Chapter 568: Extra Seven with the Princess 1
On the twenty-first of September of the Qingguan sixth year, Yong’an Marquis Manor in the Capital City bustled with activity. Chu Hanyan, eldest daughter of the house, was to be married to the He Royal Mansion on the fourth day of the tenth lunar month, and the He Royal Mansion’s betrothal gifts had been sent to the manor the day before.
On this day, Mrs. Hou, Chen Afu, finally finished preparing Chu Hanyan’s dowry, which relieved her considerably.
In the dowry, the Marquis’ Mansion provided one hundred thousand liang of silver, all of which were part of the He Royal Mansion’s betrothal gifts, along with the dowry set aside by Chu Hanyan’s biological mother, Mrs. Ma. Additionally, Chen Afu took out fifty thousand liang of silver from her own dowry. She had always treated Chu Hanyan like her own daughter, and, of course, would include her in her own dowry. With fields, stores, real estate, Hot Spring Villa, utensils, ornaments, headwear, ancient books, medicinal materials, etc., and an additional forty thousand liang of treasure box silver, Chu Hanyan’s dowry totaled nearly two hundred thousand liang of silver. This made her dowry amongst the highest in the entire aristocratic circle of Capital City.
Actually, Chen Afu did not agree with them getting married so young. They were only fifteen years old and still children. Too early marital intercourse would be harmful to their bodies, and if they have children too early, it might affect the health of the next generation.
However, Prince He was too lonely living alone. The late Empress Dowager and Emperor wished him to marry early.
Empress Dowager Shan had formally become a nun at the end of last year. She took the name Master Huibei. She moved into the original Yingxue Nunnery, which was expanded several times and renamed Fengci Temple. Luo Yun often discussed Buddhism with Master Huibei, and the two women formed an unbreakable friendship.
Empress Dowager Shan’s becoming a nun greatly saddened the Emperor and Prince He. The Emperor was better off with many children and women, and he himself was over thirty. Poor Prince He, on the other hand, lost his father when he was nine years old, and his mother left to become a nun when he was fourteen. His only blood brother was the Emperor, who as the monarch, could not be too close.
Prince He wept as he sent Empress Dowager Shan to Fengci Temple and cried again when he returned to Capital City.