Another Wave of Marriage Proposals
Seeing the uncertain expression on Consort Jin's face, all the palace maids and eunuchs held their breath, afraid of angering their mistress.
Fortunately, Consort Jin knew she couldn't get angry about Zhao Zhiwei's news, otherwise, if it reached the Emperor's ears, he would definitely dislike her even more.
She asked, "What are people in the court saying?"
The young eunuch said, "There has been some discussion, but the rules of the imperial examinations are very strict. Once the results are posted, they cannot be changed. Moreover, the essays of the top scholar have always been widely praised as model essays, and everyone admires Zhao Zhiwei's writing. Therefore, there aren't many negative comments."
He knew the Empress might not like hearing these words, but she always required them to report the facts truthfully and not allow their own subjective emotions to interfere. So he could only tell the truth.
"Alright, I understand. You may leave." Consort Jin said expressionlessly.
She knew that no matter how angry she was, or how much she disliked Zhao Zhiwei, there was nothing she could do.
The rules of the imperial examinations were no joke; even her son, the Third Prince, was forbidden from participating.
Besides, even if Zhao Ruxi is made things difficult, what good will it do her? It's just a matter of venting her anger.
Noble Consort Cen and Noble Lady He are both watching her closely. Any slight movement she makes will reach the Emperor's ears. And the Emperor clearly has a great fondness and appreciation for Zhao Zhiwei. Therefore, she not only cannot do anything that is detrimental to Zhao Zhiwei, but even saying a word of dissatisfaction with Zhao Zhiwei will probably not end well.
By making things difficult for Zhao Zhiwei, she gained very little but suffered great losses, making it a losing proposition.
So she could only swallow her anger and keep this grudge to herself. Once her son ascended the throne, she would make those she disliked pay dearly.
The lady who took over the management of the Capital Women's Academy from Princess Pingyang was trembling with fear after hearing that Zhao Ruxi had become the top scholar in the imperial examination, afraid that Consort Jin would order her to deal with Zhao Ruxi.
The example of Princess Pingyang is still fresh in her mind, which shows how much the Emperor values Zhao Zhiwei and her disciple. She has no intention of dealing with Zhao Zhiwei and following in Princess Pingyang's footsteps.
Fortunately, after waiting for several days without any news from the palace, she finally relaxed.
The news spread, and the Lady Zhu was extremely busy.
Friends and relatives came to the Earl of Suiping's Residence in waves to offer their congratulations. Many of them came under the guise of offering congratulations, but in reality, they were there to discuss the marriage.
Many families came specifically to propose marriage, including the Mu Family and the Director Jiang family.
To Lady Zhu's surprise, the Prince Jingping's Estate also sent an official matchmaker to propose marriage for the fourth young master of the family. This fourth young master was the legitimate son of the Princess Consort and had no bad reputation.
State media expressed concern that she might have misunderstood the Fourth Prince, and also conveyed the message from the Prince Jingping's Estate.
She first mentioned that the fourth young master loved painting, especially the paintings of Layperson Zhiwei, and greatly admired Layperson Zhiwei. This marriage was arranged by him after he asked his mother for it.
The Princess Consort believed that Zhao Zhiwei's ability to pass the provincial examination with top honors after only one or two years of study demonstrated her exceptional intelligence; moreover, she was a renowned painting master. Although the Earl of Suiping's Residence was somewhat inferior, Layperson Zhiwei herself was outstanding enough to make up for this shortcoming.
She probably thought that the Earl of Suiping's Residence would not refuse the marriage proposal, and that the matchmaker was a government official who was not afraid of offending the Earl of Suiping's Residence. On the contrary, the Earl of Suiping's Residence would have to beg her. Therefore, she spoke very frankly and was not afraid that the Earl of Suiping's Residence would have any dissatisfaction.
Lady Zhu smiled and said, "It's a blessing that the Prince's Mansion has taken a liking to our Miss Xi. However, I cannot make the decision regarding Miss Xi's marriage; I must discuss it with the Old Madam and the Earl. Once we have a result, I will send someone to inform you."
The official matchmaker had assumed that the Prince's Earl of Suiping's Residence. However, seeing that Lady Zhu remained calm after hearing the news, showing none of the surprise she had expected, and even saying that she needed to discuss it further, she became somewhat Gao Xing.
However, such matters are not easily settled. Many families who dote on their daughters, besides being reserved and aloof to elevate their daughters' status, will also inquire about the background of the families proposing marriage.
After all, many marriages may appear glamorous on the outside, but are actually quite sordid on the inside.
She dared to propose marriage so bluntly because she was confident that the Prince Jingping's Estate's Mansion was not afraid of the Earl of Suiping's Residence inquiring about the marriage.
She stood up haughtily. "Fine, then you two discuss it. But you need to hurry. Otherwise, if they're Gao Xing, this marriage might fall through."
Lady Zhu listened but did not take it seriously.
Zhao Ruxi is not home right now.
Before she left, she informed Lady Zhu that the autumn harvest was underway at Beining Manor, and that she had been feeling cooped up at home for several days and wanted to go out for a walk and relax at the manor.
After seeing off the official matchmaker, Lady Zhu couldn't find Zhao Ruxi to discuss the matter, so she went to the old lady's place and told her about it.
She said, "If it were before, I would have grinned from ear to ear at the mere mention of such a wonderful marriage. Isn't this the kind of marriage we've always dreamed of? The Prince Jingping's Estate's Mansion has a good reputation, not some kind of shady place. The Fourth Young Master is the legitimate son, and he hasn't had any bad reputation either. At first glance, this marriage doesn't seem bad at all."
The old lady nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. She knew her daughter-in-law's words were followed by a "but."
"But now, when I hear about this marriage, I feel no emotion at all. It's not that I look down on the Prince Jingping's Estate, but our Miss Xi is too capable. If she were to marry off like this, to be a wife and mother, I feel it would be such a waste. She is more capable than most boys. Why should she stay in the inner quarters, living at the mercy of men, bearing children for others?"
The old lady nodded. "I share the same thought as you. Our Miss Xi is so capable; she's perfectly capable of carrying on the family tradition. Look at our family, it used to decline more and more; but look at us now, even the Prince's Mansion is coming to propose marriage. Under Miss Xi's influence, the children have all started their own businesses, and their futures will be bright. I really want to keep Miss Xi at home."
She looked at Lady Zhu and said, "Tell me, in this capital, which sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy is better than our Miss Xi? They all rely on their parents, having to ask them for every penny, and are controlled by them. Even if some boys pass the imperial examinations and become scholars, they still spend their families' money and are forced by their families to improve. Look at our Miss Xi, not only is she better at studying than them, but she excels at managing the estate and doing business. How can those boys be worthy of her?"
"Such a good girl, marrying into another family, bearing children for someone else, and then having to put up with her mother-in-law's attitude and suffer their mistreatment. Just thinking about it breaks my heart. I really can't bear to see our Miss Xi get married."
As she spoke, she let out a long sigh.
"Who says otherwise? You think exactly the same way I do," Lady Zhu sighed.
She knew their thinking was wrong. It was too selfish. They couldn't keep Zhao Ruxi in their house forever.