Dugu Jingyao is reborn as Li Chu's beloved

The eunuch saluted and said, "Your Highness, Eunuch Gao requests an audience!"

Eunuch Gao was none other than the chief steward of the emperor. The prince thought: Could it be that my father has drafted the imperial edict so quickly?

So the prince said to the young eunuch with a puzzled heart: "Why don't you quickly invite Eunuch Gao in!"

The young eunuch took the order and went out, saying to Eunuch Gao, "Grandpa Gao, the prince wants to see you." Eunuch Gao nodded slightly and walked inside.

When they arrived at the palace, they saw that everyone was there. They first paid their respects to the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. However, since Eunuch Gao was a member of the Emperor's entourage, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess also paid their respects.

The prince saw Eunuch Gao saluting and quickly said, "Eunuch Gao, please don't be so polite." If it weren't for the distance, the prince would have wanted to go forward and help him up himself.

But this did not delay him, because the prince looked at Li Chu, and Li Chu naturally understood what the prince meant, and stepped forward to help Eunuch Gao up.

Eunuch Gao also politely thanked Li Chu, and Li Chu said, "Eunuch Gao, there is no need to be so polite." Then he returned to his seat and sat down again.

Only then did they return to the main topic. The Crown Prince asked, "I wonder if Eunuch Gao has come here to fulfill the Emperor's wish?"

Eunuch Gao looked at the people in the hall and said cheerfully, "Haha, His Royal Highness is right. I am indeed here to announce the decree... and I see that everyone is quite present today, which saves me from having to make an extra trip!"

Yes, Eunuch Gao has followed the emperor since he was a child. The emperor is already old, let alone him. With his old arms and legs, he should make fewer trips if possible.

While Eunuch Gao was thinking about this, the Crown Prince had already come down with the Crown Princess, leading everyone to kneel down.

Seeing this, Eunuch Gao was pleased. He picked up the Mingguang scroll on the tray behind him and began to sing along: "The imperial edict has arrived! By the will of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:

I have heard that Princess Yi'an, Dugu Jingyao, is gentle, virtuous, dignified, and generous, possessing exceptional intelligence and talent since childhood. Prince Guangping, Li Chu, my beloved grandson, is exceptionally brave, talented, and upright, possessing the potential to help the world. I am deeply pleased to hear that the two are so well-matched.

To fulfill your beauty, I have granted Dugu Jingyao the title of Princess Guangping. After you reach the age of marriage, we will choose an auspicious date for your marriage. I hope you two will treat each other with respect, treat each other with dignity, and assist me in governing the country and contributing to the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.

Announce it to the world, and the envoys will hear about it.

Admire this! "

After the imperial edict was read, everyone kowtowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"

Just as he was about to stand up, Eunuch Gao said, "Wait a minute, everyone. The imperial edict just issued was for the consort, and it was for Princess Yi'an. There is also another one for the Guangping Palace."

After hearing this, everyone knew that the imperial edict from Prince Guangping's Palace was slightly different because it contained an additional content that conferred the title of Consort Liang on Cui Caiping.

So everyone continued to kneel in the same place waiting for the imperial decree. Eunuch Gao continued to sing along: "By the will of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:

My eldest grandson, Li Chu, Prince of Guangping, is a man of valiant character, both virtuous and talented, a pillar of the nation. I hereby grant Dugu the title of Princess of Guangping, and Cui the title of Consort of Guangping, and choose an auspicious day for their marriage.

"Dugu, descended from a prominent family, is gentle, virtuous, dignified, and graceful, a model for a princess. Cui, possessing both talent and beauty, possesses exceptional intelligence and is also capable of assisting the Prince of Guangping. I hope that both of you will uphold the virtues of a wife, support your husbands and raise your children, and jointly assist the Prince of Guangping."

Admire this! "

After hearing the imperial edict, Dugu Jingyao was overjoyed. Li Chu's tense nerves finally relaxed, and he breathed a sigh of relief, a gratified smile on his face. Dugu Xin, meanwhile, breathed a sigh of relief, as the imperial edict conferring the title of Liangdi did not mention Cui Caiping's entitlement to the same status as a princess. Everyone knew the significance of this detail: even if Cui Caiping were favored, the emperor would not allow her to surpass Dugu Jingyao.

After all, although the emperor is getting old, his mind is still clear. He will never offend the King of Yunnan and his family, who hold a large number of troops, for the sake of a favorite concubine.

Afterwards, everyone knelt in unison once again to express their gratitude to the Emperor. Eunuch Gao then handed the imperial edict to Li Chu and Dugu Jingyao, smiling and saying, "Well, the imperial edict has been delivered, and it's time for this old servant to take his leave." He then bowed to the two and left.

The Crown Prince wanted to invite Eunuch Gao to stay for a cup of tea, but Eunuch Gao sighed and pointed to another bright yellow imperial edict and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, but I have another family to read the edict to, so I cannot stay."

The Crown Prince certainly understood that besides his family and the Dugu family, the Cui family also needed an imperial decree. So the Crown Princess asked Nanny Xu to respectfully escort Eunuch Gao out.

Outside the door, Aunt Xu politely said, "Thank you for your hard work, Eunuch Gao. Please take care!" Then she took out a purse from her bosom and handed it to Eunuch Gao. Eunuch Gao took the purse, gently weighed it, and replied with a satisfied smile, "I don't deserve it. This is what our family should do." Then he turned around and slowly left.

Nanny Xu kept staring at Eunuch Gao's receding back until he could no longer see her, then she turned around and went back into the hall.

On the other side, Eunuch Gao left the city and took a carriage. It took about a quarter of an hour to reach Cui's Mansion.

The servant of Cui Mansion realized that this carriage must be a palace regulation, and quickly ordered another servant to report to the master and mistress of the house.

At this moment, Cui Minghui, the master of the Cui family and Cui Caiping's father, was diligently handling official business in his study. Suddenly, a gentle knock on the door broke the silence of the study. Cui Minghui raised his head and a serious voice sounded: "Come in."

The door slowly opened, and a young servant cautiously entered. He quickly walked up to Cui Minghui and knelt respectfully to greet him. Then, in a nervous tone, he said, "Greetings to the master. A carriage from the palace just stopped at the gate. I'm afraid someone from the palace has arrived. Please come and receive them, master."

Cui Minghui frowned slightly, thinking to himself. The palace had sent someone here, so there must be something important. He immediately put down his work, stood up, straightened his clothes, and said to the servant, "Lead the way."

The servant quickly stood up and led Cui Minghui out of the study and towards the main gate of the mansion. However, on the way there, Cui Minghui had a rough idea in his mind: it was probably the imperial decree granting the marriage.

Meanwhile, in the backyard, someone came to report to Madam Wei and Cui Caiping that someone from the palace had arrived. Madam Wei took Cui Caiping's hand and said, "Someone from the palace has arrived. I'm afraid the imperial decree granting the marriage has arrived. Let's go and welcome the emperor!" She then asked the servant who had delivered the message, "Have you informed the master?"

The servant said respectfully, "Madam, someone has been sent to inform you that the master is probably on his way to greet the envoy."

After hearing the servant's reply, Mrs. Wei pulled Cui Caiping up, straightened her clothes, walked out of the courtyard, and went to the gate of the mansion.

Fortunately, the gatekeeper was smart and the other servants were quick enough. After Eunuch Gao got off the carriage, he saw Cui Minghui, Madam Wei and Cui Caiping waiting at the door.

Eunuch Gao was very pleased. When he arrived at the gate of the mansion, he first greeted several people: "This old servant pays his respects to Lord Cui, Madam Wei, and Miss Cui!"

How could Cui Minghui just accept Eunuch Gao's courtesy like that? So he gave him a fake support and said, "Eunuch Gao, you are too polite. Come in."

As he spoke, he led Eunuch Gao to the main hall. Cui Minghui and his wife wanted to invite Eunuch Gao to sit down and rest for a while, but Eunuch Gao shook his head and said, "Thank you, Master Cui. However, Your Majesty cannot leave me by your side for too long. I will return to the palace to report after I have announced the decree!"

Cui Minghui looked as if he had suddenly realized something: "Eunuch Gao, you see I am thinking too much. Otherwise, please ask Eunuch Gao to read the imperial edict first!"

Eunuch Gao nodded, picked up the bright yellow imperial edict and sang in unison: "The imperial edict has arrived! By the will of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:

My eldest grandson, Prince Guangping Li Chu, is a man of noble character, filial and virtuous, and talented in both civil and military matters, which brings me great joy. Cui Caiping, descended from a distinguished family, is gentle and virtuous, possessing both virtue and talent, and is a perfect match for Prince Guangping.

I hereby grant Cui Caiping the title of Liangdi to Li Chu, Prince of Guangping, and choose an auspicious day for their wedding. I hope they will treat each other with respect and dignity, and continue the royal family's legacy by nurturing descendants.

Announce it to the world, and the envoys will hear about it.

Admire this! "