Chapter 881: Chapter 717: Success Is Certain
Hu Maoshen suddenly thought of Prince Jingâs marriage. He wanted Prince Jing to marry a legitimate daughter of an aristocratic family, which would be more advantageous for Prince Jing.
But if he really married such a young lady, he feared the Emperor might become suspicious. It was truly a dilemma!
"You need not worry about that. I already have a suitable candidate in mind,"
Prince Jingâs lips curled up, and his eyes were filled with ambition that would stop at nothing.
"May I ask which lady the prince has in mind?"
Hu Maoshen was a bit surprised; he hadnât expected the prince to already have a candidate in mind.
He went through all the aristocratic daughters in the Capital in his mind but couldnât figure out which family the prince had chosen.
"Naturally, itâs the legitimate daughter of the main branch of Duke Zhenâs Mansion."
Prince Jingâs smile was somewhat enigmatic, which greatly surprised Hu Maoshen.
He suddenly realizedâno wonder the prince could enlist the heirâs wife of Duke Zhenâs Mansion to be the matchmaker for his daughter. Could it be that the prince and Duke Zhenâs Mansion had long been colluding in secret?
"Are you referring to the granddaughter of the former Grand Secretary Liang Zhirui?"
Hu Maoshen was somewhat surprised by this choice, so he had to confirm it.
"Are there many legitimate daughters in the main branch of Duke Zhenâs Mansion?"
Prince Jing was a bit displeased. Why was Hu Maoshen so surprised? Did he think that even he could not reach so high?
Hu Maoshen noticed Prince Jingâs expression darkening, and he quickly collected himself, replying, "That ladyâs status is indeed a good match for you, but she is living under the thumb of her stepmother. Might her upbringing be somewhat lacking?"
Prince Jingâs displeasure startled Hu Maoshen. Actually, he thought the Emperor might not agree to this.
After all, Duke Zhenâs Mansionâs influence in the court is undoubtedly lesser than during the late Emperorâs time, though it is still a well-established noble family in the Capital.
Letâs not even talk about the influence of Mrs. Yaoâs family in the court; just the complex network of marital connections would make the Emperor unlikely to agree.
As for the reason he mentioned earlier, it was merely a minor flaw. The marriage was for the marital connection with Duke Zhenâs Mansion and its influence in the court.
For Prince Jing, this was undoubtedly a very good choice.
Even for the Eldest Prince and the Second Prince, the legitimate daughter of the main branch of Duke Zhenâs Mansion would be a suitable match.
If upbringing is lacking, then find someone to educate her. As long as she can manage the inner court, itâs sufficient.
If sheâs not good at socializing with the women of aristocratic families, others will still give you face because of your status and wonât embarrass you, right?
Finally, if Prince Jing were to ascend the throne, the Empress who will rule the world doesnât necessarily have to be the Princess Consort!
Hu Maoshenâs explanation eased Prince Jingâs expression somewhat; he actually understood what Hu Maoshen meant.
He simply thought that the Emperor was unlikely to agree, hence his question.
"If her upbringing is lacking, find an old nanny from the palace to teach her. These are not issues. My requirements for a Princess Consort are not high; her status is compatible enough."
"As for Father, I will personally speak to him. I have never asked Father for anything before, so I believe he wonât turn me down too harshly this time."
Having his true thoughts revealed by Prince Jing, Hu Maoshen couldnât help but feel a bit embarrassed.
However, is Prince Jing really certain that if he asks the Emperor, the Emperor will agree? Why does he feel itâs not that optimistic?
"If thatâs the case, then it couldnât be better." Hu Maoshen couldnât dampen Prince Jingâs enthusiasm right now, so he had to let Prince Jing give it a try first.
Early the next morning, Gu Chengyu got up to practice calligraphy.
Since he had returned to the Capital, he had to report to the Hanlin Academy today anyway because the Emperor was sure to summon him.
Actually, Lu Chen must have entered the palace yesterday, and the Emperor should know the rough details about the Hejian Prefecture. Plus, with the previous report to the Emperor by his senior brother, he wouldnât be able to meddle in the affairs of Hejian Prefecture anymore.
The main purpose of his visit today was to submit the treasure map and the remaining evidence, and to see if there was still hope for a promotion.
As early winter arrived, daylight came late, and it was still pitch black outside the window.
Gu Chengyu put down the brush, calculating that it should be time for breakfast.
"Sir! Breakfast is ready; would you like to have it now?"
Lichun hurried into the room, taking a deep look at Gu Chengyu before asking respectfully.
"Bring it in." Gu Chengyu washed his hands in the copper basin brought by wintergreen.
Lichun instructed the maid to serve breakfast on the table, and when Gu Chengyu sat down, she stood by, hesitant to speak.
"Is something the matter?" Gu Chengyu was a little puzzled. Lichun hadnât said anything unusual when she was on duty yesterday, but today she seemed to have something she found difficult to discuss.
"Sir, during the days you werenât home, the old madam often went out to the temple for incense and shopping."
Lichun paused after saying this.
Gu Chengyu was a bit displeased; he put down his chopsticks.
What was Lichun up to? His mother being able to go out for a walk was a good thing, better than being cooped up at home all day.
As long as there were enough guards, who would bother a woman, after all?
Besides, this was clearly something the inner court steward and the outer court steward should report, not herâa big maid managing the courtyardâoverstepping her bounds.
"Oh? The old madam going out is fine; just take more guards. Is there anything wrong with that?"
Lichun saw Gu Chengyuâs expression darken slightly; it seemed that Gu Chengyu misunderstood.
"Nothing wrong at all. I just wanted to report to you, sir. The old madam met the Commandery Princess from the Eldest Princessâs house during her outings, and the two have been quite close these days. The Commandery Princess often comes to visit. I noticed that the old madamâs mood has improved significantly and gets along very well with the Commandery Princess!" Lichun hurriedly explained.
"Who? Princess Rong Jia?" Gu Chengyu was taken aback. Wasnât the Commandery Princess from the Eldest Princessâs household Princess Rong Jia?
Wasnât it said that the Commandery Princess was proud and somewhat unapproachable?
He wasnât belittling his mother, but after all, his mother was once a maid, and their family was just a farming household.
Even though she is now an officialâs wife, there are always those snobbish people who look down on the Gu Family with no background.
After all, thatâs the way this dynasty works, with those aristocratic families accustomed to holding themselves high.
It seems he made the same mistake as Zhu Pang! Next time, he shouldnât judge someoneâs character based on hearsay.
Maybe the Commandery Princess wasnât like that at all and her inherent nobility made her seem unapproachable!
"Yes! Thatâs Princess Rong Jia. The Commandery Princess even invited the old madam to Bao En Temple for incense yesterday!"
Lichun noticed Gu Chengyuâs expression was contemplative, and her hands were tightly clasped, her heart practically in her throat.
At the mention of Bao En Temple, Gu Chengyu suddenly thought of the Eldest Princess. Last time, when he took his mother to offer incense at Bao En Temple, the Eldest Princess had openly and subtly belittled them.
Now that the Princessâs daughter and his mother are frequently associating, the Eldest Princess might think that their family is trying to curry favor with them!
If she sent someone to warn him and his mother again, it would hurt their dignity.
After some thought, Gu Chengyu decided he should advise his mother to keep her distance from Princess Rong Jia. The Eldest Princess is not someone to be trifled with, and he doesnât want any misunderstandings.