Chapter 50: Journey Through the Middle Ages

Chapter 50: Journey Through the Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, lords and nobles were ubiquitous, and the number of kings and queens was too many to count on two hands (even if only those at the center stage are counted, it would still take one hand)! Additionally, the dukes, counts, and other major nobles beneath them could also stir up significant events, providing constant fodder for gossip, keeping things perpetually intriguing.

So when Louisa asked about any recent major events, her maids and attendants immediately launched into a flurry of chatter.

"What’s most shocking is that Edward IV has already married! The King and Queen had planned to wed Princess Isabella to King Edward! Now, they’ll have to rethink Princess Isabella’s marital prospects... For someone of Princess Isabella’s stature, a suitable match is hard to come by."

Isabella is the youngest princess of the current Wasong Royal House and the only unmarried princess. She is the younger sister of Prince Philip, the protagonist of the original story, who is also Louisa's fiancé—though Louisa tends to forget this fact.

Louisa remembers that Princess Isabella is four years older than her, now 18 years old... This age is considered ideal for marriage, but it’s also seen as a bit late.

The marriage of a princess is quite different from that of ordinary noblewomen. In an era where early marriage is common among nobles, some princesses are considered late in marrying.

On one hand, courtiers and the royal family are extremely selective when selecting a spouse for a princess, demanding substantial advantages. This limits the options, making late marriage the norm.

In this regard, princes are similar.

On the other hand, it’s also because of the 'preciousness' of a princess, making it unwise to 'squander' her potential easily. Even after a marriage contract is sealed, the actual wedding often takes place later—this is the same reasoning behind Count Balzac insisting that Louisa marry at 17 or 18.

People back then weren’t fools; not everyone failed to see that early marriage and childbirth would make it harder for women to survive childbirth. It’s just that, amidst the culture of male dominance and a zeal for reproduction, people intentionally or unintentionally ignored this. Only in specific cases, where greater interests were at stake, would they discreetly delay marriage for some women.

The marriage of a princess is no simple matter. For kings and queens, it’s a prime opportunity for forging alliances and exchanging benefits. Given the limited number of legitimate heirs in a monogamous system, this is not something to be 'wasted' lightly. Not to mention, a well-matched marriage for a princess also comes with a hefty dowry!

In the Middle Ages, just like in ancient China, commoners either had betrothal gifts larger than dowries or equal to them, but among the nobility, dowries far exceeded betrothal gifts.

As depicted in "Dream of the Red Chamber," when calculating the expenses for the marriages of the younger generation, the budget for the girls ran into tens of thousands of taels, while for the boys, like 'Huan Ge'er,' it was capped at three thousand taels, which could be saved from anywhere.

It’s important to note that a girl’s dowry is not prepared last minute. In the era of "Dream of the Red Chamber," noble families often prepared it years in advance. This way, they could acquire good items (which were not readily available in ancient society, and some required long production times), ensuring everything was complete to avoid haste.

So the ten thousand taels expense actually refers to some last-minute purchases, plus a small amount of 'cash' as dowry, and the expenses for the wedding banquet—even then, it was triple the cost of a man’s wedding!

Currently, for noble men, marriage is essentially a sure profit. Especially for those who cannot inherit titles and have limited prospects, like younger sons... They participate in tournaments or reside in various courts mainly to find a wife who can bring them significant benefits, preferably with land as dowry!

In comparison, finding a boss to serve and securing a proper job seems more like a side benefit... Even though this is the legitimate reason they give for traveling far from home.

As for princesses marrying, even if it’s a 'lower marriage' to a major noble or a foreign royal, the dowry is still substantial. Marrying a prince, especially a first heir or someone already a king, is even more so. The two sides would negotiate a considerable and comprehensive dowry list.

After long negotiations and spending a fortune to marry off a princess, everyone naturally hopes to maximize her value. She should serve as a symbol, maintaining long-term relations—preferably by producing an heir!

Although, at the royal level, maternal lineage is insignificant compared to national interests, it still provides some leverage! Unless national interests are at stake, it can make certain things more flexible.

This ancient method of alliance through marriage was still common even in Louisa’s previous life... There’s a reason for that.

So, why marry off a young princess still playing in the nursery? Early marriage and immediate pregnancy after menarche, then gambling with the high risks of childbirth? If lost, not only is the princess lost, but the dowry is also wasted, which is real money.

Although when determining the dowry list, some clauses are often added, such as returning the dowry if the princess dies within three years of marriage without bearing a child. But as everyone knows, once the money is given, it’s easy to give but hard to take back, and it’s almost never actually reclaimed.

In short, unless under special circumstances, such as an immediate need for a formal alliance, or if the king is truly indifferent, it’s not strange for a princess to 'marry late'... In fact, some early-married princesses also delay the actual wedding ceremony, i.e., the 'consummation' part, which should have been agreed upon when the marriage was arranged.

To be precise, the marriage timing of princesses at this time is quite extreme, either very early, far below the religiously stated minimum age, or very late, uh, 'late' by the standards of the time, certainly not comparable to the first marriage age of later generations.

So, Princess Isabella at 18 is in her prime for marriage. As for being somewhat late, it’s because she doesn’t even have a marriage contract yet—late marriage is one thing, but a marriage contract can be arranged earlier. Like Louisa, who still has to wait for the actual marriage, but the marriage contract was made at 12.

This is also because Louisa has always stayed in a convent, and her marriage involves the inheritance of Brudo. If it were a princess, she would often be promised before the age of 5... After all, it’s a symbol of alliance, and arranging a marriage to reassure allies is understandable. And if any accidents occur, whether the fiancé dies early or the alliance breaks down, ending the marriage contract is not difficult.

People in the Middle Ages obviously did not have the harsh 'chastity' views of ancient Chinese nobility. A woman having had a previous marriage contract was no big deal and did not hinder finding the next good match.

"Edward IV’s secret marriage is indeed surprising," Louisa marveled.

To be honest, even she was initially caught up in the gossip frenzy when she first heard the news. Given how quickly news spread and the frequency of headline updates at that time, this piece of gossip was likely to be discussed in various courts for a long time.

The reason is simple: even in modern times, where there is a constant barrage of entertainment news, the secret marriage of King Edward was absolutely scandalous.

King Edward, or Edward IV, is the King of Gordonland, who ascended to the throne earlier this year. Louisa's main take on him is that he is one of the antagonists in the original book... This was to be expected, as Vason is modeled after France, and Gordonland is modeled after England. Given the context of "Anglo-French friendship," with the male protagonist being the King of Vason, it would be strange if Edward, as the King of Gordonland, didn't stir up some trouble.

King Edward had been married before, but 4 or 5 years ago, his wife, the princess, passed away, leaving him a widower. Since then, the Gordonland royal family has been scouting eligible daughters of major noble families both domestically and abroad, with a particular focus on royal families of other countries, in hopes of finding a suitable match for their prince, the future king.

But just as it is difficult for princesses to find a suitable marriage partner, it is much the same for princes. Their options are somewhat broader, but not by much—princesses, even when marrying below their station, would only marry the eldest son with the right to inherit, and there is only one such son per family! Princes, on the other hand, can marry daughters of any rank, whether they are the eldest or not (unless the family has no male heirs).

Thus, finding a bride for the then Prince Edward, now King Edward, was not an easy task... It was only just before Edward's ascension that rumors emerged about the selection of the Princess of Cobra.

Cobra, though a small country, is still a country, and a princess is still a princess!

But before this marriage could be finalized, who would have thought that Prince Edward would become King Edward, and the Gordonlanders promptly acted as if nothing had transpired—compared to a mere prince, even if he was the heir to the throne, the standards for a king's bride could be much higher.

Yes, everyone knew that, assuming no unforeseen events, Prince Edward was destined to wear the crown of Gordonland, but he hadn't worn it yet, had he? In these times, although it wasn't as chaotic as a few hundred years ago, for those on the stage of power, it remained uncertain whether the next day would bring fortune or misfortune!

The envoys of the Gordonland court then turned their attention to the courts of major countries, hoping to select a more noble princess. Among them, Princess Isabella, unmarried and of marriageable age, almost immediately became the top candidate. But when the ministers asked the king for instructions on whether to propose to Vason, King Edward hesitantly and somewhat bashfully disclosed:

Well... I am already married!

Disarray barely captures the ministers' feelings upon hearing this news, with visible confusion etched on every face. Wait, when did this happen? No, no, the question should be, who is your spouse... No, wait, the first question should be why there was no prior hint of this—

In truth, posing these questions was futile, as under the influence of religion, monogamy was strictly observed at that time, and divorce was almost impossible! Since King Edward was already married, even if it was a secret marriage, provided the wedding had indeed taken place. Under the eyes of the Lord and the priest's witness, with the exchange of rings, there was absolutely nothing that could be done.

Unless the king himself grew tired of this marriage and regretted it, then there might be some measures that could be taken.

After all, it's easy to imagine that for a "secret marriage," the other party's social status must not match that of the king. And such a background meant that if the king wanted to act recklessly, there was really no way to resist—finding flaws in the union, declaring it invalid, or even more cruelly, ensuring the queen's "natural demise," these things were not difficult to accomplish.

But obviously, King Edward was still in the throes of passion, he was truly in love. He met "Queen Jane" at his own coronation... This lady, who was then just "Miss Jane," was the daughter of an ordinary baron. If it weren't for her aunt, who happened to be the new king's aunt, she wouldn't even have had the chance to attend the coronation.

A baron was indeed a high-ranking title at that time, but the coronation ceremonies of the Middle Ages were not as grand as those of later times, and not many people could attend. Moreover, barons, except for some who were doing well, were strong as a whole group. An ordinary baron, compared to the royal family, was like a firefly to the bright moon, and it was normal for them not to be qualified to attend the king's coronation.

But it was at the coronation that everything changed, in the context of China, it was like "the golden wind and the jade dew met for the first time."

In fact, some people noticed the new king's satisfaction with "Miss Jane" on the spot, but no one took it too seriously—this Miss Jane was already engaged, and more importantly, her background was too low.

The king likes her? That's not a problem, this Miss Jane should quickly get married, then her husband becomes a courtier, and she herself enters the court. Then she can just be a mistress, right? Although the late Middle Ages were not as open as the Renaissance period and the later "libertine era," with lust openly displayed, it was still like one being overtly flirtatious and the other covertly flirtatious.

Because of religious reasons, the nobles were seemingly very abstinent, but in reality, court scandals were never few.

In fact, it seems that even the surface-level abstinence is somewhat hard to maintain now. For example, in terms of clothing, it used to be loose, not revealing the body shape, and tightly wrapped. But recently, women's clothing has been emphasizing close-fitting tailoring, and even exposing a bit of the neck or a small part of the shoulder is becoming fashionable!

From small things, we can see the trend!

As for the mistresses of monarchs, they have never been lacking, even in the most rigorous times!

"I really wonder how beautiful Queen Jane is." Louisa's curiosity is also something that everyone who hasn't seen "Queen Jane" can't help but imagine.

Putting oneself in others' shoes, King Edward, a newly ascended king, gave up the potential real money, invisible political assets, and even some land claims that his marriage could have brought... It must have been an extraordinary beauty.

"I heard that Queen Jane looks very much like her grandmother, and her aunt also resembles her mother, but not as much—only half as much, yet she was already a famous beauty in the Gordonland royal family. Back then, marrying a prince as the daughter of a baron was probably because of her beauty, right? After all, that was a duke!" The servants also had discussions about this.

"Such a beauty, it's a pity her background is too low, otherwise she wouldn't have had to marry just a baron." This was about the grandmother of the new Queen of Gordonland.

Actually, no one had heard of this person before, but as the super gossip of King Edward's secret marriage spread everywhere, some past news that hadn't been widely circulated also came out. It can only be said that beauty indeed has a news effect, but beauty combined with power is the most discussed.

"Yes, but the daughter of a farmer..." Someone shook their head: "It might be harder for the daughter of a farmer to win over a baron than for the daughter of a baron to win over a king! The king is supreme, even if this marriage is opposed, as long as the king insists, there's nothing that can be done. But a baron, there are too many people and things around him that can constrain him, and there are more practical considerations to take into account."

It's easy to see why a monarch's power is enough to bypass rules. This was especially true in ancient China, where feudal monarchs held absolute, centralized power! In such circumstances, the emperor could basically disregard the background of his concubines.

Even the most respected empresses often came from modest or even controversial backgrounds.

"Are you curious about the Queen of Gordenland’s beauty?" Madam Hugo smiled and said, "I have seen the Queen's aunt before. When Duke Belaird visited Vason, he was received by the royal family. In Xidai, she also made a grand appearance. I don't know how beautiful the Queen of Gordenland is, but as for Duchess Belaird..."

Duke Belaird, King Edward’s uncle, is married to Queen Jane’s aunt... The title of duke is impressive, and he certainly holds a prominent place in the Gordenland royal family. However, how powerful he really is, it's hard to say. After all, royal dukes and earls have another evaluation system, and their actual power may not be substantial.

Speaking of which, Madam Hugo's family is from Xidai, and she happened to see Duchess Belaird when she was a young lady.

Madam Hugo did not keep everyone in suspense for long. After a brief pause to capture everyone's attention, she quickly continued, "She was truly stunning—a tall, captivating beauty with bright, expressive eyes that I still remember vividly. At that time, she was accompanied by Crown Prince Pierre, whose gaze could not be diverted from her."

Prince Pierre, Prince Philip’s eldest brother and Louisa’s fiancé, died of typhoid fever three years ago... More unfortunately, or perhaps luckily for the royal family, Crown Prince Pierre had no legitimate sons. Apart from illegitimate children, he only had two daughters.

This is fortunate for the royal family, as otherwise Prince Pierre’s descendants would have been next in line for the throne—although the inheritance system is relatively well-established now, and there wouldn’t be a situation where princes fight for the throne under normal circumstances, it is still not as rigid as in later times.

Prince Pierre, being the eldest, naturally became the crown prince, and with the high prestige of the eldest brother, his younger brothers generally had no objections. But if the elder brother were gone and the throne still went to his family, to be inherited by his son, it would easily make the older princes discontent. In the Middle Ages, such a situation was perilous, often leading to unstable power transitions.

Now that Prince Pierre has no legitimate sons, there is no need to consider such a delicate situation!

So the crown prince title went to the third brother, Prince Jacques... As for the second brother, Prince Louis, joined the church early, forfeiting any claim to the throne—although noble families often sent their second sons, who wouldn’t inherit much, to the church, it was rare for princes of a major kingdom like Vason to enter the church.

For one, the royal family is wealthy enough to support all their children, even with the King of Vason’s many sons. On the other hand, the church is wary of families with too much secular power entering the church, as their influence would far surpass that of an ordinary noble’s son.

There’s some mystery behind why Prince Louis was sent to the church. Louisa doesn’t know the details but senses it’s unusual... Still, what large family doesn’t have its secrets? Especially the royals.

"She seems quite charming, and everyone says Queen Jane outshines Duchess Belaird..." Louisa marveled.

Madam Hugo smiled again, looking at Louisa, half-complimenting and half-sincerely saying, "No need to be modest. Queen Jane aside, Duchess Belaird’s beauty doesn’t hold a candle to yours. If Duchess Belaird is a star, you’re the moon—and you’re still young, destined to grow even more beautiful."

"Besides, mortal beauty has its limits. No matter how stunning Queen Jane is, I can’t imagine her surpassing you." This made Louisa feel a bit embarrassed... She’s been blessed with a beautiful face, which only becomes more striking as she ages. Even in her previous life, where she had the opportunity to see the world’s top beauties, she would give this life’s face a high evaluation.

She could’ve been a leading lady in a classic Hollywood blockbuster, the kind before political correctness took over.

But that’s it. Future generations, used to seeing global beauties, have become somewhat desensitized. Plus, seeing oneself in the mirror day after day, it’s hard to remain constantly amazed. Her current state is knowing she’s a beautiful young lady, and will grow into a great beauty, and that’s it, rarely thinking about it in daily life.

Of course, while embarrassed, Louisa also agreed with the latter part of Madam Hugo's words. For a monarch like King Edward to fall in love at first sight, completely infatuated, even to the point of secretly marrying the daughter of a baron, something beyond everyone’s expectations—this indeed greatly elevates people’s estimation of the Queen’s beauty.

Due to her embarrassment, Louisa somewhat changed the topic. She quickly said, "Oh... you're too kind, this must be because you've always been my friend, so you favor me... but don't spread such words, what would people say—let's talk about something else, King Edward's secret marriage is already in the past."

"Is there anything happening now, or about to happen?" At this point, Louisa, who had been somewhat immersed in the gossip, remembered that they had digressed! She asked about the latest news not just to see if there was any grand event where her family’s silver mirror could make a stunning appearance, right?

A squire, likely sharing a knight’s passion for battle, chimed in, "I heard Prince Guillaume has triumphed! He really did a great job this time, fiercely repelling those Mubhan people!"