Chapter 1325: All Fine Matches! (Begging for Monthly Tickets)

"Imperial Mother, please help your son. I don't want Ding Yuying as the principal wife. She has those peach-blossom eyes — just looking at her, you can tell she's trouble. I want Luo Xiaohe or—"

In the Kunning Hall of the East Lake, the Crown Prince Zhu Hexing stopped halfway through his sentence. Because what he had meant to say was that he wanted Luo Xiaohe or Zheng Min. Only after he was halfway through did he remember that his own mother and Noble Consort Zheng did not get along!

Wu Sanmei had sharp ears and caught the problem at once. Frowning, she asked, "Why Luo Xiaohe? Isn't Ahuan good?"

"Ahuan... is good!" Zhu Hexing thought to himself: Wu Ahuan, or Ding Yuying — Wu Ahuan is good-looking, sure, but she's so fierce, and she has backing! This isn't taking a wife; it's practically taking a little stepmother!

Wu Sanmei knitted her brows. "Who is this Ding Yuying's family? None of the merit-noble houses have the surname Ding."

"She's not from a merit-noble family," the Crown Prince said, his tone carrying a hint of disdain. "She'd be fine as a secondary consort, but as the principal wife she's far too low."

He looked down on Ding Yuying not only because she was a bit coquettish. In truth, the Eight-Faced Guanyin was even more alluring, and her pair of glistening eyes were just as charming and seductive. But the Crown Prince did not find her coquettish or vulgar, because her father was a Duke and came from the foremost merit-noble family of the Great Ming. This Crown Prince's thinking was rather feudal (well, he was the crown prince of a feudal dynasty — expecting liberty, equality, and fraternity from him would be wrong). His mind was steeped in hierarchy, and he looked at Ding Yuying through tinted glasses.

Of course, having Ding Yuying as a secondary consort would still be quite good.

"So she's from a wealthy merchant family?" Wu Sanmei said in a reproachful tone. "Your Imperial Father must have his eye on her family's money!"

"Not at all. She's just from a small, humble household in Jingzhou Prefecture," Zhu Hexing said. "Her father is a small merchant who runs a farm. Not worth mentioning."

In truth, Ding the Skinflint counted as a wealthy man in Yiling Prefecture, but in the eyes of the imperial family, what did the Ding family's little estate amount to?

"Is that so?" Wu Sanmei actually let out a breath. "Then it seems your father has his eye on the Ding family's background!"

"His eye on her background?" Zhu Hexing was a little confused. "What background does she have worth looking at?"

"The fact that she has none is exactly the point!" Wu Sanmei said. "You should know that before your mother entered the palace, for over two hundred years the imperial family selected consorts from humble, small households."

Zhu Hexing knew this. Frowning, he asked, "Didn't Imperial Father think that practice was bad?"

"Times have changed," Wu Sanmei said with a bitter smile. "Back then the imperial family had suffered a great calamity and needed to unite the powerful factions from all sides, so of course they had to forge marriage alliances far and wide. Now our Great Ming is in a golden age again. With Sichuan and Yunnan about to be recovered, the imperial family no longer needs marriage alliances with merit-nobles and great houses to control the overall situation. Moreover, a crown princess chosen from a humble family is easy to train. If anything goes wrong, she can also be easily replaced!"

"Replaced? Replaced with whom?" Zhu Hexing was still thinking of Zheng Min and Luo Xiaohe. If Wu Ahuan was the replacement, then better to let Ding Yuying be the crown princess! As his mother said, this one is easy to train — make her round and she'll be round, make her square and she'll be square.

Hearing her son's words, Wu Sanmei sighed softly. "Indeed, who would be a good replacement?"

A daughter of the Zheng family was absolutely out of the question! And Empress Wu did not care for a girl like Luo Xiaohe, who came from a distinguished Jiangnan family. In her eyes, the Zheng, Shen, Luo, and other southeastern political and commercial great houses were all one faction! Back when the Great Ming had fallen to the point of being unable to make ends meet, wasn't it these people who were evading taxes?

And the Wu family had too few girls. Because cousins could not marry, the daughters of Wu Sangui, Wu Sanfu, and Wu Sanfeng's families were all ruled out, leaving only the daughters of Wu Guogui, Wu Guoyong, and Wu Guozheng's families. Among them, the prettiest, the Eight-Faced Guanyin Wu Ahuan, could not wait that long! And the few younger ones — the Crown Prince could not wait for them either. It truly was a dilemma!

"His Majesty the Emperor arrives!" Just as Wu Sanmei was fretting, a middle-aged palace woman called out — nowadays the eunuchs in the palace were growing fewer and fewer, since no new ones had been brought in for a long time. Instead, middle-aged palace women were increasing in number — all widows with no one to rely on, and all over forty.

Wu Sanmei and Zhu Hexing hurriedly rose to greet him. Seeing Emperor Zhu arrive, one performed a blessing curtsy and the other a bow with clasped hands.

Zhu Cilang had not come to Kunning Hall alone. Behind him he led three girls. Walking in front was Ding Yuying, followed by Wu Ahuan, and last came Luo Xiaohe.

At the sight of Luo Xiaohe, the Crown Prince's heart immediately began pounding — could it be that Luo Xiaohe was to be made a secondary consort?

Just then, Emperor Zhu spoke. "Empress, let me introduce you. This is Ding Yuying, our daughter-in-law. The Crown Prince chose her himself. The Crown Prince has excellent taste!"

Wu Sanmei was taken aback and turned to look at her son — how could you have chosen her yourself? Why didn't you choose Wu Ahuan?

The Crown Prince wore an expression of utter grievance! The person had indeed been chosen by him, but there had only been one option — Ding Yuying!

Wu Sanmei withdrew her gaze and looked again at Wu Ahuan, whose face was full of delight, and at Luo Xiaohe, whose cheeks were flushed red like an apple.

What did those two mean by this?

Emperor Zhu continued, "After the lucky boy made his choice, We had the Landlord Boy and the Rent-Collecting Prince come choose consorts as well. The Landlord Boy took a fancy to Ahuan, and Cixuan chose Xiaohe. Hahaha, everyone is happy!"

Imperial Father, your son is not happy! Zhu Hexing could almost hear the sound of his own heart breaking. Such a fine girl, and she goes cheap to Uncle Rent-Collector. What's so good about Uncle Rent-Collector? He's just a bit more learned, a bit richer, a bit kinder, and a bit more handsome. He simply cannot compare to me!

Wu Sanmei looked at Wu Ahuan and sighed softly. Marrying Wu Ahuan to the Landlord Prince had been Wu Sangui's dying wish, and she could hardly oppose it. As for marrying Luo Xiaohe to the Rent-Collecting Prince, that also suited her wishes. She regarded Zhu Cixuan as a son, so of course she worried over his marriage. Luo Dagong was also a merit-noble of the hard-pressed days — he had built up Shanghai Prefecture, that place of abundant wealth, and he had also presided over all manner of dealings with the Westerners (he had been managing such matters since his days as Shanghai county magistrate). His contributions were great, so he had been enfeoffed as a marquis (the Hard-Pressed Marquis). His daughter was certainly worthy of the Rent-Collecting Prince. Moreover, the Luo family were great landowners in Shanghai, and much of their land had been enclosed within the city of Shanghai, so the Luo family was now rolling in wealth and could absolutely provide a huge dowry.

Furthermore, Luo Dagong was a leader of the southeastern literati and a Grand Secretary. With his support, the Rent-Collecting Prince's official career would be smooth, and in the future he might well become a Grand Secretary himself. With his help, the Crown Prince's days would be much easier.

"Yuying," Zhu Cilang said after taking a seat, instructing Ding Yuying, "pay your respects to the Empress. You are to call her Imperial Mother!"

"Your daughter-in-law respectfully wishes Imperial Mother sacred peace." Ding Yuying performed a blessing curtsy to Wu Sanmei with the utmost respect.

Wu Sanmei studied Ding Yuying. She was indeed a rare beauty!

Zhu Cilang said with a smile, "Sanmei, the Crown Prince has excellent taste, doesn't he? From now on she is our daughter-in-law. We intend to have Kou Baimen instruct her for ten days to half a month, and then pick an auspicious day for her and the Crown Prince to bow and complete their marriage. What do you think?"

"Isn't this too rushed?" Wu Sanmei asked, looking at her husband. "Shouldn't the Crown Prince's grand wedding be a bit more solemn?"

Zhu Cilang said, "How is this not solemn? Selecting a consort by examination! The whole realm knows of it. I see no need to delay — let's get this good deed done quickly! The Crown Prince is no longer young; it's time he started a family. Besides, the good matches of the Landlord Boy and Cixuan, and Our own marriage to Princess Nisha, can all be held together. How about a fourfold celebration?"

Wu Sanmei was somewhat displeased — Princess Nisha too! She was entering the palace as a Noble Consort, so why should she get a wedding ceremony? This Empress never had one!

"Very well! Then let it be done quickly, so we can soon hold a grandson!" Displeased as she was, Wu Sanmei still nodded and agreed. She had followed Emperor Zhu since childhood and had long since been trained to be thoroughly obedient, not daring to defy her husband.

Zhu Cilang glanced at his son again. Seeing the helplessness all over his face, he thought: You brat, you don't know how good you have it! Ding Yuying is a beauty, not much inferior to the Eight-Faced Guanyin. Once you've tasted her charms, I guarantee you'll be utterly smitten! And with her helping you from now on, you silly boy's good days are truly about to begin!

(End of Chapter)