Chapter 044
The smile on Jiashan's face was very indifferent, and her complexion was as white as the first snow that was about to melt on the streets of the capital. This way, she was a bit like Zhan Yue who never took them seriously.
Zhang's throat tightened. She clearly heard that Princess Song called her "Aunt" but only called her "Madam Crown Prince".
What does she think of herself?
Zhang began to deeply regret why she came here to deal with Jiashan?
The eldest princess clearly looks like she dislikes the Anguo family, so is she willing to marry into the Anguo family just because she has a crush on Zhan Yue?
Thinking of this, Zhang was stunned.
What is there about Zhan Yue that is worthy of her attention!
A dignified princess, she has met all kinds of nobles. I heard that His Majesty even thought of betrothing the eldest princess to the eldest son of Princess Dening.
Zhan Yue is just a bastard, and his mother's family is also declining. Although His Majesty still values him now, the emperor's favor is like the girl's face, which changes from sunny to rainy, and there is no fixed number.
Who can predict the future?
Zhang glanced at Jiashan and said with a fake smile, "It would be great if it could be as the princess said."
Jiashan's eyes dimmed, and before he could say anything, he saw a young woman following behind Zhang suddenly and casually pulled Zhang's sleeve lightly.
The woman smiled charmingly and said to Jiashan, "Fourth Master is lucky to marry the princess and be taken care of by the princess. Your future will surely be glorious."
"I want to congratulate the Fourth Master and the Princess."
She bowed and said, "After entering the palace, although I have met Consort Jing, I have not paid my respects to the princesses. I rarely attend banquets, and I am not familiar with everyone. My eldest sister-in-law often interacts with the noble circle, so please go with me."
After being interrupted like this, the anger in Zhang's and Jiashan's hearts subsided a little.
Zhang was flattered, while Jiashan was wondering who this person was in the Anguo Mansion.
In her previous life, she had also met this woman, if she remembered correctly. She was Zhan Yue's second brother, Zhan Song's widow, Yu Shi. Zhan Song was born to an aunt and his own health was not good, so Yu Shi's family background was not high.
I heard that this marriage was decided by Old Lady Wen herself. It seems that Old Lady Wen's vision is much better than that of Duke Anguo.
Although Yu's family background was not as good as Zhang's, she was much more aware of current affairs than she was.
Jiashan mocked Zhang's stupidity in his heart, but spoke to Fu Xiao's wife Song without changing his expression.
Song grew up with her brother in Shaanxi, where people are warm and welcoming. Song had seen many strange stories and was a very talkative person. As a female member of the Fu family, she was incompatible with the Zhan family.
Seeing how devoted Jiashan was to her, she also said to Jiashan with a kind look, "When I first married into the Fu family, Yanqing was only seven years old."
"He's so young," Song said, humbly, pointing her hand at her waist. "In the blink of an eye, this child will get married. He's very promising now, and he can even marry a lady, which is a wish of his uncle and me."
Jiashan couldn't imagine what Zhan Yue would be like when he was seven years old. She had no choice but to follow Song's words and asked, "Was Yanqing naughty when he was a child?"
"Not naughty." Song's eyes were filled with emotion for the past years. She sighed with regret, "At least when I married him, he was already very sensible."
Song smiled and said, "My nephews from my mother's side are still climbing trees and catching crickets at the age of eight, and they go to the pond to swim in groups in the summer. Yanqing has never been like this."
"Every day after class, he would review his lessons for an hour and practice riding and archery for two hours without fail," Song shook her head slightly and said, "He became sensible too early. Even his uncle said that he always pushed himself too hard."
"How I wish I could meet a Yanqing who is not so hard-pressed," Song said with a little hope, her eyes narrowed.
Jiashan smiled slightly and nodded, "I want to, too."
I hope marriage will be a heart-to-heart for him, rather than a shackle.
Jiashan took the initiative to offer a glass of wine to Song, and they both took a sip.
After the banquet, Concubine Jing asked Jiashan to stay in Changle Palace to talk.
When Concubine Jing was in the palace in her early years, she was a member of the direct line of the royal family. After the Queen passed away, she was ordered to raise Zhao Youze, so she naturally had a very close relationship with Jiashan.
Seeing that Jiashan seemed to be not very friendly to the Anguo family at the banquet just now, Concubine Jing said kindly: "After all, we will be a family in the future, so we should give them some face."
Concubine Jing is gentle and kind, and she is a good person. She never does things too radically, and likes to leave a way out for things so that they can meet again in the future. In this respect, she is not as decisive as Concubine Zhuang.
Jiashan also knew her temper, so he said, "Don't worry, Madam, I know what I am doing. I won't embarrass the Anguo Mansion before you even get married."
Jiashan was a smart man and seldom did anything he was not sure of. Concubine Jing could only say, "It's good that you have an idea."
"The Anguogong Mansion is a large family with a lot of wealth. You also have the Princess Mansion to rely on. There is really no need to get involved in some trouble."
"I heard that the prince consort grew up under the care of Madam Wen." Concubine Jing passed on her only experience. "I have heard of Madam Wen before. Since the prince consort was raised by her, he must not have a bad character. You have to live your life on your own. The most important thing is that the couple live in harmony."
After thinking for a while, Concubine Jing added: "But if you are bullied, don't swallow your anger. With our status, there is no need to be afraid of anyone."
After all, Concubine Jing is not Jiashan's biological mother. The reason she is tied to Jiashan is just for Zhao Youze. Naturally, she would not be as meticulous as Madam Pei.
Just saying this is enough to show how thoughtful Concubine Jing is.
Jiashan felt warm in his heart and replied with a smile: "Yes."
After a brief hesitation, Jiashan looked at the palace maids around him and said calmly, "After I get married, Yuankang, I will have to rely on you, the queen."
"Your Majesty has treated Yuankang like her own son since he was a child," Jiashan stood up and bowed firmly. She said slowly, "Now, there is hope that Yuankang's eyesight will be restored. At this critical moment, I am afraid that you will have to worry more about it, Your Majesty."
Concubine Jing walked up to her, helped Jiashan up with her own hands, and said with a gentle smile, "This is natural."
The two of them looked at each other knowingly, with a tacit understanding in their eyes.
Days passed quickly, and the date for the wedding of Master Yue was set as the eighth day of the second lunar month, which was another extremely good day in February besides the day of the dragon rising.
It was an auspicious day and time chosen by the Qintianjian and the Ministry of Rites.
On the seventh day of the second lunar month, the Imperial Etiquette Officer carried Jiashan's wedding dowry to the Anguogong Mansion. The Anguogong and his men welcomed her with the courtesy of a subordinate.
Zhan Yue, Zhan Tai, Zhang, Zhan Shaoying and others were among them.
Jiashan was the first princess to get married and the only one born to the first emperor. Naturally, Emperor Zhanghe treated her differently from other princesses.
Zhang saw the dowry being carried into the mansion in large boxes, and her face darkened. She clutched her handkerchief tightly, knelt on the cold marble floor, and her heart was as cold as the wind.
She had no hand in Zhan Yue's marriage. Old Lady Wen knew that she and Zhan Yue were not on good terms, and was afraid that if she did something wrong, she would anger the emperor, so Zhang didn't know how much Old Lady Wen cared about Zhan Yue, nor how much money the palace had spent.
But one can guess that since she is going to marry a princess, for the sake of face, Lady Wen cannot make the ceremony too shabby.
This marriage, both from an external and internal perspective, puts an edge on Zhan Shaoying, who is about to marry the daughter of Qi Lehou.
Zhang was feeling sour inside. After the Luan Yi School had delivered the makeup, she privately said to Zhan Shaoying and Zhan Tai, "Tomorrow is the wedding. Has the old lady revealed who the bride will be?"
When getting married, a wife is an indispensable person, also called a person of perfect happiness. A person of perfect happiness must have elderly parents and children, both parents and parents-in-law, a harmonious relationship between husband and wife, filial children, and no illness or disaster.
It also symbolizes that the newlyweds can have a smooth life like a blessed couple.
It was the beginning of the year, and Zhan Tai was working at Guanglu Temple. He was very busy these days and had no time to deal with Zhang. He frowned and said, "Grandmother has asked the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo to come. You should stop worrying."
The wife of the Duke of Zhenguo! Highly respected!
Although both are Duke's Mansions, the Duke's Mansion of Zhen is much more deeply rooted than the Duke's Mansion of An.
Zhang said bitterly, "He is really lucky."
"I'm not saying that, but at the banquet that day, the eldest princess didn't treat our family as well as the Fu family. I'm afraid she's just like the fourth son, an ungrateful person." Zhang said to Zhan Tai, "Remember to remind the old ancestor, don't keep all the good things to the princess."
Zhan Tai glanced at her and said, "Do you think the princess would be interested in the things in our house?"
"Take good care of your one and a half acres of land." Zhan Tai said.
Zhang came from the Cheng'en Marquis's Mansion. Cheng'en Marquis was not a long-standing aristocratic family. He was granted the title of marquis as a relative of the previous emperor, and only a few decades ago did he squeeze into the aristocratic circle in the capital.
When the late emperor was alive, the Cheng'en Marquisate was indeed quite glorious. In the first few years after the current emperor ascended the throne, he also looked after the Cheng'en Marquisate somewhat out of old friendship.
But the emperor is not a fool after all. Although there are still marquises in Cheng'en Marquisate, it cannot be compared with the time of the previous emperor.
At that time, Lady Wen originally wanted to marry Zhan Tai to a girl whose father had died young but who had been praised by the late emperor himself for her filial piety.
However, Jia felt that the girl had no father or brothers to rely on and her fate was too weak. She even had an argument with Old Lady Wen about this matter.
Wen Lao Taijun had lived for so many years and had already cultivated herself and cultivated her character, so she was too lazy to have a conflict with Jia Shi. Jia Shi then harassed the daughter of the Marquis of Cheng'en.
The Marquis of Cheng'en was also a cousin of Jia's family, the Wuchong Marquis's family. Jia thought she had been a good matchmaker for her son. However, after a decade or two, the "girl with a weak fate" that Jia had once rejected had already had two children and a grandchild, and was about to have one, and was living a happy life.
However, Zhang's pettiness was gradually exposed over time.
He didn't feel it when everything was going smoothly in the past, but now that he has encountered some minor difficulties, Zhan Taifang feels a headache.
Zhang continued to say sadly, "That day, I did everything you said. It's not that I don't want to be friends with the princess, but she came up to me to show me her power. I see that she is devoted to the fourth son, but I'm afraid this marriage is not that simple. When the fourth son gets married, you will see if he will show off his power."
Zhan Tai was really annoyed, and a look of disgust appeared on his face, but this time before he could open his mouth, Zhan Shaoying squeezed out a word from between his teeth -
"Mother, can you please leave me alone for a moment?"