The princess was ordained by Heaven.

Chapter 152 Titles

Without hesitation, she stood up and asked the emperor for a horse.

Her estate isn't a pig farm; having only pigs would be a bit monotonous.

After hearing her request, the emperor did not immediately grant it. Instead, he smiled and asked, "Xun'er, what have you prepared for Father's birthday today?"

Zheng Xun asked in surprise, "Who asks for gifts on their own?"

"It's available now."

He was the emperor, so there were bound to be many people who imitated him, and more and more people will do so in the future.

Zheng Xun muttered, "I'm only ten years old."

In such a high-profile scene, it's fortunate that she put some effort into preparing the gift; otherwise, she would have made a very embarrassing start.

She gave Zhichun a wink, and Zhichun nodded and took out a small square box.

The box was handed to the emperor by Li Xiaojun.

Because of the emperor's special status, the box should have been opened by Li Xiaojun, but the emperor did not allow him to touch it and opened it himself after receiving the box.

The box contained a token, which is usually used to signify identity.

The brand's materials aren't particularly expensive, but the design is quite unique.

He took out the token and softly read the words on it: "Yuanxiu Academy? Elder?"

Zheng Xun's lips curled up as he looked at Zhao Xiulan, who was sitting on the side of the noblewomen.

Zhao Xiulan nodded and walked to Zheng Xun's side.

"To be precise, this is a birthday gift that your son and the Crown Prince's wife are presenting to you together," Zheng Xun said with a smile.

The emperor and his court officials had all heard about Zhao Xiulan's idea from Zheng Xun. Who would have thought that it would be done so soon?

This efficiency... is probably unmatched by many court officials.

Zheng Xun and Zhao Xiulan chatted back and forth, recounting a few interesting stories from the academy.

But from these stories, others can glimpse how difficult it is to accomplish this, how difficult it is to continue doing it, and how great this is.

Madame Chiang Kai-shek grinned and boasted to her friends, "I know... I know about this too! The princess mentioned my name... Yes, yes, I was involved in this as well."

Other ladies: ...

Who would have thought the Zhao family would be in this situation today!

She was such an unreasonable person back then; everyone wanted to stay far away from her.

It's clear that having a bastard can affect a person's brain to some extent. Look, after kicking the child, Zhao Xiulan instantly returned to normal.

Some wives immediately disliked their own sons.

These are the guys who are hindering their careers, right?

Okay, okay, I won't spoil them anymore. If they do something bad, I'll hit them. If I can't hit them properly, I'll kick them. Maybe they'll be the next Zhao Xiulan.

The emperor listened quietly as Zheng Xun finished speaking: "Then what is this token...?"

"This is an elder's decree. Everyone in the academy must know that they owe everything they have today to Zhao Xiulan and the imperial court. If it weren't for the emperor's boundless grace, how could the academy have been established?"

Zheng Xun's words were flattery, but they weren't entirely without merit.

For example, if this matter were in the Brown Country, those miserly nobles would not allow anyone to compete with them.

In the imperial court, every position is a limited one, and if there are too many scholars, it becomes difficult for them to climb the ranks.

Even in the Great Yong Dynasty, many people were dissatisfied with Yuanxiu Academy, and the root of the problem was nothing more than self-interest.

However, with Zheng Xun, a powerful figure, presiding over Yuanxiu Academy, and the backing of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, and now with the Emperor's assistance, the three combined make it an unassailable institution.

Moreover, the academy not only trained scholars, but also taught many less talented people survival skills.

These people don't affect them, so they haven't caused any trouble yet.

Ok……

Zheng Xun wasn't afraid of them causing trouble at all.

The emperor held the token, his expression shifting, making it impossible to discern whether he was pleased or displeased.

In the past, no matter what Zheng Xun did, as long as it did not endanger her own safety, the emperor always stood firmly on her side.

This was the first time his attitude had been so unpredictable.

Seeing this, the ministers dared not make any further moves, and their voices gradually faded away.

After a long silence, the emperor finally looked at Zhao Xiulan and asked, "Do you know about that memorial?"

Zhao Xiulan swallowed hard, looking somewhat nervous.

But when she caught a glimpse of Zheng Xun standing beside her, her heart suddenly calmed down: "This subject understands!"

The emperor said cryptically, "As far as I know, the Duke of Dingguo is bedridden and unable to get up? Then tell me, who wrote this memorial?"

Zheng Xun blinked and said first, "Wasn't everything fine a while ago? Of course, it was written before anything happened."

After saying that, she turned to look at Zhao Xiulan, her face showing emotion: "I'm sure the Duke also supports your decision. The Duke is truly righteous!"

Zhao Xiulan: ...

My tense mood completely calmed down because of her words.

The Duke of Dingguo probably doesn't want this high praise.

After all, this is the family property of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, and he would rather take it to the ground than give it to an outsider like her.

She knew that Zheng Xun took over the conversation at this moment because it was inappropriate for Zhao Xiulan to say those words.

Or rather, she shouldn't have gotten involved in this matter at all; she should have been the one who "repeatedly refused but had no choice but to accept."

Once she takes the initiative, it will make her seem scheming and manipulative, which will, to say the least, greatly damage her reputation.

However, Zhao Xiulan didn't care about her reputation. She had heard a lot of harsh words in her life, and now that she could be at peace with herself, that was enough.

Even though she had agreed to take care of the rest, the princess still helped her.

The princess has done enough for her; if she wants to grow, she can't keep hiding behind her forever.

Zheng Xun seemed to have guessed her thoughts, pressed down on her shoulders and whispered, "Don't speak. If you get involved in this, it will affect the reputation of the academy."

"But wasn't what I did before enough to have an impact? Princess, I can't let you always be the one to rush ahead in everything."

Zheng Xun was somewhat stunned by her firm tone.

Finally, she gradually loosened her grip.

The emperor watched them talk and shook his head helplessly.

So blatantly brazen, do they think he doesn't exist?

However, he did not urge them, but quietly watched them discuss.

After the brief conversation ended, Zhao Xiulan bowed deeply to the Emperor: "Your Majesty, the Duke of Dingguo's mansion is without a successor, and my father-in-law cannot bear to see the title fall into the wrong hands. He favors that I become the heir apparent and take over the Duke of Dingguo's mansion because he also supports my decision. My father-in-law is righteous and fears that someone might make things difficult for me, so he wants to support me..."

Zheng Xun interrupted her: "Why not?"

As soon as Zhao Xiulan spoke, the entire room erupted in uproar.

The envoy from the Brown Kingdom was utterly astonished.

The Great Yong Dynasty has truly gone mad!

The court officials, who usually kept quiet out of consideration for Zheng Xun, finally couldn't hold back any longer.

They've seen the Duke of Dingguo before; do they not know who he is?

How could he possibly request an imperial decree to make Zhao Xiulan a princess?

So it's obvious who did it.

If Zhao Xiulan were the daughter of the Duke of Dingguo, they wouldn't have reacted so strongly, but Zhao Xiulan is only a daughter-in-law, she doesn't have the Duke of Dingguo's bloodline, and she doesn't have the surname Ding!

Put yourself in their shoes; what if they died and their property went to their daughter-in-law...

That's absolutely impossible!

Instantly, everyone in the hall knelt down. No one directly stood up to criticize them, but their attitude made their stance clear.

Zheng Xun's gaze swept over them: "What? You all have objections?"

The crowd remained silent, but no one stood up.

"You've all heard of many examples where sons-in-law inherit family businesses when there are no sons, right?"

Everyone: How can that be the same!

Are you trying to say, 'How come they're the same?' But what's the difference?

“If the son-in-law changes his surname, he’s one of us.”

"Xiulan, would you like to change your surname?"

Zhao Xiulan kowtowed: "This humble woman is willing!"

Zheng Xun looked at everyone again: "She's willing!"

"But she's a woman..."

Zheng Xun said coldly, "Is your mother a woman? If you despise women, then draw your sword and kill yourself first."

She turned to look at the emperor: "Father, do you also think women are different?"

The emperor was speechless and changed the subject: "Today is my birthday, stop fooling around, Yuanjia."

Zheng Xun lowered his eyes and did not respond, but continued to ask, "Is it really impossible? But how many people in the court today have Xiulan's vision and courage? She did it for the country and the people, but what about the others?"

The "others" she referred to were other powerful and influential people: ...

"But that's a title bestowed by the Duke of Dingguo's ancestors. How can Zhao Xiulan, an outsider, be qualified to inherit it?"

Zheng Xun sneered.

The emperor suddenly spoke up: "Yuanjia, this matter is not open to discussion. How about this, I will issue another decree to enfeoff the Zhao family as Marquis of Zhao, what do you think?"

Some people wanted to argue, but considering Zheng Xun's role in Dayong, they didn't dare to push her too far.

Zheng Xun persisted: "The Duke of Dingguo has already agreed, so why won't Father Emperor allow it? Does Father Emperor already want to take back the Duke of Dingguo's property and title?"

Other ministers: !!!

Princess! Do you know what you're saying?

Even if the emperor really thought that way, could he say it out loud?

Some people began to think about it seriously.

Is Zheng Xun starting to act spoiled and arrogant?

No, that's not right. It seems she always does things as she pleases without any scruples. It's just that in the past she targeted corrupt officials, so no one dared to openly oppose her.

The emperor seemed somewhat embarrassed: "There is absolutely no way Zhao Xiulan will inherit the Duke of Dingguo's mansion! Since she looks down on the title of 'Marquis Zhao,' then there's no need for her to do so!"

Zheng Xun pouted, looking aggrieved: "Father doesn't love me anymore! I'm never talking to you again!"

She paused, then added, "I won't be telling your fortunes anymore!"

The ministers were instantly horrified:

Liao Hongsheng cried out, "Princess! Da Yong needs you! We need you!"

Qin Duzhi also chimed in, urging, "Princess, please don't! How can we live without you!"

Lord Jiang became anxious: "It's just a marquisate, so be it. Princess, for the sake of the Great Yong Dynasty, you must not abandon us!"

Duan Yunfeng: ...

He felt he couldn't pull off such an exaggerated act, so he nodded with a serious face: "They're right!"

Zhao Xiulan wanted to make the decision for her: "Princess, don't give up on Dayong! This humble woman can give up her title..."

Zheng Xun quickly covered his mouth: "Be good, don't talk!"

Zhao Xiulan: ?

Why did she feel something was wrong?

Finally, with almost everyone trying to persuade Zheng Xun, he reluctantly nodded: "Alright, a marquis it is..."

Others who followed suit and advised her: ?

They also felt that something seemed off...

Liao Hongsheng and the others who spoke first bowed their heads silently, keeping their merits and fame hidden.

Zhao Xiulan saw Zheng Xun's lips curl slightly, then looked at the emperor's feigned helplessness: ...