nycdaug Chapter 135 Flower Party
Chapter 135 Flower Party
"Can't have concubines?" Consort Qin was furious and said sarcastically, "I want to see if your daughter can get married in this lifetime!" After saying that, she stormed off.
Within an hour, rumors were circulating in the capital that Princess Yulin's condition for choosing a husband was that he could not have concubines in the future.
Once this rumor spread, many ladies who had favored Zisu as their daughter-in-law quietly gave up their ideas. No matter how good Princess Yulin was, her prohibition against men taking concubines was a major flaw.
No concubines? How can that be? Wouldn't that be too unfair to your son? Not being able to have concubines would also be a huge disadvantage for having children!
As for those young masters who originally cherished perilla, they were all furious, feeling they had been blind to have fallen for such a jealous woman. No concubines? How could that be? To spend one's entire life with just one woman—that's a huge loss! And when his wife was pregnant, or on her period, he had to endure all that. That was absolutely unacceptable; no matter how good a woman was, she was not a good wife!
Oh dear, a woman like that, I wonder if she'll ever get married? With her reputation already established, what well-off man would want to marry her? Well, unless he's an idiot, blind, or a beggar, he's probably the son of a poor family.
However, Shangguan Zisu was the dignified Princess of Yulin, and the eldest daughter of the Protector-General. Naturally, she couldn't possibly marry the son of a beggar, a fool, a blind man, or a poor family. Therefore, she was destined to remain unmarried for the rest of her life!
Immediately, people were talking about it, and many unscrupulous people were waiting to see Zisu make a fool of herself.
This rumor quickly reached Yulin County and came to the attention of Lady Ying. Lady Ying sighed, "Alas, what a pity! This child is so good, but why does she insist that men not take concubines? Isn't she harming herself by doing this? In that case, what decent family's son would be willing to marry her?"
Upon hearing this, Fang Heng frowned and asked, "Mother, if Father didn't have any concubines and you were loving and affectionate, wouldn't you be very happy?"
Madam Ying said sadly, "If your father hadn't taken concubines, he and your mother might have truly loved each other dearly until they grew old together. Unfortunately, your mother's womb was not cooperative, and even when your father was thirty-one, he still hadn't given birth to a son or daughter. Your grandmother got angry and, using the excuse that your mother couldn't have children, took five concubines for your father in a row."
From then on, your father gradually distanced himself from your mother and became much colder. Until I was pregnant with your sister, he never came to your mother's courtyard again, spending his days mingling with his concubines. Alas, if only your father had given birth to a son before he turned thirty, he wouldn't have had to take a concubine. If he hadn't, your mother's life would have been completely different, and your and your sister's lives would have been much better; you wouldn't have had to hide in this remote mountain village!
Fang Heng: "That's it. Since Mother knows this, why don't you understand Zisu's wish? What woman would want her husband to have a concubine? Mother, put yourself in her shoes. When Grandmother gave Father a concubine, were you very sad and upset? Did you resent Grandmother?"
After hearing her son's words, Madam Ying was taken aback, then sighed, "Yes, Mother has misunderstood. Zisu's conditions for choosing a husband are actually quite reasonable. Mother knows, Mother understands. Back then, when your grandmother tried to force your father to take a concubine, I was more than just heartbroken and sad. At that time, I felt utterly hopeless, and I even wanted to die!"
Fang Heng smiled with relief when he heard his mother say this.
Upon hearing the rumors circulating outside, Madam Yu was both shocked and furious.
She said to Zisu with guilt, "What are we going to do now? It's all my fault for being confused for a moment and saying those things to that woman, giving her the opportunity to spread such rumors."
Zisu: "Mother, don't be like this. It's nothing serious. Let people talk all they want. It won't hurt me. On the contrary, I think this is actually a good thing. In the future, those who want to marry me will not take concubines. This is actually beneficial to me, and it will save me from having matchmakers coming to my door to gossip."
Ms. Yu could only sigh and try to console herself.
Upon hearing the rumors, the eldest princess was furious. She ordered an investigation and finally uncovered the culprit. Sure enough, just as she had suspected, the mastermind was none other than Consort Qin!
She found Zisu and said to her, "The mastermind behind this is Consort Qin. What are your plans? If you want revenge, leave it to me. I guarantee you can vent your anger!"
Zisu said gratefully, "Thank you, Your Highness. However, for the sake of Prince Duan, let's forget about revenge! But I have a request. Please hold a flower festival and invite all the prominent ladies and young women of the capital. It would be best if you could also invite their husbands and sons. I have something to say to them then, and I believe that from then on, those rumors will quickly subside!"
The Eldest Princess said, "You're just too soft-hearted. If it were me, I would have given her a good beating. Even if you beat up such a vicious woman, Prince Duan wouldn't have any reason to blame you!"
Zisu: "Let's forget about it. Prince Duan has had a tough time. No matter what, Consort Qin is still his biological mother. If he knew that his mother had been beaten and retaliated against, he would definitely be sad. Prince Duan is very affectionate towards me, and I already feel guilty for not being able to reciprocate his feelings. Let's help him in any way we can!"
Hearing her words, the eldest princess couldn't help but ask curiously, "Zisu, it's not that I'm saying anything, but Prince Duan is actually a very, very good man. If you marry him, you'll never regret it for the rest of your life. I just don't understand why you won't agree to marry him?"
Zisu: "Your Highness, I know he is very good, extremely good! However, firstly, his status is far too noble, and my father is a Protector General. A marriage between our two families would create a great deal of trouble. To be frank, while the Emperor is alive, there is naturally no problem, but I fear that after the new Emperor ascends the throne, Prince Duan will be accused of overshadowing the Emperor with his merits. Therefore, Prince Duan's wife should not be a woman from a noble family, but rather a woman from an ordinary family. This would be the best for Prince Duan."
Excessive extravagance and ostentation are both undesirable. I prefer a simpler, more unassuming life. Secondly, Prince Duan's mother is incredibly difficult to deal with; I don't want to waste my youth being tormented by my mother-in-law. I want a free and happy life, a peaceful and contented existence, not to be controlled by a wicked mother-in-law!
Upon hearing this, the eldest princess couldn't help but sigh deeply, feeling exceptionally sorry for Prince Duan. However, Zisu's words made a lot of sense: those who don't plan for the future will inevitably face immediate troubles. If one only focuses on the present and doesn't look to the future, one might end up in exile again.
One exile is enough; a second one, she probably couldn't bear it! Last time, thanks to Zisu's help, she didn't suffer much during her exile. But would she be so lucky next time? Certainly not; good luck can't last forever.
Five days later, the eldest princess held a grand flower festival in the plum garden of her palace. No fewer than a hundred ladies attended, along with their husbands, sons, and daughters. The vast cherry orchard was also quite crowded, packed with people everywhere.
Zisu arrived rather late. When she arrived, a group of young ladies were reciting poetry and painting. Upon seeing Zisu, a shrill voice exclaimed, "Oh my, Princess Yulin has finally arrived! We were just composing a poem, Princess, why don't you compose one too!"
The speaker was a girl of about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in a gorgeous red robe. Her features were exquisite, and she was beautiful and captivating.
After saying this, he smugly laughed to himself: "Hmph! Shangguan Zisu, my fifth sister's current situation is all thanks to you! Today, I will make you lose face and embarrass you so much that you will never dare to step out of your house again! You are nothing but a farmer and an exiled criminal, yet you have used some kind of trick to bewitch Prince Duan. You are utterly shameless!"
The maid from the princess's residence lowered her voice and introduced her to Zisu: "This is the younger sister of Consort Song from the Duan Prince's residence, the Seventh Miss Song."
Oh, I see. No wonder they attacked her.
Zisu smiled slightly: "I'm sorry, I grew up in the countryside and was exiled, so I'm good at farming."
These words caused everyone to exchange bewildered glances. Song Qi, in particular, was utterly astonished. How could she speak of herself like that? Could it be that she possessed mind-reading abilities and could see what was on my mind?
Even so, Miss Song Qi had no intention of letting Zisu off the hook. She stepped forward and enthusiastically took Zisu's arm, saying, "No way! If the dignified Princess of Yulin can't even write a short poem, it's a disgrace to the Protector General! If you ask me, the Princess is just being modest; she's actually looking down on me. No way! The Princess must leave behind her calligraphy today, otherwise, she's looking down on all of us!"
“Yes, yes! If the princess doesn’t compose a poem, it means she looks down on us!” Song Qi’s close friends chimed in.
"Fine, since that's the case, I'll reluctantly agree!" Zisu frowned slightly but agreed. Hmph! You want to see me humiliated? I have so many masterpieces of the future world in my head, why would I be afraid of you petty people!
Song Qi said again, "How about this? Let's not just focus on the princess. Let's all compose a poem about winter and plum blossoms!"
Zisu smiled faintly: "No problem. I also have a request. How about composing a poem within a ten-step time limit?"
"Ten steps? Are you out of your mind?!" Song Qi was taken aback and blurted out. She wasn't afraid of composing poetry, but composing a poem in ten steps was something she couldn't do.
Zisu smiled brightly, ignored her, and began to stroll. When she had taken exactly seven steps, she put her hands behind her back and slowly recited: "Several plum blossoms by the corner of the wall, blooming alone in the cold. From afar, one knows it is not snow, for only their subtle fragrance wafts through the air!"
As soon as these words came out, the whole hall was shocked.
After a while, the eldest princess couldn't help but clap her hands and exclaim, "What a wonderful poem! Absolutely amazing! A poem composed in seven steps! No wonder you are Princess Yulin, a woman of great talent!"
Zisu humbly replied, "Your Highness flatters me. I am merely an ordinary woman, raised in the countryside and even exiled. I am nothing special. The title of 'talented woman' is only fitting for someone like Miss Song, who grew up in a prominent family and never experienced exile!"
The eldest princess couldn't help but chuckle. Just as she was about to say something, Song Qi interrupted her, "This poem must be one of her earlier works, or she must have read it somewhere! Anyway, I'm not convinced. How could a girl who grew up in the countryside and never attended a girls' school have such literary talent!"
"You're talking nonsense! This was clearly something my princess just did!" Xiangli couldn't help but retort.
Song Qi smiled sarcastically: "Is that so? If your princess is really that talented, why not compose another one? If she can create another masterpiece within seven steps, then I will be completely convinced!"
"You, you're bullying me! A masterpiece isn't something you can get so easily!" Xiangli's eyes reddened with anger.
"Don't be angry, trust me!" Zisu shook her head at Xiangli, looking disdainfully at Song Qi, implying, "Please, Song Qi, give me the topic! Otherwise, you'll just say I prepared it beforehand, or that I saw it somewhere!"
Yes, she did see it in a dream, but so what? In this era, Shangguan Zhihua, who could expose her, is no longer alive. Of course, she didn't think plagiarizing poems from the future world was anything to be proud of. But now she was forced into this situation; if she didn't plagiarize, she would be trampled underfoot by those despicable people. Oh well, it's a fictional world anyway, plagiarism won't hurt the author and won't cause any harm or loss.
Thinking of this, Zisu felt much calmer.
Song Qi Guniang: "Weren't you exiled? Write a poem about the spring grasslands!"
Zisu smiled slightly and began to stroll. After taking seven steps, she began to recite: "The grass on the plain grows lush and green, withers and flourishes each year. Wildfires cannot burn it all, the spring breeze brings it back to life."
The words had been spoken for a long time, but the scene remained silent.
At some point, a dozen or so young masters crossed the boundary of the cherry trees and entered the garden on the side reserved for female guests.
The plum blossoms cover a large area, with a path running through the middle. On both sides of the path, a row of cherry trees is planted. When entertaining guests, this path serves as a boundary: the left side is for female guests, and the right side is for male guests.
The eldest princess led the cheers again, and soon cheers rose and fell in waves.
---I don't know if there are any left, and if there are, it will be very late.