The Prime Minister did not seem bothered by Lu Qing Wan's disdain, merely smiling as he said, "This minister wishes to request the Prince and Princess Consort to bestow a marriage upon my son."
"Bestow a marriage?!"
Upon returning to the new capital, she was immediately faced with a string of troublesome matters. To have such a rare and positive event come her way, Lu Qing Wan felt her spirits instantly lift.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "May I ask who the Prime Minister has chosen as his daughter-in-law? Do you have someone in mind? My Prince and I do not engage in haphazard matchmaking!"
The Prime Minister chuckled and shook his head. "My son, does the Princess Consort not know him? If it were not for his own choice, even if I were to force him, he would not agree to marry!"
As the Prime Minister spoke, he smiled and looked at Prince Consort Shao. "To be frank with the Prince and Princess Consort, my son has taken a fancy to Princess Fujia, the treasured daughter of Prince Consort Shao. This old minister has already discussed this with Prince Consort Shao and the Grand Princess Dowager, and they have both agreed. However, Grand Princess Dowager Jinyang believes that the Prince and Princess Consort share such deep affection, and if they were to bestow this marriage, it would be a great blessing for Princess Fujia and my son. Therefore, this old minister has dared to request the Prince and Princess Consort to bestow this marriage, fulfilling the Grand Princess Dowager's kind intentions."
The Prime Minister's words were polite, but Si Feng Wu and Lu Qing Wan were not simpletons who understood nothing. How could they not comprehend that Grand Princess Dowager Jinyang, while ostensibly seeking their blessing for Princess Fujia and Nan Wu Shang, was actually testing their stance? After all, Grand Princess Dowager Jinyang was a princess of the former dynasty, and Prince Consort Shao was a high-ranking official. Princess Fujia's marriage involved complex political interests. Regardless of whom Princess Fujia married, Prince Consort Shao would be suspected of forming factions, which had caused her marriage to be postponed until now. It would be better to let Lu Qing Wan and Si Feng Wu decide Princess Fujia's marriage. For Prince Consort Shao's sake, their choice for Princess Fujia's marriage would surely not be too poor. In the future, even if Princess Fujia's husband's family encountered trouble, it would be a marriage arranged by Si Feng Wu and Lu Qing Wan themselves, thus not implicating her maternal family.
Quickly understanding the intricacies, Lu Qing Wan glanced at Si Feng Wu. However, he directly passed the ball to her. "The Princess Consort should be very familiar with Nan Wu Shang. When the Princess Consort was ordered by Imperial Brother Xi Yan to select consorts for Feng Qing Heng and his brothers, Princess Fujia was among them. Speaking of which, the Princess Consort also knows Princess Fujia. This marriage should be decided by the Princess Consort. What are your thoughts?"
Lu Qing Wan raised her eyebrows and met his gaze, realizing Si Feng Wu truly wanted her to make the decision. She took a deep breath. "It is indeed a good thing that the Prime Minister and Prince Consort Shao wish to form a union. However, since it is to be a bestowed marriage, let us wait until after the enthronement ceremony. Currently, Prince Consort Shao and Grand Princess Dowager Jinyang do not have clear official positions, and Nan Wu Shang has no scholarly or military achievements. To arrange a marriage rashly might lead to the court looking down upon Princess Fujia. After the enthronement ceremony, when the Prince bestows the marriage, and I personally preside over the wedding, the two newlyweds will have a glorious wedding, and it will also silence those who gossip. Prime Minister and Prince Consort Shao, are you satisfied with my proposal?"
Everyone was stunned for a moment, then reacted. The Prime Minister remained relatively calm, merely saying with slight gratitude, "In that case, this old minister will first thank the Prince and Princess Consort on behalf of my son for your graciousness!"
Prince Consort Shao was so moved that he almost shed tears. "We will leave it entirely to the Prince and Princess Consort to decide! This old minister is eternally grateful!"
Grand Princess Dowager Jinyang was a princess of Great Qian, and Prince Consort Shao was also a consort of Great Qian. Even though Prince Consort Shao had stood with Si Feng Wu from the beginning when Si Feng Wu prepared to overthrow Great Qian, and he had made great contributions with the Northern Army in establishing the new dynasty, in the eyes of some, anything associated with Great Qian was an unforgivable sin. The Northwest was harsh and cold. To take care of Grand Princess Dowager Jinyang's health, she, Princess Fujia, and the ladies of the household lived in the new capital. Those who were once surrounded by entourages now faced constant exclusion and ridicule in the new capital. Some ladies even dared to mock her in front of Grand Princess Dowager Jinyang, saying a fallen phoenix was not as good as a chicken. All of this was simply because Grand Princess Dowager Jinyang carried the blood of the Feng family's royal line. However, the fact that Grand Princess Dowager Jinyang carried the blood of the Feng family's royal line was undeniable. Even though Prince Consort Shao pitied his wife and daughter and intended to fight for them, he could not think of a suitable solution for the time being. He even considered that if Si Feng Wu agreed, and his daughter's marriage was settled, he would take his wife back to the Northwest. He did not expect that before he could make many arrangements, Lu Qing Wan had already considered everything for him.
A bestowed marriage by a prince without a legitimate claim to the throne and a bestowed marriage after the founding of a new dynasty were naturally different in nature. Moreover, judging by Lu Qing Wan's words, she would also arrange new positions for him and bestow scholarly or military titles upon Nan Wu Shang. In this way, Nan Wu Shang marrying Princess Fujia would be akin to assisting Prince Consort Shao and Grand Princess Dowager Jinyang. A wedding would show the world how much the new Emperor and Empress valued Prince Consort Shao's family, and officials' families would have to carefully consider before slandering or ridiculing Grand Princess Dowager Jinyang. Lu Qing Wan's actions not only fulfilled Nan Wu Shang and Princess Fujia's marriage but also allowed Prince Consort Shao and his family to hold their heads high once more.
"If that is the case, then this marriage will be on my shoulders." Lu Qing Wan said, as if she had become addicted to matchmaking. She proactively added, "By the way, Chi Jing Chuan, Wen Ru Song, and Shao Nan Chuan are also around the same age, aren't they? Elder Chi, Elder Wen, and Prince Consort Shao, do you have any favored granddaughters or daughters-in-law? If so, prepare them early, and after the enthronement ceremony, have the Prince bestow marriage upon them! If that doesn't work, perhaps one of them could marry a bride from Great Qin, which would also help improve relations between the new dynasty and Great Qin. It would be killing two birds with one stone!"
Elder Wen shook his head and gave a wry smile. "My wife's hair has turned white from worrying. Whenever marriage is mentioned, my son says the Prince himself only married at twenty-three, and he hasn't even come of age. What's the rush?"
"Isn't that right?" Elder Chi also chimed in, "My son is no different! Whenever marriage is mentioned, he uses the Prince as a shield, as if by waiting until twenty-three, they can marry a virtuous wife like the Princess Consort..."
As the elders complained about their grandsons, they subtly flattered Lu Qing Wan, leaving her feeling both amused and exasperated. She turned to Si Feng Wu and bared her teeth. "Did you hear that, my Prince? You are now a negative example for the young talents of the new capital. If you don't think of a solution quickly, in a few years, the new capital will have a bunch of older bachelors, and then the ministers will collectively come to you for daughters-in-law!"
Amidst the laughter and banter, Si Feng Wu and Lu Qing Wan gained an understanding of the new dynasty's general direction. The elders also took their leave at the opportune moment. In the midst of their conversation, the new dynasty had already established a new direction for the foreseeable future.