As the news of Emperor Longsheng's death officially spread.
Regardless of whether people believed the so-called sudden death from plague.
The entire capital's households, big and small, rushed to hang white mourning cloths, ceased all entertainment and social activities, and shut their doors, dutifully observing the national mourning period.
Of course, this was for ordinary households. Officials and nobles were required to enter the palace to mourn. Ding Yun was no exception.
However, due to her high status and her own position within the royal lineage, upon entering the imperial palace, she was not required to kneel and wail like other noble consorts. She merely needed to offer symbolic condolences alongside other members of the imperial family whose generation predated Emperor Longsheng. Afterward, she could sit and chat.
After all, the imperial family was different from others.
Beyond the distinction between sovereign and subject,
There was also a layer of kinship.
Even if the emperor died, one couldn't expect the emperor's grand-aunts or great-aunts to kowtow and guard the coffin. For instance, if the Empress Dowager were still alive, would she be expected to kowtow and guard the emperor's coffin? Impossible!
It was similar for the imperial family.
Those of the same generation as the emperor, if of lower status, would kowtow and guard the coffin. Those of higher status than the emperor were exempt.
No one would object to this.
Ding Yun found the situation relatively relaxed.
After forty-nine days of mourning, Emperor Longsheng was finally buried. The nobles, officials, and noble consorts who had participated in the mourning rites were all thoroughly exhausted.
Several had even fallen ill before the forty-nine days of lying in state were over.
After all, the temperature at the end of the year was not high, and many were not permitted to mourn indoors, forced to kneel and wail outside. Moreover, some of the noble consorts were elderly.
That only a few fell ill and none died could be considered great fortune and a testament to the new emperor's care for the elderly.
With the former emperor's burial, a series of events followed, including the new emperor's ascension and the investiture of the crown prince.
However, these matters did not proceed smoothly. Three days after the investiture of the crown prince, the new crown prince, the Thirteenth Prince of the former emperor, caught a cold and died on the fifth day. Other princes began to actively recommend their own sons.
It was said that the Thirteenth Prince's birth mother had strongly objected to her son becoming crown prince. Unfortunately, her pleas were futile. Whether her son became crown prince was not her decision but that of the court officials.
Subsequently, her son's life could not be saved.
She herself committed suicide by hanging that night.
Thus, Emperor Longsheng's lineage was completely extinguished.
Frankly, Ding Yun was not surprised by this outcome. She wondered what those officials were thinking. Did they believe they could protect the Thirteenth Prince of the former emperor, or did they simply desire his death?
If he had merely been an ordinary prince with no claim to the throne, he might have had a chance to survive.
But once he was named crown prince by the newly enthroned, childless Emperor Huiyang, it was clear to all that his death would necessitate Emperor Huiyang adopting a boy from the imperial clan.
Under such circumstances, how many princes would wish for that child to live? Which of them didn't harbor ambitions and desire a chance at the throne? And how easy would it be to harm an infant?
Emperor Huiyang did order an investigation, but it concluded with the deaths of some palace maids and eunuchs, and then the matter was dropped.
The imperial clan began to argue over the succession once more.
And what did Emperor Huiyang do? He took several new concubines and was currently trying to conceive, clearly unwilling to relinquish the throne he had obtained to others. Despite his age, he wished to try his best.
To have a son and thus secure the succession.
In short, it was a period of great turmoil.
However, none of this concerned Ding Yun. After the national mourning period ended, she promptly notified those to whom she had gifted peonies to hurry to the princess's mansion to exchange them for new varieties, lest further complications arise. Her peony skill card was almost expiring.
Those who came to exchange their peonies did, as Ding Yun had predicted, feel it inappropriate to take the new varieties without offering something in return. The least offered was a thousand taels of silver, with some offering up to five thousand taels as an exchange.
Those who attempted to slyly pass off other people's peonies as their own were clearly identified by Ding Yun and sent away.
Through this operation, Ding Yun's reputation for loving peonies and her expertise in them grew even greater. After all, she remembered every single peony she had gifted and could distinguish them. Who could then say she didn't love peonies or wasn't an expert in all things related to them?
Of course, this primarily referred to outsiders. Her own descendants were indeed shameless enough not to offer any money.
They brought peonies that had been cared for by others for half a year,
And expected to exchange them for new varieties.
However, by this time, Ding Yun was too tired to argue with them. She simply turned a blind eye and let it go, exchanging a pot of new peonies for each of them.
And then she dismissed them.
Let them be. Ding Yun no longer had any high expectations for them. As long as they didn't commit any wicked deeds.
This was perhaps similar to how parents, who initially hoped their children would achieve great things, gradually shifted to hoping they would simply get married and have children, or even just not break the law. After all, people had to gradually accept reality.
They had to accept the reality of their children's mediocrity.
As the new varieties of peonies were distributed, and those who received them began to hold peony banquets to display them, Ding Yun not only earned over eight hundred thousand taels in overt income but also solidified the reputation of "All peonies originate from Anrong," becoming the undisputed Princess of Peonies.
That's right, people no longer called her Princess Anrong.
They directly referred to her as the Princess of Peonies.
Previously, after she had hosted the peony banquet, the saying "All peonies originate from Anrong" had emerged. However, few people had seen the hundred varieties of new peonies. Most only knew of their existence by reputation, but had not truly seen them.
Now, with hundreds of pots of new peonies distributed,
And brought to various locations for peony banquets, more people had the opportunity to see these renowned peonies. The saying "All peonies originate from Anrong" was finally truly recognized by the populace.
Ding Yun's own influence had naturally increased as a result. However, she was still a long way from imprinting her own mark on the world's origin.
She would likely have to continue working hard!
Therefore, after the customary New Year celebrations, Ding Yun practically counted down the days, eagerly awaiting the expiration of the Peony Fairy card and anticipating what new card she might draw.
However, just a few days after the New Year.
The Northern barbarians invaded the passes.
They likely saw the internal strife within the imperial family as an opportunity to raid.
This matter was originally unrelated to Ding Yun. However, she had a great-grandson serving as a hundred-household officer in the northern territory, and he was one of the few promising individuals in the family. Thus, Ding Yun had to put aside her card-drawing matters and focus on her great-grandson's safety. She also devised strategies for him, so that Qin Yangchun could seize this opportunity to gain merit.
The border had been at peace for years. If he didn't seize this chance to earn merit and advance his rank, when would he get another opportunity?