……
On the first day of snow, everyone in the Cui household assumed it was merely a coincidence.
When the snow continued into the second day, all the servants in the Cui residence noticed that several of their masters seemed strangely unsettled.
By the third day, the snow was still falling.
On the fourth day, the skies cleared, the snow stopped, and the sun rose.
Early that morning, Cui Yeping and Zhang Yingmei, husband and wife, along with the three young masters of the Cui family, all arrived at Daiyin Court without discussing it beforehand.
They stared at Yaoyao, who had just risen from bed, as though they had a thousand questions to ask her.
Cui Huaiyin was just as shocked that her daughter’s dream had come true yet again.
This made her carefully reconsider every word Yaoyao had said before.
Her daughter had said that her father was His Majesty. Could it actually be true…?
It was not only Cui Huaiyin who thought of the dream Yaoyao had mentioned that day. Cui Yeping, Zhang Yingmei, and the three brothers—Cui Huaiji, Cui Huaihao, and Cui Huaiyi—were all harboring the same suspicion. They wished they could pull Yaoyao aside at once and question her thoroughly until they understood everything.
Yaoyao had just washed her face. Her tender, pale cheeks were as plump as steamed buns, with a rosy flush upon them. She rubbed her eyes and looked up at her mother, grandfather, grandmother, and uncles, sweetly greeting each of them in turn.
Cui Yeping scooped his granddaughter up and bounced her in his arms. “Yaoyao, my good girl, you truly are our family’s little lucky star. Do you remember what you said three days ago? You mentioned your father. Do you still remember?”
Yaoyao obediently nodded. She glanced at the several adults, all anxiously waiting for an answer, and felt pleased with herself. She really was clever now—she had thought of this idea! Once the snow had fallen, they would surely believe her!
Cui Huaiji said, “Good girl, Yaoyao, tell us everything. What was the dream like? Is Yaoyao’s father really the Emperor?”
Yaoyao nodded vigorously and cleared her throat. “In the dream, an immortal grandpa told Yaoyao that Yaoyao’s father is the Emperor!”
“Master! Madam! This is terrible!”
The moment Rongyao finished speaking, a shrill voice rang out from outside.
A young servant suddenly rushed into the courtyard. His face was flushed, and he looked as though he had run a hundred li. He nearly fell over when he entered the room.
“Master! Madam! Something terrible has happened! Someone has broken into the residence, claiming to be from the palace. He says His Majesty has issued an edict summoning Master, Madam, and all the young masters and young ladies to receive it!”
Cui Yeping set Yaoyao down and took a shocked step forward. “What did you say? Someone from the palace? Why would anyone from the palace come to our residence?”
The servant was nearly frightened to tears. Trembling all over, he said, “This servant doesn’t know!”
Cui Huaiyi’s face had gone deathly pale as well. He glanced at his niece and hurriedly said, “Father, could it be that thing Yaoyao mentioned—the confiscation of—”
“Enough!” Cui Yeping cut him off before he could finish. “I’ve only just taken over that mess. How could something like that happen so soon? His Majesty must have issued the edict for some other urgent matter. We must go and receive it at once!”
Although Cui Yeping had offered those reassuring words, no one’s expression eased.
Their father had neither rendered a great service nor saved anyone’s life. Since this was clearly not a reward, it had to be a punishment.
The members of the Cui family hurried off in terror and trepidation to receive the imperial edict.
After all, refusing to receive an imperial edict could cost them their heads!
Rongyao saw every bit of their panic.
She remembered everything from her previous life clearly. There had absolutely never been anything like this.
Could it be that Noble Consort Chen had decided to move against her family ahead of schedule?
The Cui family rushed to the main hall.
Sure enough, they saw a eunuch dressed in brown, wearing a three-cornered hat and a black horn belt around his waist.
Rongyao recognized him at a glance. He was His Majesty’s personal eunuch, Wang Zhong. She and her mother had met him at Bai Xiang Tower.
So it really was the Emperor who was issuing the edict. But what sort of edict was it?
When he saw the eunuch holding a scroll of yellow silk and dressed in official palace robes, Cui Yeping immediately led all his children to their knees.
Wang Zhong’s gaze swept over Cui Huaiyin’s bowed head. Only after confirming that she was the right person did he clear his throat and begin to read.
“By the Mandate of Heaven, His Majesty decrees: The Emperor, traveling incognito among the people, was aided by the young daughter of the Cui family in a moment of danger. Lady Cui, Cui Huaiyin, is dignified and refined, gentle and virtuous, prudent and accomplished, graceful and benevolent, and conducts herself in accordance with propriety. I, having received Heaven’s mandate, hereby dispatch an envoy bearing the imperial seal to confer upon you the rank of Jieyu and its investiture treasures. May you further cultivate your virtue and assist me in my shortcomings. Above, serve the ancestral temple; below, continue the imperial line…”
When the edict had been read, complete silence descended over the hall.
Everyone still kneeling slowly raised their heads and stared at the eunuch who had delivered it, their faces filled with shock.
Only after finishing the proclamation did Eunuch Wang Zhong smile warmly at the Cui family and say, “Lord Cui, Madam Cui, this is a magnificent blessing. Why have you not hurried to receive the edict?”
Cui Yeping finally came to his senses. He rose blankly and accepted the scroll of yellow silk.
In his fifteen years as an official, this was the first time he had been so close to His Majesty—and it was all because of his daughter.
What exactly had the edict said? It had conferred upon her the rank of Jieyu? His daughter? His daughter, who had already been married and had borne a child?
The edict claimed that Huaiyin had saved the Emperor. When had she ever saved him?
After Lord Cui respectfully accepted the imperial edict, Eunuch Wang Zhong’s smile grew even broader. He bent at the waist and ingratiatingly addressed Cui Huaiyin, who was still kneeling.
“Jieyu, please rise. To repay you for your service, His Majesty has sent a great many gifts. The Ministry of Rites has already chosen an auspicious day as well. The twenty-sixth of this month is said to be ideal. When the day comes, this servant will personally escort Jieyu into the palace.”
Cui Huaiyin rose stiffly. She gazed at the smiling Eunuch Wang Zhong, astonishment filling her eyes.
Naturally, she remembered him. He was one of the benefactors who had rescued her at Bai Xiang Tower.
He was actually a eunuch. Then the tall, cold-faced man must have been… the Emperor!
Could imperial edicts really make up whatever they pleased? What did they mean by saying that she had saved him? Clearly, he had been the one to save her.
That, however, was not important. What mattered most was that she was going to enter the palace…
She had only recently divorced and had just escaped the wolf’s den that was the Zhu family. Now she was being sent into an even greater tiger’s den. She had planned to spend the rest of her life living freely outside with her daughter. How had things suddenly come to this?
Once she entered the palace, what would happen to Yaoyao?
Was the Emperor forcing her to marry him?
No matter how unwilling she felt, Cui Huaiyin did not dare allow the slightest hint of refusal or displeasure to show on her face.
This imperial edict was far better than the confiscation of their entire household.
The safety of the entire Cui family mattered far more than whom she married.
Eunuch Wang Zhong carefully studied Cui Huaiyin’s face. Seeing no sign of displeasure, he finally relaxed.
His Majesty had instructed him to observe Lady Cui closely and determine whether she was unhappy about the arrangement.
Fortunately, although Lady Cui was shocked, she had shown no displeasure or intention to refuse. Otherwise, he would have found it difficult to report back.
After receiving his reward, Wang Zhong returned to the palace. Before leaving, he smiled and offered them plenty of instructions. He said that palace matrons would come the following day to teach Cui Huaiyin the proper rules and etiquette, and told her to prepare herself properly for the wedding.
After Wang Zhong left the Cui residence, the atmosphere in the hall became extremely strange.
The family members looked at one another, as though none of them had yet recovered from what had just happened.
Cui Huaihao let out an awkward laugh before speaking. “Yaoyao’s dream really is miraculous. She said the Emperor was her father, and now he’s practically her father already.”
Rongyao: “……”
