Chapter 1459: Chapter 1459: Choosing an Opportunity
“The Emperor wants to act as a matchmaker for the Yu family as well.”
Zhulan raised an eyebrow, “From what I gather, you seem to be quite satisfied with the Yu family. Did you agree to the Emperor’s suggestion?”
Zhou Shuren took out a set of documents from his coat, “These are the materials the Emperor gave me about the Yu family. The information is exceedingly detailed. I didn’t agree to the marriage proposal yet, thinking I should return home and consider it thoroughly.”
Zhulan took the documents and flipped through them, “The investigation is indeed meticulous. It seems the Emperor is genuinely intent on strongly supporting the Yu family.”
While speaking, her gaze fell upon the evaluations of a few young masters in the Yu family—too detailed. The Yu family must be unaware they have been investigated this thoroughly by the Emperor. On second thought, if the Emperor didn’t want to support the Yu family, he wouldn’t have expended the effort to investigate them.
Zhou Shuren sat down and said, “The Yu family’s quickest method to establish deep roots in the capital is through marriage alliances. After careful consideration, given that the Zhou family does not have a sprawling family network and relies on the imperial house within the capital, we naturally became the most suitable choice for a marital alliance.”
A marriage alliance with the Zhou family involves the least complications for the Yu family. If the Yu family and the Zhou family form a marital bond, the Emperor can rest assured.
Zhulan was displeased, “Yu Yi’s marriage is ultimately entangled with calculations.”
Zhou Shuren raised an eyebrow, “As long as the Emperor continues to favor Chang Lian, Yu Yi’s marriage will inevitably come under scrutiny by the Emperor.”
“Should I express gratitude for even having the opportunity to make a choice?”
“The Emperor is confident in himself. Since he broached the topic, he’s almost certain I will agree. You’ve seen the details; the young masters of the Yu family are indeed outstanding.”
Zhulan remained unhappy. She sighed, feeling helpless under imperial authority, “I don’t wish to think about this today. Let’s discuss it tomorrow.”
In Qiizhou, Chang Lian was still unaware that his daughter’s marriage was being pondered over. He was busy eating roasted lamb leg, using his hands to grab at the meat, his mouth covered in grease. “Delicious, absolutely delicious.”
Lady Dong said, “You’ve had a tough time these days.”
Chang Lian truly lacked sustenance in his belly. The Magistrate had been poisoned and was in poor health, leaving the task of visiting various counties to him. His secret inspections that bypassed the county bureaucracies meant he didn’t receive decent meals, subsisting on thin soups and watery broths in recent days.
Lady Dong, seeing her husband gnaw carefully at the lamb leg bone, felt an ache in her heart, “I got lucky and managed to buy two sheep this time. Tomorrow, I’ll prepare lamb dishes for you once again.”
Everything was scarce these days; these two sheep were acquired only after the steward visited several villages.
Chang Lian, seeing that there was no meat left on the bone, finally used a handkerchief to wipe his hands. “Tomorrow, prepare two lamb legs for me. I’ll deliver them to the Magistrate.”
Lady Dong felt reluctant but replied, “Fine, I’ll have the steward make the preparations.”
Chang Lian said, “The Magistrate’s household faces significant struggles.”
They had little to begin with, and raising a large family was challenging. Lamb meat was scarce, and the Magistrate must surely find it hard to bring himself to purchase it for his own nourishment.
Lady Dong sighed, “I’ve lived this long and never encountered weather like this.”
The recent weather anomalies had impacted the entire country. It was her first time seeing such a severe grain shortage. Previously, droughts and floods affected only a few provinces, and in the past, Qiizhou city had rarely seen begging commoners. Yet now, she frequently encountered peasants soliciting alms when she walked through the streets.
Chang Lian sighed too, “Our province is supposed to be a major grain producer; it’s the least likely to experience shortages. Fortunately, we planted late rice, so our province’s situation is relatively better.”
Lady Dong thought to herself, thankfully, she had sent the children back to the capital; they wouldn’t have to endure these hardships in Qiizhou.
The next morning at court, Zhou Shuren paused briefly before continuing to listen to the Emperor’s speech. In the recent turmoil, several Grassland Tribes had been the Emperor’s strategic pawns. Following the war’s conclusion, Zhou Shuren privately pondered how the Emperor might handle these tribes. If the Emperor wished to unify the grasslands, the tribe leaders could not be allowed to remain.
Now, it appeared the Emperor intended to assimilate these tribes, relocating them to the capital and keeping them away from their territories. This was akin to pulling the teeth from wolves and raising them in captivity. Over time, the Grassland Tribe would become merely another ethnic group integrated into the nation.
Zhou Shuren heard the mention of these tribes’ heirs being of marriageable age. His face froze—this wasn’t about forming strategic alliances through distant marriages anymore. The Grassland Tribe, after having been annexed outright, would now merely pair their children in ordinary unions.
The Emperor’s gaze seemed to fall upon Zhou Shuren for a moment. “!!”
Was the Emperor subtly informing him of his good treatment toward the Zhou family? Bah!
After court, Zhou Shuren took a deep breath and let his gaze fall upon Minister Yu. A third-rank official, Minister Yu currently served in the Ministry of Commerce. According to the documents, his appropriately aged sons included his legitimate second son and legitimate youngest son.
Minister Yu, sensing the gaze, looked slightly puzzled, “Minister Zhou?”
Zhou Shuren replied, “Hmm. Minister Yu, now that your family has relocated to the capital, has everything been going smoothly?”
Minister Yu was baffled—why would Minister Zhou inquire about him? Suppressing his confusion, he responded, “Everything is fine, thank you for your concern.”
Zhou Shuren nodded slightly. Hearing the sound of other officials beginning discussions, Minister Yu gestured and took his leave. The Emperor’s intent was quite clear.
Noble families, lacking tangible benefits, would hardly agree to marry off their daughters. Anyone could see that after annexing the Grassland Tribe, those tribes had become like de-fanged wolves. The benefits of forming alliances through marriage were now minimal, and the Emperor wouldn’t allow tribes relocated to the capital to involve themselves in military power.
The remaining tribes had two paths: they could obediently enter the capital, or they could face eventual extermination. Even the title of Prince—no, the Emperor might not even bestow princely titles on them—without military power, they would only retain their wealth, which brought little benefit.
Noble families would disdain such wealth. Their meticulously cultivated daughters would only marry to secure substantial gains. Meanwhile, families short of silver coin or seeking to better serve the Emperor’s interests might start devising plans.
Zhou Shuren paid no mind to the thoughts of those families. He concerned himself only with his granddaughter’s marriage.