CHAPTER 193: CHAPTER 193: IMPERIALLY BESTOWED PLAQUE

Chapter 193: Imperial Plaque

It was truly an unending wave of events.

Hearing that people from the Imperial Palace had arrived, the clan leaders, who were halfway through their sacrificial ceremonies, were startled. Then, in fear and trepidation, they ran out of the Ancestral Hall and knelt down in the courtyard.

They were all silent as winter cicadas, terrified beyond words.

Although Zhao Dong was no longer part of the Zhao Clan, the Emperor’s decree had to be treated with the utmost respect; they all had to come out and kneel to listen.

At this point, the courtyard was already filled with people kneeling. They all bowed their heads, prostrating on the ground, not daring to look at the visitor for fear of disrespecting the noble from the palace, which could lead to their beheading.

Zhao Dong’s family knelt at the very front.

The female official who came to announce the Emperor’s decree had already begun.

It was mostly the same as what Wang Fuhai had said—the Emperor praised Zhao Dong’s farming skills and then granted him a plaque.

The imperial edict did not mention the vegetables, possibly on Prince Liang’s advice, which relieved Zhao Dong.

After all, medicinal vegetables could easily attract trouble.

After the imperial edict was read, the female official had someone bring in a plaque. It was covered with a red cloth, and when it was lifted, four large words could be seen written on it: "Abundant Home."

The female official smiled and said, "Prince Liang mentioned that your family’s courtyard has recently been completed and there is no plaque in your home. The Emperor has bestowed this plaque upon you, expressing his hope that all farming families in the land will have abundant homes."

"I, Zhao Dong, thank His Majesty for his grace!"

Zhao Dong hastily kowtowed in gratitude.

「...」

It wasn’t until Zhao Dong and the female official left the Ancestral Hall that everyone present still felt dazed, as if they were dreaming.

First, Zhao Chun was arrested, and then Zhao Dong was praised by the Emperor and granted a plaque. What a great honor!

When they finally processed it, everyone present was in an uproar.

At that moment, a wave of regret began to spread through the clan leader’s heart. The honor he had always longed for had been personally forfeited by his own partiality!

Mrs. Wang, having already gone mad, had been locked up at home by Mr. Zhao, so she was not further provoked by this imperial edict.

Xiao Wang and her children, however, heard it clearly. They were first incredulous, then filled with overwhelming jealousy.

Zhao Dong’s family was oblivious to the reactions of those in the Ancestral Hall. They were currently busy entertaining this beautiful female official.

This female official was a favorite at the Emperor’s side, named Gongsun Wan. Intelligent and skilled in writing, she was entrusted with important duties by the Emperor. She was in charge of imperial edicts, and many ministerial memorials were largely decided with her input, earning her the title "Female Prime Minister."

When Grandpa Bai finished introducing this beautiful female official, Zhao Zhitong’s eyes lit up. "Wow, Grandpa Bai, Grandpa Bai, look, look! Women can be officials too!"

But everyone here, whether it was Teacher, her parents, or her grandfather, always said that women couldn’t participate in the imperial examinations and couldn’t become officials.

Grandpa Bai stroked his beard and smiled, "Young girl, this is a rare exception. This Lady Gongsun’s early life was not smooth sailing. She was the daughter of a condemned official and was punished by being sent to the Imperial Palace as a palace maid, where she endured many hardships.

"Later, by a fortunate coincidence, her stunning talent caught the current Emperor’s eye. He brought her to his side to serve, and that’s how she attained her current status.

"Ordinary women cannot enter the imperial court through the path of examinations. However, through study, they can become female poets or female lyricists.

"Throughout history, there have been many, such as Li Qingzhao. In an era when women’s status was low, she lived her life with her own brand of freedom and ease..."

Zhao Zhitong listened intently, deeply admiring Li Qingzhao, the famous lyricist Grandpa Bai mentioned.

However, she didn’t pay much mind to Grandpa Bai’s assertion that women couldn’t become officials through the imperial examinations.

Besides, her goal wasn’t to be an official anyway. She just wanted to become the best physician!

While Zhao Zhitong was nestled in Sun Mei’s arms, happily chatting with Grandpa Bai, Zhao Dong was also speaking with this female official, inviting her to their home for a meal before she departed.

He hadn’t expected her to agree,

but she nodded immediately.

Gongsun Wan laughed. "I’ve long heard Prince Liang praise your wife’s culinary skills, saying even the imperial chefs can’t compare. I’ve been eager to try them, and now my wish can finally be fulfilled."

Announcing an imperial decree in a rural village like this typically wouldn’t require a high-ranking female official close to the Emperor, like Gongsun Wan, to deliver it personally.

However, she had heard from Prince Liang long ago about the exceptional culinary skills of Zhao Dong’s wife. In particular, those medicinal vegetables were grown by Zhao Dong’s family. She was extremely curious about it and wanted to investigate, which is why she accepted this task of delivering the decree.

Hearing herself praised so highly, Sun Mei’s heart gave a little thump, and she quickly demurred, "Oh, no, Prince Liang is too kind to this humble woman. My cooking skills are quite ordinary; I just know a few new tricks. How could I possibly compare to the imperial chefs who serve His Majesty?"

Gongsun Wan carried no air of superiority; on the contrary, she was very approachable and didn’t look down on Zhao Dong’s family for being mere farmers.

Hearing this, she just chuckled. "Madam, you’re too modest. You may not understand Prince Liang. He’s renowned in the Capital City as the most difficult food critic to please; even great master chefs have been slighted and challenged by him. If he praises your cooking as exceptional, it’s definitely true."

There was no shortage of information revealed in Gongsun Wan’s words. First of all, the familiar tone indicated that Prince Liang and Gongsun Wan likely had an unusual relationship.

Zhao Dong naturally picked up on this too, but it didn’t have much to do with his family.

So, laughing and talking, they headed towards the Zhao residence.

Upon arrival, Sun Mei went into the kitchen to prepare a special meal for their guest, with Zhao Ya, Zhao Yu, and Zhao Cheng following to help.

Gongsun Wan, accompanied by Zhao Dong and Wang Fuhai, went to the backyard.

Zhao Zhitong, curious about this beautiful female official, also trotted after them.

The weather was cold now, and no vegetables were planted in the garden. Gongsun Wan curiously walked around the empty vegetable patch, then picked up a handful of soil and sniffed it.

There was nothing special about it, just ordinary earth. She wondered how they managed to cultivate something like medicinal vegetables. In fact, she had already learned a fair bit about medicinal vegetables from Prince Liang. She now knew that the vegetables seemed to have little to do with the soil. The vegetables that the foolish King of Chu had presented to the Emperor were supposedly provided by someone who had acquired Zhao Dong’s family’s vegetable plot, and those vegetables were merely ordinary ones of average quality. Moreover, she had heard that many people were secretly trying to cultivate them, but no matter what methods they used, none had succeeded.

At this moment, Zhao Zhitong had run to her side. Watching Gongsun Wan curiously sniffing the soil, she asked in her childlike voice, "My Lady, does soil have a smell too?"

Saying this, she also copied Gongsun Wan, grabbing a handful of soil and sniffing it, then exclaimed happily, "Wow, it really does have a smell! It’s the smell of hope."