jdhmnovel Chapter 546 Do You Know (13)
Chapter 546 Do You Know (13)
It took Rulan a long time to process the fact that she had met the Emperor.
"Seventh Sister, how do you know he's from the imperial family?"
"Granny Sun greets Your Majesty."
"Is Granny Sun from the palace?"
"Ah."
"Seventh Sister, you've been hiding your secret for too long." A matron named Kong had the entire Sheng family greet her and took Seventh Sister away. There was one person quietly sitting next to her.
"Alright, pack your things and hurry back. We need to tell Father and the others what happened today, otherwise, if the officials give any rewards, Madam and Father might think they've confiscated our property."
"Oh." Rulan didn't say anything more, quickly climbed into the carriage, and the two hurried back.
After returning home, Rulan first told the eldest daughter-in-law that Sheng Hong was not at home. Wangyou left a message with the front yard and then went back to see her mother.
“Mother, I went up the mountain to pick mushrooms today and also hunted a pheasant. We’ll have chicken stew with mushrooms tonight.”
"Okay." Then Wangyou also told her mother about what happened that day.
When Madam Yan heard that Wangyou had saved the Emperor, she was surprised for a moment but quickly regained her composure. She was sure her daughter could handle the situation and there was no need to worry.
It has to be said that Yan Shi trusted Wangyou far too much. She only checked Wangyou for any wounds and didn't ask any other questions.
In contrast, Sheng Hong, who received the news in the front courtyard, was struck as if by a bolt from the blue. He rushed to the Forget-Worry Pavilion without even taking off his official robes.
"Girl, you said you saved the official? Is it true?"
"Of course it's true. The officials will probably question you in the next few days. Just tell them the truth."
"Okay, I'll have someone clean the whole house." Sheng Hong didn't know what else to say.
"No need, don't do that. The Emperor's identity was told to me by Granny Sun before. The Emperor doesn't know that I know his identity. If you do this, you'll expose yourself."
"What should we do then?"
"Don't worry, it's nothing serious. The official seems quite approachable. Just be yourself and answer any questions he asks. I'm telling you this so you can be mentally prepared, because the reward probably won't be small. After all, I not only saved the official's life, but I also gave him a longevity pill."
"A longevity elixir? How do you have such a thing?"
"Of course I composed it myself. Alright, Dad, if there's nothing else, go find Mom next door. I'm going to sleep. I'm exhausted after a long day." Wangyou pushed Shenghong out the door.
How could Sheng Hong possibly sleep? He rushed off to find Ru Lan again. Wang You hadn't told him the specifics, so he needed Ru Lan to fill in the details, otherwise he would be feeling very uneasy.
Rulan's explanation was far more engaging than Wangyou's. With her gestures and drawings, she helped Shenghong understand the danger of the situation and further appreciate the true power of Wangyou's martial arts.
"In the blink of an eye, Seventh Sister, pulling the Emperor along, flew right up to me. She was amazing..."
Meanwhile, the emperor, who had returned to the palace, summoned the imperial physician, who took his pulse for a long time, his expression grave.
"Your Majesty, have you taken some kind of miraculous elixir?"
"How is my health?"
"Your Majesty's health has fully returned to its peak condition. I conservatively estimate that it will last at least twenty years." The imperial physician had been treating the Emperor frequently and knew his health condition all too well, so he was much less hesitant in his speech.
"My impulsive decision to go out today was truly a wise one; I've run into an important person!"
"Your Majesty, a noble person has given you a miraculous medicine."
"That's right. According to her, the medicines used are extremely precious, and a person can only take one in their lifetime!"
"If such miraculous elixirs had no limitations, wouldn't everyone be able to live forever? I also have something to congratulate Your Majesty on."
"What's the matter?"
"If His Majesty were to visit any of the concubines in the harem now, there is a high chance that they would bear him a child."
"really?"
"I am absolutely not lying."
Upon hearing this, the emperor struggled to suppress the urge to burst into laughter. It turned out that everything was preordained, and Heaven had not forsaken him.
"Your Majesty, could you please introduce me to that divine physician?"
"I will not repay kindness with enmity. Let's talk about it later. You may go back now!" The Emperor dismissed the imperial physician.
Then, he examined the information gathered by the secret guards. He found that the fifth and seventh daughters of the Sheng family were skilled, while the seventh daughter was particularly adept. Sheng Hong was of average ability, but he had raised a good daughter. The family's information leaked out like a sieve, but no information could be found about the seventh daughter's courtyard. She was quite a talent.
Why wasn't such a talented girl born into the Zhao family? She excels in both literary and martial arts, and is also a master at making money.
The Emperor felt a pang of appreciation for talent. Even if this person wasn't a member of the Zhao family, he would still try to find a way to raise her. He planned to have her raise the prince when he had children in the future. The Emperor's intuition told him that there would be unexpected surprises.
The following day, after the court session, Sheng Hong was invited into the inner palace.
"My dear minister, you have a wonderful daughter!"
"Your Majesty is too kind."
"Tell me about her. Stand up and speak."
"Your subject obeys the decree." Sheng Hong was still somewhat timid, but he remembered Wangyou's instructions and recounted Wangyou's life from childhood to adulthood without missing a single word.
Upon hearing that the girl could not kneel before anyone, the official was astonished. He also heard that once when an old lady led him to worship Buddha, the Buddha statue instantly shattered, and the same thing happened even after several other statues were replaced.
This is also why the old lady doesn't like to forget her worries. Whoever has worshipped the Buddha statue for decades, just because you kneel down there for a moment, without even bending your back, it explodes. It would be strange if she were happy.
Whether the emperor believed him or not, he simply waved for Sheng Hong to leave and then had a high-ranking monk from Fahua Temple summoned.
When the high monks from Fahua Temple arrived, the official asked them to calculate the birth dates and times of the three monks. Of the three monks, three died. The remaining one was probably left alive because he hadn't done anything bad in his past or present life.
"Your Majesty, this woman should only be befriended, never antagonized. She might bring a different kind of glory to the Song Dynasty," the old monk said, trembling as he wiped away the blood.
The official remained silent, ordering his men to take the people away, saying they should be saved if possible.
After everyone else had left, the official slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "How come this isn't someone from my Zhao family? What merit does Sheng Hong have to have such a powerful daughter?"
Now that the matter has been clarified and verified, the Emperor was not stingy and began to write down the rewards for Wangyou and Rulan. Of course, Wangyou received the main reward, while Rulan received an additional one.
With a wave of his hand, the Emperor not only bestowed upon Wangyou the title of First-Rank Protector of the Nation Princess, but also granted her an actual fiefdom, an imperial estate, silks and satins, gold and silver treasures, and numerous shops. He also granted Rulan the title of County Princess, but without a fiefdom; naturally, she still received a considerable amount of gold, silver treasures, silks and satins.
When the imperial edict arrived at the Sheng family, the eunuch in charge of writing the edict made sure Wangyou stood and listened, and that she would not have to bow to anyone in the future. He also gave her a golden token that exempted her from death.
Then came the official announcement of the imperial decree. Rulan never expected that she would also receive a reward, and that she would be directly granted the title of County Princess. Although it was insignificant compared to Wangyou's title of Princess and the reward, it was still quite unexpected.
Upon the issuance of the imperial edict, the Sheng family experienced a mix of joy and sorrow. The happiest person was none other than Madam Yan, followed by Madam Sheng and Rulan, both of whom were overjoyed.