The Emperor had also thought it over carefully. Even though the events at the Winter Warmth Banquet that day had not yet reached outside the palace, the ministers were well aware of what had happened.
Getting Ziwei to marry into one of their families wouldn't be an easy task. Moreover, the Emperor no longer fully trusts Ziwei. Naturally, he fears that if she marries into another family, she might sow discord between them.
Now, her best option is probably a marriage alliance. As long as the Qing Dynasty remains stronger than them, they won't dare to disrespect Ziwei. This is probably the last thing he, as her father, can do for her.
The next day at court, the emperor presented the memorial from that small country to his ministers and asked them to discuss it.
Some ministers suggested sending troops to destroy that small country right now. They actually wanted to marry the princess? Don't they even consider whether they are qualified or worthy?
Some ministers suggested that since they had just fought two small wars, although they did not cause too many casualties, they were still a drain on resources and manpower and needed to recuperate. Naturally, they hoped that the emperor could send a princess to marry into the country.
In short, both sides have their own reasons and neither wants to give in. Unfortunately, the emperor has already made his decision, and now it's just a matter of letting them know that there is such a memorial.
The emperor coughed in the court, and the previously noisy court fell silent instantly.
"I think what Lord Li said just now makes a lot of sense. We do need time to recuperate. As for the candidates, you don't need to tell me; I already know who they are." The Emperor put on a stern face, his imperial majesty evident.
"Your Majesty is wise." What other ministers could possibly do? The fact that the Emperor said this proves that he has already made a decision.
"Alright, is there anything else you wish to report?" The Emperor rubbed his temples, thinking that it was noon and he should go to Cining Palace to have lunch with the Empress Dowager and the others.
But now, none of the ministers dared to speak softly, especially since there was really nothing important to discuss. Just as Li Yu, who was by the emperor's side, was about to say that if there was anything to report, they should speak, and if not, the court was adjourned.
Prince Rui stepped forward immediately and said, "Your subject has something to report."
Upon hearing Prince Rui's voice, the Emperor immediately stopped what he was doing. He raised his hand and looked at his younger brother with an amused expression, saying, "Oh, what is it? Report back quickly."
"This is naturally the marriage of my younger brother's daughter. I wonder when His Majesty and the Empress Dowager have set the date? So that the household can make preparations as soon as possible." Prince Rui did not want to ask now, but the Princess Consort had come to him specifically before he went to court to urge him to find out.
"This is a big matter. Is the Imperial Observatory here?" The Emperor had put away his earlier laziness. After all, it concerned his niece's happiness, and he still hoped for a good day.
"Your Majesty, since you told me about this matter, I have been observing the stars at night and have finally calculated that the seventeenth day of the first lunar month after the New Year will be an auspicious day, suitable for weddings and construction, a good day for all things," said Li Wensheng, the chief astrologer of the Imperial Observatory, respectfully.
"Oh, the seventeenth of the first month, not bad, not bad, but the date is a bit too rushed." The Emperor pondered, thinking it was indeed a good date, but it was already past the middle of the twelfth month, and the wedding was in about a month. It really was a bit rushed, and besides, he really couldn't bear to part with the child.
Seeing that the Emperor and Prince Rui still had much to say and seemed eager to discuss, Li Yu immediately said, "Those with matters to discuss, please speak; otherwise, the court is adjourned." Since no one in the court had anything to report, the court adjourned immediately.
Hall of Mental Cultivation
The eunuchs had already quickly prepared the tea. Prince Rui sat down at the table and drank two cups, while the Emperor, preoccupied with his thoughts, couldn't drink any tea at all.
"Didn't you always hate to part with An'an? Why are you asking about this in court now?" Did the Emperor think the sun had risen in the west today? Prince Rui, who used to give Ertai the cold shoulder, was actually asking about their wedding date?
"Naturally, Madam wants to know when An'an will get married so that she can get the manor ready as soon as possible. But I didn't expect the time to be so tight, only a month left." Prince Rui stared blankly at the reflection in the teacup and said.
"Yes, but fortunately, the house I bestowed upon Naertai was near the Prince's residence. If you want to see An'an, you can just go there directly. It's much more convenient than staying in the palace." The Emperor had to admit that he had been incredibly prescient. By granting Naertai a house in advance, it was not only close to his younger brother's Prince's residence but also close to his own Princess's residence.
"This can at least comfort the Princess." Prince Rui finally felt relieved. His main concern was that since they would be far apart, it would be inconvenient for An'an to go home.
"By the way, which princess does Your Majesty plan to send for a political marriage?" After talking about her own daughter, she started thinking about her brother's daughter.
"I have already made my decision to bestow upon Ziwei the title of Princess Gulun, and she will marry into the Gao Yu clan on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month." The Emperor took a sip of tea and then placed the teacup directly on the table.
Seeing that his elder brother had made up his mind, Prince Rui did not try to persuade him further. He simply stepped forward and patted the emperor on the shoulder, saying, "Brother, there's no need to go too far and make things difficult for yourself. You've already been good enough to that child. Now it's up to her to decide her fate."
After saying this, Prince Rui turned and left. He was waiting to have lunch with Princess An'an after returning to the mansion.
The Emperor watched Prince Rui's hurried departure, then chuckled softly, "He's just like he was when he was a child, he hasn't changed at all."
"You and the Prince have a brotherly bond, which is why the Prince acts like a child in front of you." Li Yu, having served the Emperor for so long, naturally understood the Emperor's current state of mind.
"You're the only one who can say these things to amuse me. Fine, as An'an said, children and grandchildren have their own blessings. It's up to her own fate now." The Emperor sighed. In the end, these things were not something she could decide. He had thought that if she could stay quietly in Shufangzhai, she might as well marry a steady and reliable minister.
Everything is preordained in the dark.
Baoyue Tower
Since being assigned to serve Consort Xiang at Baoyue Tower, Xiao Yanzi has regained her former clever and lively nature. She can chat and laugh with Jin Yinlingzi again. In addition, Hanxiang is about the same age as her, so the two can get along even better.
When the Emperor came, Xiao Yanzi would rest; when he wasn't there, she would keep Hanxiang company and chat about the funny things that happened when they were little. They would occasionally grill meat, and Hanxiang would dance a Hui ethnic dance for Xiao Yanzi. Life was easy, peaceful, and happy.
Mingyue and Caixia from Shufangzhai were assigned to Kunning Palace. Before they went there, they were very nervous, afraid that the Empress would still remember what happened at Shufangzhai.
But the Empress is now oblivious to everything else, focusing solely on caring for Yongqi. She occasionally trims the flowers, practices calligraphy to calm her mind, and plays with the birds. Mingyue and Caixia, though the lowest-ranking palace maids, gradually relaxed after arriving.
They couldn't show their faces to the Empress, but they still lived more comfortably than those in Shufangzhai, at least they weren't subject to those sudden disasters. Besides, weren't their duties as servants to serve their masters obediently? It was just that they had returned to where they started. Surviving in this palace was the most important thing.
The small table and stool were assigned to Yonghe Palace. When the two saw the Fifth Prince again, they immediately knelt down to show their stance that they would never do anything for Princess Ziwei because of past feelings.
Yongqi couldn't be said to fully trust them; he merely had them serve in the outer palace. Xiao Zhuozi wanted to advance further, but looking at the junior eunuchs around Yongqi, he knew he couldn't compare. He tried to curry favor with Consort Yu, but Consort Yu, upon seeing that he was a former servant of Princess Huanzhu, while not exactly making things difficult, didn't give him a friendly look either. And so, Xiao Zhuozi and Xiao Dengzi settled down.
The little bug was assigned to Chuxiu Palace, where the head concubine, Consort Li, was stationed. Although she hadn't received much favor over the years and didn't have any children, her kind nature meant she had few enemies in the palace. The little bug couldn't help but feel grateful to have such a good head concubine.
Since all the eunuchs and servants in the palace had found their own people, Little Mosquito now had nowhere to go. After being assigned around, he was finally assigned to the Imperial Kitchen.
When Chef Zhuang from the Imperial Kitchen saw him, he immediately recalled the time they had fought over roast duck and lamb tripe here for Princess Huanzhu. Little Mosquito was also a little embarrassed; he was nothing now, and naturally had to earn a living under Chef Zhuang's tutelage.
Master Zhuang didn't make things too difficult for him, but he did give him some instructions. The Imperial Kitchen had its own rules, unlike their Shufangzhai, which had no rules at all. Little Mosquito immediately agreed and naturally followed the rules of the Imperial Kitchen.
He's not stupid. Now that he's been assigned here, this is naturally his final destination. He has to hurry up and curry favor with Master Zhuang to avoid having nowhere to stay later.
"The most important thing in this palace is the food for the ladies. You must be extremely careful when preparing it. Finally, remember not to be bribed here. Be clear about your own heart, and remember that you only have one head, so don't lose it." Master Zhuang glanced at the relatively honest Little Mosquito.
Little Mosquito nodded repeatedly; he was naturally not going to be bribed. Master Zhuang stroked his double chin, pondered for a long time, and finally assigned him a place, "Can you shred food? Shred those foods."
"Little Mosquito, I may not be good at much, but I'm best at slicing things into thin strips," Little Mosquito said confidently, patting his chest.
"Anyone can say that. Come here and cut some meat, let me see how well you can cut it." Master Zhuang doesn't like people who boast. If you want to see the real deal, then let's see the real deal on the cutting board.
After trying a few of the shredded pieces he made, Master Zhuang felt that he was indeed suitable for this job, so he let him stay here.
After all the other palace maids and eunuchs in Shufangzhai were reassigned, only Ziwei and Jinsuo remained in Shufangzhai.
Every day, their meals were delivered to them by the guards at the gate. The guards would put the food in food boxes, bring them in, and then close the door without saying a word to them. Shufangzhai was practically becoming a cold palace.
Ziwei is now unable to leave the palace, so she naturally has no interest in causing trouble. She just sits quietly on the swing, occasionally returning to her room to write a word or two, and then has a good cry.
Jin Suo is now staring blankly at the sky, wondering what her future holds. If only she hadn't accompanied her mistress to the palace in the first place.
Carrying the food box, she walked into the inner hall and saw Ziwei crying again. Jin Suo was already somewhat numb; this scene played out every day.
Ziwei would often sigh with emotion, either about her friendship with Erkang or her friendship with Xiaoyanzi. She would think of Xiaoyanzi while sitting on the swing, Erkang while sitting on the stone bench, Xiaoyanzi while sitting at her desk, and Erkang while sitting on the soft couch next to her.
Jin Suo has become less talkative these days, since no one talks to her anymore. Zi Wei is often lost in her own thoughts and doesn't pay any attention to Jin Suo at all.
One day, the palace gates were opened, and the head eunuch seemed to be from the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Jin Suo thought she had seen a glimmer of hope. She hurriedly went into the inner palace to wake Ziwei and told her that the Emperor had sent someone with an imperial decree.
Ziwei was groggily woken up, then dressed by Jin Suo, and was led out in a daze. She was still somewhat dazed while kneeling on the ground, until she heard that she had been named a Gulun Princess and was about to go to the High Region for a political marriage, at which point her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Impossible, impossible! How could Father Emperor do this? How could he send me to a marriage alliance?" Although Ziwei had dressed up, she had visibly become haggard these days. Even with her makeup, she couldn't hide her pale face, her eyes were bulging out, and her thin hands were tightly gripping the eunuch's arm.
"This is the Emperor's decree. I'm just here to deliver it. Congratulations, Princess! Someone will come to help you with your hair and makeup. The guards outside Shufangzhai will remain on your way to the marriage alliance. I'll take my leave now." With that, the little eunuch, with the help of the guards, broke free from Ziwei's grasp and disappeared in a flash.
Ziwei collapsed to the ground in shock, as if she couldn't believe the imperial edict in her hands. She picked it up and looked at it again and again, and finally held the edict with tears streaming down her face.
Jin Suo was already standing there, unable to believe that she was actually going to marry into the Gao Yu region along with Ziwei. She had been in the palace for quite some time, and had only ever heard that princesses who were to be married off for political reasons were to be accompanied by their personal maids.
But now Ziwei is all alone. If Xiaoyanzi were still around, she could still devise schemes and plans to have Xiaoyanzi do things for her. After all, Xiaoyanzi is the most loyal but not very bright.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Yanzi got involved with Princess Yong'an and has been transferred to Baoyue Tower. Now, only Jin Suo is going to accompany Ziwei on her marriage to a distant place.
The thought of being sent to such a place for a political marriage was almost unbearable for Jin Suo. Seeing Ziwei still in such a frenzied and incredulous state, Jin Suo stepped forward and grabbed Ziwei's shoulders, "What have you done? Why does the Emperor want to send you for a political marriage?"
"No, no, Father Emperor wouldn't do that," Ziwei murmured to herself, clutching the imperial edict.
"What can't I do? Didn't you hear the date has been set?" Jin Suo just wanted to go crazy without thinking. "Miss, have pity on me. I've been with you for so long, accompanying you from Jinan to the capital. I've done my part, even if I haven't done anything great. Please send me out of the palace. I don't want to go to the high realms."
Ziwei then looked away from the imperial edict and onto Jin Suo's face.
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