationship benefit both nations and promote the well-being of the people. The peoples of both countries should also build on this foundation and work together to create a peaceful and prosperous world.
Announce it to the world, let all know. I decree this!"
When the imperial edict was read, Gou Chunmei was overjoyed. Finally, she could be with the person she had been thinking about. It seemed that it was worth it to risk her life to return to the capital last time.
"Your Majesty, I accept the imperial edict. Long live the emperor!" Gou Chunmei took the imperial edict with both hands full of joy.
At this moment, Yin Zhizi, who had been standing by and silently observing the development of the situation, finally felt relieved.
She let out a long breath and a relieved smile appeared on her face.
Because for her, if her daughter could successfully marry the prince, then she would not have to return to the distant and unfamiliar Miao Kingdom and could continue to stay by her side.
This kind of family companionship is far more precious than any power or status.
In stark contrast to Yin Zhizi, Minister Gou was in deep worry at this moment.
Concubine Yin had given him clear instructions to make sure Gou Chunmei returned to the Miao Kingdom and took control of the power there.
But the current situation is that Gou Chunmei is about to marry into the Eastern Palace and become the Crown Princess.
In the eyes of Minister Gou, the prince's position is precarious and he may be secretly eliminated by Concubine Yin or the prince at any time.
In comparison, he certainly hoped that his precious daughter would obey Concubine Yin's arrangements and return to Miao Country to realize her ambitions.
In fact, Minister Gou had another mistress outside and had a son with her.
It was just because his wife was Concubine Yin's aunt, and this special relationship meant that the concubine could never enter the house legitimately and could only live in the dark.
In the eyes of Minister Gou, the most urgent task is to consolidate the power in his hands. As for concubines and sons, they are insignificant compared to power.
Moreover, his mistress lived far away in Nanhu County, far from the capital, and he had not even asked about the life and death of the mother and son for more than ten years.
Even though he was already over fifty, as long as he held on to the magic wand of power, he would be surrounded by beautiful young women. And why should he worry about the lack of successors?
However, at this point, the imperial edict has been issued. Even if he is extremely helpless, there is nothing he can do to change the situation. He can only wait for the next instructions and arrangements from Concubine Yin.
Although he was filled with resentment and unhappiness deep down, Minister Gou still smiled flatteringly and bowed to the eunuch who came to deliver the imperial edict, saying, "Eunuch, you have traveled all the way and worked hard. It is really hard!"
As soon as the words fell, Yin Zhizi, who was standing aside, reacted quickly, hurriedly stepped forward, took out six silver bills from his arms, and stuffed them into the arms of the eunuch without hesitation.
The eunuch was taken aback for a moment, then happily took the banknotes. When he unfolded them and took a closer look, he was surprised to see that they were all huge banknotes with a face value of up to one thousand taels.
In an instant, his face blossomed with an ecstasy that was difficult to conceal, and he thought to himself with great joy: I really made a fortune on this trip to deliver the imperial message!
At the same time, he couldn't help feeling complacent, and thought with contempt in his heart: I originally thought that Manager Xu could be so smart and intelligent, but he is so favored by the emperor.
He was so tactless that he passed up such a lucrative job and offered it to me, while he went to read the imperial edict to a mere peasant woman. Now it seems that he is nothing special!
The second imperial edict was delivered personally by Eunuch Xu, who was deeply trusted by the emperor. This shows how much importance Emperor Zhao Guoan attached to this matter and his full sincerity.
Putting aside Wang Xinyao's identity as a village woman and a widow, in fact, compared with other women, Zhao Guoan prefers Wang Xinyao to be his daughter-in-law.
At this moment, it is the golden autumn season, the time of harvest.
When Eunuch Xu arrived at Wang Xinyao's farm after a long journey, he was stunned and surprised by the scene he saw.
I saw a large group of villagers busy harvesting rice in the vast fields.
The golden rice ears hang down heavily, with full grains and attractive color. When the breeze blows, bursts of rich rice fragrance fill the air, making people feel relaxed and happy.
However, the most eye-catching person was Wang Xinyao, who was working hard among the crowd.
This eighteen-year-old girl showed no sign of being delicate at all. She bent down without hesitation along with many villagers, wielding a sickle and harvesting rice skillfully.
Her movements were quick and decisive. Although beads of sweat covered her forehead, her face was filled with a bright smile.
The sunlight shines on her, outlining a beautiful and moving picture, as if she is a shining pearl in the field.
Witnessing this scene, Eunuch Xu couldn't help but be shocked.
He thought to himself: It is rare to find such a hardworking and capable woman. If she is lucky enough to become the mother of a country, she will surely benefit all the people in the world!
Unfortunately......
However, she came from a humble background, and this status ultimately became an insurmountable gap.
Thinking of this, Eunuch Xu couldn't help but sigh deeply, his heart full of regret.
However, after a moment, Eunuch Xu suddenly came to his senses and remembered the important mission he had come here to undertake.
So he quickly gathered his thoughts and shouted, "Miss Wang, the imperial edict has arrived. Please accept it immediately!"
Wang Xinyao, who was busy with her work, heard a sound coming from the field. She raised her eyes and looked in the direction of the sound, only to see the figure of Eunuch Xu come into view.
A gentle smile immediately appeared on her lips. She stopped what she was doing and said crisply, "Oh, it turns out that it's Eunuch Xu who has come to visit. I'm sorry for not welcoming you."
After saying this, she walked slowly from the field towards Eunuch Xu, and after exchanging pleasantries along the way, they returned to the manor side by side.
After entering the house, she asked the servants to make a cup of tea for Eunuch Xu. After Eunuch Xu sat down, she bowed and said goodbye: "Eunuch, please take a rest. I will go change my clothes and come back soon."
"Okay, okay, okay, Miss Wang, you go and get busy first!" Eunuch Xu said solemnly. He really missed the tea at Wang Xinyao's house. The taste was much better than that at other people's houses. It wouldn't be too late to have a sip of water before reading the imperial edict.