The prince has returned to the capital, and his marriage cannot be delayed any longer. The empress dowager has urged Jiang Changning several times.
Jiang Changning called the prince over and threw him the booklet that recorded the girls' situations. "On paper, it's just not enough. Find a chance to get in touch with them and pick the one you like."
The prince rubbed his forehead. He had been out on business for so long that he thought the matter had been settled. Why did he still have to choose
"Mother, it is a taboo and a serious crime for the Crown Prince to make friends with court officials privately." The Crown Prince found a legitimate excuse to prevaricate.
Jiang Changning was so angry that he laughed, "I asked you to get in touch with the girl, not to form a clique for personal gain."
"Mother, men and women should not touch each other. If my son contacts them privately, it will damage their reputation. This is not what a gentleman does." The prince said righteously.
Jiang Changning was silent for a long time before he asked, "Don't you care who I marry?"
The prince thought for a moment and said, "As long as she is virtuous and obedient, can manage the prince's residence well, be filial to her father and mother, be friendly to her brothers and sisters, and don't cause me any trouble, that's all."
Jiang Changning looked at him strangely. Has this kid still not figured it out
"Mother, marriage is a serious matter and no joke, especially since my son is the crown prince. It would be best if the selection of the crown princess were decided by father and mother," the crown prince said solemnly.
"Got it. Your father and I will help you pick a good one." Jiang Changning said weakly.
"Thank you, mother." The prince looked relieved.
He has so many things to do that he has no spare time for romance and love.
"Let me be frank with you. After you marry a wife, you must treat her well, cultivate a relationship with her, and tolerate each other. You must not abandon her or let others bully and humiliate her just because you have so-called true love in the future."
"My son will treat her well. A wife is equal to a husband. My son will not forget that she is the person who will spend his life with me." The prince said seriously.
"Okay, go and do your own thing." Jiang Changning didn't want to talk to him anymore. It was really a headache.
After sending his son away, Jiang Changning picked up the booklet and started looking through it.
Five girls, with excellent family backgrounds, outstanding looks and good conduct.
In the evening, Emperor Xuanzhi came to have dinner with Jiang Changning, and Jiang Changning complained to him about his son's lack of understanding of romance.
"He is the crown prince, destined to serve the country and the people, and should not be bound by love affairs."
Jiang Changning bit his lip and asked after a long while, "Your Majesty, have you never thought about living in harmony with your wife?"
Emperor Xuanzhi looked at her, a smile on his face, "After the marriage, I knew who it was, and I thought about treating her with respect."
His situation is different from that of the crown prince, he was just a prince before.
"and after?"
Emperor Xuanzhi stood up, walked behind Jiang Changning, and embraced her. "Wasn't my queen the one who knew best?"
Jiang Changning pursed her lips and smiled, feeling sweet in her heart, but she said, "The heart of the emperor is unfathomable, I dare not guess at it."
"If you don't want to touch me randomly, then touch me properly." Emperor Xuanzhi said ambiguously while holding her earlobe in his mouth.
Jiang Changning's body went limp, and she said coquettishly, "Your Majesty, stop messing around, it's time for dinner."
"Ningning, do you mean you can act crazy after dinner?"
"I didn't say that."
Emperor Xuanzhi chuckled, "But that's what I think."
That night, the red candles flickered and the room was filled with a pleasant spring atmosphere.
After finishing, Emperor Xuanzhi took Jiang Changning to take a bath. The couple lay back on the bed, feeling refreshed, and fell asleep in each other's arms, having a dreamless night.
Five days later, Emperor Xuanzhi issued an imperial decree to grant marriage to the prince.
When the imperial decree granting marriage came out, all the palaces were shocked. In the eyes of many people, Xia Xueer should be the Crown Princess, but now it is Meng Rui.
However, some people also said that the fact that the Queen had summoned so many noble ladies showed that Xia Xueer was just one of the candidates for the Crown Princess at that time.
As for the Meng family, they never expected that they would become relatives with the emperor, and began to busy themselves with preparing a dowry for their daughter.
Emperor Xuanzhi ordered the Ministry of Works to select a place to build the Prince's Palace.
Jiang Changning followed the rules and sent the nurse and the palace maid to the Meng family. After thinking it over, he said, "Xiu Lan, go ahead. You can return to the palace after the prince's wedding."
Xiulan was stunned. "Your Majesty, don't you want me to go to the Crown Prince's Mansion to serve the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess?"
"I want to send you over, but I'm afraid the Crown Princess will feel uncomfortable and feel hesitant, thinking that I, as a mother-in-law, am meddling too much." Jiang Changning had no intention of interfering in the affairs of the young couple.
The director of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory selected five auspicious days, namely: February 19th, March 6th, August 20th, September 10th and November 8th of next year.
The Queen Mother was anxious to hold her great-grandson in her arms. "February 19th is a good day."
Jiang Changning disagreed, "Mother, the Prince's Mansion will not be built so quickly."
"Then it will be the sixth day of March."
"Mother, it takes time to prepare the dowry and betrothal gifts."
The Queen Mother frowned and asked, "So which day do you think?"
Emperor Xuanzhi saw that the Queen Mother was angry, so he interrupted and said, "Mother, September 10th is more suitable. Small countries on the border can also come to congratulate. After all, it is the prince's wedding, and a lively occasion is the best."
The Queen Mother listened to her son and said, "Okay, then, on the tenth day of September."
The auspicious date was set, and Jiang Changning began to clean up the warehouse books, looking for good items to send to the Meng family as a betrothal gift.
The Meng family put all their resources into preparing a dowry for Meng Rui.
In addition to the dowry given by the Meng family, the palace had to purchase another batch.
There are nearly 100 pieces of jewelry, including pairs of red gold filigree phoenix hairpins, pairs of kingfisher phoenix hairpins, pairs of red gold double happiness hairpins, and pairs of red gold ruyi tassel hairpins.
Various fabrics, ready-made clothes, shoes and socks, as well as indoor ornaments, carpets, hanging curtains, mattresses, etc.
In his spare time, Jiang Changning also summoned the mother and daughter of the Meng family.
Jiang Changning had met Meng's mother and talked to her at various banquets. She was a famous wife in the city who was righteous and understanding.
Not only did she give birth to three sons and two daughters for Lord Meng, she also treated the children born to Lord Meng's third concubine as her own.
The Meng family has many children, but they are all humble and polite. The two illegitimate sons are also quite promising, and the three illegitimate daughters are also married very well.
This is also one of the reasons why Jiang Changning chose Meng Rui. With the guidance of such a mother, Meng Rui will probably become a wise and righteous wife.
Just because Emperor Xuanzhi could set up six harems for her doesn’t mean the Crown Prince would do the same for the Crown Princess.
If one day the prince takes in a new wife, and Meng Rui is unable to accept it calmly, and secretly makes trouble and does something irreparable, the love between husband and wife will certainly be gone.
She didn't want the young couple to end up becoming enemies, so this was a precaution.
With a compensatory mentality, Jiang Changning gave her the red gold eight-petal inlaid treasure top hairpin as a reward, "You little girl will look good in it."
(End of this chapter)