The emperor agreed to the eldest prince's request to be granted a princeship and leave the capital to establish his own fiefdom after a little thought. At the same time, he also remembered that it was time to build princely residences for all the princes so that they could leave the palace and establish their own residences.
So the eldest prince was granted the title of 'Prince Cheng' and will set off for his fiefdom on the third day of next month. Originally, the Zheng family was trying to get the emperor to grant Jiangnan to Prince Cheng as his fiefdom, since the eldest prince—no, now he should be Prince Cheng.
Emperor: Dream on. Everyone knows that Jiangnan is the most prosperous region. How could he possibly grant it to a prince as a fiefdom? Naturally, he would keep it under his own control.
After the Zheng faction negotiated with the emperor for half a month, the emperor finally agreed to grant Anyang Prefecture, which was next to Quanshui Prefecture, as the fiefdom of Prince Cheng. Quanshui Prefecture had silver mines, so the emperor naturally could not bestow it upon the prince.
Although Anyang Prefecture was not as prosperous as Quanshui Prefecture, it was still quite wealthy. Anyang Prefecture itself was a coastal city, directly close to the sea. Anyang Prefecture was rich in seafood, and the local people made their fortunes by selling seafood.
Xingxing asked the emperor why he didn't keep the eldest prince in the capital and why he agreed to let him go to his fiefdom. Wasn't he afraid that the prince would cause trouble in his fiefdom?
"The eldest prince has a gloomy and somewhat cruel personality, making him unsuitable to be emperor. With the Zheng family stirring things up in the capital, he will only become more and more impatient. This time, his initiative to request a fiefdom, far away from the capital, may not necessarily be a bad thing. The prefect of Anyang Prefecture submitted a memorial two years ago stating that Japanese pirates were appearing along the coast."
However, at that time I was busy dealing with natural disasters and had no energy to manage maritime affairs. At that time, the Japanese pirates were only competing with our Great Jin Dynasty fishermen for seafood. Occasionally, there would be conflicts with the fishermen, and people would die, but they did not come to our territory to cause trouble.
However, things could change over time. I've heard that recently the Japanese have been frequently sailing ships to observe and probe the waters that belong to our dynasty. I'm afraid it won't be long before war breaks out between the two sides.
"So Father wants the eldest prince to defeat the Japanese pirates? Does he have that much ability?" Xingxing felt that this decision was obviously hasty.
“It would be impossible to send him directly to lead troops into battle, but his fiefdom is there. If the Japanese pirates invade, he should stand up and defend his fiefdom. I hope that after experiencing the storm, he can become more sensible and not be as impulsive as before.”
The emperor had good intentions; after all, the eldest prince was his bloodline, and he naturally didn't want him to be deposed.
Xingxing lowered her eyes, feeling uneasy for some reason, with a sense that the Great Jin Dynasty was about to fall into turmoil again.
At the end of March, Zhang Xiantao brought Zhao Mingyue's family back to the capital. That's right, Zhao Shui and Song Zhaodi also came to the capital. Instead of going to Zhang's residence, they found an inn to stay at.
Later, Zhang Xiantao arranged to meet Xingxing outside the palace. Xingxing received the message and came to see her. They met at the inn where Zhang Xiantao was staying.
"You came back quite suddenly; you didn't tell me beforehand." Xingxing sat in Zhang Xiantao's guest room.
Zhang Xiantao sat opposite her and poured her a cup of tea. She frowned and said, "Originally, I didn't want to come back so soon, but I received a letter from my mother. I heard that my father was injured in the battle against the people of the Great Bronze Kingdom. He was seriously injured, so I returned to the capital because I was worried about him."
"You should go back and spend some time with your mother, and comfort her."
“Mingyue’s parents came to the capital this time to propose marriage to my mother at the Zhang residence. If the marriage is settled, Mingyue and I will go to the border together,” Zhang Xiantao said.
"What are you going to the border for? To help fight the war?" Xingxing asked, puzzled.
“It’s about going to war. Mingyue is very good at martial arts, especially close combat. No one can beat him. My parents look down on him because of his low social status. He can’t take the imperial examination. He can only go to the border to fight and try to make merit to become a general. Then my parents will have nothing to say, right?” Zhang Xiantao said stubbornly.
Xingxing admired her somewhat, but then asked, "War is dangerous, are you willing to let him take the risk?"
“My father and brother are both on the battlefield. Every soldier on the border is fighting desperately. My Zhang family was born into a military family. How can we be afraid of death? Besides, I am with Mingyue. I will live and die with him. What is there to be cowardly about?”
Xingxing gave her a thumbs up, her face full of admiration, "Women are just as capable as men, you are so kind and righteous, Xiantao, you are great. I wish you and Zhao Mingyue a smooth marriage, and I hope you can both return in triumph soon."
In early April, Zhao Shui and Song Zhaodi brought a pile of animal hides and rare medicinal herbs to the Zhang residence to propose marriage. Madam Zhang felt a sudden heart attack upon seeing those things, but General Zhang had written to her before he was injured.
They only have one daughter, Xiantao. Although it is important to be well-matched in terms of social status, Xiantao is straightforward, has a strong sense of self, and is very stubborn. As parents, they don't want to force her; their child's happiness is the most important thing.
Since she's determined to marry Zhao Mingyue, let's grant them their wish. Otherwise, it would be a loss if the parents and children ended up as enemies. Family reputation is important, but nothing is more important than the whole family being together.
General Zhang was a man of strong character, not the kind of stubborn person who always lived life with clarity. After several confrontations with his daughter, he came to a realization: he and his son were risking their lives on the frontier for the honor of their family and for the peace of the world. On the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes, and they might die any day.
The Zhang family already has wealth and status; there's no need for their daughter to marry a high-ranking official to add to their already impressive life. At least one member of the Zhang family needs to be able to live a carefree and comfortable life.
General Zhang never imagined that his daughter and son-in-law would end up fighting on the border. All his efforts were in vain. He thought that his daughter had married someone like Zhao Mingyue and would live a comfortable and secluded life. But that's another story.
Now, back to Mrs. Zhang, she resisted the urge to clutch her heart.
Sigh, even if I'm unhappy inside, I can't show it. Since I've already decided to accept these in-laws, I have to try to adapt to their differences.
Animal hides are good too; they can be used to make leather coats in winter, which are quite warm, saving you the trouble of buying them yourself.
These medicinal herbs are rare; they filled a whole box. There are several wild ginseng roots that are over a hundred years old. That's quite good; they're very valuable. Let's leave it at that.
"My general has already agreed to the marriage between Xiantao and Mingyue, so let's set a date to finalize the engagement," said Madam Zhang.
Song Zhaodi has lived a carefree and happy life in the swamp forest over the years, often hunting in the mountains. In addition, she has always been cheerful and has become even more frank and straightforward over the years.
"Mother-in-law," she said casually, which made Madam Zhang's forehead twitch. She continued, "Xiantao will be twenty next year. They are going to fight on the border after they get engaged. Who knows how long this will take? Why don't we just let them get married? You can write to the general and ask him. If he agrees, the marriage can be arranged."
“…Well, alright, I’ll write a letter and ask.” Madam Zhang was a little embarrassed. In fact, General Zhang had mentioned in his letter that his daughter was not young anymore, and if they delayed any longer, she would really become an old maid. He and his son would not be able to return to the capital in the short term. After their daughter’s marriage was arranged, they could choose a good day to get married directly. They could just inform him then, without waiting for him and his eldest son to return.
However, Mrs. Zhang didn't want to talk about it now; she wanted to postpone it further.
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