MYUFPC CHAPTER 44
Just mind your own business
Jiashan's smile was exceedingly indifferent, her complexion as white as the city's unmelted early snow. She looked quite like Zhan Yue who never placed them in his eyes.
Zhang shi's throat tightened. She clearly heard the princess call Song shi "maternal aunt" but only addressed herself as "the Shizi furen."
What did she think she was?
Zhang shi began to deeply regret why she had come to interact with Jiashan.
The princess clearly looked down on the Duke of Anguo Mansion. So, why was she willing to marry into the Duke of Anguo Mansion? Could it be she truly only cared for Zhan Yue?
Thinking about this, Zhang shi was momentarily stunned.
What was there about Zhan Yue that she would find appealing?
A princess of such a high status, what kind of noblemen hadn't she seen? She had heard that the Emperor had even considered betrothing the eldest princess to the eldest son of the Princess De Ning.
Zhan Yue was merely a shù son, a child born of a concubine, and his mother's family was also declining. Although the Emperor valued him now, the emperor's favor was as fickle as a woman's face, unpredictable.
Who could say what the future held?
Zhang shi glanced at Jiashan and said with a forced smile, "I hope it will be as the princess says."
Jiashan's gaze sharpened, but before she could speak, she saw a young woman behind Zhang shi gently tugging at Zhang shi's sleeve.
The woman smiled sweetly at Jiashan and said, "It is fortunate for the Fourth Young Master to marry into the royal family and to have the princess's care. His future will surely be bright."
"I come to offer my congratulations to the Fourth Young Master and the Princess."
She curtsied and said, "Although I have met Jing fei after entering the palace, I have not yet greeted the princesses. I rarely attend banquets and do not know many people. My elder sister-in-law often interacts with noble ladies, so I came with her."
With this interruption, both Zhang shi and Jiashan's underlying anger subsided somewhat.
Zhang shi felt a little better because of the flattery, while Jiashan pondered who this woman was in the Duke of Anguo Mansion.
If she remembered correctly, she had seen this woman before in her previous life. She was the widow of Zhan Yue's second older brother, Zhan Song, named Yu. Zhan Song was born of a concubine and was sickly, so Yu's family background was not very high.
I heard that this marriage was personally arranged by Old Lady Wen. It seems that Old Lady Wen's judgment is indeed much better than the Duke of Anguo's."
Yu shi, although not of as good a family as Zhang shi, was far more discerning.
Jiashan, while inwardly mocking Zhang shi's stupidity, maintained a composed expression as she spoke with Fu Xiao's wife, Song shi.
Song shi had grown up in Shaanxi with her brother, and the people of Shaanxi had a warm and hospitable nature. Song shi had seen many strange and unusual things since she was young, and she was a very talkative person. As a member of the Fu family attending the banquet, she was naturally out of place with the Zhan family.
Seeing that Jiashan was so sincere towards her, she also looked at Jiashan with kindness and said, "When I first married into the Fu family, Yanqing was only seven years old."
"So young," Gesturing with her hand to her waist, Song shi smiled and said, "It seems like just yesterday, and now this child is about to get married. He is so accomplished now, and he can even marry a princess. It has fulfilled the wishes of his uncle and me."
Jiashan couldn't imagine what seven-year-old Zhan Yue would have looked like. She could only follow Song shi's words and asked, "Was Yanqing naughty when he was young?"
"Not naughty," Song shi sighed with a sense of nostalgia. "At least when I married into the family, he was already very sensible."
Song shi smiled and continued, "My nephews from my mother's side, who are eight years old, are still climbing trees and catching crickets, and they still go swimming in the pond in groups during the summer. Yanqing had never been like that."
"Every day after class, he would invariably review his lessons for an hour and practice riding and archery for another two hours without fail," Song shi shook her head slightly. "He matured too early. Even his uncle said that he always pushed himself too hard."
"I wish I could see a Yanqing," Song shi said with hopeful eyes, "who isn't so hardworking and restrained."
Jiashan smiled slightly and nodded, "I wish so too."
I hope the marriage will be a heart-to-heart connection for him, not a constraint.
Jiashan raised her glass to Song shi, and they both took a small sip.
After the banquet, Jing fei invited Jiashan to Changle Palace for a chat.
In early years, Jing fei had been a member of the direct lineage in the wángfǔ,( prince's manor) and had been entrusted with raising Zhao Youze after the Empress's death, so her relationship with Jiashan was naturally very close.
Seeing that Jiashan seemed to be less than friendly towards the Duke Anguo family at the banquet, Jing fei kindly said, "After all, you will be family in the future, so you should at least give them a little face."
Jing fei was a gentle and kind-hearted person who never did things too harshly. She liked to leave a little room for maneuver in every situation, so that things could be easier in the future. In this aspect, she was not as decisive as Zhuang fei.
Jiashan was aware of her temperament and said, "Don't worry, niangniang. I know what I'm doing. I won't make things too difficult for the Duke of Anguo Mansion before I even get married."
Jiashan was a clever person and rarely did anything without a plan. Jing fei could only say, "As long as you know what you're doing."
"The Duke of Anguo Mansion is a large and influential family, and you have the Princess's mansion to rely on. There's no need to get involved in muddy waters."
"I heard that the fuma (Husband of a princess), was raised by Old Lady Wen," Jing fei imparted her limited experience. "I've heard of Old Lady Wen's reputation before. Since the fuma was raised by her, he must not be a bad person. The most important thing is for a couple to live in harmony."
After a moment's thought, Jing fei added, "But if you are bullied, don't just endure it. With our status, there's no need to fear anyone."
Jing fei was not Jiashan's biological mother after all, and the reason she was tied to Jiashan was simply because of Zhao Youze. Naturally, she could not be as meticulous as Madam Pei.
However, having said this, it was enough to show Jing fei's care.
Jiashan's heart warmed, and she smiled in response.
After a moment of hesitation, Jiashan looked around at the palace maids and said calmly, "After I get married, Yuan Kang will have to rely on niangniang more."
"Yuan Kang has always been like a son to niangniang," Jiashan stood up and bowed deeply. She said slowly, "Now that Yuan Kang's eyes have a chance of recovering, I'm afraid niangniang will need to put in more effort at this critical moment."
Jing fei walked over to her, helped Jiashan up, and smiled gently, "Of course."
The two looked at each other meaningfully, and there was a tacit understanding in their eyes.
Days passed quickly, and the date for Zhan Yue's marriage was set for the eighth day of the second lunar month. This was a very auspicious day in February, second only to the Dragon Raising Its Head Day.
It was an auspicious day and time chosen by both the Imperial Astronomical Observatory and the Ministry of Rites.
On the seventh day of the second lunar month, a grand procession carrying Jiashan's dowry made its way to the Duke of Anguo Mansion. The Duke Anguo and others had to greet the procession with the etiquette of a subject.
Zhan Yue, Zhan Tai, Zhang shi, and Zhan Shao'ying were all there.
As the first princess to marry and the only daughter born of the Empress, Jiashan naturally received treatment different from other princesses.
Zhang shi's face turned slightly pale as she saw the countless boxes of dowry being carried into the mansion. Clenching her handkerchief tightly, she knelt on the cold marble floor, her heart feeling as cold as the winter wind.
She had not been involved in Zhan Yue's marriage at all. Knowing that she did not get along with Zhan Yue, Old Lady Wen was afraid that she would do something wrong and anger the emperor. Therefore, Zhang shi did not know how much Old Lady Wen cared about Zhan Yue or how much money the entire affair had cost the family.
But she could guess that since it was a princess's marriage, Old Lady Wen would not have made it too shabby for the sake of face.
This marriage, in terms of both external and internal affairs, overshadowed Zhan Shao'ying's upcoming marriage to the daughter of the Qi Le Marquis.
Zhang shi felt a pang of jealousy. After the dowry was delivered, she privately told Zhan Tai and Zhan Shao'ying, "The wedding is tomorrow. Has the old lady mentioned who will be the matron of honor?"
A matron of honor was an indispensable figure at a wedding, also known as a "full-blessing person." A full-blessing person must be someone whose parents, in-laws, and children were all alive and well, and whose husband and wife had a harmonious relationship.
It symbolized that the newlyweds would have a smooth and happy life like the matron of honor.
At the beginning of the year, Zhan Tai was busy with his duties at the Guanglu Temple and had no time to deal with Zhang shi. He frowned and said, "Grandmother has asked the wife of the Duke of Zhenguo to do it. Don't worry about it."
The wife of the Duke of Zhenguo! A highly respected figure!
Although they were both ducal families, the Duke of Zhenguo was much more established than the Duke of Anguo Mansion.
Zhang shi lamented bitterly, "He's really lucky."
"I'm not saying anything, but at the banquet that day, the princess was not as friendly to our family as she was to the Fu family. I'm afraid she, like the fourth, is an ungrateful person," Zhang shi tried to sow discord between Zhan Tai and Old Lady Wen. "You should also remind the old ancestor not to give all the good things to the princess."
Zhan Tai glanced at her and said, "Do you think the princess will care about the things in our mansion?"
"Just mind your own business," Zhan Tai said.
Zhang shi came from the Marquis of Cheng'en Mansion. The Marquis Cheng'en was not an old aristocratic family. He was granted the title of Marquis by the previous emperor for being a relative and had only managed to squeeze into the aristocratic circle in the capital a few decades ago.
During the reign of the previous emperor, the Marquis of Cheng'en had indeed been quite glorious. In the first few years after the current emperor ascended the throne, he had also taken care of the Marquis of Cheng'en out of old friendship.
But the Emperor is not a foolish person. Although the Marquis of Cheng'en still holds the title of Marquis, it is truly not comparable to the time of the previous Emperor.
Back then, Old Lady Wen wanted to find a girl for Zhan Tai whose father had passed away but who had been personally praised by the previous Emperor for her filial piety.
However, Jia shi felt that the girl had no father or brothers to rely on and that her fate was too weak. She even argued with Old Lady Wen about this matter.
Old Lady Wen had lived so many years and had long cultivated herself, so she was too lazy to argue with Jia shi. So, Jia shi found a daughter of the Marquis of Cheng'en."
The Marquis of Cheng'en was also a distant relative of Jia shi's maternal family, the Marquis of Wuchong. Jia shi felt that she had found a good match for her son. However, after twenty or so years, that girl who Jia shi had despised for her 'weak fate' had already raised a family and was about to have grandchildren. Her life was very fulfilling.
On the other hand, Zhang shi's petty nature was gradually exposed over time.
In the past, when everything was going smoothly, it wasn't noticeable. But now that they have encountered some minor difficulties, Zhan Tai has begun to feel a headache.
Zhang shi continued to whine, "That day, I said everything exactly as you told me. It's not that I don't want to be friendly with the princess, but she gave me a cold shoulder first. I see that she favors the fourth brother, and I'm afraid this marriage won't be so simple. Once the fourth brother marries the princess, just wait and see if he becomes arrogant."
Zhan Tai was really fed up and showed a hint of disgust on his face, but this time, before he could speak, Zhan Shao'ying squeezed out a sentence from between his teeth -
"Mother, can you please let me have some peace?"