GTB Chapter 58
by VolareAlthough the Empress Dowager didn’t know what this divine secret was, she deeply believed in Celestial Master Zhang’s divination. After Celestial Master Zhang left, she hurriedly took Jiang Jiuchu’s portrait, boarded the phoenix palanquin, and headed to the Imperial Study.
Inside the Imperial Study, the Emperor respectfully helped the Empress Dowager to sit down, “Mother, why have you come in person today? If there’s anything, you could have sent someone to let me know, and I would have come to you myself.”
“You are busy with state affairs, and I have nothing to do, so I just took a stroll.”
As she spoke, the Empress Dowager handed the portrait in her hand to the Emperor, “I’ve chosen a consort for Yan’er, and I’ve brought it here specifically for you, his father, to take a look. At the Hundred Flowers Banquet the day after tomorrow, you will personally bestow the marriage upon Yan’er.”
The Emperor was taken aback upon hearing this, thinking, judging by his mother’s expression, could it be that Seventh agreed?
He quickly took the portrait and unfolded it, his gaze fixed on the pink-clad girl on the swing. In an instant, he understood why his son would agree. All those excuses about not wanting to marry early and the trouble of marriage were just that, excuses. He’d like to see him reject this young lady too.
Just as the Emperor was complaining about his son, he heard the Empress Dowager’s question, “What do you think? Jiang Yuan’s daughter, you shouldn’t have any objections, right?”
“Jiang Yuan’s daughter?”
The Emperor was somewhat stunned upon hearing this. He quickly lowered his gaze, and after clearly seeing the name and identity, his face lit up with joy, “Wonderful! My precious daughter married his son, and now it’s time for my son to marry his daughter. Marriage upon marriage, excellent.”
He smiled and handed the portrait back to the Empress Dowager, “You, Mother, have a good eye for choosing.”
“Alright, if the Emperor thinks it’s suitable, that’s all that matters. I’ve already had Celestial Master Zhang calculate the wedding date. The sixteenth of next month is an auspicious day, so we’ll set it for then.”
Seeing that the matter was more or less settled, the Empress Dowager stood up and said, “Then, Your Majesty, please continue with your work. I’ll return to the palace first.”
Upon hearing this, the Emperor wanted to say that the date might be a little too soon, but then he thought, since it was a date calculated by Celestial Master Zhang, it wouldn’t matter if it was sooner.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and soon it was the day of the Hundred Flowers Banquet.
The Hundred Flowers Banquet was an annual event held in the palace. The weather was pleasant, flowers were appreciated, and talents were showcased. It was a banquet for unmarried men and women to find partners, as well as a celebration of the new talents after the imperial examinations. Every year, the Hundred Flowers Banquet resulted in many marriages.
On this day, Jiang Jiuchu was woken up by Yu Qin early in the morning and began to wash and dress.
She sat by the bronze mirror, letting Yu Yi arrange her beautiful but intricate hairstyle. Her gaze was fixed on the bronze mirror, her eyes unfocused.
She didn’t understand why she hadn’t been able to find Brother Fu for three consecutive days. What exactly had happened? Surely, Brother Fu hadn’t really regretted it and didn’t want to take her away from the prosperity of Kyoto?
Thinking of this, Jiang Jiuchu unconsciously shook her head. No, Brother Fu was definitely not that kind of person. Even if he regretted it, he would explain it to her clearly.
“Miss, don’t move, almost done.”
After inserting the last gold and sapphire hairpin, Yu Yi smiled contentedly as she looked at Jiang Jiuchu, “How is it, Miss? Is it pretty? This servant specifically styled it to match the clothes that Madam sent you.”
Hearing this, Jiang Jiuchu finally regained her thoughts. She looked in the bronze mirror, refined and beautiful, neither extravagant nor simple. She nodded and said without much enthusiasm, “It’s pretty.”
“Miss, please stand up, and I’ll help you put it on.” Yu Luo stood aside, holding a water-blue and gold-embroidered brocade skirt.
Jiang Jiuchu cooperatively stood up and opened her arms, thinking, her mother had really gone all out. She was even willing to have this kind of gold-thread embroidery customized for her.
As soon as she thought about it, she thought of that Seventh Prince again. She didn’t know if her birth date really matched his. The Empress Dowager had taken it away the day before yesterday, but there seemed to be no news.
Yu Yi lifted Jiang Jiuchu’s half-loosened, waist-length black hair and, together with Yu Luo, helped Jiang Jiuchu put on the skirt.
“Chuer is really beautiful today. I’m afraid she’ll outshine all the noble ladies in Kyoto.” Shí Qingya, linking arms with Madam Ye, stepped across the threshold and smiled:
“Mother, isn’t my taste still good? Look at how beautiful Chuer is, like a fairy who doesn’t stain the dust.”
“Yes, yes, Ya’er’s taste is good. These clothes are indeed beautiful.” She didn’t expect that such refined and aloof clothes would suit Chuer so well.
She walked to Jiang Jiuchu’s side, took her hand, and asked softly, “Have you had breakfast?”
“Yes, I’ve had it.” Jiang Jiuchu hadn’t actually eaten anything. One reason was that she had gotten up too early, and the other was that she really wasn’t in the mood to eat.
Madam Ye nodded, knowing that Yu Luo had been running to Mo Feng Pavilion these past few days. She didn’t stop her, but she felt sorry for her daughter.
After all, for her daughter, Song Fuge didn’t appear on the promised elopement night, and there had been no news for three days.
As a mother, she didn’t know whether to be happy or unhappy about this situation, but Chuer must be feeling bad.
She thought that if that Young Master Fu wasn’t the benefactor who had saved her daughter’s life twice, she would definitely not allow her daughter to be like this. She could only say that everything was fate. He saved Chuer’s life, and Chuer repaid him with love, but in the end, he failed to catch it.
Ya’er said that at today’s Hundred Flowers Banquet, the Emperor would issue an decree to bestow marriage upon the Seventh Prince and Chuer.
She could only pretend not to know about this and take things one step at a time! Love was the most difficult thing to sort out and break off cleanly, but it would always pass and always be sorted out.
But deep down, she didn’t want Chuer to elope with Young Master Fu again. After all, how could this kind of thing happen again and again? It was already not easy for them as parents to turn a blind eye once.
Madam Ye concealed her thoughts and said to Jiang Jiuchu, “Alright, let’s go! Your father and brother are already waiting at the entrance of the mansion.”
Jiang Jiuchu nodded and followed Shí Qingya and Madam Ye out of the mansion.
In the faint morning light, two carriages slowly drove away from the Jiang mansion, heading towards the palace gates.
In the carriage, Jiang Jiuchu thought for a while and finally asked, “Sister-in-law, the Empress Dowager asked for my birth date the day before yesterday. Does sister-in-law know how the Empress Dowager determined it? Do my and the Seventh Prince’s birth dates match?”
Shí Qingya was stunned for a moment, glanced at Madam Ye, and then said, “Not very clear, I haven’t been to Cining Palace these past few days.”
She thought for a while and still felt that it would be better to be a vanguard, and continued, “I guess they should match! If they didn’t match, then Grandmother would have told me clearly.”
She really hadn’t been to Cining Palace. As for why she knew about the marriage bestowal today, it was also because her father had told her.
Her father was very happy to learn that Seventh Brother was going to marry her younger sister-in-law, so he summoned her to the palace and asked her a few questions in detail.
There was silence in the carriage for a while, and the three had different thoughts. Madam Ye and Shí Qingya both understood that Jiang Jiuchu was asking this question because she was obviously still holding out hope for Song Fuge.
The morning sun gradually rose, and large and small carriages gathered at the palace gate.
As soon as Jiang Jiuchu got out of the carriage, she heard a familiar voice in her ear, “Jiuchu.”
Ji Shutíng happily ran over, greeted Madam Ye and Shí Qingya, and then pulled Jiang Jiuchu to the side.
Seeing this, Madam Ye and Shí Qingya took the lead and walked ahead.
“Jiuchu, you are really too beautiful today.” Ji Shutíng’s eyes were full of light. It was the first time she had seen Jiang Jiuchu dressed in such a refined and noble way. Her whole temperament was different.
“You are also very beautiful!” Jiang Jiuchu looked at Ji Shutíng’s pink dress with butterflies fluttering through the flowers. It was also the first time she had seen Ji Shutíng dressed so charmingly.
“Hehe, today is the Hundred Flowers Banquet, so many delicate flowers, of course I have to compete for beauty.”
Jiang Jiuchu just took Ji Shutíng’s words as a casual joke, “Alright, then I’ll sit and wait for you to win the fight and become famous throughout Kyoto.”
“Jiuchu, I’m not kidding you, I’m telling the truth. You wouldn’t think that the Hundred Flowers Banquet is just about admiring flowers and building relationships between the monarch and his subjects, would you?”
“Isn’t it?” Jiang Jiuchu looked at Ji Shutíng in confusion, thinking, isn’t the Hundred Flowers Banquet just about admiring flowers, enjoying the scenery, and the monarch and his subjects sharing the joy? Could it be that they really have to fight for something…?