This time, after the news spread, Ding Yun's descendants did not all rush over to ask for peonies as they had last time.
The phrase "not all rushed over" implied that two people did not come.
The rest still came, asking for peonies and complaining that Ding Yun could just give away peonies worth a million, not cherishing them, her financially strained descendants, and leaving some for future generations.
She was so generous to outsiders.
Faced with their complaints, Ding Yun was too lazy to curse. All of them were over seventy and fifty years old, with at least tens of thousands of taels of silver in their hands, yet they were still coveting the little things she had. It was truly shameless.
"Do all of you think your lives are too comfortable? Do you want me to say a few words to the Imperial Clan Court and send you to the northwestern border, to the southern barbarians?
Go and have a few years of 'good life'!"
"Do you think I am too easy to talk to?"
This threat from Ding Yun made them remember that their mother was a princess, and they were nothing. Their current actions were already considered clearly coveting their mother's private property, which would not be considered filial in any circumstance.
Once Ding Yun truly reported them to the Imperial Clan Court for unfilial conduct, exile to the border would be a matter of course.
And what they were relying on now...
Was simply the belief that a mother would be reluctant to do so.
But now, Ding Yun had even used the term "this princess," making them feel that their mother was truly angered.
Therefore, they could only grudgingly and indignantly beg for mercy.
Saying that they dared not do it again.
"It's good that you don't dare. Remember, what I give you is yours. What I don't give you, you cannot demand. What do you think would happen if the Crown Prince forcibly demanded the throne? I let you off the hook last time, and I can let you off the hook this time, but I am not someone who lets things slide.
There are limits to everything. Do not disappoint me."
"By the way, why didn't the eldest son's wife, Qin Jinshi, and the third son come? Do they know they shouldn't come, yet you are still unwilling and still came to ask for things?"
Ding Yun really did not like seeing these descendants, who had thick skin but few other merits, nor did she like their eager faces when asking for benefits.
The original owner had spent decades nurturing them, only giving.
She didn't even receive any gifts from them on her ninetieth birthday.
Now, with her hundredth birthday approaching, they didn't even mention it. Seeing them truly angered her.
Therefore, Ding Yun reminded them in a very bad tone that there were limits to everything, and if they dared to come asking for things again in similar situations, she would not be polite.
Then she curiously asked about the two people who hadn't come.
"Grandmother, my mother has been unwell recently and has been bedridden for nearly half a month, so she couldn't come."
"Mother, my husband fell the day before yesterday and is now lying in bed, he really cannot come!"
Hearing them say this, Ding Yun's tone softened slightly: "If you're sick, get well. You're not young anymore, so focus on your health. Don't think too much. Isn't the family property and private property I've given you enough for your daily expenses?"
"I'm stating this clearly today: while I am alive, do not even think about coveting my possessions.
When I die, they will all be yours.
The premise is that you can outlive me, so instead of coming here to be scolded, you might as well take care of yourselves, maintain a healthy lifestyle, exercise, and live a few more years.
If you want peonies, you can each take a pot back later.
There are no new varieties of peonies, but there are ordinary ones. Your treatment will be the same as others. After half a year, bring a healthy and intact peony to exchange.
Don't think about any schemes or tricks, like letting the peony die and then buying one from the market to transplant into the pot. I can tell at a glance if it's my peony. Trying to play tricks on me is like showing off your skills before an expert.
If the descendants of your families want to raise them.
They can also come and get a pot.
That's all. Go and do what you need to do..."
Ding Yun dared to give away the peonies and stated that they had to be well-raised for half a year before returning them to exchange for her new varieties of peonies, naturally because she had the confidence. Her confidence came from the talent of the Peony Fairy Card, which allowed her to accurately distinguish the differences in each peony.
Whether it was the one she gave away was clear.
No one could forge it.
This was also an important reason why she set the half-year period. Because the Peony Fairy Card could only be used for one year, and now nearly half a year had passed, if she dragged it out beyond a year, without the assistance of the Peony Fairy Card, she truly wouldn't be able to distinguish.
Which peony pot was the one she had given away.
As Ding Yun began to dismiss them, her sons, daughters-in-law, and granddaughters-in-law could only reluctantly get up to leave, sighing as they went to the steward to collect the peonies.
Privately, they muttered about how their mother had become like this.
Her personality had become increasingly strange lately.
Instead of learning from Princess Jinghua and finding ways for their family's descendants to marry princesses, she was also spending money lavishly.
She was becoming more and more harsh towards her own family and more generous towards outsiders, which was truly baffling.
They truly thought she was becoming more muddled as she got older.
...
Three months later, Qin Jinshi was critically ill.
She passed away at dawn on September 27th, four days later.
Ding Yun went to sit for a while, offered incense, and left. After all, there was no custom for descendants to keep vigil when an elder passed away.
Moreover, at her age, who would fear that a funeral would bring bad luck to her? Even if she wanted to stay in the mourning hall for a while longer, the grandsons of the eldest branch would not want it.
After all, no one wanted an elder to have an accident in their home.
On the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, just four days before the agreed-upon date from the peony banquet half a year ago.
Ding Yun's youngest son, who had fallen half a year ago, also passed away.
A seventy-year-old person falling was likely to die even in modern society due to complications, lack of proper care, and other factors, let alone in ancient feudal times.
Two funerals within less than half a year made Ding Yun's surviving second son, his wife, and third daughter-in-law, while grieving, also feel some concern for themselves. After all, they were of similar age, and some were even older than the third son.
They all rushed to pursue a healthy lifestyle.
Hoping to live longer and healthier lives.
Especially Ding Yun's only remaining second son, who was very eager to live on, wanting to outlive Ding Yun. Because he believed that as long as he outlived his mother, he would definitely inherit most of his mother's private property.
At the same time, because of this incident, Ding Yun specifically postponed the agreed-upon time from the peony banquet half a year ago by a few days. No one objected to this, after all, their son had died.
They wanted to fulfill the agreement after their son was buried.
Who could say anything?
Anyone with any objections would be verbally attacked to death.
Therefore, the agreed-upon time for exchanging new peonies from the peony banquet was postponed by more than ten days, until Ding Yun's third son's coffin was interred for twenty-one days and buried. Only then was it prepared to resume. However, before it could begin, the day after her third son was buried, the capital was placed under martial law.
The Imperial Guards cooperated with the Imperial Army's personal troops.
Jointly guarding every street in the capital.
Elderly people immediately understood that something had happened in the palace; either the Empress Dowager or the Empress had passed away, or the Emperor had died. However, the Empress Dowager had passed away ten years ago, and the Empress had also passed away, so it was highly likely that Emperor Longsheng had passed away.
At this point, the exchange of new peonies had to be shelved again. Most households wisely closed their doors, and some even began to prepare white cloth.
They just waited for an order from above.
And then the entire city would wear mourning clothes and observe national mourning.