The next day.
Faced with the urging of the court officials, Song Yu no longer wore a cold expression as he had in previous days. Instead, he nodded cheerfully, "Thank you all for your concern regarding this prince's marriage."
"However, this prince currently has no intention of taking a Crown Princess. This prince plans to take two consorts first."
As Song Yu spoke halfway through his statement, the officials frowned; after he finished, their expressions brightened.
Consorts are fine too! As long as someone can enter the Eastern Palace's rear courtyard!
Upon hearing this, Prince Heng's expression turned somewhat unnatural. He hadn't expected Song Yu to choose a compromise, relenting to take consorts.
"May I ask what kind of woman Your Highness prefers? Your servants can seek them out for you," one courtier eagerly spoke up. He would scour his family's genealogy register until it fell apart to find a maiden meeting the Crown Prince's standards!
The other court officials also pricked up their ears, afraid to miss a single word.
"This prince has already relayed the requirements to Cheng Guang."
Having said that, Song Yu found a chair to sit in, preparing to watch the show.
Seeing this, Cheng Guang cleared his throat.
"Although they are consorts, the consorts of the Eastern Palace are equivalent to the principal wives of a prince; they cannot be chosen rashly."
Cheng Guang took a subtle jab at Prince Heng, mixing in a personal dig.
The officials nodded. This was true.
If His Highness ascends the throne in the future, a consort would at least hold the rank of an imperial consort. It truly should be considered carefully.
"The consorts His Highness wishes to wed must match His Highness in talent and learning. Otherwise, it would be quite a letdown if His Highness recited a line of poetry and the consort couldn't understand it."
A woman whose talent and learning matched that of the top scholar...
Even Emperor Yuanyou's beard twitched. Cheng Guang really dared to say it.
"This... Your Highness has already achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations. Under heaven, a woman whose talent and learning are on par with Your Highness... I'm afraid there is none."
"Who says so? Ah Huan is one," Song Yu began to perform, putting on a look of deep distress. "Ah Huan is only thirteen this year and has already achieved such accomplishments. Could it be that you want this prince to marry someone whose learning is far inferior to Ah Huan's?"
"Your servants will certainly search diligently for Your Highness."
The officials' faces all grew troubled. His Highness's requirements were a bit high, but not impossible to fulfill.
But the next second, Cheng Guang's annoyingly smug voice rang out again, "Apart from talent and learning, they must also have some proficiency in martial arts. The kind who faints at any moment, even if they bear a royal grandson, probably wouldn't be very bright."
Song Yu nodded emphatically.
That Lady Chang from the Chang family before, fainting at the drop of a hat, was terribly unlucky.
The officials' already burdened spines were weighed down a few degrees more.
"This... Few women in Great Qi dabble in martial arts."
"Ah Huan does! She can even deploy troops and arrange battle formations," Song Yu chimed in at just the right moment, with a proud expression.
But as he looked up, Song Yu met Gu Zheng's horrified gaze.
Both talent and martial arts? Could His Highness have taken a fancy to his family's Mingzhu?
After all, Mingzhu is the top female scholar in learning and knows many martial arts techniques...
Song Yu eerily deciphered Gu Zheng's expression.
Resolutely, he shook his head at Gu Zheng!
He didn't want to marry a little ancestor who would make him spend a fortune on pea flour cakes!
Gu Zheng let out a sigh of relief, his heart still pounding. He had been scared to death too!
By now, the officials' gazes had begun to grow somewhat vacant.
Song Yu was satisfied.
“Since Prince Heng is so concerned about His Highness the Crown Prince's lifelong affairs, Your Majesty, perhaps this matter should be entrusted primarily to Prince Heng?” Cheng Guang suggested with a smile, tossing this hot potato to Prince Heng with a clear conscience.
"Prince Heng is thoughtful and thorough, most suitable for the task."
Whoever's daughter is chosen will inevitably offend the other families.
Prince Heng, understanding the intricacies, clenched his fists tightly beneath his sleeves.
...
"Does Your Highness truly intend to take two consorts?" In the Eastern Palace study, Zheng Fang asked hesitantly, feeling something was off about the whole affair.
With the requirements His Highness had thrown out, they were more than sufficient for selecting a Crown Princess.
"This prince merely has such an intention."
Zheng Fang and Shen Qingping exchanged a glance. Sure enough, His Highness was just toying with the officials.
They wondered when His Highness had picked up this mischievous habit.
Shen Qingping, however, offered a few pointed remarks, "If you push the officials too far, they will organize a selection banquet. When the time comes, with beauties of all shapes and sizes present, Your Highness will have to choose at least one, or else everyone will be left in an awkward position."
"A selection banquet? This prince has already considered that."
"Since Zheng Fang and the others aren't married either, when the time comes, this prince will simply assign them virtuous wives."
Zheng Fang's eyes widened.
Why? On what grounds?
"What? This prince wouldn't harm you. Or would you rather matchmakers continue to wear down your mansion's doorstep?"
With a few words, Song Yu managed to intimidate Zheng Fang.
It wasn't until Zheng Fang left and only Shen Qingping remained in the room that Song Yu finally picked up the book from the table and began to read.
"Does Your Highness truly not intend to marry?"
"In my past life, this prince remained unmarried until death. It seems there is no marital fate for me."
Song Yu seemed to be speaking casually, but Shen Qingping instinctively frowned.
He felt there was something... he wasn't aware of.
"Of course, this prince has no idea if you were married in your past life. If there is a selection banquet, you should also keep your eyes open and choose carefully." The upright book blocked Song Yu's gaze.
After returning to the Eastern Palace, he had that dream again.
The end of the dream was his own death; he hadn't seen the others.
Shen Qingping raised an eyebrow. "With a reputation like mine, who would dare marry me?"
"Pfft, don't be so pessimistic. There's always a suitable woman for you." Song Yu simply placed the book over his face. "This prince is different. This prince was born in this life to protect Ah Huan."
Song Yu suddenly felt a bit curious about the cause of Shen Qingping's death in the past life.
"Shen San, if Ah Huan died, and this prince also died, what would you do?"
"Fight with my life."
Upon hearing this, Song Yu clicked his tongue. It seemed Shen San's fate in the previous life wasn't good either.
"If you take a fancy to any maiden at the selection banquet, this prince will personally act as your matchmaker and have His Majesty bestow a marriage upon you."
Consider it repayment for the brotherly bond of fighting with your life in the past life.
Shen Qingping was taken aback. Marriage? He really hadn't thought about getting married either.
...
News spread that Song Yu intended to take two consorts, and Song Shihuan felt that everyone's gazes towards her had become somewhat complicated.
One day, while Song Shihuan and Gu Mingzhu were inspecting shops, they encountered Song Hui and Song Xiyan again.
"Ouch, my father infuriated me yesterday. He has an old injury on his waist. I told him to apply a medicated plaster, but he refused, saying it makes his whole body uncomfortable."
Gu Mingzhu deliberately raised her voice. Song Hui could still maintain a smile, but Song Xiyan couldn't hold back.
"Ah Huan, do you know that Uncle intends to take consorts?" Song Xiyan wore a smug expression. "Once the consorts enter the Eastern Palace and bear royal grandsons for Uncle, you'll have a brother who can support you."
"Her Highness the Princess already has His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince for support," Gu Mingzhu retorted boldly.
"A royal grandson and a princess... are not the same." Song Xiyan spoke like someone with experience. "I understand the difference better than you."
"Her Highness the Princess is different from you. The royal grandson born of a consort is an illegitimate royal grandson, the same status as you." Gu Mingzhu blinked and slowly said:
"Whereas the Princess is the legitimate eldest daughter of the Eastern Palace."
