Wushuang remembered that Wuxia once wrote the following in a letter:
For members of the imperial family, whether they were princes or dukes, they were nominally free to choose their own spouses. However, after each family had selected a suitable candidate, they would submit a memorial to the palace and obtain the permission of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor before the marriage would be officially arranged.
Even choosing a wedding date is a matter of this.
She was somewhat puzzled at the time and even asked Chu Ye whether everyone did this because there were established rules or simply to show respect to the emperor.
Chu Ye simply smiled and said: "Everyone does it this way. Even without a written rule, wherever it's placed becomes the rule."
Wushuang held the teacup and nodded gently; she knew what the first step should be.
She ordered Qiqiao to prepare paper and ink, and then wrote a letter to Consort Jing.
The letter inevitably mentioned the old princess's return to the capital and her entrustment of Chu Pei's marriage arrangements, stating:
She knew that Chu Yao should submit a memorial to Emperor Deqing, and then Emperor Deqing should order the Imperial Observatory to select a date. However, Chu Yao was currently hundreds of miles away, and it would take at least half a month for a reply to the correspondence, which was too much of a waste of time.
It wasn't that she lacked patience; it was just that it was the first time her mother-in-law had given her instructions, and she really didn't dare to delay any longer.
Ask Consort Jing if it would be alright to ask her to mention it to Emperor Deqing or the Empress Dowager. Of course, if there is anything inappropriate about this, please be sure to tell her.
“This is my first time doing something like this, and I don’t know anything about it. I’ve always thought that my aunt is the kindest and most approachable person, so I thought I would ask you to teach me. If I do anything wrong, I hope my aunt won’t blame me.”
Wushuang said so.
The next day, Consort Jing replied, saying that she had already mentioned it to His Majesty. She also said that Wushuang had done a very good job, and even Emperor Deqing praised her for being flexible and not rigid in her approach.
Another day passed, and the Imperial Astronomical Bureau sent several auspicious dates for marriage to be chosen by the Prince of Ying's residence.
Wushuang personally delivered the invitation to the main courtyard for the old princess to review.
The best day of the year is the eighth day of the eleventh month, but that day has already been set for the Fifth Prince Chu Yun to marry Yu Xiangxiang. The dates sent by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau are all for next year: the third day of the third month, the ninth day of the sixth month, the twenty-ninth day of the seventh month, and the second day of the tenth month.
After looking at the options, the old princess felt that too fast was not good, and too slow was even worse. In the end, she chose July 29th, which was in late summer and early autumn.
After everything was settled, she still couldn't resist giving Wushuang a lecture: "Do you really think it's appropriate to set a wedding date right away? Back then, both families' children were young, and we only exchanged marriage certificates; the formal betrothal ceremony hadn't even taken place yet. Didn't you know these things?"
Wushuang truly had no idea that when the old King of Ying arranged the marriage for Chu Pei, she wasn't even born yet.
However, she was indeed reckless for not asking beforehand and not following the proper order of the three letters and six rites.
Wushuang was an upright person and did not argue. She simply said, "Mother is right. It was indeed my oversight."
Seeing that Wushuang's attitude was good, the old princess gave her a few more words of advice: "It's alright. Once you set a date, it will be easier to figure out how to proceed. Anyway, the Qiu family has no say in the wedding date, and they can't find fault with it. So don't worry about it. The Imperial Astronomical Bureau chose this auspicious date, which is thanks to your cleverness."
She truly hadn't expected Wushuang to dare send a letter directly to the palace.
But this is also good. They know which person to look for when they need to get things done, and more importantly, they found the right person. Not only did they get the job done, but they also received praise, which brought honor to the Prince of Ying's mansion.
Wushuang was a carefree person. After being praised by the old princess, she put aside the unpleasantness between the two of them a few days earlier and worked even harder to arrange Chupei's marriage.
However, some things cannot be accomplished by simply putting in effort.
For example, the rules and regulations of the Three Letters and Six Rites were much more difficult than she had imagined.
When Yang taught her how to manage the household, she mentioned a secret.
If you encounter anything you don't understand or can't do, don't be afraid, just go and look for the family's account books.
It has everything.
When it comes to holidays, weddings, funerals, and other important occasions, how to interact with relatives and friends, how to provide for one's own family's needs, how to entertain guests... For everything that can be thought of, there are precedents to follow. When the time comes, one can simply compare the original methods and budget. Even if the event is not very successful, there will be no mistakes.
However, the Prince of Ying's mansion was established after Chu Yao's father left the palace at the age of fifteen (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning). The mansion had held two weddings, both of which were for the marriage of a princess. It had never married a county princess.
There is absolutely no precedent for this.
She was afraid that she would make a rash mistake again, and she was also afraid that asking the old princess about everything would make her think she was incompetent. So she decided to use Yang Tiange's trip to the capital as an excuse to go back to her parents' home and discuss it with Yang.
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Chapter 136 | Table of Contents
Chapter 136
Fortunately, the old princess did not make things difficult for her in this matter and readily allowed her to pass. [80]
Wushuang smoothly boarded the carriage, and as soon as she was settled, she heard Qiqiao exclaim "Eh!" from outside the carriage.
He lifted the curtain to look and saw Chu Wan timidly peeking out from the side of the door.
Wushuang beckoned her over and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Is there something you need to tell me?"
"Shuangshuang, can you take me with you when you go back to your parents' home?" Chu Wan asked, pouting.
Wushuang thought she was complaining about how quiet the palace was again, so she said, "I'll only be gone for a little while, I'll be back soon."
Chu Wan twirled the silk ribbon on her purse with her fingers: "I just don't want to stay at home alone. What if my mother and sister gang up on me and bully me? I don't know what to do."
She spoke with such grievance, and she looked so pitiful.
Wushuang was both amused and exasperated.
The old princess had some eccentricities in her behavior, one of which was her attitude towards the sisters Chu Pei and Chu Wan.
Chu Pei had been by her side all these years, traveling around and spending every day together, so it was only natural that their feelings for each other were deep.
However, she was far too cold towards Chu Wan. In recent days, every time they met, she had a stern face and never hugged Chu Wan in her arms or said anything affectionate.