Chapter 193: The Son of Heaven Marries Off His Daughter

While Zheng Zhilong was maneuvering with the Portuguese in Macau, here in Nanjing, because of an imperial edict, the Fushe scholars and the families of several so-called great talents were all arrested by the Divine Martial Army and the lictors, throwing the entire city of Nanjing into turmoil.

In Nanjing, truly every big salted fish and small shrimp rarely seen in ordinary times jumped out this time to stick their oar in. The long-beguiled common folk were confused on one hand—unsure which of the newspapers and the scholars' proclamations was right and which was wrong—yet on the other hand they stood up to plead for mercy for the Fushe people, feeling that the Chongzhen Emperor had killed the wrong men. How could those pure-stream types possibly be both corrupt and cowardly good-for-nothings?

Nanjing nearly saw a riot capable of shaking the very foundations of the state, yet at the same moment in the capital, the scene was exactly the opposite.

In early June, all the goods and all manner of personnel for Princess Changping's grand wedding were prepared under a single edict from the Chongzhen Emperor, with eunuchs and Depot and Guard agents scurrying about everywhere.

On this day, joy was everywhere, with lanterns and festoons hung high; quite a few people even had the illusion that the normally fierce and sinister Depot and Guard agents seemed not to be arresting anyone much today either?

To be the current Imperial Son-in-law, a third-rank Commandant—if one wanted this position in peaceful times, one truly had to be one in ten thousand.

"For the selection of an Imperial Son-in-law, the Ministry of Rites posts a notice for sons and younger brothers of officials, soldiers, and commoners in the capital aged fourteen to sixteen, of neat appearance and upright conduct, from families with proper upbringing, to register; the eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial conduct the selection at the Princes' Hall. If none are chosen, then a broad search is made within the capital's environs, Shandong, and Henan. Three are selected, one is fixed by imperial decree, and the remaining two are sent to the local Confucian school."

Zhang Huangyan, this lad, had no great achievements yet; his age was over the limit, and his region didn't match either—from any angle you looked, he wasn't the stuff of an Imperial Son-in-law. Yet he went and became one by accident, truly making everyone green with envy.

Never mind what others thought—Zhang Huangyan right now was the classic case of not knowing his own good fortune. He himself was extremely resistant to it. He hadn't even had a single glimpse of that Princess; who knew what she might look like?

If she really were a dinosaur, then he might as well hang himself on his wedding night and go join his old father—if you can't provoke them, can't you at least avoid them...

So when people first brought this matter up, Zhang Huangyan refused outright every time, until finally the imperial edict pressed down on his head, and only then did he have no choice but to agree. When His Majesty the Emperor personally issues you a decree, are you still going to complain that the honor isn't big enough?

In truth, Zhang Huangyan also didn't understand where exactly he was better than the great ministers at court. In literary talent, he wasn't as high as those grand officials long steeped in the Donglin; in experience, don't even mention it—he was still a penniless nobody; in martial prowess, Zhang Huangyan could very confidently say he was stronger than them.

But wasn't brute force called boorish? Which scholar would dare use that as a basis for comparison?

For Zhang Huangyan, not having met the Princess and worrying about being bullied by his future wife after marriage was only one of his worries. Besides that, everyone knew that Imperial Sons-in-law of the Great Ming had it the worst of all—bar none.

Bearing the empty titles of Imperial Son-in-law and third-rank Commandant, he lived worse every day than those princely heirs raised like pigs. The Great Ming had such regulations—an Imperial Son-in-law could not hold substantive office—precisely for fear that once you had real power, you'd go down and do evil under the name of an imperial relative.

Dressed in the bright red groom's robes, Zhang Huangyan should have been experiencing the most important moment of his life on this day, yet he sat inside the room as if on needles and pins, restless and uneasy.

The weather was slightly cool, with the occasional breeze brushing his face, yet sweat uncontrollably seeped from Zhang Huangyan's forehead, soaking his inner garments. This kind of life—where living was worse than dying—was not the latter half of life that a man of great ambitions like himself looked forward to.

Incidentally, Zhang Huangyan had long since been forcibly carried by the Depot and Guard agents out of his original small, wind-leaking, tumbledown house and into the large, multi-courtyard mansion allocated by the Chongzhen Emperor, where he now lived with his mother, his third uncle, and other relatives. Rockeries, ponds, and rear gardens—all were there in abundance.

Zhang Huangyan was miserable, but his mother and third uncle and the others were excited day and night without stop.

"My son has made something of himself, valued by the Emperor, about to marry the Son of Heaven's own daughter! What office was Imperial Son-in-law again? Right—that's the esteemed Commandant, a third-rank grand official! He truly brings glory to our old Zhang family!" Zhang's mother sat in the main hall, saying with a smile.

"Yes, and this old man gets to enjoy some ease and comfort too." The third uncle, who had helped Zhang's mother raise Zhang Huangyan, though his face was full of wrinkles and he could barely walk steadily, still couldn't stop being happy for Zhang Huangyan.

"Look at the mansion we're living in now, look at those fine-skinned, fair and clean maidservants coming to wait on us—these are things we wouldn't have dared dream of before." Zhang's mother grew happier the more she spoke, then turned and slapped her thigh as she asked: "Oh, right, Third Uncle, do you know what the Princess looks like? Today's the wedding—we really should get a good look at this future daughter-in-law."

"Never seen her." The third uncle shook his head and waved his hand, saying: "Don't even think about it. She's the daughter of the current Son of Heaven—a celestial fairy descended to earth. How could she come to see us old fogies, a decrepit old man and old woman?"

"Hmm, that's true." Zhang's mother nodded thoughtfully and was about to say something more when she heard footsteps outside the door. When the person entered, at the head was a grand eunuch in splendid robes; judging by the python embroidery on his garments, his position within the palace seemed quite high.

After entering, Cao Huachun cleared his throat and called out: "Where's the Imperial Son-in-law? Time to enter the palace for the betrothal gifts!"

"I'm here!" The moment the words fell, Zhang Huangyan came out of the inner room with his head hanging in dejection, saying in a resigned tone: "Director Cao, let's go."

"You are the Imperial Son-in-law now—please, just call me Eunuch Cao." Cao Huachun smiled and made a gesture inviting him to go first.

With a burst of gongs and drums, Zhang Huangyan and his party, escorted by the Depot and Guard agents and eunuchs, passed through the Gate of Heavenly Succession and arrived at the inner palace. When he ascended the great hall and saw the Chongzhen Emperor sitting upright and solemn above, Zhang Huangyan mustered his spirits and prostrated himself in homage, saying:

"Your subject Zhang Huangyan pays respects to Your Majesty, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years!"

The Chongzhen Emperor first gestured for him to rise, then followed up with a teasing smile and asked: "Still 'your subject'?"

Hearing this, Zhang Huangyan suddenly snapped to attention and hastily added: "Your son-in-law greets Imperial Father!"

"Good son-in-law!" The Chongzhen Emperor naturally knew Zhang Huangyan's character and ability, and liked him more the more he looked at him. He then waved his hand and said: "Bring it up!"

At these words, Fang Zhenghua, who had been standing at attention to the side, waved toward the door. Several burly guards saw this and immediately carried several large chests decorated in fiery red up to the hall, setting them before Zhang Huangyan's eyes.

"This... according to customary rites, it should be your son-in-law presenting betrothal gifts to Imperial Father first..." Seeing such precious betrothal gifts from the imperial house, Zhang Huangyan was greatly astonished and hastily said: "Your Majesty, these betrothal gifts are too heavy."

The Chongzhen Emperor laughed heartily and said magnanimously: "No matter! My precious daughter is marrying down to you—naturally I cannot treat my in-laws shabbily. Besides, I know your family has nothing much of value. Afterwards you can simply give them to the Princess; don't stand on ceremony about it."

Zhang Huangyan, deeply shocked by the Chongzhen Emperor's unconventional ways, was standing in a daze when Cao Huachun, who had brought him in, thought he was spacing out and grew anxious. Standing to the side, he smiled and reminded him:

"His Majesty has always been this way. Imperial Son-in-law, hurry and thank His Majesty."

"Your son-in-law thanks Imperial Father!" Zhang Huangyan hastily called out.

The Chongzhen Emperor smiled upon hearing this—he could tell that this time, Zhang Huangyan's words carried a good deal more sincerity than before.