Unmarried - 8
The next day before going to court, Zhao Yunxian did not receive the news that Zhao Yunkang had "refused to grant him the marriage."
In front of the entire court, he promoted Yun Wenyao to the rank of fourth-grade Grand Master of Ceremonies, admitted him to the Hanlin Academy, and bestowed a marriage upon the third daughter of the Yun family and Prince Kang, to be completed within three months.
"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:"
I have heard that when Heaven and Earth are in harmony, all things flourish; when Yin and Yang are in balance, the nation prospers.
Now there is Yun Yixia, daughter of Yun Taichang, born into a distinguished family, possessing a virtuous and intelligent nature, gentle and kind by nature, and a heart of orchid-like virtue. From a young age, she received family instruction, mastering the elegance of poetry and etiquette; as she grew up, she cherished bright virtues and embodied the model of a lady in her boudoir.
Prince Kang, Zhao Yun, is of noble birth, possessing both the bearing of a dragon and the grace of a phoenix, with both literary and military prowess, and is diligent and prudent. Now that he has reached adulthood, he should choose a virtuous wife.
It is now known that Yun Yixia is of marriageable age and is destined to be with Prince Kang; a perfect match made in heaven.
By the mandate of Heaven, and to nurture all people, I hereby bestow upon you this marriage: Yun Yixia shall be the principal wife of Prince Kang.
The Ministry of Rites was instructed to select an auspicious day, and the Imperial Household Department was instructed to prepare the wedding ceremony, with all procedures following the precedent for a prince's wedding.
The emperor decreed that the marriage must be completed within three months, in order to align with the auspicious omens of the three celestial bodies and the six rites of marriage.
The proclamation was made known both domestically and internationally.
May you two live in harmony, bringing peace to your family, comforting your mother, and bringing tranquility to the common people.
So be it!
After reading the imperial edict, Zhang Qing, the chief eunuch by the emperor's side, held it with both hands and walked up to Yun Wenyao to hand it to him.
Congratulations, Grand Master Yun!
Yun Wenyao stared blankly at the bright yellow scroll in front of him. Only when his colleague kicked him did he realize that he should kneel down to thank the emperor for his grace.
He received the imperial edict with both hands, raised it high above his head, and trembled with excitement before kneeling on the lapis lazuli to express his gratitude.
"Your subject, Yun Wenyao, kowtows in gratitude for Your Majesty's grace!"
With his forehead touching the cold gold bricks, Yun Wenyao looked up, his eyes already wet, and he choked out a sob.
"Your Majesty has shown me great mercy and bestowed upon my daughter a marriage to the imperial family. I am deeply grateful!"
"Step back!"
Zhao Yunxian waved his hand, dismissing Yun Wenyao to continue the political discussion.
Whatever was being debated or discussed in court... Yun Wenyao paid no attention to any of it. He held the imperial edict in both hands, and couldn't help but smile foolishly.
Anyone with eyes could see that the emperor's move was a demotion in disguise, only Yun Wenyao seemed oblivious, foolishly believing he had been promoted to the fourth rank.
This state continued until Yun Wenyao returned home, called Yun Yixia to the ancestral hall, personally read out the imperial edict, and then chuckled foolishly twice.
She lowered her head and remained silent for a long time, not understanding what the problem was.
Yun Yixia and Zhao Yunkang have never met!
Why would he choose a woman he had never met before as his queen?
"Third Sister, why haven't you received the imperial decree yet?"
"Thank you for the Emperor's grace!"
Yun Wenyao was too happy to notice the coldness in Yun Yixia's voice, but Jiang Xiumei, who was standing next to him, saw it clearly.
Too!
Royal rules are numerous, and even the slightest mistake can result in punishment.
King Kang was wounded on the battlefield and could no longer have children... Which good woman would be willing to marry him?
"Go back and prepare for your wedding!"
Yun Wenyao waved his hand, and Yun Yixia bowed her head and left the ancestral hall. Back in her courtyard, her face turned completely gloomy.
"My wife, what should we do?"
Bai Wei wore a bitter expression upon hearing the news.
Isn't this just making things difficult for my wife?
The people they arranged will come to propose marriage tomorrow, but today's imperial decree... has come at the worst possible time...
"A three-month wedding period is too short to prepare. If we make a slight mistake, we'll all be ruined."
Yun Yixia took a deep breath and gave the middle finger towards the direction of the palace.
Even if the imperial decree had taken a few more days, she wouldn't be in such a passive position.
"My wife..."
Bai Wei looked at her wife with heartache, hugged her tightly, and promised that no matter what, she would never leave her.
The scout, seeing the master and servant embracing, suppressed a laugh and relayed the news back.
"General, it seems that Yun San Niang is unwilling to marry you!"
When Liang Qiu saw the message that had been sent back, he tapped his palm lightly with his fan, his smile carrying a complex meaning.
No matter what the future holds, once Yun Yixia is on the royal register, there will be no possibility between him and her.
Liang Qiu had secretly visited Yun Yixia, and he had to admit that she looked exactly like the "wife" in his mind.
If you miss this one... who knows when the next one will appear?
What a pity!
"Who would want to marry a man who has no heir?" Zhao Yunkang burned the note. "It's just human nature!"
Despite saying that, he was actually very uncomfortable. He subconsciously touched his face, thinking that maybe seeing her would make him feel better.
The Empress Dowager acted before Zhao Yunkang.
Using the excuse that Yun Yixia was unfamiliar with palace rules, she sent two of the strictest matrons from the Imperial Ceremonial Bureau—Fang Hui and Yang He—to the Yun residence to teach royal etiquette and rules.
Jiang Xiumei, as the mistress of the house, received the two old women and invited them to the back courtyard. During their conversation, she subtly criticized Yun Yixia while praising her, and asked them to strictly discipline her.
The two nannies were veterans of the palace; how could they not know that the Empress Dowager disliked Yun Yixia? Unable to go against her youngest son, she could only vent her anger on her future daughter-in-law…
That makes things much easier!
As dawn broke, birdsong filled the courtyard of the Cloud Residence.
The old woman in the backyard got up sleepily, but when she heard the sound of slapping flesh coming from the front yard, she was instantly wide awake.
Oh my god!
Third Sister was already out of favor in the Yun family, and with two troublesome old women coming from the palace, her life became even more difficult.
"This old servant is acting on the Empress Dowager's orders to teach Lady Yun the etiquette and manners," Fang Hui said in a flat voice. "Within three months, I will definitely transform Lady Yun and make her worthy of the title of Princess Consort of Kang."
When Yun Yixia saw Fang Hui and Yang He, she knew that her hard times were about to begin.
"Standing posture: Shoulders level, back straight, neck upright but not stiff."
"The princess's movements, whether walking, sitting, or lying down, all follow proper etiquette."
Fang Hui, holding a ruler, slowly paced around Yun Yixia.
Yun Yixia stood in the courtyard for half an hour, a celadon bowl on her head and a bowl of water on each shoulder. Fine beads of sweat seeped from her forehead, her legs trembled, and her shoulders and back ached as the pain spread to her waist.
"Clang!"
The water bowl on his right shoulder fell to the ground with a thud, spilling clear water onto the blue brick floor.
"Try again!" Fang Hui raised her hand to strike. "Princess Consort Kang would never be so disrespectful!"
After finally getting her standing posture right, Yang He came to teach Yun Yixia how to walk.
"The steps should not be too wide or too narrow, the skirt hem should not move, and the hair ornaments on the head should not sway wildly."
Yun Yixia walked back and forth on the corridor, her feet on a straight line two fingers wide. Her embroidered shoes were worn out at the edges, and blisters on the soles of her feet kept popping and reappearing.
"Miss, your stride is too long." The ruler struck her calf. "Try again."
"Miss, your arm swing is too wide." The ruler struck your elbow. "Start over."
From dawn till dusk, Yun Yixia spent her days in an endless cycle of "starting over".
Every movement must be broken down to its extreme, and every glance must be just right.
"Hold your chopsticks steadily, pick up food accurately, and eat quietly."
"There should be no clinking of bowls and chopsticks during meals, no chewing sounds, and even the spoon should be dropped into the bowl as lightly as if it were nothing."
"Every word and action of the Princess Consort concerns the face of the royal family, and there can be no slightest mistake."
“The Kang Prince’s Mansion is no ordinary family; its rules are paramount.”
"The Empress Dowager has high hopes for the Princess Consort; do not let her good intentions go to waste."
...
"My wife, are we just going to suffer like this?"
Bai Wei used an embroidery needle to prick the blisters on Yun Yixia's feet, then applied the best ointment to ensure that her fair and tender soles would not develop thick yellow calluses.
"Hmph!" Yun Yixia chuckled. "When have you ever seen me suffer a loss?"
She beckoned to Bai Wei with her finger and whispered "like this or that," thus deciding the future fate of the two nannies.
The etiquette training lasted for two months, and Yun Yixia spent the rest of the time preparing for her wedding.
Fang Hui and Yang He didn't want to stay outside for too long, lest their hard-won positions be taken over by someone else.
As dusk settled, the vermilion palace walls of the imperial city gleamed with a blood-red luster under the setting sun.
Fang Hui and Yang He walked on the bluestone imperial path, their palace dresses brushing against the ground with a soft rustling sound.
"This third daughter of the Yun family is a tough nut to crack!" Yang He rubbed her temples. "These past two months have taken a lot of our time and effort!"
The Empress Dowager disliked Yun San Niang, and neither did the mistress of the Yun family... They made things difficult for her in every way, but she never complained and endured it all.
She's no ordinary young lady!
"The Empress Dowager has given the order; we just need to do our best to fulfill it." Fang Hui said with a dark face, "No matter how stubborn she is, haven't we managed to smooth things over?"
"Too!"
Thinking about Yun Yixia's performance over the past two months, Yang He suddenly felt a sharp pain in her ankle and fell forward, kicking Fang Hui with her back foot, causing Fang Hui to fall forward as well.
"ah!"
Immediately following were two muffled thuds as the two old women's heads slammed against the iron threshold, bounced to the side, and by sheer coincidence, landed on the loosening rake in the corner.
With a "plop," the rake teeth pierced into the flesh, not deep, but it hurt a lot.
"Who's so heartless as to leave this thing at the door!"
Did you get pricked too?
Fang Hui's shoulder and back were embedded in the entire rake, and Yang He had several bloodstains on her back, the source of which was unknown.
The two could not go to report to the Empress Dowager covered in blood, so they went to the Imperial Hospital for treatment while still clutching their wounds.
"The soil-loosening rake is all rusty!"
The imperial physician looked at the object that had been pulled out, and then looked at the two old women with a puzzled expression. How did they manage to hit this thing so precisely?
"Rusty...what happened?"
Fang Hui noticed something strange about the imperial physician's expression and quickly inquired about the situation. He waved his hand, unwilling to say more, and prescribed some medicine before letting them leave.
The next day, they went to the Empress Dowager's palace to report their mission. Despite the pain from their wounds and their general weakness, they persevered until they received their reward and left.
Feeling unwell, they took medicine but it didn't help. They lay in bed convulsing, having difficulty breathing, and their bedding was soaked with sweat.
By the time the maid summoned the imperial physician, the two were barely breathing, their faces ashen, looking as if they might die at any moment.
"It's no use!" The imperial physician shook his head after taking her pulse. "Prepare for the worst!"
No...no...
Fang Hui and Yang He reached out to grab the imperial physician, but their maids "thoughtfully" tucked the blankets back into their hands.
Their pupils gradually dilated, their eyes wide open as they stared at the departing figure of the imperial physician…
Logically speaking, deaths in the palace are not unusual. However, after Fang Hui and Yang He died, the news somehow spread beyond the palace walls, and the rumors gradually distorted their true meaning.
Have you heard?
The two nannies who taught the future Princess Kang died suddenly after returning to the palace!
"Who doesn't know about this?"
I heard that when Yun San Niang was born, her mother nearly died in childbirth and was only saved by a century-old ginseng.
"Some people say that the Yun family told the fortune teller that Third Sister would bring misfortune to her relatives, which is why the Yun family matriarch, Kuanren, did not send her to a nunnery for adoption."
"Do you think Prince Kang will still marry Yun San Niang, given her fate?"
"Even if Prince Kang were willing, those ladies in the palace..."
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