Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 495 - 0469: Choosing Dowry Companions for the Second Princess (2)
Princess Consort Luling tore off the golden seal of the gift package and opened it to see.
The number of silver notes inside startled her, her eyes wide open.
Inside the gift package, there were six large silver notes worth five hundred taels each, totalling three thousand taels!
Prince Luling also saw it and was surprised.
Lou Dalang saw their surprised expressions and felt relieved, it seems the Li Family did not find fault.
Lady Lou, however, lightly pursed her lips, sarcastically laughing in her heart. Look, truly a stingy family, a mere three thousand taels of silver has startled them.
In Zhen An Prefecture City, there are families spending five thousand taels to marry off a daughter-in-law, wouldn’t it shock them to faint?
Oh dear, marrying a daughter from this family, one wonders if there might be embarrassment in public outings in the future.
Lady Lou began to worry for her own mother-in-law.
Secretly, she vowed to stay far from this fifth sister-in-law in the future, not wanting to walk with a country bumpkin, it would diminish her status.
After looking at the gift package, Lou Dalang gestured to the maidservants to step forward and show the jewelry in the brocade boxes to Princess Consort Luling.
Two sets of head ornaments, not as exquisite as those from the great households in the Capital, but more splendid than those from the larger households of the county town.
Princess Consort Luling accepted them with a smile.
Then, Lou Dalang instructed his servants to bring up the fabrics.
Colorful and high-quality fabrics were piled on the table like a small mountain.
These twenty rolls of fabric included fine cloth, Shu brocade, and brocade produced by Jiangnan Weaving Workshop.
In a common village family, the bride price would be ten yards or twenty yards of fine cloth. The Lou Family, true to the reputation of a Magistrate’s house, directly provided twenty pieces.
One piece was forty yards, twenty pieces totaling eight hundred yards.
And it’s brocade!
This Lou Family was indeed thorough in their etiquette.
Prince Luling and Princess Consort Luling repeatedly said the manners were generous and accepted them.
After receiving the gifts, polite small talk ensued.
Lou Dalang mentioned his parents’ request: to take the bride back, with the wedding banquet held only here.
Princess Consort Luling couldn’t bear to marry her second daughter so far away, looking worriedly at Prince Luling, "Sir, this..."
It’s completely different from the original plan.
The eldest daughter was supposed to marry into the marketplace to live with Pei Shenyan; the second daughter was supposed to live on Niu Tou Mountain with Mu Yuanxiu. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
These two daughters are smart, she can rest easy marrying them off; besides, they wouldn’t be far, she could see them anytime.
But the second daughter is a muddle-headed person, she couldn’t bear to marry her away even a mile, she hoped for a son-in-law to stay close.
Prince Luling also didn’t want to marry off the second daughter far, but if he disagreed now, it would be contrary to Prefect Lou, if things got heated, the Lou Family might refuse the marriage, and where could they find another son-in-law quickly?
Moreover, if the second daughter marries into the Lou Family, Li Can wouldn’t dare ask Prefect Lou for a daughter-in-law for diplomatic marriage.
Lou Mingkun couldn’t be that foolish!
That would disgrace Lou Family’s reputation over eight generations, waiting to be ridiculed by the world.
After much deliberation, Prince Luling clenched his teeth and decided, "According to etiquette, it ought to be so."
Lou Dalang felt relieved, thought Prince Luling wouldn’t agree.
As for the Second Princess, she should be married away, that would bring glory to the family, not like having a son-in-law, which is akin to not marrying.
Once matters were settled, Li Xingmao brought Li Yuzhu and Lou Chengye, walking in one after the other.
"Lixing, Yuzhu, this is Chengye’s brother and sister-in-law, come quickly to pay respects." Prince Luling made introductions.
Li Yuzhu paid respects to the guests and went to brew tea.
Today wasn’t her topic; she was merely an attendant.
However, while serving tea, she quietly observed Lou Chengye’s brother and sister-in-law.
Lou Dalang was courteous and polite, receiving the tea and offering thanks, whereas Lady Lou didn’t take her teacup, only glanced at it indifferently before shifting her gaze away.
Li Yuzhu narrowed her eyes; this Lou Family was not a kind household.
Lou Chengye, upon seeing his brother and sister-in-law, turned grim, unable to utter a word more, standing by their side.
Li Xingmao walked up to Brother Lou and Sister-in-law Lou, and bowed to them according to the status of the Second Princess, "Brother Lou, Sister-in-law Lou."
This startled Lou Dalang, and he hurriedly stepped forward to help him, "Please rise, Mr. Li."
Prince Luling said, "Eldest, the Lou family has some demands regarding the marriage."
He relayed what Mr. Lou had just said to Li Xingmao.
This is a thought generally held by the groom’s family, not to mention, this is the Prefect’s house, making such demands is perfectly normal.
He said, "Father, Mother, let’s do as Lou Dalang suggested."
Once both parties reached an agreement, Prince Luling instructed Li Xingmao to see the guests off to rest.
Lou Chengye also followed.
Qin Hu and Li Lixing left as well.
In the room, only Li Yuzhu and Prince Luling and his wife remained.
Li Yuzhu sat down on the chair beside them and said, "Father, Mother, Second Sister is to be married into the Lou family, we must prepare well. I worry she might suffer grievances after marrying there."
Prince Luling sneered, "Does Lou Mingkun dare to mistreat Yu En?"
Princess Consort Luling asked her, "Yuzhu, what have you observed?"
Li Yuzhu said, "Prefect Lou, being a magistrate, likely wouldn’t bully a young daughter-in-law as he has his reputation to consider. But others might, especially those in the inner court."
"Would they dare to harm Yu En?" Prince Luling narrowed his eyes.
Li Yuzhu shook her head, "That may not be the case but slighting her or neglecting her is very possible. Such disputes exist in almost every wealthy family."
Except in the Lu Ling Royal Mansion.
First, Prince Luling’s parents died early, and he is an only child, thus no complex sibling or in-law dynamics exist.
Secondly, the Lu Ling Royal Mansion has no concubines, so there are no conflicts of favoritism among primary and secondary wives.
Third, the Lu Ling Royal Mansion is wealthy; if any child becomes displeased, the affluent Prince Luling and his wife placate them with money.
For example, when the Great Princess becomes angry, Princess Consort Luling would send a box of jewelry or piles of clothes, enough to change unhappiness to happiness.
The Second Princess is even easier to placate, just a few dozen snacks make her smile before consolation is even spoken.
The Second and Third Young Masters would receive fine horses and weapons.
Since everyone gets something, what is there to fight over?
With Li Yuzhu’s reminder, Princess Consort Luling, well-versed in inner court disputes, immediately understood, "Yuzhu, are you worried about your second sister being bullied by other sisters-in-law?"
The Lu Ling Royal Mansion has no troublesome sisters-in-law or concubines, but she had interacted with many noblewomen from other mansions and heard much about such matters.
Li Yuzhu nodded, "Precisely, Second Sister is meek and being married far away, I worry she might suffer in the unfamiliar environment."
Li Yu En is somewhat carefree, focusing only on food, indifferent to her surroundings; otherwise, she wouldn’t be so plump.
Princess Consort Luling grew anxious, "What shall we do? The Lou family does not agree to Lou Chengye becoming a son-in-law who lives with us, insisting on Yu En marrying over there."
Prince Luling stroked his beard, deep in thought, "If needed, Yu En can reveal her identity."
However, Princess Consort Luling said, "But how much respect will she be given as a demoted Commandery Princess? I fear she’ll be bullied even more, being married so far away without someone to support her, ah."
Prince Luling furrowed his brows, lost in thought.
Li Yuzhu thought for a moment and said, "Mother, you’re worried that Second Sister might be bullied when married far away; then let’s send a few formidable people to accompany her in marriage."
This is indeed a good idea; with help, even marrying over as a country girl wouldn’t result in a poor life.
"But, with just a few of us, who can accompany her? The second and third brothers? But they are men; would the Lou family allow them into the inner court? Nanny Jiang is a woman but was your elder sister-in-law’s wedding companion." Princess Consort Luling shook her head.
Li Yuzhu laughed, "If no one from home, we can look in the village. We’ve been here nearly a year, have decent relationships with the villagers; let’s find a few outlandish ones with known backgrounds to accompany Second Sister, Father, Mother, what do you think?"
Princess Consort Luling’s eyes lit up, "That’s a good idea, but...whom in the village should we choose? Would they agree to follow Yu En to such a far place as Zhen An Prefecture?"
Li Yuzhu said, "Not only find young girls to keep Second Sister company but also a few young men as guards. Our family will give a sum of money to their families; they only need to accompany Second Sister for three years before returning home, and if they wish to follow her forever, it will be like at our Prince Mansion, providing monthly pay, writing an indenture."
Princess Consort Luling nodded, "This plan is quite good, let’s ask around the village, as long as we offer enough money, someone should agree."
Prince Luling said, "We know people from two villages, if one doesn’t work out, try another."
Li Yuzhu stood up, "I’ll talk to the second brother; he has a knack for speaking, knows how to chat with people, let’s have him find someone."
The Second Young Master is an exceptional character in their family, adored by children as young as three and folks as old as eighty, and even women of all ages find him agreeable.
He once relied solely on his eloquence to enjoy a month of leisure in the Capital without spending a penny; what was more astonishing is that others offered willingly, not him asking.
