Mingyan's father put away his chin and said seriously: "I received a notice from the Ministry of Education... that our family's aristocratic status will be restored."
"What?"
"So, today I am going to see the emperor about this matter. Ah Rong and Azhi are also here. You are also in the palace, so I came to see you."
Mingyan froze on the spot, her mouth wide open.
"What happened now...our family..."
"Because the Chen family has lost power, the new emperor is aware of everything and knows that the Liang family is not at fault."
"..."
The Mingyan family used to be nobles.
Of course, nobles are also divided into high and low levels based on their titles. The Liang family is considered a low-level noble, but her father has a serious career in officialdom. Mingyan became a court actress as the daughter of a nobleman.
About half a year after Mingyan became a court lady, her father was suddenly deprived of his noble status, for reasons that are still unclear to this day.
The ostensible reason was that his father had made serious mistakes in his work as a minister, so he wanted to deprive him of his status and fiefdom. However, Mingyan's father had no idea where he had made mistakes. He only knew that the late emperor happened to be ill at that time, and Lu
Concubine Chen, the mother of Prince Wuxian, and her family took advantage of the chaos to gain political power, and the confiscated fiefdom of the Liang family also belonged to Concubine Chen.
Mingyan still clearly remembers the blow she received at that time.
She went from a noble daughter to a daughter of a family with no official position or status, and her father was deprived of his status because of his mistakes. The attitude of other palace servants towards her changed significantly.
Amid everyone's sneers, she wanted to leave several times, but she thought that once she left, it would be equivalent to admitting her father's unfounded crime, so she gritted her teeth and endured it, practicing dance diligently.
Although the family no longer had a salary and income from the fiefdom, my father was frugal by nature and had accumulated considerable property over the years. He used this property to start his favorite musical instrument business and received strong support from famous musicians with whom he had close friendships.
Families of domestic musicians ordered musical instruments from his father one after another. In addition, he started making simple musical instruments that even children could play, which were well received, and business was getting better day by day.
Soon after, Mingyan's second brother Liang Zhi married the daughter of a nearby shop and started a furniture business. Mingyan also became the daughter of a famous big businessman in the capital and regained a foothold in the church.
The eldest brother Liang Rong passed the national examination and became an official. Looking back now, the aristocratic days seem very far away.
"So...what are your plans now? After recovery..."
"what should I do?"
Mingyan's father smiled jokingly.
"Although I have become a businessman in less than ten years, even if I return to my noble status now, it will not be of any help to me... It just allows me to vent my grievances from back then."
"yes……"
"You can also marry as the daughter of a noble."
"..."
Mingyan immediately frowned, and her father smiled even happier.
"Are you still having trouble with men?"
"I'm not interested in this kind of thing..."
"It doesn't matter. I didn't want you to enter the harem when I asked you to come here. It doesn't matter whether you want to get married or not, as long as you like it. You like dancing, right?"
"yes……"
She likes to dance... although...
"Whether you are a noble or not, it doesn't matter to me. Although I suffered a lot back then, it doesn't have much impact now."
Of course she couldn't start showing off her power just because all the noble daughters left, thinking that she was the noble daughter now.
"……Yeah?"
Father nodded, took a breath, and stood up.
"It's almost time, your two brothers are still waiting outside."
"Okay, let's go!"
Mingyan and her father walked out among the palace servants who were preparing to leave the workshop.
…
"I know you must be very unwilling. Your family has suffered a lot over the years."
They originally thought that the emperor would sit high and talk, but they didn't expect that their family was taken to a room in the Rising Sun Palace. The new emperor... Lu Fusu stood there waiting for them, and even said considerate words.
Mingyan originally guessed that the emperor who married Shui Xinyuan might be a bit weird, but now she couldn't help being frightened, and her father and two brothers also hurriedly knelt down.
"I...I am scared! Your Majesty, you..."
"You guys sit down and talk! It's hard to talk with your head down."
...The Emperor is really weird...
Under the urging of Zhuge Ciyun who was accompanying him, his father and brother sat down in fear. After seeing Mingyan also sit down, the emperor finally sat down.
"I invited you here today because of what I informed you a few days ago. I believe you know best. You have no fault... Of course, you also know why this happened."
"yes……"
Mingyan's father lowered his head and bent his huge body.
"I know that this cannot be solved by apologizing. We must first restore your status at the time, return your fief, the income from the fief from the time it was confiscated to the present, and the salary of Shangshu Youpushe."
"But it has been many years. Logically speaking, I should be promoted. I am no longer the right servant. The amount of my salary is also different."
Hearing Zhuge Ciyun's addition, the emperor also nodded.
The father looked back at his two sons, and they shook their heads at the same time.
Apparently they had discussed it at home, but they didn't tell Mingyan the result.
"I thank the Emperor for his kindness..."
Father raised his head and straightened his body.
"But as long as you have the emperor's intention, it is enough. Regarding the restoration of official position, please forgive me for resigning."
Lu Fusu and Zhuge Ciyun looked at each other.
"...Don't you want to restore your status as a noble?"
"The Liang family has become a businessman. Fortunately, with the help of friends, even after losing status and territory, life will not be difficult, and the business will go smoothly. Even without the previous status, life is still very good, and,
I have been away from government affairs for many years and have no intention of returning to Shangshu Province, let alone receiving the income and salary from the territory..."
Mingyan's father finished speaking in one breath and bowed deeply. Lu Fusu folded his arms and frowned in thought.
"But this way, the world won't know that you have restored your reputation..."
"The world has long forgotten that I was a noble before."
"Even if the world has forgotten it, it can't be treated as if it didn't happen."
While they were talking, Mingyan looked at the new emperor with a solemn expression without scruples.
...It turns out that he married Shui Xinyuan as his wife...
People in the church spread rumors that the prince fell in love with Shui Xinyuan at first sight when she danced "Snow Moon, Wind and Flowers" at the late emperor's last banquet.
...What does the emperor like about her?
Why marry Shui Xinyuan, who is known as the little civet cat in the country? Among the court ladies, there are so many beauties, and among the noble daughters, Zhuyan and Yao'er can be called the beauty of the country. In addition, Shui Xinyuan's friend Qing'er also
Looks like a fairy.
Although Mingyan didn't say it, she felt that her appearance was not bad.
...It would not be surprising if the emperor is not interested in beautiful women...
Shui Xinyuan cannot be called a beauty, but she is more than cute.
Everyone likes something different. Maybe the emperor likes lovely women, so everything makes sense.
"Then...can we just restore my noble status?"
Mingyan's father spoke, his tone calmer than before.
"Your Majesty just needs to restore my reputation. I don't need a fiefdom. Moreover, I have no intention of letting my descendants inherit it. I just want it to end with me."
"... Just be a noble in name only?"
"For nobles, the most important thing is reputation."
Lu Fusu frowned and smiled bitterly.
"If all the nobles thought so, those people wouldn't have deprived you of your fiefdom, but doesn't your son have any objections either?"
"I am currently an official in the Ministry of Rites, and I have no dissatisfaction. My younger brother also said that being a businessman is easier..."
"The wives of our two brothers also said that it is very stressful to suddenly become a noble now, so I would like to ask the emperor to restore my father's status."
"Are nobles scary?"
Lu Fusu smiled and looked at Mingyan.
"...I remember you are a palace concubine?"
"Yes, thanks to the queen's care."
"On the contrary, right? I heard from Shui Xinyuan that you often teach her dancing and etiquette."
Mingyan recalled that Shui Xinyuan didn't know anything when she first entered the palace. She couldn't stand it at that time. She once taught her etiquette and types of tea. Shui Xinyuan usually understood it as soon as she heard it, but later he rarely taught her anything.
.
"As the daughter of the Liang family, do you have any opinions? You can say it directly."
Mingyan sat up straight and looked directly at the emperor.
"In the church, the most important thing is family background. What everyone values is whether you have status, whether you have property, and if you have property, how much it is..."
"..."
"The Queen should know these things better than me."
Although she once lost her noble family background, she has full self-esteem.
Because of this foundation, when my dancing ability gradually improves, it also makes people around me look at me in a new light.
Shui Xinyuan had nothing when she first entered the palace, and everyone thought she would remain the same in this life... Therefore, no matter how powerful she was, people around her didn't take her seriously, and everyone even ignored the fact that Shui Xinyuan was a palace concubine.
.
Yes, Mingyan actually knows...
Shui Xinyuan dances very well.
Mingyan knew that Shui Xinyuan took advantage of her free time from doing chores and even gave up her holidays to practice dancing alone.
Although I knew it, I never took it to heart.
She knew very well...
Even if the emperor can only have one queen, he can still have hundreds of concubines, and those palace concubines don't need to rush to leave at all.
However, even if you become a royal concubine and gain the emperor's favor, you will never be able to surpass the status of a queen.
Even if a palace concubine becomes an imperial concubine, she cannot have status or property. Shui Xinyuan, who was previously treated as a servant, will always be superior.
The pride of the nobles could not bear this fact, so those noble daughters asked to go.
"But... this trend has gradually ended. Almost all the palace servants who have status and property and are obsessed with status and property have left. Whether I restore my status as a noble or not, it is not a big problem."
"……Yeah?"
Lu Fusu nodded, discussed with Zhuge Ciyun in a low voice, then looked at Mingyan's father and said: "I understand...then I will only restore your noble status, and only for your generation. Over the years, the court has given
The Liang family has caused trouble, and once you change your mind, you can apply at any time."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness."
Mingyan's father breathed a sigh of relief and bowed deeply.
In recent years, whenever anyone mentions dancing court ladies, everyone will first think of Zhuyan and Yaoer. Mingyan thinks this is to be expected.
Because their natal families were both nobles and confidants of the first emperor, their dancing abilities were equally matched.
When it comes to dancing skills, it is a recognized fact that Mingyan feels that she is slightly better than them. However, because Chen Shaowu feels that she is a businessman's daughter who has lost her aristocratic status due to loss of power, she does not take her seriously at all. Zhuyan and Yao'er
I also look down on myself.
Therefore, Mingyan always felt that Chen Shaowu did not teach her to dance the very difficult "Snow Moon Wind Flower" because Chen Shaowu also valued status.
Zhuyan learned "Snow Moon Wind Flower" in order to stand out, but Yao'er didn't dare to learn it because she was afraid of being embarrassed...
After Zhuyan started learning to dance, she could not dance well because it was too difficult. She gradually hated dancing in front of others, and Yaoer even laughed at her for it.
Zhuyan and Yaoer are both very capable, but Mingyan thinks she is better.
If Chen Shaowu doesn't care about status, he should teach himself first.
At the late emperor's last banquet, only four court ladies could perform at the banquet. Zhuyan and Yao'er were the natural candidates, and it was not surprising that Mingyan was selected. Even if Chen Shaowu decided that Jincha would be the fourth person, Mingyan would not care at all.
She believes that what she has to do is to dance the most difficult and beautiful dance within her ability, and it must not be inferior to Zhuyan or Yaoer.
Mingyan thought so. Three days before the banquet... when she first heard that Chen Shaowu was giving Shui Xinyuan special training and teaching her to dance "Snow Moon, Wind and Flowers", she laughed it off, thinking someone was joking.
But, that's no joke.
Her feeling when she learned about this was indescribable.
Even if I see it with my own eyes, I still can't believe it, and I don't want to believe it. That kind of fear, that despair, is like someone putting a sharp knife to your neck and saying that your life is over...
In the end, I am also a part of the church.
Although he often thinks that he relies on strength rather than status and property, and feels arrogant about it, he ignores Shui Xinyuan's strength.
She always thought that Chen Shaowu didn't teach her because she was not a noble.
But Shui Xinyuan is learning to dance "Snow Moon Wind Flower".
What were you worried about before?
What should I do if I am confident that my strength is not inferior to anyone else’s?
Even Zhuyan could only learn the basics of "Snow Moon Wind Flower" and could barely dance like a dance, but Shui Xinyuan fully mastered it after hard training that was daunting to others.
Mingyan even hoped that Shui Xinyuan would fail, but Shui Xinyuan performed the dance perfectly at the banquet, winning the late emperor's praise and everyone's attention.
Shui Xinyuan's perfect performance made Mingyan forget her own reserve.
After that day, she became confused... She originally thought she liked dancing, but did she really like it?
Leaving the Rising Sun Palace, the afterglow of the setting sun illuminated the sky red.
After watching her father and brother leave, Mingyan returned to the classroom. The carriage had already left and everything was quiet.
Mingyan sighed, walking in the silent corridor, and found that the door of a room was open... that was the room where Shui Xinyuan lived before.