Zhang thought to herself that it was just as she had expected; the Emperor really did have this intention! Having already guessed it, she calmly replied, "Tang'er has always been raised in seclusion and has had little opportunity to meet men outside the home. I have also often taught her that marriage must be arranged by her parents and that she cannot make a private engagement. Therefore, she has no one in her heart."
Although Zhang said that, Yu Shan still felt that she should ask Su Tang herself, since some girls kept their thoughts to themselves and dared not let the adults know them easily.
So Yu Shan sent someone to invite Su Tang in.
The sisters were talking at the time, and Su Tang didn't ask about the Third Prince, only about the First Prince. Yan Zhi felt something was amiss as she listened.
"Sister, you seem to care a lot about the First Prince! You wouldn't happen to have feelings for him, would you?"
Su Tang blushed instantly, her beautiful eyes slightly reproachful. "Little sister, you're talking nonsense. I've only met him once, how could I have any feelings for him? I just asked because you've mentioned him so much!"
"Really?" Yan Zhi teased with a smile, "I mentioned the Third Prince too! Why didn't you ask about him?"
Instead of answering, Su Tang asked, "What? You want me to ask him? Do you like the Third Prince?"
Yan Zhi shook her head in disdain, "He's a few months younger than me, he's my cousin, I would never like a man younger than me."
Rong Yu, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly said, "That day when I went to see my mother, I vaguely heard her and the others talking, as if they were planning to betroth Su Tang to my brother."
Yan Zhi was just saying it casually, just joking, but judging from Rong Yu's tone, it seems her joke has come true!
"Really? That's wonderful! They look so good together, a perfect match!" Yan Zhi teased, laughing from the side. Su Tang was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear.
"The princess only said that she heard it vaguely. Perhaps she misheard, or perhaps the emperor mentioned it casually and it shouldn't be taken seriously."
Thinking back to today's events, Yan Zhi suddenly realized, "No wonder my aunt brought you to the palace today. It seems they had planned this all along, wanting you two to meet!"
Actually, before Su Tang entered the palace, her mother had hinted at it, but didn't say it explicitly, only telling her to perform well. The princess also said the same thing, so it seemed pretty much a done deal. But when Su Tang thought about the First Prince's attitude towards her, she felt it was hopeless.
"The eldest prince barely looked at me; he seemed to have a bad impression of me."
Yan Zhi comforted him gently, saying, "That's just how the eldest prince is. I've been in the palace for several years, and the eldest prince has only spoken to me a handful of times. He's focused on his studies and rarely talks to girls, right, Sister Rong?"
Rong Yu nodded. "Yes, my brother is taciturn. He's not deliberately ignoring you. Don't take it to heart."
As they were talking, a young eunuch came to report that the Imperial Noble Consort had invited them in to say something.
The sisters exchanged knowing smiles, already guessing what was going to happen next. Yan Zhi took Su Tang's arm and walked into the hall, eagerly awaiting good news.
As expected, as soon as Su Tang entered the room, she heard the Imperial Noble Consort asking for her opinion, asking if she was willing to become Yonghuang's primary consort.
Su Tang blushed and smiled shyly, "This humble woman has no objections and will follow the arrangements of the Imperial Noble Consort and Mother."
Seeing her demeanor, which suggested she wasn't averse to the situation, Yu Shan sensed something was wrong, as the actual circumstances were quite different from what she had expected.
Madam Zhang had been waiting for these words! She happily replied, "It is truly Tang'er's good fortune that His Majesty and Her Majesty have such intentions!"
It seemed that both mother and daughter agreed to the marriage, which greatly troubled Yu Shan. She had no other choice but to lay out the unpleasant truth upfront.
“We are all relatives, so there are some things I need to make clear beforehand. Yonghuang is a prince, so according to palace rules, he will take concubines in the future, at least two, and may even take more concubines. I don’t know if Tang’er can accept this?”
If she said that cousins couldn't get married, no one would believe her, so Su Yushan was too lazy to explain and used this excuse instead.
Upon hearing this, Su Tang's smile froze. Her father had only married her mother and had not taken any concubines. Having grown up in such a family, Su Tang naturally longed for her future husband to love her as well.
The eldest prince was handsome, and she had a slight liking for him, but the words of the Imperial Noble Consort made her hesitate.
She then realized that whether or not a prince took a concubine was not up to him, but rather a matter of palace rules. Regardless of whether he liked her or not, he had to have a concubine.
The thought of that situation suddenly made Su Tang feel a little scared, and she looked at her mother with difficulty.
It seemed Su Tang was reluctant, but she might be too embarrassed to say no directly, so Su Yushan went along with it and said:
"Today was just a private chat among a few of us. The children's marriage is a very important matter. Sister-in-law, you should go back and discuss it with my eldest brother before making a decision."
The Imperial Noble Consort did not mention the matter again, and Zhang Shi did not know what to say, so she changed the subject.
After lunch, the group chatted for another hour and a half before taking their leave of the palace.
On the way back, Su Tang was restless and couldn't help but say, "Mother, if the eldest prince wants to take a concubine, then I'd better not marry him, right?"
Madam Zhang frowned, looking at her daughter in shock. "If you won't marry him, then who do you want to marry? Is there any young man with a more noble status than the First Prince?"
So what if he has a noble status? Su Tang doesn't care about status. "But he wants to take concubines! Then there will be many women in his harem, and my life will definitely be difficult."
Zhang sneered and retorted, "If you marry someone else, can you guarantee that he won't take a concubine?"
Su Tang couldn't guarantee it, but there was still a sliver of a possibility. "Princes are required to take concubines, but others are not. So it's best if my daughter doesn't choose a prince."
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