Legend of Zhen Huan: Zhen Huan is reborn

079 Princess Chaogui's Marriage

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On this day, Yinzhen entered the Jingren Palace and discussed the relevant matters of the princess's marriage to a distant place with many concubines.

His purpose was to discuss with the beauties in the harem the specific arrangements and considerations regarding the important decision of the princess's marriage.

(Jingren Palace)

Accompanied by Su Peisheng's iconic announcement, "The Emperor has arrived."

All the concubines stood up, bowed respectfully, and greeted in unison: "Your Majesty, your Majesty, be well."

Yinzhen waved his hand gently and said gently: "My beloved concubines, please don't be polite."

After saying this, he leisurely sat down on the chair in the center that symbolized supreme authority.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace." The concubines once again said in unison, expressing their gratitude for the emperor's grace.

"The emperor has just returned from the court, and his face seems a little worried. Is there something worrying him?" Yixiu asked with concern.

Yinzhen sighed softly, his eyes deep, "I do have important matters to discuss with the Queen. Since all of you are here, why don't you listen together? At the morning court today, the Junggar envoys came and made a request - to marry our Qing princess as the princess for their Yingge Khan, in order to stabilize the border and appease the people."

"Since ancient times, it has been a common practice for our Celestial Empire to marry princesses far away to maintain peace. All we need to do is carefully select a woman with both talent and beauty from the royal family, confer the title of Heshuo Princess on her, and grant her marriage to a foreign country. This would be the appropriate strategy." Yixiu responded gently.

However, Yinzhen's brows did not relax. "The difficulty this time is that the Junggar side clearly requires that I marry a legitimate princess, not a daughter from a side branch of the royal family. This makes me feel quite embarrassed." His words revealed a sense of helplessness and heaviness.

"Although Junggar belongs to the territory of Qing Dynasty, it is just a remote tribe after all. Our Qing Dynasty is willing to marry our princess to them, which is already a great honor and respect for them. Now they are greedy and refuse to marry anyone other than our own princess. This is really excessive." Shen Meizhuang's tone was full of indignation and dissatisfaction.

Feng Ruozhao took over the conversation and said with a touch of reminiscence: "In the past, the choices for marriage alliances were mostly daughters of royal families, to show the wide range of royal grace. I remember that only during the time of the previous emperor, he married his own daughter, Princess Lanqi, to the distant Junggar."

Yinzhen nodded slightly, his expression becoming more solemn: "It is precisely because of this precedent that I find it difficult to refuse easily." His words revealed deep helplessness and the pain of weighing the pros and cons.

Cao Qinmo was terrified at this moment. She spoke anxiously: "Your Majesty, although Wen Yi is your closest flesh and blood, she is still young and ignorant. How can she bear the heavy responsibility of a marriage?" Her voice was full of anxiety and uneasiness.

"If Wen Yi was a few years older, I wouldn't have to worry so much." Yinzhen looked at Cao Qinmo, a trace of tenderness and helplessness flashed in his eyes, "However, you all know the current situation very well. I have only been on the throne for three years and have just put down the rebellion in the northwest. The Junggar forces have always been strong. If this matter is not handled well, there may be another war. Once the war starts, food and military supplies will be in urgent need. This is not what I want, and it is not the best strategy."

Yixiu's face was solemn when she heard this. She agreed deeply: "Your Majesty is right. When it comes to national affairs, the country should be the most important. Although I am a woman in the harem, I also know the importance of this."

Her words revealed her support and understanding for Yinzhen, and also expressed her deep hope for national peace.

Yinzhen was playing with the string of beads in his hand unconsciously, his eyes flickering in the luster of the beads, as if looking for some answer.

"To maintain domestic stability we must first repel foreign aggression. This is a clear principle, but the move of marriage is really a helpless measure. My own daughter, Wen Yi, is still young and inexperienced, and it is difficult for her to take on this responsibility. At the moment, it is indeed difficult to find a suitable candidate." His words revealed deep worry.

Yixiu's eyes flickered when she heard this, and she said softly, "Zhungar only asked for the title of legitimate princess, but did not specify that she must be the emperor's biological daughter. I dare to say that there is a candidate who may be able to solve this dilemma."

Yinzhen's expression changed slightly when he heard this. He seemed to understand something, but he didn't fully understand it. He hesitated for a moment and said, "You mean..."

"The late emperor still has a young daughter, Princess Chaogui, who is in her prime, beautiful, and has not yet been betrothed. If she is married off in his place, it will not only meet Junggar's wishes, but also preserve the royal bloodline. It is truly the best of both worlds." Yixiu's words were clear and firm, and her proposal undoubtedly solved Yinzhen's immediate dilemma.

Yinzhen couldn't help showing some reluctance on his face. He sighed and said, "Chao Gui, she is my youngest sister after all. She has been loved by me since she was young. Now I want her to marry far away. It is really hard for me to let her go."

Seeing this, Yixiu gently consoled her, "Your Majesty works hard for state affairs day and night, and cares about the people of the world, even at the cost of his own life. Although Princess Chaogui is not born of the same mother, the relationship between them is deep, so your Majesty naturally loves her."

"However, Your Majesty should put the overall situation first and consider the long-term interests of the country. Although Princess Chaogui's biological mother was a noble lady of the previous emperor, her status is still noble. If she stays in the palace, she may only be able to choose a middle-class family as her son-in-law, which is difficult to show the royal style. Marrying Junggar will allow her to become a princess and enjoy supreme honor. Isn't this a better destination for her?"

Yixiu's words were full of understanding and support for Yinzhen, and also painted a seemingly bright picture for Princess Chaogui's future.

However, she was well aware of the sacrifices and helplessness behind it, but she could only bear it silently for the sake of the overall situation and the peace of the country.

Yinzhen nodded slightly, a trace of determination and reluctance flashed in his eyes, "The queen is right. As a brother, I should consider Chaogui's future. In this case, Junggar Khan is indeed the best choice. Since Chaogui is the only candidate for this marriage, all matters will be handed over to the queen. Make sure to prepare everything within ten days so that she can marry Junggar in style."

Upon hearing this, Yixiu replied solemnly: "I will do my best to arrange everything for the princess and ensure that she gets married in style, so as to live up to the emperor's trust."

Yinzhen pondered for a moment and added, "Since this is a marriage of peace, Chaogui was originally a Heshuo Princess. I intend to promote her to a Gulun Princess to show the importance the court attaches to this marriage. All ceremonial standards will be carried out according to the highest etiquette of a Gulun Princess. We must make sure that Junggar can feel the sincerity and majesty of the Qing Dynasty."

Yixiu responded, "I will obey your order and make careful preparations to live up to your high expectations."

Seeing this, Zhen Huan made a timely suggestion. Her voice was gentle and clear: "Preparing the dowry is simple but complicated. Every step needs to be meticulous. It is safer to have the Ministry of Internal Affairs take charge, but there are many details involved and there is no room for error. Once there is any negligence, it will affect the face and dignity of our Qing Dynasty. I think Sister Cao is known for her meticulousness. Why not ask Sister Cao to assist the Queen in preparing the dowry for the princess? It will definitely be twice the result with half the effort."

Cao Qinmo heard this, although she was reluctant in her heart, but for the sake of the emperor and Zhen Huan's face, she had to stand up reluctantly and answered humbly: "Although I am willing to do my part for the princess, I really know very little about such matters. I am afraid that I will not be able to do it, and I will fail the emperor and my sisters' high hopes."

Yinzhen knew Cao Qinmo's character and ability very well, and also knew that this proposal was made by Zhen Huan to relieve his worries, so he said no more, and only said lightly: "You are thoughtful and delicate, and you are indeed suitable for handling these trivial matters. In this case, you can prepare together with the Queen, and the Queen will have her own ideas on other matters."

After saying this, he stood up and was about to leave. Before leaving, he did not forget to remind her: "I still have important matters to attend to, so I will not stay any longer. You should do your best to prepare a magnificent dowry for the princess."

Upon seeing this, all the concubines stood up and respectfully sent the emperor off, saying in unison: "Farewell, Your Majesty."