Chapter 4 Marriage Proposal ‘I wish to choose a good wife for myself.’

Chapter 4: Marriage 'I Wish to Choose My Own Good Wife'

Jiang Congyan's entourage successfully entered the city, made its way through the bustling Xuan Yang Avenue and the lively neighborhoods of Chang'an, and finally arrived near the palace at the King of Chu's residence.

The King of Chu's residence was originally a royal palace of the previous dynasty. The tyrannical and extravagant Emperor Wei of the previous dynasty, during his reign, had built many palaces in his indulgence. After the fall of the previous dynasty, Taizu established the capital in Chang'an and repurposed the various palaces, bestowing them upon his capable ministers and valiant generals.

The Eastern Palace of Crown Prince Zhaowen was originally the Eastern Palace, covering a vast area. It was later inherited by Jiang Huai, the King of Chu, and transformed into the King of Chu's residence.

The carriage stopped at the side gate of the King of Chu's residence, where servants, having received the message, were waiting for the young lady to return.

Si Zi couldn't help but purse her lips when she saw the waiting people. The Princess of Chu's letter had been so urgent, yet when the young lady arrived home, she only sent a steward to receive her. It was truly saying one thing and doing another. It would have been better to stay in Liangzhou.

Jiang Congyan didn't pay any mind to these things and alighted from the carriage and entered the King of Chu's residence directly.

"Young lady, you're finally back. The lady has been constantly thinking of you!"

Si Zi was already disgruntled, and hearing this, she couldn't help but feel the urge to retort. She was pinched on the waist by Ruo Lan, barely suppressing her resentment, her expression still indignant.

"Thank you for the lady's concern," Jiang Congyan responded nonchalantly.

She first returned to her own courtyard to wash up, changed into a white robe with a crimson collar and wide sleeves, and a crimson and green layered skirt. She draped an emerald shawl over her arm and was led by her maids to the Jingzhen Residence, the Princess of Chu's quarters, to pay her respects.

The two sat facing each other on low couches, exchanged a few pleasantries before lapsing into silence.

The Princess of Chu suddenly spoke, her voice icy in the dimly lit chamber, "I heard you brought back fifty armored soldiers."

Jiang Congyan lowered her gaze, her hands folded in front of her, her back straight, as serene as a still lake. She replied softly, "Yes. In recent years, bandits have been rampant, often looting. My grandfather feared the journey would be unsafe, so he arranged for armored soldiers to escort me."

Her words were measured, her voice calm and composed, betraying no emotion. The Princess of Chu couldn't find a fault to pick.

She stared at her stepdaughter, who had a beautiful and delicate face, like a pearl that couldn't hide its brilliance even in the dark. She had initially thought her to be a delicate young lady, but after more than a year of interaction, she realized that she seemed easy to handle, but in reality, there was no opportunity to do so.

The Princess of Chu was not satisfied. She cleared her throat and deliberately put on airs, "The Marquis of Liangzhou is thoughtful, but our residence is crowded. So many armored soldiers probably won't have room to stay. You should send them back."

Si Zi, kneeling behind Jiang Congyan to serve, immediately looked up in anger upon hearing this.

What do you mean no room! The residence is vast, with only three masters in the household. There are plenty of empty rooms. Last year, she even heard the cleaners complain that many rooms were being eaten by ants because no one lived in them. The lady is clearly targeting the young lady!

Si Zi's hands at her side clenched into fists, feeling even more aggrieved for the young lady.

When they were in Liangzhou, the lord and lady treated the young lady like a treasure, granting her every wish. The young masters and ladies in the household were as close as siblings, caring for the young lady with great affection. But since returning to Chang'an, they have faced constant difficulties from the lady.

Jiang Congyan calmed her with a look, then slowly raised her eyes to face the Princess of Chu directly. Her pitch-black pupils were soft like water but somehow deep and profound. "Since the lady says there's no room in the residence, I will arrange for them to stay elsewhere."

She neither refuted nor got angry. As she spoke, she exuded a calm and unhurried demeanor, her words gentle, as if nothing in the world could change her composure.

The Princess of Chu was momentarily speechless but refused to give up.

She remembered last year when she had arranged a marriage for her, but before the engagement could be finalized, someone from Liangzhou came and took her away, making her lose face in front of many ladies.

Someone had asked her in front of others, "Could it be that because you are a stepmother, the Marquis of Liangzhou doesn't like the gentleman you chose?" Others said, "You are also her mother, yet you have no say in Princess Shun'an's marriage?" Such blatant mockery truly infuriated her!

The Princess of Chu steadied her mind, lifted her chin, and looked down at her stepdaughter with a superior attitude: "You are already seventeen. As your mother, I should find a good gentleman for you, otherwise the ladies in Chang'an will think I don't treat you well."

She said this, but it was clearly not out of good intentions.

Jiang Congyan's expression remained unchanged, only the warmth in her eyes gradually faded as she looked steadily at the Princess of Chu:

"Madam, you are too concerned. But perhaps you don't know, my marriage is not so easily decided!"

After leaving Jingzhenju, Jiang Congyan headed towards Lishuiyuan.

Along the way, Si Zi could no longer suppress her resentment and burst out complaining, "The Princess of Chu is really over the top! She's deliberately trying to cause trouble for you, my lady! We absolutely cannot let her succeed!"

Even the usually composed Auntie Ruo Lan couldn't help but advise, "My lady, you must not let yourself be wronged. If the Princess of Chu insists on acting this way, you should write to the Lord and ask for his intervention."

Jiang Congyan, knowing their concern, stopped and took their hands to comfort them, saying with rare playfulness, "Don't sweat it, if she messes with me, I'll just tell my grandpa!"

Though she spoke lightly, Jiang Congyan began to ponder the matter of marriage in her heart.

The Princess of Chu was manageable; invoking her grandfather's name could easily suppress her. The real issue was the Emperor of Liang. The Princess of Chu hadn't considered her marriage before, but after several visits to the palace last year, she started to have this idea, and the candidates she picked all shared a common trait—none of them had military power. It seemed that the Emperor of Liang was very concerned about her, especially worried that she might marry back to Liangzhou.

She certainly wouldn't marry her cousins, but putting it off wasn't a solution either. Maybe find someone to team up with?

That was indeed a possibility. Find someone who could put the Emperor of Liang at ease, and both could benefit from the arrangement.

Jiang Congyan began to consider suitable candidates in Chang'an City. As she pondered, she found herself at the entrance of Lishuiyuan, where the King of Chu lived. She collected her thoughts.

A canal was dug to divert a branch of the Jing River, circling the courtyard. A pavilion was built on a small island in the middle, with only one exit to the east, making it water-locked on three sides, hard to reach.

As she approached the pavilion, a young boy was guarding the door.

Jiang Congyan asked, "Is my father inside?"

The boy, startled by the sudden appearance of the lady, stood frozen until Si Zi called out to him. He quickly replied, "My lady, you're back! The Lord is inside, but..."

"But what?" Si Zi asked impatiently, irritated by the boy's stammering.

The boy cautiously said, "But the Lord has been drinking again today and is likely still drunk."

Jiang Congyan nodded, not surprised.

Ever since the former Princess of Chu passed away seventeen years ago, the King of Chu had been overwhelmed with grief, shutting himself off from the world and becoming lazy. Ten years ago, when Jiang Congyan's twin brother died young, the King of Chu sank deeper into alcoholism, living in a drunken haze, indifferent to the world.

It had been like this for many years.

Pushing open the wooden door, a strong whiff of alcohol hit her, almost burning her nose.

After adjusting for a moment, Jiang Congyan lifted her skirt and stepped inside.

The room was dark, with curtains hanging down, and the light was dim. It was unnervingly quiet, with many wine bottles scattered messily on the carpet, and a small table on the low couch overturned, wine spilling everywhere.

Jiang Congyan carefully avoided the obstacles on the floor and continued forward. After passing a folding screen, black on the front and red on the back, embroidered with birds and flowers, she finally saw a man lying on the floor—it was the King of Chu.

He appeared to be in his thirties or forties, with a short beard, fair skin, and a tall, slender build. He was haphazardly wrapped in a fine silk robe, white with a blue collar, the lapel disheveled and stained with wine. He was barefoot, looking messy and lacking any royal grace.

As if sensing someone's presence, he slowly opened his eyes. First, he saw the corner of a green and blue lotus-patterned shawl hanging to the floor, then the intricate hem of a crimson and green skirt. Realizing something, he struggled to prop himself up on his elbow and tilted his neck to look at Jiang Congyan.

Perhaps he was too drunk or his vision was blurred. He stared at Jiang Congyan for a long time, as if trying to recognize her or perhaps seeing an old acquaintance. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes, but he still didn't recognize her. Instead, he asked, "Who are you?"

"It's me, your daughter is back," Jiang Congyan said, as if she had seen this scene a hundred times before. She folded her hands in front of her abdomen and bowed to him without changing her expression.

The King of Chu's face froze for a moment, and after thinking for a while, he finally remembered who she was. He nodded slowly, his tone drawn out, "Oh~ it's Congyan."

"Why... *hic*... have you come?" the King of Chu asked again.

"I have returned from afar to pay my respects to my father and the Princess of Chu," Jiang Congyan said calmly.

"Oh~" the King of Chu suddenly realized, waving his hand, "Father is fine, fine, fine... you may go." His voice gradually lowered, and after a brief moment of clarity, he was about to slip back into drunkenness.

Having returned to Chang'an for over a year, Jiang Congyan could count on one hand the number of times she had met her father. Each time, he was so drunk that their conversations were monotonous and unengaging, leaving her unsure whether the King of Chu had any affection for her as his daughter.

If not, why was he in such a state all day? If so, why did he show no concern?

She actually wanted to ask if her stepmother was planning to marry her off, but she held back.

"Yes, I’ll take my leave," Jiang Congyan bowed once more and left smoothly.

As she turned, she seemed to see the King of Chu covering his head with his hand, perhaps suffering from a headache due to excessive drinking.

After exiting, the young servant was still waiting nearby. Jiang Congyan thought for a moment and said to him, "The lord is drunk and feeling unwell, go fetch some tea to sober him up."

The servant nodded hurriedly.

——

In the northern palace of the imperial city, within Jiuhua Palace, chaos was unfolding.

A sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl dressed in colorful and luxurious attire ignored the blocking of the palace maids, pushed past them, and rushed into the hall, followed by a group of anxious and terrified attendants.

"Princess! Princess, slow down!"

The girl paid no heed, lifting her skirt as she hurried to the inner chamber. "Mother, mother, I heard that the Prince of Mobei has entered the city today!"

"They say he’s here for a marriage alliance, is father going to offer a princess to him? Then, will father, will he marry me off?"

"Those uncivilized barbarians are brutal and cruel, I heard they eat raw meat and drink blood, especially the Prince of Mobei, they say he looks like a leopard, a true beast. If I were to marry him, I couldn’t bear it..."

Jiang Yinzhu grew more fearful as she spoke, as if she could already imagine the bloody scene; her whole body shook.

"Zhu'er!" The palace lady seated before the mirror, putting on earrings, finally couldn’t take it anymore and turned around, revealing a beautiful yet stern face.

She was around thirty, with snow-white skin and a flower-like beauty, her charming eyes full of affection. She was the most favored concubine of the Emperor of Liang, Noble Consort Zhao.

"The matter isn’t decided yet, why are you so panicked?" She scolded with a mix of severity and indulgence.

"How can I not be scared!" Jiang Yinzhu muttered, throwing herself onto her mother's arm, "Among father’s daughters, the older ones are already married, so next is me, isn't it!"

"Mother, you have to convince father, I absolutely refuse to marry a barbarian! Besides, what about Sixth Sister and Seventh Sister? Let them marry!"

Noble Consort Zhao's hand, adorned with crimson nail polish, caressed her daughter's young and tender face, looking at her, her voice soft yet firm: "With mother here, even if your father only had you as his princess, mother won’t let you marry a barbarian. Mother will definitely find you a suitable husband."

Jiang Yinzhu's eyes lit up, her expression instantly turning from worry to joy, "I knew mother wouldn’t want to part with me."

Noble Consort Zhao poked her forehead, her tone changing: "Alright, stop fussing in front of me, your father will be here soon."

Jiang Yinzhu probably guessed it was for her own good and obediently followed the palace maid back to her own residence.

After a while, the bell rang, and the Emperor of Liang’s carriage arrived at Jiuhua Palace. Noble Consort Zhao hurried forward to attend to him.

The palace maids busily carried cups and plates in and out. After the meal and washing, when they were intimate within the curtains, Noble Consort Zhao brought up the matter of the marriage alliance with the Prince of Mobei, mentioning that she couldn’t bear to let her daughter, whom she had cherished for over ten years, marry to a barbarian land. She had thought the emperor would agree immediately, but he was unusually silent.

Noble Consort Zhao's heart raced, and she instinctively touched her chest. She pushed down her unease, her snow-white arms like willow branches embracing the Emperor of Liang's shoulders, pressing her face against his chest, "Your Majesty, is there something troubling you?"

The Emperor of Liang narrowed his eyes towards the direction of Fanglin Palace, the pleasure on his face gradually fading, replaced by a gloomy expression, "Today I sent an envoy to greet him, that Tuo Baxiao, he actually had the audacity to make a demand to me, saying, 'I wish to choose my own wife,' humph!"

"A barbarian, so arrogant!"

Noble Consort Zhao's heart sank as well.

Zhu'er is so bright and lively, what if this barbarian takes a liking to her.

No, I must find a way!