Chapter 67: Princess Yongning

The next morning, when the sun was already high, Princess Yongning woke up slowly from behind the green gauze curtains.

At sixteen years old this year, she had inherited the fine genes of Li Taihou; her brows were like new moons, her skin like congealed fat, and dressed in a snow-white gauze skirt, she possessed an indescribable allure from head to toe.

She rubbed her eyes and moved her body to get off the bed.

Ever since she learned she was to choose a husband, she had been unable to sleep for entire nights, worrying about this and fearing that; yesterday, she hadn't fallen asleep until the fifth watch.

Upon learning that the Princess was awake, several court ladies immediately prepared hot water to help the Princess dress and wash.

After some fuss, Princess Yongning put on a Western-style pleated skirt as thin as silkworm gauze and as bright as snow; the dozen or so pleats at the waist set off her slender waist, making it look graceful and charming.

Her cherry lips were not painted with rouge, yet they were already as bright as blood.

Rong'er, the personal court lady by her side, stared in a daze, then picked up a mirror and teased, "Princess, you are truly beautiful. If the Imperial Son-in-law sees you, he will surely be completely captivated by you."

Princess Yongning feigned anger, baring her fangs and brandishing her claws as she said, "Dead Rong'er, if you dare talk nonsense again, see if I don't tear your mouth apart."

Knowing her mistress was not actually angry, Rong'er was not afraid of her and pointed at the surrounding court ladies, asking, "You all tell me, am I talking nonsense? Is our Princess beautiful or not?"

"Beautiful!" the other court ladies laughed along.

"If you keep making noise, I will send you all to the Huan'yiju," Princess Yongning used her trump card.

At this, all the court ladies quieted down.

Soon, a burst of hurried footsteps came from outside, and a court lady of about thirty-seven or thirty-eight with a fierce expression walked in.

Seeing the person arrive, not only the court ladies but even Princess Yongning shivered.

The person who arrived was the Managing Eunuch—no, the managing matron of her bedchamber.

"Sun Mama."

The court ladies called out timidly and retreated behind her with lowered heads.

Sun Mama swept her cold eyes around, then fixed her gaze on the fresh-as-a-lotus Princess Yongning, saying earnestly, "Princess, you are about to be married. The Imperial family has its own etiquette; you must not be unruly anymore."

"Oh." Princess Yongning nodded her little head, then suddenly hugged Sun Mama and acted spoiled, "Sun Mama, I am so tired today. Can you let me rest for half a day? I have already memorized everything you taught me yesterday."

"No." Sun Mama refused with a straight face, saying with a hint of complaint, "Princess, you are tired, but I am even more tired. If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's instructions, I wouldn't want to force you like this either."

"Just a little half-day, just a little half-day." Princess Yongning stuck out her delicate tongue and continued to beg pitifully.

Sun Mama felt bitter in her heart and was just about to continue her instruction.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard outside, and everyone turned to look; it was Wan He, the Managing Eunuch of Li Taihou's palace.

"Yo, Eunuch Wan, why have you come?" Sun Mama asked with a fawning smile.

"I have come to find Her Highness the Princess." Wan He nodded at Sun Mama, then turned his head to look at Princess Yongning and said respectfully, "Her Highness the Princess, the Empress Dowager summons you to Cining Palace."

Yongning felt a surge of joy and hurriedly followed Wan He's pace to leave the bedchamber.

As she was leaving, she did not forget to turn back and make a face at Sun Mama.

Her Princess bedchamber was not too far from the Empress Dowager's Cining Palace, and after only a moment, Princess Yongning arrived at Cining Palace with Wan He.

Stepping into the palace, she rolled her large eyes craftily and saw that her Imperial Brother and the Empress Dowager were already sitting on the embroidered couch.

"Imperial Brother, Mother Empress."

Princess Yongning hurriedly performed a salute.

Li Taihou nodded slightly and patted the embroidered couch to her right. Princess Yongning understood, walked up quickly, and then, acting spoiled, threw herself into Li Taihou's arms.

"You are about to be married, yet you still act like a little girl." Li Taihou giggled and teased. "It is... it is." Yongning wrinkled her nose and said in a soft, coquettish voice.

"Emperor, look, look, this is our Princess." Li Taihou was helpless; she cast a glance at the Emperor and complained while pointing at the Yongning in her arms.

"From now on, it shouldn't be Mother Empress worrying, but Yongning's husband who should be worrying," the Wanli Emperor added with a smile.

Princess Yongning's movements stalled; regarding the creature known as a husband, she was both expectant and somewhat afraid.

So she gathered her courage, looked at the Emperor, and asked, "Imperial Brother, what kind of person is my future husband?"

"What kind of person?" The Wanli Emperor was truly stumped by this question; he was silent for a moment before saying, "In any case, he is a good man with a clean family background and a decent appearance."

"Mother Empress!" Princess Yongning would not accept this answer; she pouted her little mouth and looked at the Empress Dowager, acting spoiled, "Look at Imperial Brother, he surely hasn't met the man and is just fobbing me off."

Li Taihou frowned and also began to press him: "Emperor, what is the Imperial Son-in-law's name, and what does his family do?"

"Liang..." the Wanli Emperor stammered, unable to say it for a long time.

Wei Qing, who was on the side, saw this and whispered a reminder, "Liang Bangrui, he is a wealthy merchant in the capital."

"Ah, right, Liang Bangrui." The Wanli Emperor clapped his hands and then spoke eloquently, "This man has a proper appearance, a broad-minded demeanor, his scholarship is passable, and he is also a wealthy merchant in the capital."

"That is not bad then."

Li Taihou nodded slightly.

To prevent the relatives of the Empress from interfering in politics, the Hongwu Emperor decreed that all Imperial marriages must be with families of humble status.

Just like Empress Chen, who is now Empress Chen, her family was only a low-ranking military officer.

The Wanli Emperor's Wang Huanghou was much the same.

That Yongning could find such a wealthy merchant could be considered a decent destination.

"Yongning, look, are you satisfied with the husband your Imperial Brother has chosen for you?" After thinking for a while, Li Taihou smiled, pointed at the Wanli Emperor, and looked down at Princess Yongning in her arms to ask.

"He says it nicely, but I haven't even seen him." Princess Yongning shook her head, her face full of disbelief.

"Fine, then I shall summon him for you to see!" The Wanli Emperor also became stubborn.

"Nonsense, where is there a rule that a Princess meets the Imperial Son-in-law before they are married?" Li Taihou raised her phoenix brows, glared, and scolded, "Those who don't know would think our Princess is worthless and desperate to be married off."

Seeing their mother angry, the two fell silent instantly.

One could hear a pin drop in the great hall.

After a long silence, Li Taihou said again: "Emperor, according to my view, two hundred thousand for Yongning's wedding banquet is truly a bit stingy; how about adding another two hundred thousand, making it four hundred thousand taels?"

"Mother Empress, didn't you teach your son to be frugal?"

The Wanli Emperor looked unconvinced.

When he married the Empress back then, it was only a little over two hundred thousand silver, and even then, Mother Empress had said he was being extravagant and wasteful.

"Emperor, today is different from the past. When you were married, the national treasury was in difficulty, and the Ministry of Revenue's expenditures exceeded its income. Now that the world is at peace and the people live and work in contentment, it is precisely the time for a grand wedding to celebrate the Wanli New Policy," Li Taihou said all in one breath.

"As for Mr. Zhang..."

"Summon him tomorrow, and I will speak with him together with you."

(End of chapter)