As an emperor, Emperor Longfeng was well aware that Ming Jingzhou was reluctant to marry his daughter into the imperial family. However, the daughter of the Ming family was the best candidate.
The three Ming brothers were upright officials, devoted to the court and the people. Forming a marital alliance with their family was the best choice for Prince Chen.
In the past, he had always regretted that the three brothers only had sons, making it impossible to establish a familial bond. Now that the third brother's daughter had been found, there was no better time to act.
A thin-skinned person could never be an emperor.
After some thought, Emperor Longfeng ordered the palace servants to deliver several pieces of calligraphy and paintings to Bright Moon Palace. It was rare for his beloved consort to show such refined interests, and he wanted to support her.
Compared to Ming Jingzhou, who had left in defeat, Jiuzhu was having a delightful time at Bright Moon Palace. She accompanied Consort Su in admiring the paintings and was then invited to stay for a meal.
The food was exquisite, and the servants attending to her were considerate. By the end of the meal, she was thoroughly satisfied and brimming with joy.
Consort Su glanced at the empty plates on the table and gestured for the servants to clear the table.
This young girl, though petite, certainly had a hearty appetite.
"Your Highness, His Majesty has sent over several treasured paintings," a female official whispered to Consort Su. "Shall we show them to Miss Ming?"
Consort Su coughed lightly and glanced at Jiuzhu, who was rinsing her hands and mouth. "Next time," she said softly.
Seeing Consort Su and the female official whispering, Jiuzhu thought they had matters to discuss. After drying her hands, she stood up and bowed. "The afternoon brings drowsiness. Please rest well, Your Highness. I shall visit again in the future."
Consort Su smiled. "I won't keep you, but since this is our first meeting, I can't let you leave empty-handed."
With that, she ordered the servants to bring out the gifts that had been prepared in advance.
Gold, jade, emeralds, silk, and satin—dozens of servants carried trays filled to the brim.
The dazzling array of jewelry on the trays made Jiuzhu clutch her chest, momentarily breathless.
Having lived in poverty with her two masters for over a decade, she couldn't help but be drawn to the glittering treasures. Her eyes kept wandering toward them.
"These are just things that young ladies enjoy. Take them back and have fun with them," Consort Su said, noticing Jiuzhu's wide-eyed expression. "Do you like them?"
"I do," Jiuzhu replied honestly. What young girl wouldn't adore such sparkling, beautiful things?
"I'm glad you like them," Consort Su said, clearly pleased with her response. She instructed her most trusted female official to personally escort Jiuzhu out of the palace.
"See? What young girl doesn't love beautiful jewelry?" Consort Su leaned back on her couch. "You all suggested books and paintings, but those are hardly interesting."
A maid smiled and said, "Your Highness is truly foresighted."
"Not only is Your Highness foresighted, but this servant also noticed that Miss Ming seems to share a mother-daughter bond with you," another maid chimed in. "She was so warm and familiar with Your Highness, as if they were long-lost relatives."
"As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together."
Consort Su was thoroughly amused by her maids' banter. Initially, she had been reluctant about this marriage arrangement, but she understood the emperor's intentions.
Most of the court officials disliked her and her child, even referring to her as a "seductive consort" behind her back. Marrying Prince Chen to a daughter of the Ming family might not change their opinions, but it could at least ease the tension between them.
As for deeper implications, Consort Su didn't bother to dwell on them—it was futile.
What she hadn't expected was that Jiuzhu, this young girl, would be so endearing. Sweet and charming, she didn't seem like a child raised in a scholarly family.
"What? Consort Su gave Miss Ming a pile of gold and jewelry as a meeting gift?"
When Consort Ning heard the report from her servant, she laughed heartily. "A merchant's daughter will always be a merchant's daughter—so vulgar in her ways. The Ming family has two top scholars and one third-place scholar among the brothers, and their descendants are all refined gentlemen. How could they possibly appreciate such gaudy trinkets?"
"Your Highness, I also heard that Minister Ming visited the emperor today, hoping to annul the marriage."
"Once the emperor has made a decision, no one can change it," Consort Ning said, her smile fading. "Ming Jingzhou is wasting his efforts."
"What should we do? What if the Ming family starts supporting Prince Chen?"
"Impossible," Consort Ning cut off her servant's speculation firmly. "Since ancient times, how many families have ever sacrificed their own glory to strategize for a daughter married into another family?"
"Women," Consort Ning smiled, though her eyes held no warmth, "are merely tools for families to weigh their interests."
"Your Highness."
"Enough. I understand," Consort Ning said coldly. "Let's see how far Consort Su and her future daughter-in-law can go."
Since ancient times, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships have been fraught with tension, especially when one is a merchant-born favored consort and the other is a daughter of a scholarly family.
Let's wait and see—there will be plenty of drama to come.
On the palace path, Jiuzhu sat in a sedan chair, spotting a child accompanied by a few eunuchs walking toward her.
The child was dressed in fine robes, though without any royal insignia. His chin was slightly raised, exuding an air of arrogance. He looked at Jiuzhu sitting in the sedan chair and asked, "Who are you?"
Jiuzhu looked down at him and replied earnestly, "When asking for someone's name, you should first introduce yourself."
The child was young, and there was still hope for him to learn manners.
"I'm a child, and I'm also Prince Qi's cousin," the boy said, tilting his head even higher, waiting for Jiuzhu to yield. "You should give way to me."
Even the palace consorts treated him with respect. The noble young ladies he usually met would always strike up a conversation with him.
Jiuzhu averted her gaze and ignored him.
A misbehaving child is often the result of being spoiled.
"Auntie, greetings," the eunuch following the child recognized the female official from Bright Moon Palace and turned pale, quickly bowing. "Young Master Zheng is still young. If he has spoken improperly, please forgive him."
The female official from Bright Moon Palace smiled. "I am merely following Her Highness's orders to escort Miss Ming out of the palace. I do not deserve such courtesy."
Miss Ming?
The eunuch's knees went weak, and he knelt on the ground. The news that the emperor had personally arranged for the Minister of Rites to act as a matchmaker, betrothing Miss Ming to Prince Chen, had already spread throughout the palace.
He wouldn't dare offend the future Princess Chen, even with ten lives to spare.
Jiuzhu was puzzled. Why had he suddenly knelt?
The little brat, unaware that his companion was terrified, looked at the phoenix hairpin in Jiuzhu's hair. "That hairpin is pretty."
Usually, when he said this, the other person would give it to him.
"Oh," Jiuzhu touched the hairpin and nodded. "I think so too."
The child stared at Jiuzhu.
And then?
Jiuzhu stared back at the child.
What, did he expect her to praise his taste?
"Young Master," the kneeling eunuch gently tugged at his sleeve. "This is Miss Ming, the betrothed of Prince Chen."
This was someone they truly couldn't afford to offend.
Young Master Zheng pulled his sleeve away from the eunuch's grasp and muttered, "So she's part of the seductive consort's family."
The servants from Bright Moon Palace maintained their smiles, as if they hadn't heard the remark, but the eunuchs were already trembling with fear.
Seductive consort?
Jiuzhu glanced at the female official from Bright Moon Palace, who nodded slightly.
Only then did she realize that the brat was referring to Consort Su.
"Miss Ming, you need not take a child's words to heart," the female official said, seeing Jiuzhu frown. She curtsied. "Her Highness would not hold it against a child."
"Her Highness is kind and magnanimous, but that doesn't mean others can speak carelessly," Jiuzhu said, her hands itching. If this were Lingzhou, such a disrespectful brat would have been disciplined long ago.
Kind?
Magnanimous?
The kneeling eunuchs wondered if they had misheard. What on earth was Miss Ming talking about?
"Children who misbehave often haven't studied properly," Jiuzhu, considering herself a reasonable person, thought that since she couldn't discipline the child herself, she should inform his guardian. "Earlier, you mentioned that this young master is Prince Qi's cousin?"
Dealing with such matters, reporting to the parents was always the right approach.
But who was Prince Qi? Never mind, it didn't matter.
"Auntie, perhaps we could have someone escort Young Master Zheng back to Prince Qi and let His Highness handle the matter," Jiuzhu suggested after some thought. "Prince Qi is gentle and refined, and I'm sure he can correct Young Master Zheng's improper speech."
She wasn’t sure what Prince Qi looked like, but complimenting someone’s temperament was always a safe bet.
“Understood,” the palace maid smiled. “This servant will carry out your orders.”
Watching the mischievous child being led away with a dejected expression, Jiuzhu snorted softly. What did a little brat like that know about women?
Consort Su was clearly a fairy.
Within two days, the news of the engagement between the young lady of the Ming family and Prince Chen had spread throughout the entire Capital City.
“We all know Master Ming’s temperament, so there’s no need for him to feel troubled.”
“A married daughter is like spilled water. Master Ming, try to take it easy, try to take it easy.”
Ming Jingzhou left behind the officials who were trying to comfort him and stepped into his carriage with a grim expression.
Easy for them to say. It wasn’t their daughter being married off. How could this be something to take lightly?
What was wrong with having a daughter? Did that mean she wasn’t worth cherishing?
As a heartbroken father, Ming Jingzhou looked at his colleagues, whom he usually got along with, and found them increasingly irritating.
When he returned home and saw his sweet, lovely, and beautiful daughter, he nearly shed tears of sorrow.
Seeing his expression, Lady Shen knew he still couldn’t accept the fact that their daughter was to marry Prince Chen. While comforting him, she called for their nephew to take Jiuzhu out for a walk.
These days, she had been feeling anxious and hesitant, even afraid to let her daughter leave the house. It was as if once Jiuzhu stepped out, she would disappear and never return.
Jiuzhu was very obedient. If she wasn’t allowed to go out, she would stay in the mansion to keep her mother company, never making a fuss about wanting to leave.
But since the Emperor was determined to have her daughter become Prince Chen’s consort, as a mother, she had to force herself to let go. She didn’t want her love, tainted with guilt, to become a cage for her daughter. That wasn’t love—it was harm.
“I don’t like going out. I want to stay home and keep you company,” Jiuzhu gently held Lady Shen’s hand, her eyes shining brighter than the stars.
“Your father and I have some matters to attend to. Go with your cousin and help me pick out a few boxes of rouge,” Lady Shen smiled as she adjusted Jiuzhu’s shawl. “Go on. I’ll have the kitchen prepare your favorite dishes for dinner.”
“Then I’ll come back soon,” Jiuzhu squeezed Lady Shen’s hand slightly before standing up and heading toward the door.
Lady Shen unconsciously followed her to her feet, taking a couple of steps toward the door before forcing herself to stop.
“Mother,” Jiuzhu turned back at the doorway, her eyes curving into a smile. “Don’t forget, I want to eat eggplant rolls for dinner.”
In that moment when her daughter turned back with a smile, Lady Shen’s heart settled.
Her child was right here.
She was just like any ordinary child, going out but still remembering to act spoiled with her family, reminding them of what she wanted to eat for dinner.
