Madam Shen was overjoyed to receive the imperial decree, and Shen Mingzhu was also in a very good mood.
[Host, host, warning! Warning! Warning! That little palace maid in the pink palace dress is a spy from an enemy country!]
Hearing Shen Mingzhu's heartfelt words, everyone's attention turned to the palace maid.
The ministers: ...The palace maids attire is all uniform!
[Guagua, which one? All the palace maids' dresses are pink.]
[Host, it's that maid with phoenix eyes, an oval face, and who's carrying wine towards Emperor Jingyuan! You could say this is the beginning of Emperor Jingyuan's tragic fate!]
[A spy! My God, how am I supposed to tell Emperor Jingyuan? No matter what, he's nominally my father now, and besides, he's my and the Crown Prince's biggest benefactor! I don't want to lose him!]
Emperor Jingyuan: ...
Empress Lin: ...
Everyone: ...
The emperor is the crown prince's and Shen Mingzhu's golden patron!
The wine is poisoned; how can I warn Emperor Jingyuan?
[Aaaaaah!!!]
Shen Mingzhu's eyes were clearly filled with anxiety.
In a few breaths, the palace maid had filled Emperor Jingyuan's wine cup with wine.
Just as Emperor Jingyuan was about to pick up the wine cup in front of him, Shen Mingzhu disregarded everything else and immediately stood up and knelt on the main hall.
"Your Majesty, drinking is harmful to your health. His Highness the Crown Prince must also hope that Father Emperor will take care of his health. Father Emperor, please take care of your health."
Empress Lin laughed when she saw this.
"Your Majesty, your daughter inlaw is only trying to be filial, so please don't drink tonight."
Emperor Jingyuan nodded in satisfaction and looked at Shen Mingzhu with affection.
"The Crown Princess's filial piety is commendable. She is hereby rewarded with a pair of jade ruyi scepters, a pair of jade rabbit pounding medicine earrings, a kingfisher feather inlaid gold hairpin, a banana leaf-shaped jadeite tassel hairpin, one hundred bolts of silk, and one hundred taels of gold."
"I thank his Majesty for your kindness!"
Shen Mingzhu was very happy to receive the rewards and praised Emperor Jingyuan to the skies.
[Guagua, Emperor Jingyuan has a discerning eye! No wonder he became emperor! See? He's really amazing; he knew I was talented at a glance!]
Empress Lin smiled slightly, pursing her lips.
Emperor Jingyuan unconsciously sat up straight. He was such a wise and powerful emperor with a keen eye for talent.
As for the cup of poisoned wine, it had already been taken away by the Grand Eunuch Wang Defu and handed over to the imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital for examination. As for the palace maid, she was also restrained as soon as she went down.
How many people from the enemy country managed to infiltrate the imperial city and palace so quietly?
Emperor Jingyuan scanned the ministers below him and the concubines in the harem, searching their resumes one by one in his mind.
A spy must have an inside contact.
Who exactly is it?
He glanced at Shen Mingzhu and felt even more strongly that the idea of having Shen Mingzhu attend court in place of her husband was absolutely correct.
Soon, Wang Defu whispered a few words in Emperor Jingyuan's ear, and then the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet ended under the auspices of Empress Lin.
When leaving the palace, Shen's mother and Shen Mingzhu were led out of the palace by a special eunuch.
The emperor and empress even specially dispatched imperial guards to escort them back to their residence.
Shen Mingzhu: Being the Crown Princess is different; I even have Imperial Guards escorting me home.
Upon seeing her own carriage, Shen Mingzhu quickly climbed inside.
"Mother, come in quickly!"
"Why hasn't Father come out yet? He's so slow!"
Mother Shen looked at her daughter and said with a smile,
"Don't rush. A lot has happened tonight. Your dad will probably be out a little late. Let's go back first, and then your dad will come back with Qinghong and Qingbo."
Shen Mingzhu looked at her mother, somewhat disapproving.
"Mother, we are a family. We came to the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet together, so naturally we will go home together."
Mother Shen patted her daughter's hand.
"Listen to me, your dad and the others have something to do, let's go first!"
"All right."
Shen Mingzhu decided to listen to her mother.
The mother and daughter returned home without any problems.
As soon as she got home, Shen's mother heard Shen Mingzhu's innermost thoughts.
[Guagua, didn't you say the Second Prince sent assassins to kill me? Those imperial guards escorting us weren't even needed. I was even planning to capture a few to sue the Second Prince, Yan Yunxuan!]
System, [Host, the assassins sent by the Second Prince encountered their mortal enemy and were all wiped out, not a single survivor!]
Even those who survived bit into the poison in their mouths and committed suicide.
Guagua: So bloody!
Shen Mingzhu nodded after hearing this.
[This is good; it can be considered a service to the people!]
Listening to Shen Mingzhu's inner thoughts, Shen's mother spoke up.
"Mingzhu, go back to your courtyard and rest early. Tomorrow is the official start of court, so don't be unable to get up!"
Shen Mingzhu: Ah!
How could I forget about this!
She left first, but she was a compiler at the Hanlin Academy; she doesn't even know what to do.
However, it is said that in order to enter the cabinet, one must first become a member of the Hanlin Academy.
She'll go check it out tomorrow.
...
Before dawn the next day, Shen Changyuan and Xie Qinghuan came to call for help.
"My sweet baby, get up quickly, it's time for court!"
"Mingzhu, wake up!"
"Goodness, you'll be late if you don't get up now!"
Shen's mother gently called out to her from outside, but Shen Mingzhu inside didn't hear her at all.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Shen Mingzhu! Get up right now!"
Mr. Shen was blunt and forceful; if Shen Mingzhu didn't get up, he was going to smash the door!
He didn't want to be late for court!
Being late for court will also result in being impeached.
Shen Mingzhu was still half asleep when she heard the sound. Without opening her eyes, she gave the order.
"Peony, be quiet! I want to sleep until I naturally wake up. Anyone who makes noise will be kicked out!"
"Shen Mingzhu!"
Mr. Shen was furious!
But since the child was old, he couldn't just barge in. He quickly told shen's mother to come inside and pull the child away!
"Madam, hurry up, we're going to be late!"
"If she doesn't get up, His Majesty will punish her!"
Last night, Shen mother talked with Shen father for a long time and knew the importance of this matter, so she went straight into the house!
Seeing her precious daughter sleeping soundly, although she couldn't bear it, she directly ordered Shen Mingzhu's two personal maids, Shaoyao and Lianqiao, to pull her up and wash her.
"Mom, I'm so sleepy!"
The mother hugged her daughter tenderly.
"Mingzhu, be good. Today is your first day of court, so you must not be late! After court starts, you must behave well and not let your mind wander. Just listen attentively, understand?"
"Don't let your mind wander!"
"Mingzhu? Did you hear what your mother said?"
Shen Mingzhu was half asleep and gave a perfunctory reply.
"Okay, Mom! I'll be good!"
"Mommy, love you!"
A child with a mother is a treasure!
Hearing Shen Mingzhu's heartfelt words, Shen's mother's heart melted!
But in the end, she still repeatedly gave her instructions.
"Mingzhu, don't let your mind wander during court, understand?"
"I understand, Mother."
Listening to Shen Mingzhu's words, Shen's mother felt that she was just giving a perfunctory answer.
Helpless, after a whole ordeal of washing up and getting ready, she was still lying with her eyes closed.
Mother Shen: ...
Father Shen: ...