Everyone was shocked. Even the Princess Yunlan, with her regent father holding a position second to none, might not be able to achieve marital freedom. Yet, the Empress had bestowed such an imperial decree upon Li Fanghui.
From now on, freedom in marriage. What an honor!
Henceforth, she would no longer be coerced by her parents, nor would she have to make any sacrifices for the family's honor.
The noble ladies who had previously pitied Li Fanghui were now envious. Didn't they also possess this sentiment?
Though they held a higher status than ordinary people, they had to be prepared for sacrifices for their families.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Li Fanghui tremblingly accepted the imperial decree.
On the pure white Xuan paper, the four characters "County Princess Huimin" were written in clear black and white.
Li Fanghui knew that from this moment on, her destiny was in her own hands.
"County Princess Huimin, you are now free!"
Li Fanghui looked up, her eyes clear and gentle, like the morning sun.
Brilliant, yet dazzling.
Her heart, her chest, was filled with an surging excitement.
She had waited for this day for a very, very long time.
And now, it had finally arrived.
Tears streamed down her face. "Mother, you can rest easy now. From now on, no one can dictate her marriage anymore."
"Why aren't you dragging her out to be flogged? Does my word mean nothing in the Li mansion?" the young empress asked coldly, looking at Li Shengming, who was trying to send Aunt Qiao away.
Li Shengming stiffened. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Drag her out quickly and flog… flog her?"
The servants of the mansion dragged Aunt Qiao away, and her cries of pain soon echoed throughout the entire estate.
Li Shengming felt a pang in his heart, but he could not say anything at this moment. He could only signal with his eyes towards his legitimate daughter, Li Fanghui, who had just been granted the title of County Princess.
Li Fanghui turned her head away. Since her father's words, she had truly understood her insignificant place in his heart. She had let go of her past illusions about her father.
From now on, the most important person to her was only Chen Xuan.
Seeing that Li Fanghui completely ignored him, Li Shengming was furious, but he could do nothing. He had to seek help from the regent.
Xue Wenjie narrowed his eyes and finally spoke, "Your Majesty, this is ultimately the Li family's private matter. A slight punishment will suffice."
The young empress blinked and said, "Very well. But I believe the Li mansion should have a proper person to manage it. What do you think, Lord Li? How about County Princess Huimin taking on this role?"
Li Fanghui's body stiffened. Was the Empress asking her to manage the household?
Li Shengming gritted his teeth unwillingly and said, "Your Majesty speaks the truth."
"Then it is decided. County Princess Huimin, you will manage the Li mansion from now on," the young empress declared.
Li Fanghui curtsied. "This humble subject will certainly not fail Your Majesty's expectations."
The young empress nodded and looked at Li Fanghua, who was already stunned.
Li Fanghua trembled all over, a sense of unease growing within her.
Not only was her aunt being flogged, but the Empress had also stripped her of her managerial power with a single sentence. What about her?
A chill and despair welled up from the depths of her heart.
Li Shengming also felt the Empress's gaze, a sense of unease creeping in. Was he about to lose his daughter as well?
He once again looked to Regent Xue Wenjie for help.
Xue Wenjie felt a headache coming on. It seemed the Empress was determined to intervene today?
The young empress walked towards Wu Dakang, who had been kneeling on the ground and had not yet risen, and said coldly, "Deputy General Wu, you said you would take responsibility for Miss Li."
Wu Dakang was taken aback and looked up, meeting her exceptionally clear and cold eyes.
Very cold, very cold.
"Yes," he replied.
"Good. Such a good marriage is not easy to come by. I shall personally grant the marriage today."
The young empress turned around and said coldly, "Feng Wu, prepare brush, ink, paper, and inkstone."
Feng Wu spread the finest Xuan paper on the stone table.
The young empress picked up the jade brush and quickly wrote the imperial decree of marriage.
This was likely the first imperial decree in history to grant someone a concubine.
"Deputy General Wu, receive the decree!" the young empress's lips parted. Wu Dakang knelt on the ground and kowtowed, "Your subordinate… receives the decree."
"No… I don't want to be his concubine…" Li Fanghua shook her head.
Hearing this, the young empress's lips parted, her voice clear and cold, "Defying an imperial decree is punishable by death. Second Miss Li, are you sure you want to defy this decree of mine?"
With her light words, Li Shengming also belatedly trembled. He looked up and saw those clear but unfathomable eyes, like a mist, with no end in sight.
He had never thought much of the Empress before, but now, for the first time, he felt the pressure of a superior.
Was this the power of a king?
"Father…"
"This subject receives the decree!" Li Shengming knelt on the ground, his voice muffled.
Li Fanghua collapsed onto the ground.
The young empress nodded and said, "That's right. However…"
Li Shengming's heart leaped. What else did the Empress want?
The young empress said, "Deputy General Wu spoke disrespectfully to me. Lord Li, how should this crime be punished?"
Li Shengming was startled. So this was the trap!
He had just become family with Wu Dakang, but now the Empress wanted him to punish Wu Dakang. Was she trying to make him offend Wu Dakang?
"Lord Li, why aren't you speaking?" the young empress asked.
Li Shengming gritted his teeth and said word by word, "According to the laws of Huangze, speaking disrespectfully to Your Majesty is punishable by two hundred strokes of the cane."
Everyone was shocked.
Two hundred strokes. Even for a general like Wu Dakang, it would mean being bedridden for a month.
Xue Wenjie narrowed his eyes. "Your Majesty, isn't this punishment a bit excessive?"
Two hundred strokes would render Wu Dakang unable to get out of bed for a month.
He saw the young empress tilt her head, looking at him innocently, and say with a smile, "Does Imperial Uncle feel that Deputy General Wu did not speak disrespectfully to me?"
Xue Wenjie was stunned. "Your subordinate did not mean that."
"Since Imperial Uncle did not mean that, then I will assume Imperial Uncle feels what I said is very correct. Lord Li, did you hear that?"
Li Shengming replied, "This subject heard."
"Proceed with the execution!" the young empress said faintly, sitting on the stone chair.
Li Shengming cupped his hands towards Wu Dakang. "Deputy General Wu, my apologies."
Wu Dakang waved his hand and untied his robe. The shy noble ladies turned their faces away, not daring to look.
On his sturdy back, countless new and old scars were intertwined.
Xue Zining knew these were the scars that every warrior bore.
The cane fell upon Wu Dakang's body, and his back gradually began to bleed.
Some of the more timid noble ladies had already fainted from fright.
After the two hundred strokes were completed, Wu Dakang was swaying, about to collapse.
In Wu Dakang's vision, the hem of Shui Tianse's skirt appeared. He struggled to lift his head, his clear eyes looking at him.
"Your… Your Majesty…"
"Go back and recover from your injuries!" the young empress's lips parted.
Wu Dakang was slightly stunned. He had not expected to hear such words from the young empress, and he was somewhat surprised.