Chapter 1609: All Nations Come to Mourn

Coming out from the Old Mountain Palace to welcome Zhu Cizhao and Maria Theresa was Zhu Hexing, the Crown Prince of the Great Ming.

This fortunate prince's "crown prince luck" had truly lasted an extraordinarily long time — fifty years as crown prince, and his position was as steady as Mount Tai! But his "crown prince luck" was finally nearing its end... The old man had already spoken: once the Retired Emperor had been sent off in grand style, he would abdicate and yield the throne, letting this old crown prince Zhu Hexing finally have a taste of being emperor.

Of course, Zhu Hexing also knew that once he became emperor, the biggest figure in the Great Ming would be the Retired Emperor. The second biggest would be Empress Ding Yuying, and only the third biggest would be Zhu Hexing himself, transformed from fortunate crown prince into fortunate emperor... What wonderful luck! To become emperor without having to take responsibility, with his father and wife helping him wield supreme power, while he only had to eat, drink, and amuse himself.

Moreover, the two sisters Ding Yuying and Ding Yuru had also said that once he became emperor, they would select fourteen more consorts for him — one each from Japan, Annam, Jeju, Siam, Chenla, Laos, Sulu, Dzungar, Khoshut, Chahar, Tumed, Timurid India, the Ottoman Empire, and Persia.

That would truly be a great run of romantic fortune!

Although Zhu Hexing was noble as Crown Prince, his life was still very restrained, and he was not lustful, nor did he keep many women in the rear palace. There were only the two sisters, Ding Yuying and Ding Yuru, and the three of them shared an extremely good relationship, loving each other as if glued together. So Zhu Hexing had not taken any additional side consorts or selected attendants... But once he ascended the throne, he could no longer favor the Ding sisters exclusively — he would have to take consorts for the sake of the nation. The Ming emperor taking daughters of royal houses and noble families from vassal states and friendly nations as consorts was, of course, an important diplomatic activity!

Of course, the marriage system of the Great Ming emphasized "no marriage between those of the same surname" and "no marriage between cousins." Therefore, the Ming imperial princes could not send their royal daughters into the Ming imperial palace... That would be incest!

So the currently confirmed targets for "consort diplomacy" were all Ming vassal states or friendly nations ruled by non-Zhu surnames. Nor was it that just any non-Zhu vassal state was qualified to offer up a royal daughter — only "great vassal states" that had reached a certain scale were qualified to present a royal daughter after the new Ming emperor's enthronement.

As for the consort diplomacy with the three friendly nations of Timurid India, the Ottoman Empire, and Persia, it was to be somewhat more flexible — it did not necessarily have to be a "royal daughter," nor did it necessarily have to be reciprocal. The Ming court would select some beautiful and intelligent girls from the Muslim tribes within its own borders or within vassal states, and have them study in a special class at the Jinling Women's University. After graduation, they would be married off under the nominal title of Ming commandery princess.

However, the matter of Ming discount commandery princesses being married abroad had so far remained only an intention, and had never succeeded. Because the old grandfather of the Timurid Empire of India was already over eighty years old and could no longer take a wife. And the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire did not take wives — they only kept female slaves. As for the Persian Empire, it was currently ruled by eunuchs, and those eunuchs had no wish at all for their own Shah to become the nominal son-in-law of the Ming Son of Heaven...

And Zhu Hexing, who was about to take consorts for the nation, actually did not care whether the Western beauties in the women's university could really be married off in grand style to the Ottomans, Persia, and India. Right now he was only looking forward to his own Western beauty... Truly not out of lust, but only to enhance friendship!

Friendship first! Beauty second!

Thinking about the Western beauty, the fortunate Crown Prince Zhu Hexing rode out through the Chengtian Gate of the Old Mountain Palace, dismounted in front of the Welcoming Guest House, and the loud voice of a guard from the Free Guard Army called out ahead: "His Highness the Crown Prince arrives!"

Then... he heard a very pleasant female voice begin to weep and wail!

Why is it a woman? The fortunate Crown Prince found it strange. Wasn't he supposed to be welcoming his fourth uncle, the Prince of Luo, today? Had the Prince of Luo's daughter come too? At such an advanced age, how could she still cry so coquettishly?

The fortunate Crown Prince's curiosity was piqued. He lifted his robe and walked into the Welcoming Guest House. In the great hall on the ground floor, he saw a dark, thin old man dressed in hempen mourning clothes, standing there pretending to wipe his tears. This old man must be the old Prince of Luo.

Beside him were two women. One had slightly dark skin, but her features were very well-defined and quite attractive — she was probably a mixed-blood of Western, Siamese, and Annamese descent, likely the Prince of Luo's granddaughter-in-law, named Na-something-ying, the daughter of the King of Siam. The Prince of Luo's grandson had stayed behind on Phuket Island, and since the Prince of Luo had no wife, and his son and daughter-in-law were both gone, he could only have this granddaughter-in-law accompany him, so that at least he had a family member to look after him.

But the Siamese princess named Na-something-ying did not shed tears; she merely pressed her palms together and performed a Buddhist salute to the fortunate Crown Prince. The one weeping and wailing was the other... a beautiful Western beauty?

The fortunate Crown Prince's eyes lit up when he saw Maria Theresa crying so pitifully, her face streaked with tears. This Western beauty was simply too beautiful — she looked like a little Western fairy! And her bearing... one could tell at a glance that she was of noble birth! Although she wore very ugly hempen mourning clothes, they could not conceal that aristocratic bearing that came from her very bones.

Wasn't the old Prince of Luo not fond of women? How had he come to keep such a Western beauty by his side?

Suppressing his curiosity, Zhu Hexing first performed the full rites and exchanged formal greetings with the Prince of Luo, Zhu Cizhao. Then it was not the Prince of Luo's granddaughter-in-law who came forward to salute Zhu Hexing, but rather that Western beauty, who stepped forward, performed a blessing curtsy, and then introduced herself in fluent Chinese: "Maria Theresa, daughter of Henry of Austria, respectfully wishes His Highness the Crown Prince ten thousand fortunes and peace."

What did that mean?

The Crown Prince was stunned... Why was this Western beauty saluting before the Siamese princess? Could her status be higher than the Siamese princess's?

Was she the Prince of Luo's wife? So beautiful, so young... and crying so sorrowfully!

Zhu Hexing looked at the old Prince of Luo and asked: "Royal Uncle, is this Western beauty your princess consort?"

"Crown Prince, what are you saying?" Zhu Cizhao frowned. "She is your niece!"

"My niece?" Zhu Hexing turned his head to look at Maria Theresa... Although she was not blonde and blue-eyed, she was definitely a Western beauty!

Could the bloodline of the Great Ancestor, the Exalted Emperor, look like this? Zhu Hexing thought again, and felt it was indeed possible! Because just two days ago he had received a black man in the Hall of Imperial Supremacy... who had also turned out to be his cousin!

There had also been a Mongol, who had come together with that black man, calling himself some Turkmen Khan... also the fortunate Crown Prince's cousin!

Since the fortunate Crown Prince could have a black cousin and a Mongol cousin, why couldn't he have a Western beauty for a niece?

"Then your father is..." Zhu Hexing asked another question.

Maria Theresa said: "Uncle Crown Prince, my father is Archduke Henry of Austria!"

"Ah..." Zhu Hexing remembered. "You are Henry's daughter! You've grown so much, and still so fresh and lovely... Your grandfather will certainly be very happy to see you!"

He then said to the Prince of Luo, Zhu Cizhao: "Fourth Uncle, my father has long been looking forward to your arrival... Maria, you come along too — let us all go together to have an audience with His Majesty!"

Zhu Cizhao nodded and said to Maria Theresa: "Maria, go and see your grandfather... He will certainly be very happy to see you!"

"Yes, yes," Zhu Hexing nodded repeatedly and said to Maria, "My father will certainly like you! Let us go!"

When the fortunate Crown Prince led Zhu Cizhao, Maria Theresa, and Zhu Cizhao's granddaughter-in-law Nalan Ying to see Zhu Cilang, the Great Emperor Zhu was receiving the Black Prince Zhu Hetu and the Turkmen Khan Zhu Helan inside the Red Fort.

These two had arrived in Shanghai together with Zhu Cizhao and Maria Theresa, but they had left first for the Shanghai-to-Pukou leg of the journey, and had traveled quickly, so they had arrived two days earlier. They had also first met the fortunate Crown Prince, and then been arranged to see Zhu Cilang.

Zhu Cilang attached great importance to these two nephews who were well acquainted with Western affairs, so he arranged for them to have an audience as soon as possible. Moreover, he had chosen the Red Fort, full of exotic atmosphere, as the location for the audience.

"Your Majesty, at present the African continent offers considerable opportunities. Muslims, Westerners, Indians... and even the rebel Li Xinge have all been sharpening their heads trying to get in. My royal father seized the opportunity and took a small piece of territory."

The one currently introducing the development of Africa to Emperor Zhu was the Black Prince Zhu Hetu, the son of the King of Sanlan. Just as he was saying that all sides wanted to seize territory and open colonies in Africa, Zhu Hexing led Zhu Cizhao, Maria Theresa, Nalan Ying, and the others into the Red Fort.