Chapter 23
To the left of the emperor's courtyard, through a secluded path, after walking a hundred paces one would arrive at the small courtyard where Concubine Liu resided.
[Grandpa seems to be getting promoted! Wow!]
[Awesome Grandpa, Grandpa stood up, and today he even answered the emperor father's questions correctly.]
Xiao Chuchu was being lovingly embraced by Old Madam Liu, as they watched the live broadcast from the emperor's side.
She spent 3 credits for today's live broadcast.
She found that the more she watched live broadcasts, the higher the cost for each viewing, increasing by 1 credit every time.
But now, she was already a big credit holder. With her birth mother's new position and the emperor father's fondness for this little princess, she had been rewarded with many credits.
She had now accumulated 395 credits and was planning to save up to have enough for ten draws in the lottery.
The system said this way, the chances of drawing an SSR could be increased by 10%.
[Maybe it's the butterfly effect I brought, with mother's promotion, I get to see Grandpa.]
[Just now mother said, 'It's only after becoming a mother that one understands a mother's thoughts, what one does is related to one's position', inadvertently enlightening Grandpa.]
[This led to Grandpa's change today, with his fluent responses in court.]
Xiao Chuchu guessed.
Old Madam Liu, who was holding her, couldn't help but smile.
What enlightenment?
Your grandpa simply heard the voice in your adorable little heart!
Concubine Liu was embroidering a golden carp belly warmer for her daughter. Under her needles, the pink golden carp came alive. Hearing her daughter's inner voice, the corners of her mouth curved upwards as well.
Her father had avoided a disaster and was even promoted?
Wonderful, it was fortunate that she heard her daughter's inner voice and reminded her father in time.
Her father was also quite smart, he understood.
She had been worried that with her father's straightforward nature, he might not understand, which is why she had been a little distracted while embroidering the belly warmer.
[Wah, my emperor father is actually sending Grandpa to the Censorate!]
Old Madam Liu and Concubine Liu pricked up their ears in silence.
The Censorate?
The emperor was sending him to be a censor, to supervise all officials?
Being transferred from the Imperial Academy to such a position feared by all officials, this was indeed a great honor!
[Grandpa is so moved that he's about to cry, his eyes are red.]
[This is Grandpa's first time experiencing a promotion. After serving as a county magistrate for three years, he was transferred back to the capital to the Imperial Academy, but he wasn't happy with that position.]
[Although the Imperial Academy was relaxing, it was far removed from the people's livelihood and state affairs. Grandpa could only watch as his students went out to become officials and benefit the people, while he couldn't do the same and could only envy them.]
[Ah, now that he hears he can go to the Censorate, Grandpa can't help but cry.]
Old Madam Liu and Concubine Liu listened, their faces filled with excitement as well.
Although Master Liu had never held a high official position, he truly wanted to make a difference and become an official that benefited the people.
This was the aspiration that had kept him going for ten years in the imperial examinations, the reason he never gave up!
Unfortunately, after three years upon three years, he ended up being transferred to the Imperial Academy instead.
But now, finally, things were better!
All thanks to the little princess's reminder.
Old Madam Liu looked down at the grinning and smiling Xiao Chuchu, unwilling to let her go.
Not long after, Master Liu returned with a bright and cheerful demeanor, puffing out his chest.
"My lady, madam, I have a new assignment!" Master Liu was in high spirits, unable to contain his smile as he entered the courtyard.
Although his new official rank was still at the fifth level, which seemed like a lateral transfer, it was actually a promotion!
As a censor, he could submit memorials to the emperor at any time. Except for during vacations, he had to attend court every day and could speak out and criticize others in court whenever he wished!
"The emperor has ordered me to take up the position at the Censorate." The corners of Master Liu's mouth stretched all the way to his gums.
Old Madam Liu and Concubine Liu both smiled calmly.
They knew.
They had already known.
Just now, they had heard the live broadcast from the little princess!
"Master Liu, the emperor values you highly. You must not disappoint the emperor and need to be more diligent in your work from now on," Old Madam Liu reminded Master Liu, who was fated to be 'foolish and get demoted three times after being promoted three times'.
Concubine Liu also recalled the little princess's warning and nodded, "Father has always taught us not to be arrogant or complacent even after receiving praise from our teachers. Father should do the same and not let a momentary excitement lead to mistakes."
Master Liu: "..."
What was with his wife and daughter's distrustful looks?
He frowned and rolled his eyes, but soon remembered a more important matter, "Let me see the little princess, the dragon princess born in an extraordinary manner."
Thanks to his granddaughter's reminder!
"Go, go, go, I haven't had enough of holding her yet!" Old Madam Liu turned her body, unwilling to let go.
Master Liu: "..."
Outside the courtyard, Wei Zheng had been standing and listening for a while. He then gestured to the servant Qiu Li in the courtyard for silence before hastily leaving.
Turning around, he entered the courtyard of Emperor Xiao Yunzhou.
"Your Majesty, this servant listened outside for quite a while. Master Liu is overjoyed by Your Majesty's high regard for him."
Wei Zheng praised.
"But Concubine Liu and Old Madam of the Liu Family advised him not to be arrogant or complacent, and to work hard for Your Majesty, lest he disappoint Your Majesty and the people."
Xiao Yunzhou put down the book scroll in his hand, his gaze filled with emotion.
This family was a good one.
He had Wei Zheng go and listen, wanting to confirm once again whether they could hear the little princess's inner voice and if they would discuss the little princess behind closed doors.
Unexpectedly, Wei Zheng heard the virtuous words of the Liu family's mother and daughter.
Xiao Yunzhou nodded in approval and admiration, "Having such a wife and daughter, a family can indeed prosper for a long time."
No wonder Liu Wenchang had made more progress compared to his previous impression of him.
With such a wife and daughter constantly supervising and reminding him, Liu Wenchang would likely not make mistakes in his position as a censor.
Xiao Yunzhou felt that he had not misjudged the person. His mood was excellent, "Tell the Empress that I will not dine with her tonight."
"The little princess had a close call after just being born. I need to pray for the little princess, so tonight I will have a vegetarian meal at Concubine Liu's place."
Thinking of this, his eyes revealed a hint of viciousness.
The Empress had concealed from him the incident where the little princess was almost harmed by a wet nurse.
Neither the Empress nor the Noble Consort were truly virtuous and gentle!
That wet nurse had already been executed on his orders, but he had not been able to trace the mastermind behind it all.
With Chanchangan residing with Concubine Liu, the palace wet nurse had suddenly died of dysentery three days ago at a suburban manor.
The trail ended with Chanchangan.
"Wei Zheng, continue investigating those who have had contact with Chanchangan. Find out for me!"
Whoever dared to harm his celestial being reincarnated as the little princess would face his thunderous wrath!
*
"Your Majesty, please have some."
In the spacious main hall of Qiu Mountain Temple, the Empress smiled bitterly, "Take it away."
The emperor was warning her.
But she would not be intimidated so easily.
She had never relied on the emperor.
The emperor had previously favored his cousin, Noble Consort Fu, and later became obsessed with cultivating immortality, neglecting the harem. He had never truly favored or doted on her.
What she could rely on was only her son—the Eldest Prince.
"Bai Zhi, go and call my mother."
With the upheaval of the earth dragon and the flooding of the Yellow River, the people's hearts were in turmoil.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, she would have the officials submit memorials requesting the emperor to establish the crown prince early, to stabilize the people's hearts!
Among the princes, only her son, the Eldest Prince, excelled in his studies and had a noble status.
The other princes were either too young, incapable, or had lowly maternal backgrounds!
With Noble Consort being punished and the Third Prince having his hands slapped, now was the best time to request the establishment of the crown prince!
The Empress narrowed her eyes and plucked a blooming plum blossom.
*
Emperor Xiao Yunzhou, who had ordered the accompanying imperial chefs to prepare vegetarian dishes, ended up being obstructed.
"Are you saying that the calamities of the earth dragon's upheaval and the Yellow River's flooding were Heaven's wrath because I have not established the crown prince?"
Xiao Yunzhou's face darkened as he looked at Zhou WuXin, the Right Censor of the Censorate.
In the neighboring courtyard, Old Madam Liu, Concubine Liu, and Master Liu had already begun their meal.
In front of them were bowls of steaming hot and sour noodles topped with fried eggs, the aroma alone enough to make one's mouth water.
"If the emperor is not coming, shall we start?" Consort Min, who had come to chat, sat alone on the heated brick bed separated from Master Liu by a screen, already impatient.
This was the first time she learned that vegetarian food could also be so fragrant and mouthwatering!
Ah, she should have befriended Concubine Liu sooner, she could have lived ten more years!
The food was so delicious!
Concubine Liu certainly had many great ideas.
[Wah, I also want to eat the hot and sour noodles...]
【"How could the Emperor Dad let the kitchen prepare this? I've been craving this flavor since I was in the palace. Darn it, how could the Fairy keep giving him these kinds of dreams? Argh!"】
Concubine Liu held back a laugh.
It's because he overheard your innermost thoughts.
Xiao Chuchu pouted unhappily, but soon remembered something else that cheered her up.
【"Oh, I remember now, the Emperor Dad will be locked in his room today and scolded by over a dozen officials for not having appointed the Crown Prince yet."】
【"He'll be so angry that he won't be able to eat, hehe, so he'll have company, and he won't get any of this sour and spicy noodles either~"】
Concubine Liu: "......"
Master Liu and Old Madam Liu: "......"
They had been holding back their laughter with great difficulty.
But Concubine Liu's expression suddenly changed.
Appointing a Crown Prince?
Would the new Emperor be wary of the Fifth Prince, leading to the Fifth Prince being harmed later?
Today, the Fifth Prince did not come to her courtyard for a meal, saying he had been invited by the Eldest Prince.
Concubine Liu immediately became anxious.
Old Madam Liu also knew about this matter, and her expression did not look good either.
【"But the Emperor Dad doesn't know that the old Zhou, the Right Censor who is leading the remonstration, is himself corrupt!"】
【"He's fifty-nine years old, yet he's eyeing his own granddaughter-in-law!"】
"Pfft--" Master Liu burst out laughing directly.