Jiu Zhang Ji: The Daily Life of the Reborn Daughter

Chapter 158: Proposal

Two days later, it was an auspicious day, most suitable for marriage, and the Sixth Prince Yu Jingyan proposed marriage.

The royal family had corresponding specifications for betrothing a prince's wife. Emperor Yong'an had no money, but he still had some ancestral heirlooms in his chest. In addition, he had the golden words of advice, so he sent a verbal order to the Ministry of Rites to propose a betrothal according to the specifications for the Crown Princess.

The Ministry of Rites originally prepared 128 loads of betrothal gifts for the prince's wife. When the emperor's oral order reached the Ministry of Rites, the officials of the Ministry of Rites were stunned. Your Majesty, don't you know how much stuff you have? These 128 loads were barely enough. The stipulated betrothal gifts for the crown prince's wife were 168 loads. Where could they get the extra 40 loads of betrothal gifts?

"How about asking the Emperor to send a few more pieces of calligraphy?" the Vice Minister of Rites whispered to the Minister of Rites.

The Minister of Rites rolled his eyes at his subordinates and said, "The emperor already has eight pieces of calligraphy." This is a betrothal proposal for the prince's wife, not a calligraphy exhibition by the emperor, so why would he need so many words?

Ever since Emperor Yong'an learned that Qiao Lili had sold her calligraphy for hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, his enthusiasm for writing and giving calligraphy as gifts has been unprecedentedly high. As soon as he heard that the betrothal gift was insufficient, he sent eight pieces of calligraphy. When Concubine Yun heard about it, she was so angry that she locked the gate of Yunxiao Palace again.

Emperor Yong'an, who had just left the court, was turned away at the Yunxiao Palace with Eunuch Li holding a memorial. He immediately understood what was going on. This was a clear sign of being despised. However, what could he do as he was poor and had low aspirations?

He did not beg or shout today. He just had someone put a desk in front of the gate of Yunxiao Palace. He sat steadily at the gate of Yunxiao Palace and began to review memorials.

He wants to struggle and he wants to stand up.

It was late at night, and the dew was heavy. Eunuch Li was so anxious that he kept circling at the entrance of Yunxiao Palace. The emperor didn't even have dinner, so what if he caught a cold? After circling for who knows how many times, he suddenly had an idea and called his little apprentice over: "Hurry up and send someone to send a letter to the Sixth Prince, asking the emperor if it would affect the engagement tomorrow if he got sick tonight."

Xiao Zhangzi replied, "Yes." Then he ran off to find someone to deliver the letter.

After delivering the letter, Eunuch Li relaxed completely. The Sixth Prince was back, so what was he worried about? The Sixth Prince had been away from the capital for many years, and his thinking mode had become accustomed. He didn't even think of this trump card.

In less than half an hour, the Sixth Prince Yu Jingyan arrived at the Yunxiao Palace. He climbed the steps in front of the palace and saw a dim light. His enterprising father, weather-beaten, was writing furiously. He didn't even raise his head when he saw him coming.

"Greetings, Sixth Prince." Eunuch Li bowed.

"Mother, are you going to let him act like this?" Yu Jingyan didn't plan to waste time talking to his father, so he walked forward and knocked on the door of Yunxiao Palace.

As the gate of Yunxiao Palace slowly opened, his father, who had been a quiet, diligent and ambitious office worker, seemed to have pressed a button. No one saw how he stood up, and his figure was already in front of Yu Jingyan, entering Yunxiao Palace before him.

Who would want to be a worker if they can enter the palace of heaven? Isn’t it sweet to have a wife and children and a warm bed?

No, he doesn’t want children. Just having a wife is enough for him. He is not greedy, not at all.

"You can go now." Well, this son is only this usefulness.

*

In the capital city, the streets were deserted, and almost everyone flocked to the road from the imperial palace to the Duke Dingguo's mansion.

The Sixth Prince is going to propose marriage in person. Since the Sixth Prince went to Yunmengze, he has not been seen easily. I wonder what the fairy-like child looks like when he grows up. Maybe I can see the Imperial Concubine today. The Imperial Concubine is a Bodhisattva descended to the earth. This blessing must be touched. With the blessing of the Imperial Concubine, I will have good luck in the second half of my life.

There are also many people who are not here to watch the fun empty-handed. The Queen is going to marry a daughter-in-law. Those who have received favors from the Queen cannot go to her house to give gifts, but they can add a little of their own thoughts to the betrothal gift.

When the auspicious time arrived, the princes' procession led the way. The Sixth Prince Yu Jingyan, wearing a bright red auspicious suit and riding on the joyously dressed Wuying, came out of the palace and headed straight for the Duke Dingguo's Mansion to the sound of music and drums.

The grown-up Sixth Prince astonished the people of the entire capital. They had thought about how good-looking the Empress' child would be when he grew up, but they had never expected him to be so good-looking, even better-looking than the gods in the paintings. Especially today, he was dressed so grandly, and just one look at him would make one immortal.

Behind him were loads of betrothal gifts tied with red silk. The trustworthy common people began to count how many loads there were. But who would have thought that as they were counting, they lost count because there were so many. Fortunately, there were smart people in the crowd. Some of them would make a mark on paper as they saw a load passed by, some would tear a piece of paper and put it in their pockets, and some would tie knots in ropes, determined to count how many loads of betrothal gifts the Sixth Prince had.

What’s the point of counting?

It's just bragging. You guys are going to rely on this to brag for the rest of your life. I guess you didn't count how much betrothal gifts the Sixth Prince gave you when he proposed to her. Let me count them.

As the dowry was carried forward, the common people who were carrying the gifts finally came to their senses. The Sixth Prince's handsome appearance made them forget what they came for. Of course, seeing the Sixth Prince was also one of their reasons.

Then, a scene that had never happened before appeared. People kept throwing things on the betrothal gift box. At first, it scared the imperial guards who were carrying the betrothal gift, but when they saw clearly what was being thrown, they were relieved.

There are fresh flowers, cloud shoulders wishing a happy marriage, purses wishing many children and good fortune, pillow tops with pictures of mandarin ducks playing in the water, lucky bags wishing a baby soon, pendants, cords, velvet flowers, headbands, and even small clothes, pants, and tiger-head shoes for children.

Not every item would fall accurately on the betrothal gift box, but there would be enthusiastic people who would pick them up and continue to throw them until they could not fall on it. Later, the imperial guards who were carrying the betrothal gifts would simply reach out and take them and put them on the betrothal gift box.

When these betrothal gift boxes were carried to the Duke Dingguo's Mansion, each box was filled with various small handmade gifts. They were not expensive, but the thought behind them was priceless. They were all sent by the people of the capital. It was not just the Sixth Prince who was preparing the betrothal gifts, but the people of the entire capital were preparing the betrothal gifts for the Sixth Prince.

It is truly unprecedented and unprecedented.

The 168 pieces of luggage in front were the betrothal gifts prepared by the Ministry of Rites for the Sixth Prince. No one in the Ministry of Rites said how they got the money together, but ever since the Emperor issued that oral order, all the officials in the Ministry of Rites, from the Shangshu to the Vice Minister and the Chief Secretary, have lived in the Ministry of Rites and no one has returned home.

After the first 168 loads of betrothal gifts were delivered, everyone thought that was the end. However, there was more to come. Before her death, the Empress Dowager gave all her private treasury to the Sixth Prince, and Yu Jingyan carried all of it to the Duke Dingguo's Mansion as betrothal gifts, which added up to 128 loads.

Following closely behind was the betrothal gift from the Sixth Prince of Yunmengze's maternal family. The common people were eager to count it, and the number was exactly one hundred and eight.

The Yun family of Yunmeng Island has always been a mysterious existence. Their strength should not be underestimated. They offered a betrothal gift of 108 pieces of silver to their grandson, probably because they did not want to exceed the betrothal gift of the Empress Dowager.

After the betrothal gift boxes from Yunmeng Island were moved away, it was the betrothal gift that Concubine Yun prepared for the Sixth Prince, which weighed eighty-eight loads.

As these betrothal gifts were carried out one by one, the common people in the capital soon discovered the problem. The 168 loads of betrothal gifts provided by the Ministry of Rites seemed light and fluttering when carried by two imperial guards, while the betrothal gifts at the back seemed to be carried with great effort by the two imperial guards, and the poles used to carry the betrothal gifts were all bent.

When it came to Concubine Yun's eighty-eight loads of betrothal gifts, they were actually carried by four imperial guards.

From today on, the common people in the capital have one more thing to show their disdain for Emperor Yong'an.

Some people said that the betrothal gift was a ten-mile long red dowry, some said that the betrothal gift started at the woman’s residence but has not yet left the man’s residence, and the betrothal gift of the Sixth Prince was carried from the beginning of the Chen hour to the end of the Shen hour.

It took a while to carry it.