Qi Tai, who is valued by Mr. Zhu, is certainly not a fake like Huang Zicheng.

Although he was also the main person who suggested reducing the power of the feudal lords, Qi Tai's approach and ideas were completely different.

As an important official who was originally intended to be left to Zhu Yunwen, Qi Tai was not only talented and knowledgeable, but also extremely loyal.

If Zhu Yunwen had adopted Qi Tai's suggestion of "capture the king first" and attack Zhu Di first, there would have been no Jingnan Campaign.

Zhu Ying wasn't very interested in the old man's suspense.

After chatting for a while, it was almost time and the slightly tipsy Zhu Yuanzhang prepared to go back to the Qianqing Palace to sleep.

Zhu Ying was at least 18 years old, and it was impossible for Zhu Yuanzhang to sleep with her every day.

However, before the old man left, Zhu Ying still helped her sister inquire about relevant blind date candidates.

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't know much about these things, as they were usually arranged by the harem, and now they were basically under the charge of Concubine Ning.

However, Liu He, the eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, was aware of all these things.

When Zhu Yuanzhang asked, Liu He said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Princess is currently planning to make Geng Xuan, the son of Marquis Changxing, her husband."

"This matter has been reported to Concubine Ning. Concubine Ning has not yet contacted Marquis Changxing."

Zhu Yuanzhang sighed when he heard this and said, "Your son is already this old. It would be a good match for his grandson to marry our granddaughter."

Then he explained to Zhu Ying: "The Geng family is a loyal family. This doesn't mean we don't have to worry about Mingyue. They should be a good family. You..."

Geng Junyong, the father of Geng Bingwen, Marquis of Changxing, was a fellow villager of Zhu Yuanzhang. He later followed Zhu Yuanzhang across the river and served as the commander-in-chief of the army.

In July of the 16th year of Zhizheng, when rescuing Yixing, he clashed with Zhang Shicheng. Zhang Shicheng abandoned Zhenjiang and moved his troops to attack Yixing. Geng Junyong was caught off guard and died in the battle after the city fell.

Zhu Yuanzhang had deep feelings for Geng Junyong. The whole family was loyal and honest, so Zhu Yuanzhang was very relieved.

Whether it was the Hu Weiyong case or the later Lan Yu case, Geng Bingwen was never implicated and had always been safe and sound, which shows how much Zhu Yuanzhang trusted him.

Zhu Ying nodded. He knew Geng Bingwen. But for the sake of rigor, he replied, "Then my grandson will invite Geng Xuan out tomorrow to see what kind of person she is. If she is a good match, she is worthy of Mingyue's identity."

Zhu Yuanzhang replied, "Grandson, you are my elder brother, so you can arrange these matters by yourself. But you have to hurry up and arrange your own marriage."

Hearing this, Zhu Ying smiled and said, "Don't worry, Grandpa. I'm not a monk. I'll give you a great-grandson eventually."

"Okay, we've been waiting for this day." Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile.

…

Qixi Festival is also known as the Qiqiao Festival.

For the Ming Dynasty, it is a festival that is no less important than New Year's Day. In the hearts of women, it is the most important festival of the year.

Only on this day can all the girls who are waiting to be married dress up and go out without being criticized by others.

You can even meet your lover for a date.

I should have known that women would basically not be seen on the streets of the Ming Dynasty. Even families with slightly poorer financial conditions would not easily let their daughters show their faces in public.

This is a constraint of etiquette, and if a woman often shows up in public, her reputation will be ruined and she will not be able to meet a good family.

Of course, this does not mean that there were no women on the streets of the Ming Dynasty. Women were often a very important labor force and naturally could not be left idle.

Life at home is so hard that you have to go out and work.

These rules are mainly set for those whose families are relatively wealthy.

Poor people can’t even get a full meal, so why would they be so particular when it comes to staying alive?

There are many people who sell girls directly on the streets.

Nowadays, if a family is in financial difficulty, selling a daughter is the most normal thing to do.

Even on the streets of the capital, in areas where the poor live, one can often see girls being sold.

If they are good-looking, they may be bought by a brothel. Of course, the main targets of the business are maids from wealthy families.

If she could be sold to a good family, it would be considered a woman's luck, at least she wouldn't have to worry about food and drink.

Generally speaking, if a maid who was sold to a wealthy family lived well, she would also help her parents and siblings.

Whether it is the current Ming Dynasty or the previous Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties, these situations are commonplace.

Those who sell their daughters are not gangsters, but mostly honest and ordinary people.

This also shows that the status of women in ancient times was still relatively low.

This was the time when Zhu Ying returned to her bedroom and prepared to go to bed.

Inner city of the capital, Prince Yan’s Palace.

Zhu Gaochi had also laid down in his bedroom, ready to rest.

The time spent in the capital, especially when his father was not around, was quite comfortable for Zhu Gaochi.

Zhu Gaochi actually didn't like living in Beiping, even though his younger brother and his mother were there.

But in Peking, he was always ostracized.

Especially the scolding and reprimand from his father from time to time made him feel very uncomfortable.

But it is completely different in the capital. Here the emperor is in charge and my father can only let me have no control over me.

The people in the mansion all came from the palace and were very friendly to me.

Zhu Gaochi also had many good friends in the capital.

If you have nothing to do on weekdays, you can invite many good friends to come out and recite poems and play. When you are reading and studying, you can also find many great scholars to answer your questions more easily.

Peking is close to Mongolia and is still quite desolate at the moment.

Just when Zhu Gaochi was about to blow out the candle and go to sleep, there was a sudden noise outside the door, even mixed with the noisy voice of a woman.

"This voice, why is it so familiar?"

The distance is quite far and I can't hear the content clearly.

Zhu Gaochi frowned, then turned around, put on his clothes, pushed open the door and went to check.

Now in the Prince of Yan's Mansion, Zhu Gaochi is basically the one in charge, so of course he has to be familiar with everything that happens.

After passing through the corridor, Zhu Gaochi soon arrived at the main hall.

Just as he stepped into the main hall, the familiar voice suddenly made his face pale.

"Nephew, you came at the right time. The people in your house are still stopping me from entering. I'm so angry." Xu Miaojin said loudly when she saw Zhu Gaochi coming.

Zhu Gaochi felt a headache.

First, he waved his hand to let the servants and guards retreat, and then he replied: "My dear aunt, what time is it now? It's almost midnight, why are you here?"

Zhu Gaochi was in a very bad state.

My aunt is so young. If she runs out alone like this and something happens to her, it would be a sin.

"I came over if I wanted to."

Xu Miaojin muttered something, but even in the moonlight, it was obvious that he looked extremely disheveled.

There is no need to guess, you can tell that he must have sneaked out.

"My dear aunt, what on earth is the matter that has brought you here? Why do you have to come so late? Even tomorrow is not an option."

"If there is anything you want me to do, just write me a letter."

Zhu Gaochi had a headache, but he couldn't lose his temper because his mother loved his aunt very much.

When Xu Miaojin heard this, her originally lively, cheerful and carefree personality suddenly became shy.

"Well... um... can we talk in your room?"

Xu Miaojin spoke intermittently.

"What! What do you want to say, Auntie? This is not okay. Absolutely not okay."

Zhu Gaochi was dumbfounded.

It's a dark and windy night now, and my aunt comes in the middle of the night and wants to talk to me in my room?

Wouldn't this be like asking for his own life? He still wants to live a few more years.

Of course it's not a dirty idea, but it's a big taboo for a man and a woman to be in the same room together in the middle of the night.

If this gets out, my mother will beat herself to death.

"What are you talking about? It's just not convenient for me to say it." Xu Miaojin explained quickly.

Zhu Gaochi, however, treated himself as facing a formidable enemy, and acted as if to say, "If you don't tell me, I will fight you in the lobby."

Xu Miaojin looked a little hesitant. After a moment's hesitation, she gritted her teeth and whispered, "Tomorrow is the Qiqiao Festival, can you ask Brother Zhu Ying to come out and play with you?"

Although Xu Miaojin's voice was very low, the Prince of Yan's Mansion was also very quiet at the moment. After Zhu Gaochi heard it clearly, he breathed a sigh of relief.

But he looked at Xu Miaojin with some surprise, and couldn't help but say: "Aunt, you are not in love with big brother."

"What are you talking about? I didn't do that. How could I, no, no, no."

Xu Miaojin immediately retorted quickly, like a cat with its fur standing on end.

However, the more this happened, the more Zhu Gaochi felt that his guess was correct.

Seeing Zhu Gaochi's suspicious look, Xu Miaojin stamped her feet and said, "Hey, can you help me or not? If you can't, just tell me earlier."

Zhu Gaochi was helpless.

My aunt sneaked out in the middle of the night, how could I not help her?

But whether it can help is also a question.

"Aunt, my brother is different now. He has moved directly into the palace and has to review memorials every day. I haven't seen him for a while."

"Tomorrow is the Qiqiao Festival. Grandpa Emperor has allowed us not to attend the morning court. I will go to the palace early to visit my eldest brother and see if he has any plans."

Zhu Gaochi said.

This was the best he could do.

It is no exaggeration to say that the eldest brother is very busy with affairs of state. Zhu Gaochi only learned about the latest news about the eldest brother when he had a conversation with Zhu Yunhuan.

Recently, almost all the princes and grandchildren of the emperor have been training in the military training ground in the imperial palace. If he were not fat and unable to withstand such training, he would have to join them. It was only because the emperor knew his situation and granted him special permission not to participate.

"oh."

When Xu Miaojin heard this, she was obviously a little disappointed. She had thought that Zhu Gaochi and Brother Zhu Ying had a good relationship and they could definitely make an appointment.

However, when thinking of Brother Zhu Ying's identity, Xu Miaojin felt a little powerless.

Brother Zhu Ying is now the eldest grandson of the Ming Dynasty. Now that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has passed away, once Brother Zhu Ying recognizes his ancestral roots, he will naturally become the Crown Prince and the future Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

Thinking about it this way, I feel that Brother Zhu Ying and I are indeed quite far apart.

Although the Xu family is considered to be one of the top noble families, no one can interfere with the conclusion of the Crown Prince's contract.

Seeing his aunt's appearance, Zhu Gaochi could not help but comfort her and said, "Even though you entered the palace, your temperament has not changed much. It's just that things are very busy. However, tomorrow is the Qiqiao Festival. I heard that the princes and grandchildren can also rest for a day."

"Thinking about it this way, it is very likely that Big Brother will have some free time to go out and play. I will go to the palace early tomorrow morning, and if I have any news, I will send someone to inform you immediately."

"Oh no, if big brother is traveling, he can go directly to Xu's house to pick you up. I think last time, big brother still had a good impression of my aunt."

Hearing what Zhu Gaochi said, Xu Miaojin's eyes, which had been somewhat dim, gradually brightened.

"Really."

"Of course it's true. Auntie, have you forgotten that during the last night tour of Qinhuai, my elder brother personally helped you?"

After saying this, Xu Miaojin immediately recalled the figure that was standing in front of her.

That kind of feeling is extremely devastating to a young girl who is just beginning to fall in love.

Women in the Ming Dynasty waited for a long time to be married. This kind of plot has only been seen in operas.

This is also the reason why Xu Miaojin has always been thinking about it.

"Okay, I'll leave everything to you. Just help me this time, and if you need my help in the future, just let me know."

Xu Miaojin said.

Zhu Gaochi smiled and said, "It's okay, auntie. This is what I should do."

He said this, but he was complaining madly in his heart.

My dear, I hope you don't scare me like this in the future.

After a few brief words, Zhu Gaochi called the guards to escort Xu Miaojin back home.

Before leaving, Xu Miaojin looked back every few steps, and only when she saw Zhu Gaochi patting his chest with a solemn promise did she leave with peace of mind.

"Really, eh..."

Zhu Gaochi sighed deeply, not knowing whether it was a good thing or a bad thing that his aunt fell in love with his elder brother.

In fact, he didn't think there was much of a problem with the marriage between his aunt and his elder brother.

In terms of status, my aunt is at least the legitimate daughter of the Xu family, and can barely match my eldest brother's status.

At most, the title will be changed from aunt to sister-in-law in the future. It doesn’t matter. It’s just a matter of changing the name.

In ancient times, the husband’s family was the main focus, and women didn’t even have names.

The saying "marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog" is exactly this truth.

From the perspective of future generations, it seems that the eldest daughter of the Xu family married Zhu Di, and now if Xu Miaojing marries Zhu Ying, it seems that the generations are messed up.

In fact, it is not.

Women are not included in the generational hierarchy, as the generational hierarchy is dominated by men.

If Xu Miaojin married Zhu Ying, the correct name should be Zhu Xu.

For example, the Lu family can also be called the Zhu Lu family.

A woman's name is generally called a "Fang Ming", which is also a nickname.

Even Empress Ma was referred to as Ma or a honorific in history books, without a real name.

According to the current etiquette and laws of the Ming Dynasty, after a woman gets married, she belongs completely to her husband's family.

However, what Zhu Gaochi was most worried about was.

Whether my eldest brother can like my aunt is really a question.

Zhu Gaochi never received any inquiries about his aunt from his eldest brother.

If it's unrequited love, it would be painful.

Since the eldest brother’s status is so noble, naturally the Emperor has the final say on his marriage, and no one else has the right to even say a word.

Zhu Gaochi returned to his room and sighed softly:

"Let's see tomorrow."