Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 542 Regent
Just as Wang Hai was feeling emotional, he heard Zhu Shenzui continue to speak. Zhu Shenzui said that Qiao'er was not young anymore, and a girl of this age should be looking for a husband. Moreover, he had discussed it with his sister-in-law Zhang not long ago, and Zhang also said that it was time to find a husband for Qiao'er. So Zhu Shenzui planned to find a husband for Qiao'er recently and let her get married and start a family.

Hearing this, Wang Hai didn't know whether he was happy or bitter. Emotionally, he didn't want Qiao'er to get married. But rationally, he hoped Qiao'er could have a happy future. Besides, it was common sense for girls to get married when they grew up. As Qiao'er's uncle and the head of the Zhu family, Zhu Shenzhui couldn't possibly object to arranging a marriage for his niece.

Just when Wang Hai's mind was a little confused and he didn't know what to say, Zhu Shenzhui's next sentence suddenly made him stunned. He didn't hear it clearly for a while, and didn't react immediately. He just responded simply, but soon he was stunned. He suddenly looked up at Zhu Shenzhui with a surprised expression.

"Master...you...what did you say just now?" Wang Hai suspected that he had heard it wrong and couldn't help but ask.

"What? Are you so happy that you are confused?" Seeing Wang Hai's expression, Zhu Shenzhui laughed and pointed at him, saying, "I just said that Qiao'er wants to get married, but I haven't found anyone suitable after searching for a long time. Besides, Qiao'er already has someone she likes, and I, as her uncle, don't want to let my niece feel wronged. So after asking Qiao'er, I decided to betroth her to you. What do you think?"

“Slave…slave…I…I…” Finally understanding what Zhu Shenzhui said, Wang Hai was instantly at a loss. His mind was in a mess and he didn’t know how to answer.

He never thought that Zhu Shenzhui would marry Qiao'er to him. This is Zhu Shenzhui's niece! Although Qiao'er is not Zhu Shenzhui's biological daughter, Wang Hai, who grew up with Qiao'er in the Zhu family, knows too well the position of Qiao'er in Zhu Shenzhui's heart. Zhu Shenzhui loves this niece very much, and treasures her more than his own daughter. There is no difference between her and his own daughter.

Now Zhu Shenzhui actually wanted to marry Qiaoer to him, which was something Wang Hai did not dare to hope for. Although Zhu Shenzhui told Wang Hai that he was a free man and no longer a slave the day he brought Wang Hai back from Mongolia, Wang Hai had always regarded Zhu Shenzhui as his master and had always regarded himself as a slave for so many years. Although he did like Qiaoer, he was aware of the difference in their identities and therefore did not dare to cross the line. But now suddenly such a pie fell from the sky onto his head, and Wang Hai's brain was a little idle, and he did not know what to say.

"What? You don't want to?" Just when Wang Hai was stunned with surprise and didn't know how to answer, Zhu Shenzhui asked.

"Your servant... It's not that I don't want to, but I am a servant..."

"You brat!" Zhu Shenzhui sighed and shook his head, "Wang Hai, do you still remember what I said to you back then?"

"Master..." Wang Hai looked up with a complicated expression.

Zhu Shenzhui stood up and walked a few steps towards the window. His eyes seemed to be looking into the distance, as if he had traveled through time and space to the first time he went to the grassland.

Zhu Shenzhui said that he did not take Wang Hai in just to be a servant, nor did he want Wang Hai to remain a slave. He took him in because of the fate between the two sides, and he never treated Wang Hai as a servant, let alone a slave, over the years.

In Zhu Shenzhu's heart, Wang Hai could be his son or nephew, or his disciple, but he was never a slave. Over the years, Wang Hai had always called Zhu Shenzhu "master", which was Wang Hai's way of gratitude and repayment to Zhu Shenzhu. In fact, the two of them were no longer master and slave. Zhu Shenzhu even hoped that Wang Hai could change this title and no longer put himself in the position of a slave.

The reason why he married Qiao'er to him was not only because of Wang Hai's ability and trust in him, but also because Qiao'er liked Wang Hai. The two children grew up together and had a good impression of each other. In this case, why didn't he help them get together?
And Zhu Shenzhui had also noticed just now that Wang Hai also had feelings for Qiao'er, but he hid his feelings very well, or maybe he felt that his status was not worthy of Qiao'er, so he didn't show it.

Since the two are in love, then this is a happy event. The marriage is settled, and Wang Hai no longer needs to call himself master, let alone call others mistress or little master. After the marriage is settled, Wang Hai can call himself uncle or master, but he doesn't need to call himself master anymore.

"Rest in Pingyang Prefecture for the next two days. I have asked people to make preparations. In a few days, Kang Youfu will send the betrothal gifts and other things directly to Luzhouwei. Then you can go there with me to propose the betrothal gifts. After the betrothal gifts are completed, you and Qiao'er will get married as soon as possible."

"Oh, there's one more thing you don't have to worry about. Qiao'er is willing to go back to the grassland with you after you get married. We'll settle down in Guihua City. With Tana taking care of her, you can rest assured on weekdays."

"Slave..."

"Hmm?" As soon as Wang Hai uttered the word "slave", Zhu Shenzhui's sharp eyes swept over him.

Wang Hai's head shrank and he quickly changed the subject: "I...I will listen to my uncle...uncle..."

Wang Hai felt very awkward when he uttered these few short words. After all, the master he had called for so many years suddenly became his uncle, and he, a servant, became Zhu Shenzhui's nephew-in-law. This made Wang Hai happy and surprised.

But after saying this, Zhu Shenzhui's face lit up with a smile. He walked up to Wang Hai with a laugh, patted his shoulder and said, "Good boy! That's right! Remember! You are not only my nephew-in-law, but also my apprentice. Stand up straight for me! Otherwise, I won't marry Qiao'er to you!"

"Hehehe..." Wang Hai felt relieved, and endless joy filled his body. He couldn't help laughing, and raised his hand to scratch his head a little embarrassedly. Before Wang Hai came, Zhu Shenzhui had already made arrangements, but he didn't know the specific time when Wang Hai would arrive in Daming.

Now that Wang Hai has arrived and his marriage to Qiao'er has been settled, the next step is the betrothal and wedding process.

The wedding was held in the Ming Dynasty, so it had to follow the rules of the Ming Dynasty. However, Qiao'er had a special status, and now she was sent to Luzhou Guard by Zhu Shenzhui with her family in advance, so the actual wedding was just a formality, and there was no big event.

After returning to the grassland, Tana will help Wang Hai and Qiao'er to organize a lively party according to Mongolian customs, which will make up for the regret.

Next, Kang Youfu would arrange for someone to deliver the betrothal gifts and other things first, and then find a matchmaker to go through the backdoor process according to local customs. Zhu Shenzhu didn't need to worry about these. As long as he took Wang Hai to Luzhouwei in two days, and then completed the marriage according to local procedures after arriving there, it would be considered a success.

Wang Hai had just arrived and told him about this important event. Seeing that Wang Hai was surprised but still tired, Zhu Shenzhui asked him to go down and have a good rest first, and talk about other things tomorrow.

After Wang Hai said goodbye, Zhu Shenzhui took out the letter that Tana gave him, opened it and read it carefully.

Tana was originally interested in Sinology and read a lot of Chinese books when she was a girl. She regarded Sanniangzi as her idol since she was a child and aspired to become a person like Sanniangzi.

Since marrying Zhu Shenzui, Tana has been more attentive to the study of Han culture. If she had not been in the grassland all these years, her living habits and clothing would still be Mongolian. If she changed into Hanfu and came to the Ming Dynasty, she would be almost no different from an ordinary Ming woman.

Moreover, Tana had a beautiful handwriting, which was beyond the reach of ordinary Han women. Looking at Tana's letter, Zhu Shenzhui imagined the scene of Tana sitting at the desk and writing this letter, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

There was a lot of content in the letter. Tana first talked about the situation of the two children. Tenger was growing up very fast. Now he was not only the leader of the tribe, but also the King of Shunyi canonized by the Ming Dynasty. He was also called Jurhan on the grassland.

Before Zhu Shenzhui returned to the Ming Dynasty, he arranged a marriage for Tenger, letting him marry the youngest daughter of Bu Shitu. In addition to the smallpox incident, Tenger's position in Tumed has become increasingly stable. As the boy grows up, he has shown the majesty and composure of a Khan. In addition, Tana usually pays great attention to his education. Tana is very proud of Tenger's growth.

Compared to his older brother, the younger Agudamu is still a naughty guy. Recently, he has become interested in horse riding and archery. At a young age, he asks his mother to help him find an excellent horse riding and archery teacher, saying that he wants to become the bravest and most powerful warrior in the tribe in the future.

Tana was very confused by the boy's restlessness and mischief, and complained to Zhu Shenzhui in the letter. However, the relationship between the two brothers was very good. Besides Tana, Agudamu listened to his eldest brother Tengger the most, which made Tana feel relieved.

Apart from these family matters, Tana also wrote some information about the Tumed tribe and the grassland, most of which were basically the same as what Wang Hai told Zhu Shenzhui. However, Tana's letter said a little more than Wang Hai about the intentions of Lindan Khan's widow and two sons to compete for the Khanship and win over the Tumed and Tenger tribes. After all, Tana knew some things more clearly. Among them, there was a letter sent privately by Lindan Khan's wife Namu Zhong. Wang Hai had no idea what was written in the letter, but Tana told Zhu Shenzhui the content in the letter.

What surprised Zhu Shenzhui was that Namu Zhong's letter was not actually written to Tana, but to him. As the favorite wife of Lin Danhan, Namu Zhong was young, but she knew a lot of secrets. In the eyes of outsiders, the leader of the Tenger tribe was Tenger, and the one who made the decision was Tana, just like the third lady supporting the young Shunyi King. The two complemented each other.

Although Zhu Shenzhui's status in the tribe is high, it is not as high as that of Tana and her son. Moreover, Zhu Shenzhui has been deliberately hiding his identity, and outsiders have no idea of ​​his true identity. Only the core members of the tribe know that the real owner of the entire Tenger tribe is not Tenger, but Tengger's biological father Zhu Shenzhui. However, Zhu Shenzhui's origin is very mysterious. There are rumors that Zhu Shenzhui is a Ming Dynasty businessman, and there are also rumors that Zhu Shenzhui is the heir of a Mongolian tribe. After failing to compete for the position of heir, he fell into the Ashitemur tribe of the year, and finally married Tana and gave birth to Tenger.

There are also rumors that Zhu Shenzhui is the son of a poor branch of the Golden Family. Anyway, there are many rumors and no one knows which one is true. But one thing is certain, Zhu Shenzhui exists and he is the real controller of the Tenger tribe, while the Tenger in front of him is just his son, and he is not an adult son.

As the favorite wife of Lin Dan Khan, Namu Zhong naturally knew more about the news than outsiders, and also knew the real power structure of the Tenger tribe. Zhu Shenzhui, who was hidden behind the public Tana mother and son, was the most important person. In the fight for the Khanate after Lin Dan Khan's death, if he wanted to have an overwhelming advantage over the opponent, he must have strong support.

Somehow Namu Zhong had set her sights on Zhu Shencui. The purpose of her letter was simple: she hoped to marry Zhu Shencui and become his concubine. She also told Zhu Shencui that as long as he agreed to the marriage, he would not only gain the support of the Abagha tribe in the future, but also become the stepfather of her son Abunai.

If she could help Abunai inherit the Khan throne and obtain the position of Great Khan from Ligdan Khan, she was also willing to let Zhu Shencui act as regent in the name of the Great Khan's stepfather and become the regent of the entire Mongolia.

(End of this chapter)