Chapter 933: Venerable Supreme-Grade Eldest Princess Yi Zhao

Translator: Atlas Studios    Editor: Atlas Studios

Eunuch Li hurriedly said, “Princess, you’re righteous. If you were still in the capital, you would have already drunk this year’s new tea.”

Along the way, the Yu Garden where Princess Shaoyi lived looked pretty good. However, in his eyes, the Yu Garden was still rough.

The flowers and trees in the garden were also ordinary flowers and trees that could withstand the cold and drought in Liaodong. They could not compare to the strange flowers and plants in the capital.

Moreover, as Liaodong was still cold and wet, even the wood in the house was mostly wet-resistant elm wood. It was even more detailed and exquisite than precious wood such as sandalwood, rosewood, and agarwood.

It had to be known that if Princess Shaoyi was in the capital, her food and clothes would be better than those in the palace. However, Liaodong was bitterly cold and had limited conditions. It definitely could not compare to the capital.

It was obvious that Princess Shaoyi’s life in Liaodong had not been good either. She had suffered.

When the n.o.bles in the palace returned, they would definitely ask about Princess Shaoyi’s situation in Liaodong.

With this in mind, Eunuch Li did not show it on his face. “This time, when I came over, the Empress Dowager rewarded me with new tea from all over the world. Princess, try it. However, I feel that the jade laurel tea that you made yourself is fragrant, mellow, and fresh. It’s quite delicious.”

Compared to the tribute tea, although the jade osmanthus tea was a little inferior, what was rare was that the taste of this tea was strange and novel. Furthermore, the medicinal tea that Princess Shaoyi had personally brewed revealed that it was extraordinary.

“The Empress Dowager is still thinking about me.” Yu Youyao looked flattered. Then, she changed the topic. “Coincidentally, I’ve also prepared some things to show filial piety to her. I’ll have to trouble you to bring them back to the palace. ”

Eunuch Li quickly agreed.

The two of them chatted for ten minutes. On the surface, they were just gossiping, but anyone who understood the deeper meaning behind it understood.

One of them had “ulterior motives”. The meaning between the lines revealed the love and concern that the n.o.bles in the palace had for Princess Shaoyi. They gave her this year’s tribute tea. They also learned that Princess Shaoyi had suffered in Liaodong, and that Elder Han had been locked up in the residence.

The other party “pretended to be flattered”. Her words expressed her grat.i.tude to the Empress Dowager and her loyalty to the Imperial Court, showing how loyal the women of the Yu Clan should be.

Both sides exchanged blows.

It wasn’t until both sides consciously expressed what they wanted to say clearly and were very satisfied with the att.i.tudes they expressed that this conversation that was “full of mysteries” finally ended.

Eunuch Li smiled in satisfaction before standing up. “It’s getting late. It’s time for us to read the Empress Dowager’s decree. We can’t miss the time.”

Yu Youyao immediately knelt in the hall with the people from the Xie Residence to listen to the decree.

This was actually a decree to be conferred a n.o.ble t.i.tle.

Yu Youyao’s t.i.tle had changed from a first-rate Saint Venerable Princess to Venerable Supreme-Grade Eldest Princess Yi Zhao. Her status had increased by more than a level.

The emperor issued the imperial edict.

The Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager issued the empress’s decree.

Generally speaking, the t.i.tles of all the ministers and the female members of their families were personally ordered by the emperor. The emperor’s close ministers would draft the details of the content according to the oral decree. After the emperor read it, if there was no problem with the words and sentences, if the ministers had expressed the holy will very clearly, and if there was nothing biased or ominous, the emperor would personally draft a decree and issue it.

Now, the emperor had sealed the palace and did not come out. The court affairs were handled by the Empress Dowager on his behalf. All the decrees were issued by the Empress Dowager. Although it was still an empress’s decree, in order for the empress’s decree to have the dragon might of the imperial decree, not only did the empress’s decree have to be stamped with a phoenix seal, but it also had to be stamped with a seal to represent that the emperor ordered the Empress Dowager to convey the holy message.

Not only was Yu Youyao shocked, but even Eunuch Li, who was announcing the decree, was shocked.

The emperor’s sisters could be conferred the t.i.tle of “Senior Princess.”

Only the emperor’s aunt could be conferred the t.i.tle of “Great Senior Princess.”

Only the emperor’s grandaunt could be conferred the t.i.tle of “Eldest Princess.”

There was actually no news in the palace about such a big matter. Even he had always thought that this was just a decree from the Imperial Court.

Eunuch Li was shocked. He had a guess, but he did not dare to show it at all.

Yu Youyao knelt down respectfully to listen to the decree.

She was the Venerable Supreme-Grade Eldest Princess Yi Zhao. The longer her t.i.tle was, the more important her status was.

“Yi” was her honorific name.

“Zhao” was the t.i.tle of the daughter of the current emperor. There were only three princesses in the palace now. Other than Princess Liyang, the other two princesses were all called Zhao.

For example, Concubine Lan’s daughter had been conferred the t.i.tle of Princess Zhao Ping.

However, there were many princesses in history who did not have a specific t.i.tle. Some especially doted on princesses were often given more honorable t.i.tles.

It couldn’t be decided uniformly.

n.o.ble t.i.tles had to be divided into different ranks. The ranks were the same, but the grades were different. Naturally, the higher the grade, the more important the status.

The grades were the same, but the higher the rank, the higher the status.

“Venerable” referred to the difference in ranks. It was the highest rank among all the ranks.

“Supreme-grade” referred to her grade. Above the first-grade was the supreme-grade.

The daughters of the emperor were all royal-grade. For example, Princess

Zhao Ping was a first-grade princess of the royal family. Her status was that of a first-ranked, first-grade princess.

Above the royal-grade, there was also the imperial-grade, such as the Senior Princess.

Above the imperial-grade, there was also supreme-grade, such as the Great Senior Princess.

Below the royal-grade was the saint-grade. For example, Yu Youyao was a first-grade Saint Venerable Princess Yi. Her rank was the same as Princess Zhao Ping, but her grade was lower than Princess Zhao Ping.

Her status was that of a first-leveled Saint Venerable and a first-grade

Princess.

However, whether a t.i.tle in the imperial family was n.o.ble or not depended on one’s rank first. After that, it also depended on the grade. Yu Youyao’s t.i.tle had the word ‘Yi”, so her status naturally rose.

And now, her t.i.tle had been directly raised by more than one position.

“Yi” became “Yi Zhao”, allowing her to enjoy the special t.i.tle that the princess of the dynasty had.

She also became a “Venerable”. Her rank changed from a first-ranked princess to an official first-ranked princess. This was a rank that only legitimate princesses had.

The grade of “Saint Venerable” directly surpa.s.sed the royal-grade and supreme-grade, becoming the highest “supreme-grade”.

The word “Eldest” was added in front of the word “Princess”. Thus, she changed from a Princess to the “Eldest Princess”. There was a difference of one word, but the statuses were worlds apart. In this dynasty, the first wife was important, and as long as she could be called “Eldest”, her status would be extraordinary.

In the past dynasties, only the sisters of the emperor could have the t.i.tle of “Eldest”. However, there was another special case, which was that they had made a huge contribution to the Imperial Court and were given an exception.

An example was Princess Shaoyi.

However, such a situation was rare in history books.

The Empress Dowager had set a precedent for the Eldest Princess Shaoyi and made an exception. Eldest Princess Shaoyi had directly become the most respected person in the Great Zhou Dynasty other than the emperor, the

Empress Dowager, and the Empress.

King Yue Fei still had to follow behind.

In the future, they would have to change the way they addressed Princess Shaoyi.

Eunuch Li t s back subconsciously lowered a little, and his tone subconsciously became flattering.. “Eldest Princess Shaoyi, please accept the decree!”