Raising a wife? The mistress of the Hou family divorced and remarried her younger uncle

Chapter 396 Arranged Marriage 2
Upon hearing this, Su Qingwan felt a surge of anger and frowned, scolding, "Nianqing is only fourteen years old this year, still a child. How could you push him into such a situation as an arranged marriage?"

What's even more perplexing is that the court had no objections to Xilin's request for a marriage alliance. This was because Xilin had only recently been pacified, and there was a fear that they might use the pretext of restoring their kingdom to stir up trouble again. Only a marriage alliance could quickly stabilize the situation and prevent war. However, the young emperor was still young, and by the time he assumed power, Xilin would already be stable and there would be no need for a marriage alliance; the position of empress was crucial to the foundation of the nation and could not be given to a daughter of the Xilin royal family; and Her Highness the Princess was also unwilling to risk her life.

Nianqing was her own son; how could Su Qingwan bear to see him become a pawn in a power struggle? She had personally experienced the pain of losing her husband and knew the bitterness of being forced into an arranged marriage, and she had also tasted the agony of unrequited love. Now that the world was at peace, she only hoped that Nianqing could find his true love in the future, hold hands and stay by his side, undisturbed by the political situation, far from the strife of politics, and find a pure and stable marriage.

At first, Nianqing did not step forward, but Su Qingwan and the Princess strongly opposed it, though they could not overcome the opinions of the senior officials in the court. They all praised the marriage alliance between the Xilin royal family and Huainan. Su Qingwan was puzzled: although this move could stabilize the situation, Xilin had been an enemy country after all, and it was not appropriate to form a marriage alliance so easily.

The matter had been debated for three days, but Lu Jing had not intervened. Since Nian Qing had a biological mother involved, it was inappropriate for others to comment, and Lu Jing was on leave at the time, so he had no intention of getting involved. Unexpectedly, Nian Qing herself took the initiative and agreed to the marriage.

Upon hearing this, the Eldest Princess was furious and argued endlessly with Nianqing. However, Nianqing was determined and, no matter how the Eldest Princess tried to persuade him, insisted that the Xilin royal family choose their daughters. The Xilin royal family then selected eight princesses, ranging in age from eight to twelve. The Eldest Princess, unable to persuade her son, had no choice but to agree and held a banquet to entertain the princesses. Su Qingwan also accompanied them—after all, it was to choose a suitable match for Nianqing, and she needed to personally inspect them to be at ease.

Of the princesses present, the Sixth and Ninth Princesses were born to the former Empress of Xilin, both possessing beautiful appearances and extraordinary bearing. The other princesses were either daughters of the imperial family or born to concubines, each with their own unique charm. Su Qingwan gazed at these exquisitely beautiful young girls, her heart filled with sorrow. Although all the princesses were well-mannered—Xilin valued literature and art, and they were proficient in all the arts, from music and chess to calligraphy and painting, and could compose poems and songs with ease—and appeared gentle and compliant, their looks impeccable, Su Qingwan still felt something was missing.

The eldest princess favored the fifth princess, born to Consort Yao. This girl was eleven years old, with a slender figure, a quiet and gentle nature, and was the most composed among all the princesses. Her upbringing was also outstanding.

Su Qingwan, however, took a different approach, specifically testing the princesses' riding and archery skills. Most of the princesses were pampered and their riding and archery skills were mediocre, except for the Ninth Princess, who showed some promise. This Ninth Princess was the legitimate daughter of the emperor and had been pampered since childhood. Although she was only eight years old this year, she had quite a talent for riding and archery.

Seeing this, Su Qingwan said softly, "Nianqing is calm and steady. If she were to be paired with another steady person, they would probably only be polite to each other in the future, and their lives would be too boring. This Ninth Princess is good at riding and archery, and she is also lively and agile. She is a good match for Nianqing."

Upon hearing this, the eldest princess frowned slightly: "When Nianqing is twenty, this girl will only be fourteen, still very young. How can she get married? By the time she turns eighteen and is eligible to marry, Nianqing will be twenty-four. Such an age gap is ultimately inappropriate."

Su Qingwan was speechless for a moment, but upon reflection, she realized that what the princess said made sense.

Looking at the other princesses, they were also not satisfactory: some were lazy and looked very spoiled; others were introverted, moderate and peaceful, and it was difficult to see any special qualities in them in a short time.

The two held firm to their own opinions, and the two were deadlocked. Su Qingwan said helplessly, "This matter is ultimately Nianqing's lifelong affair. Why not let him choose for himself?"

The eldest princess hesitated and said, "This place is full of women. Is it appropriate for Nianqing to come?"

“Nianqing is still young, what’s wrong with that?” The princess then sent someone to invite Nianqing. Nianqing thought that his mother and aunt had already chosen a princess for him, but when he entered the garden, he was surprised to see a group of young girls standing among the flowers. His cheeks flushed with surprise.

The princesses also looked curiously at the young man walking through the garden, but Nianqing did not look to the side. He walked straight to Su Qingwan and the eldest princess and called softly, "Mother, Aunt." At this time, his ears were already red and his voice was a little unnatural. "Mother and Aunt can decide this matter. There is no need to ask me."

Upon seeing this, the eldest princess couldn't help but chuckle: "Marriage is a major event concerning your lifelong happiness. How can we make it for you? You should choose for yourself. Your aunt and I have differing opinions and are finding it difficult to make a decision."