“My lady, I don’t mind that he doesn’t have a house. I have some money here. It might be a bit tight to use it all to buy a two-courtyard house, but it’s still possible to get a small courtyard.” Cui Niang said.
“Alright, you two can work together to furnish a two-courtyard house. If you don’t have enough money, I’ll cover it. It was originally intended to be your dowry.” Lanqin was happy to see that Cui Niang had agreed; at least one problem was solved.
“That won’t do. I receive a monthly allowance and occasional rewards from my master,” said Cui Niang.
“One thing at a time! I’m going to give dowries to all of you when you get married. Cui Niang, please don’t postpone it any longer,” Lan Qin said firmly.
"Master, there are so many people serving here, and you're giving them all as dowries. Where are you going to get so much money to give them?" Cui Niang asked.
"I have all sorts of jewelry here. If I don't have any money to give, I'll give you jewelry. Anyway, it's just lying there gathering dust and has no use. I'll give it to you as dowry, and I'll be happy," Lanqin said. She had already started thinking about taking out the heavier headdresses and jewelry to melt them down and then making some smaller items suitable for everyday wear, such as hairpins, earrings, rings, and bracelets.
“Master, you still need two princesses. You should start preparing their dowries now,” said Cui Niang.
“Good heavens, my dear Cui Niang, how old are Ushiha and Bechuk? They have plenty of preparations for the future, not just for me, but also for their grandmothers, fathers, maternal grandmothers, and so on. Besides, they are too young to talk about these things,” Lanqin said.
"Master, according to your wishes, does that mean Nianxue and Xicha should also be engaged?" Cui Niang asked.
"Hmm. Cui Niang, do you think your eldest and second brothers can work out with Nianxue and Xicha? Nianxue is steady and a good wife; Xicha is a bit timid, but she is also very gentle and kind," Lanqin said.
When Cui Niang heard that Nianxue and Xicha were to be introduced to her two brothers, she immediately said, "My lady, I'm afraid I'll be doing Nianxue and Xicha a disservice. They are both very good, and I'm just afraid my two brothers are not good enough for them."
“Cui Niang, don’t underestimate yourself. And don’t underestimate your two brothers either. I often hear Fourth Master praise them; they might achieve great things in the future. Are kings and generals born with a special destiny?” Lanqin said.
Cui Niang nodded as if she understood, and asked, "Should I go and talk to Nianxue and Xicha?"
“You don’t need to tell me, I’ll go ask them what they think. But you should try to gauge your brother’s opinion. If they’ve already made up their minds, then we’ll have to make other plans,” Lanqin said.
“If they can marry Nianxue and Xicha, I’ll be burning incense with joy,” said Cui Niang.
After the two had finished discussing the matter, they went their separate ways to negotiate.
Nianxue is currently serving in Hongli's room and rarely comes to Lanqin's. After resting for a while, Lanqin sent Wuxiha and Bechuk to the school, and then went to Hongli's room.
"Master!" Nianxue was doing needlework in the room when she saw Lanqin arrive and immediately stood up to greet her. Although Hongli had a wet nurse, Nianxue was indeed in charge of things in this room. She was responsible for Hongli's daily food, clothing, and lodging, and reported directly to Lanqin about what was happening in Hongli's room.
"Is Hongli still asleep?" Lanqin said with a smile.
“Yes, the Sixth Prince is still asleep. He sleeps for an hour and a half every day. He hasn’t woken up yet,” Nianxue quickly said.
"What are you making?" Lanqin asked, noticing what Nianxue was holding.
"These are shoe uppers made for the Sixth Prince," Nianxue said.
“Let me see!” Lanqin said.
Nianxue then handed the needlework in her hand to Lanqin. She saw that Lanqin was embroidering the sole of a shoe, with a design of plum blossoms perched on a sparrow. The upper part of the prince's shoes couldn't be too fancy, but the sparrow on the sole could be embroidered with some patterns.
"This is really hard on the eyes! There are embroiderers to do it, so you should do less!" Lanqin said softly.
“It’s no trouble at all. I just do a little bit after the Sixth Prince falls asleep. Anyway, there’s nothing else to do,” Nianxue said.
"Nianxue, come with me for a walk in the little garden outside," Lanqin said.
After dismissing the others, Lanqin said to Nianxue, "Nianxue, you're not young anymore. I'd like to arrange a marriage for you. Don't rush to refuse. Let me finish. Even if you marry, you can still come and serve, and remain the head maid in Hongli's quarters. Also, the person I'm introducing you to is Cui Niang's elder brother, whom you've met. He seems like a good man, and he's highly regarded by the master now. He might have a great future. Given your status, if you want to marry into an official family, I'm afraid you won't be able to become the principal wife; if you marry into a merchant family, perhaps they'll do so for my sake, but I'm afraid you'll suffer. Brother Cui is honest and righteous, and he's also Cui Niang's elder brother, someone you know well. What do you think?"
Nianxue knew that Lanqin had been insisting on introducing them to potential husbands, but after hearing Lanqin's words, she felt calmer. She had met a few people through Cui Niang's older brother; he seemed like a very honest and simple man. While she wasn't particularly interested, she wasn't opposed either. Considering her age, she realized it wouldn't be easy to find a suitable match.
"My lady, I'll leave the decision to you." Nianxue blushed. She truly had no intention of getting married. Now that Lanqin had said all this, she might as well marry him; after all, she could still come in and serve the Sixth Prince.
Lanqin had initially thought Nianxue would be resistant, but to her surprise, Nianxue agreed quite readily. Lanqin also spoke to Xicha, who was even more indecisive, essentially deferring to Lanqin. When Lanqin suggested she marry Cui Er, she nodded in agreement.
Lanqin deeply felt that these girls in feudal society all regarded their masters as their parents, and their hearts and minds were firmly tied to their masters. After they got married, they might not have a happy life, so many of them would rather not get married if they could stay with their masters.
Cui Niang was concerned about the marriages of her two elder brothers, especially Cui Da Niang, who often urged her two sons to get married and have children.
When Cui Niang returned and told her two brothers, they were both very surprised, never expecting that she could marry a maidservant who served as a concubine.
The two were initially a little worried, but after Cui Niang's persuasion and pressure from Cui Da Niang, they agreed.
Lanqin was surprised that the marriages of the three maids she had been worrying about were settled so easily, so she began to prepare dowries for them. When the Fourth Master saw that Lanqin had indeed brought them together, he was happy and said that he would give some money to help the three couples prepare a wedding together.
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