Not to mention… since this Empress ascended the throne, the new policies she had implemented were all strategies that benefited the Kingdom and people. Apart from being a woman… she was clearly a wise ruler!
Sun Wenyao truly did not want to do this from the bottom of his heart, but he could not disobey his superior’s orders.
At this moment, Bai Jinzhi was exactly as Bai Qingyan had predicted—being held down by Lady Li and having layer after layer of fragrant balms applied, their names unknown. She had long since forgotten about Sun Wenyao.
Grand Marshal Lu, who had finally gotten a chance to rest by soaking his feet and drinking cool tea, heard about the commotion Bai Jinzhi caused upon entering the city. He put down his teacup, picked up his palm-leaf fan to fan himself, and sighed: “This Princess Gaoyi’s spirited and impulsive nature is quite the opposite of the Bai family’s character. I wonder which family will be so unlucky…”
Mid-sentence, Grand Marshal Lu suddenly changed his words: “Which family will be so fortunate to gain Princess Gaoyi, such a straightforward and excellent daughter-in-law?”
Lu Jinxian, who was soaking his feet alongside his old father, smiled and picked up his cool teacup: “No matter which family… this would be a tremendous honor, and they’d have to accept it happily. Speaking of which… I heard that Third Madam Bai’s mother brought her legitimate second grandson here. They probably learned that Princess Gaoyi was returning to the capital and wanted to strengthen family ties through marriage.”
Grand Marshal Lu nodded, leisurely rocking his palm-leaf fan. Anyway, their family wasn’t greedy for marriage connections with the imperial family. As long as it wasn’t their family, that was fine. After all, they already had Lu Yuanpeng constantly going “weng weng… weng weng,” which made Grand Marshal Lu’s head buzz. Adding Princess Gaoyi would be too much for this old life to bear.
“Speaking of which, among His Majesty’s sisters… apart from Second Miss Bai, who has already married Qin Lang, Third Miss, Fourth Miss, Fifth Miss, and Sixth Miss Bai have all reached marriageable age. We should also keep an eye out in court for His Majesty’s sisters, since His Majesty is close to all her sisters!”
“Father, what do you think of our Lang girl matching with the Bai family’s third young master?” Lu Jinxian set his sights on Bai Qingqi, who was the most steady among all the Bai family sons. “How about we mention it to His Majesty sometime! This third young master has also reached the age, and our Lang girl would be a virtuous helper. Even if she can’t compare to someone like His Majesty, calling her a female Zhuge Liang wouldn’t be wrong!”
Seeing his father remain silent, seemingly deep in thought, Lu Jinxian continued: “Father, I’m not boasting, but with Lang girl’s temperament, think about it… If our Lang girl married the Bai family’s third young master, wouldn’t she also be able to share His Majesty’s burdens?”
“Lang girl is an ambitious child. Now that His Majesty has opened women’s schools and given special treatment to students, truly talented students can take monthly exams and obtain spring examination qualifications before next February. She’s determined to enter court alongside her father and brothers—she won’t be willing to marry at this time! Let’s wait and see! The children’s destinies… are decided by Heaven! No use being anxious…”
Grand Marshal Lu remained composed, always feeling that if someone was meant to be his son-in-law or daughter-in-law, they couldn’t escape, and if not, no amount of seeking would help!
On September 29th, the King of Han City and General Zhao Sheng arrived in the capital with envoys from the Dongyi Nation to pay tribute to the Great Zhou Empress.
The Dongyi Nation envoys, identical to the Yan Nation envoys, brought up the beautiful tradition of generational marriage alliances and friendly relations when they had previously paid tribute to the Liang Nation. Now that they submitted to the Great Zhou, they also hoped the Great Zhou Empress could continue this beautiful tradition by sending a princess to marry into Dongyi. Since Bai Qingyan had no daughters but had sisters, the Dongyi envoys specifically came to request one as a side consort for their crown prince.
Before Bai Qingyan could speak, Liu Rushi stepped forward with a smile: “Previously, Yan Nation offered the position of empress and the future crown prince’s position as betrothal gifts, wanting to form a marriage alliance with our Great Zhou, but His Majesty never agreed. Little Dongyi, a mere tributary nation, actually requests His Majesty’s sister as a side consort for their crown prince.”
Bai Qingyan’s eyes contained a smile as she spoke slowly: “Whether it’s the position of empress or crown prince’s side consort, my sisters… and the women of our Great Zhou will never marry abroad for political alliances, absolutely no exceptions! This is not specifically targeting Dongyi—please convey this to your nation’s ruler.”
The current Great Zhou had this confidence—absolutely no political marriages.
Since ancient times, women in political marriages were separated from family and friends, far from their homeland. Once married far away… even if they could gain their husband’s respect, they could never live as comfortably as they would near their parents. Therefore, the Great Zhou refused political marriages.
Bai Qingyan’s words made many court ministers breathe a sigh of relief. Generally speaking, if an emperor had no daughters or was unwilling to send his daughters away, he would ennoble ministers’ or royal relatives’ daughters, giving them status to marry on behalf of the imperial family. But which family truly wanted their daughters to marry far away…
Those who valued family bonds would fear their daughters suffering far from home, and those who valued interests also understood that daughters marrying far away could not assist the family in current court politics.
Liu Rushi’s blunt words made the Dongyi envoys sweat with shame, while Bai Qingyan’s words gave the Dongyi Nation sufficient face. The Dongyi envoys quickly agreed and respectfully withdrew.
However, the Dongyi envoys’ words stirred up waves. Instead, it was Bai Qingyan’s various aunts and the noble families of the capital who began scheming, since both the Bai family sons and daughters had grown up.
Men should marry when grown, women should wed when mature—this has been the way since ancient times.
It was fortunate that Bai Qingqi, Bai Qingjue, Bai Qingyun, and the little fifth, sixth, and seventh were not present. But Bai Jinzhi, who had just returned, became the prize everyone was eyeing…
After being taken by her mother to meet her cousin and returning, she immediately ran to Bai Qingyan, begging Bai Qingyan to quickly assign her to Nan Jiang to find her brothers and sisters.
“Eldest sister, look how mother has dressed me up!” Bai Jinzhi walked back and forth in front of Bai Qingyan’s desk. She glanced at Bai Wanqing in Bai Qingyan’s arms, shook the red ruby necklace around her neck, then pointed at Bai Wanqing: “I’m almost as decorated as little eighth!”
In the military camp, Bai Jinzhi always wore martial clothing and had grown accustomed to it. Now making her wear maiden’s skirts, not to mention all the hair ornaments on her head, and having to wear such a heavy necklace around her neck—it was like torture!
Bai Wanqing became unhappy, pouting with her watery, big eyes glaring at her fourth sister: “Fourth sister monkey! Fourth sister decorated! Little eighth is fine!”
The little girl’s pronunciation wasn’t clear, but she held grudges! She hadn’t forgotten at all that Bai Jinzhi had previously said she looked like a monkey.
“Our little eighth is fine… the most beautiful!” Bai Qingyan stroked Bai Wanqing’s head.
The little girl smiled and rubbed against Bai Qingyan’s palm, glanced at Bai Jinzhi, then sat in Bai Qingyan’s lap, drawing with her brush.
Bai Jinzhi didn’t get angry with her eighth sister and knelt across from Bai Qingyan’s desk: “Eldest sister, you must think of a way for me! I don’t want to stay in the capital anymore—let me return to the military camp!”