Chapter 195: The Emperor Has to Pay Extra to Marry Off His Daughter?

"So-called good repute is nothing but fishing for praise. I care nothing for it, so I'm not afraid of you gossiping behind my back. Besides, now that this Great Ming has newspapers, whether you lot end up remembered for a hundred generations or stinking for ten thousand years is for me to decide — it's still an open question!"

As the Chongzhen Emperor spoke, he turned and slowly walked back to his seat, then put on a different expression and said with a smile: "Grand Secretary, continue."

"Your servant… obeys Your Majesty's command." Wei Zaode had assumed that since the Chongzhen Emperor hadn't been killing many people lately, he had begun to value his reputation — but now he realized he was wrong, utterly and completely wrong. Hurriedly, he cleared his throat and continued calling out:

"The Emperor's second daughter, Meichuo. Mei means beauty; chuo means prudence. In her early years she was enfeoffed as Princess Kunxing; now she is Princess Changping. The Imperial Son-in-law comes in person to greet her; the great ceremony —"

The assembled ministers all nodded in trepidation, not daring to say another word.

This Emperor had been brimming with murderous intent just moments ago, yet with a mere turn of his head, in the eyes of the assembled ministers it was like watching a face-changing act — instantly clearing to a sunny sky, with no trace whatsoever that he had just sent two officials to the Imperial Prison.

In truth, the so-called Six Rites of ancient marriage were to be observed whether by the imperial house or by common folk.

Although the Emperor had personally selected the Imperial Son-in-law, he could never go through the motions carelessly in form. Even ordinary small households followed each step in order when marrying, striving to appear solemn, so as to give women greater respect and a better experience.

The world called the imperial house noble; beyond the Six Rites, over the course of nearly three hundred years, it had added all manner of other rites both great and small, making the whole affair even more complex.

The Chongzhen Emperor did not understand much of this, but fortunately, the Ministry of Rites and the Directorate of Ceremonial all took the matter very seriously — where rites were concerned, no one understood them better than civil officials.

Of course, that is not to say the Donglin Faction was indispensable. Within the imperial faction, apart from Minister of Revenue Ni Yuanlu and others, even men of little real ability like Feng Quan and Wei Zaode had considerable knowledge of the subject.

This time, at the Chongzhen Emperor's deliberate insistence, the Princess's wedding was in fact considerably simplified — many tedious steps had been deleted, and in less than half a day it was mostly done.

After the preceding five great rites — the betrothal proposal, asking the name, seeking auspicious omens, presenting betrothal gifts, and requesting the wedding date — the final and most solemn step was for Zhang Huangyan, as Imperial Son-in-law, to personally greet the Princess and bring her through the gates.

Originally, the personal greeting was to be held on a separately chosen auspicious day, but the Chongzhen Emperor, wishing to conclude the matter as early as possible, issued a decree combining all Six Rites into a single day — setting yet another precedent.

At this point, everything depended on Zhang Huangyan's own performance, for the imperial side had already prepared everything that needed to be done.

Before Princess Changping's wedding, the newspapers and local government offices had been publicizing it for months. On this very day the whole city was buzzing with the news — at every few paces along the streets, runners had hung large red lanterns. Along the entire route of Zhang Huangyan's greeting procession to the Imperial Ancestral Temple, drums and gongs resounded to the heavens and firecrackers crackled in unison.

The entire palace was suffused with joyous atmosphere. Countless eunuchs and palace maids bustled in and out carrying all manner of implements, decorating while chatting and laughing, adding no small measure of life and vigor to the normally solemn and orderly imperial precincts.

In truth, many palace maids and eunuchs found this day, both officially and personally, the happiest and most exciting moment.

Arriving before the temple, following custom, Zhang Huangyan had already changed into a set of large-red official robes. With solemn countenance he performed the great bow of worship and announced in a clear voice: "The state's grace has bestowed a wife upon your son. On the second day of the sixth month of the eighteenth year of Chongzhen of the Great Ming, I come in person to greet her. I dare announce this before all the ancestral emperors, and wish them peace."

Having spoken, Zhang Huangyan stood still in place and continued performing the great bow of worship toward the temple interior.

While he was bowing, eunuchs dressed in large-red garments hurriedly filed into the main hall under the leadership of several senior eunuchs. A line of burly generals in splendid armor followed close behind and stood in attendance outside the hall. The eunuchs, after laying out the wild geese and various objects used for the sacrificial announcement in the main courtyard, filed out one after another. The burly generals likewise followed behind the eunuchs, not lingering outside the hall.

At the same time, Princess Changping, dressed in large-red ceremonial robes embroidered with gold-thread patterns, was led by the palace female official Xiumei and others toward the Hall of Ancestral Worship. By this time, the Chongzhen Emperor and Empress Zhou were already seated steadily in the northern seats, waiting for the Princess to come and take her leave.

Watching Princess Changping approach with graceful steps, the Chongzhen Emperor was stunned. Truly, clothes make the man — having seen her every day without noticing anything special, now that he looked again, she was simply a fairy descended to the mortal world!

The Chongzhen Emperor felt some regret. Giving his own daughter to Zhang Huangyan, and even throwing in no small number of goods and silver on top — wasn't that letting the lad off too easily?

Empress Zhou thought the Chongzhen Emperor was overcome with grief at parting from his daughter, and could not help but feel sorrowful herself. She gently raised her left sleeve and used the phoenix embroidery on it to shield the Emperor's face, lest he lose the dignity and majesty befitting a sovereign.

Seeing Empress Zhou's face already glistening with tears, the Chongzhen Emperor, though he knew she had misread his meaning, symbolically sniffled a few times, took Empress Zhou's hand, and said with feigned sorrow:

"Empress need not worry — what daughter does not marry when she comes of age? Meichuo is merely moving out of the palace to reside elsewhere. I have long since ordered a Princess's residence built outside the palace walls — quite grand it is. If the Empress misses Changping, you need only say the word to me, and you may go see her at any time."

"Your servant thanks Your Majesty." Empress Zhou gripped the Chongzhen Emperor's hand tightly. Her gaze, which had just been full of deep affection, turned toward the hall below — and was already filled with the majesty befitting the mother of the nation.

"From this day forth, your daughter shall be married into the Zhang family. High though the palace walls may be, they cannot block the bond between father and daughter, mother and daughter. Your daughter will still enter the palace regularly to pay respects to Imperial Father and Imperial Mother." As she spoke, Princess Changping's tears fell freely, and she said with a choked voice:

"Imperial Father, in the past you doted on your daughter most of all, yet your daughter understood nothing. Only now, at this moment, does she finally realize in remorse that everything Imperial Father did was for the sake of our Zhu family's realm. Your daughter is proud of you.

Imperial Father, from now on your daughter cannot be by your side to remind you to sleep early. Please do not review memorials until too late at night. In all things, preserving your dragon body must come first. The welfare of the Great Ming's altars and the peace of its common people still depend on your daughter's Imperial Father.

Imperial Mother, you have a sharp tongue but a soft heart. In ordinary times, it is you who has labored most for your daughter. From now on, once your daughter has gone, Imperial Mother must not worry overmuch about her. Your daughter will still try her best to enter the palace and keep Imperial Mother and Imperial Father company."

By custom, this was the moment for admonishment, but looking at his daughter's streaming tears, even the Chongzhen Emperor could not bear to say anything harsh or reproachful — and Empress Zhou, bound by mother-daughter affection, would say even less. The two casually gave Princess Changping a few instructions, then waved to signal the maids to lead Changping out.

Outside the door waited the palanquin carriage specially made for the Princess's marriage. Beside the carriage stood two eunuchs selected for their loud voices, as well as a squad of burly generals as escort guards. Seeing the Princess emerge from the Hall of Ancestral Worship, one of the loud-voiced eunuchs hurriedly called out in a shrill voice:

"Lower the palanquin —"

Princess Changping turned her head for one last look at the Hall of Ancestral Worship, then turned and entered the palanquin carriage, sitting upright and composed. At this, the other eunuch called out again:

"Raise the palanquin —, move out!"