After returning to the capital, Emperor Xuanzhi became busy. Jiang Changning's life was as leisurely as ever, and even the empress dowager was quiet.
No one advised her to let Emperor Xuanzhi favor other women more and to treat everyone equally. As the queen, she should be generous and tolerant.
Jiang Changning did not delve into why the Queen Mother changed her mind, and he still followed the principle of coaxing and deceiving her when getting along with her.
The waves of the sky are easy to fade, but the heat is hard to stay.
In the spring of the eighth year of Xuanzhi, the Queen Mother once again proposed a beauty contest. Fearing that Jiang Changning might misunderstand, she explained, "It's not for the Emperor, it's for the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince is not young anymore, it's time to choose someone for him."
Jiang Changning also knew that she could not delay any longer. It was already a rare opportunity to wait until the prince was seventeen or eighteen years old before choosing a concubine for him.
But there is no need for a talent show. Jiang Changning smiled and said, "It is better to let the prince choose the person who will accompany him. If the person we choose is not what he likes, and they become a couple with resentment, it will be our fault."
The Queen Mother thought for a moment and said, "You have a point. Okay, let the Crown Prince pick a few good ones, and you issue an imperial decree to grant them marriages. I hope I can have a great-grandson next year."
Jiang Changning raised his eyebrows. This means that the prince must get married within this year. This is a bit difficult!
We have to give the prince some time to develop feelings for that woman.
But facing the Queen Mother's expectant eyes, Jiang Changning could only say, "I'll go talk to the Crown Prince and tell him to hurry up."
After coming out of Ciren Palace, Jiang Changning did not go to find the prince, but to find Emperor Xuanzhi.
When it comes to choosing a daughter-in-law, I have to ask for his opinion as a father.
Emperor Xuanzhi has been troubled by the drought in the southeast these days. This kind of natural disaster is difficult to avoid.
During this severe drought, the governors of more than a dozen counties and prefectures submitted memorials to the court complaining about their poverty, hoping that the court would allocate funds for disaster relief and open the granaries to release grain.
Although the imperial court allocated a large amount of disaster relief funds when heavy rains caused disasters in central China last year, the coast has been opened and the treasury is full, so there is still money to be allocated for disaster relief.
But Emperor Xuanzhi knew that among these memorials, only a few prefectures and cities needed relief, and the others had their own thoughts.
Some of them are trying to take advantage of the situation, while others are trying to gain a reputation in front of him.
Relief grain and relief funds must be allocated, but in order to ensure that the grain and money are distributed in full to the victims, an imperial envoy must be sent to supervise.
Otherwise, it would be a problem whether the money can be distributed to the victims as it is exploited by corrupt officials.
Who should be sent as the imperial envoy? Emperor Xuanzhi had been thinking about this question for several days.
Looking at the entire court, Prince De is the best candidate, but Prince De's Concubine Dowager is seriously ill, and her son has to stay by her side.
Prince Yu has his own ulterior motives, and Emperor Xuanzhi is not confident in sending him out of the capital.
As for the other ministers, he had to choose carefully.
Emperor Xuanzhi was a little annoyed while selecting people. He threw the brush in his hand on the table, rubbed his temples, and felt very tired.
When Jiang Changning came in, he happened to see this scene, walked behind him, and helped massage his shoulders, "Your Majesty, let the Crown Prince read the memorial of greeting."
"Aren't you afraid of tiring your son?" Emperor Xuanzhi grabbed her hand and asked jokingly.
"Children won't get tired. In order to prevent my man from working too hard, let him get tired." Jiang Changning said with a smile.
Emperor Xuanzhi took her hand and asked her to turn from behind him to the front, and then let her sit in his arms, "Don't you feel bad?"
"I feel sorry for your majesty." Jiang Changning pecked him on the lips.
Emperor Xuanzhi laughed, "Did my queen eat honey for breakfast today?"
"No, I had noodles with scallion oil for breakfast."
"No wonder it's so slick."
"Your Majesty, you are so heartless to say that." Jiang Changning poked his chest lightly, "In my heart, you have always been more important than my son."
"I said the wrong thing, don't be angry, Your Majesty." Emperor Xuanzhi coaxed her softly.
The couple chatted and laughed for a while, and Jiang Changning suddenly said, "Oh, we've been arguing for so long that I almost forgot about the important matter."
"What's your business?" Emperor Xuanzhi asked with a smile.
"That kid said he wanted to get married?" Emperor Xuanzhi raised his eyebrows.
"It wasn't him who said that. It was my mother. She wanted to have a great-grandson and wanted to select a beautiful girl. I persuaded her to let the prince choose his own child so that we wouldn't pick someone he didn't like."
"Choosing a Crown Princess is a matter of great importance. We can't let that brat choose."
"Don't you believe in your son's judgment?" Jiang Changning asked with a frown.
"What kind of vision does that kid have?" Emperor Xuanzhi said with disdain.
"Let him choose first. Once he's done, we'll review them. If they're really too different, it's not too late to object. After all, you're going to spend your whole life with him, so you better choose the one he likes, so that we don't end up being a couple with resentment."
Emperor Xuanzhi was silent, and Jiang Changning continued, "Your Majesty and I have a harmonious marriage, and I also hope that my son can have a close friend by his side. Your Majesty, it is lonely at the top."
Emperor Xuanzhi's expression changed slightly, "Forget it, I'll do as you say."
"Your Majesty is so kind. I will go find the prince and tell him about this." Jiang Changning said as he broke free from his arms and stood up to leave.
Emperor Xuanzhi stretched out his long arm and took the man back into his arms, "You said I was more important than your son, but as soon as we finished talking, you were in a hurry to leave. How could I be more important than your son?"
"I will disturb His Majesty while he is reviewing memorials."
"Who said sorry for disturbing me? With you accompanying me, this place doesn't seem so boring."
"This is the Imperial Study, where His Majesty handles state affairs. It should be serious. If it is too relaxed, those ministers will lose their fear."
"You are right, but now it's just you and me here, and I won't let you leave."
"I won't leave. I'll stay with Your Majesty." Jiang Changning took the brush with a smile, "Your Majesty, please review the memorials. I'll help you with the inkstone."
By the time Jiang Changning accompanied Emperor Xuanzhi and finished reviewing the thick stack of memorials, it was already dusk.
The couple returned to Qiyuan Palace hand in hand. As soon as they walked to the door of the east side hall, they heard Xiao Yuer's voice inside, "Aunt Xiulan, where is my mother?"
"The Queen has gone to the imperial study." Xiulan replied.
"Isn't the Queen Mother going to stay in the Imperial Study to have dinner with the Emperor?" Xiao Yuer asked with a pout.
"Are you hungry, Princess?"
"I'm not hungry yet. I want to go find my mother." Xiao Yuer said as he stood up and walked out.
"No need to look for me, your mother, I'm back." Jiang Changning hurried in.
"Mother." Xiao Yuer saw Emperor Xuanzhi following behind her, "Father."
The three sons stood up from their chairs and said, "I pay my respects to my father, the emperor, and I pay my respects to my mother, the queen."
"Everyone, sit down. The meal is about to be served." After Jiang Changning and Emperor Xuanzhi sat down, the four children sat down one by one.
After dinner, Jiang Changning asked her second and third sons and her daughter to take a walk with Emperor Xuanzhi. She asked the crown prince alone, "Son, you are not young anymore. It is time for you to get married. Do you have a girl you like?"
The prince frowned slightly, "Mother, why do you suddenly think of asking this?"
"Men should get married when they are old enough, and women should get married when they are old enough. This is not something I suddenly thought of, but something I have been thinking about for many days."
"Mother, I have never thought about this before. Please let me think about it."
"You need to think carefully about your lifelong affairs. Tell me when you have made up your mind." Jiang Changning said in an open-minded manner.
Ningning will not have any more children. She is preparing to become a mother-in-law and a grandmother.
(End of this chapter)