The daily life of a cold and aloof general raising his wife

The Grand Princess's seat was second only to the Emperor and Empress, while Jiang Shuwan's seat was next to the Grand Princess's, and the seats of the Marquis of Dongping and his wife were further away.

Today is Lunar New Year's Eve, and everyone present has a joyful smile on their face and is saying blessings.

Today, all the scions of prominent families have come, and Madam Gu will not let such a good opportunity pass by. She introduces Jiang Shurou to the matriarchs of these families.

Jiang Shurou smiled and chatted with someone, but her eyes never forgot to glance at Jiang Shuwan.

Jiang Shuwan sat quietly in her seat. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt like someone was watching her. She glanced around subtly and her eyes met those of He Jiasanlang.

He Zhizhang, the third son of the He family, did not expect Jiang Shuwan to look at him. He showed what he thought was a very handsome smile.

Jiang Shuwan was disgusted by him.

He Zhizhang was no better than He Erlang in literature and no better than He Dalang in martial arts. He was an uneducated and lecherous man, but unfortunately, this was the son that Lady An Huibo doted on the most.

He Zhilin saw this and scolded in a low voice, "Sanlang!"

He Zhizhang asked impatiently, "What?"

"One must not be unreasonable."

He Zhizhang reluctantly withdrew his gaze, "Oh."

He Zhilin met Jiang Shuwan's gaze and nodded slightly at her.

He Zhizhang scoffed and said, "Second Brother, you're just being hypocritical. Besides, don't you dislike this Jiang family girl? I can't even take a look at her."

He Zhilin frowned and said, "You're not allowed to talk about other girls in public. It will ruin their reputation."

After listening, He Zhizhang said weakly, "Yes, you are a true gentleman."

What they think is just ventriloquism; it's all hypocrisy. What are men pretending to be so serious for?

A sharp voice rang out, "The Emperor has arrived! The Empress has arrived!"

Everyone in the hall knelt and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress! Long live the Empress!"

"My dear subjects, please rise."

Emperor Mingde sat in the main seat with a smile on his face.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Emperor Mingde waved his hand, "Let the banquet begin."

The little eunuch shouted at the top of his lungs, "Let the banquet begin..."

Several female musicians carrying their instruments walked to the center and began to perform.

More than forty years ago, Daqing valued civil affairs over military affairs. Although the country was large, it was weak. Since Emperor Mingde ascended the throne, he changed the previous emperor's style of doing things. Now, things are completely different. The country is prosperous and thriving. Not only the ministers in the court, but also the people are living much better lives.

As the banquet drew to a close, Emperor Mingde, as usual, said a few words and then returned to the palace.

As always, everyone waited for Emperor Mingde to finish speaking before going home.

The Empress suddenly spoke up: "Wan'er has worked very hard these years accompanying her aunt to Mount Wutai to pray for the country. Your Majesty should reward her well."

Emperor Mingde nodded in agreement, "The Empress is absolutely right."

He pondered for a moment, then said, "How about we bestow the title of Princess upon Shu Wan? What does the Empress think of Princess Yongning?"

The Empress smiled and nodded, "I think it's excellent."

After they finished speaking, they both looked at Jiang Shuwan.

Jiang Shuwan rose, walked to the center of the hall, knelt down to express her gratitude, and said, "This humble woman thanks Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress."

The ministers below, watching the emperor and empress's coordinated actions, were quick-witted enough to realize that this was something the emperor had decided long ago, while those who were slower to react, such as the Marquis of Dongping and his wife, and the Earl of Anhui and his wife, were still in a daze.

"You may continue; the Empress and I will return now."

After Emperor Mingde finished speaking, he and the Empress left one after the other.

The ministers respectfully bid farewell to the Emperor and the Empress.

After the Emperor and Empress left, Li Shu couldn't wait to go up to Jiang Shuwan to offer her congratulations.

"Congratulations, Sister Wan."

Before the two could speak, several noble ladies from prominent families came over to congratulate Jiang Shuwan.

These noble ladies are either daughters of dukes or noble families; they are all top figures in the noble ladies' circle.

Jiang Shurou was seething with hatred, but she could only pretend to be nonchalant, especially when she saw those noble ladies come forward to congratulate Jiang Shuwan.

Madam Gu was stunned and said, "How could this be? Why would the Emperor suddenly bestow the title of Princess upon her?"

Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Dongping coughed twice and whispered, "Be careful what you say!"

Gu came to her senses and realized that this was not the place to talk, so she closed her lips tightly.

"I'm going to congratulate my sister on being named a princess," Jiang Shurou said, getting up.

Madam Gu held her daughter's hand, "Rou'er, don't go."

Jiang Shurou looked very troubled.

Marquis Dongping said from the side, "Alright, let her go if she wants to. Wan'er is her own sister, what's wrong with her going to offer her congratulations?"

Madam Gu glared at Marquis Dongping and released Jiang Shurou's hand.

When Li Shu saw Jiang Shurou walking towards them, she said, "Let Sister Wan host a banquet in a few days, and we can have a proper get-together."

"Okay, Shuwan, you probably won't be going to Wutai Mountain so soon this time, right?" asked one of Jiang Shuwan's close friends.

Jiang Shuwan smiled and said, "No, I'll send you invitations after the New Year."

"it is good."

The seven or eight girls made an appointment and then dispersed.

Li Shu didn't like her, so she didn't give her a friendly look when she saw her.

"Sister Wan, I'm going back now. Remember to send me an invitation once you've set a date."

Jiang Shuwan smiled and nodded, "Okay."

Jiang Shurou saw Li Shu bow to her, but Li Shu left without stopping.

Jiang Shurou didn't mind. She walked up to Jiang Shuwan and said softly, "Congratulations, sister."

Jiang Shuwan's expression became much calmer. "Mm."

"Sister, come back to the Marquis's mansion with me today. Mother misses you very much."

Jiang Shuwan met Jiang Shurou's eyes, and the look made Jiang Shurou feel uneasy.

Jiang Shurou's voice was somewhat stiff, "What's wrong, sister?"

Jiang Shuwan looked away. "It's nothing."

The atmosphere was a bit strange as neither of them spoke.

***

As soon as An Huibo got into the carriage, he gave Ye a good scolding.

"Since Erlang did not break off the engagement on his own initiative, he will be the Prince Consort from now on!"

Although a prince consort does not hold an official position, having the title of prince consort makes his career path much smoother.

Madam Ye was also filled with regret, "How could I have known that the Emperor would bestow the title of Princess upon her? Why would the Emperor suddenly bestow the title of Princess upon a woman from a different family?"

"Her grandmother's surname is Li, and she is the famous Grand Princess Zhaorong. She was raised by the Grand Princess since she was a child and has royal blood flowing through her veins. The Grand Princess loves her so much, it's only a matter of time before she is made a princess!"

The explanation of Huianbo's disappointment at the lack of progress.

"Then what should we do? If Erlang is unwilling, why don't we let Sanlang have his way..."

The Earl of Hui'an couldn't believe she had the audacity to say such a thing. "Shut up!"

Ye was unhappy and wanted to talk back, but she didn't dare.

Huianbo didn't want to talk to her anymore, so he simply closed his eyes to rest and figure out what to do next.

The moment the Grand Princess and Jiang Shuwan returned to the Grand Princess's residence, the eunuch who was to deliver the imperial decree arrived.

Soon everyone in the capital knew that Jiang Shuwan had been granted the title of Princess.

The Marquis of Dongping held a sinecure in the court, but the emperor remembered him and would take him along to palace banquets or outings. Everyone knew that this was all because of the Grand Princess.