2 Chapter 2 - A Royal Decree

"Gege, look! That looks delicious!" Lan Wei Qi said as she pointed to one of the candies she saw.

Lan Wei Qi has seldom visited the marketplace. It was much safer for her to go out into forests or oceans rather than a place filled with humans. Lan Wangji is with her now, so he deems it fine.

"We would like to buy four," Lan Wangji told the vendor, who had a look as if he had ascended to the higher plains in delight. After all, Lan Wei Qi was a symbol of hope and good fortune. To see her up close and even wanting to eat the candies he made, it was too much joy, ah!

Thus, one child and three adults walked around the marketplace, each one with a candy on hand.

"It is her holiness, her servant and her guard! Her holiness called him brother, right? It's the famed Master Lan, ah!" the ladies whispered to each other.

"Her holiness is like a god among men, but certainly Master Lan is one of the best men the empire has! Look at him! He even dotes on her holiness so much!"

"Imagine having him as husband taking care of your child? Aaaaaaahh!"

"Gege, that book!" Lan Wei Qi asked as she tugged on his clothes.

"Yes, yes, we will get them for Qi'er," he dotingly said as his eyes faded and formed crescents. "Does Qi'er's library still have space? Do you need more space for your new books?"

"Qi'er needs a new shelf!"

"Then gege will have another shelf made for you, okay?"

"Yay!"

Hearts melt everywhere. It was such a heartwarming scene. The capital has not been graced by such beauty for a long time. The sun was about to set when they noticed. Lan Wangji had borrowed the help of the holy knights which was why they were able to stay out late.

"Qi'er, it's time to eat dinner. Let us go and eat at a restaurant," Lan Wangji suggested and Lan Wei Qi happily nodded.

All the restaurant owners waited in suspense. After all, whatever the child of heaven touched or wherever she visited, good fortune followed her like a loyal servant.

"Where do you want to go?" Lan Wangji let her decided.

A smell quickly captured her sense of smell and she was immediately smitten by it. "Qi'er wants to go there, gege!"

They never knew that while they were being served, the restaurant owner was already thinking of making their table a sacred place. She did not want anyone else eating there, ah!

People were amazed to see the siblings eat together with their servants. Truly, the Lan family has always been known to treat everyone equally but to see it in person is beyond astonishing.

After eating, they immediately went home. However they saw a procession standing in front of the Lan manor.

"What is happening?" Lan Wangji asked the soldiers accompanying the procession. He had the authority above them.

"Your holiness and Captain Lan," the eunuch bowed his head. "The Emperor has summoned both to come to the imperial palace."

Everyone received a shock.

"The Emperor?" Lan Wei Qi asked innocently.

"A- Ah, yes, Qi'er," Lan Wangji snapped out of it. "Our Emperor, Emperor Yuan, ruler of the empire."

They changed into more formal clothes before boarding the carriage sent for them.

"Qi'er, listen," Lan Wangji said as he held her hands together. "You have to be very polite in front of the royal family, especially the Emperor, okay?"

"Why do they want to see us, gege?" LanWei Qi asked him.

Lan Wangji looked at Luo Luo and Si Cheng for answers, but he also knew deep inside that no one, not even himself, knew the answer. "Gege doesn't know. Maybe they want to award Qi'er?"

"For what? Qi'er has not done anything at all," she said as she pulled her clothes up. "Gege, Qi'er does not like these clothes."

"We have to dress formally for his majesty. Otherwise we might be punished," he said as he pulled them back down. "Luo Luo, Cheng-ge, what do we do?"

Luo Luo and Si Cheng are not able to board the carriage sent by the Emperor, so they walked alongside it.

"But Master, our young miss is still her holiness," Si Cheng answered. "I am sure everything will be alright."

"Luo Luo agrees, Master. Our young miss is bright after all. Everyone likes the young miss."

Ever since they were children, they served the Lan family and they grew alongside Lan Wangji, who was then their young master. When he became head of the family, they were assigned to take care of Lan Wei Qi. Si Cheng was like the older brother who guided him and Luo Luo was his sister who cheered him on every time he was unsure of himself.

"Hmm... You are right," Lan Wangji mumbled as he nodded.

"Likes me?" Lan Wei Qi started sulking. "Yesterday, Luo jiejie and Cheng-ge were laughing at me. What like?"

"Apologies, your holiness," Luo Luo said with a chuckle. "We simply found you adorable so we were not able to stop ourselves."

"Hmph!" She puffed out her cheeks.

"Your holiness, Captain, we have arrived."

The eunuch guided them, however Luo Luo and Si Cheng had to stay outside the inner palace.

"Gege, it's huge," Lan Wei Qi said as she looked around in awe. "It's like nothing I've ever seen."

"Do you like a place as big as this?" Lan Wangji asked her.

"It doesn't matter as long as gege is with me," she answered with a smile and Lan Wangji couldn't have asked for more.

They were soom ushered in front of two huge doors engraved with a golden dragon curled into a circle.

"Your majesty, Captain Lan and her holiness has arrived," the eunuch announced.

"Let them in."

They entered and were greeted by the royal family. The Emperor, the Empress, the first prince, the fourth prince and the princess. Two of the princes were missing.

"Glory to your majesty, the Emperor and the entire royal family." Lan Wangji bowed to the ground and Lan Wei Qi was only confused. She did not know and thus only bowed a little.

Her panicked face caused the Emperor to chuckle.

"Qi'er, get down," Lan Wangji softly called her as he held her hand, but the Emperor stopped him.

"Ah, no need. Her holiness stands on equal footing with us. We are merely humans and yet she is beyond all that we are," the Emperor said with a smile. "Please take your seat."

Lan Wei Qi stared at them with big, curious eyes. She was beyond fascinated. She has never met people like them before.

"My, what a charm," the first prince Long Xingchen said with a smile.

"Father, her eyes have stars inside them!" The five-year-old princess exclaimed as she pointed to her.

"No, A-Xin. You mustn't point at her holiness. It is rude," the Empress Yu Lin sternly scolded her.

The Emperor and the Empress seemingly contrasted. The Emperor had bright and almost carefree personality while the Empress was firm and strict.

"Your holiness, forgive our A-Xin," the Empress asked as she bowed her head.

"Ah- Ah- Your highness, you need not to bow to us," Lan Wangji panicked. "Qi'er understands. She is not easily offended." He had only seen the royal family from afar. Never did he expect that he would see them so up close.

"Your holiness, zhen called you here so we could hope dispel the unrest in the hearts of the peope. For a while now, the royal family and the holy temple has been in a few arguments and the people perceived it badly, however they are merely misunderstandings and we are still in a good relationship. People started taking sides and chaos erupted. We thought of a solution after hearing how much the people adores your holiness despite of what side they took. If we grant you a title as Royal Daughter, it will dispel the people's worries."

[Lan Wangji: Truthfully... There have been many conflicts between such groups of people and I have handled some of them. Supporters of both sides has caused casualties even to unrelated people. It will be a good chance. More importantly, if Qi'er is able to become a member of the royal family, she will have people to take care of her if ever I were to get into an accident.]

"What does Captain Lan think? If you are not willing, zhen shall not force you to receive the decree," The emperor said as he nodded.

"Your majesty, if Qi'er becomes a member of the royal family, will her future be ensured?" Lan Wangji asked, great worry evident in her eyes. He wanted to hear it from the emperor himself.

"Of course," the emperor nodded. "We will make sure that her holiness is provided with everything. She can decide everything she wants to do, even her marriage."

Then it is a win-win situation.

"We will gladly accept, your majesty."

"From this day on, heed my decree. I hereby give the title Imperial Daughter Xiu Ying to her holiness Lan Wei Qi."

Then and there, Lan Wei Qi was given the title of jun zhu, a second rank princess. She was gifted with her own palace with servants and guards to protect her.

This matter quelled the unrest in the people's hearts. The supporters stopped fighting amongst each other and the holy temple was then relieved.

The empire was at peace once again.