Chapter 438: Edict
Editor: Atlas Studios
After Mu Yangling helped Li Jinghua to the side hall, a person walked out from behind the screen. It was the Emperor in bright yellow clothes.
The Empress walked down from the soft couch. “Your Majesty, what do you think?”
“I’ll get someone to investigate and find out if she’s telling the truth.”
“Looking at Madam Li’s anxious expression, she most likely wasn’t lying.” The Empress thought for a moment and said, “Your Majesty, Madam Mu’s eyes are pure. She doesn’t seem like a scheming person.”
The Emperor nodded slightly. “Send out the orders to the Li family tomorrow and give the sisters-in-law some rewards. Just leave them alone until I confirm it.”
The Empress agreed with a smile.
The Emperor left from the other side and went to the imperial study to see Qi Haoran.
Li Jinghua tightened her grip on Mu Yangling. Mu Yangling feigned an anxious look, but her fingers imperceptibly knocked on her wrist twice. Li Jinghua was relieved.
After the imperial physician checked Li Jinghua’s condition and said that there was nothing wrong, the palace maid came over to send the two of them away. Because Li Jinghua had affected her fetal qi previously, a carriage was sent over to carry her to the palace entrance.
Mu Yangling happily helped Li Jinghua up and happily followed her out of the palace. The palace maids who followed her felt that she was truly a carefree person.
Qi Haoran was already waiting at the entrance of the palace. Seeing that Li Jinghua was actually sitting in a carriage, he looked at her stomach worriedly. Mu Yangling jumped up and said, “Sister-in-law is fine. It’s just that my nephew is disobedient and is making a fuss in her stomach.”
Qi Haoran was relieved. After distributing the reward money, he brought them back.
Mu Yangling and Li Jinghua sat in the carriage while Qi Haoran rode beside them. Halfway through the journey, Li Jinghua let out a long sigh and tapped Mu Yangling’s forehead. “I finally know why your Big Brother Qi keeps saying that you’re bold and asked me to keep a close eye on you when we get to the capital. You’re incredibly bold to say all those things in front of her.”
Mu Yangling also heaved a sigh of relief. “Fortunately, Sister-in-law, you stopped me. Otherwise, I would have exposed myself if I continued. Even if I didn’t expose myself, they would definitely suspect me if I revealed so many secrets at once.”
“Will they find out that you’re lying?” Li Jinghua asked worriedly.
“That won’t happen.” Mu Yangling said confidently, “If they do investigate, they’ll only trust me more.”
Only when they returned to the residence and Qi Haoran knew that Li Jinghua had been pretending, did he feel relieved. Then, he complained, “At least you could have a long chat with the Empress. I, on the other hand, sat on the cold bench for God knew how long. When I saw Your Majesty, he only said a few words to me before dismissing me. But I did manage to hand over the memorial.”
Li Jinghua’s heart skipped a beat. “The Emperor wasn’t in the imperial study?” The palace maids who had gone up to serve tea kept giving her a strange feeling that she couldn’t shake off.
“Nope.”
However, Mu Yangling asked happily, “What did the Emperor say when you handed over the memorial?”
Qi Haoran grinned. “He only praised me briefly before accepting it. I think he’ll most likely agree.”
If the Emperor heard this, he would definitely cry. He had actually scolded Qi Haoran jokingly, but Qi Haoran treated it as a compliment.
Li Jinghua didn’t have time to think about the strange feeling in her heart. She hurriedly asked, “What memorial did you submit?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s a memorial to request a conferment for Ah Ling.”
Li Jinghua looked at the two of them speechlessly. How anxious. She had been married to Qi Xiuyuan for two years before Qi Xiuyuan asked to give her the title. Meanwhile, Mu Yangling had just married Qi Haoran for a few days.
When Qi Xiuyuan was a third-grade official, he had asked for his late biological mother to be conferred an honorary title. Although she was already dead, it was still a glorious matter.
Therefore, when he and Li Jinghua got married, he wanted to wait until after the new year before applying for the title for his wife. After all, he could not let the Ministry of Rites be busy all the time. It would be annoying.
However, since Li Jinghua had been called back, it was naturally more convenient for her to do things since she had an official title. Hence, while Li Jinghua and the others were still on the way, Qi Xiuyuan’s memorial was already on the Emperor’s desk.
Usually, this kind of request would take about half a year no matter at the very least, so they simply threw it to the back of their minds. Who knew that the imperial edict would come the next day?
The entire family went out to receive the decree. On this day, Li Jinghua became honored as the madam of a Grade 2 official of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Mu Yangling’s request to be conferred a title was also approved and she became a Grade 4 reverent lady.
Following the imperial edict were some rewards from the Empress. Though not worth much, it was an honor to receive these rewards. Madam Wu and the others were green with jealousy.
Previously Madam Wu had also been conferred a title. Back then, when Qi Feng requested it, he had waited for a full three years before it was approved. It was only when the Wu family spent money to bribe people from the Ministry of Rites that it was settled. Because she did not have a marriage contract and there was no record in the government office, even if she was conferred a title, she did not dare to celebrate wantonly. The two families could only get together and secretly glee about it.
But Madam Li and Madam Mu were too high-profile.
Even Madam Wu was so jealous, let alone Madam Xu and Little Madam Wu.
Qi Shaosheng was only a year younger than Qi Xiuyuan. In the past, he had looked down on Qi Xiuyuan for being a martial artist, but now that Qi Xiuyuan was already a second-grade feudal official, he was only a juren1. With his eyes lowered, Qi Shaosheng thought of this year’s Spring Quarter Examinations and was determined to make it no matter what.
Qi Shaotai’s face was even paler. He glared at Qi Haoran fiercely. He did not have much talent in studying. At the age of 20, he was only a xiucai1, and had not even passed the Fall Quarter Examinations two years ago…
Qi Haoran did not care about them. After receiving the imperial edict, he stuffed money into the emissary’s hand and sent him away.
The imperial edict, official attire and other items would have to wait until after the seventh day of the lunar new year before someone would come to measure and make them. Qi Haoran didn’t expect the matter to be settled so quickly. To celebrate, he volunteered and said, “I’ll take you all out to stroll around Lin’an Prefecture, and celebrate on the way.”
Before Mu Yangling could agree happily, Li Jinghua shook her head and said, “The Shu family of the Court of Judicial Review sent me an invitation to attend their residence’s plum appreciation banquet. Ah Ling, do you want to come with me?”
Mu Yangling shook her head subconsciously. “I don’t like this kind of banquet.” With that, she looked at her stomach.
Li Jinghua quickly waved her hand and said, “Don’t worry. Wen Cui and Wen Mian will be by my side. Since you’re not going, you can go and play by yourselves.”
Mu Yangling was silent for a moment before asking, “Is the Shu family the Shu family that escaped from Jingzhao Prefecture back then?”
Smiling, Li Jinghua replied, “So you know. It’s this Shu family. However, the Court of Judicial Review’s Shu Yong belongs to the legitimate branch. 16 years ago, the ones who escaped were from the side branch. But they’re also doing well now. Because we’re both from Jingzhao Prefecture, they sent me an invitation.”
Mu Yangling smiled and said, “Then go, Sister-in-law. Just come back and tell me about the banquet. I’m impatient to participate in this kind of thing.”
Li Jinghua agreed with a smile.
Qi Haoran pulled his wife back into the house and asked, “Could this Shu family be Mother-in-law’s maternal family?”
“Most likely.”
Qi Haoran looked at Mu Yangling carefully and asked, “Do you want me to help you ask around?”
“No need.” Mu Yangling waved her hand nonchalantly and said, “It’s best if they don’t recognize me either. I don’t want to have anything to do with them.”