Chapter 1 The Imperial Marriage.
"The imperial edict reads: The daughter of the late Lin Ruhai, the Grand Master of the Imperial Academy and Salt Commissioner, is of marriageable age, intelligent and virtuous, and born at an auspicious time. Therefore, she is hereby appointed as the Princess Consort of Prince Duan. This is the imperial decree."
Three days ago, someone from the palace came and asked if the Jia family had any daughters who were of marriageable age. They also asked for their birth dates and times. Afterwards, Grandmother Jia sent someone to inquire and learned that the Emperor's younger brother, Prince Duan, was seriously ill. They had searched for a great doctor but to no avail. The Empress Dowager had asked the monks of Longhua Temple to chant sutras and pray for Prince Duan's well-being.
Master Pingyi of Longhua Temple was a highly accomplished man. He calculated that there was a young woman in the capital who was of marriageable age at the time. Her birth chart was compatible with that of Prince Duan. If the two of them were to marry, Prince Duan would not only recover from his illness, but would also enjoy a long and prosperous life.
Prince Duan was the Empress Dowager's youngest son, but he was born weak and sickly, so he was always cherished by his mother and brother. After hearing the master's words, the emperor immediately ordered people to search for fifteen-year-old girls in the capital and give their birth dates to Master Pingyi for calculation.
Since the imperial decree could not be disobeyed, the Jia family had no choice but to present the birth dates and times of their third daughter and their cousin who was staying at their home.
Grandmother Jia would not allow such words to reach the ears of the young ladies, but the servants of the Jia family always loved to gossip, and soon Daiyu heard about it from the nanny in Xiaoxiang Pavilion.
Therefore, when she was summoned to receive the imperial decree today, Daiyu already guessed what awaited her.
"I thank Your Majesty for your grace," Daiyu said, bowing her head.
When her guess came true, Daiyu couldn't quite describe how she felt. However, both the thunder and rain were acts of imperial favor, and Daiyu had no choice but to express her gratitude.
As for the guillotine that had been hanging over her head since that moment, it was beyond Daiyu's control.
The eunuch who delivered the imperial decree ordered the female official who had come with him to help Daiyu up. Jia Zheng and Jia She, who were behind her, helped Grandmother Jia up, their faces still showing expressions of shock.
With tears in her eyes, Grandmother Jia forced a smile and said, "His Majesty's grace is boundless; Lin girl... is truly blessed."
For the past few years, the Jia family had been out of favor with the emperor. Grandmother Jia had thought that no more daughters from their family would marry into the royal family, but unexpectedly…
Although Daiyu's surname is Lin, both her parents are deceased, and she was raised in the Jia family from a young age, so she is no different from the Jia family. The fact that she was chosen means that Prince Duan is indeed in imminent danger, and the Emperor and Empress Dowager have no other choice but to accept her.
With Master Pingyi's words preceding us, if Prince Duan recovers, all will be well. But if he does not, I fear the Empress Dowager and the Emperor will not only vent their anger on the old monk, but Daiyu will also suffer the consequences.
Jia She sighed, but it was not appropriate for him to say anything at this time. He simply asked Jia Lian to invite the eunuch who had delivered the imperial decree to have tea. The eunuch politely declined and left the Rongguo Duke's Mansion with his men.
The Emperor himself decreed the marriage, and she is to be a princess, which should be a great joy. However, with Prince Duan's fate still unknown, she didn't know how to offer her congratulations.
Daiyu said, "Grandma, the imperial edict shouldn't be left like this."
She looked down at the glaring bright yellow, her tone calm.
Grandmother Jia wiped her eyes and beckoned, "Tell Feng'er to find a box, made of nanmu wood."
Seeing his mother like this, Jia Zheng sighed and advised, "Mother, His Majesty's words are law. Since things have come to this, we can only leave it to fate."
It wasn't that Jia Zheng was heartless; it was just that even though his own daughter, Tan Chun, had been granted this marriage decree, Jia Zheng had nothing to say except to accept his fate.
Grandmother Jia was well aware of this principle. She shook her head sadly, took Daiyu's hand, and said, "Let's go back."
Daiyu nodded slightly, still holding the imperial edict that would determine her fate in her hand, her fingertips already turning white.
As she faced death, Daiyu was not so calm.
"Miss Lin is going to be a princess!"
These words quickly spread throughout the Jia family, and Jia Baoyu naturally heard about them as well.
Daiyu had already moved to the side room in Grandmother Jia's courtyard. She couldn't stop Jia Baoyu from going to her grandmother's courtyard, so she just ordered the door to be closed tightly and let Jia Baoyu knock on the door and shout, but he didn't respond.
What good would it do to see each other once in the face of life and death?
Soon, Jia Baoyu was pulled away by Grandmother Jia and Lady Wang, and the room became quiet again.
Zijuan, knowing Jia Baoyu's temperament, whispered, "I'm afraid there will be more trouble."
Daiyu was sitting on the daybed, looking at the nanmu box containing the imperial edict, and said softly upon hearing this, "Perhaps it won't be long."
If Prince Duan still doesn't improve, after the Emperor and Empress Dowager have dealt with the monks, it will be Daiyu's turn.
Daiyu had heard of prophetic sayings before, but they were just fabrications made up by people to achieve their own goals.
Regarding Prince Duan, the prophecy was said to be a desperate measure by the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Daiyu guessed that Prince Duan must be beyond cure, so the Empress Dowager and the Emperor believed the monk's words as if they were grasping at a last straw.
When Prince Duan passed away, the Emperor and Empress Dowager realized they had been deceived, and their wrath was unleashed. All those involved in this prophecy would meet a terrible end.
Zijuan couldn't help but shed tears, and Daiyu murmured to herself, "Before, I only thought that everyone would die eventually, and it didn't matter whether it was sooner or later. But now that I'm really going to die, I can't bear to part with it."
Daiyu thought of the books she hadn't finished reading, the ancient zither scores she hadn't yet mastered, and the poems she had left to polish.
Thinking of the bird's nest that my grandmother sent every day, the game of chess I played with my second sister a few days ago, and the tea that Sister Feng sent last month.
She suddenly realized that she still had many attachments to this world.
Zijuan cried, "Miss, please don't say such unlucky things. Perhaps that monk... no, the master has real skills and his words have come true. Prince Duan will be better tomorrow..."
Daiyu shook her head: "Since we have nothing to do, why don't we tidy up my books? Zijuan, come and find where all my old poems are."
Seeing Daiyu's demeanor, as if she were packing up her belongings, not only Zijuan, but also the maids and nannies in the room wiped away tears.
Daiyu sighed silently, "My fate is sealed. I only hope that, for the sake of the Imperial Concubine, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager will not implicate the Jia family."
But... it's such a pity, Daiyu thought. There are still so many things and so many people I can't bear to part with.
Two days later, the Empress Dowager issued an imperial edict, bestowing upon Miss Lin jewelry, jade, brocade, and silk, among other things. Later, the Emperor's own gifts were also sent to the Rongguo Duke's mansion, all of which were rare treasures that were not commonly seen outside.
This is a sign, a good omen.
Grandmother Jia held Daiyu's hand, weeping with joy: "Good...good, Yu'er, my Min'er, she is indeed protecting her daughter from heaven!"
Hearing her grandmother mention her mother, who had just survived a near-death experience, Daiyu couldn't hold back her tears and cried out, "Grandmother..."
The daughters-in-law and granddaughters-in-law were busy trying to persuade the grandmother and grandson. Taking advantage of the fact that it wasn't her turn to interrupt, Madam Wang inwardly curled her lip.
With the imperial decree, the old lady's wish to matchmake her two daughters was completely dashed, which was to the liking of Madam Wang.
Once Baoyu recovered from his illness, Lady Wang thought that she would find him a virtuous and noble woman from a prominent family to be betrothed to, so that he would naturally forget about Daiyu in the future.
However, in Madam Wang's eyes, the ill-fated Lin family maid was going to marry into the royal family and become her daughter's sister-in-law, so she disliked Daiyu even more.
On second thought, Lady Wang realized that her own daughter was a Noble Consort, while Daiyu was merely a Princess Consort, far inferior to her daughter, and thus she was pleased again.
No matter what kind of princess she is, when she meets a noble consort, she will ultimately be inferior!
After finally calming Grandmother Jia and Daiyu down a bit, Madam Xing smiled and said, "Now that the Prince is better, I'm afraid the palace will be coming to perform the six rites soon. Grandmother, we should also make preparations as soon as possible!"
Hearing her mother-in-law's words, Wang Xifeng's heart skipped a beat. She quickly looked at Grandmother Jia and saw that the old lady's face had turned cold. Her eyes darted around, and Lin Yatou's expression also turned sour.
Before Madam Xing said those words, Daiyu had never thought that the imperial decree would come true, nor had she ever imagined that she would actually marry Prince Duan.
Is this the price we have to pay for living?
...
Prince Duan's Mansion.
This was the third day since Chu Heng woke up, and the first day he was truly awake. For the first two days, although he could open his eyes, his mind was still hazy.
After taking a couple of sips of water to moisten his throat, Chu Heng asked weakly, "What day of the month is it today?"
Zhao Qing, the chief eunuch of the Prince Duan's residence, carefully helped him lie down, and replied with a sob in his voice: "Your Highness, it's already the sixth day."
Zhao Qing had served Chu Heng since he was a child, and the bond between master and servant had deepened over the years. Seeing his master finally out of danger, he couldn't help but weep with joy.
Chu Heng leaned weakly against the soft pillow and did some calculations. He had been sick since mid-May. The last time he was aware of dates was at the end of May. In his delirium, Chu Heng thought his lifespan was coming to an end and he was about to embark on the road to the underworld. He never expected that things would take such a turn for the better.
Chu Heng was weak and spoke slowly: "I am not having a final burst of energy before death, Father-in-law, please stop crying."
Zhao Qing said urgently, "Your Highness, you mustn't say such unlucky things!"
Chu Heng was sickly from a young age, spending countless days in bed and surviving several brushes with death. He never paid attention to such taboos.
After saying only these two sentences, Chu Heng was already tired, so he didn't say anything more, but just said casually with his eyes half-closed, "Mm."
Zhao Qing patted his chest and said thankfully, "The Empress Dowager felt sorry for the Prince, and thanks to the Emperor's great favor, we were able to find Master Pingyi, which allowed the Prince to turn misfortune into good fortune and safety."
Just as Chu Heng was about to close his eyes and fall asleep again, he was startled by these words: "Master Pingyi? Master Pingyi of Longhua Temple?"
Zhao Qing hurriedly said, "That's right. These days, no matter how skilled the imperial physicians or divine doctors are, they're all useless. It was only after the Empress Dowager asked Master Pingyi to calculate the Prince's birth date and time that the Prince was able to recover completely, saying that as long as he marries a girl whose appearance and birth date match his birth date and time..."
"Wait." Without waiting for him to finish, Chu Heng, knowing the Emperor and Empress Dowager as he did, guessed what would happen next. Therefore, he asked with a headache, "The Emperor has bestowed a marriage?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Qing understood his master's meaning and said with a fawning smile, "The imperial decree for the marriage was just issued, and the prince woke up. Today is only the third day, and the prince is already able to sit up and speak. It's clear that the master is divine..."
Under Chu Heng's expressionless and indifferent gaze, Zhao Qing fell silent.
Prince Duan was already twenty years old, while the current emperor was already a father of four at that age. Yet he was still single. The Empress Dowager had been very concerned about his marriage for the past few years and was determined to find him a good wife.
The Emperor cared deeply for his own brothers and had always instructed the Empress to keep an eye out for fine young ladies from noble families.
However, Prince Duan has never paid attention to matters of love and sex. Also, because he was sickly since childhood, his mother and brothers inevitably doted on him and could not bear to force him, so it has been delayed until today.
Chu Heng rubbed his forehead. Once the imperial decree was issued, there was no room for maneuver. The thought of having another stranger in front of him soon gave him an even bigger headache.
I'd rather be dead.
Chu Heng closed his eyes again, intending to take it one day at a time and enjoy some peace and quiet.
Zhao Qing watched as the prince fell asleep. Although he was familiar with his master's cold-hearted nature, he couldn't help but gasp. The prince didn't even bother to ask whose daughter she was. He was afraid that the princess wouldn't have a good life after she entered the manor.
Admittedly, Prince Duan was not a tyrannical or unruly person, nor did he have any bad habits of extravagance and debauchery. However, he had been pampered since childhood and was spoiled by his parents and siblings. He never made concessions to others and was by no means an easy person to get along with.
A note from the author:
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