Chapter 24 Preparation.
In Renshou Palace, Chu Heng greeted the Empress Dowager and, seeing the weariness on her face, couldn't help but ask her a few questions.
"Did Mother rest well last night? Is she feeling alright?"
The Empress Dowager lay on the couch, with someone massaging her from her shoulders to her legs. She smiled slightly and said, "Unlike you young people, you are indeed Master Pingyi. Seeing how energetic you are, even though I am a little tired, I am happier than ever."
In the past, if Chang Chuheng's health were to be subjected to such an ordeal for a day, he would inevitably fall ill for some time. Yet now he was still able to enter the palace, which the Empress Dowager attributed entirely to Master Pingyi's divination.
This marriage is a perfect match!
Chu Heng was neither completely disbelieving nor completely disbelieving Master Pingyi, but believing him entirely seemed rather absurd, so he had always been reluctant to bring it up. Now that he heard the Empress Dowager mention it, he simply tried to gloss over it, saying, "Mother has gone to so much trouble for me."
Hearing that the Empress Dowager is a loving mother who wholeheartedly cherishes her children will please her.
As expected, the Empress Dowager smiled and patted his hand, saying, "Good child, it's good that you understand my good intentions."
Chu Heng lowered his eyes and smiled, then said, "Speaking of which, Mother, I remember that the betrothal ceremony is to be held on the 20th."
The Empress Dowager thought for a moment and nodded: "Yes, the betrothal ceremony will be held in July and the name-asking ceremony in September. These are dates that have been set long ago. What's wrong?"
"It's nothing important. I just thought about how much my mother has worried about me. It's my wedding, after all, so I should ask her a few questions," Chu Heng said with a nonchalant smile, as if his sudden concern for the wedding was merely out of filial piety and had nothing to do with anyone else.
The Empress Dowager glanced at him and smiled, "Yes, Heng'er has grown up and become sensible. You should naturally ask about your marriage."
Chu Heng leaned forward, his eyes lowered, concealing his true emotions: "Over the years, I have relied entirely on my mother to take care of me. In the future, I will still need to rely on my mother."
"I'm old, what can you rely on me for..." The Empress Dowager said these words, but smiled slightly on her face. "Heng'er, just rest assured, as long as I'm alive, you'll always be able to rely on me."
Chu Heng chuckled inwardly, but showed little reaction on his face, still smiling faintly.
...
The current Minister of the Imperial Clan is a generation older than the late emperor, and Chu Heng should address him as his great-uncle. He is over seventy years old and rarely manages affairs, only coming to show up for the occasion. All matters are handled by the two junior ministers below him.
When Chu Heng arrived, the Minister of the Imperial Clan was there, so he went over to pay his respects to his great-uncle.
Zong Zhengqing examined Chu Heng for a moment, then nodded and said, "Oh, Heng'er has grown up so much now. It's been a while since I've seen him."
Chu Heng smiled and said, "I'm grateful for your help with my wedding arrangements, Uncle."
"One should fulfill one's duties in one's position, and besides, we are all family." The Minister of the Imperial Clan Court helped his attendant to his feet. "You've come to witness the betrothal ceremony?"
"The Empress Dowager gave me the gift list, and with my great-uncle taking care of everything, everything is naturally taken care of, so I don't need to do anything extra," Chu Heng said with a smile. "However, it is a life-long event, and I can't help but want to see it for myself. I hope my great-uncle will understand."
Zong Zhengqing said with a smile, "Young man, be understanding. Come with me."
Following the Minister of the Imperial Clan, Chu Heng found two junior ministers. Afterward, he first went to see the most important part of the betrothal gifts: two lively wild geese.
Shaoqing said, "The Empress Dowager ordered that the wild goose must be alive. The palace is not like those small households outside, where you can be fooled with a wooden goose."
Chu Heng nodded. Regardless of anything else, the Empress Dowager always valued face the most.
Other items, such as silk fabrics, gold, silver, jade, and tea bricks, were all of the highest quality, and Chu Heng examined them all.
The junior official asked, "Does Your Highness find it satisfactory? If there is anything lacking, we will make up for it."
“One thing is still missing,” Chu Heng said. “You don’t need to do it; I will give it to Princess Hejia.”
A matchmaker is needed for betrothal, and the matchmaker chosen by the Empress Dowager is none other than her eldest daughter, the late Emperor's fifth princess, Hejia. After leaving the Imperial Clan Court, Chu Heng went back to his residence to get his things and then went to Princess Hejia's residence to visit his fifth sister.
"A rare guest." He Jia was sitting under the shade of the flowers enjoying the cool air when he saw Chu Heng come in. He waved his round fan and said with a smile, "It's only been a few days, but Fifth Brother looks even more handsome."
"Fifth Uncle." The children, who were beside their mother, all stood up and bowed.
Princess Hejia has four children: her eldest son is fourteen years old, her eldest daughter is thirteen, her youngest daughter is ten, and her youngest son is five. Fortunately for her, none of her four children resemble their father.
Chu Heng smiled and bowed, "Fifth Sister."
"There are no outsiders here, so let's skip these formalities," He Jia said with a smile.
Chu Heng smiled and said, "These years when I visited your door, my sister, I brought several bolts of cloth for my nephews and nieces to make clothes. These were all gifts from the palace during festivals. There were also some gemstones and jade. If you don't mind, you can keep them to make a couple of pieces of jewelry. If you don't like them, you can give them away."
He Jian patted his arm with his fan and laughed, "How could you be wrong with these words? Come, thank your uncle."
After the children bowed, Chu Heng helped them up one by one, and He Jia then dismissed them.
He Jia smiled and said, "This isn't a festival. Why are you giving me a gift out of the blue? Fifth Brother, all I want to do right now is take good care of these children. I have no other thoughts."
Chu Heng smiled and said, "Since Fifth Sister is free, I have even less important business to attend to. I just came to thank you for your hard work because I have something to trouble you with."
"What's wrong... Oh!" He Jia suddenly realized, and asked in surprise, "Is it about the betrothal?"
Chu Heng nodded: "I am extremely grateful for your help, Fifth Sister."
He Jia let out an "Ah," and slowly said, "Well... it's nothing..."
It hasn't been that long. He Jia still vividly remembers his attitude when she last saw him and faced with the arranged marriage. Now, he actually came to her door in person to discuss the betrothal.
What happened?
Chu Heng remained unmoved, turned around and took the brocade box held by Zhao Qing, and said with a smile, "On the day of the betrothal, please ask Fifth Sister to pass this on to Miss Lin."
He Jia took it blankly, "Oh, right, Miss Lin!"
Is it this Miss Lin who has captured the heart of the cold-blooded Prince Duan? I heard that the two of them stayed at Longhua Temple with the Empress Dowager for half a month...
It's only been half a month. Is that Miss Lin really that capable?
He Jia looked at Chu Heng and tentatively said, "Fifth Brother is quite devoted to Miss Lin."
"His Majesty has bestowed this marriage upon us, and the Empress Dowager has gone to great lengths; naturally, I cannot be perfunctory," Chu Heng replied flawlessly.
He Jia smiled and stopped trying to get information out of him. Chu Heng had been in the palace for more than ten years, and unlike Man'er who was innocent, he had learned a lot of tricks.
That's fine too.
He Jia felt a pang of regret. If she hadn't been so shrewd, how could she have survived those years in the palace?
Man'er's situation is much better now.
After finishing their business, Chu Heng got up to take his leave, and He Jia ordered someone to see him off.
Of the four siblings born of the same mother, although Chu Heng and Yong Kang are seven years apart and always bicker without any regard for age when they meet, they can still be considered close siblings.
As for the Emperor and Hejia, the elder and younger sister, Chu Heng had always treated them with great courtesy and politeness in recent years, without any real intimacy.
...
Daiyu was sorting through the rewards she had received over the past month. The arranged marriage had been too sudden, and Daiyu needed to prepare herself mentally. Then she fell ill, and after recovering, she planned to go to Longhua Temple. She didn't have time to pack up. Now, taking advantage of the days before the betrothal ceremony and the increasingly cool weather, she could finally get everything sorted out.
Given the Empress Dowager's usual extravagant spending, the betrothal gifts would certainly not be ordinary. Daiyu thought to herself that there were too many things to put in such a small space.
I'll have to talk to the old lady about giving her two more rooms, but if people find out, there'll be plenty of gossip. Daiyu has heard plenty of sarcastic remarks over the years, but lately they've lessened.
The young lady Lin, who was staying there, was ultimately different from the future princess. In particular, the Emperor and Empress Dowager carried box after box of gifts into the young lady Lin's room. The servants of the Jia family, who were most adept at flattering the powerful and belittling the weak, knew that even with the Imperial Concubine in the palace, their master had never received so many gifts from the palace over the years!
Now, everyone is too busy trying to curry favor with Miss Lin to dare offend her.
Daiyu didn't care about any of that. Whether it was the housekeeper's wife or some influential nannies who deliberately showed their faces to her and came to flatter her, she always had the same attitude: if she could talk to them, she would say a few words; if she didn't want to, she would have Nanny Zijuan and the others keep her company while she drank tea.
This time, no matter what Daiyu's attitude was, no one said that she was arrogant and disdainful of others. Everyone said that this was precisely her dignity!
Xueyan relayed what she had overheard to the young lady, but Daiyu just shook her head and smiled: "We've been busy here for two days, and you have time to listen to this gossip? Why don't you go and help your sister Zijuan?"
Zijuan was taking out a kingfisher feather hairpin inlaid with gemstones when she heard this and smiled, "It's good that she's not causing me any trouble. Miss, is this the one on the gift list you were reading just now?"
Daiyu glanced at it and nodded: "Put it away, we won't need it this year."
Xueyan nodded in agreement: "It's just that we can't use it in this mansion, otherwise, I don't know how many people would be green with envy!"
Daiyu's face fell, and she said, "Xueyan, keep your mouth shut. Does your young lady think she's gotten too big for her britches? People will laugh at her!"
The girl's smile vanished, indicating her seriousness. Xueyan immediately stopped her playful demeanor and bowed respectfully, saying, "Miss, I understand. I never say such things outside."
Daiyu nodded. She knew that Xueyan was standing up for her, but Daiyu had become cautious over the years and was not a petty person, so she would rather avoid trouble.
Daiyu softened her tone and said, "There's also a ruby headdress; go and find it."
Xueyan replied, "Yes."
While things were bustling about in the side room, Lady Wang from the main house came to pay her respects to Grandmother Jia. Seeing several boxes under the eaves, she said to the maids there, "Miss Lin has been packing for two or three days, why isn't it done yet? Don't be so lazy, you should go and help Miss Lin with some things."
The young girl answered crisply, "The old lady also said to send more people. Miss Lin said she has enough people there, but the heavens are so kind that it's a bit slow because there are so many things. Besides, there's not enough room for everyone in the other room."
Madam Wang's face turned ashen, and she gritted her teeth as she said, "Hmm."
A note from the author:
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