tallest building

Chapter 394 Finale
Another year has passed, and spring is drawing to a close.

The palace was filled with green willows and blooming flowers.

Historical records indicate that this year was the fourth year of the Yide era.

Three years ago, the late emperor passed away, and Crown Prince Yingquan succeeded him as the new emperor.

This is now the fourth year of his reign.

Wen Mingqian was dressed in court robes, holding a string of glass prayer beads in his hand.

Amber incense burned in the incense burner on the table, the smoke rising in a misty, ethereal glow.

"Your Majesty, Princess Minghui and Prince Fenye have come to bid farewell," Zhou Shu reported to Wen Mingqian as she entered.

She was Liu Cuiyi's eldest daughter. Because of her beautiful appearance, intelligence and thoughtfulness, Wen Mingqian asked Liu Cuiyi about her and summoned her to the palace to serve him.

Now, it has been two years since I entered the palace.

"Please let them in! Bring over the gifts I prepared." Wen Mingqian was not yet forty years old, but she was already the Empress Dowager.

However, unlike typical empress dowagers who simply enjoy their privileges and do not concern themselves with other matters, the emperor was still quite young and needed her assistance in managing many things.

Just like how the Fenye tribe came to the capital several times to ask for a marriage alliance, the emperor finally agreed this year.

Now that the prince of the Fenye Kingdom has come to the capital to welcome his bride, he will leave the capital after today's palace banquet and return to the grasslands.

The gilded bamboo curtain was lifted, and Sang Er, dressed in a bright red auspicious robe embroidered with gold phoenixes and a crown with a phoenix and pearl in her hair, walked in, her face radiant and her figure graceful and elegant, supported by two maids.

Following closely behind her was the tall and imposing Yu Chao, who was now personally going to the capital to marry Sang Er as his primary consort.

Sang Er was adopted as Wen Mingqian's goddaughter and granted the title of Princess. Her marriage to the Fenye tribe was of great importance; as a member of the royal family, she would be highly regarded even on the grasslands.

"Your Majesty," Sang Er approached, knelt down and called out to Wen Mingqian, her eyes reddening, "Your daughter is about to leave the capital and will no longer be able to serve you often. I wish Your Majesty good health and long life."

“Good child, it is natural for a man to marry and a woman to marry, and your marriage today is a joyous occasion. Prince Yuchao has been in love with you for a long time and has earnestly proposed to you. I am at ease entrusting you to him. When you marry into the grasslands, you must fulfill your duties as a wife and mother, and you need not worry about me. The palace will also frequently send envoys to bring you things from the Central Plains to soothe your homesickness.” Wen Mingqian said, holding Sang Er’s hand affectionately.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured, I am truly devoted to the Princess and will never let her down," Yu Chao said, kneeling down as well. "Our Fenye tribe will also be loyal to the court and support His Majesty."

He truly loved Sang Er and had long vowed to marry no one but her, even at the cost of breaking off his engagement with the Wusun tribe.

His sister, Zhuolahan, also desperately wanted to marry the emperor, but because Yuchao ruined the marriage between the Wusun and the emperor, Qisihe had no choice but to marry his daughter to Yuchao in order to appease the Wusun's resentment.

"The Fenye tribe has repeatedly rendered meritorious service, and you and your son have both married into the royal family. You are the most trusted officials of the court. Sang'er can accompany Princess Duanmin on the grassland, which will not only alleviate his homesickness but also make us feel less worried."

Princess Duanmin returned to the grasslands four years ago, and a year later, she gave birth to another princess named Guiyue.

"These crystal geese were commissioned by me to be made by the most experienced craftsmen in the Imperial Treasure Bureau. Geese are loyal and will never be apart. I wish that you two could be as devoted as these geese, and stay together until your hair turns white." Wen Mingqian smiled kindly and earnestly advised, "You should love each other and respect and yield to one another."

"We humbly accept the Empress Dowager's instructions." Sang Er and Yu Chao both expressed their gratitude.

Sang Er lay on Wen Mingqian's lap, reluctant to leave.

Wen Mingqian said gently, "Good child, call me Mother again!"

Wen Mingqian's marriage was unhappy throughout her life, and her only biological son died young. But she devoted herself to raising the emperor and genuinely loved Sang Er.

They were not related by blood, but their bond was stronger than that of blood relatives. "Mother!" Sang Er couldn't help but shed tears. "Mother, please take good care of yourself. I will come back to see you."

"Don't cry. You'll be going to the palace banquet later. Be happy." Wen Mingqian carefully wiped away her tears. "Although the grasslands are far away, if nothing happens, you and the prince can come to the capital once every few years. This will always be your home, and your mother will always be here waiting for you."

"Your Majesty, Princess, the palace banquet is ready. His Majesty, the court officials, and their families have all arrived. Let us take our seats!" Wei Fu was there on the Emperor's orders to invite them.

“Chief Steward Wei,” Sang Er was helped up and bowed to Wei Fu, “I am leaving this time and will not be able to serve the Empress Dowager and His Majesty. Please take care of yourself.”

"Your Highness is too kind to this old servant," Wei Fu hurriedly returned the greeting. "This is a small gift I prepared for you to express my sincere gratitude!"

He handed a box to Sanger with both hands; inside were a pair of pearl velvet flowers that he had made himself.

Sang Er's maidservant quickly presented Wei Fu with a gift as a return gesture.

Then, at the banquet, the Emperor personally came forward to greet Wen Mingqian and helped him to his seat.

Today, both Wen brothers have become key figures in the government, and the other members of the Wen family are also virtuous, ambitious, and quite talented.

However, once they entered officialdom, they all went to serve in the most remote and impoverished places, and none of them stayed in the capital.

This is also what makes the Wen family so admirable.

Wen Mingqian glanced around and saw that, in addition to veteran officials like Zhu Hui, there were many young faces at the table.

The brothers Gong Jing'an and Gong Yu'an are both present. Gong Rang was ordered to go to the southern border for disaster relief a few days ago.

Gong Xu passed away last year, leaving behind one son and two daughters.

Gong Baoan has already entered the Imperial Academy. I heard that he is now studying diligently while observing mourning for his parents.

Qiao Ziyu, Feng Tianzhu, and others have all entered the palace to become the emperor's personal bodyguards.

In just a few years, they grew from naive boys into spirited young men.

Feng Tianzhu actually benefited from the misfortune. He was stung by a poisonous scorpion in the northern desert, and the situation was dangerous, but fortunately he was rescued in the end.

To everyone's surprise, his epilepsy miraculously disappeared without any medication and he was completely cured.

People speculate that he was stung by a poisonous scorpion and used a large amount of antidote, which can be considered a case of fighting poison with poison.

He is seventeen years old this year and is already engaged to the second daughter of Wen Mingqian's second brother. They will get married in two years.

"Today, a banquet is being held in the palace. The Empress Dowager, along with the imperial family, concubines, officials, and their families, are seeing Princess Minghui and her husband off from the capital. The spring is warm and the weather is beautiful. It is an auspicious time with fine wine and delicious food. Let us enjoy ourselves to the fullest." The Emperor stood up, holding a golden cup in his hand.

Although he is only fifteen years old, he is tall and imposing, possesses both literary and martial talents, and is exceptionally brilliant.

The court was filled with talented individuals, and the people were united in purpose, resulting in virtuous and enlightened governance.

"We will obey Your Majesty's decree!" Everyone raised their glasses in response, their voices echoing throughout the city.

The birds in front of the palace fluttered up and flew over the trees of the Imperial Flower Palace and the layers of eaves, soaring straight up into the clear, cloudless blue sky.

At this time, the capital city was a scene of intoxicating spring beauty.

People knew that a golden age, one in a thousand years, was just around the corner.
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The End