I wasn't, I didn't, don't talk nonsense!
Xiahou Xian fired off three denials in his mind.
The Son of Heaven really was the Son of Heaven. Had something that did not yet have even the first stroke of its character already reached Cao Rui's ears?
Xiahou Xian thought it over. Rather than play dumb, he might as well speak boldly. It was nothing shameful, after all.
He was just about to speak when Cao Rui beat him to it. "We have heard that Wang Ziyong has a daughter in the budding years of girlhood. Since childhood, she has been well versed in the Book of Songs and the Analects, and the late Minister of the Masses Wang Lang cherished her dearly."
Hold on, was Cao Rui arranging a marriage? Xiahou Xian was rather stunned by what he heard.
Cao Rui continued, "Wang Ziyong and you are both future pillars of our Great Wei. We intend to bring your two families together in a bond like that between Qin and Jin. What do you think?"
Xiahou Xian was naturally willing, but he could not let it show that he had planned this all along.
After some thought, he said, "Your subject has heard that Wang Ziyong's first wife passed away last year, followed this year by Minister of the Masses Wang Lang. The Wang family is still in mourning. This matter might offend the rites."
Cao Rui said, "We need only know your wishes. As for the wedding date, it can simply be postponed."
Xiahou Xian knew he could not decide his own marriage without permission, so he said, "Your subject cannot decide this matter himself. I fear it must still be settled by my father and mother."
"No. We need only know your wishes." Cao Rui fixed Xiahou Xian with a piercing gaze.
Xiahou Xian said no more, replying, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your favor."
"Good." Cao Rui nodded in satisfaction. "Very well, you may go."
"As you command."
In May, Luoyang quietly caught a hint of summer in the air.
At Grand Princess Qinghe's residence, Qinghe sat in a small pavilion.
Upon returning home, Xiahou Xian told his mother about the marriage Cao Rui had bestowed that day.
Qinghe was very surprised to hear it, but she soon understood the reason behind it.
"This emperor of ours certainly carries on the late emperor's ways."
"What do you mean?" Xiahou Xian was puzzled. What ways had the late emperor passed down? Wasn't it always Emperor Wu's legacy?
Qinghe waved a hand, dismissing the servants, before speaking slowly. "Although the present emperor treats his imperial kin somewhat better than the late emperor did, he still regards them with every possible suspicion."
"His Majesty must have heard that our family wished to form ties with the Wu family. Naturally, he would also understand the intention behind it."
Indeed, if an ordinary provincial governor held power, Cao Rui could take it back whenever he wanted. But if members of the imperial clan and their relatives held those posts, it would not be so easy.
"With this move, His Majesty has killed two birds with one arrow. He can prevent our family from monopolizing Hebei's resources in the future while displaying the bearing of an enlightened ruler before his ministers."
"Just like the families of Xiahou Boren and Sima Zhongda."
Xiahou Xian thought it over. That was indeed the case.
Back when Xiahou Shang's daughter married Sima Shi, it had stirred a wave of praise at court.
Through this, Cao Pi had made his position clear: the great clans and imperial kin would share honor and disgrace, bringing prosperity to Great Wei.
Cao Rui was a man who acted as soon as he decided, never dragging his feet.
Sure enough, he raised the matter after Wang Su returned to the Eastern Hall to report on his duties.
When Cao Rui first asked about his young daughter, Wang Su briefly thought Cao Rui wished to take her into the palace.
Anyone else would have been more than willing. After all, if his daughter rose to favor one day, the family would leap straight into the ranks of the imperial in-laws.
Although Great Wei had learned from the previous dynasty and imposed extremely strict controls on eunuchs and imperial in-laws, what if the present emperor proved short-lived?
Yet Wang Su had no such ambitions. Like many members of the great clans of this age, he did not care who the Son of Heaven was, nor whether his surname was Liu or Cao-or, for that matter, anything else.
All they cared about was that their families should endure generation after generation, never declining.
Still, Wang Su had misunderstood. Only when Cao Rui steered the conversation toward Xiahou Fengming did he suddenly understand.
"Your Majesty, Xiahou Fengming is indeed quite capable. Although your subject has not worked with him for long, I can sense that this young man has much of Marquis Zhong's bearing (Xiahou Dun)."
Wang Su meant those words sincerely, but admiration was one thing, and a marriage alliance was another.
He did not yet want to bind his family's fate too tightly to the Cao Wei imperial clan. After all, the wife he had taken after his first wife's death was a daughter of the Xiahou clan. If his son-in-law were also a Xiahou, wouldn't that mean committing himself entirely to the imperial family's side?
In fact, as early as half a year ago, Sima Yi had expressed an interest in forming ties with the Wang family.
Sima Yi had once approached Wang Lang and, whether deliberately or otherwise, hinted that he wanted to arrange a betrothal between his second son, Sima Zhao, and Wang Su's young daughter.
Wang Lang probably had not made up his mind at the time, but Wang Su had been quite willing to bring about the happy match.
The Sima clan of Henei was a powerful and prestigious family. Only marriage to such a clan could truly unite the strong with the strong.
But in the end, as Wang Lang grew gravely ill, the matter had come to nothing.
Now His Majesty had suddenly made this move, catching Wang Su somewhat off guard.
Cao Rui said, "Since you also think well of this young man, why not let us act as matchmaker for the Xiahou family?"
What else could he do? He could only agree.
"Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your favor," Wang Su said with a bow.
The two spoke a little longer before Wang Su took his leave.
Wang Su returned to his residence. Wang Yuanji was instructing the servants in handling household affairs, and after arranging everything, she joined in herself, busying herself with the work.
The moment she saw Wang Su return, Wang Yuanji went to greet him.
"Father, you look very tired today. I'll have the servants prepare supper early. You should rest early after eating."
Wang Yuanji was very sensible. He remembered that when her birth mother, Lady Yang, had fallen ill, Wang Yuanji had not yet been ten years old.
Yet she had been able to stay by her mother's side day and night, tending to her daily needs.
While he was alive, Wang Lang had often sighed over how wonderful it would have been if Wang Yuanji had been a boy. She would surely have been someone who could bring prosperity to the family.
Seeing Wang Yuanji's red, swollen eyes, Wang Su felt a pang of heartache. "Have you been crying again today?"
Wang Yuanji hurriedly wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "I'm fine, Father. You needn't worry."
He sighed.
Wang Yuanji still had not recovered from her grandfather's passing. Wang Su truly could not bear to bring up marriage with her at a time like this.
Nevertheless, Wang Su spoke.
This was a marriage bestowed by the Son of Heaven, after all. Even if Wang Su said nothing himself, all of Luoyang would know within a few days.
"Yuanji, His Majesty has arranged a marriage for you."
Wang Yuanji showed no surprise, merely asking softly, "May I ask which family's young master it is?"
"Oh, you should have met him once before, Yuanji." Wang Su looked as though he were recalling it. "A young master surnamed Xiahou who came to our residence to pay his respects on the day of your grandfather's funeral."
"He is Grand Princess Qinghe's son. Naturally, you will not be ill-treated if you marry into his family."
Him?
Wang Yuanji recalled what had happened that day, and a faint blush suddenly rose to her cheeks...
News of the marriage between the Wang and Xiahou families soon spread, even reaching distant Hebei.
One day, the Office of Investigations reported something to Cao Rui that enraged him.
According to the report, after contacting Princess Qinghe, Wu Zhi had expressed his willingness to form a marriage alliance with the Xiahou family. But just then, word from Luoyang had reached his ears.
Someone had snatched the marriage out from under him?
An ordinary person faced with such a thing would simply have pretended not to know, but Wu Zhi could not.
While drinking with others at his residence, he had unleashed a torrent of abuse, calling the Son of Heaven, Cao Rui, muddleheaded and incompetent, not even half the man the late emperor had been.
Of course, there had been even uglier words, but the investigators might not have dared put them in the letter.
Clutching the Office of Investigations' secret letter, Cao Rui trembled all over with rage.
He remained silent for a long while before squeezing a few words through his teeth.
"Have him die of illness!"