Read Novel Full Chapter 243
Chapter 243: The Imperial Envoy
Receiving the imperial decree involves a set of formalities. Concubine Fan had come to oversee these matters, and although the recipient of the decree was Sang Luo, the Shen family members were expected to be present as well. As soon as Concubine Fan arrived, Shen Lie and his brothers were quickly notified and rushed back.
They prepared the incense table, learned the proper etiquette, and tidied their appearance. Though the Shen family was poor and lacked luxurious attire, they focused on being presentable. They were soon bustling with activity when they heard the sounds of the imperial entourage approaching.
“They’re here.”
The onlookers, including Mrs. Chen and others, retreated to the outskirts of the Shen family’s home. Some were itching to see the imperial procession up close, but they were met with a large crowd of villagers following the entourage.
Better to stay in their own spot; at least they could still hear what was happening.
Shen Ning was nervous and took a few deep breaths, calming somewhat when Sang Luo squeezed his hand.
Sang Luo had expected the imperial envoy to be an eunuch, but when the envoy arrived, she realized that he was a high-ranking official in the court. From the light pink official robes he wore, she could tell that his position was significant, even if she didn’t fully understand it.
She wondered why such a grand procession was needed for something like the curved plow.
As the envoy assessed the people present, he inquired, “Where is Mrs. Sang?”
Sang Luo stepped forward and performed a bow. “I am Sang Luo.”
The envoy was momentarily taken aback. He had expected Mrs. Sang to be a woman of at least forty, but this one looked about eighteen or nineteen—perhaps twenty?
He glanced at the accompanying former magistrate, who nodded with a smile.
It was indeed correct.
Despite his surprise, the envoy did not delay. The Shen family had no courtyard or hall, just three disconnected thatched cottages. The decree was read in the open space outside.
For the first time in her life, Sang Luo knelt for the decree, and of course, her entire family knelt with her.
The imperial decree was beautifully phrased, and while the content was enjoyable to listen to, Sang Luo, like Shen Ning, was too nervous to appreciate it. Soon, the excitement was overwhelming as she received the rewards from the Emperor.
Land, silver, silk.
Even those watching from a distance, including the villagers of Daxing Village, began to feel overwhelmed.
The Emperor’s message was clear: rewards were given for merit. Since Sang Luo had contributed to agriculture, she was awarded land.
One hundred acres of fertile land, one hundred acres of forest, two hundred taels of silver, thirty bolts of silk, and an imperial plaque bearing the Emperor’s handwritten calligraphy, which was to be made into a ceremonial arch.
An arch!
Who wouldn’t be dizzy from that?
Dazed, Sang Luo was concerned about how to preserve the decree and the Emperor’s calligraphy. Her three thatched cottages seemed inadequate for such treasures.
Fortunately, the envoy noticed her predicament and smiled, saying, “The decree and the Emperor’s calligraphy should first be handed to Former Governor Zeng. The Emperor’s intention is for the decree to be inscribed on a monument by the prefectural office, and the calligraphy to be made into an arch and plaque. Once everything is done, they will be returned for you to enshrine at your home.”
Sang Luo sighed with relief and quickly handed the decree and calligraphy over to Former Governor Zeng. “Thank you for your trouble.”
After the decree was read, the silver and silk were to be given to the Shen family. The silver was manageable for Shen An, but thirty bolts of silk were too much for Shen Ning to handle alone. Even with the help of Shen Jin and his brothers, they struggled.
Sang Luo and Shen Ning had to lead the attendant to their two rooms, clear the table of writing materials and books, and make space for the silk.
Outside, the attendant explained how to preserve the decree and other matters. Sang Luo listened attentively, thanked the attendant, and discreetly gave him a money pouch.
The attendant, recognizing the silver ingots inside, was surprised given the Shen family’s modest home but accepted the gift with a broad smile. “Thank you, Mrs. Sang.”
—
The imperial entourage arrived quickly and departed just as swiftly.
Former Governor Zeng and the other officials left together, while Concubine Fan stayed behind. She looked at the Shen family’s house and advised Sang Luo, “Mrs. Sang, you should consider renovating the house to accommodate the imperial decree.”
Otherwise, there would be no place to enshrine it.
Sang Luo smiled, “Thank you for the suggestion.”
She had planned to wait until after the busy farming season, but with the two hundred taels of silver awarded, she could certainly expedite the renovations.
Concubine Fan smiled and said, “Don’t call me ‘madam.’ We are half-fellow villagers. My maiden name is Fei Niang; you can call me Fei Niang.”
Sang Luo was momentarily stunned but remembered that Concubine Fan had been particularly friendly during their previous encounter. As she admired Concubine Fan, she responded with a smile, “Then please don’t call me ‘Mrs. Sang’ either. My given name is Luo. If you don’t mind, call me Ah Luo.”
They both laughed at this.
Concubine Fan then observed the Shen family’s three thatched cottages and said, “Your household’s land is quite small, right?”
With only four people in the household, and Concubine Fan recently having traveled with her husband across various counties, she was familiar with the land allocation policies of Da Qi.
Sang Luo nodded.
Concubine Fan continued, “It’s not urgent, but with the imperial decree and the arch given to your family, your situation is somewhat unique. You can add some land from the awarded fields and forest to your residential plot to make more space. The official handling this should come by soon; you can discuss it with him.”
The silver and silk were from the palace, but the land was allocated by the Shezhou prefectural office.
Sang Luo’s eyes lit up with joy at the prospect of expanding her property. “Thank you so much for the advice, Fei Niang.”
“There’s no need to thank me. I must be going now. If you have time, feel free to visit me at the prefectural office’s rear residence.”
With that, Concubine Fan and her maid left.
—
Once Concubine Fan was gone, Mrs. Chen and the others, who had previously been too timid to approach, came over with expressions as if they were dreaming.
“Did the Emperor really grant these rewards?”
A hundred acres of farmland, a hundred acres of mountain land, plus two hundred taels of silver and thirty bolts of silk—Mrs. Chen pinched her own face hard to make sure she wasn’t dreaming, wincing at the pain.
It was no wonder she was so stunned.
This was a reward from the Emperor!
Leaving aside the Emperor’s reward, two hundred acres of land—this wasn’t the kind of land that would be reclaimed by the authorities. This land could be passed down to future generations.
Two hundred acres—what a concept! According to the current land distribution laws of Da Qi, a male adult could be granted ten acres of land for life upon turning eighteen. To get this much land, one would need to have twenty descendants, and those descendants would all need to live to eighteen to be eligible for such a grant from the court.
Mrs. Chen calculated her own family size and wondered how many generations it would take to accumulate two hundred acres of land. It seemed unlikely she would live long enough to see it.
And then there were the two hundred taels of silver. Apart from the Xu family, who had ever heard of such a large sum?
Thirty bolts of silk—what a price! The silk could be exchanged for a substantial amount of money in the city.
Everyone was chattering excitedly, and Sang Luo didn’t even have a chance to respond.
Zhou Cunzheng was also thrilled. “And they’re giving a plaque too. Ah Luo, did you catch what the plaque will say? I didn’t quite understand what they read out.”
Sang Luo shook her head. “The decree didn’t mention it. I suppose we’ll only know what it says once the plaque and arch are finished.”
“Right, and the house! Ah Lie, Ah Luo, you need to hurry up and build. The plaque from the Emperor needs to be displayed somewhere, and from what I heard, the decree also needs to be enshrined, right?” Zhou Cunzheng seemed to snap out of his daze. “We’ll come help with the work. I’ll also call over some people from the neighboring villages.”
Nearby villagers who had come to watch also joined in, laughing. “Master Shen, Mrs. Sang, if you’re building a new house, call us. We’ll come help out for a few days.”
Many people agreed with smiles.
Sang Luo and Shen Lie thanked everyone.
Because there was a lot of silk to sort, the excitement eventually moved to the edge of the village to chat, which made it easier to talk with the nearby villagers who had come to hear the news. The Shen family was soon left with just their own people.
Shen Jin and his brothers stayed behind to see the silk.
The three brothers, accustomed to hard labor, were too afraid to even touch the silk.
“Big Sister-in-law, how much do you think this is worth? Did the court really grant such a heavy reward for the plow?”
He had been nearby when the announcement was made. Two hundred acres of land and two hundred taels of silver—Shen Jin was so excited he could barely speak.
Is it a lot?
Yes, it’s a lot.
Sang Luo knew that this was likely related to her presentation of the plow and Former Governor Zeng’s assistance; pleasing the Emperor is always a good thing.
However, she felt it wasn’t appropriate to explain this to Shen Jin. She said, “The Emperor values talent. The reward is also meant to be seen by knowledgeable people throughout the land.”
Shen Lie cleared his throat and smiled at Sang Luo. “It seems your words that day really pleased the Emperor. When Xiao An and I returned from the prefectural school, there was a new decree posted at the government office. Guess what it was?”
Sang Luo was puzzled, and Shen An laughed. “We were so eager to come back that we didn’t check it out, but the messenger who brought us back mentioned the decree names. There were two decrees: one praising the Sang family for the plow, and another renaming Jiye to Chang’an. Big Sister-in-law, the messenger said the new name Chang’an was inspired by your phrase ‘the prosperous Chang’an.’”
Sang Luo’s eyes widened in shock.
Shen Lie chuckled lightly. “Ah Luo, that decree was issued by all the provincial offices in Da Qi.”
In other words, Ah Luo’s name had become famous throughout the world.
—
While Daxing Village was buzzing with excitement, on the other side, the imperial envoy and Former Governor Zeng had left the village. Once they returned to the magistrate’s office and had tea, Former Governor Zeng finally had the chance to ask, “Lord Li, what brought you all this way to deliver the decree?”
Who was Li Yu? He was an old companion of King Qi, highly valued for his contributions in strategizing, recruiting talent, and managing affairs. Now a fourth-rank official, it was unusual for him to be involved in such a routine matter as awarding the Sang family.
The two had some old friendship from their time under King Qi, which was why Former Governor Zeng dared to ask.
Li Yu sighed. “It’s not a secret. I came for two reasons: first, to assess the situation in the south on behalf of the Emperor; second, to make a trip to Kuaiji.”
“Kuaiji? You mean…”
Li Yu smiled. “Just as you suspected, not only are the local counties using old paper from the previous dynasty, but the central government is too.”
Former Governor Zeng’s brows furrowed in frustration. “What is the Lu family thinking? Da Qi is unified now. Who could possibly stir up trouble? What good does it do them to withhold paper?”
Li Yu sneered. “Their ambitions are too great. They claim that the family members who knew the paper-making methods perished in the war, and the recipe hasn’t been found yet. The Emperor couldn’t say much.”
He didn’t elaborate further.
Li Yu’s hints were clear enough. Former Governor Zeng could guess it was all about interests. The Lu family had no position in the current court. He thought about the Lu family’s officials during the Da Qian era and narrowed his eyes. They were nowhere to be seen during the battles, but now they were bold enough to seek official positions and titles.
With no resolution in sight, Li Yu didn’t dwell on the matter. “I’ll rest here for an hour before heading to Kuaiji. If your office is short on paper, you should start preparing. It won’t be easy to get Lu family paper.”
Former Governor Zeng nodded. Hearing that Li Yu would leave in the afternoon, he asked, “A long journey—won’t you rest overnight?”
Li Yu waved it off. “The business is urgent.”
“Very well. I won’t keep you. We’ll have lunch and make sure there’s food and water for your journey.”
Li Yu smiled. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
—
In the afternoon, after the couple saw Li Yu off, Concubine Fan noticed that Li Yu’s carriage was heading in the wrong direction and asked about the reason.
There was no one else around, and Zeng Sanlang said, “He’s going to Kuaiji.”
Concubine Fan, being quite perceptive, immediately understood: “To the Lu family?”
She was both angry and amused. “Does the Lu family really think they can play this game without consequences?”
“What do they have to fear? It’s all just formalities. No one will truly break their face over it. It’s just a matter of who yields first when it comes to benefits,” Zeng Sanlang said, pressing his lips together. “As for me, I’ll need to have the office hire a few craftsmen who can make bamboo slips. We’re running out of used paper.”