At this moment, Mr. Shen, Mrs. Shen, and Qinghong were sitting around the table.
"Alright, you know everything yourself."
Mother Shen looked at her eldest son and gently scolded him.
"Qinghong, you all stay away from Jiaojiao from now on. I'll choose an auspicious day to marry her off to the Second Prince's residence. You all better behave yourselves."
"Mother, my fourth brother and I know."
"Um."
They didn't know why, but when they see Shen Jiaojiao, they wanted to protect her with all their might.
Well...
Shen Qinghong decided to have a good talk with his brother tomorrow to see if he felt the same way.
This night was destined to be an extraordinary one.
Emperor Jingyuan told Empress Lin about his feelings and plans that he had kept for many years.
"From now on, let Chen'er make the most of Miss Shen. Tomorrow, let the Imperial Observatory choose an auspicious day for Miss Shen to enter the Xuan Prince's mansion. That will fulfill Xuan'er's wish."
"What about Consort Li?"
Empress Lin was still somewhat worried, as it was said that Chen'er would be waking up soon.
"Don't worry, we'll just say it's a double celebration: Chen'er is waking up, and the Xuan King is getting married—both are good things!"
"All right."
Empress Lin originally didn't want to get involved in this matter, but based on the news that came back in the past few days, Yan Yunxuan and Shen Jiaojiao were supposed to be chosen by Heaven, which was detrimental to her Beichen. She had thought about taking precautions and nipping it in the bud, but she hadn't succeeded.
That's why she couldn't sleep for a long time.
But tonight, they all saw a turning point.
...
Shen Mingzhu was quite excited to attend court today because it was the first time she had worn an official robe. The robe of a sixth-rank civil official was embroidered with egrets, symbolizing auspiciousness and purity.
[Guagua, do I look beautiful in this outfit?]
[Host, you're so beautiful and dashing! You're practically the number one lady in the Great Yan Dynasty!]
[Hahaha... That's right, I am the first woman from the Great Yan Dynasty to serve as an official in the court, a fact that will be recorded in history!]
It was rare that Shen Mingzhu wasn't carried into the carriage today. Seeing her daughter's excited little face, Shen's mother's heart melted!
She's still a child!
Soon, the palace gates opened, and Shen's father and Shen Mingzhu entered the main hall together.
Today, General Tian Xuezhou, the Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry, wore a court robe with his arm bandaged.
In ancient times, since there was no gauze, clean white linen was used for wrapping.
Seeing General Tian's expression, many ministers couldn't help but chuckle.
[Guagua, General Tian is really going all out! He's injured but still insists on coming to court! He won't even take a day off; he's really going all out for that little bit of salary!]
[Host, what are you thinking! You think he's earning that paltry sum like you did before? A second-rank general's annual salary is 400 strings of cash, plus an additional 50 strings; plus one ox, one sheep, three pigs, five bolts of silk, and twenty catties of grain. At that time, the minimum annual expenditure for an average family was 200 strings of cash! Otherwise, how do you think General Tian could buy grain and medicine to send to the north!] (This is based on the salary of a second-rank general in the Song Dynasty; don't get hung up on the details!)
[Guagua, are you kidding me? The national treasury only has 660,000 taels of silver left, isn't it? It really is empty!]
"Cough cough cough!!!"
Shen Changyuan coughed heavily several times.
At this moment, Emperor Jingyuan was already sitting high on the dragon throne, and Wang Defu's high-pitched voice announced the start of court.
[Host, don't worry, the national treasury is full again! The Xiao family has been beheaded or exiled, and all their wealth has been transferred to the national treasury. Just think of that room full of gold...]
Indeed! In times of hardship, a few corrupt officials are executed to replenish the national treasury!
[Guagua, which of the ministers are relatively wealthy?]
All the ministers were on edge, fearing they would be called out next.
It's practically a death knell!
Could Emperor Jingyuan forgive corrupt officials?
They don't know why, but they felt that Emperor Jingyuan looks much younger today.
Emperor Jingyuan listened attentively, glancing at the key ministers in the hall.
They received that death stare!
[Host, you've come to the right person! There really is a big fat sheep in the palace!]
[Oh? Who is it? Who is it?]
Everyone pricked up their ears to listen, and the hall fell silent.
[Guagua, why are they so quiet! Did everyone notice I ate a piece of red bean cake?]
[I don't know, host.]
The ministers soon began discussing it again.
Who is it?
Who is it?
Shen Changyuan was so anxious that he scratched his head and cheeks. The national treasury's silver was far from enough!
According to his daughter historical records, a Little Ice Age typically lasts between thirty and eighty years, and it cycles every four to five hundred years.
According to records, this will last for more than fifty years, from the end of a certain dynasty to the beginning of a new dynasty.
During this period, the average temperature across the country plummeted, and the frigid weather brought enormous hardship to people's lives.
Emperor Jingyuan was also secretly surprised by this. The Little Ice Age is happening during the reign of Crown Prince Yan Beichen. Was it because the national treasury was empty and the people were suffering terribly that people in various places rose up in rebellion? The second prince interfered and then slowly brought the Great Yan Dynasty into his own hands.
Looking at Yan Yunxuan, who remained silent below, Emperor Jingyuan's eyes were unfathomable.
[Guagua, stop being so mysterious and tell me!]
[Clang! Clang! Clang! Of course, it's the Chai family, the moneybags of our chosen one, the Second Prince Yan Yunxuan, and also the consort of Princess Chang Le!]
Birds of a feather flock together!
System: That's not true!
Marquis Zhongyong, Chai Yi, immediately knelt in the main hall.
Before he could speak, the Imperial Guards gagged him and dragged him out.
The relatives of the Marquis of Zhongyong trembled with fear.
Their life is over!
Shen Mingzhu: Who was just dragged out?
The second prince's face turned deathly pale, and he knelt upright in the main hall.
Emperor Jingyuan looked at him and said calmly,
"Prince Xuan, considering your diligence, hard work, and selfless dedication, you shall take Miss Shen into your household in ten days. Since you are in love, I grant your wish!"
Yan Yunxuan was filled with mixed feelings. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of Ehuang and Nüying and marry a young lady from the Shen family, but he knew that it was impossible for him to do so!
Looking at Shen Mingzhu behind the main hall, with pastry crumbs still on her lips, he felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
Why couldn't I have waited!
[Guagua, tell me quickly, how rich is the Chai family?]
[Haha, you'd never guess! The Chai family owns a gold mine, an iron mine, tens of thousands of acres of fertile land, hundreds of estates, and countless shops, covering all aspects of people's lives!]
Hiss!!
The entire court of officials gasped in shock.
Wow, wow, this is too rich!
You wouldn't normally guess that the young master of the Chai family never pays for his own drinks when he goes out with friends, saying that his family is very strict!
Good heavens!
It really proves the saying: the richer you are, the stingier you become!
First, there was General Tian eating radishes at home; then, there was the heir of the Marquis of Loyalty and Valor eating, drinking, playing, and whoring for free.
The world has finally gone mad and become something they don't recognize!
I really couldn't tell.
Seeing Emperor Jingyuan's gloomy face, none of the ministers dared to utter a sound.
Afraid of incurring bad luck...
Yan Yunxuan's eyes finally closed!