Jiang Mian woke up early the next day. But as soon as she opened her eyes, she subconsciously looked towards the green silk-screened bed. Then she remembered that Xiao Jingcheng had already left, and inexplicably felt a twinge of disappointment.
However, this disappointment was soon overshadowed by her intense curiosity when the maidservants came to do her hair.
"Are Father and Mother awake?" she asked Su Yu, who was helping her arrange her hair.
Trying hard not to laugh, Su Yu replied, "Not yet, Miss. Don't worry. Master and Mistress are newlyweds. They're in the honeymoon period."
Jiang Mian was also happy to hear this.
It was better that they got up late. Her parents had suffered so much for so long. Now that they were finally married, they should spend more time together.
Since her parents were still sleeping, Jiang Mian couldn't go to pay her respects. So she told someone to ask the kitchen to prepare breakfast first. Then she led a group of people to the storeroom to take a look at the wedding gifts from the guests the day before.
In the storeroom, the gifts were piled up like mountains. Jiang Mian asked the steward for the gift list and started to check them one by one.
The guests who came to celebrate the wedding the day before had different identities, so the gifts they gave also varied greatly. There were precious jade ornaments and jewelry, authentic calligraphy and paintings left by famous predecessors, straw hats and coir raincoats woven from cattail grass, or a big basket of fresh fruits and vegetables.
— These were all the most precious treasures in the guests' hearts.
Even relying on these gifts alone, the entire Li Mansion would not have to worry about food and drink for ten years, which showed how much the people in the city respected the Li family.
After finishing checking the gifts, a maid came to report that Li Zhao and Jiang Zhiqing were awake. Jiang Mian returned the gift list to Steward Yin and said with a smile,
"I'll go to pay my respects to Father and Mother."
When she arrived at the Wentao Courtyard, Jiang Mian saw Li Zhao standing outside. She happily rushed forward and said, "Father!"
It was said that a happy event would make a person look radiant. After the happy event last night, Li Zhao's eyebrows were relaxed, and the melancholy that always lingered between his eyebrows had completely disappeared. He could be described as "beaming with health", as if he had become ten years younger.
"I heard that you woke up early this morning," Li Zhao said with a smile. "You were busy with us for so long yesterday. Why didn't you sleep a little longer?"
Jiang Mian playfully said, "I'm concerned about the wedding gifts for Father and Mother. I want to take a look and see if there's anything I like so that I can claim it as my own."
Li Zhao pinched her nose and said, "Your mother is inside. Go and pay your respects to her."
Jiang Mian nodded, lifted her skirt and walked into the room.
Jiang Zhiqing had already combed her hair. When she heard the footsteps, she had already turned towards Jiang Mian.
Jiang Zhiqing also had rosy cheeks, a smile on her lips, and a touch of charming elegance in her eyebrows.
Jiang Mian took Jiang Zhiqing's arm. As she nestled closely with her affectionately, she couldn't help thinking in her heart that after their official marriage, her parents seemed different from before.
In the past, although they were very close and cared about each other, there was an inexplicable sense of worry. It seemed that her parents would still separate one day.
Now...
Jiang Mian was completely worry-free.
Both her father and mother were exuding a happy atmosphere from the inside out, as if
they had completely merged into one and would never be separated again.
Jiang Mian had already asked someone to prepare breakfast. Soon, the breakfast was served on the table in the main room of the Wentao Courtyard. The three of them enjoyed the meal happily together, and the atmosphere became even more warm.
Just after they finished breakfast, a servant rushed in to report, "Master, Mistress, Miss, an imperial edict has arrived. Please go and receive it quickly!"
An imperial edict!
Jiang Mian was shocked. She looked at Li Zhao. Li Zhao slowly wiped his fingers and said, "Let's go."
Jiang Mian took Jiang Zhiqing's arm and followed behind Li Zhao. Looking at Li Zhao's aged but still elegant and straight back, she remembered the conversation between the two of them alone in the front hall last night.
It seemed that her father and Xiao Jingcheng's uncle had reached some kind of agreement.
The three of them came to the front hall. There were several guards standing behind the eunuch who was to announce the imperial edict, and they were already waiting there. When they saw Li Zhao and the others coming, the eunuch shrilled,
"The Li family of Luozhou, come forward to listen to the imperial edict."
Everyone in the yard immediately knelt down. The eunuch read, "Heaven has shown its will, and the holy light shines brightly. I have heard that the Li family of Luozhou has always been dedicated to the people, selfless, and has helped the common people. They are deeply supported by the people, and I am very pleased. Therefore, I hereby confer the title of Prince Li on Li Bingjun, the head of the Li family, and Princess Li on his wife, Mrs. Jiang. Miss Jiang Mian is conferred the title of Princess Ronghua. A prince's mansion, a warrant for immunity from punishment, a thousand taels of gold, and a thousand mu of fertile land are bestowed. The title of Prince Li will be hereditary from generation to generation."
"Prince Li will enter the Secretariat and serve as the head of the Secretariat. He will be my right-hand man and help me rule the world."
Jiang Mian felt as if she was in a dream.
Her father was just made a prince like this?
Moreover, her mother and she had become the Princess Li and the princess respectively...
But not long ago, they were just the most ordinary people in Dongli Town.
It could be said that they had risen to the sky in one step!
The eunuch looked at Li Zhao, Jiang Mian and the others with a smile and said, "Congratulations, Prince Li, Princess Li, and Princess Ronghua."
After thanking the emperor for his grace, Li Zhao took the imperial edict from the eunuch's hand and asked someone to give the eunuch a red envelope. "You've worked hard, Eunuch. Have you had breakfast? Why don't you have a full meal here before leaving?"
The eunuch said with a smile, "Thank you, Prince Li, for your kindness. But I'm in a hurry to go back and report to His Majesty."
Li Zhao didn't try to persuade him to stay. He personally sent the eunuch out of the main gate of the Li Mansion and then returned to the front hall.
When Xiao Tianchi came yesterday, Jiang Zhiqing also knew his intention. So there was not much surprise on her face. She still smiled gently as before.
Li Zhao wanted to explain something to her, but when he met her eyes, he knew that there was no need to say anything.
Stepping forward to straighten Li Zhao's collar, Jiang Zhiqing asked, "When shall we leave?"
Li Zhao paused for a moment and said, "The current situation in the world is unstable. His Majesty can't stay away from the capital for too long, lest something unexpected happen. The day after tomorrow, we will return to the capital with His Majesty."
The day after tomorrow. Was it so soon?
Mistaking Jiang Zhiqing's concern, Li Zhao tightened his grip on her hand and said, "Don't be afraid. You're the Princess Li now, and Mujin is also a princess. No one in the capital will dare to bully you anymore. Even if someone dares to talk behind your back—"
He paused for a moment, and there was a touch of pride in his words. "Just fight back."
Jiang Mian didn't expect her father to say something like "fight back". She couldn't help laughing out loud. There was also a big smile on Jiang Zhiqing's face.
"Okay. With your words, there's nothing for Mujin and me to be afraid of."
Back in the room, Jiang Mian couldn't help taking out the letter left by Xiao Jingcheng and looking at it again and again.
No wonder Xiao Jingcheng had told her that they would meet again in the capital. He must have guessed his uncle's intention.
By now, she also understood why her father had detoured back to Luozhou, cleaned up the Li Mansion again, and held the wedding with her mother here.
It would take at least five or six days to travel from the capital to Luozhou even if one rode a horse at full speed, not to mention Xiao Tianchi's physical condition.
Although he no longer looked as frail as he did in Dongli Town, it was still a tiring journey for him.
Maybe, Xiao Tianchi had already left the capital when they arrived in Chenzhou.
This was a play jointly designed by her father and the Emperor of the Northern Sheng Dynasty. The purpose was to let the Li family of Luozhou return to the public's view.
If she guessed correctly, the news of the revival of the Li family should have already reached the ears of the Emperor of the Southern Sheng Dynasty and Xiao Yixuan.
I wonder what their reactions would be?