Chapter 22
After being forced to return to Beijing this time, Zhang Xihua lost all interest in traveling.
After she sent a message to Qingque and Feiyue to report her safety, she stayed at home and devoted herself to reading and practicing calligraphy.
But even so, trouble still came.
On this day, Prime Minister Cheng’s wife, Zhang, and their eldest daughter, Cheng Ying, visited Zhang’s house.
Madam Jiang and Madam Li met with Madam Zhang and her daughter in the front hall of the main house of Chonghua Courtyard.
Although Mrs. Zhang is approaching middle age, one can still see from her face that she must have been an extremely beautiful woman when she was young, which is why she was able to give birth to a daughter as beautiful as Cheng Ying.
Mrs. Zhang came with a valuable gift and chatted with Mrs. Jiang and Mrs. Li for a while before getting down to business.
"What do you two ladies think of my Yingniang? Is she a good match for your Erlang?"
Cheng Ying smiled at Mrs. Jiang openly.
Although Madam Jiang had many experiences in rejecting marriage proposals for Zhang Xihua, the Madam Zhang in front of her was not only the wife of the chief minister Cheng Jingsi, but also the younger sister of Empress Dowager Zhang.
After considering for a long time, Mrs. Jiang just couldn't bring herself to bring it up.
Mrs. Li is even more of a fool, and she has no right to speak in such an occasion.
Madam Zhang: "I know your old lady has passed away, and your Erlang is in deep mourning. What's the big deal? Let's make a marriage agreement first. After your Erlang has finished mourning, it won't be too late to marry my Yingniang."
Before Mrs. Zhang came, she also discussed with her husband the marriage with the Zhang family of the Yongjia Marquisate for a whole night.
Logically speaking, it would be best for Yingniang to enter the palace and become the queen, but Yingniang fell in love with the second son of the Zhang family. The couple always treated Yingniang like a treasure and did everything according to Yingniang's wishes, and this time was no exception.
"If Madam Jiang refuses to agree to this marriage, I can declare today that no family will dare to marry their daughter to your Erlang."
"Mother, how can you say such aggressive words?" Cheng Ying was anxious, afraid of leaving a bad impression on Mrs. Jiang.
Madam Zhang gently patted the back of Cheng Ying's hand to comfort her and whispered, "Mother knows what's going on."
Mrs. Jiang was not afraid in her heart. If Mrs. Zhang could really do what she said, she would not have to go through the trouble of politely rejecting those families who wanted to marry their daughters to Xihua. However, she still had to say some polite words.
"I was delighted the moment I saw your daughter Yingniang, but I don't have another son to marry her. As for my son Erlang, we'll have to wait until she's out of mourning before discussing marriage. If Erlang is interested in your daughter Yingniang by then, there's no need for Madam Zhang to come to my house to discuss marriage. I'll take Erlang to the Cheng Mansion and ask for your daughter Yingniang's hand in marriage with three letters, six gifts, four betrothal gifts, and five gold coins."
Mrs. Zhang saw that Mrs. Jiang was a person who would not be persuaded by anything, but she did not dare to lose face. She also had to save face for her daughter Yingniang, so she simply said, "Since that's the case, my daughter Yingniang can't wait that long. There is a good marriage waiting for my daughter Yingniang."
Mrs. Zhang looked around and sneered.
"Your family is just like this, it can't compare to the overwhelming wealth of the royal family."
Cheng Ying kept tugging at Mrs. Zhang's sleeve to signal her mother not to continue.
Mrs. Zhang ignored it because she was angry.
Madam Jiang smiled and said, "Yes, yes, my family has always been in poverty. It's still better to be in the palace, it's still better to be in the palace."
I can't wait to get rid of Madam Zhang, this plague god.
The maid lifted the door curtain and let Zhang Xihua in to meet the guest.
When Mrs. Zhang saw Zhang Xihua's figure and appearance, she immediately felt a little regretful. No wonder her daughter was in love with Zhang Erlang. She was afraid that there would not be another man as handsome as her in the world.
After Zhang Xihua greeted everyone, he personally poured a cup of tea and offered it to Mrs. Zhang with both hands.
"I'm late, I have to apologize to Madam first."
Mrs. Zhang couldn't take her eyes off Zhang Xihua.
"Sister Jiang, all the boys in my family combined are not as good as this one in your family. Can you teach me how to raise such a good child?"
Mrs. Jiang was used to hearing people praising her little daughter, and she never looked proud. She only felt sorry for the suffering her little daughter had endured since she was a child.
The old saying is true: if you want to be respected in front of others, you must suffer behind their backs.
"My Erlang is a good boy in himself, and I didn't teach him that," said Mrs. Jiang.
Mrs. Zhang and Zhang Xihua asked and answered questions, and talked a lot.
Seeing Zhang Xihua being so gentle and polite, Mrs. Zhang loved him even more and put her previous unhappiness behind her.
In addition, Zhang Xihua coaxed Mrs. Zhang with many good words, and Mrs. Zhang happily accepted Zhang Xihua as her godson.
Cheng Ying, who was watching from the side, was both anxious and angry. She was anxious because her mother no longer mentioned her marriage with Zhang Erlangjun. She was also angry because her mother even adopted Zhang Erlangjun as her godson. Was there any possibility for her to marry Zhang Erlangjun?
At noon, Mrs. Jiang invited Mrs. Zhang and Cheng Ying and her daughter to have lunch.
Mrs. Zhang declined again and again and took Cheng Ying out of the Zhang Mansion.
After the mother and daughter boarded the carriage, Madam Zhang said to Cheng Ying, "You, forget about this idea. I originally thought that the Yongjia Marquis's family was not prominent, and no matter how outstanding his son was, he would not be that outstanding. But now that I have seen him in person, just based on his looks, countless young ladies will surely throw themselves at him in the future. If you choose a man like this as your husband, it's fine if he still has you in his heart, but if he doesn't, you will suffer untold hardships."
Cheng Ying refused to give up. "But even if my daughter is willing to listen to my aunt and enter the palace to become the queen, won't she still have to compete with countless other women for His Majesty's favor?"
"It's different." Madam Zhang gazed at her daughter's face, which was more beautiful than a flower. "As long as you have the dignity of an empress, even if you can't get the emperor's true love, it's worth it. But if you are determined to be the wife of Zhang Erlang, you will only sacrifice your good life and earn the title of a royal consort at best. For the family, entering the palace is the best way out for you."
Cheng Ying shed two lines of tears, angry that she was not pretty enough, otherwise why did Zhang Erlang not even look at her in Zhang Mansion just now. She was even more angry that she had an aunt who was the empress dowager, otherwise she would not have to choose to become the master of the harem just because Zhang Erlang did not want her.
"My daughter lost the bet with my aunt and will obey my aunt and go to the palace to be her pawn."
"Your aunt truly loves you, Yingniang, but you are not allowed to say such hurtful words in front of your aunt." Mrs. Zhang picked up a handkerchief and wiped her daughter's tears.
Cheng Ying nodded and pursed her lips.
But she will probably always have that person in her heart.
She wanted to see what kind of woman Zhang Erlang would choose as his wife.
*
In February of the second year of Huiyuan, Old Master Zhang died of illness at the Zhang family residence in Taiping Prefecture, and Zhang Xihua's mourning period started again.
Xu Pingzhi, Chen Ang and Jiang Yang often came to Zhang Xihua to complain. Although the status of Emperor Huiyuan's biological mother, Jiang, as the empress dowager was confirmed, whether Emperor Huiyuan's biological father, Prince Xiang, should be posthumously honored as emperor and enshrined in the temple caused a stir in the court and the country.
Xu Pingzhi is now the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Rites and Sacrifices, and is troubled by the issue of posthumously honoring Prince Xiang in a temple.
"Empress Dowager Zhang would go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to weep three times a day, saying that if Your Majesty placed Prince Xiang's tablet in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, she would go down to see her husband, Emperor Zhengxi, and her son, Emperor Hongde."
"The Taimiao is so big. If we put one more tablet in it, will it squeeze the tablets of Emperor Zhengxi and Emperor Hongde?" Jiang Yang said jokingly.
Chen Ang: "Empress Dowager Zhang deliberately refuses to acknowledge Your Majesty as the legitimate emperor of the Ming Dynasty. She believes Your Majesty was chosen because Emperor Hongde had no children and was succeeded by a minor clan. Empress Dowager Zhang repeatedly demands Your Majesty honor only her aunt as your mother and only the Zhengxi Emperor as your father, while honoring your biological mother, Empress Dowager Jiang, as your aunt and your biological father, Prince Xiang, as your uncle. This is in accordance with etiquette and law, but it is inhumane."
After the three of them finished speaking, they all looked at Zhang Xihua and asked in unison, "What do you think?"
Zhang Xihua: "In fact, if we find the copy of the Classic of Filial Piety by Emperor Taizu and show it to Empress Dowager Zhang, the civil and military officials, and even the people of the world, we will have the answer."
"Erlang, when did you come up with such a good idea?" Xu Pingzhi asked.
Zhang Xihua: "As soon as the news of Prince Xiang being posthumously honored and enshrined in the temple came out, I thought of this."
Xu Pingzhi: "Then why didn't you say so earlier?"
Zhang Xihua: "You didn't ask me."
Xu Pingzhi, Jiang Yang, Chen Ang: "..."
As expected, when a group of officials supporting Emperor Huiyuan brought out the "Book of Filial Piety" copied by Emperor Taizu, the officials who had originally opposed Zhu Mingji posthumously honoring his biological father, Prince Xiang, and allowing Prince Xiang's tablet to be placed in the Taimiao were speechless.
Etiquette, laws and moral principles cannot escape the word "filial piety".
Zhu Mingji, as he wished, posthumously honored his biological father as Emperor Wenxiang, decreed that Emperor Wenxiang's temple name be Emperor Suzong, and placed his biological father's tablet next to that of his uncle, Emperor Zhengxi.
Empress Dowager Zhang became ill due to this. Empress Cheng, who had been neglected by Zhu Mingji since her marriage, went to the Cining Palace to take care of Empress Dowager Zhang.
Empress Dowager Zhang drank the medicine fed to her by Empress Cheng, and seeing that Empress Cheng was dressed simply, she couldn't help but mutter.
"Yingniang, my hope is all in your womb. You must also fight for my honor and give birth to the emperor's eldest son. Don't let the concubine chosen by Jiang for the emperor give birth to the eldest son before you."
Empress Cheng frowned slightly. "Aunt, there are more than ten concubines in the harem besides me, but Your Majesty has never visited any of them. I cannot fathom Your Majesty's thoughts. Your Majesty is already busy with government affairs, and he only visits the harem four or five days a month, and those four or five days are only because Your Majesty has to pay his respects to the two Empress Dowagers."
Empress Dowager Zhang was also surprised by Zhu Mingji's monk-like nature of not being interested in women. When she thought about how Zhu Mingji had never even had sex when he was still the prince of Xiang Wang, she had a bold guess in her mind.
"The Emperor is trying to wipe out the Ming Dynasty's royal family. Yingniang, listen to me. Pick out a few handsome eunuchs to place by the Emperor's side. I don't believe that the Emperor, at this age of virility, wouldn't want to relieve his sexual desire. Don't let me find a sore spot for the Emperor."
"Aunt, are you saying that His Majesty likes men? That's impossible, right?" Empress Cheng suddenly remembered the look on Emperor Huiyuan's face when he asked her about Zhang Xihua on the Mid-Autumn night last year. It seemed that His Majesty, like herself, had Zhang Erlang in his heart.
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