There will be a wedding in the palace
Ninth Master had been living a very comfortable life recently, happily counting his money. When he came to his senses, he heard a piece of news and hurried to his brother. But Eighth Master was a very busy man. It was a rare day off for him to rest at home, and his brother Ninth Master disturbed his peace and quiet. "You are a rare guest now. Why did you think of coming to see me?"
Yunluo chuckled and said, "I always think about my big brother, but unfortunately my big brother is a very busy man. I usually don't dare to disturb him, right?"
Yunsi smiled wryly. "Busy man? Just busy doing random things." The Lifanyuan sounded important, but it wasn't a truly powerful department. Foreign relations were certainly important, as the saying goes, "no matter how small, diplomacy is, it's important." However, given the current political landscape, the Lifanyuan wasn't as important as the Ministry of Works.
First, the Mongol princes came to Beijing at least once a year to pay homage to the emperor, maintaining close ties with him. He was unnecessary in maintaining a close relationship. Second, if someone truly acted dishonestly, such as Galdan, they would have to resort to military action, with the Lifan Yuan playing only a supporting role. If someone, like the Third Prince Consort, was arrested and imprisoned, the Lifan Yuan would have been unable to intervene.
He spent his days like this: "I work so hard but get no results. I am not as good as my fifth brother and twelfth brother. Everyone can see what they do."
Yunlu complimented Yunsi again: "Don't say that. Those who can see the good in something at a glance are just superficial. What you are in charge of is indispensable." Yunsi smiled.
Yunlu asked about his nephews and nieces, and Yunsi's happiness became more genuine: "Very naughty!"
Yunluo reminded him, "The emperor scolded me a while ago, saying that I hadn't submitted a memorial to the emperor when Hongzheng was old enough to study. He wants to be a wise and sage ruler now, and he's being lenient with us. Shouldn't you submit a memorial as well? Don't wait for him to urge you."
Yunsi said solemnly, "That's true. The teachers in the palace are all very knowledgeable."
Talking about children, the affection between brothers became even stronger, and Yunluo started to gossip a lot: "Has my dear heard about what happened in Xianfu Palace?"
"Outside the palace, families with a little extra money still have to educate their daughters well, let alone those in the palace."
"Is that true? The eldest princess is almost twenty years old and still in school," Yunluo pretended to be bored and said, "I heard that she has been prepared to be canonized? She is preparing to marry into Mongolia?" Since it was just a rumor, the specific person has not been confirmed yet, and the institution that is most familiar with the personnel situation in Mongolia is undoubtedly the Lifanyuan.
Yunsi had nothing to hide: "Probably choose from among the princes and dukes."
"That's not what I'm talking about," Yunluo shifted in his chair. "I've always admired Bage's insight. Now, let me ask for a favor for our girl, and have her study at Xianfu Palace as well. What do you think?"
Yun Si teased, "Aren't you afraid that she'll go around Xianfu Palace and come back and call you 'Uncle Nine'?"
Yunlu paused, hesitated, then gritted his teeth and said, "She just won't go and calls me 'Father.' How can I stop her from marrying off to Mongolia?" There was a hint of ferocity in his smile. "I have several daughters, and it's time for one or two to marry far away. She'll probably be a county lady, at most a princess. How far can I protect her? I might as well find her a place to run her own household!"
Yunsi was silent for a moment. The higher the status, the better the treatment. If one had the status of a princess, one could establish one's own residence, build the house into whatever one wanted, and live a comfortable life. If one's status was lower, living with one's husband or in-laws, one would be an ordinary daughter-in-law.
If Yunsi were allowed to choose, he would not necessarily give his daughter to someone else to raise - she was his own daughter - and Yunlu's situation was a different matter.
After pondering for a while, Yun Si said, "It's not a bad thing for you to make your own decision."
Since the relationship between the monarch and his subjects was established, they had little room to maneuver. Unless they broke off relations, they had no choice but to find loopholes and exploit them.
"Okay! I'll have Fu Jin ask the Empress for a favor tomorrow," he said, stroking his chin. "Your longevity is just around the corner, so please show us some respect."
Yunsi laughed: "You look more and more like a rich man. How is your business?" he asked Yunlu jokingly.
Yunluo admitted openly, "It's a good profit! It's just the beginning, so I haven't seen much money yet." Yunluo said modestly, "Myna, would you like to come along?"
Yun Si waved his hand and said, "I'd better forget it for now."
"I'm telling you, there's money to be made here. There are so many royal palaces in the capital, and you'd have to fight tooth and nail to get a piece of the action! Out there, the world is vast and open. It's a shame there are still a few big ones, and the Imperial Household Department has its own capital. If I could get all the tea trade at the port, I could just do it myself, and the red-haired people would pay whatever price I asked for. How great would that be!"
Whether Jiu Ye possessed business acumen was debatable, but his background made it easy for him to grasp one key point: monopoly. Being close to the royal family naturally gave him a certain air of dominance and a love of display. If he was going to do something, he had to do it big. Guided by this mentality, Jiu Ye invaded the business world.
Smacking his lips, Yunluo felt that something was not quite right: "It's still a little bit lacking. What I have are all good stuff. This year's spring tea has just been harvested and is in great demand. It's a pity that there are other sellers. I can only raise the price by 10%. If I wanted all of it to be mine..." He started to fantasize.
"Forget it, take care of yourself. Go prepare the gifts for the Prince's Thousand Autumn Festival. We can finally have a Prince's Thousand Autumn Festival where we can drink to our heart's content."
Yunluo smiled and said goodbye. As he rode, he suddenly remembered: Did his brother mention the Imperial Household Department? Is my fifth brother still in charge of the Imperial Household Department? Perhaps there could be some leniency! We are all brothers, so should we always be rich?
——————————————————————————————————————————
After the late emperor's birthday comes the Crown Prince's Thousand-Autumn Festival. Hongdan is luckier than his father in that his mother is still alive. Back when Yinreng celebrated his birthday, the ceremony was quite grand and the atmosphere quite subdued. For Hongdan, on the late emperor's birthday, everyone wears plain clothes. After this day, they can happily prepare for the Thousand-Autumn Festival.
Yinreng followed Kangxi's example, extending his father's preferential treatment to his son. The East Palace was particularly bustling with activity, and the ministers and officials presented a wide variety of birthday gifts. Hongdan was also restrained, knowing that his father's birthday was a difficult one, and he did not show any extravagance himself, suggesting a quiet quest for wealth.
He himself did not ask for anything, and others did not dare to neglect him. As a result, all kinds of treasures poured into the East Palace like water.
"Brother, Uncle Jiu is really generous!" Honggui circled around a glass screen, "It has eight panels."
Hong Dan smiled and said, "If you like, I have another pair in my Curry. This one was given to me by Uncle Jiu, so I can't give it to you right away."
Honggui rolled his eyes: "You're becoming more and more serious."
"What are you mumbling about? Qianqiu, where is your gift?" If you hadn't said it, you would have forgotten about it.
How much money could Honggui, a young prince in his teens, who hadn't been granted a title or married yet, have for a gift? He said gloomily, "You know I have no money, so you try to humiliate me. I've already copied the sutra you asked me to copy, and I've also painted the fan."
Hong Dan was just teasing him, letting him mutter. Suddenly, he asked, "Is Wu Yunzhu in school? I can't see her anymore. Have you seen her often lately?" He picked up a small toy box. "How about giving this to her?"
Honggui looked around and said, "I think so. She won't need anything else you give her. She's been arguing with her mother these past few days to keep her hair."
"What's going on?" Hongdan asked with great interest.
"Her thin braids can only be tied with a hairband and a few hairpins at most. The little girl knows how to dress up and is wearing them in a crooked style." As he said this, he laughed.
“…”
"Oh, right, Uncle Jiu's younger sister seems to want to study at Xianfu Palace, too. I heard about it from Aunt Wang, my mother's side. Now that their family has made an offer, I'm afraid the other palaces will also have to ask for permission. The palace is going to be really busy."
Hong Dan said with a smile: "It's only natural for brothers and sisters to get closer." Hey, there will be no worries about no one marrying in Mongolia. "After all this trouble, are you tired?"
Honggui sighed deliberately and stroked a jade ruyi in his hand: "I don't want to be tired at all. I still have something to report."
"You've been rambling on for so long, I didn't realize you had something more important to say?"
"Does being the Crown Princess matter?"
"What?"
"hey-hey."
Hongdan pretended to be nonchalant as he sank into his chair. He glanced at his brother and said loudly, "Guo Chaoyong, take that glass screen from Curry to Lao Wu."
Honggui smiled brightly: "The last time I went to my mother's place, she was talking to Aunt Fifteen. When they saw me, they couldn't stop talking. They said..."
At that time, Shuhui teased Honggui: "Do you also want a proper young wife?"
Honggui omitted Shuhui's original words and only said, "From what I hear, you want to choose a decent and generous princess consort."
It was as if he hadn't said anything. Hongdan's face darkened. "Guo Chaoyong, take the screen back."
Guo Chaoyong coughed and said in a long tone: "Huh~"
"Don't worry! I asked around later! I called her sister several times before I found out. It seems to be from the Guaerjia clan. There's no one suitable in my uncle's family. The only one left is Fei Yingdong's descendants. If you have any ideas, tell mother right away. Brother, I have to go back to do my homework. Lao Guo, send the screen over to me!"
Hongdan smiled faintly, and the next day he went to Kunning Palace to pay his respects. After the formalities, he chatted with his mother about family matters: "Big sister's title has been decided to be Duanyi, and the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department are working hard on it." "Is Wu Yunzhu still clamoring to keep her hair?" "The weather is getting warmer, and after Mother's Thousand Autumn Festival, we'll be moving back to the garden."
Shujia also chatted with him, and finally looked at the sky: "Are you so idle as a prince? You have a day off, but I am still busy. Tell me, what's the matter?"
"Huh? Didn't Mother ask her son to come? No matter how smart Honggui is, he can't get important information from Mother. Isn't it Mother who wants to tell her son something?"
Shujia rubbed her forehead. "You're all smart, but I'm the fool. I thought you weren't anxious! I'm getting so anxious watching people here, and you're sitting there quietly, not asking a single question, pretending nothing's wrong all day long. Do you want me to go and complain to you?"
Hongdan stood up quickly: "My son cannot bear to hear mother say that." He was finally a little panicked, his ears flushed pink, "Marriage is a matter of parents' decision. Mother doesn't say anything, and my son can't talk about wife with a lecherous face..." He lowered his voice to barely hear the last three words.
Shujia threw a list to him and said, "Take a look. This is the person you're going to spend your life with. Tell me what you prefer, so I can discuss it with your father."
When choosing a Crown Princess, one must, of course, consider family background, family status, and personal qualities. Usually, there are several people who meet all three of these criteria, and the rest depends on luck and the judges' preferences. Shujia's choice of a daughter-in-law is optional; if she meets the first three criteria, there's basically no major problem, and she'll be a standard feudal daughter-in-law.
The rest depends on getting along.
Hongdan studied the list intently. It listed two branches of Fei Yingdong's lineage, the Eyidu lineage, and the Fucha clan. One of them surprised Hongdan somewhat: it was Hesheli, the daughter of the newly appointed Minister of Works, He Yi. This Hesheli clan was distinct from Empress Renxiao's family. He Yi's ancestor, Xifu, was one of the earliest Grand Secretary of the dynasty, a peer of Fan Wencheng.
After reading it silently, he pinched a mark next to Hesheli with his fingernail and presented it with both hands: "My son, I leave it to my father and mother to decide."
The author has something to say:
The chapter numbers made me depressed all night.
Regarding the golden finger and butterflies: Time travel itself is the golden finger. The heroine can only become a butterfly if she has contact with the people around her. The series of problems caused by the changes in those around her are left to fate. I tried not to write it too extreme.
Regarding Ning Hui, I made up her name. So far, I haven't found the exact time of her death, nor have I seen any records of Yaerjiang'a having a second wife.
I'm looking for the source of the story about Yarjiang'a's first wife dying young and his successor wife. (PS: Forget about the novel, I'm looking for historical data.)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
