After seeing off the official from the Ministry of Rites who delivered the imperial edict, the atmosphere in the Ming family became very solemn.
Ming Jingzhou held the imperial edict in his hands, his hands trembling slightly, as if it was not an imperial edict embroidered with golden dragons and auspicious clouds, but a thousand-pound hammer.
"Third Uncle." Ming Cunfu was worried that Ming Jingzhou would not be able to catch his breath and faint, so he quickly stood up and helped him up.
It was a good thing that my cousin was marrying into the royal family, but when I thought about who Jiuzhu was going to marry, I couldn't say "congratulations".
Everyone in the capital city knew that His Majesty favored Concubine Su, and was even more fond of the Prince Chen who was born to Concubine Su.
When Prince Chen was less than fifteen years old, he was crowned king together with the eldest prince who was five years older than him. Now that she has reached the age of twenty, her mansion outside the palace has been renovated into a magnificent one, but His Majesty often lets her stay overnight in the palace, and the other princes and princesses have to stay away from her.
There are rumors in the court that Prince Chen is the invisible crown prince. If it weren't for Concubine Su's humble birth and the fact that Prince Chen is neither the eldest nor the last son, His Majesty would have appointed him as the crown prince long ago. However, apart from the good looks given by Concubine Su, there is nothing worthy of praise about Prince Chen. Many ministers in the court do not want him to inherit the throne.
Jiuzhu knelt on the ground, looked at her father with a sad expression, then looked at her heartbroken cousin, lifted her skirt and climbed up, carefully moved to Ming Jingzhou, took the imperial edict and looked at it.
"The imperial edict says that the prince is gifted, beautiful, handsome and studious. These are all good words." After rolling up the imperial edict and stuffing it back into Ming Jingzhou's hands, Jiuzhu patted his wrist gently: "Daddy, don't be so sad."
Looking at his daughter's sweet and innocent face, Ming Jingzhou's voice trembled: "Wang Po, who sells melons in the West Market, is boasting about herself, let alone..."
What's more, Your Majesty is looking for a wife for your son.
Ming Cunfu coughed dryly, reminding his uncle not to say anything that would offend the royal family: "Sister, your uncle and I are reluctant to let you get married."
At that time, their lineage lost power in the court and was exiled to a cold and bitter land. In order to protect his newborn little cousin, my third uncle entrusted her to the elders of the clan. Later, when the current emperor ascended the throne, his father and his second and third uncles were rehabilitated and returned to Beijing to resume their posts.
Although officials in the capital were not allowed to leave the capital without an imperial edict, my third uncle sent people to the Lingzhou clan’s home several times to pick up my little cousin. At first, the clan elders always refused to let them take my little cousin away, saying that my little cousin was weak and could not be moved.
But my uncle and aunt really missed their child, so after my cousin had been recuperating for a year, they spent a lot of money to hire a doctor to accompany her and only then did they bring my cousin, who was already six years old, back home.
As soon as the "little cousin" was brought back home, Third Aunt felt something was wrong. Although the little girl's eyes and eyebrows resembled her and Third Uncle, she suspected that this child was not her own flesh and blood.
Later, they found out that shortly after the three brothers were exiled, the clan members were afraid of offending the powerful officials and did not dare to raise her, so they abandoned her in the wilderness.
The name Jiuzhu means that her parents treat her like jade and pearls. However, those cruel tribesmen threw away their family's precious pearls at will.
When my third uncle and aunt learned the truth, they were heartbroken and immediately sent the fake cousin back to Lingzhou. They also opened an ancestral hall, separated themselves from the clan, and set up their own family.
His father, his second uncle and his third uncle were from the same family. After being exiled to a cold and bitter place, they supported each other and shared the joys and sorrows. Naturally, they could not tolerate this, so they removed the family tree together with their third uncle's family. From then on, the three families had nothing to do with the Lingzhou Ming family.
Jiuzhu was found by him and his servants in a small and dilapidated Taoist temple in Lingzhou a few months ago. The walls of the Taoist temple are mottled, the tiles are broken and the windows are rotten. It is so shabby that even mice are unwilling to come.
The sixteen-year-old sister was holding a big steamed bun, chewing it with a satisfied look on her face. When she saw him, she quickly hid the bun behind her back and said, "Young Master, are you burning incense or having your fortune told? The gods in our Taoist temple are very powerful."
Ming Cunfu looked at the dusty statue on the altar and couldn't figure out what was so magical about it.
But later on he still hoped that the Taoist temple would be effective. After all, the two female Taoist priests said that he was blessed by the star of literature, and he would be able to win the imperial examination, meet noble people, and have a smooth career in the future.
As a scholar, who doesn’t like to win the first prize?
That must be spiritual!
"Brother Fuliu." Jiuzhu pulled Mingcunfu's sleeve: "What are you thinking about?"
Ming Cunfu came back to his senses and before he could open his mouth, he heard hurried footsteps coming from outside the yard.
"Is it mother who is back?" Jiuzhu walked quickly to the door and happened to run into Shen walking towards her.
Shen, who was originally a little anxious, softened her expression instantly when she saw Jiuzhu standing at the door: "Jiuzhu, why are you standing at the door? It's cold in late autumn, don't let the wind hurt your face."
Jiuzhu smelled the scent of incense on Shen's body, and reached out to hold Shen's arm and walked into the house: "Don't worry, mother, I'm too thick-skinned to brag."
The mother and daughter have been together for a short time, but they are already very close. Perhaps this is the invisible fate between mother and daughter.
As soon as Shen sat down, she ordered the servants to bring tonic soup to Jiuzhu. She looked at her daughter's little face, her eyes full of heartache.
There is a kind of thinness that makes mother feel very thin.
Over the past decade or so, Jiuzhu has experienced all kinds of hardships in her mind, so much so that whenever she sees the miserable people in operas, she can't help but associate them with the miserable people. What should she do if her own daughter also has such a miserable life?
So after Jiuzhu stood in front of her alive and well, she developed the habit of feeding her daughter food from time to time. It was as if she wanted to crush and heat up the maternal love of the past fifteen years, grind it into the finest powder, and gently wrap the child, letting the child know that she had always loved her, loved her, and had never abandoned her.
Fortunately, Shen loved to stuff food into Jiuzhu's stomach, and Jiuzhu also loved to eat it. All of Shen's motherly love went smoothly into Jiuzhu's stomach.
"Just now the concierge said that someone from the Ministry of Rites came to deliver an imperial decree." Shen gently stroked her sleeve pocket, which contained a talisman she had asked for for her daughter. "What's the matter?"
"The Ministry of Rites just issued an order that your Majesty should act as a matchmaker for Prince Chen and marry Jiuzhu to be his consort."
"Which king?"
"Chen...King."
"What concubine?"
"Princess Chen."
Ming Cunfu was afraid that Third Aunt would get sick from being angry, so he quickly added, "The principal concubine."
The room suddenly became quiet. After a long while, Shen stuffed the half-taken amulet back into the room.
What kind of lousy god is this? He can’t even protect her own daughter. What’s the point of worshipping him?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She stood up and tried to walk out the door.
"Madam, calm down, calm down!" Ming Jingzhou quickly stood up and grabbed her sleeve: "If you have anything to say, let's close the door and talk slowly."
Don’t break into the palace, or you’ll lose your head!
Jiuzhu looked at the two parents who were pulling each other, holding her face and asked in confusion: "Is the King of Chen not good?"
Ming Jingzhou and Shen both turned to look at their daughter, their eyes filled with grief and anger at the rare treasure being taken away by bandits.
"Sit down and talk slowly." People from Lingzhou speak softly and gently. Jiuzhu grew up in a Taoist temple in Lingzhou and seldom came into contact with outsiders. She was naturally naive and innocent. This was like a coquettish way of speaking, and the couple felt their hearts soften at hearing it.
"This Prince Chen..." Ming Jingzhou hesitated, opened his mouth and closed it again, and sighed after a while: "I will go to the palace and ask His Majesty to withdraw the sacred order."
"He is extremely ugly?" Seeing that his father didn't want to mention King Chen, Jiuzhu's mind suddenly appeared the image of a wolf-ape with a green face, fangs, bear arms and ears.
Jiuzhu lowered her head and touched her slender white wrist, and she felt that the tonic soup brought by the maid suddenly lost its fragrance.
"He's not ugly, but Prince Chen is a person..." Ming Jingzhou was silent for a moment: "It's hard to describe in a few words."
Not only is he not ugly, he also has a face that little girls like. But as a man and a prince, having just a face is not enough.
Throwing away the image of a man with a green face and fangs in his mind, Jiuzhu looked at Ming Jingzhou with sparkling eyes: "Father, let's talk slowly."
"Prince Chen's biological mother, Concubine Su, was born in a merchant family. Since entering the palace, she has been favored by His Majesty for many years. Over the years, His Majesty has gone beyond the rules to make him a king for Concubine Su, and even gave him a higher title than other princes."
Chen means "extreme", which refers to the place where heaven and earth meet. It has a special meaning. It is impossible for an emperor to give such a title to his young son.
"There is no empress in the palace. What does it matter which empress His Majesty likes?" Jiuzhu didn't think there was anything hard to explain.
"You don't understand." As one of the civil officials, the grievances and love-hate relationship between Prince Chen and his mother and the civil officials is enough to compile ten books, and each of them would sell well in the market.
Ming Jingzhou straightened his official robes and said, "Let your mother and cousin talk to you. I will go to the palace to meet His Majesty."
He finally found such a lovely, innocent and naive girl, how could she marry a man like Prince Chen!
"Father..." Jiuzhu stretched out her hand to stop him, but her father's back was too determined and she only touched a corner of his clothes.
"Don't stop him." Shen said, "Let him try, at least..."
At least I feel better.
"Drink the soup." Thinking that the soup brought by the maid had not yet entered her daughter's stomach, Shen forced a smile and brought the soup to her.
No man can stop her from raising a daughter.
"Madam." The servant ran to the door quickly and passed on the message: "Someone from Mingyue Palace said that Concubine Su has obtained a painting by a famous artist and invited Miss to the palace to appreciate it."
When did appreciating calligraphy and paintings become related to Concubine Su?
Shen held the soup steadily and smiled at Jiuzhu: "Drink slowly, there is no rush. After you finish, let someone accompany you to wash up."
After finishing the soup in a few gulps, Jiuzhu got up and went to the backyard. She vaguely saw the housekeeper walking towards her with a middle-aged woman in a purple skirt.
"That must be your daughter, right?" The Mingyue Palace maid stopped and looked at the figure in the distance. She nodded and smiled at the guide nanny: "Although I haven't seen her true face, I know at a glance that your daughter is very beautiful."
"Haha, Auntie, you are too kind."
The housekeeper thought to herself, come on, it’s amazing that you can tell whether it’s a boy or a girl from such a distance.
She has seen many in-laws who praise the woman to the heavens before she gets married, and then find fault with her after she gets married.
Does this female official want to praise their young lady?
It's obvious that he was attracted by the young lady's status as a civil servant!
The people in the palace are all dirty.
"Spring Equinox, this phoenix-tail hairpin is so heavy." Jiuzhu held the golden hairpin on her temples, worried that it would fall off. This is made of pure gold wire and looks very valuable.
The pearls swayed on her temples, making her little face look even more delicate and lovely.
Being stared at by those watery eyes, like a newborn puppy, Chunfen felt numb and tingling in her heart, and quickly looked away: "Miss, you must dress up well when you go to the palace to see the Imperial Concubine."
When she put down the jade comb in her hand, she accidentally placed it on the edge of the dressing table. It was about to fall down. Before Chunfen could scream, she saw the young lady pick up the jade comb and put it back on the table.
"Miss." The maid outside reminded quietly: "The palace carriage is ready."
Jiuzhu confidently stepped onto the carriage to the palace. Occasionally, she would paint in the Taoist temple, but since her two masters were very poor, they used pens, ink, paper and inkstone sparingly.
But both masters praised her and said she was very accomplished in painting, so appreciating paintings should not be difficult for her.
"Madam." Seeing that Shen looked serious, the trusted maid who was supporting her comforted her, "The young lady is the blood of you and the master, and she must be very talented in painting."
Shen: “…”
It's over.
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