northernbook Chapter 220 Praise
Chapter 220 Praise
Another lady named Qi had a similarly miserable fate. Her husband was currently on the same level as Lord Zhao and was highly valued. However, he eventually chose to follow the Second Prince, which led to an unfortunate end for the entire family.
Gu Qinlan perfectly demonstrated the feeling of unfamiliarity as a newcomer. Under the guidance of Mrs. Zhao, she greeted each lady present in turn.
As the auspicious time arrived, Madam Zhao and Lord Zhao sat side by side in the main hall. The scene was solemn and dignified.
Gu Qinlan walked forward gracefully, knelt lightly, and bowed respectfully to the two elders: "My foster father and foster mother, please accept my daughter Qinlan's greetings. I will offer you a cup of tea."
Mrs. Zhao smiled so much that her eyes curved into crescents. After sipping her tea, she personally helped Gu Qinlan up and said gently, "Good child, good child, from now on, you are my biological daughter."
Lord Zhao said seriously: "From now on, this is your home. If you suffer injustice outside, remember to come back. We will be your solid support. In the future, when we are old, you will still have your brothers and sisters to support you."
A warm feeling surged in Gu Qinlan's heart.
In her previous life, she had given everything she had, but she had never received such considerate care. She had endured all the hardships and obstacles alone. She was even schemed against by those so-called relatives.
She never expected that she would be so lucky in this life.
Although she might not believe Lord Zhao's words if they came from someone else, she believed them firmly when they came from Lord Zhao's mouth.
Because Lord Zhao is the kind of person who sticks to integrity, every word he says is as powerful as his promise.
Recalling that in his previous life, in order to avenge Zhao Qingyu, Lord Zhao spared no effort and used various means to climb to the pinnacle of power, just to compete with the third prince.
With such deep fatherly love, even a bad person would not be extremely bad.
Gu Qinlan nodded solemnly to Lord Zhao: "My daughter will remember this in her heart. From now on, I will do my best to be filial to my adoptive parents and enjoy their company. If my adoptive parents have any troubles, please let me know. We will share the honor and disgrace together."
The four words "share honor and disgrace" weighed as heavy as a thousand pounds, shocking everyone present.
Lord Zhao was also deeply touched.
At first, he accepted this adopted daughter out of helplessness. She saved his daughter and knew all her sufferings. In addition, Gu Qinlan had the power of Prince Duan's Mansion behind her, so he didn't want to be involved with the power in the court, especially the military commanders. At the same time, he was also worried that Gu Qinlan was scheming and might be in collusion with the Third Prince's party.
But for his daughter, he couldn't refuse.
However, as he got to know Gu Qinlan better, he found that she was very different from what they had imagined. She was sensible, sensible, wise, and had no connection with any of the princes. After careful consideration, he felt that there was nothing wrong with adopting such a daughter. Instead, it was like gaining a reliable relative.
And now, he accepted this adopted daughter wholeheartedly.
A warm smile appeared on his usually serious and stern face at this moment: "Then, your father will definitely urge your brothers and sisters to study hard, so that your family can share the honor."
Gu Qinlan felt warm in her heart.
Once upon a time, she envied Zhao Qingyu so much, envied her for having such a family that cared for her wholeheartedly. Now, she also has this luck, this luck was given to her by Zhao Qingyu.
All the guests watching the ceremony were moved by their sincere emotions.
Cases of adopting godchildren are not uncommon, but it is hard to find someone as sincere as the Zhao family and Gu Qinlan.
At this moment, there was a sudden commotion outside the door.
"Master, Madam, someone has come from the palace. The Queen Mother, the Emperor, and the Empress have sent people to give gifts."
The guests were in an uproar. The marriage of a minister had actually alarmed the three supreme rulers in the palace, who specially sent people to deliver gifts. This was truly a unique honor!
But how could the emperor possibly understand the Zhao family's act of accepting relatives?
If the emperor knew the truth, how could he react like this?
Zhao Zairen took in the various expressions of the guests around him and couldn't help but sneer in his heart.
These people have ulterior motives and naturally look at everything in a dirty way.
Do they really think that Zhao would go along with them?
In fact, regarding the matter of adopting a godparent, he had made his position clear to the emperor from the very beginning.
The purpose was simply to avoid arousing the emperor's suspicion.
Ever since he learned that Zhao Qingyu had adopted a daughter for them without their permission, he immediately reported the whole story to the emperor without reservation.
He was loyal to the emperor and could deceive the whole world, but he would never hide anything from the emperor.
Therefore, the emperor was fully aware of his actions towards Naganqin.
In addition, the attitudes of the Zhao and Zheng families made the emperor very pleased, so today's gift-giving took place.
Although the gifts sent by the three most powerful people in the palace were not many, the respect contained in them was unmatched.
Some people who had looked down on Gu Qinlan before now looked at her with very different eyes.
Because along with the gifts came the emperor and the empress's praise and affirmation for Gu Qinlan.
"Madam Zheng, the emperor specifically asked me to tell you that the emperor has remembered all the good deeds you have done for the people in Jindu. The emperor also said that although Madam Zheng was born into a merchant family, she is kind-hearted, upright, calm, and courageous. If she were a man, she would achieve great things."
Although Eunuch Ying's voice was a little weak, it was not harsh. He smiled while speaking, giving people a amiable feeling.
Gu Qinlan said politely, "I am just doing my duty as a citizen of Western Wei. How dare I accept such praise from the emperor?"
Eunuch Ying smiled and replied, "Since the emperor has praised you, Madam Zheng should accept it."
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned to Lord Zhao and said, "Lord Zhao, I have conveyed the blessings of the Queen Mother, the Emperor, and the Empress. I have to hurry back to report, so I can't stay long. Congratulations to Lord Zhao on the birth of his beloved daughter. Goodbye."
Lord Zhao and his wife personally escorted Eunuch Ying out the door.
After the people from the palace left, the atmosphere became more heated. Those guests who had previously complained about Gu Qinlan's background now affectionately called her "Qinlan".
Several ladies even took off their bracelets and gave them to Gu Qinlan enthusiastically.
"Your stepmother and I have a close relationship, so you can just call me Aunt Zhang. You have just arrived in the capital and are unfamiliar with the place. I have several daughters who are about your age. You can ask them to accompany you to visit the capital in the future."
"Niece Qinlan, I am your Aunt Zheng. I was delighted when I first saw you. In the future, we must spend more time together. Everyone gathered around Gu Qinlan to get closer to her. Gu Qinlan also responded appropriately. The atmosphere was very harmonious as we interacted with each other.
After the recognition ceremony, the banquet officially began.
This banquet of the Zhao family was the last grand gathering in the capital before the New Year, so the Zhao family made full preparations and even invited a troupe of actors, and the scene was extremely lively.
After the banquet was over and the guests were seen off, Gu Qinlan said goodbye to the Zhao family and returned to Prince Duan's Mansion.