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Chapter 437: The Wedding Ceremony (Part )

Li Ying walked into the house lightly.

County Magistrate Cui had just finished a bowl of hangover soup when he saw his wife coming back. He handed her another bowl of warm hangover soup. Li Ying naturally reached out to take it and drank it slowly.

County Magistrate Cui asked with interest, "Why did the princess keep you here? What did she say?"

Li Ying did not hide anything and told the princess that she was going to submit a memorial to request the appointment of a female official. County Magistrate Cui thought for a moment and said, "This is difficult."

"The court turned a blind eye to the appointment of female officials in Nanyang County. Now the county wants to give the female officials official positions and appointment documents, which must be approved by the court and passed by the Ministry of Personnel. Minister Zhang and Prime Minister Wang of the Ministry of Personnel are on the same page and will definitely oppose and obstruct in every way possible."

Li Ying smiled softly and said, "The princess said that this matter is not urgent. Submit a memorial first, and wait for the court to reject it, then submit another one. Slowly polish it for a year or two until the court gives in."

"The princess also said that the court used Nanyang County as a granary, and from time to time they came to collect military rations, and they also had to transfer new grain and grain from Nanyang County. How can we not get some benefits in return?"

County Magistrate Cui also laughed: "That's right. In the past few years, our Nanyang County has donated so much grain to the court, prevented plague, and peacefully recovered Pingzhou. We have made contributions one after another. The county lord just wants to appoint a few female officials, why can't we agree?"

The court was both soft-hearted and ungrateful when it came to receiving gifts from others. It was hard for it to stand up to the princess's memorial.

This matter requires some effort, and the possibility of success is not small.

Magistrate Cui looked his wife up and down and said, "In two years, your official position will not be higher than mine! When that happens, will I have to pay my respects to you?"

Li Ying chuckled: "That's hard to say."

After the couple chatted for a while, they talked about another important matter: "The princess' birthday is on the Lantern Festival. This year is the princess' fifteenth birthday, and she will hold a coming-of-age ceremony. Since we are in the palace, we might as well stay for a few more days. We will go back after the princess's coming-of-age ceremony."

County Magistrate Cui nodded repeatedly in agreement.

The Jiji Ceremony is one of the most important days in a woman's life, second only to her marriage. After the Jiji Ceremony, the princess officially becomes an adult, which means she can get married.

"The princess will not marry, she wants to marry a son-in-law." Li Ying whispered, "In your opinion, who will be the rival of the Earl of Changning?"

County Magistrate Cui laughed softly and said, "There will definitely be quite a few. When the princess comes of age, I wonder how many distinguished guests will come to watch the ceremony. Just wait and see!"

Being a son-in-law is not a glorious thing. However, it depends on who is recruiting the son-in-law.

Nanyang Princess Jiang Shaohua is unparalleled in talent and beauty. She has money, food, soldiers and power. Her influence covers Jingzhou and Pingzhou, and her reputation is very high in the northern states. Even in the court, she is very influential. She has the support of the Empress Dowager and the trust and respect of Emperor Taihe. Although there are political enemies like Prime Minister Wang, being able to be Prime Minister Wang's opponent is something to be proud of.

The benefits of marrying into the Nanyang Palace are obvious and conceivable. The noble families in the north are all eager to make a move. Even the Cui family of Qinghe has been tempted.

"The clan leader sent me a letter a few days ago, saying that he would send people to Nanyang County to attend the county princess' coming-of-age ceremony." County Magistrate Cui sneered, "Among them is my cousin."

The cousin mentioned by County Magistrate Cui is the grandson of the head of the Qinghe Cui clan and the ninth child in the family. Cui Jiulang has no talent for studying and has not passed the examination for a scholar at the age of sixteen. In the Qinghe Cui clan, which is full of talented people, this basically means that he has no future.

The clan leader was moved and did not care about the bad reputation of being a son-in-law. He directly arranged Cui Jiulang into the list of people who would watch the ceremony. The meaning of writing a letter to County Magistrate Cui was self-evident.

Li Ying immediately said, "Don't get involved in this matter. Jiulang is mediocre in both talent and appearance, and is not worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the Earl of Changning. How can the princess be attracted to him?"

County Magistrate Cui hummed: "Don't even mention the princess, I don't even like him."...

There were quite a few county magistrates like Magistrate Cui and his wife who decided to stay and watch the ceremony.

Feng Changshi reported to Jiang Shaohua, who laughed and said, "It's lively with so many people. They are busy all year round. It's just right for them to stay a few more days and treat it as a vacation."

Feng Changshi smiled and said, "All the invitations for the princess' coming-of-age ceremony have been sent out. However, I estimate that there will be many guests who do not have invitations. Therefore, we need to prepare more banquets, so let's prepare thirty seats."

Jiang Shaohua nodded slightly: "This matter will be decided by Feng Changshi."

Feng Changshi was doing the work of the Right Changshi, but he was actually worrying about the palace's housekeeper. He was concerned about everything, big or small, and nodded in agreement when he heard this.

Lu Ying and Lu Ruohua, brother and sister, also insisted on staying to watch the ceremony. Aunt Mei would not object to this, and whispered to the two children: "The days of studying are long, and the princess's coming-of-age ceremony cannot be missed. You did the right thing."

Lu Ruohua has been studying in Ye County for a year. She has grown a lot taller and her temperament has become more lively: "Mom, I want to prepare a gift for my sister."

Aunt Mei smiled and touched her daughter's delicate face; "Well, you have this kind thought, the princess will be very happy."

It’s great to go out and study and broaden your horizons!
Lu Ruohua, who had always been a little timid and reserved, seemed to have been freed from her shackles in just one year. She grew freely and her eyes became lively.

County Magistrate Cui and his wife Li Ying were both very talented, and Cui Wenxiu was also the daughter of a prominent family. It would be ten times or even a hundred times better for her to be taken care of by them than by her own cowardly and useless mother.

Even though she was often beaten, scolded and humiliated by Lu Xuan because of this, it was worth it.

Lu Ying asked softly, "Mom, did father beat you again?"

Aunt Mei denied without a second thought: "No, this is the Nanyang Palace, the princess is always looking after me, your father is unhappy, so he just scolded me a few times to vent his anger, but he didn't dare to do anything."

The scars were completely hidden by thick clothes and could not be seen from the outside.

Lu Ying knew her father's true temper very well. Her eyes darkened for a moment before she whispered, "When I grow up, pass the imperial examination, and become an official, mother will go with me."

Aunt Mei felt warm in her heart and replied with a smile, "Okay."

She was from the Nanyang Palace, and the indentures of her parents and brothers were all in the hands of the princess. How could she possibly leave the Nanyang Palace?

The princess needs her to keep an eye on Lu Xuan, so she has to do this job well and not let the princess down.

……

In the next few days, a steady stream of distinguished guests came to Nanyang County.

The Qinghe Cui family, Boling Cui family, Xingyang Zheng family, Longxi Li family, Fanyang Lu family and other aristocratic families all sent people. Half of the governors' offices in the twenty northern states sent people.

In the capital, court officials who had dealings with the Nanyang Palace sent people to deliver congratulatory gifts.

On the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor Taihe's people also arrived at the palace.