Chapter 1419: What to Do When You Don't Know How to Smooth Things Over?

At Zhu Cihuan's question, Galdan's expression turned a little awkward.

What do you mean? How did returning to lay life get linked to taking a wife? Did I return to lay life just to find a wife? How can a prince like you be so vulgar? Besides, the woman I like isn't someone I could marry just by returning to lay life!

Seeing Galdan red-faced and silent, the Fifth Dalai Lama assumed his disciple still had misgivings about returning to lay life, so he explained on his behalf: "Your Highness, Galdan has already returned to lay life, but he did not do so to take a wife — he did so to protect the Dharma. Though his body is in the secular world, his heart remains beside the Buddha."

Zhu Cihuan smiled and asked again: "Great Lama, has Chiliarch Galdan ever taken a wife?"

Why is it about taking a wife again? The Great Lama studied this prince, thinking: Are you trying to play matchmaker for Galdan?

"Galdan has only just returned to lay life and has not yet had time to take a wife." The Great Lama answered with a smile. "Could it be that Your Highness wishes to arrange a match for Galdan?"

Zhu Cihuan raised his thumb. "Excellent! Holy One, you truly are an eminent monk — you could see that?"

The Great Lama asked with a beaming smile: "May I ask which family's daughter Your Highness wishes to propose to Galdan?"

Zhu Cihuan smiled: "The man Chiliarch Galdan knows her too. Her name is A'nu."

"What? Crash!"

Before Zhu Cihuan had even finished speaking, Galdan was already roaring, and he smashed the teacup in his hand, then glared furiously at Zhu Cihuan, who wanted to play matchmaker for him, looking ready to grab the man and give him a beating.

Zhu Cihuan was naturally baffled. What on earth was going on? Did he think Fan A'nu's status was too low? Even if he looked down on A'nu's slave status, there was no need to fly into such a rage!

Besides, A'nu was the Emperor's personal maidservant — a status held by only one person in all of Great Ming. She was the Emperor's private slave; apart from the Emperor himself, who would dare call her lowly? This Ninth Prince thought to himself: Even a prince like me is respectful when meeting her. If the Emperor bestowed A'nu on me as my principal consort, that would be fortune cultivated in a previous life — I'd be set for life, maybe even become a second Landlord King! How can you, Galdan, not appreciate the blessing you've been given?

Galdan was still glaring at Zhu Cihuan, while Zhu Cihuan sat there stunned. He had no idea how to continue this matchmaking.

The others in the command hall were also somewhat baffled — why was Galdan angry? Did he really not want to marry? Even if he didn't want to marry, there was no cause for anger. And Zhu Cihuan and Galdan weren't even that familiar with each other; it was unlikely he'd meddle in Galdan's marriage on his own. Most likely it was the Emperor's own intention!

But there was someone present who understood — the Sanbao Lama. The Sanbao Lama was the Dzungar monk-minister, deeply trusted by Sengge, Anu Khatun, and Galdan, and he knew many of the Dzungar kingdom's court secrets. Galdan and his sister-in-law Anu Khatun were rather intimate!

And at one point rumors had spread, greatly angering King Sengge. It was only after Galdan swore to heaven that there was absolutely nothing improper between him and Anu Khatun that King Sengge's suspicions were dispelled. From then on, anyone who mentioned Anu Khatun in front of Galdan would receive a glare.

So Galdan must have taken the "A'nu" Zhu Cihuan mentioned to be his own sister-in-law.

Having guessed that Galdan had misunderstood Zhu Cihuan's meaning, the Sanbao Lama had to find a way to smooth things over. He asked Zhu Cihuan with a smile: "Commandery Prince, Chiliarch Galdan's bond with the Buddha is deep. He returned to lay life only to protect the Dharma, and once the Dharma is protected, he will enter the monkhood again — so it is not very convenient for him to take a wife."

"That won't do!" Zhu Cihuan had been startled by Galdan a moment ago, but now he had recovered somewhat, so his face darkened. He clasped his fists and saluted toward the empty air, saying in a grave voice, "This is my Imperial Brother's will! My Imperial Brother wishes to bestow a marriage upon Chiliarch Galdan and A'nu!"

What? It can be done like this? Galdan's mouth hung open, completely dumbfounded. Sengge wasn't dead yet! How could he marry his sister-in-law? But the Emperor's edict had to be obeyed! Defying an edict meant execution! Did the Emperor mean to force his fifth brother to divorce his wife?

"May I ask whose daughter this young lady A'nu is?" the Sanbao Lama asked. Unlike Galdan, he would not jump to the wrong conclusion — he knew this A'nu was not that Anu.

"She is the daughter of that damned Fan Wencheng. Her birth mother is Kong Sizhen," Zhu Cihuan said.

Crash! Another teacup smashed onto the floor!

Zhu Cihuan followed the sound and saw that it was a lama sitting in the corner — someone called Ford Lama or something — who had smashed his teacup. He glanced back at the Third Crown Prince — what was going on today? Why all the teacup-smashing? The teacups in your mansion aren't expensive, are they?

The Third Crown Prince also found it a bit eerie. He quickly set down the teacup he was holding onto the table in front of him, then gestured to his brother to continue.

"When Kong Sizhen was confiscated into the palace as a slave, she brought the girl in with her, and like her mother, she is a palace slave." Zhu Cihuan smiled. "Her status is a bit lowly, but she grew up at my Imperial Brother's side. After finishing elementary school, she became my Imperial Brother's personal maidservant! In all of Great Ming, she is one of a kind! Chiliarch Galdan, when you were in Yingtian Prefecture, you must have seen her, yes?"

Galdan let out an "Ah": "So the A'nu you meant was Fan A'nu..."

Zhu Cihuan smiled and nodded. "Indeed. Who else could it be? Do you know another A'nu, Chiliarch?"

Galdan was so embarrassed he didn't know what to say, and could only signal the Sanbao Lama with his eyes.

The Sanbao Lama had no choice but to help change the subject: "Your Highness, Chiliarch Galdan is, after all, a noble of the Dzungar kingdom. Marrying the daughter of a convict slave is not entirely appropriate, is it?"

Zhu Cihuan smiled: "Fan A'nu will of course not be married off as a convict slave. She will be granted the surname Zhu and enfeoffed as a Commandery Princess. She will be more than worthy of Chiliarch Galdan!"

The Sanbao Lama turned his head and said to Galdan with a smile: "Chiliarch, this is a fine match!"

The Fifth Dalai Lama also nodded: "Galdan, this is indeed a fine match. You are no longer young; it is time to take a wife and have children."

Since the Great Lama had spoken, Galdan naturally had to obey — and it was also a way to save face!

"This disciple obeys. This disciple is willing to take the Commandery Princess A'nu as his wife."

Zhu Cihuan breathed a sigh of relief, thinking: Matchmaking really isn't easy — it took so much talk to succeed. Next comes the peacemaking. I wonder if that can be a bit simpler?

With that thought, he turned his gaze to Li Puxing, the gloomy-faced Acting Military Governor of the Do-Kham Protectorate, and smiled: "Acting Governor Li, my Imperial Brother sent me, Prince Gong, and the Marquis of Yan'en to the Western Regions precisely to smooth things over between you three feudatories of the Snowlands, the two garrisons of Anxi and Hexi, and also the Great Lama and Chiliarch Galdan. But how exactly to smooth things over — I don't know either!"

Hearing this, the Third Crown Prince frowned deeply — what nonsense are you spouting? Can you say something like "smoothing things over" so openly? And you even said you don't know how — if you don't know, ask me! How can you say that to them? Our father "sold" you for 350,000 taels, and now you don't know anything! Will the eldest agree to that?

Zhu Cihuan had never thought about his own "price" — he wouldn't see a single coin of it anyway. The Chongzhen Retired Emperor was also black-hearted: not taking a cut, but simply using his son for free.

Since he hadn't received any money, Zhu Cihuan naturally felt no responsibility and just went through the motions.

He continued: "The errand my Imperial Brother assigned must be done even if I don't know how. But how to do it? I've thought it over and over, and I might as well speak plainly! After all, everyone here is a subject of the Son of Heaven and must obey my Imperial Brother's words. Right now my Imperial Brother wants to smooth things over and stop you from attacking one another. So tell me — what should be done? Will you obey my Imperial Brother's words or not?"

Obey or not?

Not obeying means defying an edict! That means execution!

"We obey, we obey, of course we obey!" Li Puxing hastily declared. "Our three feudatories of Do-Kham, Ü-Tsang, and Ngari are all loyal to the court and loyal to His Majesty!"

"Good, good, good." Zhu Cihuan nodded repeatedly, then looked at Galdan, the Fifth Dalai Lama, and Wu Yingxiong. "Great Lama, Chiliarch Galdan, Duke of Rong — will you obey my Imperial Brother's words?"

(End of Chapter)