Sir, my wife is pretending to be innocent again

Chapter 563 Finale (XII)
Yuan Pei, who witnessed the whole process of how the father and daughter flattered the emperor, said that his eyes had been opened. He could not say what Cheng Daqi and Cheng Xiaosi said. He began to reflect on whether he was too rigid and pedantic. No wonder he had exhausted all his efforts in his life but ended up in this place. He didn't know if it was too late to change now.

At this moment, the emperor was even more convinced that Cheng Xiaosi was a blessed man. Even he, the emperor, was blessed. In the past, few merchants wanted to give him gifts, and no merchant praised him so much. He also spontaneously searched for good varieties. If there really was any high-yield new variety, it would be a big deal. The people could have enough food, and he, the emperor, would make a great contribution to future generations. He immediately praised those merchants and asked Cheng Xiaosi to tell them to work hard and tell him as soon as possible if they produced good varieties. He would definitely reward them.

When Cheng Xiaosi left the imperial study, he brought out a lot of rewards, and then he went to see the queen and flattered her.
The queen saw that she was close to him and treated her as a capable lady. Cheng Xiaosi did not let her down. "Thank you for your concern. Everything has been fine in Funan these years. It has been four years. It seems like you have never left. You are still as charming as ever."

The queen smiled and said, "You are much calmer than before. It seems that these years have not been in vain. I heard that you have a little girl. Why didn't you bring her today?"

"It's a bit uncomfortable with the local climate, so I'll take care of it at home. When it's better, I'll bring it to the queen to see and get some of her blessings."

The Queen said that in terms of luck, there is no one in the capital who is better than her. Cheng Xiaosi smiled and said, "Of course, I am a little lucky, but if we really talk about great luck, who in the world can compare to the Queen? Yesterday, I heard that the little boy in the Prince's Mansion can recite poems at the age of three. He is articulate, smart, clever, and cute."

Huahua presented a box with a very rare inkstone inside. "This is the last work of Mr. Mo, a famous inkstone maker. It is also the highest embodiment of his exquisite craftsmanship. I originally wanted to keep it as a treasure at the bottom of the box. When I learned that the young master was so extraordinary, I knew that this inkstone had an owner."

The emperor only had three inkstones like this. The empress was very happy when she saw them. "Mr. Mo's craftsmanship is really extraordinary. Thank you for giving it to me."

The Queen and the Crown Prince had turned their fortunes around last year because the Crown Prince's youngest son showed amazing talent and was deeply loved by the Emperor. He was brought directly into the palace and raised by the Queen's side so that he could see him often. The Emperor also hired a famous teacher to teach the young son. The Crown Prince enjoyed a great reputation because he benefited from his own son.

Cheng Xiaosi came to curry favor with someone. Her father-in-law and biological father both said that the prince's son was very capable and was the first of the emperor's sons and grandsons to be favored. As long as he remained intelligent and did not die young, he would have a bright future and his position as prince would become more and more stable.

Cheng Xiaosi continued to smile as he handed over a not-small box. "To be honest with you, Your Majesty, the treasures in here were all given to me by Madam Wang from Governor Wang's residence when I first arrived in Funan. Neither the pearls nor the jade bracelets in here are things I can wear, so Madam Wang didn't dare to do so. She only kept them in private. Later, when something happened, she wanted to use these to ask my husband to help. I have been keeping them carefully and will give them to Your Majesty when I return to Beijing."

Other people would give one or two items as gifts to the empress, but she gave a whole box with twelve items in total. Each item was a treasure among treasures. It was fine to collect them, but for her to wear them would be ostentatious. There was a small box of pearls in it, each of which was as big as the ones on the empress's phoenix coronet. The key point was that the empress's phoenix coronet did not have as many pearls of the same quality as those in the box.

The Queen picked up each item and looked at it carefully, frowning slightly. "Governor Wang was executed at Caishikou after being demoted to his post. The entire Wang family was exiled. I heard that this family was extremely greedy. I have never seen the items that were confiscated, but I know the amount is huge because of the Emperor's anger. Looking at the items you sent today, I feel that the exile is the Emperor's kindness to the Wang family."

Her eyes fell on Cheng Xiaosi. “Yuanwu has been working diligently in Funan, and the emperor has praised you highly. He was also very impressed to learn that you have been helping with all your strength and mobilizing merchants to donate generously to save the victims at a critical moment. I have always been optimistic about you, and now I think I was right about you.” Cheng Xiaosi bowed to show their loyalty to the court, praised the emperor and the empress, and then had a large box carried in.

"I just arrived in Funan and was inexperienced. I had no relatives and was confused. Thanks to Nanny Fang's advice and arrangements. She used to be a nanny in the Queen's palace. I was lucky to have her help. Fortunately, the emperor bestowed the title of 'Princess of Fu'an County' on me so that I could gain a foothold in Funan. Looking back on the past, the Queen has helped me a lot. I really don't know how to repay her. I can only spread the good name of the Queen. The wives of the merchants in Funan knew that I had returned to Beijing and sent their gifts, hoping that I could bring them to the Queen. The merchants' wealth depends on the strength of their country and the grace of the Emperor and the Queen. They dare not forget their roots."

These words made Nanny Fang, who was standing outside the door, want to give her a thumbs up. It was obvious that she was just occasionally acting under the banner of the Queen, but she said that she was spreading the good name of the Queen. Who wouldn't like to hear this? The county princess was indeed successful in her training, which was cause for celebration.

As expected, the queen's brows relaxed, and her eyes showed intimacy. "You, like your father, are a man who remembers feelings. Show me what they are."

All the gifts from each family were treasures, including materials that would not fade even after being placed for a hundred years, Bodhisattvas carved from white jade, and fortune trees made of gold. Every time Cheng Xiaosi took out an item, he would smile and say who the gift was. When the 50,000 taels of silver note appeared, Cheng Xiaosi smiled first, "They all said they wanted to express their feelings, but they were troubled when it came to giving things. They always felt that they couldn't give anything, so they could only give the silver notes in a tacky way, and asked me to exchange them for silver notes that can be easily exchanged for silver in the capital. Please don't blame them for being tacky, Your Majesty."

The queen was both proud and humble, and smiled happily, "In that case, when you go back, tell them that I accept their kindness. The north suffered a locust plague some time ago. Fortunately, the local people have ways to deal with the locust plague, but they still suffered a lot of losses. This money can be used for disaster relief, so that their kindness can be put into practice."

She wanted to take the 50,000 taels to the emperor to curry favor with him. Cheng Xiaosi flattered her again, and the empress liked her more and more.

The empress was pleased with her for knowing how to handle current affairs, so naturally she gave her rewards. Cheng Xiaosi smiled with her eyes curved. You know, although what she said was a bit exaggerated, it was also the truth. Both the gifts for the emperor and the empress were sent by various families in Funan, and she just brought them into the palace.

Not only did she win the favor of the Emperor and the Empress, she also received a lot of rewards. However, the rewards truly belonged to her, and she benefited from both sides. After returning to Funan, she could continue to enjoy glory.

As they were talking, the Queen couldn't help but ask about Yuan Xin. How could she not know what Princess Chang'an was thinking? However, the Emperor didn't want to see Yuan Xin marry into the Yuan family or marry into the princess's mansion. As the Queen, she naturally had to share the Emperor's worries.

Happy holidays, everyone! Be happy every day! To celebrate, I'm going to add another chapter today.