Legend of Concubine's Daughter Minglan 知否知否 应是绿肥红瘦

C184. The Imperial Family (118.1)

Next day in the morning, Minglan ordered someone to take out an incense burner table from the storeroom. After the servants had scrubbed the table and wiped up the surface, they carried it to the hallway to dry it in the air. The texture of the table was delicate and smooth while the wood gave out dark purple gloss, which showed that this table truly was an ancient treasure.

"Using a good stuff like this to receive the imperial edict should be enough to show our sincere gratitude." Minglan touched the wood surface while praising the table inwardly.

Gu Tingye was sitting upright in the main room in a scarlet rope embroidered with Qilin pattern right now. With tenderness in his eyes and smile on the corner of his mouth, he said meaningfully,

"I knew my wife is sincere. I'm your husband after all."

Minglan flushed at once. Last night, this man had asked a credit for the imperial mandate. He requested that Minglan had to express her thanks to him with practical actions. As a legal worker who was discriminating in her rewards and punishments, Minglan had spared no effort to reward him... Right now, while Minglan was rubbing her sour waist, she thought secretly, 'Luckily he still remembered that we had to go to the imperial palace today and knew how far to go.'

About seven o'clock in the morning, a eunuch as well as some imperial bodyguards who were holding umbrellas came to their mansion to announce the imperial edict with the sound of gongs. Gu Tingye held Minglan's hands and went out without haste. After they had opened the Morning Sunlight Hall and set out the incense burner table there, they knelt down together to adopt the imperial edict. The eunuch who announced the edict here called Eunuch Xia and was around twenty years old. He had two straight eyebrows and a square face with a genial smile. It seemed that Eunuch Xia was quite familiar to Gu Tingye. So he just saved the nonsense and started to proclaim the edict directly.

The format of the imperial edict was just like the news broadcast. First, the edict claimed the grace of His Majesty. Then it commended Minglan as a gentle, elegant, virtuous and tamely woman. At last, Eunuch Xia declared that Minglan was ennobled as the second-class madam. Over.

Minglan took over the imperial mandate scrolls embroidered with phoenix and lion pattern in rhinoceros shape and a tray on which was a pearl crown and an embroidered vest with both of her hands. Then, she kowtowed reverently while expressing her gratitude to His Majesty. After she had got up, Gu Tingye told her to get changed right away. In the meantime, he asked Eunuch Xia to have tea with him in the hall. Eunuch Xia, having hovered by the door for a moment, accepted Gu Tingye's offer and entered into the hall.

"I never realized it would be you who announce the imperial edict." The moment they got into the room, the stern expression on Gu Tingye's face disappeared. He held Eunuch Xia's hand and sat down with the latter together while saying smilingly, "I heard you were going to take charge of purchasing vegetables in the Imperial Kitchen. Why are you still running those errands for His Majesty right now?"

Eunuch Xia who didn't mind being teased by Gu Tingye said with a joyful look on his face, "Gosh... never have I had the chance to be in such a profitable position like that. I can only run some errands at first. By the way, Second Master, you have had your days lately."

Gu Tingye glared at him while joking, "An official should never be friends with eunuchs. I won't keep you here. These days the imperial palace is heavily guarded, you should take care of yourself." On these words, Gu Tingye took out something from his sleeves and then thrust it into Eunuch Xia's hand, saying, "I know you like this so I have already prepared it for you long ago. I thought that I would have to meet you in the palace."

With the grin on Eunuch Xia's face dissolving, he said seriously, "Second Master, you are a reliable person. I know it very well in my heart."

After they had chatted for a while, Gu Tingye sent Eunuch Xia off. As he returned to the room, Minglan was already fully dressed. Right now, she was wearing a dark cyan vest embroidered with golden clouds and phoenix patterns which had gold pendants with the same phoenix patterns. On her waist was a jade belt. Also, her hair had been combed into a compact round topknot. The crown with two gold phoenixes carrying pearls in their mouth and flower jade tassels on her head looked extremely dazzling.