"Shanjing, you're here. No need for formalities, please sit!"
Although Empress Dowager Zhang said so, Ding Yun still performed a courtesy before sitting to Empress Dowager Zhang's left.
Some people say not to be too polite, but it's actually the same as when some people say not to send gifts. He might not accept it, but you can't not send it, or he'll remember you.
Ding Yun had this much sense.
"You're really something. I told you not to be too polite, but you insist on following the rules. Unlike some people, I only asked her to come on the first and fifteenth of the month, and she actually only shows up on those days, never seen the rest of the time!"
Needless to say, the "some people" Empress Dowager Zhang mentioned was undoubtedly Empress Sun. Empress Dowager Zhang disliked Empress Sun, who was promoted from concubine to wife. She directly stated that she didn't want to see her often and told her not to come every day to pay her respects and hurt her eyes, but only to come on the first and fifteenth.
As a result, Empress Sun really only came on the first and fifteenth.
And she was unhappy about it again.
This shows that as long as you dislike someone or something, whatever they say or do will be wrong.
Ding Yun couldn't comment or reflect on this directly, so she just smiled and nodded in agreement.
Empress Dowager Zhang didn't dwell on the matter either:
"Let's not talk about those annoying people.
I called you here this time mainly to talk about Shunde. Shunde is not young this year. Thirteen or fourteen is the age to consider a match.
You are, after all, her birth mother.
So I wanted to ask for your thoughts.
I can help out then, lest the Empress not take it seriously. Shunde is, after all, the Eldest Princess. I don't want her to be unhappy in the future. I suppose you feel the same and don't want Shunde to marry a consort she dislikes.
So let's discuss this, mother and daughter.
And find a suitable husband for Shunde!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern. But isn't it a bit too early to consider a match now? She's still young!"
Ding Yun habitually showed some hesitation.
In her opinion, her daughter was still at the age of a middle schooler. How could she consider marriage so early?
Empress Dowager Zhang waved her hand and said with a light laugh:
"You, as a parent, naturally always think your child is still young, still a child. But thirteen or fourteen years old is no longer young.
Many families get married at fourteen.
For Shunde's health, marrying later is certainly fine, but at the latest, it can only be delayed until sixteen. By eighteen, she'll be an old maid, and it will be harder to find a match.
It's better to consider now while there's still a choice. Once a match is found, get engaged, prepare for two or three years, and a wedding at sixteen or seventeen will be perfect. Don't feel reluctant to let your daughter leave.
Women, when they reach a certain age, must get married.
Delaying it will not be good for the child either."
"Because consorts are not allowed to hold official positions, we can't choose from those who ranked second or first in the imperial examinations. We can only choose from military nobles or ordinary households.
Truly capable individuals probably won't apply.
So our choices are limited.
We can only pick based on appearance and character!"
By the end, Empress Dowager Zhang expressed some sighs and regrets. She lamented that her own granddaughter couldn't marry someone outstanding, and had to choose from the best of a limited pool according to tradition, which truly made her feel regretful.
In the Ming Dynasty, consorts were not allowed to hold official positions and could only receive bestowed honorary titles. Being a consort essentially meant becoming a son-in-law, so anyone with self-confidence wouldn't want to be a consort. Furthermore, the selection of consorts was voluntary; one had to apply to be considered.
And in this era, how many willing sons-in-law could there be?
Therefore, the quality of prospective consorts was very poor.
"Alas, thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern.
It is indeed difficult to choose a consort. Truly good candidates are unwilling to become consorts, and among those willing, it's hard to find a good one. If possible, I still hope to find a son from a family of military nobles for Shunde.
It would be even better if his inherited title were higher."
Ding Yun hadn't figured out how to break the deadlock or how to make her daughter happier, so she could only state the best possible outcome under the current circumstances.
At present, princesses had three choices when selecting consorts:
Nobles, military households, and commoner households.
If they chose military or commoner households, given their lower status, they would likely have no say. This could lead to the princess's mansion being controlled by female officials and governesses, requiring the princess to get permission from them to meet her consort. In worse situations, the consort might even reside in the princess's mansion while the princess returned to the palace, leading to an extreme form of marital separation.
However, if they chose from the nobility, especially a high-ranking noble family, such as the son of a Duke's mansion.
Then the princess would have more freedom.
If luck was on her side, and the Emperor felt that out of respect for the noble Duke, he couldn't allow the son to live in the princess's mansion as if he were marrying into the family, then the princess might even reside in the Duke's mansion like a normal daughter-in-law.
This would not only allow for more frequent meetings between the couple but also suppress the privileges of the female officials and governesses.
It was with these considerations in mind that Ding Yun specifically mentioned nobility. Moreover, it was only a preliminary selection now; the actual wedding was still two or three years away. She believed that within two or three years, she would still be able to devise a solution.
So, for now, they would proceed like this.
"I also think it's best to choose from the nobility.
The status of ordinary commoners and military households is simply too low to be worthy of Princess Shunde's dignity, let alone the fact that Shunde is the Eldest Princess. If the person she chooses has too poor a status, how will the subsequent princesses choose? However, I am worried that the nobility might not be willing.
There are only a few top noble families in court, and few suitable in age. Even if the age is suitable,
They probably wouldn't be willing for their sons to marry into the princess's family.
I'm somewhat disdainful of other noble families. Most importantly, those nobles would absolutely not agree to let their legitimate sons marry a princess. If it's a concubine's son or a younger son,
I worry they might have already been spoiled.
The reputation of many scions of noble families in the capital is really not good; they are almost all dissolute young men. It is said that many don't even fully recognize the elders in their wives' families, yet they are intimately familiar with courtesans, knowing them by heart.
Alas, forget it. Let the Ministry of Rites screen them first.
I will send word to those noble families, but whether they are willing to participate in the selection, I cannot guarantee. We can only do our best.
Don't worry, I'll call you back to choose then.
I will try my best to keep the Empress from interfering in this matter."
Although choosing a son from a noble family to be a consort was a good option, those noble families were reluctant to give up their meticulously cultivated heirs to marry a princess. It was likely that even if they were willing, they would only offer those who were not up to par.
Even as Empress Dowager, she couldn't force the noble families, so Empress Dowager Zhang dared not make any promises to Ding Yun.
She could only say she would try her best.
However, regarding keeping the Empress from interfering, she was much more confident, as she was the mother-in-law.
After discussing the matter of selecting a consort,
The Empress Dowager chatted with Ding Yun about many other things.
She even shared many matters that were inconvenient for others to know, almost treating Ding Yun as a confidante.
Because she knew Ding Yun wouldn't gossip or speak carelessly.
Perhaps this was also why she was willing to help the original owner.
Who doesn't want someone to confide all their secrets to, without worrying about them being leaked?
At this moment, Ding Yun didn't need to say much.
She just needed to cooperate and be a quiet listener.