Rebirth of the Treacherous Official’s Madam

Ever since the founding of Great Sheng, when it comes to the consort selection for the princes, practically every imperial court all had differences to some extent. The great majority of the times, it was still according to the marriage arrangements for the imperial clan. The prince’s mother and maternal clan will help arrange, and after reaching an agreement with the bride’s family, request for a marriage decree. If it’s a son the emperor is particularly fond of, or value a little more, then the emperor will personally select a candidate and bestow a marriage.

On the contrary, if the prince’s birth mother had passed away early, or the birth mother was of a very low status, then the Zongjing Bureau will select on their behalf, then submit a memorandum for the emperor to make the decision.

But, there’s also some situations where the main consort and side consorts for the princes will be directly selected through an imperial selection. Just, unlike the selection for the imperial harem, daughters of commoners, as well as the daughters of officials of the fifth rank and lower all don’t need to participate.

In other words, Yu Lingxin, this fourteen year old daughter of a fourth rank chief administrator, just happened to fall within the selection boundary.

Actually, based on the usual practice for the imperial selection in the past, from Xuan Emperor issuing the decree on the first of the fourth month for the Ministry of Rites and Zongjing Bureau to decide on the rules and regulations, it will take at least ten days to draft the rules and regulations for this imperial selection. Then, sending documents to the various provinces, prefectures, and counties outside of the capital, reporting and reviewing layer upon layer, afterwards selecting the candidates, from front to back, no matter what, it will still take several month.

Although those official daughters that just have an engagement yet still haven’t formally wedded, according to past cases, still need to have their name reported up, but after reporting, there’s still the re-examination. Usually, at this step, their name will be directly marked out, not needing to go through the next selection process.

That’s why, Yu Lingxin appeared as if needing to enter the selection, but in reality, it was just registering her name for the first round of selection, not necessarily really becoming a candidate.

But, Yu Bocheng was still very nervous. Especially, when the Xun family finished the last step of the engagement rites on the second of the fourth month, sending the engagement gifts, the Jin Duke heir, Ming Yunji, intentionally or otherwise hinted Yu Bocheng a few words.

It was nothing more than just expressing that Yu Lingxin’s talent and appearance surpassed others, and because the Linglong Literature Club was rather famous, if really entering the selection, even the weather can be unpredictable, who can know for sure what his Majesty is thinking?

Especially given that at present, the relationship between Qin Wang and Xun Che was sensitive, and the empress’s maiden family even sent four Wen family young ladies, including both di and shu, into the capital. Under this kind of circumstance, who knows whether or not the empress will take advantage of the imperial selection to do a bit of something, then try to have a young lady from the Wen family shoved into the Xun family?

These kind of words, if it was said three months ago, Yu Bocheng certainly would give up on this marriage arrangement altogether. A marriage arrangement that even the empress wants to intervene in, how can it be a good marriage arrangement? He absolutely didn’t want to send his daughter into the storm.

But, now that the proposal, birthdate request, and engagement, these three rites, have already been carried out, already having gone through half of the marriage rites, and although the Xun family rushed a bit on the dates, but the solemn attitude from beginning to end, from the matchmaker to the betrothal gifts, all were respectable and grand to the extreme. Yu Bocheng didn’t show anything on his face, but on the inside, he already faintly had Xun Che viewed as his ideal son-in-law.

Hearing Ming Yunji point out, Yu Bocheng immediately just realized the sensitiveness of the current state of affairs. When drinking tea and chatting, he was very much distracted for a while. Shortly after, when deciding on the date for sending the betrothal gifts, he voluntarily mentioned that a bit earlier was also fine.

Ming Yunji immediately laughed, “Virtuous younger brother’s misgivings, we also understand. To tell virtuous brother the truth, that disappointing nephew of mine, at present, is also nineteen. Actually, my younger sister and brother-in-law have been hoping for him to settle down for quite some time already. Looking at the imperial court’s meaning currently, the Ministry of Rites will probably confirm the regulations for the imperial selection around the fifteenth of the fourth month. If we wait until after the rules come down, then go through the major rites during the selection, afraid others will gossip, seemingly as if one’s manor very much don’t want to let one’s daughter serve the imperial family. Rather than let it be like this, how about shifting the date up some more?”

Yu Bocheng naturally very much complied. Thus, while Yu old madam and Su-shi were both still somewhat stunned, never mind the last step of the engagement rites concluding very smoothly, they even swiftly decided on the following dates, sending the betrothal gifts seven days later on the tenth of the fourth month, sending the return gift on the fourteenth, then have the the most solemn of the entire engagement, the engagement ceremony, placed on the fifteenth, thoroughly finishing before the Ministry of Rites issue the regulations for the imperial selection. As for the wedding date discussion, it was just decided on the eighteenth.

When Yu Lingxin heard about this in Lianyi Residence, and then looked at the letters Xun Che sent everyday these days, she was both amused and helpless.

She naturally also very much looked forward to being with him earlier, but with this kind of tight schedule, even her side will inevitably start being busy altogether too. Never mind Yu Bocheng, even she herself didn’t expect that she would marry this early in this life. After all, the matter of her dowry, it wasn’t just the problem of money value.

TN: All translations outside of are stolen and reposted without permission!

Only those newly rich, or those families that truly don’t have any family wealth, would just use money as the dowry. For upper class noble daughters, and scholar families, the various items in the dowry were all very carefully selected.

Aside from the money-making shops and farmland that were used to live off of in the future, the rest, from the large furnitures and articles for daily use, to the clothes, fabric, accessories, cosmetics, as well as the various chinaware, wooden articles, elegant playthings, spices, medicinal ingredients, tableware, wine vessels, and so on, practically contained all the things the bride needed to use after marrying in.

In the dowry Yu Bocheng and Qi-shi allocated for her back then, there were naturally also some chinaware, wooden articles, clothing materials, and such, but on one hand, the amount was far from enough, and on the other hand, some weren’t that valuable either. That’s why, amidst the busy preparations, the Yu family, aside from needing to deliberate over exactly how much dowry to give in total, what they further headached over was still how to purchase and prepare.

Yu Lingxin although was somewhat embarrassed, she still voluntarily went to look for Yu old madam. She knew that on her marriage, her grandmother and father didn’t let Su-shi get involved, so as to avoid having some problem occur. But, she didn’t want to tire out her grandmother too much either, so wanted to go ask if there’s anything she can prepare on her own.

Actually, when it comes to managing these things, it’s not like she completely didn’t have any experience in the past life.

But, Yu old madam and Yu Bocheng both responded very unanimously, letting her not worry about anything, just needing to peacefully stay in her room and embroider her own wedding dress and veil these days, as well as have the needlework for her father-in-law and mother-in-law, as well as for the younger siblings-in-law prepared.

Yu Lingxin voluntarily asked twice, but in the end, she still got pressed down by Yu old madam, telling her that she really don’t need to worry. As such, she could only return to Lianyi Residence. And at this time, Bai Guo also came over to report, saying that second young master already had all the shops’ account books temporarily moved back to Qingyu Pavilion to take care of, and during this period of time, miss doesn’t need to work too hard, just needing to prepare for the wedding in peace.

Yu Lingxin couldn’t help but laugh, “It’s rather rare for him to have a bit of conscience for once.”

These words, where did Bai Guo have the guts to answer, but after a moment of silence, she still went forward softly said with a laugh, “Second young master has another word for miss, asking miss to not worry about the dowry. You will certainly grandly marry with a long line of red dowry.”

Yu Lingxin slightly raised her brow. These words, Xun Che didn’t mention in the daily letters between them. Recently, there has been this many ups and downs in the palace, the imperial court also having quite a few disputes. In addition to the imperial selection for the princes, as the newly promoted Chief Secretary of the Central Secretariat, and close serving official of the emperor, Xun Che was actually very busy. Although he still persisted in sending her a letter everyday, the length of the letter also varied.

Sometimes, there were a few more words, even grumbling about how being on duty in the palace was very exhausting, and that the desserts in the imperial study weren’t good. But sometimes, there were just a few words, able to make out that he really was very tired, his handwriting even becoming a bit sloppy.

At its shortest, it was just five words, ‘Extremely miss my beloved wife.’

But, whether it was long or short, it was all his feelings, so Yu Lingxin was always very satisfied when reading. At present, she also just hoped for their marriage to carry out smoothly. As for the betrothal gift and dowry, these superficial things, she didn’t really mind too much.

That’s why, when she heard that these days, Su-shi had lost her appetite because of this matter, worrying very much, even faintly arguing with her father, Yu Bocheng, she voluntarily went to Dongli Residence to urge a little. Just, she similarly got blocked back by her grandmother, letting her not worry about these things.

And now, hearing Bai Guo’s tone, did Xun Che have some other plans in this matter?

Just as Yu Lingxin was about to ask again, at this time, Shuangye and Ganlu brought in the clothing material, as well as the booklet for her dowry. As such, these words could only be temporarily pressed down.

But, very soon, she just roughly understood Xun Che’s meaning.

On the tenth of the fourth month, the Wen’an Marquis couple once again invited the matchmakers, Marshal Yan and Jin Duke heir, Ming Yunji, to visit together, carrying out the rite of sending the betrothal gifts. As the matchmaker for the bride’s side, the Zhenbei General, Cheng Guangling, had already returned to the Chen province in the first month. That’s why, Grand Elder Princess Zhaoning sent the fifth rank historian in charge of the princess manor’s rites and etiquettes over in his place to carry out the rite.

Because the Xun family wasn’t too far from the Yu family, and the Xun family was also particularly solemn, having the entire thirty thousand taels worth of betrothal gift loaded into sixteen full carriages, the spectacle decorated in red silk and festive decorations in front of the Yu manor was more than enough to let the neighbors circle around and watch for half a day.

In the recent half year, because of the change in relationship with Qin Wang, the lawsuit in the Judicial Court with the Zhu family, and so on, the particularly attention attracting Wen’an Marquis Manor sending betrothal gifts in such a high profile naturally once again brought about quite a few discussions in the capital.

As such, after the Xun family sent the betrothal gifts, in the days prior to the Yu family sending back the return gift, the Yu family that had somewhat declined after the old head minister passed away actually quickly started becoming lively again.

Originally, during the preparations for the wedding, friends and relatives coming to visit was also normal. Just, the Yu family didn’t have very many friends and relatives in the capital. Previously, when it was rumored that the Yu family might form marriage ties with the Xun family, there were already a bit more visitors than usual, and now, going through the rites step by step and officially becoming engaged, in addition to the Wen’an Marquis Manor this grandly sending the betrothal gifts, the Yu family’s ‘friends and relatives’ also rapidly increased.

In just those days, Yu Lingxin actually got called to Dongli Residence three to four times, greeting the aunts and great aunts or old friends of the family that she’d practically never seen before in the past. Looking at Yu old madam’s complexion, she just knew that the other party was truly too eager, not easy to turn down. That’s why, she also just politely said a few words, then listen to the other party praise and compliment. At the end, after receiving the greeting gift, she can just use needing to embroider her wedding attire as an excuse to go back.

This kind of sudden increase of ‘friends and relatives’ visiting lasted for a few days. When the Xun family came to discuss the wedding date, Yu Lingxin was watching Shuangye and Ganlu doing calculations. Just the so called ‘greeting gifts’, the bracelets, hair ornaments, jinbu, and such, she has received these days, it was already almost a thousand taels.

Yu Lingxin looked at the three cases already filled to the brim with accessories. She couldn’t help but glance at Bai Guo. Could it be that Xun Che’s meaning was that she can rely on this kind of gifts to reach the amount of the betrothal gifts? If really like this, won’t she need to open an accessory shop in the future? Else, this many accessories, how will she be able to wear them all?

However, when she heard that the wedding date in the end was decided on the seventeenth of the sixth month, in other words, three days prior to the registering one’s name for the imperial selection, she was still slightly shocked inside, having her other thoughts all tossed aside.

The seventeenth of the sixth month just happened to be the day of her and Xun Che’s rebirth last year.