A bit later, Madam Yu arrived. She came together with Cui Huayi, deliberately sending her daughter ahead to speak with Song Chuyi while she herself remained in Old Madam Song’s room.
She first presented a gift for bowing at the waist to Xiang Mingzi, then began inquiring about matters with Old Madam Song: “In-law mother, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you…”
Madam Yu had always treated Song Chuyi well, so Old Madam Song naturally felt close to her. Hearing this, she smiled: “Whatever it is, just speak. If I can help, naturally I won’t refuse.”
What Madam Yu spoke of was Cui Huayi’s marriage. With Cui Huaying’s example before them, not to mention Cui Huayi herself often feeling worried and anxious, even Madam Yu herself was extremely concerned. She no longer dared to arrange a betrothal based solely on a family’s reputation and background—the Wang family had always been a prestigious clan of Jinling. Young Master Wang appeared to have good birth and character, and even had a father risking his life at the front lines. But who could have imagined he was someone who only liked men, a pure cut-sleeve? Such a person—never mind his good character and birth—even if he were the Heavenly King himself, Madam Yu wouldn’t want to marry her daughter off to be a living widow.
One Cui Huaying, still in Jinzhong to this day, had even written a letter to Cui Shaoting some time ago saying she wanted to become a self-combing woman and never marry again. Every time Madam Yu thought of this, she felt as though her heart was being torn apart—her daughter was only sixteen years old, yet her life seemed to have already reached its end. With this precedent, Madam Yu naturally had to be extraordinarily cautious about her younger daughter’s marriage.
The Cui family’s daughters were sought by a hundred families—Cui family daughters had never worried about marriage prospects. Among those who came to propose, she had also taken a liking to two families, specifically bringing this up to discuss with Old Madam Song: “Shen Yang has connections with sister-in-law and Zhanmei both, so I’m also at ease with her son’s character. The other family is the Tang family of Shu. The Tang family is also a prestigious clan. Though they don’t have high-ranking officials in court, their sons are all diligent and progressive.”
Old Madam Song naturally knew these two families. The Guo family need not be mentioned—Guo Yantang had once traveled all the way back to the capital with them from Qingzhou and had even stayed at Count Changning’s manor for quite a while. As for the Tang family, she had also heard of them.
The Tang family having no high-ranking officials in court wasn’t because the Tang people lacked capability, but because this Tang family line truly had an ancient and distinguished lineage. When this dynasty’s Taizu seized the realm from the previous dynasty, the Tang family people were still loyally serving the last emperor of the former dynasty. The Tang family members were accomplished in both civil and military affairs. Back then when the previous dynasty was weakening, it was precisely by having Tang Wenyuan in court and Tang Wenlong in battle that they managed to block Taizu in Lu territory for a full ten-plus years. If the last emperor hadn’t brought about his own destruction later by believing Taizu’s divisive scheme and poisoning Tang Wenyuan and Tang Wenlong to death, whether Taizu could have broken into the capital during his lifetime was truly questionable.
When Taizu failed to recruit Tang Wenyuan and Tang Wenlong, he had no choice but to employ a divisive scheme. Only then did he break into the capital and ascend to the throne. Yet he didn’t harm the other Tang family members, but instead issued an edict to recruit them. However, the Tang family refused and moved back to their ancestral home in Shu. For over a hundred years, no Tang family descendants entered official service to serve this dynasty’s emperors, until Emperor Jianzhang’s father, Emperor Mingde, visited them three times. Only then did the Tang family finally enter service. Chief Minister Tang Zhiyuan during Emperor Mingde’s reign was from the Tang family’s legitimate line.
Madam Yu had truly put thought into choosing between these two families.
Old Madam Song pondered for a while, then nodded to Madam Yu: “Which family do you favor?”
Madam Yu naturally favored the currently powerful and influential Guo family who held military authority: “The Guo family’s child is good, and I’ve heard he even had interactions with our family. Therefore, I specifically came to seek Old Madam’s advice.”
Old Madam Song smiled slightly and asked Madam Yu: “Does Shaoting’s thinking differ from yours?”
Madam Yu then raised her head to look at Old Madam Song. Meeting Old Madam Song’s shrewd eyes, she couldn’t lie: “To be honest with Old Madam, he does indeed lean more toward the Tang family, but I…”
“The Tang family is far away in Shu. As a mother, naturally you can’t bear to have your daughter marry far away.” Old Madam Song saw through it extremely clearly: “This is indeed reasonable. But if you’re asking my opinion, I share Shaoting’s thinking. You’ve probably also asked Twelfth Lady, haven’t you?”
It was precisely because Princess Duanhui had also said the same that Madam Yu grew even more puzzled.
Old Madam Song beckoned to call Madam Yu to her side and had her sit down: “Some words, they’re not convenient to say openly to you now. At present, the Song and Cui families’ honor and disgrace are fundamentally tied together—this needn’t be said for you to understand.”
Old Madam Song paused, not concealing or covering up, but straightforwardly mentioned the recent court memorials impeaching Song Chengru and Cui Yingshu: “His Highness became heir apparent, and things that weren’t so conspicuous before now appear particularly conspicuous. Especially with Shaoting still commanding the northwest troops. Think carefully—if the Three Border Commander-in-Chief who commands the northwest troops were to form a marriage alliance with the Fujian Commander-in-Chief who controls a province’s military power, what would others think?”
Old Madam Song’s words were spoken lightly, yet falling on Madam Yu’s ears, they were no different from a thunderbolt, startling her thoroughly into a cold sweat.
Seeing she seemed to understand, Old Madam Song softened her voice even more: “Although in some people’s eyes, girls’ lives aren’t lives—take the previous dynasty’s last emperor, wasn’t his empress…” Speaking to this point, Old Madam Song’s voice became almost inaudible: “Wasn’t she our Taizu’s own daughter? Yet did Taizu show even a fraction of care?”
Madam Yu raised her head in alarm.
Old Madam Song had already swiftly moved past that sentence: “But the current situation is different. His Majesty has already begun to be wary of those who grasp for power, and has separately admonished both our Old Master and Yingshu…”
Madam Yu then understood. This truly wasn’t the right time. She had only seen the Guo family’s good points but forgotten that the Guo family and Cui family were both military families and both aristocratic houses. The Guo family even had kinship ties with Minister of War Cen…
By the time Princess Duanhui arrived, Madam Yu had already begun discussing with Old Madam Song about arranging to meet the Tang family’s young master.
First Madam Song entered together with Princess Duanhui. Hearing this, she couldn’t help but smile: “In the blink of an eye, the children have all grown up. In previous years there were no happy occasions, but now one after another they’re to be married off. Once the children are all married off, the house will become quite quiet.”
Princess Duanhui also sighed: “Isn’t that so? I already see my daughter so rarely, and now after finally having her by my side for less than a year, we must already hurry to arrange prospects for her. I truly can’t bear it.”
She had previously wanted to discuss with Old Madam Song how to persuade Madam Yu to be more understanding. The Guo family was good, but given the current situation, the Du family marrying their daughter into the Guangen Earl Manor could still be justified—at most, the Guangen Earl Manor and the Song family were just in-laws by marriage. Moreover, that heir of the Guangen Earl Manor was adopted, and even less connected to the Song family—they couldn’t be linked together even with eight poles. Even if people talked, it needn’t be taken to heart. But if the Cui family’s legitimate line formed a marriage alliance with the Guo family, that weight couldn’t be spoken of in the same breath. Now upon arriving and seeing that Madam Yu had already begun discussing matters about that Tang family young man, how could she not understand? Her heart relaxed, and she had nothing more to worry about. Hearing First Madam Song’s words, she only felt deeply moved.