After official business was concluded, Wang Wenqian invited Prince Shou Yang Zhitang, Han Daochang, Feng Liao, and others to stay temporarily at Jian Garden in northwestern Yangzhou city, to discuss more intimately the marriage matter between Han Qian and his daughter.

The marriage agreement with the Han family had also gone through many twists and turns. The dignified daughter of the Prime Minister’s household had ultimately ended up an old maid. Although Wang Wenqian’s prestige had grown and few dared spread malicious gossip to Wang Wenqian and his daughter Wang Jun, the Wang clan members had spent these years whispering behind their backs, not to mention outsiders.

This time, Prince Shou Yang Zhitang serving as matchmaker and presenting betrothal gifts at least somewhat restored face for the Wang clan.

When hosting a private banquet for Prince Shou Yang Zhitang, Han Daochang, and Feng Liao at Jian Garden, Wang Wenqian also invited several Wang clan elders who managed clan affairs to accompany them.

At the brilliantly lit banquet, Yang Zhitang and Han Daochang formally presented the betrothal gift list for Wang Wenqian and the Wang clan elders to review.

Contemporary marriage customs required the complete process of Three Letters and Six Rites, but going through all these ceremonies, Han Qian and Wang Jun couldn’t expect to sleep together within half a year.

However, no one unrealistically expected Prince Shou Yang Zhitang, as matchmaker for Prince Han’s marriage alliance, to actually make several trips back and forth to Yangzhou for this matter.

Moreover, Han Qian and Wang Jun had long ago been betrothed. The auspicious divination, matching of eight characters, and other acceptance and presentation rites had all been completed previously—there was no need to go through them again.

Therefore, besides presenting betrothal gifts and the betrothal letter, Prince Shou Yang Zhitang also directly presented the wedding date request letter, setting the wedding date. If the Wang family had no objections, when the agreed-upon wedding date of the eighth day of the twelfth month arrived, Han Qian would directly send people to Yangzhou to formally marry Wang Jun, and the entire marriage matter would be complete.

After the private banquet, Prince Shou Yang Zhitang, Han Daochang, Feng Liao, and others lodged in Jian Garden’s separate courtyard. They would depart early the next morning. Wang Wenqian invited several Wang clan elders to the rear residence to talk.

The betrothal gifts Han Qian sent could not be called light. The Wang side also needed to deliberate how much dowry to provide, or rather, how to reciprocate with dowry appropriately.

Although contemporary etiquette was far less rigorous than in later periods, when hosting someone of Prince Shou’s status, Xu Shi and Wang Jun still could not casually show their faces in public.

Only after Wang Wenqian and several Wang clan elders went to the rear courtyard to discuss the dowry did Xu Shi and Wang Jun appear.

“Thirty-two chests of betrothal gifts look impressive, but there aren’t many substantial items,” Xu Shi also couldn’t wait to take the betrothal letter to look at it, saying, “Everyone says the Han family is the wealthiest under heaven—we can’t let them marry off a Wang family daughter this cheaply.”

Because of her origins, Xu Shi could only be a concubine, but Wang Wenqian had not remarried these years. The Wang clan elders could only hold their noses and silently watch Xu Shi act as mistress of the household. Seeing her presumptuous behavior, they could only slightly furrow their brows, indicating that although Wang Wenqian was a high minister, he should still strictly manage his inner household.

Wang Wenqian completely ignored the clan elders’ evident dissatisfaction. After all, compared to the clan elders, Xu Shi quarreling with him would disturb his peace even more.

According to ancient rites, the thirty-two chests of betrothal gifts should primarily contain cakes, seafood, three sacrificial animals, wine, fruit, tea, sugar, silk, brocade, satin, wedding candles, and wedding bracelets—naturally not worth much money or grain. But the Han family was after all one of Great Chu’s foremost princely ministerial households. The betrothal gifts would absolutely not be limited to only these items that could be carried out and displayed before people. More substantial monetary gifts were usually written in the betrothal letter.

Xu Shi wanted to see whether the wealthiest Han family under heaven, the renowned Marquis of Qianyang, would really be so stingy that the betrothal gifts consisted of only thirty-two chests of wedding items.

“One iron mine at Nangu Ridge, one water dam estate at Longqiu Lake south of Nangu Mountain, two water-powered mills, four water-powered spinning wheels, one Lian Garden in Liyang…” After reading the betrothal letter’s contents, Xu Shi looked somewhat dumbfounded at Wang Wenqian.

It was quite normal for princely ministerial households to gift land, residences, and even street shops as monetary gifts.

However, the properties listed in the betrothal gifts were all located in Tangyi’s Liyang County territory. Could the Wang family actually send people over to take control of them?

Although Xu Shi was astonished, the Wang clan elders had long privately calculated an opinion.

The Wang clan was now also a first-rate aristocratic family in Great Chu. Although the entire clan’s relocation to Yangzhou after the Jinling incident had somewhat injured bones and sinews, they could not lose face.

However much betrothal gift the groom’s side sent, the Wang clan could not simply accept it.

Whether it was the Nangu Ridge iron mine or the Longqiu Lake water dam estate, these would all be counted toward the dowry Wang Jun would bring when marrying over and returned—then there would be no question of whether to take control or not.

“So writing these things in the betrothal gifts is just for show?” Xu Shi frowned, looking at Wang Wenqian questioningly.

“This actually saves trouble. If the gift list wrote down a certain amount of gold, silver, pearls, and jade, we would inevitably have to add corresponding gold, silver, pearls, and jade. The clan truly is strapped for funds—we might even have to sell some land and residences to be sufficient,” Wang Wenqian said. “Now it’s convenient. We just see what surplus the household has and add as much as possible—no need to have too much of a headache over dowry matters.”

“This is different,” Xu Shi said dissatisfied. “If the betrothal gifts specify how much gold, silver, pearls, and jade, and we add corresponding gold, silver, pearls, and jade here, these will all be Wang Jun’s personal private funds afterward—Wang Jun, don’t you agree this is the principle?”

“Lady Ting has followed Han Qian for how long? Her brother Zhao Wuji is now a cavalry general of the Tangyi forces. Lady Xi is the head of the Xi clan—her clansman Xi Chang serves as Xuzhou Vice-Governor and Military Commissioner, and Xi Fa’er is also a general. If daughter marries into Tangyi this way, she’ll be isolated and weak. Father will be relinquishing the Yangzhou Governor position—if something happens in the future, father may not be able to make decisions for Jun’er,” Wang Jun said.

Wang Wenqian’s eyebrows rose, but before several clan elders, he held back some words he didn’t speak aloud.

“Exactly,” hearing Wang Jun’s words, several clan elders deeply agreed, slapping their thighs and saying, “If our Wang family’s daughter marries over but suffers bullying from two concubines, what kind of propriety is that? Speaking of it, this marriage matter has been delayed too long.”

“Constantly bringing up old matters is useless. Better to think of ways to handle the present situation.”

“How to handle it? Could our Wang family really send people over to manage these properties, so if Wang Jun encounters something in the future, there will be people nearby to consult and dispatch?”

“Just managing these estates, water mills, and iron mines would require seven to eight hundred people, wouldn’t it? Moreover, Tangyi doesn’t permit slaves. Otherwise, sending a few stewards to accompany Wang Jun when she marries over—as long as we can buy several hundred more slaves, it wouldn’t be a problem.”

Hearing the clan elders’ various discussions, Wang Jun said:

“Ninth brother Wang Yan, seventeenth brother Wang Zhe, twenty-ninth brother Wang Tang, maternal cousins Huo Li and Huo Xiao—they’re all sons of concubines. Besides handling clan affairs, they can’t obtain even half an official position in Yangzhou. Hearing that Jun’er is marrying to Tangyi, they all want to relocate to Tangyi with Jun’er. Moreover, for the dowry, there’s no need for vulgar gold and silver. Jun’er will select one hundred slave households from the clan to take along. After arriving in Tangyi, I’ll grant them commoner status—they’ll surely serve Jun’er willingly. This way, the dowry matter is also resolved, and Jun’er will have personnel to use after marrying to Tangyi, without worrying about being bullied.”

The clan elders looked at Wang Wenqian with some hesitation.

What Wang Jun proposed wasn’t excessive.

Between the Wang clan and Wang Jun’s maternal Huo clan, there were over a hundred clan children of the same generation as Wang Jun who hadn’t passed beyond the fifth degree of mourning. Wang Wenqian’s assignment of legitimate and concubine-born children to duties, on one hand, tried to follow tradition as much as possible, arranging legitimate nephews to formal official positions; on the other hand, he selected capable concubine-born children first to manage clan affairs and command household troops.

Although Wang Yan, Wang Zhe, Wang Tang, Huo Li, and Huo Xiao were concubine-born children, they were quite valued by Wang Wenqian.

That said, of over a hundred children in this generation, these five accompanying Wang Jun to marry into Tangyi wouldn’t injure the Wang family’s bones and sinews.

Additionally, with countless refugees and disaster victims in Yangzhou, even if Wang Jun took over a hundred slave households, the Wang clan purchasing over a hundred slave households to supplement insufficient personnel wouldn’t be difficult…

Of course, whether this was appropriate still required Wang Wenqian’s final decision.

Wang Wenqian’s temples twitched several times before he finally said: “Jun’er’s consideration does have merit.”

“Then this matter is settled,” several clan elders said in unison.

After the clan elders took their leave, Wang Jun also prepared to return to her room to rest, but Wang Wenqian stopped her: “The wedding date is set very soon. I will also resign from the Yangzhou Governor position and return to His Highness’s side to serve. Why must you make things difficult for me?”

“Father doesn’t have the courage to monopolize the Yangzhou Governor position, yet you blame your daughter for not being able to tread on thin ice and act carefully?” Wang Jun said with pursed lips. “Father will still be Prince Xin’s loyal minister in the future, but after Wang Jun marries into Tangyi, she must wholeheartedly consider her husband…”

“So it seems we father and daughter will become enemies in the future?” Wang Wenqian asked with a bitter smile.

“Father, you cannot outmaneuver Jun’er,” Wang Jun said, raising her head.

Wang Wenqian couldn’t help but want to strike Wang Jun with a book, but in the end he couldn’t help but sigh, saying: “The hardest thing in the world to fathom is the human heart. Although the Anning Palace was the chief culprit when Han Daoxun suffered brutal torture and died tragically years ago, in the eyes of the Tangyi people, your father ultimately schemed against Han Daoxun—after you marry over, you must still be careful in all things…”