Chapter 548 Princess's Marriage
After entering the palace, the court ladies who attended the palace banquet went to Weiyang Palace to pay their respects to the Empress.
It was Meng Jinyao's first time entering the palace. Although she was curious about the palace, she did not look around. Apart from what was in front of her, she did not look at the rest of the place. She followed beside Old Madam Gu with graceful steps and dignified manners.
Seeing this, Madam Gu nodded almost imperceptibly. Her youngest daughter-in-law was always calm and composed, and was capable of taking on great responsibilities.
On her way to pay her respects to the Empress, Meng Jinyao encountered many familiar ladies, all of whom were noblewomen with imperial titles. These were the wives of high-ranking officials and nobles. Without the Empress's special permission, the wives of officials without imperial titles could not attend today's palace banquet.
Upon arriving at Weiyang Palace, Meng Jinyao, along with Old Madam Gu, respectfully bowed to the Empress according to palace etiquette: "This humble woman greets Your Majesty the Empress. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace."
Perhaps because Gu Jingxi had once saved the Emperor, the Empress treated her and Madam Gu very gently, quickly asking them to rise and then offering them seats.
After Meng Jinyao sat down, she finally saw the Empress. Not wanting to disregard rank, she looked directly at the Empress and only glanced at her before lowering her eyes. The Empress was dressed in a bright red palace gown and wore a nine-tailed phoenix hairpin. She was elegant, dignified, and gentle, and her every move exuded the demeanor of an empress. Although she was nearly forty, one could still see the charm of her youth in her still-attractive face. The Empress in her youth must have been a gentle and beautiful woman.
The Empress looked Meng Jinyao up and down with curiosity, and said with a smile, "Old Madam Gu, your daughter-in-law is really beautiful. She is a perfect match for Marquis Changxing. They are a handsome couple."
When other elders praise their younger relatives, they should at least be humble.
However, this time, Madam Gu was not modest. She looked at her daughter-in-law with loving eyes and replied, "Ayao is such a filial and sensible child. Our family has found a treasure and gotten such a good daughter-in-law."
Meng Jinyao was a little embarrassed by the praise. She lowered her head and didn't say anything, looking like a shy and obedient young wife.
The ladies present were somewhat surprised to see that even in front of the Empress, Madam Gu was praising her daughter-in-law so highly. Madam Gu was always humble, so how much must she like Meng Jinyao to say such a thing? In the past, when people praised Gu Jingxi for her intelligence and said she was a promising candidate for the top scholar, Madam Gu would always humbly reply that the child was just a little clever, not as good as you all say.
The Empress said gently, "The Marquis of Changxing remained unmarried for many years until he met Madam Gu. This is a predestined fate."
As she spoke, she glanced at her daughter-in-law, Crown Princess Huizhao, who had been sitting silently beside her, holding her child. For a moment, her eyes dimmed. Her son and daughter-in-law had once been a loving couple. After her son was murdered and died, her daughter-in-law lost her vitality and became like a stagnant pool, excessively quiet. Fortunately, she still had a young child to take care of, otherwise she probably would have committed suicide.
Hearing the Empress say this, the other noblewomen echoed her sentiments, praising Gu Jingxi and Meng Jinyao, this absurdly married couple.
As the time approached, the ladies of the court began to make their way to the main hall where the banquet was to be held. They took their seats according to their status, with men and women seated separately. The women sat on the right side, while the men sat on the left. The Empress would not arrive so early; she would appear with the Emperor when the banquet began. The Empress Dowager was at Xiangguo Temple worshipping Buddha and had not yet returned to the palace, so she would not attend today's banquet.
The Emperor and Empress had not yet arrived, and the ladies of the court did not sit idly by; instead, they chatted with the ladies they knew.
"His Majesty has arrived! Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!"
At this moment, the eunuch's shrill voice came, and everyone immediately fell silent and stopped talking. They saw Emperor Jingwen and the Empress walking side by side, followed by a young couple dressed in brocade robes, who should be the third prince and the seventh princess of Anguo.
Everyone withdrew their gaze and respectfully bowed to Emperor Jingwen and the Empress: "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress!"
The sound resounded throughout the hall. Emperor Jingwen walked to the seat of honor, replied "Rise," and sat down. The Empress sat next to him, and the princes, ministers, and noblewomen also took their seats.
The third prince and seventh princess of Anguo were seated as honored guests.
With a hint of curiosity, Meng Jinyao discreetly observed the Third Prince and the Seventh Princess. The Third Prince appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and handsome features. The Seventh Princess was about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a beautiful face and skin as smooth as jade; she was a charming and lovely beauty.
This palace banquet was to welcome the Third Prince and the Seventh Princess. Emperor Jingwen exchanged pleasantries with the siblings before announcing the start of the banquet.
Inside the main hall, singing and dancing filled the air, and the sounds of string and wind instruments filled the ears.
As the banquet drew to a close, amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of toasts, the Third Prince suddenly stood up, bowed respectfully to Emperor Jingwen, and said in his somewhat broken Zhao language, "Your Majesty, my sister and I have come here not only for the friendship between our two countries, but also for my sister's marriage. My sister has loved Zhao culture since childhood, and has also learned Zhao script and is versed in poetry and prose. Now that she has reached marriageable age, and with so many talented people in Zhao, my sister wishes to find a suitable husband from Zhao."
They came for a marriage alliance, and some ministers had already heard of it. The third prince and the seventh princess were siblings from the same mother. It was said that the third prince of Anguo was the most likely to inherit the throne besides the eldest prince. By sending his younger sister for a marriage alliance, he probably wanted to take advantage of Zhao's power to increase his chances of winning the throne.
Although Anguo is a vassal state, if the princess comes to marry, she will definitely marry into the royal family.
Emperor Jingwen had already figured out their intentions, so he wasn't surprised. He asked in a gentle tone, "There are many fine men in Zhao. I wonder if the Seventh Princess has chosen a man? I will bestow a marriage upon the Seventh Princess."
The third prince looked at the seventh princess and gave her a wink.
The Seventh Princess stood up and bowed to Emperor Jingwen, but instead of expressing her love for the Emperor as originally planned, she said, "Your Majesty, I met a young man on the street yesterday and fell in love at first sight, but I don't know his name. I thought I would never meet him again, but I never expected to meet him today."
She spoke fluent Zhao dialect; without careful listening, one might mistake her for a native of the Zhao capital.
Upon hearing this, the third prince frowned in displeasure. This was contrary to their original plan. What did this mean?
Their original plan was to make the Seventh Sister a concubine of Emperor Jingwen. The Seventh Sister was Princess Anguo, so her rank would not be low.
As for the other princes, the second prince already has a principal wife and cannot become his concubine, the third prince is not favored, and the fourth prince is sickly and has no chance of becoming emperor, so he cannot help him. The remaining princes are still young and have not reached the age of marriage.
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