"Alas, it is ultimately the descendants who are incompetent..."
After reading Ding Yun's memorial pleading for official titles and ranks, Emperor Longsheng could already imagine how a ninety-year-old elder was reluctantly compelled to write such a petition.
In the end, it was the lack of ability in his descendants.
This was why the elder ancestor had to personally intervene.
For a moment, he even thought of his own children, who, were it not for being imperial princes, would likely have no particular achievements. This made him feel that perhaps in a few generations, such a situation might occur again with the descendants of his own daughters.
His mood became even more somber.
After a long period of hesitation, he finally gave his command:
"In consideration of Princess Anrong's advanced age and her concern for her descendants, we shall grant a favor. The three individuals she mentioned shall first serve as Imperial Guards.
They will be evaluated to see what direction suits them best.
Their official appointments will be bestowed later."
"Yes!
Your Majesty, there is also one more matter. When Princess Anrong submitted the memorial, she also sent an embroidery piece, stating it was her personal work gifted to Your Majesty.
Does Your Majesty wish to see it or have it stored in the imperial treasury?"
Even gifts entering the imperial palace required inspection. The vast double-sided exotic embroidery picture that Ding Yun sent was deemed extraordinary by the head eunuch, exceptionally precious, so he naturally dared not conceal it.
Hearing this, Emperor Longsheng was also surprised:
"Princess Anrong is truly thoughtful.
Compared to her, those county princes who shamelessly claim their stipends are insufficient are utterly shameless. Even during visits to relatives, there's a sense of reciprocal exchange of gifts.
Bring it up for me to see.
An elder celebrating a long life personally embroidered it. Even if it's an old piece, it's made with great care. Hurry and bring it for me to see."
Using this as an opportunity to subtly criticize his shameless county prince cousins, Emperor Longsheng was now extremely eager to see the embroidery of this elder ancestor!
He was even prepared to praise it, regardless of its quality.
The head eunuch naturally responded with a "yes" and quickly brought the brocade box that had been prepared, summoning several palace maids to bring along the tools specifically used for hanging large embroidery pieces or maps.
Then, through the combined efforts of several people, Ding Yun's embroidery was finally hung.
It was a double-sided exotic embroidery painting, over five meters long and about twenty centimeters wide, essentially restoring the original painting.
As the embroidery began to unfold, Emperor Longsheng could no longer sit still. He walked over to the picture and observed it closely, marveling as he looked. Especially when he saw that the front and back sides of the picture were completely different, he was even more delighted, muttering constantly about how it was done.
At this point, the head eunuch dared not respond, as he did not understand either.
"This craftsmanship is truly exquisite.
Even looking at it up close, I can barely discern any needlework; it looks like a painting. Only by touching it can one feel that it is indeed embroidery. Ordinary palm-sized double-sided embroidery is already rare. Such a large-scale double-sided embroidery makes it hard to imagine how much effort and heart Princess Anrong poured into this piece.
This embroidered painting is so well done, I almost feel hesitant to accept it.
Not only is it skillfully embroidered, but the meaning is also profound. One side depicts vast rivers and mountains, and the other shows the bustling city life. Is this not the nation and its people? It's wonderful, truly wonderful!"
After circling the embroidered picture for a long time and expressing his deep admiration, Emperor Longsheng continued his command:
"Zhongxian, bring forth the double-sided exotic embroidery picture of 'Ten Thousand Purple and Red Flowers Accompanied by a Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix' that was presented by the Imperial Textile Bureau not long ago, said to be embroidered by the foremost embroiderer in Jiangnan. I feel that this embroidered picture is not as good as Princess Anrong's.
Bring it out, and let me compare!"
"Yes!"
Before long, another large double-sided exotic embroidery, about two meters long and one meter wide, was brought in.
The front of that exotic embroidery depicted a hundred flowers in full bloom.
The back depicted a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix.
It was originally intended as a gift for the Empress, but it was not yet completed when Emperor Longsheng's original Empress passed away. No new Empress had been appointed, and Emperor Longsheng himself was quite fond of it,
So it was kept.
When the two double-sided exotic embroidery pictures were placed side-by-side for comparison,
The contrast was immediately apparent.
In terms of concept, composition, and material, Princess Anrong's piece was a complete victory. Hers was a masterpiece of peerless beauty, naturally achieved, while the other, though elegant and luxurious, was full of artificial craftsmanship. Of course, these were not words spoken by others.
These were Emperor Longsheng's own words as he looked at it,
Shaking his head as he observed.
"Princess Anrong's embroidered painting must have taken a great deal of her effort. The embroidered picture presented by the Imperial Textile Bureau took that embroiderer eight years to complete. This piece by Princess Anrong should have taken no less time. She is truly considerate!
Furthermore, the material is something I have never seen before.
It is likely some rare fabric that the old ancestor Shenwu found in the national treasury of the previous dynasty and later bestowed upon Princess Anrong as part of her dowry. It is probably extinct now.
In that case, since Princess Anrong is concerned about her descendants, I shall specially permit three individuals from each generation of her family to study at the Imperial Academy, or to serve in the Imperial Guards' General Command. One civil and one military. As long as they strive, they can achieve success. However, if they are all useless like mud that cannot be plastered on a wall, I am not in the business of collecting garbage."
The special nature of the materials in Ding Yun's embroidered painting was readily attributed by Emperor Longsheng himself to a suitable origin, and in his delight, he immediately wished to offer more compensation.
However, his happiness did not cloud his judgment.
Without violating ancestral laws,
This was the extent of the treatment he could offer.
And this treatment was by no means poor. For instance, entering the Imperial Academy generally required a certain official rank or royal status for one's offspring to study there without examination, and there were very few places, with each person usually only allocated one or two spots.
Ding Yun was qualified, but this privilege could only be used by her children and grandchildren. Her children and grandchildren were already quite old, the youngest being over fifty. Therefore, since the generation of her great-grandchildren, no one in her family had been able to enter the Imperial Academy to study.
Now, three spots were allowed for each generation.
Could this not be considered preferential treatment?
As for entering the Imperial Guards' General Command, that was even better treatment. These were the emperor's personal guards. Although serving the emperor was like accompanying a tiger, proximity indeed made promotion easier. Merely by muddling through, one could become a fifth or sixth-rank military official.
The only drawback was that both required effort.
Both required some capability.
Ding Yun had only offered an embroidered picture and the prestige of her high status, with no other meritorious contributions. If she expected to gain further benefits, did she expect an hereditary noble title? That was purely a dream.
Even if Emperor Longsheng's mind was addled and he was willing,
The officials would never agree.
Even if this treatment were to be announced now, the officials would likely grumble. However, since this matter did not require a formal imperial decree and did not need to be known by the officials,
Emperor Longsheng felt confident in giving his command.
He then instructed the head eunuch by his side to send three tokens of authorization to Princess Anrong. With these tokens, she could choose for her descendants to enter the Imperial Academy or to serve in the Imperial Guards' General Command.