Chapter 165 Choosing a Consort Time flies, and the triennial imperial concubine selection is here again…
Time flies, and the triennial talent show is about to begin again.
Q: Does Cheng Qianyue feel uncomfortable?
A: Absolutely not.
Why? Because Yinreng had told her beforehand that he still didn't plan to bring anyone into the palace. This selection was mainly for members of the imperial clan, especially those who were not yet married. He gave several examples, such as his younger brothers who had grown up, like the late emperor's seventeenth, nineteenth, and twentieth princes, who were all old enough to be granted titles and marry wives. Besides them, there were also younger members of the family, like Hongjing from the Third Prince's family, Hongshi from the Fourth Prince's family, Hongang from the Fifth Prince's family, and so on.
As Cheng Qianyue listened, she began to grumble inwardly. This uncle and nephew were about the same age, and they were being betrothed at the same time. Heh, I have to say, Emperor Kangxi was really something, to have so many children.
When Yinreng saw her standing there and couldn't help but laugh, he asked, "What are you thinking about, looking like that?"
Cheng Qianyue coughed twice and replied, "Nothing." Seeing that Yinreng was still staring at her, she stammered, "I was just remarking on how many children the late emperor had."
Unexpectedly, those words really struck a chord with him. Yinreng sighed and said with emotion, "Yes, in this respect, I am indeed ashamed of myself."
Cheng Qianyue didn't dare to respond. She regretted blurting out the truth; it seemed she'd made a huge mistake. Damn it, he just said he wouldn't take anyone in; would he go back on his word?
As it turned out, Yinreng hadn't gone back on his word. He sighed and then changed the subject. Cheng Qianyue breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, "Thank goodness." But things went wrong that evening; he started tormenting her. He tossed and turned her over and over, and while exercising, he discussed with her whether they could have another child.
Cheng Qianyue felt it was really unfair of him to ask such a question at a time like this; it was so easy to get carried away. Fortunately, reason kicked in. She thought to herself that she was already thirty-two this year; would giving birth at this age be considered advanced maternal age?
Just as she was pondering this, the instigator started to disturb her. Yinreng pinched her waist, changed his position, and bit her earlobe, saying, "Qianqian, let's have another child together, okay?"
Cheng Qianyue suddenly found his nagging a bit annoying, so she simply turned her head and kissed his lips. No matter how much he said, it was useless. Did he think he could just have a baby whenever he wanted? They'd been sharing a bed for so many years and still hadn't gotten pregnant. Was it easier to get pregnant when you were younger? Probably so, after all, she wasn't very old when she gave birth to Hongyan, Hongchao, and Moyaqi.
Well, Cheng Qianyue was too lazy to dwell on the matter of having a child anymore. Let Yinreng do what he wants; she'd had her fun anyway. No sooner had Cheng Qianyue gotten out of bed than she shrugged and got down to business.
The imperial concubine selection is a grand event held every three years, and managing it is no easy task. She has to make decisions about everything, from registering and reviewing the names of the candidates to their accommodations, food, and etiquette instruction. Furthermore, this is Cheng Qianyue's first time managing matters related to the candidates, so she is paying extra attention.
After nearly half a month of work, the preliminary selection of the imperial concubines finally ended, and the list and portraits of the selected women who would be selected for the second round of selection were sent to the Hall of Mental Cultivation by the Imperial Household Department. Then, a few days later, Yinreng suddenly told her that he wanted to choose a consort for Hongyan, and that he had his eye on someone.
Cheng Qianyue: "Huh? Hongyan is still young, is he already getting engaged so early?"
Yinreng smiled and said, "You're not young anymore, you're sixteen already, it's time for you to get married."
Cheng Qianyue suddenly realized, and did the math in her head. In terms of age by the traditional Chinese age reckoning, Hongyan was indeed sixteen, and fifteen by Western reckoning. She immediately smiled, "I've always treated him like a child." After a moment's thought, she added, "Which family has Master taken a fancy to?"
Yinreng showed her a portrait and said, "I think the Guarjia clan is quite nice."
Cheng Qianyue's first thought was that it was the Guarjia clan from the Empress's maternal family, and she was immediately displeased. However, after carefully examining the portrait, she realized that it was not the Guarjia clan from the Empress's maternal family, but the Guarjia clan from the lineage of the First-Class Duke Chaowu.
Cheng Qianyue had read all the lists of candidates, especially those from prominent families, so she knew who it was as soon as she saw the name "Chao Wu Gong"—a descendant of the famous Ao Bai.
Cheng Qianyue said, "Her appearance is indeed dignified, but has Your Excellency inquired about her behavior?"
Yinreng paused for a moment before replying, "Hongyan is a prince, so it's natural for him to marry a woman of lower status. Who would dare not fawn over him?"
Cheng Qianyue was momentarily speechless. In other words, he only looked at the candidate's family background and appearance, without paying any attention to her personality and inner qualities. This was far too hasty. He hadn't even observed the girl's speech and behavior; how could he know if she was the quiet or lively type?
Seeing her hesitate and unwilling to nod, Yinreng asked, "Have you heard about what happened with the imperial concubines? Do you think this Guarjia woman is not good?"
"No." Cheng Qianyue quickly shook her head. "I just think it would be better to ask Hongyan what kind of girl he likes first, and then go to the three northeastern palaces to ask the nanny in charge of the imperial concubines to find out the girl's personality."
Yinreng thought for a moment and said, "Alright, since you, as the mother, have said so, I, as the father, can't just make a decision directly. Then you can ask Hongyan and also consult with the nanny on the Guarjia side."
Since the question was asked, Hongyan was summoned by Cheng Qianyue the next day. Hongyan had become increasingly composed in recent years, but when the topic turned to his wife, his eyes flickered slightly. "I will follow Father and Mother's arrangements."
Cheng Qianyue rolled her eyes at him: "I don't know where he learned this from, always trying to fool people with this kind of talk. We asked you, so of course we want to hear your opinion. We don't want to make a decision in a muddled way, only to find that you two don't get along. That would make you unhappy, and your wife would be unhappy too."
Hongyan smiled and coughed lightly, saying, "I have no other requirements, I just hope that my wife can talk to me."
Cheng Qianyue thought the request sounded reasonable, but upon closer inspection, it was still a bit difficult. What did she mean by "able to speak"? Anyone who isn't mute can speak, right? She carefully asked Hongyan, "Do you prefer someone literate or skilled in martial arts? Do you prefer someone talkative or someone quiet and gentle?"
Hongyan thought for a moment and said, "Be literate, but it would be best if you could also ride a horse, run and jump. As for speaking, as long as you don't make trouble unreasonably, that's fine."
Cheng Qianyue nodded and said, "Alright, Mother understands."
After a while, she took a breath and lectured him: "Although your mother will not bestow any wives upon you before you marry your first wife, and will not interfere in your household affairs afterward, in addition to your first wife, you will also have concubines and princesses. Your mother doesn't care who you like or dislike, because that is your right. But it is your responsibility to ensure that your wives and concubines live a stable and respectable life. Do you understand?"
When Hongyan heard her ask this, he immediately replied seriously, "Mother, don't worry, I understand."
"Yes." Cheng Qianyue nodded and smiled, "Your mother is still at ease."
Now that she knew Hongyan's thoughts, Cheng Qianyue inquired with the nanny in charge of the young ladies. The nanny replied, "The young lady is very well-behaved. She didn't cause any trouble while living in the Northeast Third Palace, and she is also quite straightforward in her speech."
People in the palace always speak with perfect discretion, but there's always a degree of bias. Therefore, Cheng Qianyue felt that Lady Guarjia must be a girl with her own ideas. Afterwards, Cheng Qianyue secretly had her nanny ask Lady Guarjia a few questions.
A few days later, the old woman came to report again. Guarjia had received some education at home, and because her family rose to prominence through military achievements, she had also learned horseback riding and archery.
Cheng Qianyue was relieved. Being literate and skilled in horseback riding perfectly matched Hongyan's expectations of a wife. She told Yinreng about this, and Yinreng immediately arranged Hongyan's marriage, tentatively setting the wedding date for next year. No sooner had Yinreng made the decision than Cheng Qianyue retrieved the portrait of Lady Guarjia.
The more she looked at the girl, the more beautiful she seemed. She said to Lin Quan'an, "Go and send this to the Third Prince of Gan Dong Wu Suo." She sent over the portrait of Guarjia so that he could see what his future wife would look like.
After a while, Lin Quan'an returned to report. Cheng Qianyue asked, "What did the Third Prince say?"
Lin Quan'an chuckled, "The Third Prince said he was very satisfied and even asked me to thank you."
Cheng Qianyue chuckled and gave a soft hum. "Hey, this kid."
In March, the second round of the imperial concubine selection finally ended. Next came the mass selection of new concubines, and it was estimated that quite a few people in the capital had gotten married in the past two years. Naturally, an imperial edict was issued to the Guarjia clan regarding Hongyan's marriage, and Cheng Qianyue was busy selecting people to go and teach the Guarjia clan the rules of the palace.
Of course, she didn't intend to teach her daughter-in-law to be rigid; her main goal was to let Guarjia know what kind of people she and Hongyan were, so that she wouldn't be afraid of marrying into the family. So, who should she choose to teach her?
Sigh, the names Ruoyun and Ruoxia came to mind. They had children a couple of years ago, and now the children are grown up. Just a few days ago, they even sent word that they still wanted to serve in the palace. Cheng Qianyue thought that entrusting the task of teaching Guarjia was a good idea for them. Firstly, Ruoyun and Ruoxia had served under her and had watched the Third Prince grow up, making them perfect for the job. Secondly, Ruoyun and Ruoxia's duties were outside the palace, making it convenient for them to visit their children and husbands at home.
Cheng Qianyue made up her mind and gave the order, thus putting an end to a worry in her heart.
Then in April, Yinreng suddenly told Hongyan that he no longer needed to study in the Imperial Study, but instead needed to go to the Wenhua Hall. The Wenhua Hall was where the First Prince and the Second Prince usually stayed. Ever since the First Prince and the Second Prince got married and were able to participate in politics, Yinreng had the Wenhua Hall cleaned up and made it their place of business.
Yinreng said, "Hongyan is growing up. He should learn from his two older brothers so that he can be more adept at participating in politics in the future."
Cheng Qianyue smiled and said, "That's good. It's better for the brothers to get along well when they're together."
Yinreng nodded. He naturally thought so too, hoping that his children would not let him down and would be able to be respectful and loving towards their brothers.
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