Chapter 128: Clash of Perspectives

Chapter 128: Clash of Perspectives

Various princes return to the capital to attend Prince Zhao's funeral.

Surprisingly, not a single one was absent.

While the Emperor was disappointed, he was also somewhat relieved. He had intended to make an example of someone, but seeing everyone's compliance, he decided not to harm his own kin. Prince Zhao's funeral was grand, lasting half a month, and he was buried in the ancestral mausoleum as per tradition.

The line of Prince Zhao has been traditionally buried in the ancestral mausoleum.

After the funeral, the Emperor kept the princes in the capital for half a year. With the newly appointed Minister of Clan Affairs, Prince Zhao Zhang Hao still in mourning, his deputy Zhang Chen and Ling Yue, the Earl of Pingnan, went to the various principalities to oversee the local guards. They selected skilled warriors to join a newly formed elite army in the north.

"All others were relocated with their families to the northern border for defense, with the court providing 150 guan as a settlement fee."

"Upon the advice of Right Vice Premier Shang Quan, the cost of relocating the guard forces to the border was ultimately borne by the various princes."

"In the seventh year of Changping, the court ingeniously reclaimed the military command rights the princes held within their fiefdoms, further restricting their power in their territories."

"The court no longer had to worry about internal conflicts when deploying troops externally."

——

"Princess Liyang’s Mansion."

"That afternoon, after returning from the palace, Princess Liyang had a grim expression. Even though she said nothing, Princess Qingyang felt immense pressure standing in front of her and dared not sit after entering."

"It was only when Princess Liyang came back to her senses and saw her daughter-in-law standing, she instructed, 'What are you standing for? Sit down.'"

"Princess Qingyang obeyed and sat down, looking at her mother-in-law’s kind face but not daring to relax, 'I think Lady Mo of the Zhu family seems easy to talk to…'"

"'What's the use of being easy to talk to? Those who are, can’t make decisions,' Princess Liyang shook her head. 'There’s no need to be too friendly with the Zhu family. I've already agreed to the Empress's marriage proposal, arranging for Seventh Lady to marry the King of Nanyang.'"

Qi'niang, the biological daughter of Princess Qingyang, held the title of County Lady Zhengtong.

Princess Qingyang was surprised and somewhat anxious upon hearing this, "But Prince Nanyang has a chronic illness and is destined not to ascend to the throne." She wanted to say that this arrangement was different from their original plan. Before coming to the capital, they had intended for Qi'niang to be betrothed to Prince Jingzhao, Zhang Ji.

Prince Nanyang, Zhang He, is the Emperor's third son.

"Do you think I want this?"

Princess Liyang also felt frustrated. She had planned for a long time, even attempting to connect with the Zhu family through Princess Chongyang to marry her granddaughter, County Lady Zhengtong, to Empress Dowager Zhu's brother. Although not in the capital, she had calculated the Zhu family's characters through various sources and knew they wouldn't agree to the match.

To be safe, she had even instructed Qingyang to pass a separate message to Chongyang, asking her not to accept the proposal.

As expected, upon her return to the capital, Zhu Sanlang, Zhu Yan’s third brother, had already been betrothed.

Then, in a casual manner, she mentioned to the Emperor her regret at not being able to connect with the Zhu family, gaining his favor, and brought up the possibility of matching County Lady Zhengtong with Prince Jingzhao, Zhang Ji, due to their similar ages. However, the Emperor didn't respond to the suggestion.

She vividly remembered the Emperor's sharp, knowing gaze, as if he saw through everything. Reflecting on it still sent shivers down her spine. No wonder the Deng family was gone, the deposed Empress Deng dead, the princes subdued, and even the border tribes feared him.

None of them were wronged.

Her gentle brother had fathered such a formidable son.

Afterwards, she overheard the Emperor telling Empress Liu, "Sanlang should also discuss marriage."

At that moment, her heart sank. After the banquet, Empress Liu kept her behind and proposed the marriage of County Lady Zhengtong to Prince Nanyang, Zhang He.

She didn't want to agree, but knew she had to.

Aside from the past decade she spent away from the capital, accompanying her consort Chen Yi in official duty in Shu, she had decades of experience in the palace and knew all too well that princes were not to be chosen or rejected by outsiders, even the least favored ones.

Moreover, Prince Nanyang, Zhang He, praised by the Emperor as a fortunate child due to his birth date, and quite favored, was definitely not someone she could afford to be picky about.

In the decade she had been away, the skies over the capital had completely changed.

Princess Liyang looked up at her daughter-in-law, Princess Qingyang, "Send Shi'niang to my courtyard later; let her live with me from now on."

"Upon hearing this, Princess Qingyang’s face changed dramatically. She called out 'Ah Jia' but didn’t dare voice her disagreement. Thirteen Lady, her husband's illegitimate daughter, had been raised in her mansion, and her mother-in-law had never intervened before."

"'Her status doesn’t qualify her to be a princess or crown princess, but she can become a concubine or an imperial daughter-in-law,' Princess Liyang explained, then looked at Princess Qingyang, 'As her legal mother, if she indeed achieves great fortune, you’ll benefit as well. Not to mention distant prospects, just look at Lady Mo in the capital now, who in the circle of noble ladies surpasses her?'"

"'Lady Mo is just the Empress’s stepmother, a merchant's daughter. The Empress’s birth mother, Lady Lu of Lu County, is still alive, yet far behind her in status,' Princess Liyang reminded Princess Qingyang."

"Princess Qingyang felt bitter inside: How many are as heartless as the Empress?"

"But she didn’t dare to object. If she did, her mother-in-law, also her aunt, had several reasons waiting for her, and it would all end with her being deemed incompetent, her daughter being incompetent, and her mother-in-law reluctantly making this decision for the glory of the Chen family."

"The Chen family aspired to produce another Empress."

"For them, any woman from the Chen family could become Empress; whether she was actually born to Princess Qingyang was of little importance."

"In the spring of the eighth year of Changping, King Zhang He of Nanyang and County Princess Zhengtong had a grand wedding, held at the residence of the princes. A month after the wedding, King Zhang He and his wife left for their fiefdom."

"That year, on the fifth of May, it was the Dragon Boat Festival."

"The Emperor ordered Xing En and Qu Gu to lead the Imperial Household Department in hosting a Dragon Boat Festival banquet at Yaoguang Hall, inviting families of officials of fifth rank and above in the capital, with each family bringing their eligible daughters."

"'These were selected by the Empress. You can take a look first, so it’s easier to match faces with names at tomorrow’s palace banquet.'"

"Zhu Yan received a list from the Emperor, containing the names of unmarried eligible girls invited to the next day's palace banquet. Unsurprisingly, her future daughter-in-law, Zhen’s wife, would be selected from these candidates."

"Opening the first page, the first name that caught her eye was Xie Wan."

"Age fifteen, intelligent and good at writing, graceful and beautiful, virtuous, adept in managing household affairs, always acting appropriately."

"Father, Xie Shu, Director in the Department of Equitable Taxation; grandfather, Xie Wu, former Imperial Secretary, Duke of Shangguo, and Minister Tutor."

"Upon seeing the name Xie Wu, Zhu Yan paused, didn’t continue flipping through, and looked up at the Emperor, asking, 'Have you set your heart on this Xie Wan?'"

"The Emperor nodded, 'She is the granddaughter of Xie the Imperial Secretary, learned calligraphy under him, and should be a good match. The Empress met this young lady during the New Year and commented she was graceful and dignified. Take a look tomorrow, and if you also like her, we’ll settle on her.'"

"'If not, you can pick another from the remaining two candidates.'"

"After hearing this, Zhu Yan looked at the next two pages: the second was Hong Xiu, granddaughter of the Minister of Rites Hong Yuan; the third was Zheng Fen, niece of the Magistrate of Jingzhao Prefecture Zheng Shi, granddaughter of the late Minister of Works Zheng Yu."

"All three candidates were from prestigious scholarly families, skillfully avoiding those from noble and influential families."

"‘Have you discussed this with Ajie?’ Zhu Yan asked with a frown."

"‘I mentioned it to him during Sanlang's wedding,’ the Emperor said, noticing Zhu Yan's concern and gently touching her delicate eyebrows, ‘If you don’t like these three, you can choose anyone you favor from the young ladies attending tomorrow’s palace banquet.'"

"‘It’s Ajie who needs to choose a wife. He has to like her.'"

"Zhu Yan swatted away the Emperor's hand and glared at him. Ajie was only fourteen and she felt it too early to pick a wife for him, but the Emperor, Empress Liu, and even her own mother thought otherwise, insisting she choose soon before the good matches were taken."

"Tired of the insistence, she agreed to select a candidate but decided to postpone the marriage until Ajie turned sixteen."

"The Emperor smiled, 'Don’t worry, Ajie will definitely be pleased with your choice.' If not, he would make his son agree."

"Zhu Yan, not wanting to argue, said after some thought, 'Let Ajie come to me tomorrow.'"

"The next day, Dragon Boat Festival."

"The banquet at Yaoguang Hall was attended by Princess Liyang early. The Emperor specially invited her to assist Zhu Yan in hosting today's event. The banquet was set outdoors in the southeast peony garden, which was in full bloom with various vibrant and enchanting peonies, the air fragrant with their scent. Each table was adorned with a bouquet of red peonies."

"A stage was set up for performances by the Music Bureau and puppet shows."

"Zhu Yan personally greeted Lady He and her daughter Xie Wan, followed by the Minister of Rites’ wife and granddaughter Hong Xiu, and Magistrate Zheng Shi’s wife Lady Chen with her niece Zheng Fen."

"After speaking with them briefly, Zhu Yan understood why the Emperor and Empress Liu favored Xie Wan. While not the most striking in appearance, Xie Wan exuded a gentle demeanor of a virtuous wife and good mother, with a round face and tall figure, fitting the standards sought by prominent families for a daughter-in-law."

Among the young ladies attending the banquet, the most striking in appearance was Li Shu, the daughter of the Deputy Secretary of the Central Secretariat, Li Jun.

At only thirteen years old, she already possessed a graceful figure and heavenly beauty. Given a few more years to mature, she would undoubtedly become a city-toppling beauty.

Seeing her, Zhu Yan couldn't help but feel reflective, observing the fresh-faced young girls and for the first time feeling old, even though she was only thirty. In the modern era, she would still be considered a child at that age, unmarried.

This era was truly merciless.

After the banquet concluded and sending off Princess Chongyang, Zhu Yan called her son Ajisai to ask whom he had taken a liking to.

Zhang Ji blurted out, "Any is fine, they all look decent enough."

"Isn't there anyone you particularly liked?" Zhu Yan pressed, somewhat unwilling to give up.

"How about the young lady from the Xie family as a princess consort, and the young ladies from the Li and Zheng families as court ladies in the palace?"

Hearing this, Zhu Yan felt a mix of emotions and flatly refused, "How about not? You can only choose one."

"Look, I made a choice, but you don’t agree. Just make the decision yourself. Anyway, Father said to listen to you, Mother. You can’t be controlling Father and then start controlling me too," Zhang Ji said, his face showing a trace of fear.

Zhu Yan felt like she had a lump stuck in her throat, frustrated and irate, "Rest assured, I won’t interfere in your affairs anymore. Choose your own wife." Saying so, she promptly sent him out.

Realizing he had angered his mother, Zhang Ji quickly left Yaoguang Hall and hurried out of Qixing Palace, planning to take refuge in Jingzhao Wang's mansion for a while.

Author's note:

Today's update, muah~