coobybook Chapter 331 Eunuch Li
Chapter 331 Eunuch Li
Eunuch Li looked around at the villagers and nodded slightly with satisfaction. His eyes, which had originally held a touch of scrutiny and suspicion, now held a touch of admiration.
"I originally thought that this was a remote and poor place and the villagers didn't know etiquette, but I didn't expect them to be so well-behaved." Eunuch Li stroked his beard and said softly. There was a hint of surprise and relief in his tone, and the expression on his face was much more relaxed.
Eunuch Li cleared his throat and unfolded the bright yellow imperial edict in his hand. His shrill voice echoed from the quiet village entrance: "By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor decrees. Shi Liu, the daughter of the Yang family, is gentle, virtuous, and dignified. Recognizing her both virtue and talent, I grant her marriage to the eldest son of the Wu family, Si Lang. When Shi Liu reaches the age of 15, we will choose an auspicious day to consummate the marriage and bring them together forever. I hope the two of them will treat each other with respect and dignity after marriage, and contribute to the glory of the family and the well-being of the country. This is my decree!"
As Eunuch Li read the imperial edict, his voice rose and fell, and each word seemed to carry an irresistible majesty. His eyes swept over the kneeling crowd, ensuring that the imperial edict was clearly heard and understood by everyone.
After reading the imperial edict, Eunuch Li gently closed the scroll and his eyes fell on Xiuying and the villagers again, waiting for their response.
Xiuying stood up respectfully, took the imperial edict with both hands, then bowed her head deeply and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace. I will obey your order."
At this moment, Luo Jing'an was released at the perfect time. He straightened his clothes, bowed with a flattering smile, and quickly walked towards Eunuch Li, saying, "I heard that General Wu's eldest son has been missing for many years and his whereabouts are still unknown. How can Miss Shi Liu marry into the Wu family?"
Luo Jing'an's face was filled with a flattering smile, but his eyes were filled with calculation and doubt.
Eunuch Li glanced at Luo Jing'an, shook his head, and said impatiently, "Who knows? The emperor's will is unpredictable. This is an imperial decree that General Wu Yong personally requested from the emperor. The Wu family has made outstanding contributions. Even if Miss Pomegranate marries a piece of wood from the Wu family, it would be a great favor from the emperor and an unparalleled honor."
There was a hint of majesty in Eunuch Li's tone, and he looked at Luo Jing'an coldly, as if warning him not to speculate on the emperor's intentions.
Eunuch Li pushed himself up with both hands, jumped onto the horse nimbly, raised the whip and said, "I have something important to attend to, so I'll leave first." His posture was agile, his movements were smooth, and there was a hint of urgency in his words.
Xiuying hurriedly stepped forward, bowed slightly and said, "Goodbye, father-in-law." There was a respectful smile on her face.
Eunuch Li nodded slightly, said no more, and whipped the whip suddenly, "Gee!" The horse neighed, spread its hooves and galloped away, raising a cloud of dust.
Xiuying tightly grasped the imperial edict in her hand, looked at Luo Jing'an with a firm gaze, and said in a serious tone, "Lord Luo, you see, the emperor has betrothed Shi Liu to General Wu Yong's eldest son. This is the emperor's will, the golden words of his majesty. I believe that Lord Luo, you will not disobey the imperial edict, right?"
Xiuying's eyes revealed unquestionable determination, and the imperial edict in her hand was slightly wrinkled. "The imperial edict is here, written in black and white, very clear. Lord Luo, you have always been an upright official, and you respect the emperor's will very much. You will definitely not disobey the emperor's order this time." Xiuying took a small step forward and held the imperial edict in front of Luo Jing'an.
Luo Jing'an widened his eyes, staring at the shining imperial edict in Xiuying's hand, and involuntarily took a big step back.
His expression instantly darkened, his eyes revealing resentment and jealousy. Then, he suddenly curled his lips into a smile that was sinister and mocking.
"Hmph, we've been looking for General Wu's eldest son for many years, but there's still no news, and his life or death is uncertain. Your daughter is marrying a person who exists in the void, maybe just a gift from the Wu family for good luck. What's there to be proud of? She's just marrying a living dead!" Luo Jing'an raised his voice and said viciously.
"How great an honor do you think this is? Just wait and see, she might cry someday in the future!" Luo Jing'an's eyes were filled with malice, and he continued speaking with gritted teeth.
Then Luo Jingan's face was filled with anger. He suddenly waved his sleeves and shouted loudly: "Go home!"
When the lawyer heard the order, he quickly turned around to look at the officials with bloated stomachs, but found that they were still standing there with confused expressions.
The lawyer was immediately furious and shouted angrily: "What are you looking at! Are you all stupid? Didn't you hear what the master said? Go home!" The lawyer's voice was sharp and piercing, and he wished he could go up and kick each of these slow-reacting officials.
"Hurry up and move, are you all waiting to be beaten?" The lawyer cursed and paced back and forth anxiously.
The officials endured the physical discomfort, their stomachs still churning, and everyone's face looked very ugly, but they still gritted their teeth and lifted the official sedan chair.
They followed the sedan chair involuntarily, their steps unsteady and slow.
In this way, the group left the village at an extremely slow pace. The team was crooked and had none of the majesty and orderliness as when they came.
The heavy gate at the entrance of the village slowly closed with the joint efforts of everyone, making a dull "creaking" sound.
The moment the door closed completely, everyone burst into deafening cheers.
"We finally sent them away!" someone shouted excitedly, his voice full of joy.
"We won!" The children also shouted and jumped in the crowd.
The old people clasped their hands together and murmured to themselves, expressing their gratitude for the hard-earned peace.
For a moment, cheers, laughter, and shouts intertwined together and echoed over the village. Everyone in Futian Village was immersed in the joy of victory.
Xiuying hurried back home with the imperial edict, and as soon as she entered the door, she couldn't wait to tell Shiliu about this matter.
When Shi Liu heard this, she immediately became excited, her face flushed red, and her voice trembled: "How could this happen? General Wu and I only met once, why would he ask for permission from the emperor? Why on earth is this happening?" Her eyes were full of confusion and panic.
Xiuying stepped forward, gently grasped Shiliu's hand, and said with a smile, "Don't worry, child. Don't worry. General Wu is renowned far and wide, and his family has always been of good character. Mother believes their child will be no worse. Even if we don't find General Wu's eldest son in the end, the fact that General Wu was willing to come forward and ask for an imperial decree on our behalf was a great help to us. We must remember this favor."
"But mother, all this happened too suddenly. I was not prepared at all." Shi Liu frowned, tears flashed in his eyes, and he looked very helpless.
"Shi Liu, maybe this is fate. Let's just let nature take its course and believe that things will always have a good outcome." Xiuying patted Shi Liu's shoulder gently to comfort her.