"I know you care about me," Yang Mengchen soothed softly, "but after all, they are the sons of Father Emperor. The palm and the back of the hand are both flesh, and Father Emperor does not want to see you brothers fighting one another, nor do I wish you to bear the stigma of fratricide. Of course, we will not just give in to compromise."
She then whispered a few words into Long Xuanmo’s ear, and he nodded, "I will listen to everything Ah Jiu says. Ah Jiu, having you by my side is truly wonderful!" He gently embraced his beloved, his tone filled with fortune and contentment.
Snuggling in Long Xuanmo’s warm embrace, Yang Mengchen smiled lightly, her beauty reminiscent of a lotus emerging from the water or a peach blossom bathed in rain, pure and charming.
The Hidden Guard and two Imperial Army soldiers carried out Long Xuanmo’s orders, quietly escorting the assassins back to The Capital overnight.
The next day, the entourage continued on their journey and finally arrived at the Yang family on the fourth day at noon.
As Sun Chuanmao finished reading the imperial edict, the elders of the Yang family could hardly believe it, and it took them quite a while to come to their senses.
The Emperor not only bestowed upon Jiujiu the title of Auspicious Princess but also decreed her marriage to Prince Chen as his only princess, with the wedding date set for the ninth day of the third month of the following year. In other words, in less than three months, Jiujiu would belong to another family!
Considering this, the men of the Yang family felt both joy and melancholy, naturally displeased by Long Xuanmo, but alas, it was too late to do anything about it.
Xiao Hongtao and Doctor Luo, having heard the news, quickly come to meet Sun Chuanmao and a contingent of the Imperial Army and guards personally, seeing that the Yang family had not reacted.
The households of the Wu, Liu, and Shen families, as well as the servants of the Yang family, each seemed to be blessed with joy, busily bustling about.
The villagers of Yangliu village spread the fantastic news by word of mouth, and in less than a day, the whole of Qinghe Prefecture was abuzz, with people flocking to the Yang family to offer their congratulations.
Long Xuanmo had originally planned to marry Yang Mengchen before the end of the year, but the Astronomical Observatory said there were no auspicious dates before the end of the year. They then provided three dates: the ninth day of the third month, the sixteenth day of the sixth month, and the tenth day of the tenth month after the year’s end. With no choice, he reluctantly selected the earliest date, the ninth day of the third month.
In front of everyone, Long Xuanmo indeed once again got down on one knee to propose to Yang Mengchen, and as soon as she nodded in acceptance, he immediately ordered the guards to present the betrothal gifts, which amounted to more than twenty carts. Each box was stuffed to the brim, and every item was a fine piece.
In a separate courtyard, the Butler, on orders, led the servants to deliver Long Xuanmo’s early-prepared betrothal gifts as well.
As an endless stream of large and small boxes was carried from the separate courtyard and the procession of those bringing the betrothal gifts formed a long line, almost out of sight, everyone discussed excitedly and admiringly, creating an extremely lively atmosphere.
In ancient customs, the betrothal gifts belonged to the bride’s family, but Old Master Yang made the decision to have the servants send all the betrothal gifts to Mengchen Pavilion, to later form part of Yang Mengchen’s dowry, and no one objected.
Upon learning this, Yang Mengchen’s eyes moistened with emotion. It was not the gifts that moved her, but the affection and deep warmth of her family.
A few days later, Long Xuanmo, having arranged the matters concerning the agricultural crops (as the Emperor had instructed: first to be planted extensively in Qinghe Prefecture and several neighboring counties, and once the quantity of seeds reached a certain level, it would then be promoted nationwide, with officials also being sent after the new year to learn and supervise), bid a reluctant farewell to Yang Mengchen and returned to The Capital with Sun Chuanmao and others.
When March began, the families of the Yangs, Wus, Lius, and Shens, Doctor Luo’s family, as well as the Clan Leader, the village head, Lizheng, and some villagers arrived at The Capital’s Princess Mansion. Since The Capital was quite a distance from Yangliu village, to avoid missing the auspicious time, the Yang family unanimously decided to have Yang Mengchen married off from the Princess Mansion.
The Princess Mansion was located to the east of Chen Prince Mansion, chosen by the late Emperor specifically for his most beloved youngest son, Prince Hui. However, as soon as the luxurious and magnificent residence was completed, Prince Hui passed away, and the Emperor converted it into an alternative residence, occasionally staying there for a couple of days.
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