Chapter Thirty: Intent to Marry Xu Miaojin
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After the morning audience, Zhu Xiongying was immediately surrounded by a crowd of ministers, all wearing ingratiating smiles.
“Your Highness, I am Wu Ankang, a Senior Academician of the Imperial Academy. If you encounter any difficulties in your studies, please feel free to come to me!”
“Your Highness, I am Liu Shen, Judicial Commissioner of the Court of Judicial Review!”
“I am Yang Ke, Vice Minister of Works...!”
The officials introduced themselves one after another, eager to make themselves known to him.
“All right, all right, that’s enough!”
Lan Yu and Xu Da emerged from the hall in succession, their faces stern.
Both men had fought alongside the emperor from the very beginning, and no one dared provoke them.
The officials scattered like startled birds and beasts, heading toward the palace gate.
“Your Highness, don’t bother with those people. They’re all fair-weather friends who fawn on the powerful and trample on the weak!”
“Exactly! If they bother you again, just ignore them!”
Lan Yu and Xu Da put on warm smiles as they offered their advice.
His two maternal uncles, Chang Mao and Chang Sheng, came over as well.
“Your Highness, why didn’t you return to the Eastern Palace with His Highness the Crown Prince?”
Zhu Xiongying gave them a sweet, innocent smile. “I was waiting for you!”
“Waiting for us?”
The men were genuinely astonished.
Although they were relatives of the little fellow, there was a gulf between them in status, and they were many years apart in age. They rarely even met, let alone spent time together.
Why would the little one be waiting for them?
“Yes!”
Zhu Xiongying nodded mysteriously, then beckoned them closer. He motioned for them to lean in and listen.
The men, bewildered, had no choice but to crouch down and gather around him.
“If you trust me, send people out at once to buy several rock-salt mines!”
The little fellow lowered his voice.
“Buy rock-salt mines?”
Chang Sheng repeated his words like an echo.
“That’s right! The Ministry of Works is currently refining only crude salt. Rock salt will soon begin to be mined and refined as well. Buy several mines now, and I guarantee you’ll make a fortune!”
“But... anyone who wishes to sell salt must obtain permission from the imperial court. Even if Your Highness gives us the refining method, we still won’t be allowed to sell it!”
Chang Mao assumed the child did not understand the law of the realm. He thought the boy wanted them to purchase salt mines so they could refine and sell the salt themselves.
“Who told you to sell the salt?”
The little fellow rolled his eyes at him. Why did these two uncles seem so hopelessly dim-witted?
“If we don’t sell the salt, what are we supposed to do with the mines?”
“The court has already begun mining rock salt. Before long, it will issue an order forbidding private buying and selling. Any mines without an owner will be taken over by the court...”
“Oh! I understand!”
Before Zhu Xiongying could finish, Chang Mao’s eyes suddenly lit up.
“At present, rock salt is believed to be poisonous, so no one wants to buy it. We can acquire entire hills, mines included, for next to nothing! Once rock-salt production begins, those mines will become extremely valuable!”
“Exactly! That’s what I mean!”
Zhu Xiongying nodded and gave him a thumbs-up.
“Buy them now while you still can! In the future, even having money won’t be enough to acquire one!”
Lan Yu, Xu Da, and the others nodded repeatedly.
“Your Highness truly has thought of everything!”
“It’s nothing. We’re all family. We’ll have to look after one another in the future.”
Zhu Xiongying waved his hand with an air of indifference.
“Heh heh! The Chang and Lan families are Your Highness’s maternal relatives, while this old minister is merely an outsider. I’ve benefited from Your Highness’s generosity this time. Once the mines bring in profits, I shall certainly offer you a handsome reward!”
Xu Da might have been a rough man, but he understood the ways of human relations perfectly well.
Those men were family to the Imperial Grandson. He was not.
Therefore, he had to show his gratitude.
“No need, father-in-law. We’ll be family in the future as well!”
The little fellow narrowed his eyes and said it with such natural ease that it sounded as though it were already a settled fact.
Lan Yu, Chang Mao, and Chang Sheng were all stunned.
They turned toward Xu Da in astonishment.
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When had the engagement been arranged?
Why had they heard nothing about it?
The secrecy had been extraordinary!
“Ahem, ahem, ahem...”
Xu Da was so frightened that he began coughing violently. He waved his hands again and again.
“Your Highness, surely there’s been a misunderstanding? My daughter Miaoyun has already been promised to the Fourth Prince! When have I ever arranged a marriage between her and Your Highness?”
The little fellow tilted his head and gave him a sly smile.
“Who said I intend to marry Xu Miaoyun? I intend to marry Xu Miaojin!”
“Cough, cough, cough...”
This time, Xu Da’s coughing became even more violent.
Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have shocked Xu Da. Reward: six months of extended life!
Having received the system’s reward, Zhu Xiongying could imagine just how badly Xu Da had been frightened.
Given his status, eliciting two or three months of extended life under ordinary circumstances would already have been impressive.
To receive six months at once meant he had truly scared the man half to death!
Lan Yu and the others burst into uproarious laughter.
Only after a long while did they finally stop.
“Your Highness, Old Xu may be old, but his heart is young. He recently had another daughter with a beloved concubine, and her name is Miaojin! But she’s only a year old. How could anyone discuss marriage for her? Hahaha!”
If the little fellow had said he wished to marry the Xu family’s second daughter, they would not have laughed so hard.
But he had chosen the infant who was not even weaned!
She was still swaddled in her cradle. No one knew what her character or appearance would be like when she grew up. How could they arrange a marriage now?
What if she took after the old brute Xu Da in appearance? How could she possibly be worthy of their clever and charming Imperial Grandson?
Xu Da spread his hands helplessly, his face full of misery.
“That’s right! Your Highness, my daughter is only a year old. How could she possibly be betrothed? Besides, my eldest daughter has already been promised to the Fourth Prince. If I were to promise my younger daughter to Your Highness as well, wouldn’t that completely throw the family hierarchy into confusion? His Majesty and the Fourth Prince would never agree!”
“Then that’s not for you to worry about! Just tell me whether you agree or not!”
The little fellow folded his arms and raised his chin. There was a distinct hint of menace in his tone.
Xu Da was truly in a difficult position.
Ordinarily, it would be the greatest honor for the Imperial Grandson himself to seek his daughter’s hand.
But the difference in generations made the matter extremely awkward.
If he nodded today, wouldn’t the emperor and the Fourth Prince tear his residence apart tomorrow?
“Er... Your Highness, perhaps this old minister should simply refrain from buying the salt mines.”
“What? You’ve just heard my way of making money, and now you want to go back on your word?”
Xu Da was utterly on the verge of tears.
After much deliberation, he could only resort to stalling.
“How about this? So long as His Majesty and the Fourth Prince have no objection, this old minister naturally agrees!”
“Good! Those are your words!”
“Indeed! I said it myself! The Duke of Han, the Duke of Zheng, and General Chang can all bear witness!”
“Done!”
Only then did the little fellow nod and let Xu Da off the hook.
...
After parting ways with the others, Zhu Xiongying still did not return to the Eastern Palace. Instead, he headed toward the Imperial Study.
His purpose was to arrange his own marriage.
Although Xu Da had not come from the same village as the Old Zhu, he had been among the earliest men to follow him.
He was also one of the few founding heroes who had managed to meet a peaceful end.
Taking a father-in-law like that as his backer could only benefit him.
What was more, according to the rumors, Xu Miaojin was said to possess beauty surpassing that of an immortal—even Zhu Di had his eye on her.
But Xu Miaojin was proud and aloof. She would rather become a nun than marry Zhu Di.
That temperament suited him perfectly.
No matter how he calculated it, he would come out ahead!
“Oh? My good grandson, you’ve arrived quickly!”
“Has Grandfather sent someone to look for me?”
From Old Zhu’s words, the little fellow guessed that he must indeed have sent someone to summon him.
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What perfect timing!
It would be best if Old Zhu needed something from him. Then he could make demands with perfect justification and get him to approve the marriage between himself and the Xu family’s daughter.
“Yes. I sent Yun Qi to fetch you!”
Zhu Yuanzhang glanced toward the doorway, but there was no sign of his personal eunuch.
“Hahaha! It seems Grandson and Grandfather are truly of one mind!”
Zhu Xiongying hurried to Zhu Yuanzhang’s side and began ingratiating himself.
“Indeed!”
Zhu Yuanzhang shifted his dragon throne to make room for the little fellow.
Zhu Xiongying did not stand on ceremony. He planted his toes firmly, then leaped straight up onto it.
“Grandfather, why did you summon me?”
“Exactly. There’s going to be a war. I intend to host a banquet for the commanders of the various armies, so they can relax a little and prepare properly for the campaign.”
Zhu Yuanzhang did not bother with formalities. He came straight to the point.
“Then shouldn’t Grandfather be looking for the imperial kitchen’s cooks instead of me?”
“Forget it! Do you think I don’t know what level those palace chefs are at? Besides, the ministers have been eating their cooking for years. There’s nothing novel about it. This time, I want to try something different!”
“Grandfather wants hot pot?”
The idea immediately surfaced in Zhu Xiongying’s mind.
“Hahaha! As expected of my eldest grandson—clever indeed! You take after me!”
Zhu Yuanzhang shamelessly took the opportunity to praise himself.
Zhu Xiongying curled his lips. He thought to himself that at least his own face did not resemble the sole of a shoe.
However, he kept the thought to himself. He needed the old man to approve his marriage to Xu Miaojin.
Besides, even if he said it aloud, the old man would have no idea what a shoe sole was supposed to look like.
“Grandfather, if I tell you exactly how to make it, will you arrange a marriage for me?”
“Arrange... arrange a marriage?”
Zhu Yuanzhang wondered whether he had misheard.
“That’s right!”
“Hahahaha...”
After receiving confirmation, he burst into laughter.
The child was only seven years old, yet he already knew how to ask for a bride?
“Grandfather, what are you laughing at? Just tell me whether you agree or not.”
Zhu Xiongying was beginning to lose patience.
Was it really so difficult to secure a wife and find himself a powerful backer?
“Of course I agree! Naturally I do! My eldest grandson is of noble blood. Whichever family you favor, it will be their good fortune...”
Zhu Yuanzhang fought back his laughter and casually asked, “But surely you have to tell Grandfather which young lady you have taken a fancy to?”
“The younger daughter of the Duke of Wei, Xu Miaojin!”
Pfft!
At the mention of those three words, Zhu Yuanzhang sprayed out the hot tea he had just taken into his mouth.
“Who? Xu Miaojin?”
To be honest, Old Zhu did not even know such a person existed.
“Yes. She is the daughter of the Duke of Wei’s concubine, and she has just turned one.”
Zhu Xiongying briefly explained the situation.
Old Zhu waved his hands repeatedly.
“Hahaha! My eldest grandson, stop fooling around! You are the heir to the Great Ming realm. How can you marry a daughter born to a concubine? Besides, Xu Da is of the same generation as me! His legitimate daughter has already been promised to your Fourth Uncle. If I were to arrange a marriage between you and his younger daughter as well, wouldn’t the generations become hopelessly confused?”
“Grandfather refuses?”
Zhu Xiongying frowned.
“My good grandson, we cannot disrupt the family hierarchy. Wait until you are a couple of years older, and Grandfather will personally choose someone more suitable for you.”
Zhu Yuanzhang lifted the little fellow onto his lap and patiently tried to reason with him.
But Zhu Xiongying pursed his lips and wriggled free at once.
He puffed out his cheeks and sulked for quite some time.
“Fine! Then I’ll tell Grandfather how to make hot pot.”
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