Xiao Wenjun did not wait for the imperial concubine to come to the door. Instead, he waited for the emperor's imperial edict first. After receiving the news, a group of people quickly walked to the door of the Prince's Mansion to greet her. When they saw that the eunuch who delivered the edict was actually Eunuch An, they felt that the matter would not be simple.
Set up the incense table.
Everyone in the Prince's Mansion knelt down to receive the order.
"Inherited by heaven, the emperor said, longevity and enjoyment are determined by heaven, and the mourning and honor comes from the holy mercy. I heard that the old lady of the Xiao family passed away, and my heart was sad. Wen Qing, the eldest son of the Xiao family in Lanling, has lived in the capital for twenty years. He has restrained himself and returned to etiquette, and he is only sincere in his orders.
, I am pardoning you and returning home to Dingyou.”
Xiao Wenjun brother and sister looked at each other, and saw ecstasy and sorrow in each other's eyes. The emperor finally remembered that the Xiao family still had a proton. It seemed that the death of his grandmother had made the royal family less afraid of the Xiao family. It was really ironic.
All in all, it is a good thing that the eldest brother can return to Lanling.
The two thanked them and accepted the order, and when they were about to stand up, Eunuch An continued: "Don't be impatient, your Majesty still has an order."
"By the destiny of heaven, the emperor said that Wenqing, the eldest son of the Xiao family in Lanling, is of noble character, loyal to filial piety, gentle and elegant, and a talented person. He was canonized as the Duke of Lanling County and granted residence in the ancestral home of Lanling. I admire this!"
"Thank you Lord for your kindness, long live my emperor."
The brother and sister did not hesitate at all and accepted the order with dignity and gratitude.
From the moment he entered the gate of the Crown Prince's Mansion, Eunuch An began to carefully observe Princess Lanling, who had been in the limelight recently. He saw that she was calm in her dealings, with a measured advance and retreat, and not a trace of arrogance and domineering as rumored by the outside world. The rumors were indeed not credible.
"Thank you very much, Mr. An. You have been working hard all the way. Please come to the flower hall and have a cup of tea." Xiao Wenqing did not show any dissatisfaction on his face. He bowed his hands and made a gesture of invitation.
Eunuch An smiled and said: "Congratulations, Mr. Xiao, your majesty has given you permission to set off in three days. Please make preparations early!"
"Yes, thank you for your grace, Your Majesty, and thank you Eunuch An for your advice." Xiao Wenqing also chuckled.
"There's no need to drink tea. Your Majesty can't live without someone there, and I have to go back to my job quickly." Mr. An politely refused.
Xiao Wenqing did not force him to stay, but took out his purse and quietly stuffed it into Eunuch An's hands, and personally sent the person out of the Prince's Mansion.
From beginning to end, Eunuch An never spoke to Xiao Wenjun alone. After returning to the palace, the emperor just casually asked about Xiao Wenqing's situation, but Eunuch An also reported Xiao Wenjun's words and deeds in detail, which won the Sacred Heart great joy.
, praising him for being sensible.
After Eunuch An left, the smiles on the brother and sister's lips faded, and the expressions on their faces became serious.
Two imperial edicts came down one after another, and they were so heavy that people couldn't recover.
"Brother, congratulations on your long-cherished wish coming true and finally being able to return to Lanling."
"Third sister, don't make fun of me. My eldest brother didn't even keep his title in the palace, so why should I congratulate you?" Xiao Wenqing shook his head and smiled bitterly.
I don’t know how many levels are different between the county prince and the king. After this imperial edict, I don’t know how many people are watching the Xiao family’s jokes, and how many people will secretly step on them. Will the Xiao family be defeated in their own hands?
Thinking of this, the joy of returning home was instantly diluted, and Xiao Wenqing couldn't help but feel a little hesitant and sad.
"Brother, don't be discouraged. Grandma once said to us that if you keep the green hills, you won't be afraid of running out of firewood. Besides, the title of prince and marquis is an external thing. As long as the person is around, there is always a chance to get these things back. If the person is gone, everything will be in vain."
In fact, Xiao Wenjun was also very confused. In his previous life, after his grandmother passed away, the emperor ordered his eldest brother to return to his hometown of Dingyou, but he still inherited his father's title. What happened in this life?
Fortunately, the Xiao family's old residence has been preserved. From this point of view, the emperor finally retained some sympathy, which is better than nothing.
"It's me who got caught. The Xiao family is in a precarious situation right now, but I am worried about gains and losses." Xiao Wenqing just sighed, regained his energy, and continued.
"I returned to Lanling this time. I'm afraid I won't have the chance to come to Kyoto again. There's no news on the divorce. I'm very worried about leaving you, Third Sister, alone in this place."
"Brother, please relax, don't you still believe in my abilities?" Seeing his eldest brother cheer up, Xiao Wenjun said proudly: "If eldest brother believes in me, I will seriously discuss a few important matters with you!"
"You and I are all descendants of the Xiao family!" Xiao Wenqing said firmly.
"Brother, the journey is long and there are many variables. There are two official roads from Kyoto to Lanling. Can you take a detour from Jinzhou? You should be more cautious when encountering rocky roads. Send someone to check first before setting off on the road."
"But this will waste a lot of time. After my grandmother passed away, I was disobedient by not returning to Lanling as soon as possible to observe my filial piety. If I continue to huddle on the road for the sake of personal stability, it would be disrespectful!"
"If my eldest brother has an accident on the road, how can he be worthy of my grandmother?" Xiao Wenjun looked solemn and his tone could not be rejected.
She did not immediately discuss the matter of returning to her hometown with her eldest brother when she returned to Beijing, just because she was afraid that he would be suspicious. Now that the imperial edict has been issued, many things must be prepared, reminders that should be reminded, and discussions that should be discussed.
More than a month after the death of his grandmother in his previous life, the eldest brother hurried back to Lanling. It happened to be summer at that time, and heavy rains in recent days caused landslides. The eldest brother happened to be caught in a mudslide and lost one of his legs!
He lost the qualification to go to the battlefield, leaving only his second brother struggling to support himself in the army. However, he was unable to support himself. During a battle, it was rumored that he was captured. The civil and military officials of the whole court criticized him with words and writings. However, in fact, the second brother fought his way out of the siege, but the truth was in the face of interests. Seems insignificant.
A man from the Xiao family would rather die standing than live on his knees!
It is normal to encounter landslides in summer, and there should be no mudslides in autumn, but I am afraid it is man-made and not an accident!
And she didn't dare to gamble!
Xiao Wenqing was stunned when he heard this. When he looked into Xiao Wenjun's eyes that seemed to be filled with meaning, he thought that the third sister would not be unintentional and there would be no harm in paying more attention to him.
"Brother, I understand. Third sister has other requests."
Noticing the change in Xiao Wenqing's words, Xiao Wenjun only pondered for a moment, and then said: "After the eldest brother arrives safely in Lanling, he must continue to maintain the dissolute appearance in Kyoto."
Seeing Xiao Wenqing hesitate to speak, Xiao Wenjun raised his hand to stop him from continuing.
"The harvest this autumn is good. Many states and counties around Lanling have excess grain. Please collect the surplus grain, the more the better. I have left a granary in Lanling, but this matter must be kept secret! And the eldest brother is pretending to be a dandy. , more conducive to doing things.”
"Disasters have occurred frequently in Daqi in recent years, and there are very few good years. This move is just to prevent disasters before they happen!"
"It turns out that Third Sister has already made arrangements." Xiao Wen cleared up his heartache and became even more ashamed. In order to dispel the suspicion of the royal family, he had only empty ambitions, but he had achieved nothing in Kyoto for many years.
In the final analysis, I still look forward and backward, and have too many worries. But I don’t have the courage of my third sister to move forward!
"Brother, there is no need to feel guilty. The descendants of the Xiao family can enjoy glory and bear responsibilities. You have a heavier burden than me. You may go to the battlefield and make contributions in the future. I hope that eldest brother will be careful in everything."
When he heard the word "battlefield", Xiao Wenqing's eyes lit up, and pride suddenly arose in his chest. The depression in his heart that was pressed by the second imperial edict suddenly dissipated a lot.
"Third sister, don't worry, my eldest brother will not disappoint you, let alone bring shame to my grandmother and father!"