The harem and the court are closely intertwined. It’s impossible for court affairs to remain hidden from the harem. The proposal to appoint a crown prince quickly reached the ears of various already attentive masters, and although they dared not interfere directly in politics, subtle maneuvers were inevitable in secret.
After all, this was a matter that determined the fate of oneself and one’s family.
At the same time, the matter of Prime Minister Song kneeling in the Imperial Study was also passed to the harem. Many speculated whether the relationship between the Emperor and Prime Minister Song, who were both ruler and minister as well as brothers, was finally going to break?
What great news, if Prime Minister Song were to fall from grace.
However, the next morning at court, Emperor Chu unexpectedly decreed that several adult men should attend court sessions, including the Second Prince, Third Prince, and Fourth Prince, which made many officials’ hearts burn with anticipation.
Could it be that the Emperor had finally decided to appoint a crown prince?
More people privately thought that, indeed, Prime Minister Song was the Emperor’s right-hand man. It could not have been anyone else who suggested it, which was why he knelt, and the Emperor then approved.
If so, truly being the right-hand man was not a hollow title.
Regardless, the princes attending court acted as a signal to all officials that the Emperor’s desire to appoint a crown prince was easing.
For a time, the winds of intrigue and ambition blew through both the harem and the court, with each having their own plans, some were pleased while others were anxious.
The deeply rooted families’ minds also became active, with many Lady Matrons arranging visits to temples or shrines to pray and offer incense, inevitably accompanied by their daughters of suitable age. These Lady Matrons were bound to "chance" upon the Lady Matron of another family, and would incidentally receive respect and greetings from their sons, nephews, and cousins.
Among them, the most popular was undoubtedly the Song Minister’s Mansion.
The Song Minister’s Mansion currently had several sons and daughters of suitable age, including the legitimate son and eldest daughter of Prime Minister Song, who were still unmarried. Besides them, the Prime Minister’s brother’s twin sons were also unmarried.
What, the young masters of the Song Minister’s Mansion are still too young and not yet of age?
That’s not the case. While they are not yet of age, they are all twelve or thirteen years old, the perfect age for matchmaking. After all, arranging a marriage is not immediately finalized; it requires much preparation and the bride’s family needs time to prepare a dowry, so a marriage can take two or three years from discussion to fruition.
Moreover, although those young masters are not yet of age, Prime Minister Song’s younger brother is also still unmarried and is in his prime.
Hence, the young masters of the Song Minister’s Mansion, from Song Zhiyu to Song Lingsu and his brothers, were watched closely by many families. Besides the family’s status, they also admired the family traditions of the Song Minister’s Mansion.
In the capital’s noble families, which one doesn’t have a few concubines? Nevertheless, this unique Song Minister’s Mansion, apart from the elder patriarch, none of Prime Minister Song’s already married brothers took a concubine. This made many women envious, as those who truly loved their daughters earnestly wished to marry their daughters into such a family where girls were raised with care and dignity.
As a result, several Madams of the Song Family received numerous invitations to the temples for incense offerings and prayers, even Song Ci received quite a few. After all, she is the biological mother of Song Zhiyu, and one must win her approval first to seek a daughter-in-law.
"Offering incense is false, matchmaking is true, isn’t it?" Song Ci, having acted in costume dramas and read novels, quickly saw through this subtly hidden affair.
Nanny nodded, "It’s not just receiving an invitation and going. You need to identify the right people, contact them privately first, and then arrange the meeting, to see if the young master and the young lady can see eye to eye?"