He Zhuo didn't make the decision himself and let them choose the names on the list. Both of them said they didn't want to choose, so He Zhuo explained the situation of each of them to them, since they would be living their own lives from now on.
If they don't choose, they'll draw slips of paper. They'll assign numbers to these people. Ping Tong chose number 5, and Ping Cao chose number 1.
This all happened last year. At that time, He Zhuo promised that once the concubines entered the palace, they would be allowed to leave. Now that Nalan has entered the palace, He Zhuo has fulfilled his promise.
The mansion prepared a dowry for each of them, and they married off in style, becoming wives.
They all chose what they wanted.
Yinzhi didn't just provide the list randomly. The people he chose had good reputations in the army, but none of them held official positions. That's understandable, since Yinzhi himself hadn't left the palace to establish his own residence, and these were the only people he could get for the time being. If they were good, held official positions, or were unmarried, Khoja would have been worried that others might have ulterior motives.
After all, 25 years old was considered old for a woman in this dynasty. Pingcao had chosen a centurion (a minor official) whose parents were both alive, but he was the second son, not the eldest. He was also two or three years younger than Pingcao. He Zhuo had investigated him and found him to be an ambitious young man. Hearing that Yinzhi was going to marry a maid, he was the first person she approached, which showed that he had plans for the future. However, his mother was a bit confused and didn't expect anything from her son, so she was tricked by her daughter. His elder brother was honest, but He Zhuo wasn't worried. They had all navigated the intricacies of the palace, so these were no big deal.
Ping Tong chose a widower who had lost his wife and left behind a daughter. He was an only child and his mother was still alive.
On the second day of the sixth month of the 34th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, an auspicious day for marriage, these three maids were married off in grand style. He Zhuo prepared a dowry for each of them, worth about 100 taels of silver, which was quite generous. Moreover, the dowries were all registered with the government. They had also accumulated some things over the years, which He Zhuo included in the dowry registration, so that if things fell apart in the future, there would be a way to resolve the matter.
After they got married, He Zhuo started thinking about Dong Hui. Dong Hui had served her the longest, so He Zhuo was extra cautious and investigated her thoroughly before finally narrowing it down to three people.
One is a guard in the mansion, the youngest son, with both parents alive and four older brothers. However, his parents said that once he gets married, they will separate from the family. His parents have introduced him to several potential partners, but he refuses to marry any of them because they want someone beautiful. He is 25 years old now and refuses to settle.
One was a scholar who failed the imperial examination but didn't leave, staying in the capital. Besides him, he had three younger sisters, all of whom were married except for the youngest. His mother had previously worked as a maid in a wealthy household. He was 28 years old and still unmarried. He had a concubine who bore him a son and a daughter. He Zhuo didn't approve of the relationship, but the nannies thought it was good, so they kept him there for the time being.
There was also a servant boy, whom Qiufen's parents helped look after. He was from the Irgen Gioro family, a servant born into the household, and was honest and dutiful.
He Zhuo also let her choose for herself, and in the end she chose the guard. He Zhuo also thought the guard was good. Dong Hui was pretty and only twenty-three or twenty-four years old, in her prime. Moreover, with He Zhuo backing her up, the other party would not dare to bully her.
Because the other party was also older, the wedding ceremony was held very quickly, and she was married off within a month. Like Zhuo, she was given a dowry of 100 taels of silver, and another 100 taels of silver was given privately. Dong Hui's private savings and the betrothal gifts from the other party were all registered as part of the dowry.
She got married in a grand and glorious way, becoming a proper wife, and if her husband became successful in the future, he could even obtain an official position.
Before long, several maids brought good news. After all, as head maids, they ate much better than ordinary people, worked often, and were in good health.
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