Chapter 244: At this rate, the Great Qian Dynasty will be in turmoil

Chapter 244: At this rate, the Great Qian Dynasty will be in turmoil

Tang Shuyi anxiously awaited letters from Xiao Yuming and Xiao Yuzhen every day. That day, the person sent to find Xiao Yuzhen returned, and Tang Shuyi hurriedly summoned him to ask, "How is the eldest son?"

The guard replied, "When we found the eldest son, he had already met up with Lord Hou's men. Under the escort of people sent by Lord Hou, he is already en route to the northwest."

Tang Shuyi breathed a sigh of relief; knowing that Xiao Huai's men were escorting him, she felt much more at ease. She dismissed the guard to rest and told Xiao Yuzhu, "It shouldn't be long before we receive letters from your brothers."

As they were speaking, Cuicloud came over and said, "Madam, the senior lady of the Zhou Grand Tutor's family is here."

Tang Shuyi was taken aback, "Where is she?"

Cuicloud: "She's in the front hall."

Tang Shuyi quickly stood up and walked outside, with Xiao Yuzhu following close behind. Tang Shuyi wondered inwardly; she had some dealings with the Grand Madam of the Grand Tutor's mansion, but their relationship was rather ordinary. Why would she come without sending a card first?

Shortly arriving at the front hall, Grand Madam Zhou quickly got up to greet her with a smile, "I hope my impromptu visit hasn't disturbed you?"

Tang Shuyi smiled and gestured, "Not at all, please take a seat."

Once Grand Madam Zhou sat down, she looked as though she had much to say but was wary of eavesdroppers. Tang Shuyi waved her hands, signaling Cui Zhu and Cui Yun to leave, leaving only herself, Xiao Yuzhu, and Grand Madam Zhou in the room.

Grand Madam Zhou glanced at Xiao Yuzhu, and seeing this, Tang Shuyi said, "It's fine, please speak freely. There's nothing in this house that I keep from this girl."

The Grand Madam Zhou was taken aback for a moment, "Indeed, the Marchioness knows best how to raise a child."

Tang Shuyi chuckled, "What brings you here today?"

Grand Madam Zhou hesitated momentarily, "I'm not afraid of your laughter, but what do you think about a match between your eldest son and my daughter Qiong Yin?"

Tang Shuyi was somewhat taken aback. In the capital, when it came to arranging marriages among the elite, even if the woman’s side favored the man first, they would typically probe discreetly to ensure mutual interest before the man’s side formally approached for a proposal.

It was unusual, to say the least, for Grand Madam Zhou to initiate such a direct inquiry.

Lady Zhou, seeing Tang Shuyi's puzzled expression, let out a deep sigh, "News has spread from the palace; the Emperor seeks to select women to enter the court, chosen from the capital's renowned talents. Unbeknownst to us, a ranking of these gifted ladies was established, and my Qiongyin is at the top. Can you imagine the anxiety this brings?"

Lady Zhou's eyes blazed with urgency; had she known such a calamitous ranking would arise, she would've insisted her daughter stick to embroidery and managing household affairs rather than competing in music, chess, literature, and painting.

The Emperor's advanced age was enough to make him her daughter's grandfather—how could she bear to have her child serve an old man? And even if bearing a son for the Emperor meant soaring to the highest of statuses, with the Emperor so aged, the prospects of childbirth were uncertain.

Even assuming the Emperor could sire a child and her daughter did give birth to a son, how could an infant possibly contend with the Crown Prince and his siblings? The Emperor's longevity until the child's maturity was questionable.

Thus, upon hearing the palace's announcement, Lady Zhou hastened to the Marquis of Yongning's residence. Her daughter had long harbored affections for Xiao Yuchen, and with several other ranked talents also eyeing him, she feared being too late.

Tang Shuyi suddenly understood; she remembered the Duke of Tang mentioning whispers at the King of Su's ear about the Emperor lacking heirs, prompting the King to visit the palace. Yet, she hadn't expected the Emperor would seek progeny from the capital's list of talents.

The situation was indeed indescribable; the Emperor hardly considered that plucking blossoms from noble households to bear an old man's children could breed resentment among the courtiers.

As sympathetic as she was towards these young women, she couldn't compromise her eldest son's future, "You know as well as I, Lady Zhou, that as the eldest son, Yuchen's marriage is not within my purview to decide. That matter rests with the Marquis."

Lady Zhou was nearly in tears—the thought of waiting for Xiao Huai to return from his campaigns in the northwest meant too much time lost.

With a helpless expression, Tang Shuyi watched as Lady Zhou sighed deeply, "I must think of another way."

Just then, Cuiyun came in, approached Tang Shuyi, and whispered, “The wife of the Privy Envoy, Lord Wei, has arrived.”

Before Tang Shuyi could respond, Lady Zhou hurriedly said, “I’ll take my leave first and hope Madam Hou will not mention my visit.”

Her daughter and Lord Wei’s daughter were at odds; presumably, Lady Wei’s visit had a similar purpose, and she could not let Lady Wei see her.

Tang Shuyi rose to her feet and reassured, “Don’t worry, Lady Zhou. Cuiyun, see Lady Zhou out.”

Lady Zhou stepped towards the exit, and Cuiyun led her through a side path to avoid encountering Lady Wei.

On Tang Shuyi’s side, after exchanging greetings with Lady Wei and seating themselves, Lady Wei, a reserved person, beat around the bush for quite a while before revealing her intent: She also hoped to arrange a match between her daughter and Xiao Yuchen.

Tang Shuyi replied with the same words she had used earlier: “Yuchen is my eldest son, and his marriage requires the approval of my husband, the Marquis.”

Hearing this, Lady Wei’s eyes brimmed with tears, “What should I do then?”

Seeing this, Tang Shuyi felt uncomfortable too. When she had discussed with Tang Guogong (Duke Tang) about keeping the emperor busy with fathering children, she had not anticipated that he would choose from the noble maidens of the capital.

It’s not to say that ordinary girls should be at the emperor's whim; after all, even if the emperor was an old codger, many families of humble means would be willing to send their daughters, as it was a path to ascend to the heavens.

However, it was different for these noble maidens of prestigious families; few, if any, would willingly enter the palace to serve an old emperor.

Disappointed, Lady Wei also took her leave, and Tang Shuyi went to Duke Tang’s residence, perhaps to make use of this situation.

The next day, the imperial court was abuzz again, with several censors submitting memorials suggesting that the emperor hold a selection for consorts from outside the capital, not from the young maidens within. A few officials, who had no eligible daughters at home and were fond of flattery, rebutted the censors’ proposals. For a time, the entire court was a cacophony of arguments.

The emperor, a man concerned about his face, could not fail to understand that some courtiers disdained his age and did not wish for their daughters to enter the palace. And it was obvious to all that he was summoning maidens to the palace to bear children. With several sons already, why the urgency to father more? Was it not because his sons were inept?

“Enough, I understand your intentions. We will discuss this matter another time,” the emperor said as he stood up and left the court, leaving the ministers with their various thoughts. They all understood that if things continued this way, the great Qi Dynasty would descend into chaos.

The emperor returned to his study, growing angrier the more he thought about it. In a fit of rage, he hurled a teacup on the table to the floor, "All I want is a few women; why is that not permissible? The whole world is mine; just a few women, and they dare to grumble and protest..."

He vented in the study, while the eunuchs inside and outside knelt in silence, as still as ice.

After a while, the emperor finally calmed down and called out, “Jiao Kangsheng.”

Jiao Kangsheng promptly knelt and responded, “Your servant is here.”

“Issue a decree that eligible daughters from families of seventh rank officials and above in the capital may voluntarily participate in the selection,” commanded the emperor.

Those old fogies didn't want their daughters entering the palace, but there were plenty of others eager to serve him. Once the new women bore children, he would reward them handsomely, making those old fogies regret their decisions.

P.S.: Everyone has been guessing who the male lead is, to the point where I've become afraid to speak. But I've mentioned before that the male lead in this book appears late and doesn't play a major role, he's truly not that significant.

The reason I even introduced a male lead in this book is that, although love isn't the most crucial thing for a woman, nor is it indispensable, if it exists and the couple is in harmony, then wouldn't that be even better?

I still want a happy ending for the female lead, so I brought in a male lead. But in a story with a strong female lead, the male lead often just serves as a backdrop.

Sigh! Look at me, striving for survival! (Hilariously)