CHAPTER 1558: CHAPTER 1558: MATRIMONIAL ALLIANCE

Yu Yi, "..."

Her preferences led astray by the Second Uncle, she couldn’t bring herself back.

Yu Yi’s gaze turned to the delicate glass products; she really liked glass, especially using glass to store things.

Yu Jiao, on the other hand, went to look at the gemstone jewelry, while Yu Wen turned her attention to some books.

Lin Xi, being the only daughter of Prince Qin, raised under the care of the Retired Emperor and the Empress Dowager, had seen too many good things, and truly nothing caught her eye, eventually she went to look at the gemstones.

The shopkeeper observed the actions of these several young ladies and understood; among the young ladies of the capital, these few were masters of silver!

Yu Jiao was very fond of a gemstone necklace, "Shopkeeper, how much silver is this?"

"Wait."

Yu Jiao was startled; who was this person? She turned and saw a few young ladies accompanied by maids walking over. They had just entered, and Yu Jiao raised her eyebrows, "Who are you? Don’t you know the rule of first come, first served?"

Miss Zhang didn’t speak, but the girl behind her did, "This lady is the niece of Consort Zhung."

Yu Die and others, "..."

Lin Xi also stopped looking at the gemstones; there were two people named Zhang in the palace, one was Beauty Zhang, who bore the Sixth Prince, but had not advanced in rank for so many years, and the other was Consort Zhung, who had been promoted shortly after entering the palace.

Although both bore the Zhang surname, they were not related. Beauty Zhang came from a humble background and remained in the palace purely for her beauty; even after giving birth to a Prince, she was still just a beauty.

Consort Zhung, however, was different; she came from a noble family in the Southern Clan. Entering the palace was not for the rank of consort; she was promoted after Consort Hui fell seriously ill and took charge of raising the Seventh Prince. The complexities of these relationships were significant. Consort Zhung’s entry into the palace was a form of appeasement towards the Southern Clan.

The group of Miss Zhang saw that despite her impressive background, the opposite party was neither surprised nor afraid, maintaining indifferent expressions.

The shopkeeper stepped aside, turning his face away to avoid further observation. Being shopkeepers in the capital, they’ve seen many nobles; naturally, their news is the most well-informed, and they know whom to flatter.

Yu Die’s elder sister took the initiative to speak, focusing solely on Miss Zhang, ignoring the one who spoke earlier, "This is the capital; you have just arrived. In the future, it would be wise to think carefully before speaking."

With an air of advice intended for your good, yet seemingly like a slap across Miss Zhang’s face.

Without giving Miss Zhang a chance to respond, Yu Die continued, "And when making friends, you should be discerning; remember that birds of a feather flock together. You don’t want an undesirable reputation to spread."

After her words, she glanced at the people beside Miss Zhang with an expression of disdain, as if to say, "Your eyes are blind; you’ll befriend anyone."

Yu Yi saw there was no need for her to speak; Yu Die didn’t care how Miss Zhang’s face twisted. Miss Zhang hadn’t spoken up to claim the necklace earlier, but without receiving direction from her, Yu Die didn’t believe it. She despised this type of young lady the most, too pretentious.

Yu Die turned around, "Have you all made your selections?"

Yu Jiao was extremely happy, "Yes, they’re chosen."

Yu Die directed at the shopkeeper, "Let’s settle the bill."

After settling the bill, Yu Die and the others didn’t give Miss Zhang a chance to speak and quickly left.

Miss Zhang took a few deep breaths; she wasn’t foolish. Observing their indifferent demeanor and the shopkeeper’s attitude, what was there not to understand? These were noble families’ young ladies; she was displeased with her entourage and softly said, "Shopkeeper, who were the young ladies just now? My friends are straightforward; I’m new to the capital, and it seems there was a misunderstanding just now. I would like to visit and apologize."

The shopkeeper remained cheerful, secretly disdainful, having seen such tactics many times.

Yu Die and the others exited; carriages were not allowed to be parked here, so they needed to walk over. Yu Jiao cheerfully said, "Third sister, you really stood up well earlier. Miss Zhang is too pretentious."

Yu Yi’s face turned cold, "This is the street; mind your words and actions."

Yu Jiao fearfully shrank her neck; her sister was too intimidating. Well, she shouldn’t be discussing Miss Zhang on the street. Should any rumors spread, it would be her fault.

At the Palace, after hearing Prince Liang’s suggestion, the Emperor listened to Prince Liang’s cough and said, "Your health hasn’t improved; you shouldn’t worry. You should be resting quietly."

Prince Liang coughed, "I have been stationed in Dongbei, always concerned about the border upon returning to the capital. I want to rest properly, but I feel uneasy. My health doesn’t matter as long as I can alleviate the Emperor’s worries. I would die without regrets."

Zhou Shuren sat outside and raised an eyebrow; Prince Liang was more urgent than he had expected. Rongchuan went to Prince Liang Residence yesterday, and today Prince Liang was in the palace.

The Crown Prince calculated his plans meticulously, "Marquis Zhou, is this number correct?"

Zhou Shuren lowered his head to check against his own calculations, "Correct."

The Crown Prince enjoyed playing with the abacus; it gave him a sense of satisfaction, yet thinking of his family’s financial situation, he felt poor.

Inside, the Emperor was not moved. He knew Prince Liang was for Prince Liang Residence, "Your suggestion is not bad; I will credit you for it."

That’s exactly what Prince Liang wanted, and he didn’t dawdle, "Thank you, Emperor."

Prince Liang left quickly, and Zhou Shuren’s calculations were almost completed.

Looking at the calculated data, the Emperor frowned, "Can only this much grain be taken out?"

Zhou Shuren pressed his brow, "I have set aside some reserve grain. Experience from the past tells me that human plans cannot surpass divine arrangements, and I must be prepared."

The Emperor was unwilling; he had hoped to gain more, "Will the ambassador want mixed biscuits?"

Zhou Shuren, "...Emperor, the ambassador will not exchange supplies for biscuits."

The mixed biscuits had been prepared in autumn, using various straws and mixed with seaweed, having salt content, edible, life-saving, yet lacking in nutrition; not even fish bone powder was added.

The Emperor regretted they couldn’t be swapped for resources; these biscuits were his suggestion for preparation and still concerning the Grassland province. He felt last year’s grain given was too good.

Zhou Shuren didn’t know what the Emperor was thinking, and he stated, "The Emperor may exchange minerals when possible; let’s endeavor to get more."

The Emperor understood, "I know in my heart."

At the Zhou family, Zhulan listened to the granddaughters talk about the Zhang affair. Once they finished, she commented, "The Zhang family entered the capital quickly; as soon as Consort Zhung was promoted, the Emperor advanced Consort Zhung’s brother’s official rank. As I recall, a post was sent over, correct?"

Qing Xue responded, "Indeed, a post was sent, and the Princely Heir’s wife attended at that time."

Zhulan smiled, "I did say my memory was good."

The eldest daughter-in-law didn’t say much upon return, so Zhulan didn’t pay much attention to the Zhang family.

Yu Die remarked, "This lady arrived in the capital surely hasn’t secured a marriage offer."

Zhulan chuckled, "Can you tell just from that?"

"Naturally, Miss Zhang must be fourteen or fifteen years old. Zhang Daren just entered the capital; her presence suggests she’s unmarried. It’s apparent she aims to find a good family in the capital."

Yu Jiao praised, "Third sister is clever."

Yu Yi noted, "The Zhang family wants to establish themselves firmly in the capital, and alliances through marriage are a quick route."

Yu Jiao frowned, "Miss Zhang isn’t desirable; one wonders which family’s son is so unlucky."

Zhulan laughed, "At least not from our family."

Yu Die and others all laughed.