"I suggest that Wuxiha handle this matter. Her husband's residence is perfect. Besides, she enjoys lively gatherings. Let the young ladies of the capital go to the husband's residence to admire the flowers, and then I will take Hongzhou along to join in the fun. Let Hongzhou take a look and make his own choice," Lanqin suggested.

"Hahaha, Wuxiha is always efficient and reliable. Let's leave this matter to her." Fourth Master laughed heartily as he thought of Wuxiha, his Princess Gulun.

Lanqin said with satisfaction, "Well, then I'll have Wuxiha handle this matter. As for spreading the news, that's up to the Emperor."

"Tomorrow at court, I will announce to the world that Hongzhou has chosen his principal wife, so that these princes and nobles will have time to prepare and need not worry. As for you, you have been working so hard for their marriage for so long, you should rest well." The Fourth Prince felt very sorry for Lanqin, thinking of all the troubles she had been going through.

Hearing the Fourth Prince's concern for her, Lanqin felt a warmth in her heart and said, "Fourth Prince, I'm fine. These things aren't tiring. Besides, I'm very happy to be arranging the children's weddings, so I don't feel tired at all. It's Your Majesty who is busy with state affairs all day long. I feel that Your Majesty has lost a lot of weight recently."

The two chatted until it got dark, so the Fourth Prince stayed overnight at Changchun Palace.

The next morning at court, news spread that the Fourth Prince was going to choose a primary consort for Hongzhou. The court officials began to whisper among themselves. After all, he was a prince, and everyone wanted their daughters to rise to a higher social status.

After court, the officials teased each other: "Lord Lin, I heard you have a well-educated and virtuous daughter? I'm afraid she'll be chosen for the election."

The Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, Lord Lin, humbly replied, "Not at all, not at all. My daughter is just an ordinary woman with nothing outstanding about her. But I've long heard of your daughter..."

"Perhaps the most likely candidate is the princess from Lord Zhang's household..."

"I wonder what kind of woman Prince Hongzhou likes, so that I can prepare accordingly."

The officials began to test each other, each secretly believing their own daughter was the best choice. Although Hongzhou wasn't the Fourth Prince's most favored son, he was still a prince and would inevitably become a prince in the future. Therefore, these officials felt Hongzhou was an excellent son-in-law, and all of them had designs on him.

On this day, the ministers were all distracted from official business. When it was time to leave the palace, they hurriedly went home to tell their wives and daughters what had happened so that they could be prepared.

The young ladies and princesses of various households also had romantic thoughts, and they heard that Hong Zhou was handsome and of noble status, so many of them thought about forming a good marriage with Hong Zhou.

Thus, the noble ladies of the capital began to eagerly anticipate receiving an invitation from Princess Gulun—not to them, but to their own daughters. Those courtiers who received invitations were naturally delighted, as it meant the Emperor remembered them and even knew they had daughters of marriageable age. Those who did not receive invitations were, of course, somewhat disappointed.

In truth, it would be easy for the Fourth Prince to find out which families had daughters and how old they were; he could simply order the Ministry of Revenue to check the resumes of current officials. These young ladies in their chambers were required to participate in the imperial concubine selection process each year, though some could be betrothed beforehand and simply go through the motions. For princes like Hongzhou, if they took a liking to a particular family's daughter, they could exempt her from the selection process.