In the afternoon, He Yuanhao ate lunch, rested for a while, and prepared to go to the palace to meet the Empress Dowager.
There are no private matters in the palace. Even though the Empress Dowager no longer holds power, she can still wield considerable political influence after marrying the eldest princess.
This influence is neither huge nor small.
For ordinary officials of the third or fourth rank, if they had the eldest princess as their daughter-in-law, it would inevitably mean they were being courted by the Meng family and choosing to side with them. But He Yuanhao was different. The He family was deeply entrenched, and he was a military general. Almost all military generals were under the Prime Minister's command. Anyone with eyes to see understood that a mere unfavored eldest princess would not be enough to sway He Yuanhao, nor could she replace the He family's 120,000 elite troops.
Although Nan Zhu's lack of favor meant the He family wasn't under much pressure regarding marriage, she was still the late emperor's heir, a legitimate and well-known princess of the Great Qi Dynasty.
This is unlike that of ordinary families.
In ordinary families, even if the two families are of slightly different social status, when the elders meet, they must still observe proper etiquette, treat each other as equals, and address each other as "in-laws".
But the Meng family was no ordinary family; they were members of the royal family of the Great Qi Dynasty.
He Yuanhao's marriage to Princess Nanzhu is theoretically a marriage alliance with the royal family. In fact, by considering seniority, he could become the emperor's uncle and the empress dowager's in-law.
But this is only in theory. In reality, even if a son marries the emperor's elder sister, the Grand Princess, he remains the emperor, and the empress dowager remains the empress dowager. All the proper courtly duties must be observed, without exception. Marrying the Grand Princess will not bring any special privileges.
Take clothing for example. Although He Yuanhao was going to discuss marriage, he still had to wear the official robes that represented his status as a subject.
When Zhang Jingxian helped him put on his official robes, He Yuanhao specifically instructed her, "Be careful."
"I've never seen you so meticulous during court sessions, sir."
"This time, I'm going to see the Empress Dowager to discuss the little brat's marriage. It's not as simple as going to court."
Zhang Jingxian snorted, "Others go to court with trepidation, as if walking on thin ice, but Master strolls around leisurely, how carefree he is."
He Yuanhao laughed and said, "You don't understand. If you have something in mind or something in your heart, then you will be anxious and restless, just like those court officials who are not content with their positions. I don't have so many thoughts and ideas. I'm content as long as I can have a bowl of black chicken soup after court."
Zhang Jingxian carefully smoothed the wrinkles on He Yuanhao's official robes and said with a helpless smile, "Master just said that you should not make any veiled meanings when you speak, but you broke the rule yourself and started giving me a pointer."
After straightening his clothes, He Yuanhao touched the smooth sleeves of his official robes and said with satisfaction, "I'm not a monk, my mind is free of distractions. I don't seek wealth or honor, only the peace and well-being of the people. I'm leaving now."
The lady of the Marquis's mansion helped the Marquis onto his horse, but after riding it for a couple of moments, the Marquis jumped off and ran back to the Marquis's mansion.
"Jingxian, take the horse, we forgot something."
"Haven't the gift invitations already been delivered?"
"There are others."
Other?
Zhang Jingxian didn't quite understand.
What else should one bring besides a formal betrothal gift when going to the palace to propose marriage?
Take a knife?
Impossible. The palace isn't my home; how can I let him in with a knife?
...
Of the six ministries of the imperial court, three were under the jurisdiction of Han and three under the jurisdiction of Meng. This was a delicate balance that the Qi court and the people had been trying to maintain since the late emperor divided power among them.
Even during the Empress Dowager's reign, Meng held at least two books.
After Princess Xiaoyue seized power, she used both kindness and severity to firmly control the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Works. At this time, the Meng family was gradually gaining the upper hand in terms of the number of civil officials, surpassing even the Prime Minister's faction.
At this moment, outside Changhe Palace, Meng Qingqian's bedroom.
Li Gongqin, father of Li Jin, Minister of Rites; Huang Qinghe, father of Huang Buren, Minister of Justice; Yang Zhe's uncle; Yang Dong's father; and Yang Xingguang, Minister of Works—these three second-rank officials from the Meng family stood together outside the door of Princess Xiaoyue, the "eldest" of the Meng family.
Huang Qinghe arrived early and stood around for a while, but the Princess did not summon him. So he asked Li Gongqin, who had just arrived, "Brother Li, Her Highness suddenly summoned us today. Do you have any clues?"
(Subtext: The boss suddenly called for reinforcements, and I'm a little panicked. You're the boss's cousin, so give me a heads-up.)
Li Gongqin arrived, drenched in sweat, and said, "Minister Huang, how could we possibly fathom His Highness's thoughts?"
(Subtext: I can't get there!)
Even though the three were all Meng's confidants, they didn't often get together. Taking this opportunity, Yang Xingguang said, "Brother Li, Brother Huang, His Highness will soon be twenty. Although turning twenty is a coming-of-age ceremony, not a grand birthday celebration, we still can't be careless and embarrass His Highness. I wonder if you two have made any preparations?"
(Subtext: It's the boss's birthday, have you decided what gift to give him?)
Li Gongqin said, "Your Highness dislikes worldly things. In these turbulent times, it is best to avoid causing trouble."
(Subtext: Tell Yang Zhe to stop causing trouble; my cousin doesn't like him.)
Huang Qinghe said, "Brother Li is absolutely right."
(Subtext: Me too.)
Yang Xingguang cupped his hands and smiled. Although he bowed, he did not thank the two men verbally. He then turned to face Changhe Palace and remained silent.
(Subtext: We'll see.)
Before long, a palace maid led the three into the hall.
As usual, Meng Qingqian wore a dark red dress and leaned against the chair next to the tea table. The memorial in her hand never left her hands.
Unlike Li Jin, who stood not far from Meng Qingqian, Jian Ling stood behind her, eyes closed, holding his sword, and remained silent.
The three ministers entered the hall and immediately knelt down.
"Your Highness, we pay our respects."
Meng Qingqian said, "Get up."
She glanced at the memorial one last time, tossed it onto the table, then rose from her chair, her long dress trailing on the ground, and, under the watchful eyes of the three high-ranking officials of the second rank, moved to the side and behind them, to a position they hadn't noticed when they entered the room.
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