"Thank you, Chief Eunuch," Duke Mei bowed respectfully to Shi Lei. "I will attend the palace shortly to thank the Emperor in person."
"No need to come today. The Emperor asked me to tell you to celebrate with your family today. You can call on him tomorrow."
"Oh! But we must thank the Emperor in person for this wonderful beneficence," the newly titled Duchess Yu finally found her voice.
"Tomorrow is appropriate, Duchess," the eunuch stressed his master's words.
She nodded vigorously, her head bobbing up and down like a puppet on a string, so that her husband laughed again, and drew his wife's tiny frame up against him.
"A'Ren! You're a Baron," she laughed, tears of joy shining in her eyes, as she took her eldest son's hands.
"Yes mother, you can call me Baron Mei from now on," he teased.
