The most dissolute couple in the capital

At dawn the next day, the Zichen Hall of the Daming Palace was filled with the aroma of burning incense and gold, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

Officials filed in according to their rank and lined up on both sides. When the chief eunuch, holding a bright yellow silk scroll, stood on the jade steps and unfolded it, the officials held their breath, knowing that today would surely be a major event.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: The eldest daughter, Li Zhao, is exceptionally intelligent, respectful, frugal, benevolent, compassionate towards the people, and has achieved outstanding political accomplishments; therefore, she is hereby granted the title of Prince of Yan. The second prince, Li Han, is granted the title of Prince of An. The third prince, Li Ye, is granted the title of Prince of Hui…"

The imperial decree caused an uproar throughout the hall.

Everyone guessed that there would be rewards today, but no one expected the emperor to be so bold.

"Yan" is one of the most prestigious single-character titles for princes, traditionally reserved for the most favored princes, yet now it has fallen upon a princess.

Moreover, the title of the Second Prince Li Han was "An" and that of the Third Prince was "Hui," clearly implying both a warning and a reassurance.

The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment, and a low hum filled the hall.

Li Zhao, dressed in a purple court robe, stood at the head of the princes' procession.

After the imperial decree was read, she calmly stepped forward, knelt, and performed a deep salute: "Your subject receives the decree and kowtows to express gratitude for Your Majesty's great favor."

Ten months of local hardship have tempered her, making her even more reserved and sharp-witted.

In that kneeling and bowing motion, he actually displayed a certain air of a prince holding court, exuding an aura of profound authority.

In contrast, the Second Prince Li Han, standing behind her, had his hands clenched into fists under his sleeves.

Prince An... Father Emperor is clearly humiliating him in front of the entire court!

He originally thought that with Lady Lu's marriage, he would regain the emperor's favor, but who knew that he would only receive such a title in return.

The Third Prince, Li Ye, was quite frank. Having spent many years in the military, he didn't have many ulterior motives. He strode forward and knelt down to express his gratitude.

Even though Li Han's heart was in turmoil, under the emperor's condescending gaze, he could only swallow his anger with a pale face and kneel down to express his gratitude.

"I have an objection!"

As expected, after the three new princes finished expressing their gratitude, a censor from the Imperial Censorate stepped forward and loudly proclaimed, "Your Majesty! Although Emperor Taizu set a precedent by bestowing princely titles upon princesses, that was merely a measure to appease the people at the beginning of the dynasty. Now that the empire is at peace, the sudden bestowal of the title of Prince of Yan upon the eldest daughter, placing her above all the princes, may violate the principles of yin and yang and disrupt the order of the court! I urge Your Majesty to reconsider!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several conservative censors behind him also began to stir with urges.

The emperor on the dragon throne did not speak, but merely fiddled with the jade thumb ring on his thumb with a half-smile.

Before he could speak, Shen Xie, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, had already stepped forward.

"That's not right," Shen Xie said loudly, showing no respect for the censor. "When has the court ever distinguished between men and women when rewarding merit? Don't you all know what His Highness Prince Yan has done these past ten months? He's taken in hundreds of orphanages, and the tax reform has forced local governments to pay 20% more silver. The Ministry of Revenue's accounts are all in black and white—that's real money!"

Shen Xie's sharp gaze swept over the censor who had just spoken, his tone slightly raised: "May I ask, Your Excellency, if such a great achievement that benefits the country and the people is not rewarded handsomely, wouldn't that chill the hearts of all the officials in the land? Or, Your Excellency, do you think that among all the princes, whose achievements can surpass those of His Highness the Prince of Yan?"

Out of the corner of everyone's eye, they subtly glanced at Prince An, Li Han, whose face had turned from pale to ashen. The Second Prince had been living like a quail in his palace for the past six months, hoping his father would forget the farce in the Imperial Garden last year. To compare him to Li Zhao, who returned to the capital with real gold and silver and the people's praise, was simply humiliating.

The censor was speechless and subconsciously turned to look at the prime ministers.

Wang Si, the Grand Secretary, looked down as if he were asleep; Zhang Huai'an, the Attendant-in-Ordinary, was intently studying the patterns on the floor tiles.

The officials in the Censorate immediately understood that the prime ministers had already reached a tacit agreement with the emperor in the Hall of State Affairs. If they stepped forward now, not only would no one be there to support them, but they would also offend both the emperor and the Prince of Yan, and be accused of "disregarding the national treasury."

It's not worth it, it's not worth it at all.

The censor, who had been indignant just moments before, immediately lost his temper and could only awkwardly say, "I was only acting in accordance with propriety and law," before slinking back into the ranks.

A storm that could have caused a huge uproar was quietly quelled.

The Emperor, seated high on the dragon throne, nodded slightly: "Since there are no objections, this matter is settled. The Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Clan Court shall immediately begin the investiture ceremonies for the princes, without any delays."

"Your Majesty, we obey."

All the officials bowed and accepted the order.

-

In the warm pavilion in the backyard of the Xiao residence, the charcoal fire was burning brightly. Cui Qingyi leaned against the pillow, holding a cup of hot tea in her hands. Looking at Cui Lingyi, who was heavily pregnant but insisted on personally pouring her fruit syrup, she couldn't help but reach out to stop her.

"Sit down and don't move." Cui Qingyi pressed her back onto the soft couch. "You're seven or eight months pregnant, and you're wandering around the room like nothing's wrong. Are the maids in the Xiao family just for show?"

Cui Lingyi smiled as she was pressed down, and slowly sat down, supporting her waist with one hand: "I was so bored at home, I'm so glad you came."

Cui Qingyi glanced at her belly; she was seven or eight months pregnant, and her waistline was no longer as slender as it used to be.

She had seen Cui Lingyi's child in her past life; the child was healthy and chubby. This child should be just as good.

"Where is General Xiao?" Cui Qingyi asked casually.

A smile appeared on Cui Lingyi's face: "He's on duty. Ever since General Xiao got him a position as Right Assistant General of the Right Jinwu Guard in the capital at the beginning of the year, he's been much busier than before. But it's good, at least he has something serious to do."

Cui Qingyi nodded.

The official fifth-rank position would take most people eight to ten years to achieve, but Xiao Jue got it as soon as he got married.

General Xiao had connections and influence, and the path he paved for his youngest son was both solid and secure.

Cui Qingyi said, "General Xiao is a military god of the Northern Frontier, a figure of great importance in His Majesty's inner circle. It is only natural to arrange a position for his own son."

Cui Lingyi smiled but didn't respond to that. Instead, she said, "By the way, I heard that my uncle was promoted to Assistant Minister of Rites this year? Congratulations!"

Cui Qingyi raised an eyebrow.

Cui Qingyi didn't really care much about Cui Zhiyuan's promotion. From a sixth-rank secretary to a fifth-rank assistant minister in the Ministry of Rites, it seemed like a happy occasion to outsiders, but Cui Qingyi knew in her heart that it was partly due to her status as the Princess Consort of Liang.

"It's just a minor change, nothing serious." Cui Qingyi waved her hand. "The Ministry of Rites is indeed a prestigious place, but it's also poor. However, given my father's personality, he wouldn't try to make money even if given a lucrative position, so it's better for him to remain in a prestigious one."

Cui Lingyi covered her mouth and laughed: "What are you saying? Who outside doesn't praise Uncle for being upright and honest?"

"Integrity and poverty were synonymous in my father's life," Cui Qingyi said expressionlessly.

After laughing enough, Cui Lingyi picked up the fruit syrup and took a sip. Suddenly, she lowered her voice and asked, "Qingyi, have you heard about the imperial decree conferring the title of prince?"

Cui Qingyi's eyes flickered slightly: "The Emperor's grace is boundless."

Cui Lingyi leaned closer, lowering her voice even further: "Prince of Yan. This title..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was already quite clear.

Yan is the mighty kingdom of the north.

Since the founding of the Great Ning Dynasty, only a handful of princes have been granted the title "Yan," and each of them was a pivotal figure in the court at that time.

The second prince, Li Han, was granted the title "An," and the third prince, Li Ye, was granted the title "Hui." Although on the surface the three were granted the title of king at the same time with the same grand scale, anyone who has read a few books could see the difference in importance and status between the titles.

An means to be content with one's lot and keep to one's own ways.

The word "惠" (huì) means gentleness, kindness, and grace.

The swallow... is an instrument of emperors.