Climbing to the Top: A Reborn Queen's Journey-Chapter 535: Wedding Date (Part 1)

What?!

Getting married next year?!

Cui Du almost thought he heard wrong: "Commandery Princess! No, Shao Hua, you must be joking!"

Jiang Shaohua smiled lightly: "Such an important matter, how could I joke about it? Originally, I thought we would get engaged first and not rush into marriage. We could wait a few years before becoming husband and wife."

"This time, when I went to the Capital City, I encountered assassins outside the Ministry of Industry. I wasn’t hurt, but two of my personal soldiers died, and three were injured. And you, you were also injured by assassins at the field manor."

"As you can see, the world is unpredictable. No one knows what will happen in the future. We should seize joy while we can and walk hand in hand with our loved ones in the present."

"So, let’s not wait, shall we get married sooner?"

Okay, okay, okay!

Of course, that’s good!

Cui Du nodded repeatedly, like a little chick pecking at rice: "I’ll listen to you."

Jiang Shaohua laughed: "Tomorrow, I’ll talk to Chief Historian Chen and write a letter to the Boling Cui Family to settle on a wedding date. We’ll get married next spring!"

One person was so happy, he couldn’t even speak.

Cui Du laughed like a fool, walking lightly as if stepping on cotton.

Not until he reached the gate of the Commandery Princess’s courtyard did Cui Du find his voice: "Commandery Princess, rest early, there’s no need to see me off. I’ll come early tomorrow to practice martial arts and have breakfast with you."

Jiang Shaohua smiled beautifully, making the starlit sky pale in comparison.

Cui Du heard his heart pounding like thunder, mustered the courage to lean in and gently kissed her forehead. Then he hurriedly fled.

Jiang Shaohua smiled lightly, watching Cui Du leave before turning back into the courtyard.

Finally returning to her familiar boudoir, it felt much more comfortable and at ease compared to the sleeping quarters in Jingyang Palace.

Jiang Shaohua was in a great mood, humming a lighthearted tune as she bathed and changed clothes, then climbed into bed.

"The Commandery Princess is back in the Prince Mansion and in a very good mood," Yin Zhu laughed, "After returning, I also felt particularly happy."

Tu Bai teased, "Is it because you’ll be getting married next year?"

Yin Zhu blushed charmingly and pretended to hit Tu Bai.

Jiang Shaohua’s dark eyes shimmered with amusement as she suddenly said, "I’m getting married next year too."

Yin Zhutu Bai paused their movements, both turning their heads to look over, one with wide eyes and the other with a gaping mouth.

Jiang Shaohua repeated it again, feeling even more delighted: "You didn’t hear wrong, I’m planning to move up the wedding date and marry Cui Du sooner."

Life is short, enjoy pleasure in time, why wait?

...

Early the next morning, Chief Historian Chen and Chief Historian Feng, upon hearing the news, reacted similarly to Yin Zhutu Bai: "The Commandery Princess truly intends to move up the wedding date?"

"Getting married next year?"

"Yes," Jiang Shaohua responded calmly: "After the assassination incident, I suddenly realized I want to marry earlier. It will also allow me to have more people around Cui Du."

Chief Historian Chen quickly reacted: "I will write a letter to the Boling Cui Family right away."

When the Boling Cui Family hears such news, who knows how delighted they will be; they certainly won’t delay or obstruct.

Chief Historian Feng, at some point, took out a delicate golden abacus, calculated with a flurry of clicks, and then laughed: "Over these years, our Prince Mansion has sent out so many generous gifts, and during the Commandery Princess’s grand wedding, we can receive a large amount of return gifts."

Chief Historian Feng looked quite adorable with this money-minded demeanor.

Jiang Shaohua smiled knowingly: "For all the trivial matters related to the wedding, I’ll need to trouble the two Chief Historians to take care of it."

The two Chief Historians obliged without hesitation, each taking their leave to attend to the busy matters.

Jiang Shaohua did not stay idle either, making a round through the six departments of the Prince Mansion. She especially praised Shen Gongzheng for his diligent hard work and also commended Yang Shi for his active progress lately. The Official Room and Household Department went without saying; Chief Historian Chen and Chief Historian Feng worked diligently.

Chief Clerk Wen, in charge of the warehouse, led a young man to greet the Commandery Princess.

This young man appeared to be around twenty-one or twenty-two, of medium height, average-looking, but spoke crisply, looking sharp and capable.

"Commandery Princess, this is my grandson, called Wen Shan," Chief Clerk Wen said with a thick-skinned smile: "He has been studying for examinations for a long time, but unfortunately after becoming a scholar, he hasn’t been able to pass the advanced exams."

"I plan to let him find a position at the Prince Mansion, to serve and work for the Commandery Princess in the future."

With precedents like Chen Jinyu, Ma Yaosong, Lu Cong, and Tang Youyin, Chief Clerk Wen couldn’t help thinking about his grandson’s prospects and wanted to secure a future for him.

Jiang Shaohua smiled slightly: "Chief Clerk Wen is a veteran at the Prince Mansion and has been diligently working for years, even at an old age, still conscientious. I have noticed. If he wishes to support his descendants, I naturally have no reason to disagree."

"However, working in the Prince Mansion means following the mansion’s rules. Let him go to Chief Historian Chen, and let Chief Historian Chen arrange it!"

Chief Clerk Wen was overjoyed and led his eldest grandson to kneel in thanks.

"No need for such formalities, get up quickly," Jiang Shaohua said with a faint smile: "I say this first: those who are capable, I will nurture and make good use of. But those who are mediocre and unwilling to apply themselves, I won’t hesitate to dismiss. I do not support idle people."

Chief Clerk Wen immediately replied, "Please rest assured, Commandery Princess, I have five grandsons, and Wen Shan is the third. I brought only him to the Prince Mansion, naturally because I have confidence in him."

A small episode, no need for detail.

It is reasonable to think that such matters will not be rare in the future. Who doesn’t want to support their children and grandchildren to progress and succeed?

...

Chief Historian Chen promptly wrote a letter, arranging for it to be sent to the Boling Cui Family.

A few days later, a reply arrived from the Boling Cui Family. Among the three auspicious dates sent by the Prince Mansion, the Cui Family chose the nearest one, on the sixth day of April next spring.

Before that, there was another joyful event to be held at the Prince Mansion.

The auspicious day for Chen Jinyu and Ma Yaosong was imminent.

According to current customs, a woman should not show her face before marriage and ought to stay in her boudoir. However, Chen Jinyu, involved in daily affairs at the Commandery Princess’s side, met her fiancé almost every day, with no intention of adhering to this convention.

None in the Ma Family minded this detail. With the Commandery Princess’s backing and Chief Historian Chen in the forefront, there was naturally no gossip at the Prince Mansion.

County Magistrate Ma, accompanied by the Ma Family, arrived in Nanyang County half a month early to handle the wedding arrangements for Changsun Ma Yaocong.

Ma Yaosong and Chen Jinyu each had their own lodgings in the Prince Mansion. Nevertheless, County Magistrate Ma prepared a large house as the nuptial home.

This four-compound mansion originally belonged to a wealthy merchant and was only two streets away from the Prince Mansion, about a incense-stick’s worth of walking. County Magistrate Ma spent a large sum to buy this prime location mansion and had it specially refurbished.

When furnishing the dowry, Mrs. Yao personally visited the place and later whispered to County Magistrate Chen: "The Ma Family is indeed generous; the house alone cost fifty thousand taels, and a few more thousand were spent on renovations. They’ve registered the property under our Jinyu’s name. Such generosity is remarkable."

"Our Jinyu really is someone with unexpected fortune."