"Today, after the Emperor finished court, he mentioned the marriage of the Second Princess and the others."

Yinzhi leaned against the soft couch while Hezhuo was giving her a massage.

"Oh? Is someone already chosen?" He Zhuo moved slowly and deliberately, while Yin Zhi's eyes narrowed comfortably.

"Father Emperor intends to marry the princess to a Han Chinese man, in the spirit of Manchu and Han becoming one family."

"This is good news. Did Father Emperor mention which princess? There are several princesses in the palace who have reached marriageable age. There's the sixth princess of Consort Tong, the seventh princess of Consort Wenxi, the princess of Consort Min, and the princess of Consort Yuan." He Zhuo listed several princesses who had reached marriageable age, and the sixth princess was already 22 years old.

In ordinary families, it would be impossible to keep a daughter this old. It was only because Emperor Kangxi pitied the princess who was married off to a distant place that he consciously kept her for a longer period of time.

"Father didn't say, so it's probably not the younger sister born to the Consort. Although the Niohuru family's power has declined since Ebilun's death, it is still very powerful. Since Father arranged for the tenth brother to marry a Mongolian noblewoman, he wouldn't marry the seventh sister to a Han Chinese to win over Han officials."

As he spoke, Yinzhi took his wife's hand and gestured for her to sit next to him.

He Zhuo sat down as instructed, and Yin Zhi took his wife's fair and delicate hand in his and played with it.

"What you say is true, Your Majesty. What did Father Emperor say to you today? Did he make any progress?"

"Um."

The father always felt uneasy when the topic of marrying off his daughter came up, so he put He Zhuo's hand down, closed his eyes, and spoke softly.

"Father said that our second, third, and fourth princesses have reached marriageable age. Last year, Kakaylabutan came to the capital to ask for a wife. Kakaylabutan had previously made meritorious contributions in the attack on Galdan. His wife has been dead for more than a year, and he hopes to marry a woman from the imperial clan as his second wife."

"Is Your Highness in a difficult position?" He Zhuo grasped Yin Zhi's hand.

Yinzhi gave a soft "hmm" and then fell silent.

The second princess and the others were not He Zhuo's biological children. At this moment, He Zhuo didn't want to say anything. No matter who they married, they would live their own lives. He Zhuo asked herself if she, as their legal mother, had been fair to them.

Soon after, an imperial decree arrived from the palace.

Princess Tong, the sixth princess, was bestowed the title of Princess Heshuo Chunque and was betrothed to Tsering, a Khalkha Taiji of the Borjigit clan in Mongolia.

Princess Wenxi, the seventh princess, was granted the title of Princess Heshuo Shujia and was betrothed to Sun Chengyun, a minister of the Imperial Household Department, a military officer, a first-class baron, and a Yunqiwei.

At the same time, the Prince Zhi's residence also received the imperial decree.

The second princess, Fangwan, married Li Shu'ao of the Li family.

Fangning, the third princess, married Labutan of the Kakai clan.

Fourth Princess Fangyun married Zhakdan, a Taiji (prince) from the Khalkha region of northern Mongolia.

None of the princesses in the Prince Zhi's mansion were born to the primary wife, so they were all prepared for marriage according to the dowry of a Duoluo princess.

Although they are all called Dorogge, they are of a lower rank than Little Treasure.

In Chinese terms, Xiao Zhenbao was a county princess, living in the capital with a salary of 110 taels of silver and 110 bushels of rice. After marrying into a foreign vassal state, she would receive a salary of 110 taels of silver and 10 bolts of satin.

They were all county princesses: those living in the capital received a salary of 60 taels of silver and 60 bushels of rice, while those marrying into foreign vassal states received a salary of 60 taels of silver and 8 bolts of satin.

The difference can also be seen in their salaries and benefits.

After Emperor Kangxi issued the imperial edict, the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department began to get busy. The two princesses had to prepare their dowries, and they also had to prepare for the marriages of the three princesses from the Prince Zhi's family.

Not long after, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau sent over the auspicious date, which was the wedding day of the princess of the Prince Zhi's mansion.

The second princess, Fangwan, got married in May, while the third and fourth princesses both got married in June.