Sanxi, dressed in the robes of a grand eunuch, was wearing a cloak and holding a bright yellow imperial edict in his hand. He also had a whisk in his other hand, and two junior eunuchs followed behind him, exuding an imposing aura.
The main gate of the Jiang residence was wide open, and the snow falling outside seemed to be invited in, swirling and fluttering down. A large incense table was placed in the center, where the father and his two daughters knelt respectfully, awaiting the emperor's decree.
Wuyou pulled her bright red fox fur cloak tighter around herself, her nose slightly itchy, and she couldn't help but sneeze.
"Wuyou, how could you be so rude?"
"Miss Jiang... are you alright?"
Different voices rang out at the same time: one gentle but with a hint of reprimand, the other sharp but with a hint of concern.
Sanxi's expression remained unchanged, but his heart was in his throat. This was someone the Emperor was paying close attention to; if anything happened to her, they, the servants, would have to pay with their lives to atone for their own misfortunes. Besides, Madam Jiang was kind to them.
"I'm fine, thank you for your concern, sister and sir." Wuyou covered her mouth with a handkerchief and spoke demurely, while subtly glancing at Sanxi with a knowing look.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Jiang Changle, daughter of Jiang Jing, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, is virtuous, generous, gentle, kind, and outstanding in appearance and character. I am delighted to have heard of her. Now that the Third Prince has reached adulthood and is of marriageable age, a virtuous woman should be chosen as his consort. Jiang Changle is currently young and at the age of eighteen, and she and the Third Prince are a match made in heaven. To ensure the happiness of this beautiful woman, I hereby betroth you to the Third Prince as his concubine. All the ceremonies shall be jointly handled by the Ministry of Rites and the Director of the Imperial Observatory. The wedding shall take place on the fifteenth of the second month. This decree is hereby issued."
"Your subject and daughter receive the decree, thank Your Majesty for your great favor, long live the Emperor!" The three people respectfully kowtowed to receive the decree, while Sanxi subtly moved aside, not daring to accept Wuyou's kowtow.
"Thank you for making the trip, Eunuch Sanxi. This is a small token of my appreciation; please accept it." Jiang Jing walked up to Sanxi with a smile and stuffed a stack of silver notes into his hand. This was an unspoken rule; after all, he was someone close to the Emperor, and it was always good to cultivate a good relationship with him.
Sanxi glanced at it, then declined, his face still bearing the standard professional smile. "Lord Jiang, this servant has two things to say to you. Please, in private, let's speak."
Jiang Jing's heart pounded upon hearing this. Although he had just been promoted to Vice Minister of Rites, he had not left any trace with the Emperor. He never expected that someone close to the Emperor would have something to say to him. His smile deepened, and he quickly led the person aside.
"Little sister, I will be marrying into the Third Prince's household and becoming a princess consort. I'll have to trouble you to take care of Father. Although I am Father's most beloved daughter and you are of a lower status, I will not mistreat you. I will definitely find you a good family in the future."
Jiang Changle looked at Wuyou with a smug and boastful gaze. In his mind, Wuyou, with her lowly status, was not qualified to marry into the royal family. She couldn't even get close to the royal family. The position of a prince's concubine would surely drive her crazy with jealousy.
At the same time, he was also telling Wuyou that he was the one who had the upper hand, and that Wuyou could only follow behind him and eat leftovers. He was also saying that Wuyou's future marriage was in his hands, and that she had better obey him.
Jiang Wuyou had heard similar threats in his previous life, which made him even more cautious and he dared not provoke Jiang Chengle. However, he still ended up with the same result, being forced to marry a down-on-his-luck scholar as a concubine.
"Sister is joking. Even though the princess consort is of noble status, how can a married woman interfere with her younger sister's marriage? Wouldn't that invite criticism and ridicule? I understand your intentions, sister. But it's best if Father decides on the marriage." Wuyou slowly straightened her slightly wrinkled skirt, her tone quite nonchalant, completely disregarding Jiang Changle.
"..." Jiang Changle gritted his teeth. He hated this look the most. It made people want to tear his face apart and expose his mask.
The sisters had clashed countless times, but Jiang Changle had never gained the upper hand. This feeling of punching cotton was truly infuriating, yet there was nowhere to vent her frustration.
Jiang Jing had also finished his conversation. His face was full of joy, his complexion was extremely rosy, and his eyes and brows were filled with unprecedented happiness and relaxation. Although he lowered his voice, he still couldn't suppress the scream that was about to burst out of his throat.
"Is what Eunuch Sanxi said true? The Emperor has taken a liking to my Wuyou family." This was too hard for anyone to believe. You know, the Emperor is not interested in women, and the harem has been empty for many years. Many people have tried to put their wives in the harem, but the Emperor has coldly rejected them and even punished them severely. Gradually, no one dared to mention this matter anymore, and they only dared to set their sights on the princes.
He had thought that his second daughter's favor with the Fifth Prince, becoming a concubine, was already an immense blessing, but he never expected her to have such good fortune. He still found it hard to believe.
"His Majesty has met the Second Miss a few times before. Although His Majesty did not say it explicitly, I could tell that he had a certain fondness for her. Therefore, I took the liberty of telling Lord Jiang these words. Please do not spread them, so that you and I may misunderstand His Majesty's intentions and displease him."
Sanxi's tone was worried, tinged with three parts doubt, three parts certainty, and three parts concern.
These words are undoubtedly a gamble. If the Emperor is interested in Wuyou, she will surely become the most powerful woman in the harem, rising rapidly through the ranks, and even her entire family will be elevated to prominence.
But the Fifth Prince had already made his decision regarding Wuyou, and he couldn't very well refuse. Of course, the Emperor was more important than the prince, but the Emperor hadn't expressed a clear intention, which caused him anxiety.
"Eunuch Sanxi, is His Majesty truly interested in my daughter? Could it be that you or I'm mistaken?" Jiang Jing refused to give up. He was unwilling to take this gamble and wanted to get definite news.
Sanxi hadn't expected Jiang Jing to be the type to only act after seeing a tangible benefit. After thinking for a moment, she raised her stakes a bit more. "Then I'll tell you the truth, Lord Jiang. Recently, the Fifth Prince requested an imperial decree to grant him a marriage, but the Emperor did not agree and was even quite upset."
"Is this enough leverage?" Sanxi knew from Jiang Jing's expression that his goal had been achieved. When the Fifth Prince came to request a marriage decree, the Emperor was furious. If he hadn't been rational, he probably would have broken the Fifth Prince's legs on the spot.
Even if it were his own son vying for a woman, especially the woman he loved, he couldn't back down. If it weren't for the fear of delaying Doctor Jiang's important business, the Emperor would probably have already sent an imperial edict to the palace. Even so, he had to assert his ownership beforehand and not let others take advantage of the situation.
That's why he's here today; reading the imperial edict is a small matter, but asserting sovereignty is a big one.
"Congratulations, Lord Jiang, on the birth of a fine daughter! This servant would like to add a few words here. Although the second young lady is a concubine's daughter and of humble origin, Lord Jiang, please do not mistreat this daughter. She is destined for great things in the future."
Jiang Jing would have done it even if he hadn't said it, but mentioning it only strengthened its confidence, making it determined to fulfill all of Wuyou's requests.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
