They drank the wine and verbally agreed on the marriage.
Dolan savored the aroma of the wine on his tongue and left the tavern with satisfaction.
Tong Ruita offered to escort her back to her residence, but she refused.
The Prince's Mansion wasn't in the best location in the capital, but it was surrounded by some high-ranking officials and nobles.
Tong Ruita was no nobody, and it would be bad for their reputations and families to make a move before they were even engaged.
When Dolan returned to the Prince's residence, her personal maid immediately approached her: "Princess, if the old Princess Consort finds out what you did, she will probably be angry."
"Grandmother sent me to the capital alone so that I could find a good husband beforehand. You know my temperament; I can't be a gentle, refined lady, and I don't want to share a husband with someone else. If it's a marriage of convenience, I have no right to ask. If it's a marriage of convenience, Grandmother's pride would probably prevent her from doing so. Meeting Lord Tong is a wonderful surprise," Dolan said softly.
Her maidservants had served her since childhood, and their bond was extraordinary.
Therefore, the maid knew that although her little princess looked frail, she was actually tough and strong, and her martial arts skills were no less than those of men.
"I heard that the other day, when the princess of Khorchin came to the capital, it was Lord Tong who went to pick her up?" Dolan was very knowledgeable about things in the capital.
The maidservant replied, "Yes, Lord Tong went ten miles outside the capital to fetch him."
“That princess, like me, came to the capital to find a husband. However, she is a princess of the Khorchin, and the Khorchin tribe enjoys the deepest favor from the emperor. Compared to her, my status is probably insufficient,” Dolan sighed.
Hopefully, that spoiled young princess is too blind to recognize the hidden gem that is Tong Ruita. Otherwise, she won't have any chance.
The maid disagreed, saying, "The princess is much better than the princess of Khorchin. You are well-versed in military strategy and have a generous and proper temperament. The one from Khorchin is still childish, willful and rude."
“Be careful what you say. Although you grew up with me, the princess of Khorchin is still a princess, and you are not allowed to speak ill of her behind her back. If there is a next time, I will punish you personally. My temperament is different from hers, and there is no superiority or inferiority between us. In fact, there may be more people who like her than me. I know my own temper well. I am too rigid and easily broken. It is just my appearance that deceives people.”
"Furthermore, it's a fact that my status is inferior to hers. Every emperor brings his own court. The Khorchin made the right bet back then, and it was something their ancestors paid for with their lives. If their descendants can be a little more indulgent, it's because they were born into a good family, and others shouldn't comment on that."
Dolan has a clear understanding of herself, and she is even afraid that Tong Ruita will regret it if she finds out about her true nature, which is contrary to her appearance.
Tong Ruita certainly wouldn't; he wasn't looking at Dolan's delicate and beautiful face.
If that's the case, why should Consort Tong and Princess Jiarong worry all day about finding him a suitable consort?
Seeing through the surface to the essence, Tong Ruita returned to the mansion and immediately told Tong Guozhu and Tong Fujin that he had found his future wife.
Just then, Tong Qinian, Jia Rong, and Princess Shuo returned to the mansion. Upon learning this, the couple looked at him intently.
"Whose daughter is she? It doesn't matter what her status is, as long as you're not forcibly taking a woman from the countryside, Father will ask for her hand in marriage for you." Tong Guozhu was extremely anxious about Tong Ruita's marriage.
Finally, this extremely picky guy found a girl he liked, and he was so excited he almost jumped for joy.
Tong Qinian jokingly added, "Yes. Regardless of social status, our family will do our best to find a wife for you. There's only one condition: the girl must be willing."
“Yes, yes, I’m willing. I fell in love at first sight with the princess of the Khalkha in the northern desert. She’s the one who has a royal residence in the capital,” Tong Ruita said eagerly.
Mongolian princes in the capital who were granted imperial mansions were all exceptionally favored by the emperor.
Jia Rong and Princess Shuo asked, "Is her given name Dolan?"
"Have you met my sister-in-law before?" Tong Ruita looked at Jia Rong and Gege with eager eyes, wanting to hear more about Dolan.
Jia Rong and Princess Shuo smiled and said, "She's a nice girl. No wonder my second brother looked down on everyone before; he had such high standards."
Tong Fujin's attitude towards Tong Ruita's marriage was merely superficial; she was neither demanding nor overly heartbroken.
Tong Guozhu, who acted as both father and mother to Tong Ruita, asked apologetically, "Princess, is that Mongolian princess really that good? But our family's situation is better than most, but far from the best. The Mongolian princess will probably marry into the royal family, and it won't end up in an ordinary family like ours."
“The other Mongol princesses are like that, but Dolan is different. Her father died early, and she and her grandmother single-handedly brought the Khalkha tribe under control. This time, she came to the capital by imperial summons. Her younger brother, Celing, and her grandmother will probably come to the capital next year as well. And Princess Dolan will probably return to Khalkha around that time,” said Princess Jiarong.
Tong Guozhu stared at Tong Ruita for a long time: "So, will my son marry into another family?"
“Father, there’s no need to worry. If my second brother and Dolan’s marriage really goes through, at most my second brother will have to wait a year or two for Dolan. The Khalkha prince will eventually grow up, and the tribe will still be inherited by the prince,” Jia Rong He Shuo Gege said with a smile.
"Then I'm relieved." Tong Guozhu breathed a sigh of relief: "Tomorrow I will go to pay my respects to the First-Class Duke and ask him to speak well of me to the Emperor."
Tong Guozhu was referring to Tong Guogang, since he himself was not qualified to ask Emperor Kangxi for help.
Jia Rong and Princess Shuo are members of the royal family, so they know more than Tong Guozhu.
Tong Qinian, as an official in the imperial court, was also very perceptive about gossip.
After exchanging a glance, Tong Qinian and Jia Rong Heshuo Gege said, "Father, let my second brother go and ask the Emperor for help himself."
Tong Guozhu looked at his eldest son in astonishment: "Isn't this inappropriate?"
“His Majesty trusts and values my second brother very much, and he also cares about his marriage. Since my second brother said that Princess Dolan is quite satisfied with him, then asking His Majesty for a marriage decree is not considered an act of climbing the social ladder,” Tong Qinian explained.
“You know better than I do, so let’s listen to you,” Tong Guozhu said, showing considerable self-awareness.
Similarly, when Orondai returned to the First-Class Duke's Mansion, he excitedly told Tong Guogang, "Father, you don't need to worry about your eighth cousin anymore. He went out for a drink and found a wife he liked."
Tong Guogang said suspiciously, "Don't be fooled by the rouge and powder girls in the tavern."
“No, it’s Princess Dolan of Khalkha. Father, if you don’t know, you can ask Mother. Mother knows more about the affairs of women in the inner quarters than you do.” Orondai still speaks more bluntly to Tong Guogang now, but he has toned it down a lot compared to before.
Tong Guogang said, "Then why are you telling me this? Go ask your mother. If it's a good girl, then ask her to marry him. If not, then tell him to give up on the idea as soon as possible. He's so stupid, always picking and choosing. With such high standards, what will he do if he can't handle this marriage and is held back for the rest of his life?"
Seeing Tong Guogang's expression, Orondai couldn't help but ask, "Father, are you talking about yourself?"
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