Chapter 682
"Your Highness, the Princess Consort of Rui has left Kunning Palace," a senior palace maid guarding the corridor entered the inner chamber to report. According to the usual practice of previous years, the Princess Consort of Rui would head straight for Changchun Palace, where Consort Min resided.
Consort Min nodded, signaling the palace maid to prepare the tea and pastries that the Princess Consort of Rui favored. Only then did she turn to her daughter, whose face was etched with displeasure. Although her demeanor remained gentle, her charming face clearly displayed an unyielding authority. "Ning Chen'an is exceptionally talented. Your father, the Emperor, mentioned during the discussion of the spring examinations that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he was sure to be among the top three."
Consort Min elegantly stroked the red coral bracelet on her right wrist and glanced at her daughter, who seemed to bask in reflected glory. She continued, "The past glories of the Ning family are all pinned on him. Not to mention whether your father, the Emperor, would abandon such a talented scholar for you, even Ning Chen'an himself would not be willing to marry a princess."
Marrying a princess would effectively end Ning Chen'an's official career. This was no less than a "father's murder, wife's seizure," and even if Ning Chen'an were to submit to imperial power, he would undoubtedly harbor a deep-seated hatred for the Seventh Princess.
Not to mention that the Ning family's old madam was still alive. Despite the princess's noble status, as a mother-in-law, Old Madam Ning had ample means within the inner household to target the Seventh Princess.
"Then she, Zhe Jing, is a suitable match for Ning Chen'an?" the Seventh Princess exclaimed in annoyance, her delicate hands clenching into fists. She had indulged Zhe Jing's pursuit of Ning Chen'an throughout the capital, but now the Seventh Princess wished she could kill Zhe Jing to vent her anger.
Consort Min sighed, "General Zhe and Old General Zhe are still guarding the border. You also know that Zhe Jing has been raised without much sense, which is why your father, the Emperor, feels at ease."
Otherwise, with a military general holding military power on one side and a rising civil official on the other, their union would not only make the Emperor uneasy but also prompt other princes to find ways to sabotage it.
However, Zhe Jing was definitely the kind of girl who would "ruin three generations by marrying an unwise wife." Although the Ning family was known for its scholarly background, their lineage was dwindling, and Ning Chen'an was the sole pillar supporting it. The Zhe family could not benefit from the Ning family's prestige, nor could the Ning family help the Zhe family. Only then could the Emperor feel at ease.
While she understood the logic, the Seventh Princess remained unwilling. As a princess, a favored daughter of heaven, could she not even decide her own marriage? Must she marry Bai Zhaohui, the youngest son of a prefect, whose mother was from the fallen Zeng family?
The voices of palace maids paying their respects could be heard outside the palace. No matter how dissatisfied the Seventh Princess was, she could not reveal it in front of the Princess Consort of Rui, an outsider. Although she had already composed herself, anyone could tell she was unhappy.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Consort Min warmly invited the Princess Consort of Rui to sit. She glanced at the Seventh Princess, who had bowed and retreated, and said with a smile, "Raising children for a hundred years, worrying for ninety-nine, this saying is indeed true."
"The Seventh Princess is of noble birth. Even after marriage, she will reside in the Princess's Mansion. The princess is the ruler, and her in-laws are subjects. Your Highness need not worry," the Princess Consort of Rui replied with a smile, her gaze towards Consort Min carrying a hint of undisguceable disdain.
Fortunately, she possessed such a stunningly beautiful face. Otherwise, with Consort Min's meek disposition, the Princess Consort of Rui felt that she would have long ago been devoured by other imperial consorts in the palace. Her own daughter was the Seventh Princess, yet Consort Min was still worried about her marriage and feared she would be bullied by her in-laws. This was simply laughable.
Consort Min pretended not to notice the disdain in the Princess Consort of Rui's eyes. She picked up her teacup and took a few sips before continuing to chat like a close friend, "Speaking of which, Chengye has already reached the age of manhood. Have you found anyone for his marriage?"
When this topic was brought up, the Princess Consort of Rui recalled the humiliation she suffered at Huai Tree Alley at the hands of Yin Wuyan. Her previously proud expression instantly darkened to the extreme, and anger churned in her eyes. "Although Miss You is a concubine-born daughter, she is, after all, the only blood descendant of the Marquis of Wu'an. Her status is slightly lower, but she is barely qualified to be Chengye's secondary wife."
If the Marquis of Wu'an had a legitimate daughter, the Princess Consort of Rui felt that the other party's status would not be sufficient to marry Yin Chengye as his primary wife. After all, the Marquis of Wu'an had risen through military achievements, but now that the Marquis of Wu'an no longer held military power, the esteemed Marquis's mansion was merely an empty shell.
In the eyes of the Princess Consort of Rui, Yin Chengye's primary wife must have a distinguished background, if not from a prominent aristocratic family, then at least from an official or scholarly household. The Qiu family of Qianzhong Circuit, the Chen family of Jiangnan Circuit, or the Kong family of Zhongguan Circuit, the Gu氏 of Nanling Prefecture...
Only the legitimate daughters raised by these centuries-old aristocratic families were qualified to marry Yin Chengye and support the Rui Prince's mansion in the future. However, to the disappointment of the Princess Consort of Rui, in recent years, only the fifth daughter of the Gu family from Nanling had visited the capital. Unfortunately, before the Princess Consort of Rui could inquire about her situation, Miss Gu the Fifth was frightened ill by Yin Wuyan.
Later, news arrived that the Emperor intended to betroth Miss Gu the Fifth to Qiu Huaixin, the dissolute younger son of the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Qianzhong Circuit. In the end, Miss Gu the Fifth's reputation was ruined, and her marriage fell through. Many years had passed, and she had likely married hastily.
"I hear Miss You is gentle in nature, and she would indeed be suitable as a secondary wife," Consort Min agreed with a nod, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the Princess Consort of Rui's true intention was not merely about the marriage itself, but about the Marquis of Wu'an's influence in the military and the Marquis's mansion's considerable wealth.
To put it bluntly, this was taking advantage of a family's misfortune. Otherwise, would the haughty Princess Consort of Rui marry a concubine-born daughter to her beloved son? Even a maidservant for warming the bed would be considered too lowly for her.
"Would Your Highness be willing to help fulfill this wish?" the Princess Consort of Rui asked, stating her purpose. She had originally planned to send Zhan Feiyu to the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion as a gesture of goodwill.
Unfortunately, Zhan Feiyu was currently in the Imperial Guards. Furthermore, with many families inquiring about You Qi's situation around the New Year, all of them intending to propose marriage, although Yin Chengye's status was the most noble, being the Rui Prince's youngest son, You Qi would only be a secondary wife if she married into the family.
However, for other families, You Qi would be the primary wife and the mistress of the household upon entering. These families were considered middle-tier aristocratic families in the capital. If You Qi had a choice, she would certainly not want to be Yin Chengye's secondary wife.
The palace maid serving them frowned upon hearing this. The Princess Consort of Rui was being too demanding. Although her Highness was a consort, marriage was a union between two families, and it required mutual consent. Especially when dealing with the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion, her Highness could not force the Marquis of Wu'an to agree to the marriage.
Consort Min, who had enjoyed imperial favor for many years in the palace, had mastered the art of composure. Her expression remained unchanged, and she seemed to be contemplating the feasibility of the matter with half-closed eyes. "Wen Shu, you also know that the Marquis of Wu'an recently lost his son. If the Marquis of Wu'an agrees to this marriage, it would be a simple matter." Consort Min paused, a hint of difficulty appearing on her face. "If it were to be discussed with the Marchioness, she would certainly not agree, and it might even backfire."
The Marquis of Wu'an was an outsider. Consort Min, residing deep within the inner palace, naturally could not meet with the Marquis of Wu'an in person. If she were to involve the Min family, it might be suspected of imperial consorts interfering in state affairs.
The most convenient approach would be for Consort Min to summon the Marchioness, Madam Du. However, You Qi was a concubine-born daughter, and Madam Du had just lost her son. Forcing her to watch her concubine-born daughter marry into a higher status would surely be met with refusal. Madam Du would likely wish for You Qi to spend her life in a Buddhist hall, chanting scriptures for her brother, You Bawang, for eternity.
The Princess Consort of Rui's face instantly darkened. She unhappily placed her teacup heavily on the table. Fortunately, she was mindful of Consort Min's status; otherwise, the teacup would have been smashed on the floor.
"Parents' orders and matchmaker's words. Ultimately, the Marchioness must agree to this marriage," Consort Min said gently, gesturing for the palace maid to withdraw. "The Marchioness may not be willing to see a concubine-born daughter marry into a higher status, but compared to other families, Chengye is the best choice. Although she will be a secondary wife and will be looked down upon by the primary wife, Chengye has not yet married, so the secondary wife entering the household first does give her an advantage."
The Princess Consort of Rui was initially unhappy listening to Consort Min's rambling. However, as she listened, a flash of inspiration struck her, and she hastily took her leave and departed the palace.
"The Princess Consort of Rui dares to throw a tantrum in Changchun Palace. She should look at what she has besides the empty title of Princess Consort," the senior palace maid grumbled discontentedly while tidying the table. If not for her Highness's good nature, the Princess Consort of Rui's action of slamming the teacup could have been punished as disrespect.
Resuming her position by the window to trim the plum branches, Consort Min smiled without looking up, "She encountered a setback in the Imperial Guards and can only come to me for help. It's a pity that her own son is kept at a distance, while she dotes on a concubine-born son as if he were her own eye."
It was common knowledge that the Princess Consort of Rui lacked intelligence. She schemed for her youngest son, Yin Chengye, everywhere, without fear that he would later discover that his birth mother was killed by the Princess Consort of Rui. At that time, forget about mother-son affection; Yin Chengye would be grateful enough if he didn't seek revenge for his mother's death.
The senior palace maid handed the tray to a junior palace maid behind her and wiped her hands before walking to the window. She lowered her voice, "Your Highness, the Princess's heart is still set on the eldest son of the Ning family. She just sent Little Hulu to find out who the guard captain on duty will be tomorrow."
Inquiring about this was undoubtedly preparation for leaving the palace. And the Seventh Princess secretly leaving the palace was likely either to see Ning Chen'an or to warn Bai Zhaohui not to harbor any thoughts of marrying a princess.
With a snap, a plum branch with buds was cut off. Consort Min glanced at it and then coldly pruned the two extraneous plum branches beside it.
The senior palace maid's eyes flickered slightly as she saw the three plum branches with the most buds being cut off. She lowered her head, her expression becoming even more respectful.
"After the spring examinations and once the imperial decree is issued, she will have no choice but to agree," Consort Min's voice remained gentle, but the coldness in her words was chilling. She spoke with a detachment as if the matter of her own daughter's marriage was of no consequence.
Looking out the window, the palace lanterns hanging under the corridor swayed in the cold wind. Consort Min's lips curled into a cold, mocking smile. The Emperor had become increasingly suspicious in recent years. The ministers in the imperial court were all treading on thin ice, and what about the imperial consorts in the inner palace? They were all afraid that a single wrong word or a single mistake would lead to their banishment to the cold palace.
The Seventh Princess had reached the age for marriage. As long as Consort Min chose a consort of distinguished background for her, even if the Emperor did not harbor suspicions, the other princes would find ways to make the Emperor suspect that this marriage was intended to win over court officials and prepare for the Second Prince's bid for the throne.
Therefore, Consort Min had to be cautious. Fortunately, she had revealed her intention to have Bai Zhaohui marry the princess several years ago. Now, as long as this marriage was settled and the Emperor felt a sliver of guilt, Consort Min's objective would be achieved.
On the other side, the Princess Consort of Rui, who had rushed out of the palace, did not return to her mansion immediately. Instead, she went directly to the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion. As the funeral of You Bawang had only recently concluded, there was no festive atmosphere in the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion during the New Year, and the servants dared not even smile, lest they be dragged away and beaten.
"What is she here for?" Madam Du frowned. Her already gaunt face became even more unsightly due to her displeasure.
However, despite her dislike for the uninvited Princess Consort of Rui, the latter was, after all, a princess of the highest rank. Madam Du still had her maidservant help her dress before leading her people to the main hall in the backyard to receive guests.
It was a mutual dislike, and neither Madam Du nor the Princess Consort of Rui bothered with pleasantries.
"If it is about that lowly girl You Qi's marriage, then the Princess Consort need not say anything. My son has passed away, and You Qi, as his half-sister, must observe three years of mourning for her brother," Madam Du said coldly.
Even if there were no such rule in the Great Qing Dynasty, as the Marchioness and You Qi's legitimate mother, she would make this lowly girl copy Buddhist scriptures for three years in the Buddhist hall for Ran'er!
The Princess Consort of Rui sneered and retorted equally impolitely, "Madam, you probably forgot that the one in charge of the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion is the Marquis of Wu'an himself. Moreover, Madam, you have an Old Madam above you. You Qi's marriage is not for Madam to decide!"
Her face instantly turned extremely grim. Madam Du's eyes blazed with anger as she glared fiercely at the smug Princess Consort of Rui, "Princess Consort, are you here to spew venom at the Marquis's mansion during the New Year? Or is it that the Rui Prince is always with his secondary consort, so the Princess Consort can only find me to chat and pass the time?"
Slamming her hand on the table, the ridiculed Princess Consort of Rui erupted in fury, "Du Qin, I am not here to quarrel with you!"
The servants inside and outside the room all lowered their heads in fear. Both of these were mistresses with fiery tempers. If they were angered now, they would surely take it out on them, the servants.