Chapter 412 – Marrying Out

Chapter 412 - Marrying Out

Seeing that He Jinli was still unconvinced and about to argue, Yun Li said straightforwardly, "Forget about my niece; I don't have a suitable one for His Majesty. But I do have a younger sister who's around the same age as Little Nine. She's extremely beautiful and hasn't married yet. If you insist, you can issue an imperial edict."

He Jinli glared. "Did I express such an intention?"

"You wanted a romantic story, didn't you? Otherwise, wait a few years until my nieces grow up, and I'll send them in," Yun Li replied.

"You women! I was just chatting with you. When did I say I want your Qi family's girls?" He Jinli harrumphed.

"Your nieces would be more suitable for Little Nine. I'm not twenty anymore; I'm not that obsessed with women's beauty," He Jinli pinched Yun Li's arm.

"No way. Cousins should just remain cousins. Why become husband and wife?" Yun Li rolled her eyes again.

He Jinli fell silent, having received nothing but cold shoulders this entire time.

He even felt that Yun Li's words carried hidden meanings.

"Let's not talk about that. The Second Princess's wedding is in two days. Yuan Zheng is indeed thoughtful to come early, probably with this intention, don't you think?" Yun Li asked.

"Yes, Princess Huan has prepared many things for Second Princess," said He Jinli.

This was undoubtedly connected to the tragedy that had occurred years ago. King Hunyin had lost so many loved ones that he held his aunt in particularly high regard.

Moreover, her aunt had indeed been of great assistance during that difficult time.

Now, with her cousin getting married, she couldn't help but be concerned.

Yixuan was indeed fortunate. She enjoyed such status both in her natal family and her own.

It likely took some courage for Lu Panmei to agree to marry Second Princess.

On the day of Second Princess's wedding, the Empress was still present.

Sent off from Cining Palace, Second Princess didn't shed any tears; instead, she felt a surge of excitement. Not because of her wedding day itself, but due to the act of marriage itself.

The Empress Dowager chuckled. "This silly child, live happily after your marriage. If you miss the palace, you can always come back for a visit."

"Yes, Grandmother, don't worry. I'll definitely visit you often. Please take care of yourself too," Yixuan replied with a smile.

"Very well." A sense of melancholy unexpectedly welled up in the Empress Dowager's heart.

Yixuan then addressed the Empress, "Mother, take care of yourself as well. Your daughter will surely come to visit you."

The Empress was not at all sentimental; instead, she seemed somewhat impatient. "Very well, just live happily with your prince consort."

She managed to maintain a composed demeanor throughout.

After all, the Emperor was still present.

After bidding farewell to the Concubine Guifei, Yixuan turned to Yun Li. "Mother Yun, once I leave, you'll surely feel lonely. If you have the time, could you please keep my mother company more often?"

"Of course," Yun Li replied with a smile, removing a pair of bracelets from her wrists and placing them on Yixuan. "These were a gift from your father, the Emperor. Today, I pass them on to you, hoping that you and your prince consort will live in harmony and love."

"Thank you, Mother Yun," the Second Princess said, her eyes finally reddening.

In essence, Yun Li had taken on the role that the Concubine Guifei would typically play. Unfortunately, Concubine Guifei herself was a princess and hadn't gone through a conventional wedding ceremony, so she overlooked many of the customary details.

Presenting bracelets was not a strict requirement, but it was a heartfelt gesture.

Thus, no one around her thought to remind her.

Yun Li had anticipated this and thus took care of it beforehand.

The Empress and the Dowager Empress also sent jewelry for her hair and face, but compared to this bracelet in her hand, they were different.

This is a sign of affection from an elder, passing on their valuable belongings that were once close to them.

It's similar to when a young lady goes out to socialize and encounters an elder who takes a liking to her, giving her a bracelet or a hair ornament as a token of affection.

Perhaps that bracelet or hair accessory was specifically worn with the intention of being gifted.

It's still not the same.

As the Second Prince carried the Second Princess down the steps, the Concubine finally shed tears.

She was not one to cry easily, but seeing her daughter depart always saddened her.

However, she was simply not an emotional person; though she was saddened, her tears wouldn't last more than a quarter of an hour.

Mainly, there were no more tears to shed, oh dear...

That night, the Emperor resided in the Chaoyang Palace.

It was only fitting.

Not only did Yuan Zheng bring the dowry prepared by Hunyin, but also a separate gift from Jingning, specifically for Yun Li.

Jingning had also specially prepared numerous presents for Yun Li, all of which were specialties from the grasslands.

Two carriages were loaded with fine furs alone.

Yun Li had taken the trouble to inquire – Jingning had not remarried. She was still the young Empress Dowager.

However, according to Min Duo, there was someone attending to her mother. Mmm, a formidable and mighty young man on the grasslands.

He was deeply enamored with the young Empress Dowager.

There was nothing wrong with that. If you didn't wish to remarry, it was fine to be with someone else.

It wouldn't matter even if an illegitimate child were born.

Among the nomads, the value of an illegitimate child surpassed that of a slave.

Especially one who was the concubine-born son of the Empress Dowager.

However, Jingning had no intention of bearing a child.

They would just carry on like this.

Mindo didn't know that it was precisely Jingning's gentle demeanor, characteristic of women from the Great Jin, that had captivated the young man.

Mindo had another purpose for this visit: to pay respects to the late King Qi on behalf of his mother. After all, he was her biological grandfather.

After bidding farewell to the Second Princess, the Empress Dowager indeed felt lonely. There was no one left to engage in witty banter with.

Yun Li thus decided to have the girl from the Yuanzheng residence stay with the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Concubine accepted the arrangement with indifference.

After all, the girl was only thirteen. If the Empress Concubine kept her, it would be acceptable for two years.

Moreover, by keeping her, the Empress Concubine's status would change significantly.

In the future, she would have a better marriage.

Thus, the Empress Concubine agreed to keep her. It was good to have some company.

Sure enough, the young maid was indeed lively. Her presence made the Empress Concubine feel less lonely.

On the 20th of June, envoys from the Western Regions began to arrive one after another.

Prince Seven and Prince Nine, along with officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Board of Ceremonies, were in charge of their reception. They were busy outside the palace every day until late at night.

Fortunately, no mistakes occurred. He Jingenli also sent people to follow them, fearing that their lack of experience might lead to errors.

He also issued an imperial edict to the Ministry of Rites and the Board of Ceremonies, urging them to ensure everything was thoroughly prepared.

At a time like this, no one dared to provoke trouble. If anyone attempted to deceive the Ninth Prince and failed, they would risk embarrassing themselves in both the Western Regions and in front of Emperor Yuanzheng, which would be a major incident.

The formal state banquet was scheduled for the night of the first day of the seventh month.

In the meantime, they were free to explore on their own these few days.

The envoys who had arrived were from smaller nations, all rather well-behaved.

They were different from Emperor Yuanzheng; their relationship was one of alliance. Despite the fact that the Khan had become somewhat weaker over the years due to the series of incidents involving Emperor Yuanzheng, the Great Jin had no intention of interfering in their internal affairs.

But the countries of the Western Regions were purely vassal states.

Even the selection of a crown prince or a queen required the approval of the Great Jin's emperor.

Each year, they paid tribute. Of course, the Great Jin would also provide them with gifts in return.

Therefore, when representatives from these countries came to pay their respects, they usually brought along a few beauties as offerings.

However, in recent years, none of the Western Region's beauties had managed to secure a position in the imperial harem.

In the early days of the late emperor's reign, there had also been a beauty from the Western Regions among his consorts, but she had tragically passed away after only a few years.

Generally speaking, the royal family of the Great Jin were receptive to women from Yanzheng. As long as diplomatic relations between the two countries remained amicable, these women would come to Jin and bear children.