The Crown Prince Chases His Wife
Chapter 104 Betrothal Ceremony
In the Imperial Study of Imperial City within the Forbidden Palace.
Emperor Hui sat behind the imperial desk, while Taizi Feng Zhan occupied a sandalwood chair beneath him. Both were reviewing their respective memorials.
Feng Zhan swiftly finished reading his memorial, set it aside, and picked up another memorial from the tray beside him. He scanned it with a glance, his sharp brows slightly furrowing.
These documents were from the Ministry of Rites, listing the traditional betrothal gifts and marriage proposals for the Taizi following old customs.
“Song Zhi,” Feng Zhan called.
At his master’s command, Song Zhi stepped forward and handed a pre-prepared memorial to Grand Secretary An Shifeng, who stood in the middle of the study.
“Lord An,” he said.
An Shifeng slightly bowed, took the memorial with both hands, and opened it. Upon reading its contents, surprise was evident on his face.
“Your Highness, this…”
Grand Scholar An Shifeng looked at the Taizi, confusion clear in his eyes.
Emperor Hui also glanced up from his desk.
Feng Zhan spoke slowly, “Proceed with the betrothal ceremony as per custom.”
“The dowry and gifts, however, will be prepared according to my list.”
An Shifeng remained hesitant.
“Let me see,” Emperor Hui instructed, gesturing for Li Fuquan to hand him the memorial.
Li Fuquan took the list from An Shifeng and presented it to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty,” he said.
After examining the list, Emperor Hui’s brows also furrowed slightly as he turned to Feng Zhan.
“Are you intending to marry the Crown Princess with the ceremonial grandeur of an empress?” he asked.
Feng Zhan took a sip from his teacup, then calmly replied, “The dowry will be provided from the Taizi’s personal treasury.”
Grand Scholar An Shifeng had expected the Emperor to reject the Taizi’s audacious request. To his surprise, the Emperor simply nodded and agreed.
“So be it. The originally planned gifts from the imperial treasury will also be sent to Princess Zhaoren Mansion. This is my token of affection,” Emperor Hui added.
An Shifeng was astonished. Both the Emperor and the Crown Prince clearly placed great importance on Princess Zhaoren, the soon-to-be Crown Princess.
————
Emperor Hui turned to An Shifeng once more, “How are the preparations for Taizi’s marriage progressing?”
An Shifeng replied, “Your Majesty, the Imperial Observatory Bureau have selected an auspicious date. On the ninth day of this month, the ceremony to announce the Taizi’s marriage to Heaven and the ancestral temples will take place.”
“On the eleventh day, an envoy will be sent to the future Crown Princess’s residence to perform the betrothal inquiry ceremony.”
“As per the Taizi’s request, on the twenty-first day, during Taizi’s Grand Birthday celebration, the betrothal ceremonies will be held.”
“On the same day, the imperial decree for the marriage will be issued, along with the presentation of the golden marriage certificate to the Crown Princess, followed by the ceremonial welcoming and bestowal of titles.”
Upon hearing this, Emperor Hui nodded with satisfaction, “Very well.”
An Shifeng then asked, “Your Majesty, Your Highness Taizi, for the betrothal inquiry ceremony, should it take place at Prime Minister Qin Mansion or at the Princess Zhaoren Mansion?”
The Grand Scholar was clearly in a delicate situation. If the Crown Princess were from an ordinary family, this question would not have arisen.
Traditionally, every bride resides with her father or mother before marriage. However, the case of Princess Zhaoren was unique. She had been granted her own title and residence by the Emperor and was not close to her father’s family, to the point where they had no interactions. This created an awkward and delicate situation.
Emperor Hui glanced at the Taizi as if seeking his opinion.
Feng Zhan raised his eyes and, with a slight lift of his lips, calmly uttered three words, “The Princess Mansion.”
An Shifeng inwardly noted how often the Taizi made exceptions for Princess Zhaoren. His indulgence toward her was quite remarkable.
At the same time, he felt fortunate that he had married his daughter Yanxi into Duan Wang Mansion earlier. Yanxi would have had no chance of competing with Princess Zhaoren.
————-
An Shifeng hesitated before raising another concern, “Your Majesty, Your Highness Taizi, there is one more matter I must report.”
“The positions of the chief envoy and deputy envoy for the betrothal ceremony have yet to be determined.”
“According to tradition, the deputy envoy can be filled by me, but the chief envoy should be a prince or duke. This selection must be made by Your Majesty.”
Emperor Hui frowned.
“Recently, there have been disturbances in the northern frontier, and Duan Wang must remain in Youzhou.”
“As for Duke Shen Changshan…”
An Shifeng added, “Your Majesty, Duke Shen should set to officiate at the Princess Mansion on the day of the betrothal inquiry.”
An Shifeng sighed inwardly. Originally, the one meant to receive the envoy at Princess Zhaoren Mansion should have been Right Prime Minister Qin Wenzheng, but up to now, the emperor had made no mention of notifying Prime Minister Qin. It was a clear slight against him.
Having served through two reigns, An Shifeng had a sense of what lay beneath the surface.
If his suspicions were correct, the Emperor’s actions likely stemmed from the connection to Princess Zhaoren’s late mother, Shen Shiying.
Emperor Hui pondered, acknowledging the difficulty. The chosen chief envoy and deputy envoy would represent the royal family’s respect towards the Crown Princess, so the selections had to be made with care.
An Shifeng tentatively offered the only viable candidate he had considered over the past few days.
“Your Majesty, Your Highness Taizi, the only person in the capital who is suitable is… Ning Wang.”
This thought had crossed both Emperor Hui’s and the Taizi’s minds as well.
However, Ning Wang…
“Lord An, you may leave for now,” Emperor Hui dismissed An Shifeng.
An Shifeng bowed and left the study.
After a moment of silence, Emperor Hui turned to Feng Zhan.
“What is your opinion, Taizi?”
Feng Zhan tapped his fingers lightly against the armrest, the steady sound filling the quiet room.
After a brief pause, Feng Zhan spoke in a deep voice, making his decision.
“Let this be the opportunity to bring him to the open.”
————–
News spread from the Ministry of Rites that Taizi Feng Zhan had requested a simple celebration for his upcoming grand birthday. However, in contrast, the Emperor had decreed that the Taizi’s betrothal ceremony must be conducted with great fanfare, leaving no room for error. This clearly demonstrated the imperial family’s immense importance placed not only on the event itself but also on the future Crown Princess.
The more surprising development, though, was that the person benefiting from the Taizi’s betrothal was none other than Ning Wang, long confined to Wanning Temple.
As the Taizi’s uncle, Ning Wang would represent the imperial family in the capacity of chief envoy, personally appointed by the Emperor, to conduct the betrothal inquiry ceremony at the future Crown Princess’s mansion.
Once, the previous emperor had gifted Ning Wang a vast and opulent residence in the western part of the Imperial City. The estate was renowned for its grandeur and luxury, envied by many. But after the previous emperor’s death, Ning Wang was sent by the Empress Dowager to Wanning Temple, and his mansion was sealed.
Within just three days of the Emperor’s decree, Ning Wang’s mansion was swiftly renovated, and the Northern Yamen Imperial Army dispatched soldiers to Wanning Temple to escort him back to the capital.
After entering the palace to express his gratitude to the Emperor, Ning Wang, Feng Sui, stepped into his long-sealed mansion for the first time in his life, officially beginning his royal duties at the age of twenty-six.
As Feng Sui crossed the threshold into the mansion, he felt a strange sense of displacement, as if time had shifted in an odd and distant way.
He curled his lips in a slight, sardonic smile. His brief taste of freedom had been granted thanks to the Taizi’s marriage.
Feng Sui quickly suppressed his smile. Would the Crown Princess… be her?
Meanwhile, when Empress Dowager Xiao learned that Ning Wang had been released from Wanning Temple, she immediately summoned both the Emperor and the Taizi. However, both declined, citing pressing state affairs.
It was later rumored that, in her rage, Empress Dowager Xiao burned all the portraits of the late emperor in Yongshou Palace as a severe act of disrespect. Yet neither the Emperor nor the Taizi made any effort to stop her, allowing her to vent her fury.
————–
In the 29th year of Yonghe, on the ninth day of the winter lunar month, the formal betrothal of the Crown Prince to his future Crown Princess was announced to Heaven and Earth Ancestral Temple.
In the same year, on the 11th day of the winter month.
The Northern Yamen Imperial Army set up an imperial procession at the crimson steps, the Ministry of Rites prepared the ceremonial sedan, and the Court Music Bureau arranged a grand musical performance outside the Gate of Heavenly Peace.
Inside the Fengtian Hall, civil and military officials, all dressed in their court robes, gathered. Among them was Ning Wang, Feng Sui, dressed in a plain green robe with blue cloud borders, adorned with a jade crown.
The officials had received word from the Ministry of Rites that today marked the first step of the six-part wedding ritual between Taizi and his bride which was the Betrothal Inquiry ceremony.
On this day, the bride’s family would receive the envoys sent by the palace. Thus, the officials were observing their colleagues, noting who might be absent, as this could reveal where the future Crown Princess hailed from.
However, both Left Prime Minister Wang Xian and Right Prime Minister Qin Wenzheng were present, dispelling the widespread speculation that one of their daughters would be the Crown Princess.
All the notable officials were accounted for, leading many to speculate that the Crown Princess’s family might not be from the capital, or perhaps she hailed from a regional official or even a commoner family.
Although some noted the absence of members from the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, most attributed this to the frequent border disputes, which often required military officials to leave the capital on short notice. Moreover, no one thought of connecting the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion to Princess Zhaoren Mansion, as there were no eligible daughters of marriageable age in that generation.
Once the ceremonial rites had been performed by the Honglu Temple officials, they bowed and announced the ascension.
The Emperor arrived at the Fengtian Hall, and the civil and military officials bowed in greeting.
“Welcome, Your Majesty,” they said in unison.
Emperor Hui ascended the throne, and Li Fuquan announced, “Rise.”
Emperor Hui appointed Ning Wang, Feng Sui, as the chief envoy, and Grand Scholar An Shifeng, who also served as Minister of Rites, as the deputy envoy. Together, they were tasked with representing the imperial family in delivering the betrothal proposal and inquiry to the future Crown Princess’s mansion.
Ning Wang and Grand Scholar An bowed four times before the Emperor.
The imperial scribe stood before the throne and read the edict aloud, “Marriage is the cornerstone of stability in the empire, and harmony between heaven and earth is essential to the moral order of society. Thus, with the utmost care, we seek to find a noble consort for the Crown Prince. Lady Qin Yan, the legitimate eldest daughter of the Right Prime Minister, known as Princess Zhaoren, is graceful and virtuous, possessing refined character and talent. Born of an esteemed family, she is well-versed in poetry, music, and ritual, trained under the guidance of learned teachers. With her noble demeanor and quiet strength, she embodies the qualities needed to support the Crown Prince in his duties. Therefore, she has been chosen as the Crown Princess. We hereby instruct you to proceed with the formal betrothal inquiry.”
Standing at the right side of the hall, with his ceremonial sword by his side, Xie Changyuan felt an overwhelming surge of pain in his chest when he heard her name announced.
It was finally decided…
The officials inside the hall were visibly surprised, many casting subtle glances at Right Prime Minister Qin Wenzheng, whose expression shifted between various shades of shock and disbelief.
While it was a great honor for the Qin family to have produced the Crown Princess, it was curious that the Right Prime Minister, as the bride’s father, had not been informed in advance, even as the imperial envoys were preparing to leave.
Left Prime Minister Wang Xian’s face darkened. He had hoped that even if his daughter could not become the Crown Princess, she might at least be named a secondary consort. However, since he had received no notification from the Ministry of Rites, he had already guessed the outcome. Now, seeing that even Right Prime Minister Qin Wenzheng had been left in the dark, Wang Xian felt a little better. It wasn’t his daughter, at least it wasn’t Qin Wenzheng’s daughter either.
But to everyone’s surprise, the bride turned out to be none other than Princess Zhaoren.
Ning Wang, Feng Sui, lowered his eyes, concealing the sharp glint within them.
So, it truly was her, the woman who had once intruded upon his heart like an unexpected beam of light, a light that was never meant to be his.
Suppressing his emotions, Feng Sui, alongside Grand Scholar An Shifeng, bowed once again to the Emperor.
With the completion of the Honglu Temple rites, the chief and deputy envoys took the imperial tokens and placed them in the ceremonial sedan. Led by the guards and the grand musicians, the betrothal procession set out for Princess Zhaoren Mansion to deliver the proposal.
—————–
As soon as the Emperor departed, the officials eagerly rushed to congratulate Qin Wenzheng, “Congratulations, Prime Minister Qin!”
“Best wishes to you, Prime Minister Qin!”
……
Qin Wenzheng, feeling a bit awkward, gave some polite but brief responses before pushing his way through the crowd and hurriedly exiting the palace to return to the Prime Minister Qin Chancellor Mansion.
Meanwhile, the envoy dispatched from the palace to deliver the betrothal proposal to the future Crown Princess’s mansion left the city, heading west. News from the Fengtian Hall quickly spread throughout the capital.
The rumors were confirmed.
The Crown Princess had been chosen and it was none other than Princess Zhaoren, Qin Yan.
————–
Princess Zhaoren Mansion in Xishan.
The imperial envoy for the betrothal ceremony, led by Chief Envoy Ning Wang and Deputy Envoy Minister of Rites An Shifeng, arrived at the gates of Princess Zhaoren Mansion. The grand ceremonial guard and music troupe were lined up on both sides, while the ceremonial sedan was placed in the center, and an offering table was set to the north of the sedan.
Duke Shen Changshan, dressed in his formal court attire, stepped forward to receive the envoy.
The ceremonial officer announced, “By imperial decree, Princess Zhaoren, Qin Yan, is betrothed to the Taizi. Envoys are dispatched to perform the Betrothal Inquiry ceremony.”
Ning Wang and An Shifeng, carrying the imperial token and decree, proceeded first, accompanied by Duke Shen Changshan, to the main hall of the residence. There, they placed the token and decree on the prepared incense table.
Ning Wang stood to the left of the incense table, An Shifeng to the right, while Duke Shen Changshan stepped forward to the designated position and performed the four formal bows.
Duke Shen then handed the betrothal memorial of the Crown Princess to Ning Wang.
Following the formal exchange, Duke Shen commanded servants to present wine to the chief and deputy envoys as a gesture of respect and hospitality.
After drinking, the envoys departed the residence, escorted by Duke Shen Changshan to the gates.
The envoy returned to the city, handing the Crown Princess’s betrothal memorial to the official in charge of rites, who then formally reported the completion of the ceremony to the Emperor.
Thus, the imperial family’s grand Betrothal Inquiry ceremony for the Crown Princess was successfully completed.
—————–
While the imperial family was celebrating the joyous occasion of the Taizi’s betrothal, some individuals found themselves deeply unsettled.
Among them were the Old Madam of the Prime Minister Qin Mansion, Qin Wenzheng’s wife Song Mei, the Second Miss of the Left Prime Minister Mansion, Wang Jingyan, and the eldest daughter-in-law of the He family, Qin Nian.
Others, however, were left heartbroken, such as Shizi of Marquis Yongding, Xie Changyuan, General Xie Zhao, and the Shizifei of Duan Wang Mansion, An Yanxi.
In Duan Wang Mansion, An Yanxi sat dazed in front of her mirror.
A maid entered hurriedly and her voice filled with urgency.
“Shizifei, I overheard the servants talking just now. They said that a few nights ago, the young master didn’t return to the estate. They’re whispering… they’re saying that he’s taken a mistress outside.”
An Yanxi continued to stare blankly at her reflection, not registering a single word.
“Shizifei, Shizifei…” The maid called out repeatedly.
An Yanxi finally snapped out of her daze.
“What?” she asked, as if waking from a dream.
The maid, concerned, repeated the rumors about her husband’s supposed affair.
An Yanxi’s expression slowly cleared, and her thoughts sharpened.
A mistress?
Her heart grew cold. Feng Subei, her husband… could it be true?
Had she neglected him for too long?
An Yanxi hesitated as uncertainty crept into her heart. If Taizi was destined to remain unattainable, perhaps she should begin considering accepting Feng Subei as her future.
Meanwhile, in another part of Duan Wang Mansion, Feng Subei was reading a letter he had just received from his mother, far away in Youzhou.
In the letter, his mother expressed her concerns about Feng Subei’s marriage and suggested that he consider taking a secondary wife.
A secondary wife…
Feng Subei’s thoughts flashed to that elegant and intelligent woman.
But a secondary wife?
She likely wouldn’t accept that role.