Ming Jiajing: Starting from Immortality

Chapter 275 Childhood marriage, the Hai family has a daughter!
People are divided into regular times.

The gates of Hai Mansion are open.

Hai Rui's footsteps seemed a little heavy, and the short few steps seemed so long.

It was already late May, and the summer night wind had begun to feel cool. The branches and leaves of the big trees in the yard covered the sky, swaying and rustling in the gentle breeze.

The courtyard was quiet, but the sound of a spinning wheel could be clearly heard from the courtyard inside the gate.

Hai Rui stood there, listening to the sound. After a long while, he finally stepped over the threshold.

Under a big tree, Hai's wife was sitting on a low stool in front of a spinning wheel, turning the wheel and spinning yarn intently. Her daughter Nannan and the crown prince Zhu Yijun were sitting beside her, watching the ball of cotton in her wife's hand slowly turn into a strip, and then slowly turn into a line on the wheel.

The two children heard the sound at the door, and their minds were no longer there. When they heard the footsteps, they quickly turned around.

Nannan's eyes were full of surprise, and she immediately exclaimed, "Dad!"

The calf ran quickly towards his father.

The prince was still young and didn't know anything. When he saw his "sister" Nannan running, he followed her and ran over staggeringly.

Hai Rui held his daughter in one hand and the prince in the other. When he looked at his daughter, his eyes were full of the love that a father should have, and when he looked at the prince, his eyes were full of the respect that a subject should have.

The wife stopped shaking the wheel and smiled knowingly when she saw this heartwarming scene.

"Where's mother?" Hai Rui asked, but his eyes first looked towards his mother's room.

The youngest son was not here. He was probably being coaxed to sleep by his mother at this time.

Hai's wife shook her head and said, "In the kitchen."

Hai Rui's expression froze for a moment, and he asked again, "Where's the princess?"

"In the kitchen, too."

"What is the princess doing in the kitchen?" Hai Rui put his face serious, put his daughter and the prince down, and looked at his wife closely.

The sea wife replied, "Princess, mother is in the kitchen cooking."

"How ridiculous!" Hai Rui's face turned pale. He left the mother, daughter and the prince behind and strode towards the kitchen in the side corridor.

Unlike usual, Princess Li had completely changed her clothes, wearing a short top and skirt with a coarse linen apron tied around her waist. She was sitting in front of the stove, adding a piece of firewood to the fire.

Haimu was opening the lid of the steamer, and a large cloud of white hot steam spread in the kitchen. The steamer was full of steamed rice cakes wrapped in lotus leaves. She took out a lotus leaf rice cake from the steamer and turned it over in her palm to cool it down. She said to the princess, "Princess, this rice cake can be eaten cold, but it is better to eat it while it is hot. If you get tired of eating these, you can also fry them."

Princess Li had no scruples and took the rice cake. The rich aroma of rice hit her face and she took a bite. The soft and delicious taste made her couldn't help but admire Haimu's craftsmanship.

Hai Rui stood at the door, looking at his mother's silhouette. Steamed rice cakes were always made by the Hai family when they went on a long journey. Perhaps in his mother's heart, she already regarded Princess Li and the Crown Prince as her relatives. Knowing that the Princess and the Crown Prince were about to leave, she also steamed some rice cakes by candlelight.

Hai Rui looked at Princess Li again, knelt down by the door, and in order not to alarm his mother and the princess, he called out softly, "Princess, mother."

Princess Li and Hai's mother were still slightly startled. They slowly turned their heads and looked down from above, and saw Hai Rui kneeling at the door.

Princess Li blocked the stove door with a tile to prevent the firewood inside from splashing out. She stood up and walked towards the door: "Master Hai, is it done?"

The steaming mother-of-pearl had sweat all over her face. She lifted up her apron around her waist and wiped the sweat off her face. She stood there, but her ears perked up, listening to her son's reply.

Hai Rui knelt there and answered, "Half of it is done. The cabinet and the ministers of the six ministries have agreed to make the prince a king, but the prince has not yet been born. Please ask the princess and the prince to stay in the capital for a while. The prime minister has submitted a memorial. I believe someone from the inner court will come tomorrow to convey the decree to confer the title of Prince Fu on the prince. The incident happened suddenly and there is no time to build a new palace. The cabinet has decided to change the name of Prince Yu's Palace to Prince Fu's Palace."

Prince Yu was deposed and exiled from his country.

But Prince Yu's mansion is still there, and Prince Yu's wife, Princess Chen, still lives there. The original people and things are all there, and Princess Li and the Crown Prince are no strangers to them. It is time to replace the door plaque, which will save time, effort and money for the court.

Princess Li was not dissatisfied with this arrangement. She nodded and said, "Prince Fu, Prince Fu, my son is a blessed man."

Princess Li thought of Zhu Zaihou. If the prince was still alive and had not been deposed, he would still have a good chance of succeeding to the throne, and his son would also have the possibility of inheriting the throne.

But if that were the case, the imperial court would never give the emperor's grandson the title of king at this time.

The east corner is lost, and the mulberry elm is harvested.

Princess Li felt deeply about the title of king, but as she missed the prince abroad, she thought of him and wondered whether he was doing well.

Ugh.

A deep sigh.

Princess Li turned around and bowed to Hai Mu, saying gratefully, "Thank you for your care over the past few days, and for the rice cake tonight. Thank you very much."

The mother of the sea was slightly flustered, and hurriedly returned the greeting, saying, "I will do my best to fulfill your request, so there is no need for you, princess."

Princess Li insisted on thanking Hai Rui, and Hai's mother reluctantly accepted it. Then she turned around and said to Hai Rui who was kneeling there and Hai's wife in the distance, "Master Hai, Madam Hai, thank you for your hard work during this period."

Hai Rui returned the gift, and his wife also returned the gift. Nan Nan was confused, but she had a vague feeling that she was about to be separated from the prince, whom she regarded as her own brother, and she couldn't help but tighten her arms around the prince.

This scene also fell into the eyes of Princess Li. After a moment of silence, she said, "Master Hai, Madam Hai, I have another unwelcome request. Let the prince and your daughter be engaged as children. When they come of age, we will marry them in a formal way."

The difference between marriages is as different as heaven and earth.

Three books and six ceremonies, three matchmakers and six betrothals, Fengxia wearing a crown, ten miles of red makeup, and a sedan chair carried by eight people.

Marrying with a formal matchmaker: marrying a virgin; marrying a sedan chair carried by eight people: marrying a lady from a noble family.

Marrying through a formal matchmaker: marrying a virtuous and kind person; marrying through three matchmakers and six engagements: marrying a person who is well-educated and sensible.

A lady from a noble family marries a man of scholarly pedigree; a virtuous woman marries a man who is loyal and faithful; a virtuous woman marries a man who is gentle and kind.

Three books, six ceremonies, three matchmakers and six engagements.

The three books refer to: "engagement letter, gift letter, and welcoming letter".

The six rituals refer to the six etiquettes: "Accepting the bride's proposal, asking for the bride's name, accepting the bride's good wishes, accepting the bride's betrothal gifts, asking for the date, and welcoming the bride".

Three matchmakers and six hires, the three matchmakers refer to the matchmaker hired by the man and the matchmaker hired by the woman, who is the middleman who acts as a bridge between the two parties.

The Six Pins refer to a bucket, a ruler, a scale, a pair of scissors, a mirror, and an abacus placed on the table of heaven and earth.

A lady from a noble family, a lady from a noble family refers to a family with a prestigious status.

Lady: refers to a woman who comes from a prominent family.

A family of scholars, books: Three generations of the family are familiar with the Four Books and Five Classics.

Incense: The family has an ancestral temple and has its own incense.

Door: Door knocker refers to the threshold of the house, which represents the family’s status in the local area.

Di: It means the first and refers to the family having a celebrity known to the whole city.

The current Haimen meets all the above requirements and is naturally worthy of any family, even the royal family. Princess Li promised the prince to marry her and be his legal wife to Nannan.

Hai Rui stood there in a daze. Two maids who served the princess and the prince helped him up. If you want to become a relative, you can't do it while kneeling.

Hai Rui subconsciously looked at his mother in the kitchen. Seeing that she did not object, he turned around and looked at his wife under the tree. Seeing that she was also silent, he thought for a long time and said, "Okay."

……

Early the next morning.

After Zhu Houcong had breakfast with the empress, he returned to the Western Garden. The Forbidden City was like a besieged city. People outside wanted to get in, while people inside wanted to get out.

It is extremely difficult to get in, and it is also extremely difficult to get out. Throughout the Ming Dynasty, only three emperors got out.

Emperor Jianwen who was forced to leave, Emperor Zhengde who hid in the Leopard Room, and then there was Zhu Houcong.

Two consecutive emperors had been like this. Zhang Juzheng, who had been waiting in Yuxi Palace early in the morning, was almost in despair as he thought about it.

Why is it so difficult to put imperial power in a cage?

The eunuch Lu Fang, who was in charge of the Imperial Household Department, came up to remind Zhang Juzheng, who was resting with his eyes closed, and called him softly, "Lord."

"Eunuch Lu."

Zhang Juzheng opened his eyes, stood up and asked, "Has His Majesty returned to the West Garden?"

"Yes, I'm calling you."

"Come here."

"..."

In the temple.

Sandalwood incense was burned, it was the emperor who came back to offer it, but others were worshipping the gods of heaven and earth, but on this altar, there was a statue of the emperor.

Zhang Juzheng had never been interested in these vague and bizarre things. After paying his respects and congratulating him, he went on to talk about what the cabinet had discussed yesterday and the important matters of the court today.

The crown prince was crowned king.

The father-in-law of the emperor was conferred the title of Earl.

Prince of Fu, Earl of Jiading.

This was the first thing that caught Zhu Houcong's eye. Without thinking much about it, he wrote the words "approved" in red ink.

Zhang Juzheng took back the two imperial memorials and submitted a new one, stating that the Crown Prince...now should be called His Royal Highness Prince Fu, should marry the eldest daughter of Hai Rui, the Minister of Rites.

This memorial was submitted by Princess Li. It directly stated that the eldest daughter of the Hai family, Hai Huan (Nannan is her nickname and Huan is her full name), is virtuous, talented and has a pure heart. Therefore, she and Hai Rui have agreed on the marriage of their children. This memorial is submitted to the emperor, requesting his approval.

When Zhang Juzheng saw the memorial submitted by Princess Li, he was shocked at first. For royal descendants, marriages were often granted by the emperor or were filled with many considerations of interests.

However, the marriage between Prince Fu Zhu Yijun and the mermaid Hai Huan was obviously not that.

Hai Rui had a great reputation in the court and among the people, but he had the support of the people but not the support of the officials. He had few friends in the court and could not be considered a force to be reckoned with.

Having promised the position of the prince's principal wife, Princess Li no longer had any illusions. Living a good life in the future was more important than anything else. Ascending the throne and inheriting the throne were all she needed to think about.

If anyone dares to disturb the lives of mother and son again, Princess Li will probably beat that person out.

Zhu Houcong did not agree immediately, nor did he deny it. He paced back and forth, thought carefully, and finally agreed that this was a good match.

According to the system of the Ming Dynasty, the procedure for selecting a prince's wife was equivalent to that for selecting an imperial concubine. In many cases, those eliminated beauties were directly granted by the emperor to the prince as concubines. Especially when the prince was of age and happened to be selected for a beauty contest, he would basically be granted marriage by the emperor.

Of course, not all princes have such a good adult life, and not all emperors can be like the current emperor, who is in his fifties and can still select concubines from all over the country and make the queen pregnant.

Normally, the emperor would issue an edict, asking all civil and military officials to "nominate their legitimate daughters, sisters, nieces, and granddaughters who are ten years old or older" and specifically "seek you to bring the well-dressed daughters of Zheng as your bride."

That means choosing the best one from among the descendants and daughters of the relatives of civil and military officials and marrying them by imperial order.

Princess Li had her own ideas, which saved the energy of the royal family and the court. However, in this era, child marriage was regarded as the order of the parents and was recognized by the laws of the Ming Dynasty.

Nannan is a few years older than Zhu Yijun, and the day Zhu Yijun reaches adulthood is the day for them to get married.

The "verbal alliance" has been reached, and Haihuan's name will be included in the Ming Dynasty clan register and listed among the concubines of Prince Fu.

As the emperor, Zhu Houcong, the grandfather, had to give testimony. Gold, jade, pearls, gems, etc. were all delivered to Hai Mansion by Lu Fang.

Zhu Houcong also instructed Lu Fang to give the flawless Hetian jade presented by the Gansu Town General some time ago to a skilled craftsman to make a dragon and phoenix jade pendant. The dragon pendant would go to Zhu Yijun, and the phoenix pendant would go to his daughter.

Precious jade is hard to come by, and flawless jade is even rarer. Just these two jade pendants are enough to ensure that Zhu Yijun and his daughter will enjoy endless wealth and glory.

After Zhu Houcong had bestowed the treasures, Zhang Juzheng wanted to present them as tributes.

The four eunuchs on duty lifted the copper vat, walked into the temple, and lowered it only one foot in front of Zhu Houcong.

Everyone else left, leaving only Zhu Houcong, Zhang Juzheng and Lu Fang in the abode.

Zhu Houcong looked at the motionless object in the copper vat, which was a turtle.

On the mottled tortoise shell, a few words can be vaguely seen: "Wuyin, the first year of the Yuan Dynasty of Emperor Wen of Han".

Zhu Houcong's eyes lit up, and he guessed what was going on. He looked at Zhang Juzheng and asked, "What is this?"

"Your Majesty, this is the divine tortoise that Emperor Wen of Han released personally to record his own governance. One thousand seven hundred and thirty years later, a fisherman fished it out of the Taihu Lake. Your Majesty, this is an auspicious sign from heaven!" Zhang Juzheng congratulated.

Last year and this year, His Majesty killed too many people. Amidst the countless praises of His Majesty, the words "brutal" and "unkind" have faded away, but from time to time, rumors spread that His Majesty is a "tyrant."

The divine turtle sent down by heaven represents the heaven's recognition of His Majesty as a wise ruler like Emperor Wen of Han. All the bad words about Him will be self-defeating.

Zhang Juzheng and Lu Fang both looked towards Zhu Houcong, waiting for the emperor's pleased expression to be revealed.

But they did not wait for Zhu Houcong's joy, but only saw his blank eyes and pensive expression.

Even a thing like this can be presented as a good omen. Who can survive better than this?

Zhu Houcong thought for a moment and said, "God is merciful. Let's take him to the lake and release him."

Shichahai was originally a lake of the "Three Seas and Great Rivers". When the Jin Dynasty built the imperial palace, it divided the Bailiantan area into two parts, north and south, and the northern half became Shichahai.

With the excavation of the canal, Bailiantan became the water transport terminal of Jin Zhongdu. During the Yuan Dynasty, Shichahai became the terminus of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.

Putting the tortoise inside, Zhu Houcong wanted to see if the tortoise could swim back alive one day...

There are only fifty monthly tickets left before the goal of one thousand monthly tickets. I implore all readers who still have monthly tickets to give them a try. I will be very grateful. I will update more next month. Thank you. Go, go, go!

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(End of this chapter)