The Succession Struggle in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 76 Discussing Family Matters: The Princess's Initial Appointment
Tu Chengyu ultimately heeded Quan Wenwei's advice and did not rush back to the palace to cause trouble for the third prince.

After all, the Emperor might be behind this, so he couldn't make too much of a fuss.

So he pretended not to know anything and stayed in the small courtyard outside the palace until the afternoon before slowly returning to the palace.

When he entered through the side door he usually used, he saw a small eunuch guarding the doorway in front of his father.

Without even thinking, Tu Chengyu knew that this was someone sent by the emperor to wait for him, so he asked directly:

"But does Father want to see me?"

The young eunuch replied, "Yes, Your Highness."

Tu Chengyu asked, "Is Father Emperor in the Imperial Study?"

The young eunuch replied, "Yes, Your Highness."

Having learned the location, Tu Chengyu stopped asking questions and headed towards the Imperial Study, with the eunuch following closely behind.

On the way, Tu Chengyu couldn't help but wonder what his father wanted to see him about this time.

Was it about the matter of harming the Jia family? Or the debate with Hu Guangjin? Or what did the third brother do today?
Tu Chengyu thought about all these people and prepared his responses.

However, things didn't go as Tu Chengyu expected. As soon as he entered the imperial study, the emperor asked about something else entirely.

The Emperor asked, "I heard that Zongge'er wants to invite you to celebrate his birthday?"

Tu Chengyu hadn't expected his father to ask about this, and after thinking for a moment, he replied:

"Yes, Father. My brother, Prince Yixiao, said he likes a lively celebration on his birthday, so he wants to invite everyone to join in the fun."

The emperor continued, "Did Zong-ge'er mention where he would host a banquet for you?"

Tu Chengyu replied, "It's the residence of Prince Yixiao. He said he would invite the chef from the garden to come to the residence to prepare the meal."

After listening, the emperor thought for a moment and said, "It is, after all, a prince of the imperial family's birthday celebration. It is not appropriate to invite chefs from outside. How about this, I will tell the Imperial Kitchen later and have them send someone over."

The emperor was just saying it casually; it had nothing to do with Tu Chengyu, so he remained silent.

The emperor continued, "Are you aware that Zongge'er submitted a memorial requesting a transfer of the Prince's residence?"

Tu Chengyu replied, "I only found out today."

The emperor then asked, "Your father is going to allocate royal residences to you, aren't you interested in the one that Zong-ge'er is vacating?"

Tu Chengyu shook his head and said, "It's just a royal mansion, why would I fight for it? Anyway, I'm still young, there's plenty of time to build a new one."

The emperor said, "You are quite open-minded. That's good. It is precisely because Zong-ge'er is open-minded that he took the initiative to give up his mansion, extricating himself from the turmoil of the court, so that he can live a peaceful life from now on."

Tu Chengyu said, "Isn't it because Brother Yixiao changed the palace that he wanted to find a quiet place to recuperate?"

After listening, the emperor said, "I learned from the imperial physician that Zong Ge'er's condition has improved a lot recently. He has stopped taking medicine and now only needs to rest and recuperate. There is no need to change places to recuperate."

"I summoned you here for this very reason. I have had some nourishing and health-preserving items sourced from the palace storeroom. When you go the day after tomorrow, please bring them to Zong-ge'er as a birthday gift from me."

Tu Chengyu said, "Father, this gift is wonderful, just what my brother Yixiao wanted. I wonder if Father has any extra gifts here, so that I can also find one for myself, so that I don't have to go through the trouble of looking for one."

Upon hearing this, the emperor's face darkened, and he said, "Prepare your own gifts; you don't want to freeload off me."

Tu Chengyu considered using trickery to try and get a share, but the emperor said, "Stop your nonsense. I haven't settled accounts with you for what you did yet."

Hearing his father's tone change, Tu Chengyu quickly dropped his roguish act and stood obediently.

The emperor wouldn't let him off just because he pretended to be obedient, so he said expressionlessly, "Why have you been getting into more and more trouble lately?"

Tu Chengyu was unsure what the Emperor was referring to, and cautiously replied, "It wasn't me who caused the trouble; they provoked me."

The emperor asked, "Did the Jia family also offend you?"

It turns out they were talking about the Jia family, which gives Tu Chengyu something to say.

He said, "Of course the Jia family has provoked me. They have been secretly plotting against my marriage. If I don't teach them a lesson, they will take advantage of me in the future."

The emperor said, "Don't you know that your marriage was arranged by me?"

Tu Chengyu feigned ignorance and said, "Although it was Father Emperor who made the decision, it must have been the Jia family who deceived Father Emperor for him to do so."

The emperor scolded, "Trying to cause trouble for me again? No way this time. Do you know how much trouble your willful and reckless behavior has caused me this time?"

Tu Chengyu said softly, "Your subject does not know?"

The emperor said, "I can see that you know that I have tried every means to appease the Jia family, but you have acted willfully and recklessly, ruining all the preparations I made."

"Do you know how much it will cost me to appease the Jia family again?"

Tu Chengyu argued, "How could a mere subject of the Jia family force the Emperor to give them benefits?"

The emperor said, "The Jia family certainly wouldn't dare say anything, but as the emperor, I can't go back on my word and treat my subjects like playthings."

Tu Chengyu, unsure whether his father was telling the truth, tentatively asked, "Father, what do we do now?"

The emperor said, "That's easy. The Jia family has set their conditions; we just need to meet them."

Tu Chengyu's eyes widened, and he said, "The Jia family really dares to make demands?" The emperor said, "It was I who allowed them to make them."

Tu Chengyu asked helplessly, "Father, what conditions did they propose?"

The emperor said, "The conditions aren't too difficult."

Tu Chengyu asked curiously, "What are the conditions?"

The Emperor said, "The first thing is to arrange a good marriage for Jia Zheng's eldest daughter. Last year, Jia Zheng's eldest daughter's reputation was damaged because of the Crown Prince's selection of a consort. She is still hiding at home and does not want to see anyone. She cannot find a suitable match."

"The Jia family thought that I would bestow a marriage upon Jia Zheng's daughter, so that the Jia family's daughter could save face and hold her head high in her husband's family after marriage."

Tu Chengyu asked, "Does the Jia family have someone they prefer?"

The emperor said, "There is one, Quan Xu, who was fooling around with you in the Western Hills."

Tu Chengyu said, "Quan Xu? Wang Ziteng's former personal guard commander?"

The emperor nodded and said, "It is him."

Tu Chengyu sighed, "It seems the Jia family had this plan in mind all along. I wonder if Quan Xu agrees."

The emperor said, "Quan Xu also agrees."

Tu Chengyu said, "Then it's simple, Father can just bestow the marriage directly."

The emperor said, "The most troublesome thing is precisely this: Quan Xu is only the descendant of an earl, and now he is only a military officer. If I bestow a marriage upon him, what will happen to the other nobles in the future? Am I supposed to be bestowing marriages upon them all the time?"

Tu Chengyu said, "This is your business, Father Emperor. Your son really can't help you."

The emperor said, "No need to rush, you'll be able to help soon."

Tu Chengyu tentatively asked, "What is the Jia family's second condition?"

The Emperor said, “Indeed, the Jia family wants to ask Jia Rong of the Ningguo Mansion for the position of Imperial Guard. The Imperial Guard is the personal guard of the Retired Emperor, but Jia Rong is Jia Jing’s grandson. I cannot handle this matter myself, so you must ask the Retired Emperor.”

Tu Chengyu frowned. Given the Emperor Emeritus's dislike of Jia Jing, it was simply impossible for him to have Jia Jing's grandson become the Emperor Emeritus's personal bodyguard.

Tu Chengyu asked, "Father, is it alright to let Jia Rong only hold the title of Imperial Guard without actually taking up the post?"

The emperor shook his head; clearly, that wouldn't work.

Tu Chengyu then asked, "What was Jia Jing thinking, putting his grandson in the Imperial Guard? Isn't that just asking for trouble? Couldn't he be assigned to another military camp instead?"

The emperor shook his head again.

Tu Chengyu lowered his head and thought for a moment before saying, "Father, give your son some time so I can think of a solution."

Saying they were trying to find a solution was really just about finding an opportunity to go out and discuss things with Quan Wenwei.

Fortunately, the emperor was not in a hurry and said, "This matter is not urgent. You can think about it slowly. However, there is one more thing that you must answer me today."

Tu Chengyu said with a bitter face, "And another thing, the Jia family is too greedy!"

The emperor said, "The Jia family's greed is all your doing."

There was no way to refute this statement, so Tu Chengyu could only bite the bullet and ask, "Father, what is it that I need to answer now?"

The emperor said, "Have you forgotten about your marriage?"

Tu Chengyu said, "Father, I am still so young. Is it inappropriate to arrange a marriage now?"

The emperor said directly, "If I say it's suitable, then it's suitable. Now you just need to tell me whose daughter you have chosen."

Tu Chengyu stammered and couldn't speak.

The emperor said angrily, "Since you don't want to choose, I will choose for you."

Tu Chengyu hurriedly said, "Father, my second brother and the others haven't chosen their consorts yet. It wouldn't be good for me to choose first."

The emperor said, "I will make arrangements for their marriage; you don't need to worry about it."

Tu Chengyu then said, "Father, could you please grant me a few more days so I can think about it carefully?"

This time it wasn't a refusal; he had simply been busy running errands for the retired emperor and hadn't really thought about it carefully.

However, this time the Emperor had no intention of indulging Tu Chengyu, and said directly:

"Don't even think about refusing anymore, it must be decided today. If you don't want to choose, I'll just have to point you to someone randomly."

It seems I really can't get past this hurdle today, but who should I choose?

Based on my past life's impressions, all the girls in Dream of the Red Chamber are quite nice, and you could choose any of them.

However, Tu Chengyu remembered what the Emperor Emeritus had said before, telling him to choose between Lin Daiyu and Shi Xiangyun.

Therefore, Tu Chengyu said, "If I were to choose, I would choose Lin Ruhai's daughter."

The emperor said, "It's good that you've made your choice. Once I'm done with this busy period, I'll have the Ministry of Rites get started on it."

(End of this chapter)