latelenovela Chapter 105 Marquis of Ding'an Steps Forward to Receive His Title
Chapter 105 Marquis of Ding'an Steps Forward to Receive His Title
After everyone had finished savoring the exquisite mooncakes, the Empress Dowager slightly raised her hand to signal the palace maid beside her to help her up. She then turned to look at the ministers and concubines present, and said softly with a hint of weariness on her face, "My lords, I am feeling a little tired today, so I must return to the palace to rest. Please enjoy your meal."
Upon hearing the Empress Dowager's words, all the high-ranking ministers and delicate concubines below rose and bowed in unison, responding respectfully in unison: "We (your humble servants) respectfully bid farewell to Your Majesty the Empress Dowager! May Your Majesty enjoy good health and long life!" For a moment, the sound of everyone's respectful farewell echoed throughout the Xuanhua Hall.
The Empress Dowager smiled and nodded, then, amidst the respectful gazes of the crowd, she slowly walked out of Xuanhua Hall, surrounded by palace maids and eunuchs. Once the Empress Dowager's figure had completely disappeared from sight, Li Desheng, who had been serving her, understood the Emperor's tacit signal. He quickly stepped forward and loudly proclaimed, "Marquis of Ding'an, step forward to receive your investiture!"
Marquis Ding'an, Su Heng, was sitting upright in his seat when he heard the shout. He dared not be negligent in the slightest, quickly stood up, straightened his official robes, and walked steadily out to the center of the hall.
Without hesitation, Su Heng knelt down on both knees, prostrated himself on the ground, and shouted, "Your humble servant, Marquis Su Heng of Ding'an, pays his respects to Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!" His voice was as loud as a bell, echoing for a long time in the vast palace.
"The Marquis of Ding'an has rendered a great service in developing the repeating crossbow! I have decided to reward him with a thousand taels of gold, ten bolts of brocade, and a villa. Furthermore, given that the Marquis of Ding'an has no heir, I hereby bestow upon him the following honors in advance: if a son is born into the Marquis of Ding'an's household in the future, he will be named the heir apparent; if a daughter is born, she will be named the Princess of Lanyang. These honors will be proclaimed to the world tomorrow!" The Emperor sat upright on his dragon throne, his voice booming like a bell, each word resounding and powerful, as if every sentence were an unalterable imperial edict.
Upon hearing this, the ministers below the court were in an uproar. Su Heng, the Marquis of Ding'an, who was standing at the forefront, was even more excited. He immediately knelt down, put his hands on the ground, and slammed his forehead heavily on the cold, hard ground, shouting, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your great grace! Long live the Emperor!" His voice trembled slightly with excitement.
The other ministers present exchanged bewildered glances, some still reeling from the sudden and generous reward. They thought to themselves, "Isn't the Emperor being far too kind to the Marquis of Ding'an? He's only invented a repeating crossbow; is such a grand reward really necessary?" However, some astute individuals instantly grasped the reason behind it all.
All eyes turned to the Duke of Zhenguo, who was seated at the front. The Duke of Zhenguo's family already held two noble titles; if the Marquis of Ding'an's lineage were to rise further, wouldn't that disrupt the power balance at court? After all, two noble titles per family was already an extremely rare honor; surely, there was no going back to two dukes per family? Even if the Emperor intended it, the powerful Duke of Zhenguo might not agree…
If the Duke of Zhenguo were to actually bestow the title of Duke of Two States upon a single family, he would certainly not agree. What kind of reward would this be? It would clearly be a treacherous plot to take the entire Duke of Zhenguo's family.
On the other side, when Su Nuannuan heard about such a generous reward, she was initially genuinely happy for her elder brother. After all, receiving such a substantial reward was proof of his extraordinary achievements. However, this joy lasted only a moment before being replaced by deep worry. She knew all too well that such excessive favors often came with unpredictable risks.
This simple Zhuge Repeating Crossbow had actually brought the eldest brother such astonishing rewards, with even his unborn child receiving a title in advance. All of this came so suddenly and so violently that it made one feel uneasy.
Su Nuannuan pondered to herself, "Next, eldest brother must keep a low profile and not act rashly. Otherwise, a slight misstep could lead to utter ruin. However, it might be appropriate to take some action with second and third brothers, but they absolutely cannot be too ostentatious. As the saying goes, the taller the tree, the more the wind will blow; it's best to be cautious in everything." Thinking of this, her gaze involuntarily fell upon her eldest brother, who was kneeling and kowtowing in gratitude in the center of the hall.
At this moment, the Emperor, sitting high on his dragon throne, smiled and said, "My dear minister, please rise." Upon hearing this, Su Heng slowly stood up, respectfully bowed to the Emperor, and then carefully retreated to his own seat.
Immediately afterwards, the Emperor glanced at the assembled officials and said in a loud voice, "My beloved ministers, if any of you can research something that benefits the country and its people and successfully implement it, I will also bestow upon you a generous reward. Well then, I still have many memorials to review and process, so I will not accompany you any longer today."
"Your Majesty, we (your humble servants, your concubines) respectfully see you off."
The Emperor slowly rose to his feet and then left the banquet with steady steps. Everyone's eyes followed the Emperor's departing figure until he completely disappeared from sight.
Immediately afterwards, the Empress also stood up. She wore a magnificent phoenix robe and a red, feathered nine-phoenix hairpin, making her appear elegant and graceful. The Empress nodded slightly, smiled at everyone present, and then, surrounded by palace maids, slowly left her seat.
Following the Empress, the concubines also rose from their seats. Some were graceful, others charming and lovely, each carrying their own unique style and allure. For a moment, the banquet hall was filled with figures, their robes fluttering in the breeze.
After all the masters had left, the once quiet banquet hall suddenly became lively. The ministers breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged glances, and then headed towards where the Duke of Zhenguo and the Marquis of Ding'an were.
The ministers were all smiles, repeatedly saying, "Congratulations!" Their voices rose and fell.
Because Lady Ding'an was six months pregnant and had difficulty moving around, the Empress specially decreed that she was exempt from attending the banquet at the palace. The Empress made this arrangement mainly because she was worried that someone might take the opportunity to harm Lady Ding'an.
After all, the inner palace is a place where people's hearts are unpredictable, and various open and covert struggles occur frequently. If Lady Ding'an were to meet with misfortune in the palace, the Empress, as the head of the harem, would inevitably be implicated and would be criticized for her incompetence.
Therefore, the Empress acted decisively, nipping any potential dangers in the bud. She avoided everything that could be avoided, ensuring the smooth running of the reunion banquet without any mishaps.
Su Nuannuan returned to Cuiwei Palace, and when she entered the children's room, she found it peaceful and serene. The two little ones were already fast asleep, and Su Yueniang and Honglian were each guarding their bedside.
Tingxue was sitting at the table in the outer room, intently sewing clothes. Hearing footsteps approaching, Tingxue quickly stopped her needlework, stood up, and prepared to greet Su Nuannuan.
However, before Tingxue could speak, Su Nuannuan raised her hand, signaling her to be quiet. Then, Su Nuannuan quietly approached and asked in a low voice, "Are the two children asleep?"
"Your Majesty, I've already gone to bed," Tingxue replied softly.
"Since they've gone to sleep, I won't go in. You should all get some rest too."