The daughter of the first wife grew up in the countryside and was extremely powerful

Shi Jinyan stretched out his hand to push away the noise so that his ears would be quieter. He did not answer, but his eyes were deep, and no one knew what he was thinking.

He turned to look at the fifth prince Pei Bozhi, who was drinking tea calmly.

The Fifth Prince was the son of Concubine Wen, and the Emperor's most beloved son. Although there was a Crown Prince above him, the Prince, though gifted and intelligent, had been frail and sickly since childhood. Numerous renowned doctors had been unable to cure his condition, with one Imperial Physician stating that the Prince might not live past the age of twenty-five.

Therefore, many ministers in the court were secretly observing to see who would eventually ascend the throne.

No one expected that this famous figure in the court would come to the general's mansion in person today.

You know, Gu Mingqing has always maintained a neutral attitude in the struggle between the princes. Now his sudden appearance seems to indicate that someone in the court has begun to have new ideas.

When the group walked into the front hall, they immediately saw the man sitting in the upper seat in the room holding a bright yellow imperial edict.

Everyone immediately knelt down and respectfully accepted the order.

The fifth prince looked around, but found that the young woman was not beside the old general, so he asked, "Where is the heroine of today's birthday party? This imperial decree from my father is specifically for her. Please ask her to come forward!"

Everyone was shocked again when they heard this. They had never imagined that this imperial edict was actually prepared for this young lady who had just returned! Everyone's eyes were focused on Gu Fanchu. Her beautiful face and noble temperament were impossible to ignore.

Gu Fanchu was also surprised. She hadn't expected that there was something about her. At Wang's glance, she walked forward and knelt beside her two uncles. A strange feeling welled up in her heart. She didn't know what was going on in this imperial edict.

The Fifth Prince then announced the contents of the imperial decree: "By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor decrees that Miss Gu Fanchu of the General's Mansion is of upright character and outstanding talent. Although a woman, she cares deeply about the people. This time, she has made great contributions in helping the people survive the cold winter. She is truly a jewel of our dynasty. She is hereby granted the title of Princess Lingyu, a reward of one thousand taels of gold, and the Lingyan Villa. This is my decree."

As the Fifth Prince finished reading the imperial edict, the entire hall fell into a dead silence. Everyone was stunned, their mouths wide open. They couldn't believe what they heard. A mere woman, actually receiving such a high honor, was simply unbelievable!

"Your Majesty, I accept the order and thank you." Gu Fanchu took the imperial edict calmly, but she was very surprised in her heart. She didn't expect that Gu Xunzhou would give her the credit.

The Fifth Prince then smiled and said to Gu Mingqing beside him: "General Gu, it seems that the younger generation in the mansion are all very good."

Gu Mingqing smiled modestly, "Fifth Prince, your compliments are unmerited. Your Majesty is wise."

When the others heard that Gu Fanchu had actually fought for the title of princess for herself, they were all puzzled for a moment.

At this time, Ji Yunchen also smiled heartily: "I came a little late to meet you today, Lord Shi. I hope the old general will not blame me."

The General's Mansion naturally sent an invitation to the Chief Justice of the Dali Temple, but Ji Yunchen had always been unrestrained and seldom attended banquets of these families in the capital, let alone a birthday party for a girl to recognize her relatives, not to mention that there was also the cold-faced Taifu who had always lived in seclusion, which was even more surprising.

It is easy to tell who is more important among the people attending today's banquet without having to make any comparisons.

The gifts for Shi Jinyan and the other two were separate. The box looked very valuable. In public, Gu Fanchu couldn't open it to see what was inside. He could only thank Wang Ma and Qiu Tang next to him repeatedly and let them accept it.

Seeing that the time was almost up, Gu Mingqing brought everyone to the banquet hall. What was originally an ordinary birthday party for family reunion became extremely lively. However, those with discerning eyes could also see that the young girl who had just returned from the Gu family was quite capable.

At least after today, she will naturally have a place in the circle of noble ladies in the capital.

When the banquet was over and the guests had left, Gu Fanchu returned to her yard. Looking at the branches of the book that were gradually beginning to turn green, she finally felt something real.

This life...it's different!

The identity of this princess surprised her. After all, in her previous life, Meng Hewan was rewarded by the emperor for solving this matter, but it was only a reward and praise, and she was not given the status of a princess.

Could it be that someone is fanning the flames here? But... who is it?

Gu Fanchu was still confused. In the study on the other side, several men of the Gu family were gathered together to discuss today's affairs.

Gu Xunzhou told his grandfather and father in detail how Gu Fanchu had given him advice, how he had reported it to the emperor, and how he had accomplished the whole process.

After hearing his son's words, Gu Yunye felt even more favorable towards the newly returned child. He carefully asked, "Did the Emperor make any changes to you?"

It seems that although this matter was proposed by Gu Fanchu, it was actually carried out by his own son. The general's mansion is now in too high a position and has aroused the fear of some people.

It's okay to give the credit for this matter to a little girl. It's just a title of a princess, and there is no fiefdom, so there is nothing to worry about.

However, the position of the General's Mansion is too high now, and it has aroused the fear of many people. If the emperor gives Gu Xunzhou any other rewards or promotions, it would probably be a disaster.

Gu Xunzhou naturally knew his father's concerns. Over the years, he had tried his best to keep a low profile, but this incident was unavoidable. "The Emperor hasn't made it clear yet, only saying that he'll give the reward after this matter is over."

Gu Yunye frowned and looked at the old general who was sitting behind the desk with a calm expression: "Father, what do you think?"

Gu Qingming stroked his beard a few times out of habit, then he sighed deeply and said helplessly, "If they really want to reward you, then naturally we can't stop them. Fortunately, this incident has earned the General's Mansion a lot of reputation. We just need to be more careful in the future. But..."

Gu Qingming paused, and the two people in the room also guessed another layer: "We must be more cautious about the marriage arrangements in our general's mansion in the future."

Gu Xunzhou already has a fiancée, who was chosen by the Empress herself. She is the legitimate daughter of the Ji family, a century-old aristocratic family.

At that time, the Gu family was extremely satisfied with this marriage. After all, it was a good match and a strong alliance.

However, the emperor's health has been failing in the past two years, and the competition among the princes has become fierce. Whoever can win over the general's mansion will naturally be able to strengthen his own confidence.

The Ji family is the Empress's adopted family. If they were to marry at this time, the Gu family would have to stand on the side of the Crown Prince.

Therefore, what was originally an excellent marriage has now become a hot potato. It is impossible to cancel the engagement. After all, the girl from the Ji family did nothing wrong, it was just the wrong timing.