If the old princess were to see Wushuang again, only indulging in eating, drinking, and having fun, neglecting all her duties, how could she possibly expect to fare well?
Junshu loves his daughter dearly, which is why he is making long-term plans for her. If you don't endure some hardships when you should, you'll suffer for the rest of your life, and that would be truly terrible.
Madam Yang understood her husband's intentions and echoed, "That's right. As a mother, I can't shirk my responsibilities to save trouble. I still have to teach my daughter what she needs to learn. At least let Wushuang have some understanding of the steward before she marries into the family, so that she won't be looked down upon by the people in the Prince's Mansion."
“My queen, who would dare to look down on her?” Chu Yao said. “If there is such an ignorant person, I will sell him off without saying a word.”
The couple, Junshu and his wife, were deeply moved by their future son-in-law's extraordinary efforts to protect their daughter.
However, parents should be rational and not marry off their daughters just because they are moved by a moment of emotion.
After hesitating for a long time, Madam Yang finally came up with a trump card, but it was a bit difficult to say. She whispered a few words in Junshu's ear and left the problem to her husband.
Jun Shu was also a little uncomfortable, but as a man, he had to protect his wife and daughter and solve their problems: "Ahem, Your Highness, my wife just told me that Shuangshuang is not only young, but her body is also not fully developed. That... that menstruation has not yet started, so it is really not suitable for her to get married. Even if she were to marry now, we cannot consummate the marriage."
Chu Yao curled the corners of his mouth and said smugly, "Your Excellency and Madam may not know this, but on the way back to the capital, Wushuang had her first period."
Madam Yang was truly unaware. Wushuang arrived home in the evening yesterday, had dinner with her family, and then went to bed early after washing up. Qiqiao and Chaohua, who had gone with Chu Yao to pick up Wushuang, were spared the trouble of their journey and Madam Yang did not rush them to report on what had happened on the way.
Madam Yang was somewhat anxious and, disregarding the need for Jun Shu to relay the message, said directly, "Your Highness, you are unaware that a young woman's body is extremely delicate. If she doesn't take good care of herself when she's young, there will be endless troubles in the future. Theoretically, a girl who has started menstruating can bear children, but in reality, it's really not advisable for a young girl who has just started menstruating to consummate the marriage, let alone become pregnant. Otherwise, at best, it will harm her health and affect her future fertility; at worst... she might even suffer a difficult childbirth and die. We are only thinking of Your Highness, after all, Shuangshuang is healthy and can better bear children for you and continue the family line. We hope Your Highness will understand."
Chu Yao tapped his fingers lightly on the table, as if he was thinking about something.
After a moment, he said, "To be honest, my reason for being so eager to marry Wushuang is that she has been plotted against twice in less than six months since she returned to the capital. Each time, her marriage was directly threatened. I cannot rest easy until I marry her. My lord and madam, you must have heard the saying, 'Delay brings trouble.' I love her dearly, and the thought that we might not be able to be together and that I would regret it for the rest of my life keeps me up at night. I hope my lord and madam can understand."
Having said all that, it would be too unreasonable to refuse.
Moreover, Mr. and Mrs. Junshu were extremely satisfied with their son-in-law Chu Yao and were unwilling to let their daughter miss out on a good match because of their rigid thinking.
The two exchanged a glance and nodded to each other. Jun Shu then made the decision: "In that case, we will grant Your Highness's request. However, we also have one request that Your Highness must fulfill."
Chu Yao said, "I will carry out my father-in-law and mother-in-law's requests, even at the cost of my life."
“Your Highness, as we said before, Shuangshuang’s body is not fully developed yet, so even if she is married, they cannot consummate their marriage until she comes of age,” Madam Yang said softly.
Chapter List 122|8
Chapter 122:
"Girl! Girl! Something terrible has happened!" Chaohua rushed into the house, shouting. (www.qiushu.cc No pop-up ads)
Wushuang had been away from home for over a month, and had fallen behind in her studies. She was reading the notes Wu Hui had sent her at the bedside table. Hearing the shout, she looked up, but before she could speak, Qiqiao had already scolded Chaohua, "What nonsense are you talking about? The young lady is sitting here perfectly fine, what's wrong with her?"
“No, I wasn’t talking about the young lady,” Chaohua explained. “I meant the Marquis and his wife…”
"What happened to Father and Mother?" Wushuang asked anxiously, dropping the book in her hand and wishing she could fly to the main courtyard immediately to find out what was going on.
"The Marquis and his wife are well." Realizing the ambiguity in his words, Chaohua quickly added, "It's Prince Ying!"
"Why do you talk so slowly and deliberately!" Qiqiao glared at her. "Can't you just speak clearly and logically?"
Wu Shuang was pacing anxiously, urging her repeatedly, "Tell me quickly, what happened to Chu Yao?"
Everything was fine when we parted yesterday, but something terrible happened overnight.
Chaohua calmed her rapid breathing and said, "It's like this. I heard from Xiaozhu, who serves in the Marquis's study, that the Prince brought wild geese and live deer to the Marquis and his wife, forcing them to give him a definite answer. He wants to marry a girl before the end of the year."
Oh dear, why is she in such a hurry? Didn't she say she wanted to stay at home for a few more years? Wu Shuang's face flushed red, and she felt a pang of jealousy in her heart.
Qiqiao said irritably, "Look at what you're saying! Even if you think the Prince's desired wedding date is a bit rushed, it doesn't mean it's bad. How can our young lady getting married be a bad thing? It's a happy occasion!"
"Then...did Father and Mother agree?" Wushuang cupped her face in her hands, her voice barely audible.
“Xiao Zhuzi said he heard the Marquis and his wife say that the young lady was too young and it was not appropriate for her to get married so soon, but the Prince insisted that they should, so in the end the Marquis and his wife had no choice but to agree,” Chaohua replied.
Wushuang couldn't quite describe her feelings. One moment she was overjoyed that she was going to marry Chu Yao, and the next she was disappointed that her parents had agreed to her getting married so early.
"Your Highness is wrong. Our young lady is still a child. Can't you let her enjoy herself at home for a few more years?" Qiqiao had been by Wushuang's side since she was a baby. When it came to caring for her, she was almost as affectionate as her own sister.
Chaohua chuckled and said, "Sister Qiqiao, our Marquis and his wife are quite something. Although they promised the Prince that the young lady could marry into the family soon, they forced the Prince to agree that the young lady could not consummate the marriage before she came of age."
Upon hearing this, Wushuang nearly fell off the bed. (Read Tianhuo Avenue online: http://www.qiushu.cc/)
They're allowed to get married but not consummate the marriage; Chu Yao's parents are really "good" to him.
Whether it's good or bad, once the agreement is reached, there's no room for change.
However, things were still more complicated than Chu Yao had hoped.
As a member of the imperial family, he was required to have an auspicious day chosen by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. However, there were no suitable days for marriage before the new year. The memorial submitted included three alternative dates: the ninth day of the third month, the seventeenth day of the third month, and the eighth day of the fifth month.
Emperor Deqing knew his nephew's thoughts, so he drew a circle of cinnabar around the edge of the circle, indicating the ninth day of the third month.
With the date set, wedding preparations began, keeping both the royal family and the imperial family extremely busy, while the common people of the capital also had plenty of entertainment to enjoy.
Chu Yao didn't want people to think that Wu Shuang was getting married in a hurry, so no matter what stage of the marriage was being arranged, his principle was to give her the best possible face.
For example, on the day of the betrothal, Chu Yao wore a purple robe with gold thread, rode a white horse, and carried a generous betrothal gift around the city.
For many years afterward, this day remained a legendary day in the eyes of the people.
"I've never seen such a large dowry for a wedding."
"The Prince of Ying was at the very front of the procession, going from east to north to west and then south, circling all nine city gates. When he dismounted at the Marquis of Runan's residence, the procession carrying the betrothal gifts hadn't even fully emerged from the palace yet!"
And then there's the day of setting up the bed.
Jun Shu, deeply devoted to his daughter, sourced rosewood from an island kingdom in the South China Sea to craft a complete set of furniture, including a carved bed, tables, chairs, a four-panel screen, and more. The furniture was carried in a grand procession from the Marquis of Runan's residence to the Prince of Ying's new house, attracting many onlookers who were filled with envy.