The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

In recent days, Suzhou City has been bustling with activity.

Anning is busy tidying things up in the palace.

Xiao Yuan decided to set the Capital as his base, so Anning needs to take the children with her to the Capital, naturally requiring everything to be packed.

In addition to belongings, she also needs to decide on the accompanying personnel, who will stay in Suzhou and who will follow her to the Capital.

Originally, Princess Le Yang said she would stay in Suzhou because later Dong Da would need to guard the Southern Yi, and Le Yang would have to return to Southern Yi.

However, Anning persuaded her to come along, suggesting that Dong Da might not know when he would leave for Southern Yi; staying in Suzhou would inevitably lead to separation from her husband, not to mention her desire for Le Yang to see the Capital.

Le Yang thought it over and decided to pack up and prepare to go with Anning.

Just after Anning persuaded Le Yang, Wang Qi came to her, claiming he also wanted to go with her to the Capital.

Anning understood Wang Qi and his mother’s thoughts.

They likely feared there would be no one to protect them once Anning left, leaving them to be bullied due to being weak and vulnerable.

By following Anning, they would feel secure.

Additionally, some civil servants and military generals’ families were also preparing to depart for the Capital.

Princess Fengyang has been busy these days too; she must also go to the Capital. Fengyang asked Qi Nanxue: "What are you thinking, my lord? Do you want to stay in Suzhou City or go to the Capital?"

Qi Nanxue replied without thinking: "To the Capital, I have the protection of the Princess, naturally, I must be with her."

Fengyang smiled: "Then pack up well, we will set out in a few days."

After many busy days, Anning finally set out with a large group escorted by guards.

All along the way, they traveled by water, taking a boat along the Grand Canal to the Capital.

Though previously disasters were frequent, during Anning’s northern journey, everything was calm and peaceful, with sunny weather each day, speeding up the journey. In just a dozen days, they reached Tongzhou Pier.

Xiao Yuan sent Xiao Jin and Xiao Song to welcome them at the pier.

With a dozen ships docking, rows of carriages awaited at the shore.

Anning, along with her children and attendants, disembarked and directly boarded the carriage heading to the Imperial Palace.

As they stepped into the carriage, two men and two women emerged from another carriage, seemingly two couples, heading to the pier to board a ship.

Among these were Yinya and Lansheng, along with Empress Dowager Zhang and An Qingtai.

The four of them boarded the ship together to travel to Southern Yi.

After Xiao Yuan entered the Capital, he met Empress Dowager Zhang and inquired about her plans.

Xiao Yuan allowed Empress Dowager Zhang to choose a place, promising to instruct the local officials to arrange for household registration and other matters.

Empress Dowager Zhang chose Southern Yi.

She said at the time: "I’ve always heard people say how wonderful Southern Yi is; it is where Your Majesty started, so we want to take a look. Moreover, Sister Yinya has lived there for years and is familiar with it, so I’d better go there, at least to be neighbors with Sister Yinya for mutual support."

Once Xiao Yuan saw she’d made her decision, he summoned Dong Da to recognize her and let them take the ship first to Southern Yi, explaining that Dong Da would assist with the formalities once there and advising Empress Dowager Zhang to seek help from Dong Da in the future.

Empress Dowager Zhang and An Qingtai had accumulated many valuable items in the palace over the years, and on their departure, Xiao Yuan encouraged them to take these with them. These treasures, along with gold and silver, should sustain both Empress Dowager Zhang and An Qingtai for life.

As for the little Emperor, Xiao Yuan did not take further actions; after abdicating, Xiao Yuan conferred upon him the title Marquis Kang’en.

Once Anning brought the children into the palace, Xiao Yuan and Anning reunited, with the Ministry of Rites then preparing for the enthronement ceremony.

Finally, Xiao Yuan truly unified the realm, naturally arranging the enthronement ceremony, including rewarding meritorious subjects and posthumously honoring ancestors.

After the enthronement ceremony, Xiao Yuan’s people occupied various ministries, and some officials from Da Qi were reinstated.

The troublesome Di Song did not escape punishment but instead was appointed as the Left Imperial Censor.

This Di Song, with a nasty temper and blind loyalty, refused to serve as an official in Dajing and directly took his life at home to follow the Emperor of Da Qi.

Xiao Yuan truly did not know how to deal with this person.

However, Lu Wang was reinstated by Xiao Yuan.

Lu Wang resumed his role as river governor, with Xiao Yuan granting him complete trust to manage the rivers.

When the Yellow River burst its banks, Xiao Yuan dispatched Xiao Ying and Prince Xin to the disaster area for relief work, aiding in recovery and stabilizing the situation for the affected people.

Prime Minister Li was also reinstated by Xiao Yuan.

Initially, Xiao Yuan planned to make Prime Minister Li Chief of Staff, but Di Song’s suicide led him to assign Li as Left Imperial Censor.

Apart from reinstating officials, Xiao Yuan posthumously honored Anning’s deceased father, Imperial Censor Liu, as Duke Cheng’en, and Anning’s late mother as Duchess Cheng’en.

Anning also accepted a child from the Liu family named Liu Yi, raising him nearby as the heir to Duke Cheng’en.

Such chaotic circumstances led to the national situation stabilizing and production resuming across the regions after about a year.

At this time, Xiao Yuan implemented a policy that brought joy and excitement to the people, the abolition of the lowly status.

During Da Qi, actors, matchmakers, and many professions were classified as lowly, forbidden from marrying into good families, and condemned to generations of lowly status.

Xiao Yuan’s abolition of the lowly status allowed many to escape oppression and live with dignity.

Further, during Da Qi’s founding, orphans from the previous dynasty and loyal officials caused disturbances, angering Da Qi’s Grand Ancestor Emperor, who punished them by forcing generations to live on boats, never allowed to set foot on land.

Over the years, their descendants lived in unbearable hardship.

Once Xiao Yuan abolished the lowly status, these people became civilians, no longer condemned to live on boats for generations and free to settle on land.

These people were deeply grateful to Xiao Yuan, mourning and crying when the decree reached them, and many knelt toward the Capital, fervently bowing in gratitude, their foreheads bruised from prostration.

Qi Nanxue, who followed Princess Fengyang to the Capital, had just stepped off the stage when he heard a child from the theater troupe shouting: "Great news! The Holy Emperor shows mercy, abolishing the lowly status! We are no longer lowly slaves; we are upright citizens, able to have household registration, buy property, and send children to school to become officials through exams..."

Qi Nanxue was stunned, tears streaming down his face for a long time.

He silently knelt and bowed toward the Imperial Palace.

He bowed again and again, not knowing how many times, until his forehead was bleeding.

Along with him, many in the theater troupe were crying and bowing, shouting praises for the Emperor’s benevolence.

Those not born into the lowly status could never understand or fathom the gratitude in their hearts.

Being born lowly, their lives were not their own since birth, disgraced, bullied, and trampled, suffering in ways unimaginable to those who never experienced it.

And now, they were no longer lowly slaves.

They were registered citizens, proper Dajing subjects, free to seek justice in government offices if oppressed, no longer mere objects for others’ amusement.

Princess Fengyang rushed backstage, swiftly pulling Qi Nanxue up, heartbroken at his bloodied, swollen forehead: "You... enough, come with me."