CHAPTER 2030: CHAPTER 2032: BESTOWING REWARDS UPON THE MERITORIOUS

"Your father’s tutor, huh?" That Mr. Luo had always been associated with the Ye Family, but Mr. Luo liked traveling and rarely stayed at home throughout the year. It was feared he wouldn’t be willing to teach students again.

"Return to the manor, discuss it with your father and see what he says."

"Alright, I understand."

The sky was not yet dark when the carriage entered Prince An’s Mansion. Upon returning to the Bamboo Courtyard, they saw Mingqiu bringing in two plates of pastries, "Madam, these are newly made pastries from the kitchen."

"Are these red bean cakes?"

"Yes, red bean cakes, but with added jujube paste."

"Did the young master return today?"

"He went out in the morning and hasn’t returned since."

Yang Chuxia nodded, ate two pieces of red bean cake, and found the taste quite good, "Send some to the eldest young master."

"I will go right away, madam."

Mingqiu said this and then placed the other plate into the food box. Upon stepping out, she bumped into Ye Zi’an, "Young master!"

"Madam is back?"

"Yes, she’s inside!"

Ye Zi’an nodded and went in, "I thought you’d stay at the manor for two more days."

"Dongyang asked me to stay, but I declined." Yang Chuxia waved at him, "Besides, Dongyang told me some things. After thinking about it, I came back. In case I’m not home, it wouldn’t be easy for you to handle things alone."

Ye Zi’an raised an eyebrow, "What have you learned now?"

"Someone has their eye on our Lele again."

Ye Zi’an understood. That day after court, someone also stopped him to say a few things, but he refused all by saying that the child was still young.

"Mu Family people?"

"How did you know?" She hadn’t mentioned it yet.

"I guessed it." Ye Zi’an said with a smile, "Doesn’t the second branch of the Mu Family have two granddaughters? Dongyang isn’t familiar with many people; she’s at the manor, so whoever went to talk to her about this is most likely the one."

"You guessed right." Yang Chuxia scoffed, "They think their calculations are clever, even wanting to become a princess consort."

"She’s stepping on thin ice in the Mu Family, so she wants to try her luck with us. If her granddaughter were to be engaged to Lele, she’d become the Ye Family’s eldest daughter-in-law, leaving Yangyang’s wife-to-be out of the picture."

"I hadn’t thought of that point until you mentioned it." Yang Chuxia wiped her hands with a handkerchief, "But I won’t agree to it, I’ll wait for her to bring it up."

We’ll see how that ruthless old woman scuttles away when she gets rejected.

But after a few days, no one from the second branch of the Mu Family came. She thought maybe the Second Madam Mu had understood and didn’t pay it any more thought.

Before the Mu Family came, a royal decree arrived instead a few days later.

As Ye Zi’an had imagined, Baili Yan conferred a title upon him, and on that day’s court session, Baili Yan’s first act was to ennoble the meritorious officials.

Traditionally, ennobling meritorious officials happened after the enthronement ceremony, though it was rare and against protocol to do it beforehand. However, with the Grand Emperor as a precedent of breaking protocol, anything Baili Yan did seemed normal.

Ye Zi’an was made Marquis Changning; although he didn’t reach the rank of duke, the marquisate was hereditary.

Old Mu was leading troops outside, and Baili Yan directly sent the decree to the front lines, appointing him as the State Duke of Defense, also a hereditary title.

At the same time, the title of Marquis Wu’an was restored to the Luo Family. The Luo family ancestor once had a prince’s title, which was later elevated and demoted multiple times until it became an earl. When the Noble Princess Consort Luo had her incident, the Luo Family’s title was stripped and never restored until today when Baili Yan granted back the title to his maternal family, with Luo Linhao inheriting it, although not hereditarily.

As for Mu Shaoling, he was appointed as Marquis Chang’an, which was also a hereditary title.