nycdaug Chapter 115 Fang Heng
Chapter 115 Fang Heng
Prince Duan quickly refused: "A concubine? I don't want one. Too many women in the mansion will inevitably lead to unrest. When I was young, I was almost poisoned to death by my father's concubine. Even now, I still feel lingering fear when I think about it!"
Upon hearing this, the emperor couldn't help but sigh.
That's true. Too many women are a menace! Take Consort Mei, for example; she was a menace, and he knows that all too well.
Prince Duan added, "Besides, the reason Zisu looks down on me is precisely because she's worried I'll have concubines, secondary consorts, and a whole bunch of maids. If I have a concubine, I can forget about being with Zisu for the rest of my life!"
The Emperor rolled his eyes at him: "You good-for-nothing brat, you're not even married yet and she's already got you wrapped around her little finger. A concubine will definitely be appointed, it's just a matter of whether it's before or after the marriage. How about this, I'll agree to appoint a concubine a year after your marriage! If you perform your duties well and satisfy me, I can also consider taking a maid after the marriage!"
Prince Duan: "I won't agree to that. I don't want any concubines or maids!"
The Emperor: "You brat, get out of here!"
What a spineless wretch! He's so stubborn about a woman. Having concubines and mistresses is something countless men dream of; how can he be so oblivious? He might agree not to bestow titles on the concubines, but he'll definitely take in several concubines and mistresses. Otherwise, how can he endure his wife's menstrual periods and childbirth?
Poor families, due to their poverty, cannot afford to take concubines. When their wives are giving birth or menstruating, the men have no choice but to endure it—it's a helpless situation. For Hao'er, a prince, to have to suffer such humiliation is something his uncle, the Emperor, will absolutely not allow!
Hao'er is stubborn and can't bear to hurt Zisu. So, after Hao'er gets married, if Zisu is virtuous enough, she should take the initiative to arrange for Hao'er to take in a few concubines. Otherwise, her time as a princess consort is over!
******
After dinner, Zisu was practicing calligraphy in her study when Xiangli suddenly came to report: "Miss, the general has arrived!"
Zisu quickly put down her brush and went out to greet him: "Father, please come in quickly!"
The father and daughter went into the study together and sat facing each other at the coffee table.
Shangguan Mufeng: "Zisu, what are your plans for Prince Duan?"
Zisu: "I have no intention of getting involved with him!"
Shangguan Mufeng: "If that's the case, then why did you still ask him to help you dig sweet potatoes?"
Zisu: "He's shameless and I can't get rid of him no matter what I do. He follows me wherever I go. I had no choice but to make him dig sweet potatoes!"
Shangguan Mufeng was both amused and exasperated: "Zisu, your father has been appointed Minister of War. With your current status, you are qualified to be the Princess Consort of Prince Duan!"
Zisu: "What? Father, didn't I say you were to retire from the army and return to your hometown, or take on a sinecure?"
Shangguan Mufeng: "Alas, the Emperor won't allow it! Your father has no choice but to leave it at that for now. I'll serve for three years, and once my term is up, I'll retire and return to my hometown! That's good too. If your father is the Minister of War, it will be of great help to your marriage!"
Zisu: "Father, I didn't want to marry into the royal family, I didn't want to marry Prince Duan!"
Shangguan Mufeng: "Zisu, actually Prince Duan is a very good person, and Father saved his life. If you marry him, you'll know him well, and even if he only cares about Father, he wouldn't dare let you suffer any major injustice!"
At the very least, they wouldn't dare to overthrow the wife by taking a concubine; they would at least preserve Zisu's dignity as the principal wife. If Zisu married Prince Duan, she could be said to have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of her life and could live a stable and comfortable life.
Zisu: "I want to find a good man like Father, who will not take concubines or maids, and will only have me for the rest of his life. Moreover, Prince Duan's status is too noble. If he stops loving me in the future, no matter how he treats me, Father and Mother cannot even say a word to blame him."
Shangguan Mufeng: "That's true. With such a noble status, who but the Emperor could possibly tell him what to do?"
Zisu: "Father, if I were to marry someone from a similar or even lower family background, then if my in-laws wrong me, you and Mother could stand up for me. Or, my in-laws might be too proud of you to do anything to wrong me."
Just then, Madam Yu pushed open the door and entered: "Husband, I also think Zisu is right. Although Prince Duan is very good, if our daughter marries him, even if she suffers grievances, she will have to swallow her pride and bear it!" She had been standing outside the door for quite a while, and she had heard both her daughter's and husband's words.
Previously, she thought Prince Duan was a good person and deeply devoted to her daughter, and even considered matchmaking between them. However, after listening to her daughter's words, she realized they made a lot of sense. Perhaps marrying Prince Duan wouldn't be a wise move.
"Very well, marriage is a major life event, you should think it through! Prince Duan is indeed a good person. If you miss this opportunity, it won't be so easy to find someone as good as him!" Shangguan Mufeng sighed deeply, still feeling regretful.
Zisu: "Father, I understand! Don't worry, I'm only fourteen years old, still very young! Maybe someday, I'll meet a very suitable person."
"I hope so. It's getting late, let's go back to our rooms and rest!" Shangguan Mufeng sighed and stood up.
Zisu is still young, but Prince Duan is quite old; he's already twenty-one and should have been married long ago! Sigh, Prince Duan is far too old for Zisu. Zisu is only fourteen and a half, still a long way from sixteen. Even if Prince Duan is willing to wait, the Emperor probably won't want him to. I'm sure it won't be long before the Emperor bestows several concubines upon him.
Even a concubine or a secondary concubine. A concubine could be listed in the imperial genealogy, a higher status than a noble concubine in an ordinary family. A noble concubine in an ordinary family, however, could not be listed in the family genealogy.
However, if Zisu were to agree to Prince Duan's proposal now and the marriage be arranged early, given Prince Duan's fondness for her, he probably wouldn't appoint concubines or secondary consorts before the wedding. At most, he would only take a few maids. He could even have Prince Duan petition the Emperor for a marriage decree; with such a decree, no one could take Zisu's position as the principal wife in the future.
However, given Prince Duan's status and the Emperor's favor towards him, it's practically impossible—completely unrealistic—for him to have only one woman, Zisu! Moreover, Prince Duan's mother only had him as a son, and his father had long since passed away. Even if the Emperor didn't interfere, his mother wouldn't allow him to be without a concubine.
Sigh, it's such a dilemma, I can't make a decision!
Shangguan Mufeng shook his head and tugged at his wife's sleeve: "Let's go. Let Zisu think it over carefully. Don't disturb her! After all, she has to walk her own path in life. So, I think we should let her make her own decision about marriage!"
Zisu: "Thank you, Father. Farewell, Father and Mother!"
Autumn has passed and winter has come; spring will soon arrive as well.
Zisu, along with her mother and younger brother, moved to the capital with their father. Many officials who were serving in other places also returned to the capital to report on their duties.
Marquis Zhongxin, who had been serving as the Governor-General of Jiangzhe in Jiangnan, also returned to the capital with his family. Marquis Zhongxin, Fang Jiangong, was forty years old and had five sons and two daughters. Fang Heng, twenty-five years old at the time, was Fang Jiangong's eldest son and also the heir apparent of Marquis Zhongxin.
March of that year also happened to coincide with the Spring Examination, which was the examination for successful candidates in the provincial examinations. A month after the Spring Examination ended, in April, was the Palace Examination, which was the examination for successful candidates in the provincial examinations.
Fang Heng, the heir apparent of the Marquis of Zhongxin, was a scholar who passed both the civil and military examinations five years ago. After five years of training in the northeastern military camp, he returned to the capital to participate in this year's spring imperial examination. Originally, as the heir apparent of the Marquis of Zhongxin, he had no need to take the imperial examination to enter officialdom. However, in order to prove his abilities and to live a more fulfilling life, he still participated in the examination.
Five years later, he returned to the examination hall, touching the hearts of many.
Some people had high hopes for him, wishing he could make it into the top three. However, many more were waiting to see him fail. These people, regardless of their background, were all from noble families or aristocratic clans, and had little to do with ordinary people.
Fang Heng, as the heir apparent of the Marquis of Zhongxin, could have easily secured a leisurely and respectable official position in the capital by virtue of his status. However, he insisted on taking the imperial examinations to enter officialdom. After passing both the civil and military examinations, he gave up his position in the Imperial Guard and went to the Northeast Army camp to start as an ordinary soldier.
His appearance made many people dislike him, especially spoiled young men who hated him to the core. Why? Because these spoiled young men's fathers often used Fang Heng to teach them a lesson, telling them to learn from Fang Heng.
Zisu paid close attention to the news of the imperial examinations.
Because Fang Heng, her benefactor from her past life, will be the top scholar in this year's imperial examination. Not only that, after the palace examination, he will also be among the top three, becoming the enviable third-place scholar.
The exam results came out, and as expected, Fang Heng, just like in his previous life, passed the imperial examination with top honors.
Zisu was very happy. She changed into a pale yellow dress and took some pears and cherries to Huangjue Temple to offer incense.
In her past life, it was on this very day, about five or six miles from Huangjue Temple, that she encountered Fang Heng. That time, Shangguan Zhihua had plotted to harm Zisu, tampering with the carriage Zisu was riding in. Fortunately, Fang Heng, who was out on a spring outing with his classmates, happened to be passing by on horseback. He risked his life to stop the carriage from veering off a cliff. Because of this, Zisu escaped with her life.
Zisu always remembered this kindness. In her past life, Fang Heng's help to her was the only warmth she had, and also the only beautiful memory she had.