"Princess, I heard that two more families came today to speak on behalf of our Second Princess," Cui Ling said while peeling lychees for Nian Shi.
"Hehe, the gatekeeper is all ready. Who is it?" Madam Nian was dressed in a plum-red cheongsam, with a cherry blossom-shaped flower painted between her eyebrows. Her eyebrows and eyes were also painted with a fairy-like appearance, making her look incredibly charming and beautiful.
“The other is the second son of the Andara family, the military commander of the bondservant guards, and the eldest son of the Chen family, the minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.” Cui Ling handed a fresh and juicy lychee to Nian Shi.
"Hehe, one is a minor head of the bondservant class, and the other is in charge of the Emperor's meals. They are nothing to fear. I would never marry my second princess to him. My eldest brother's second son is much better. Jun'er is so young, yet she has already passed the imperial examination. With a father like her brother, how could she not have a bright future?" Madam Nian put a lychee in her mouth and said, "My brother's wealth is beyond measure. Just with these lychees, I'm afraid even the ladies in the palace don't have any to eat right now."
"It's because General Nian dotes on the princess that this was included in her New Year's gift. The princess loves lychees the most," Cui Ling said.
Lady Nian looked delighted and said proudly, "This fruit is originally from Guangdong and Guangxi, and it usually ripens in June and July. Brother must have had it picked last year and then chilled in an ice cellar. The cost of the ice alone must have been considerable. Second Princess is the Emperor's granddaughter, so naturally she should have a grand and happy marriage."
“Exactly, a family like General Nian’s is truly worthy of the Second Princess’s status,” Cui Ling said, naturally flattering him.
"But, I don't know what the master was thinking. He mentioned that **** to him, but he didn't give a definite answer." Madam Nian sighed slightly.
"Perhaps it's because the Empress Dowager in the palace has her eye on the Second Princess, and Master is hesitant to agree so easily," Cui Ling said.
“I hope so. I haven’t replied to my elder brother yet. He’s currently in the Northwest, leading a large army and fighting for the Qing Dynasty,” said Madam Nian with pride.
In fact, it wasn't just her who was thinking about it; the Fourth Prince was also considering the Second Princess's marriage. The other day, Lanqin had told him that the Empress Dowager had spoken to the Second Princess, seemingly intending to marry her off to a member of the Borjigin clan as her granddaughter-in-law. However, the Fourth Prince didn't want his daughter to marry far away, believing that the Aisin Gioro clan already had enough connections with the Borjigin clan, and there was no need to add another marriage alliance.
After the Fourth Prince left the court, he was preparing to return to Nanwu when he saw palace maids from Yonghe Palace waiting for him at the side gate.
When the Fourth Prince entered Yonghe Palace, Consort De was worshipping Buddha. The Fourth Prince then waited in the left side room and drank tea.
After picking up the rice, Consort De was helped up by Granny De.
"Your Highness, why is the Empress Dowager suddenly showing concern for our Fourth Prince's Second Princess? I have a feeling that the Fourth Prince won't agree to this," said Granny De as she helped Consort De out of her small Buddhist shrine.
"Since the Empress Dowager has spoken, I can't refuse directly. I'll talk to the Fourth Prince first and see what he thinks. Perhaps Elinzhu's marriage has already been arranged," said Consort De.
After Consort De returned to her warm chamber, the Fourth Prince was invited over by a palace maid. The mother and son sat down and talked for a while before the topic of the Second Princess came up.
"The Empress Dowager said she wants to find a marriage for the Second Princess, and the one is Wu Keshan's grand-nephew," Consort De said.
Fourth Prince was surprised that the Empress Dowager was really thinking about his Second Princess, and immediately asked, "Did the Empress Dowager only talk to Mother? Father didn't mention this at all."
"He probably hasn't spoken to your father yet, he's only mentioned it to me. It seems this isn't your father's intention," said Consort De.
"Then Mother should report back to the Empress Dowager. Elinzhu's marriage has already been arranged, and everything has been agreed upon. Thank you for your concern, Empress Dowager," Fourth Prince said without much thought.
Consort De was slightly surprised. Seeing her son's expression, she realized he had probably already made up his mind. She said, "Which family have you chosen for the Second Princess? I will go and report back to the Empress Dowager. There must be some explanation."
"The second young master of the Nian family. Nian Gengyao, the Governor-General of Sichuan and Shaanxi, is currently besieging Galdan at the Emperor's side." Fourth Master said with determination. He had initially been undecided, and several families had personally come to propose marriage. The Nian family, of course, spoke to him through Nian Shi.
Consort De nodded and said, "She is worthy of the Second Princess's status, but is she from the family of that Nian family's elder brother?"
Fourth Master nodded.
"A marriage between close relatives would be even better, but you must handle it carefully," Consort De said meaningfully.
"Don't worry, Mother, I know what I'm doing," Fourth Master said.
Leaving Yonghe Palace, the Fourth Prince headed south towards the Fifth Palace. These past few days, besides handling affairs at the Ministry of Revenue, he had also had to deal with various people offering their allegiance and currying favor. Because the Crown Prince had been deposed, officials of all ranks in the court were craning their necks to watch the various princes, naturally hoping to find a suitable candidate to secure a future opportunity to support the new emperor. However, the Fourth Prince felt that although Kangxi had deposed the Crown Prince, he had no intention of appointing another one immediately. Therefore, he had not revealed his true intentions. Even when Longkodo actively sought to curry favor with him, he had not extended an olive branch.
"Fourth Prince!" A shrill voice interrupted the Fourth Prince's thoughts.
In the corner stood a young eunuch, his features exquisitely refined, and his expression unlike that of typical eunuchs. He stood there silently, like a piece of pure gold and steel.
"Which palace are you from? Why are you calling me Prince Ben?" The Fourth Prince had never recognized this little eunuch before.
"Reporting to Fourth Prince, this servant is from the Crown Prince's palace. Oh, no, I'm from the Second Prince's palace. The Second Prince sent this servant to invite Fourth Prince." The little eunuch blushed with nervousness after misspoke.
The Fourth Prince asked, "Second Prince, is something the matter?"
The young eunuch immediately replied, "Yes, the Second Prince said he would like to invite the Fourth Prince to the palace for a chat." The Fourth Prince pondered for a moment, then headed towards Yuqing Palace.
The deposed crown prince, stripped of his title, was now a truly idle prince. He spent his days reading and practicing calligraphy with his son and daughter, living a rather carefree and comfortable life. However, one thing lingered in his mind: Zheng Chunhua. He knew that Zheng had been "dealt with" by his imperial father. He didn't even have the right to ask. But Zheng was pregnant with his child. How exactly had his father dealt with her? The deposed crown prince desperately wanted to know, so he sent his trusted aide to fetch the Fourth Prince.
After the Crown Prince was deposed, Yinren was released from confinement by Emperor Kangxi, but now no one goes to Yuqing Palace anymore.
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