Youthful Glory

A gentle breeze drifted through the garden, swaying the peonies on their branches as butterflies flitted among the blossoms. Yet the surroundings were eerily silent, devoid of human voices, save for the faint trickling of a clear spring through the flower beds.

After a long pause, the eunuch closed the imperial edict and bowed forward to present it, breaking the stillness. "Congratulations, Fourth Miss."

Ming Tan's mind went blank. The etiquette and decorum she had always excelled at now eluded her completely. She simply stared at the edict until Zhou Jingwan, who had regained her composure first, tugged lightly at her sleeve. Only then did Ming Tan snap out of her daze, offering an awkward bow of gratitude as she reached up with trembling hands to receive the decree.

The eunuch exhaled inwardly in relief, his voice soft and deferential. "This servant shall now return to the palace to report the completion of the task."

He nodded apologetically to the Duke of Pingguo and his wife, for it was indeed rather abrupt to deliver an edict meant for the Marquis Jing'an's household to the Duke's residence instead.

Though this breach of protocol was unusual, the eunuch offered no explanation, and the Duke and his wife dared not speculate on the Emperor's intentions. Instead, they seized the opportunity to inquire politely after His Majesty's health and that of the Empress.

If even the Duke of Pingguo's household refrained from voicing conjectures, others naturally held their tongues as well. Moreover, compared to the oddity of delivering an edict to the wrong residence, the content of the decree was far more shocking.

Ming Tan of the Ming family had been appointed as the principal consort of Prince Dingbei!

Marrying above one's station was not uncommon, nor was there any great disparity in status between the legitimate daughter of Marquis Jing'an and Prince Dingbei. However, Ming Tan had only recently had her engagement broken off. Regardless of the circumstances, most families would wait at least half a year before openly discussing another marriage arrangement. The Emperor's move was utterly unexpected, and the betrothal was to none other than the legendary war god of Daxian—Prince Dingbei, a figure more often heard of than seen.

The incident at the Shangyuan Palace banquet, where Prince Dingbei had publicly humiliated the former Marquis Cheng'en's household, was still fresh in everyone's memory.

"A Tan, A Tan!" Seeing Ming Tan remain kneeling for so long, Bai Minmin and Zhou Jingwan couldn't help but call to her in hushed voices.

After all, the future Princess Consort of Dingbei, who had just been betrothed by imperial decree, was still kneeling there in a daze, holding the edict. Aside from the Duke and Duchess of Pingguo, no one else dared to rise, yet they couldn't remain kneeling indefinitely.

Ming Tan finally came to her senses and allowed the two to help her up. Slowly, she unrolled the edict, staring at the phrases "the fourth daughter of Marquis Jing'an's household" and "Princess Consort of Dingbei" for a long while.

There was no mistake.

It was really her.

She had been betrothed.

For those not directly involved, no matter how shocking the news, they adapted quickly upon seeing the clearly worded edict stamped with the gleaming imperial seal. What wasn't there to accept? This was an incredible stroke of good fortune!

Prince Dingbei was an exceptional first-rank prince, elevated beyond standard protocol, making his princess consort likewise a first-rank noblewoman. Moreover, Prince Dingbei's actual power and influence far surpassed that of other princes—why else would so many noble ladies have clamored to impress at the Shangyuan banquet?

Ah yes, speaking of princes—what had Princess Fengzhao said earlier?

Her father, Prince Yi, was not born of the same mother as the current Emperor. During the late Emperor's reign, he had been overlooked and sent far away to his fiefdom in Yuncheng upon reaching the age to establish his own household. Though it was called a fief, it held no real authority. Only in recent years, to display fraternal harmony, had the Emperor permitted his return to the capital to set up residence.

For the daughter of an ordinary prince to point at the nose of a princess consort backed by a prince of immense power and declare, "I suit peonies, but you don't!"—it was nothing short of ludicrous! These noble ladies had lived over a decade without witnessing such a swift and spectacular slap to the face.Bai Minmin had already been infuriated by Feng Zhao earlier and nearly stepped forward to argue with her. Now that this imperial edict had descended from the heavens, how could she let Feng Zhao off so easily? She strode forward and raised her voice, "Princess, now that you’ve heard the decree, do you still think A Tan is unworthy of this peony?"

"......"

Feng Zhao’s face had never looked so ugly.

Bai Minmin was about to pluck a peony to pin in Ming Tan’s hair, but Ming Tan gently grasped her wrist and said, "Flowers have their own nature; their beauty is for their own joy."

Though Ming Tan was still unclear about the situation and didn’t want to act rashly, her words instantly drew a stark contrast between them. Feng Zhao’s earlier behavior now appeared even more crude and unbecoming of her status.

No one around them spoke, but their gazes—sharp as needles—pierced Feng Zhao from all directions, filled with disdain and silent mockery, weaving together into an unprecedented humiliation!

Feng Zhao couldn’t bear to stay in the garden for another moment. She shot Ming Tan a venomous glare before storming off, covering her face as she fled straight to the Yi Prince’s residence.

Once home, Feng Zhao spent the entire afternoon crying, raging, and smashing things in her fury. Before she could even finish venting, the Empress sent an envoy to the Yi Prince’s residence at dusk, delivering a reprimand that condemned her lack of virtue and ordered her to reflect on her misconduct behind closed doors.

Feng Zhao was stunned.

In truth, composing a peony poem and plucking a flower weren’t major offenses. The problem was that she had chosen to act out against the future Princess Consort of Prince Dingbei, in the Ping Duke’s residence—the Empress’s maternal family—and the peony she trampled was a rare variety personally nurtured by the Empress in the palace and gifted to her own sisters for admiration. Just whose face did Feng Zhao think she was slapping?!

When the Yi Prince and his consort learned of the incident, they were so furious they nearly collapsed. They immediately confined Feng Zhao to her quarters for self-reflection, ensuring that no one in the capital would see her for the next six months.

Of course, that was a matter for later. For now, the sudden arrival of the betrothal decree, coupled with Feng Zhao’s dramatic exit, made it impossible for the poetry gathering to continue.

Fortunately, Zhang Hanmiao was the type who loved both excitement and spectacles. She had thoroughly enjoyed the day’s drama and wasn’t the least bit upset about her event being upstaged and disrupted.

As the guests dispersed, news of the Ming family’s A Tan being betrothed to His Highness Prince Dingbei spread rapidly through the capital.

By the time Ming Tan’s party returned to the Marquis Jing’an residence, Madam Pei was just seeing off a few unfamiliar palace eunuchs at the gate.

When they spotted Ming Tan, the eunuchs forced stiff, awkward smiles, performed the bare minimum of courtesies, and hurried away.

"Mother, what was that about?" Ming Tan’s heart skipped a beat. Her mind, still reeling from the earlier shock, buzzed with confusion. Was this yet another terrifying decree coming to unsettle her further?

Suppressing her joy, Madam Pei said calmly, "Let’s discuss it inside. Inside."

The news of the betrothal had already reached the Marquis Jing’an residence. Madam Pei, who had been pacing anxiously earlier, now understood everything the moment she heard the decree. Clearly, the Emperor, aware that the Empress Dowager had already sent envoys to forcibly arrange a marriage, had preempted her with this unconventional move. And what a brilliant move it was—especially with Prince Dingbei as the groom, who far outshone any mere prince or heir apparent!

Arm in arm, Madam Pei led Ming Tan affectionately into the Orchid Fragrance Courtyard. Almost immediately afterward, Ming Tingyuan strode into the residence, his face glowing with delight, heading straight for Madam Pei’s courtyard in search of them.It turned out Emperor Chengkang hadn't been lying—he had indeed intercepted one of the Empress Dowager's edicts. But the Empress Dowager could write, speak, and affix her seal. Where there was one edict, there could be a second. While he detained Ming Tingyuan after court to persuade him, the Empress Dowager, upon learning of this, simply sent out the second edict directly.

By the time the persuasion succeeded and he found out, Emperor Chengkang thought to himself:

This is bad. How am I supposed to explain this to Jiang Qizhi?

Fortunately, his fondness for this prized son-in-law sparked an idea in Ming Tingyuan’s mind: He knew the Empress Dowager was a stickler for propriety. There was no way she would issue an edict to arrange a marriage while only Madam Pei, a mere stepmother, was present in the household. Unaware that Ming Tan wasn’t home today, the Empress Dowager’s people would surely wait—either for him or for Ming Tan to return before announcing it. So he proposed that they simply deliver the edict directly to the Duke of Ping’s residence. Coincidentally, noble ladies from various households were gathered there today for a poetry gathering. With so many witnesses, once the edict was proclaimed, it would be set in stone.

Emperor Chengkang thought this was an excellent idea and immediately sent someone to carry it out—successfully.

After listening to Ming Tingyuan’s triumphant recounting of the dramatic twists and turns of this rushed marriage arrangement, Ming Tan:

"..."

She had merely been discussing marriage prospects—how had it escalated to such a grand spectacle?

She had truly underestimated her father, this coarse and reckless man.

But why Prince Dingbei?

Wasn’t he just another uncouth brute?

And if Prince Dingbei could be bestowed upon her, why not Second Young Master Shu? Wasn’t the Right Minister also an unwavering loyalist to His Majesty?

Ming Tan found this news utterly indigestible. She had prayed sincerely before the Buddha for over a month—had the Buddha missed something? Hadn’t she asked for a top scholar’s talent and outstanding character and looks?

The position of Princess Consort Dingbei was indeed lofty. However, just recalling that brute’s insolent, arrogant, and utterly shameless behavior at the Lantern Festival palace banquet still left her breathless! How could husband and wife even hold a conversation after marriage? And with his pride in his military achievements, wouldn’t she inevitably end up losing her head alongside him one day?! Most crucially, such a vulgar man’s appearance and bearing couldn’t possibly compare to Second Young Master Shu’s.

Ming Tingyuan, completely oblivious to Ming Tan’s strained expression, sat at the head of the room, still enthusiastically extolling Prince Dingbei’s heroic feats—

"Prince Dingbei is truly a prodigy! Among the younger generation, there are scarcely any who can truly lead troops into battle! At the age of fifteen, with just three thousand elite soldiers, he held off thirty thousand northern barbarians—and unlike the weak southern tribes, winning against such odds was no small feat! When I later led reinforcements, he had already counterattacked deep into enemy territory and turned defeat into victory! The scene back then—rivers of blood, corpses stretching for miles!"

Ming Tan:

"..."

Her face paled slightly.

"...When that spy fell into his hands, naturally, he was left unrecognizable. Blood and gore were nothing—

tsk tsk

—when they threw him back, the enemy didn’t even dare claim him! They stayed quiet for a good half-year!"

Ming Tan:

"..."

Her face paled further.

"And then in the third year of Chengkang’s reign... So young, yet so decisive and ruthless! He hung the enemy chieftain’s eldest son’s corpse on the city gates for three whole days—left it to dry into a mummy!"

Ming Tan:

"..."

Are you this delighted because you hope your daughter ends up a mummy too?