Do You Know?: Rule the World.

Chapter 197 Liu Xiaodie Refuses Arranged Marriage and Gets Married
The next morning, the sky was bright.

With the help of a group of palace maids, Zhao Han washed and changed his clothes. After getting ready, he went straight to the Wenhua Hall to review memorials.

Hua Lan sat upright in front of the bronze mirror, revealing a section of her snow-white, delicate arm, which was smooth and lustrous in the morning light.

Cai Zan stood to one side, gently combing her hair.

"I pondered for a long time last night, and His Majesty has most likely chosen a girl from the Gu family for Jing-ge'er."

Cai Zan blinked, pondered for a moment, and then replied, "The Duke of Zhenguo has made outstanding military achievements and holds great power. His Majesty has always trusted him greatly."

"The Duchess of Zhenguo also comes from an earl's family. She is steady and proper in her conduct. Her daughters must be among the best in terms of family background and character."

Hua Lan nodded slightly, showing no objection to these words.

“Jingge’er is the eldest son of the emperor, and his wife should indeed be chosen from a family of military generals. At present, there is no one more suitable than the Gu family.”

"Next time the Duchess of Zhenguo visits the palace, remember to ask her to bring Chang'er with her."

"I haven't seen that girl in a long time. I vaguely remember the last time we met was when she was six or seven years old."

“Yes, I’ve got it.” Cai Zan replied immediately.

After arranging her hair into a bun and adding hairpins and earrings, Hua Lan glanced at her beautiful face in the bronze mirror, then got up and went to the table.

He picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote the eight characters "marriage between close relatives is unwise," then immediately ordered Cai Zan to send it to the Sheng family.

As Quan Ge'er, Hui Jie'er, and the other children grew up day by day, Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu had probably already begun to make plans for them.

She did not expect the Sheng family to produce another descendant like Sheng Changbai, who was upright and studious from a young age.

However, they also did not want to see the Sheng family's descendants become weak and sickly, or stupid and dull, unable to amount to anything due to incestuous marriages.

Inside the Shou'an Hall of the Duke of Wei's mansion, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.

The entire Sheng family was present, and the atmosphere became somewhat quiet for a moment.

Wang Ruofu, dressed in a dark green brocade robe, held a letter written by Hua Lan in his hand. His brows were furrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "Is this true or false? I've never heard of it before."

Sheng Hong lowered his eyes slightly, lost in thought.

After a moment, he took a deep breath and said, "Back when I was serving as an official in Dengzhou, the family of the prefect next door was a marriage alliance between siblings within three generations."

"The firstborn son couldn't speak until he was three years old, and his eyes were also blank and unfocused."

"Later, they had two more children, but one died young and the other was weak. At the time, I just thought it was because their family was unlucky. Now that I think about it, could it really be true?"

The old lady on the soft couch glanced at Sheng Hong and gently turned the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand. "Hua'er would never speak without reason. She must have a reason for sending the message through Cai Zan."

"Forget about any marriage alliances. From now on, when the Sheng family's children choose spouses, the first rule will be to avoid those who are close relatives within three generations."

"No matter how good the other party's family background is or how deep the feelings are, this rule cannot be broken."

“Mother, this…” Wang Ruofu hesitated, clenching her handkerchief, unsure of what to say.

She had previously been planning to let Hui-jie and Hua-lan's Jing-ge get to know each other better, or even Zhang-ge and Rui-ge.

Now, even Rulan's child is no longer an option.

The old lady frowned slightly and said slowly, "I know what you want to say."

"Since it's Hua'er's wish, let's do as he says. In such a large city as Bianjing, surely we can find a few good families and a few good young men?"

Sheng Hong picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and echoed, "Mother is right. Contentment brings happiness. Don't overthink things all day."

"A stable and prosperous family is the key to longevity."

Upon hearing this, Sheng Changbai, who was sitting upright in his armchair, nodded slightly, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

I feel that my father is becoming more and more calm and composed in his dealings with people.

Those who climb high will inevitably fall hard; those who reach the peak of prosperity will inevitably decline.

He never intended to marry Hui-jie to a prince.

Sheng Changbai's only hope for his eldest son, Quan Ge'er, is that he will grow up to be an upright person and not pick up any spoiled or dissolute habits.

Hai Chaoyun's eyes flickered slightly as she gently stroked her sleeve with her fingertips.

The Hai family had also frequently mentioned to her the future marriage arrangements for their children, hoping that the Sheng and Hai families could look after each other and strengthen their ties through marriage.

She secretly decided that when she had time, she would go back to the Hai family and openly or subtly reject the marriage proposal from her brothers and sisters-in-law.

It's a bit of a pity, but we have no choice but to do it now.

Sheng Changbai turned his head and gave her a meaningful look. Hai Chaoyun immediately understood and nodded solemnly.

The couple's tacit understanding was unspoken.

Sheng Hong stood up, cupped his hands and said, "Mother, I have a day off tomorrow, which happens to be the first day of the month. I heard you mention earlier that you wanted to go to Yuqing Temple to offer incense and pray for blessings."

"Why don't you go with your mother tomorrow, son?"

The old lady raised her eyelids and glanced at him lightly, "It's kind of you to do this, so let's go together."

"Alright, son, I'll have Dongrong get ready."

After everyone left Shou'an Hall, Sheng Changfeng and his wife Liu walked side by side. In addition to their eldest daughter Sheng Yuannian, Liu had given birth to a son named Sheng He.

Sheng Changfeng's concubine, Ke'er, also had a daughter named Sheng Yuansi.

At Sheng Changbai's suggestion, the three daughters of the Sheng family, along with Gu Tingye's daughter Gu Shuchang and others, all studied and learned etiquette at the Hai family's school.

On the flat bluestone path, Madam Liu walked and said, "Have you remembered what Grandmother and Father-in-law said today?"

Sheng Changfeng has now completely changed his impetuous and unrestrained nature. Even his clothing has become much more low-key, and his features are becoming more and more similar to Sheng Hong's.

"Don't worry, I know how to deal with Fourth Sister. I will definitely not let Hege'er marry her daughter."

Upon hearing this, Madam Liu nodded in satisfaction. She had long suspected that Mo Lan intended to marry her daughter back into the Sheng family.

She had been struggling to figure out how to respond, but now that Hua Lan had sent those eight words back, she finally had a legitimate reason to refuse the matter.

She originally didn't want to involve the child in Mo Lan and Lin Qinshuang's dirty deeds.

Once the marriage is arranged, the two families become an inseparable unit, sharing both prosperity and adversity.

It's even harder to guarantee that Mo Lan won't instigate her daughter to oppose her. Sheng Changfeng has changed his nature, but he's far from being as upright and incorruptible as Sheng Changbai, who can clearly distinguish right from wrong.

Officials' wives and relatives often visited the city, and she had met with Wang's maternal aunt several times, vaguely learning about some of the Wang family's innermost affairs.

In the past, with the support and instigation of Madam Kang, Kang Yuan'er was arrogant and willful, disrespectful to his elders, causing unrest in the household and chaos every day.

She didn't want to end up in the same situation as her aunt.

“I’m doing this for He’er’s sake too.” Madam Liu softened her tone, glanced at Sheng Changfeng, and then said, “Last night when I was serving my grandmother to bed, she told me that my father-in-law is planning to find you a post outside the capital.”

"We've made some progress, in Yangzhou."

"Yangzhou?!" Sheng Changfeng stopped abruptly, his face showing surprise.

Madam Liu frowned. "What's wrong? You don't want to go?"

Sheng Changfeng shook his head repeatedly, his surprise gradually turning into a smile, "Go, of course I want to go!"

"Back in Yangzhou, I was quite the star. My father was a prefectural judge, and I was surrounded by a group of friends. We spent our days composing poems on the pleasure boats."

"When it comes to poetic talent, even the prefect's eldest son is inferior to me."

"I'd be more than happy to go back to being an official now; maybe quite a few people will still remember me!"

Seeing how happy he was, Liu let out a soft sigh.

"If you are willing to go, that's good. Just stay in Yangzhou and do your job properly. With the Sheng and Liu families around, it's only a matter of time before you are transferred back to the capital."

She didn't expect Sheng Changfeng to achieve great things; she was content if he could secure a lowly fourth-rank official position through family connections and seniority.

With such a large family fortune, they're sure to have no worries about food and drink.

“That’s right!” Sheng Changfeng responded and strode forward.

Inside the Wei Rui Xuan, Wang Ruofu held a cup of hot tea in both hands, looked up at the sky and sighed deeply. Today's events were truly beyond her expectations.

Liu Mama whispered, "Madam, there's no need to worry. Just as the old lady said, with our family's influence, our sons and daughters will surely find good husbands."

“How can that be the same? This rule has blocked all the good places for children to go.” Wang Ruofu disagreed, her tone tinged with frustration.

"Madam loves her daughters and sons dearly, but in my opinion, Her Majesty's words also make some sense."

“This is a major event for the clan, and both the lord and the second son think it’s feasible. What is there for the lady to worry about?” Liu Mama went around behind her and raised her hand to massage Wang Ruofu’s shoulders.

Wang Ruofu drank the hot tea in one gulp. "Enough, enough. I didn't have much of a say in the Sheng family anyway, why bother making a fool of myself?"

"I'm going to Yuqing Temple tomorrow to pray for the children."

Mother Liu immediately nodded in agreement and instructed Caihuan to prepare the money for the sesame oil.

-

It was nearing evening, inside the Ninghui Hall of the Imperial Palace.

With a smile in her eyes, Minglan opened a chest herself and carefully selected items with Xiaotao.

"How about this?" Minglan picked up a set of crimson gold jewelry and asked with a smile.

Xiao Tao took a closer look and immediately praised, "Your Majesty has excellent taste! Look at how perfectly round and smooth this hairpin is; it's the perfect dowry for Sister Xiao Die!"

"Yes, and send her the jade ruyi as well."

“She has served her mother wholeheartedly for many years, and now that she has found a good home, I am truly happy for her.”

After Minglan finished speaking, she personally placed the selected dowry items into a wooden box lined with red silk.

Xiao Tao pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and then said softly, "This servant has saved up quite a bit of money over the years. I'll take out thirty percent and ask Your Highness to give it to Sister Xiao Die along with it."

"When I first arrived at the Sheng family, I didn't know how to do anything. I relied entirely on Sister Xiaodie's patience to guide me. Every time I received my monthly salary, she would buy me food."

Minglan took her hand, a warm feeling rising in her heart. "You're so thoughtful. Xiaodie will be so happy to see this."

Just as Xiao Tao was giggling, they heard a series of hurried footsteps outside. Then Dan Ju lifted the heavy curtain, and Zhao Han's figure appeared before them.

The two women, mistress and servant, bowed respectfully. Minglan said softly, "His Majesty was coming, why didn't he send someone to inform us beforehand? I was completely unprepared."

Just as Zhao Han and Minglan sat down on the soft couch together, Xiao Tao quickly brought them tea and water.

"What do you need to prepare? It's not bedtime yet." Zhao Han smiled and picked up her teacup, her gaze sweeping over the wooden box on the table.

Minglan blushed slightly and playfully punched his arm, saying, "Don't say such things, I'm busy right now."

"Xiaodie is about to get married. Although her mother will personally help her with the wedding ceremony, I still need to give her some dowry so that she can have a grand wedding."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Han pondered for a moment, and Liu Xiaodie's image gradually appeared in her mind. "Who did she marry?"

"Your Majesty, he is a steward in the front courtyard of the Wei residence. Although he became a widower a few years ago, he is honest and kind, quick and efficient, and has no children."

"Xiaodie was worried that she wouldn't be able to serve her mother and was reluctant to get married, but her mother kept persuading her, and she also saw that the steward was indeed reliable."

"And she can still serve Mother in the Wei family in the future, which is why she agreed to the marriage." As Minglan spoke, her beautiful eyes flickered with joy.

Zhao Han nodded, then hugged Minglan in his arms and said slowly, "In that case, it is indeed a good marriage."

“Xiao Die deserves a good home.” Minglan smiled brightly and snuggled closer to him.

"I vaguely remember that Liu Xiaodie was from Yangzhou?"

Minglan nodded in agreement.

Standing to the side, Xiao Tao spoke up: "Sister Xiao Die's parents have long since passed away. She has lived with her uncle and aunt since she was a child."

"Back then, it was they who sold Sister Xiaodie into the Sheng family for a few taels of silver, and they also seized all the meager plots of land that Sister Xiaodie left her."

"Sister Xiaodie told me that if His Majesty hadn't been there, when Lin accused her of theft, she would most likely have been beaten out of the Sheng Mansion."

"If she were really sent back, her uncle and aunt would definitely sell her to another family as a maid in a few days, and she might end up in some miserable place where she could be bullied by everyone."

Minglan's heart softened upon hearing this, and her curled eyelashes trembled slightly.

She sighed softly and continued, "A few years ago, her uncle and aunt wanted to come to the capital to seek refuge with Xiaodie, but fortunately, her uncle was in the capital at the time."

"After learning about this, he secretly had someone knock them both unconscious with a stick and sent them back to Yangzhou overnight."

"I haven't heard any news about it in the past few years. Most likely, people have been scared off and dare not come again."

Zhao Han stroked Minglan's round cheeks and said slowly, "Liu Xiaodie is a loyal servant, and she deserves to be treated this way."

"Yes, Mother also released their indentures, so if they have children in the future, they can live with dignity."

After Minglan finished speaking, she instructed Xiaotao to send the prepared dowry to the Wei residence. Danju and Xiaotao both contributed a portion of the dowry out of their own pockets.

For half a month, the Wu Xiangbo Mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, with large red lanterns hanging high on both sides.

Under Wei Shuyi's personal arrangement, Liu Xiaodie got married in a grand manner, far exceeding the scale of ordinary families' weddings.

Several officials' wives who were on good terms with Wei Shuyi, as well as some who wanted to establish a connection with the Wei family, all came to visit in person. Even Old Madam Sheng sent Cuiwei to deliver a congratulatory gift.

Although Wang Ruofu felt that a maid's wedding should not be so grand, she couldn't bring herself to refuse, so she asked Caihuan to go to the Wei residence on her behalf.

(End of this chapter)