Chapter 1672 Gift Giving
Changyu looked at Mingda, who stepped forward, hugged the emperor's arm and shook it, "Father, please let us go out of the palace for a day. It just so happens that Manbao's sixth brother is getting married tomorrow, and we want to see how ordinary people get married outside."
The Emperor and the Empress laughed and said, "Mingda is thinking about getting married now. Is it possible that our Mingda is looking for a prince consort?"
Obviously trying to fool people.
"Father..." Mingda shook the emperor's arm, unhappy that he was changing the subject.
The emperor looked at Mingda's face full of expectation, and his heart softened. He couldn't bear to refuse. To be honest, Mingda had hardly left the palace to play in the past two years, and she had been in poor health two years ago, so she had not left the palace many times.
The emperor hesitated and looked secretly at the queen.
Mingda knew his father had already agreed, and immediately turned to his mother and begged, "Mother, please let us go out of the palace to play for a while."
Chang Yu didn't dare to act coquettishly with his father, but he dared to act coquettishly with the queen, so he stepped forward and hugged one of the queen's arms and begged together.
The Queen asked with a smile, "First, tell me honestly what you are going to do outside the palace."
She laughed and said, "I've never seen you talking about going out of the palace to play before. Why do you want to go out so much lately?"
Mingda and Changyu glanced at Manbao secretly.
Manbao was silent for a moment and then said, "They want to go to my house for the wedding banquet."
The Queen asked Mingda, "Is that so?"
Mingda nodded repeatedly and said, "Mother, we also want to go and see the people's sentiments."
The Queen could tell they weren't telling the truth, so after a moment's thought, she said, "Alright, but you can only go for one day. You must return before the palace gates are locked. Once you leave the palace, you are not allowed to compete with the people for profit or cause trouble."
The two of them nodded repeatedly, almost nodding their heads off.
The Queen agreed, so the Emperor had no objection. If he wasn't busy, he would also like to go out of the palace to take a look.
The Double Ninth Festival is here, and the people living near the capital are having a hard time this year. The court has decided to relax the age limit for elders who can be granted benefits to 50 years old this year, and those over 70 years old can enter the palace to have a meal with the emperor, so that the emperor can comfort them.
So the emperor is very busy this year.
Mingda and Changyu cheered softly and couldn't help but leave hand in hand with Manbao in front of the emperor and empress.
After the emperor saw them, he said, "Mingda and Changyu have few friends their own age. Since we don't plan to find them princes-in-law for the next two years, why not recruit a few girls into the palace to accompany them in their studies?"
The Queen said, "They only study for half a day now. Most of their peers out there are probably getting married. Why delay them?"
The emperor thought this was a good idea. "Didn't Zhou Man say that marrying and getting pregnant too early is bad for the lifespan of the offspring? I think the daughters of the aristocratic families are indeed marrying too early. Since the palace has postponed the marriage for a few years, then the outside world can also postpone it for a few years."
The Queen laughed softly and said, "You're worried that they'll propose marriage too early, and Changyu and the others will be too late, snatching away all the good sons-in-law, right?"
The emperor coughed lightly and turned his head away uncomfortably, but that was indeed what he meant. Mingda and Changyu couldn't just pick up what others had left, right?
The queen naturally had some selfish thoughts and began to think about this matter.
Mingda and Changyu had already run away with Manbao. They discussed with Manbao, "Where should we meet tomorrow?"
Manbao said, "You guys go play on your own tomorrow. I guess I can't come find you until after lunch."
Chang Yu was puzzled, "Why?"
"I have to see my sixth brother get married. He's going to pick up the bride at noon. After he and his wife have paid their respects to heaven and earth, my mother and I have to go entertain the Qiu family's relatives. By the time we're done eating, it should be past noon, so you guys can have fun first and don't have to wait for me."
Manbao thought for a moment and said, "Just one thing, don't quarrel or fight with others, or else if you get into trouble, I'll be the one to suffer."
Chang Yu assured him, "Don't worry about that. Mingda and I both have good tempers and won't quarrel or fight with anyone."
Mingda said, "I'm very interested in your sixth brother's wedding. Can I go to your house for the wedding banquet?"
Manbao wanted them to go, but didn't want them to go either. So she sighed and said, "You are my friends, so it would be great if you could go. But you are princesses, and when you come in your carriage, all the guests must kneel to welcome you."
"What do you mean by phoenix carriage?" Mingda said, "We are leaving the palace incognito, not with any fanfare. There's no need to specially greet us. Just tell your family that we are your friends."
Changyu had attended the weddings of noble ladies, but Mingda had not. She had been in poor health since childhood, and generally, she could not go to places with too many people unless she was personally accompanied by the emperor and empress.
So Mingda was particularly interested.
Manbao thought for a moment and said, "Okay, then you guys go out of the palace tomorrow and have some fun, then come back to my house at noon. My sixth brother should have brought his bride back by then, so you guys can just join in the fun."
"Don't we need to follow from the beginning?"
Manbao shook his head and said, "Forget it. It's a rare occasion for you to leave the palace. You can't just watch a wedding, right?"
Manbao felt sorry for them when she thought about it. Every time she went out of the palace for a ten-day break, she felt that the days were so short. There were so many fun things she missed out on, and so many delicious things she missed out on.
For example, Xuandu Temple and Huguo Temple, even if I have been there several times, I still feel happy to go there again, and I can find different fun every time.
Mingda and Changyu also cherished this opportunity to leave the palace, so they nodded in agreement, thinking that Manbao was indeed their confidant who even thought of this.
So the two of them turned around and went back to think about what gifts to bring to the wedding. Mingda said, "I have a peacock fan that my third brother gave me two years ago after the Southern Frontier paid tribute. I'll give it to her."
Chang Yu said, "I remember there was a Shu brocade table screen in my storeroom. It was embroidered with Shu bamboo, which symbolizes rising step by step. At that time, I felt that since I was a princess, it was useless for me to have it, but the table screen was really beautiful, so I kept it. Now I think it is just right for her, so I will give it to her."
The aunt beside the two listened to their discussion for a long time and couldn't help laughing and said, "Princess, just drink the wedding wine and give the gift money."
Mingda said, "A gift of money is a gift of money, but this gift is given to Manbao alone."
Chang Yu also nodded, and after exchanging a glance with Ming Da, he said, "This way, it will be easier for you to bring up the matter of leaving the palace next time."
The aunts immediately stopped talking, and the palace maids went to help find the two things they were talking about, and then found a box to put them in.
Not only did they send gifts themselves, they also went to find the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess and told them that they were going to Zhou Man's house to attend a wedding banquet the next day.
The Crown Princess was now heavier and walking was more difficult. Upon hearing this, she held the hand of the palace maid and said with a smile, "Then you can also give a gift for us."
The Crown Prince had no objection, but when the two of them ran to find the Third Prince, the Third Prince pretended not to understand.
He has been practicing martial arts with a martial arts master in the martial arts training ground recently. That would be fine, but he also has to ride a horse, spending no less than half an hour on horseback every day.
He felt like he was back in his student days, and he was so tired. Because he was fat and his flesh was tender, the inner thighs were rubbed so painfully. He didn't want to see Zhou Man now, nor did he want to hear anything about her, not even her name.
Seeing that their third brother didn't say anything, Mingda and Changyu left and began to discuss secretly, "Third brother is really stingy. After all, Manbao cured him, and now he comes to the palace to see him every day."
See you at 4 p.m.
(End of this chapter)
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