Chapter 106: Pitiful
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Mingzhu asked curiously, “How does Father know that he truly cares for me? Besides, I barely know him, and I don’t like him at all…”
She was not familiar with Yuwen Chu at all, and he was so formidable that he always made her feel afraid and insecure. She couldn’t guess his thoughts and intentions at all, and she had no way to control or influence him. Marrying someone was inevitable, but choosing him was not a wise decision.
Fu Cong said, “I naturally know. He has promised me that he will treat you well.”
Indeed, this confirmed her speculation. Father had already agreed to Yuwen Chu’s request. But such words as “promised to treat her well” were just empty talk; anyone could say nice things. Even when Yuwen You and she were on good terms, he had said nice things, but what was the result? It was laughable that Father, who had been clever his whole life, would believe in such vague promises. But it was understandable; he and Mother had lived happily together all their lives, so of course, he would believe in such things. Mingzhu smiled, but there was a hint of disdain in her expression.
Fu Cong noticed and frowned, “What are you laughing at? Your father is old and won’t be able to protect you forever. Even if you’re willing to marry Shen Ruilin, what about it? In my opinion, he’s far more suitable for you and our family than Shen Ruilin. I gave you the opportunity, but you didn’t seize it. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being too clever and handing the opportunity to others.”
His words were somewhat harsh, and Mingzhu felt ashamed. She couldn’t even cry in embarrassment, so she put on a smile and said, “Don’t worry, I understand. He is indeed much better than Shen Ruilin.”
Perhaps she had already anticipated that such a thing might happen, and now that it had actually happened, she wasn’t as upset. With no love in her heart, marrying anyone was the same. As long as Yuwen Chu could help her protect her loved ones, that would be enough.
Seeing that she didn’t vehemently oppose, Fu Cong felt relieved, “It’s good that you can think like this. You didn’t want to marry Shen Ruilin because you liked him, but you were still willing to do it with a happy heart. I believe that once you marry him, you will truly treat him well. You may not like Yuwen Chu, but you must treat him sincerely and happily. Only then will you get what you want. Remember, no one will like someone who only knows how to take without giving.”
Mingzhu nodded vigorously, “I understand, Father. If he treats me well, I will definitely treat him well in return.” If he didn’t treat her well, then he shouldn’t expect to have a good life either.
“Go back now. I have things to discuss with my advisers,” Fu Cong turned to the servant and ordered, “Bring Mr. Jiang and the others over.”
“We must not let Yuwen Xue marry into Wusun,” Mingzhu felt sorry for her father for working so late into the night. She couldn’t even bring herself to advise him to rest more, fearing that any moment she delayed would take away more of his time and prevent him from sleeping even longer, so she couldn’t help but mention it.
Fu Cong became impatient, “Don’t be stubborn! She is the best candidate for the marriage alliance. There are only three eligible princesses of marrying age in the palace, all of whom are from the previous generation. Changhua has already been designated as Ji Country’s, and the diplomatic documents have been exchanged, so that cannot be changed. Then there’s Princess Funing and Princess Kangning. Princess Funing is the younger sister of Ying Wang, and he has helped us a lot in this matter. Even if you and his engagement don’t work out, it would be inappropriate to let Princess Funing go without repaying the favor. As for Princess Kangning, her mother is Consort Xiao, so it’s even more important not to offend them further since the engagement with Yuwen Long didn’t work out.
Going further down, there are several princesses left by Emperor Zhengqian, all of them are still young and immature children. Do we really want to send them to that wilderness? Not to mention whether it would be useful for them to go there, I just can’t bear to send them there at such a young age. In short, we have to choose from within the royal family, and whoever we choose, it will offend someone. Since Yuwen Xue has come knocking on our door herself, she can’t blame anyone else. Now everyone is eager for her to go, especially since it involves you. What do you want me to do?”
It was her mishandling of the situation, but at that time, the situation was urgent, and she didn’t have a better solution. Due to the twists and turns of fate, things turned out this way. The matter proceeded along its original trajectory, leaving Mingzhu feeling extremely frustrated. She attempted one last effort, “But Father, don’t you find it strange that someone of her status and temperament would suddenly do something so audacious, and even manage to smoothly get on the Wusun Wang’s carriage? Could it be a conspiracy?”
“Whatever you can think of, I’ve already considered,” Fu Cong sighed, “But even if it is a conspiracy, it’s too late because you are involved. This is your father’s biggest weakness.”
Wasn’t her biggest weakness her family as well? Mingzhu couldn’t say a word for a moment. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to figure out what exactly had gone wrong back then, let alone how to help Fu Cong. All she could do was remind him, “Then Father must be more cautious and guard against her harming others.”
Fu Cong said seriously, “You can rest assured, I know what to do. Even if she marries into Wusun in the future, she won’t be able to do as she pleases. Everyone has their weaknesses, and so does she. As long as we hold onto them, we don’t have to worry about her not obeying. Alright, go back now! Be obedient.”
Although the problem wasn’t solved all at once, at least Father was now on guard. As long as there was a systematic follow-up, things shouldn’t deteriorate to that extent. Mingzhu finally breathed a sigh of relief, bowed and exited.
As she walked out, Su Lan and Su Mei, who were waiting outside, came forward to drape a cloak over her and reminded her, “Master ordered that Madam shouldn’t know about today’s events. Just say you were detained by the Great Empress Dowager after the palace banquet and won’t be able to return until tomorrow. You can sleep in a little longer tomorrow morning.”
Mingzhu was deeply moved. Only her own father could hide things so seamlessly and timely. Her parents’ relationship had always been very good, and it had only gotten better as they aged. She couldn’t help but wonder, if there ever came a day when Yuwen Chu was willing to treat her with such meticulous care to spare her worries, what would that scene be like?
Halfway there, Fu Mingzheng came running to inquire, “How did it go?”
Mingzhu pretended to be casual and said, “My marriage is settled. After going back and forth, it’s still with someone surnamed Yuwen.”
Since that’s the case, there’s naturally no need to worry about the marriage. The old man had indeed conspired with Yuwen Chu early on. This poor silly girl was sold to a cunning devil by her own father, and yet she still felt sorry for her father who had labored so much for her. There’s a saying, what is it again? Sold out and still counting the money for others.
Fu Mingzheng looked at Mingzhu sympathetically and asked softly, “You’re not happy about it? Do you want Fourth Brother to find a way to mess things up for you?”
Mingzhu smiled and shook her head, “No, I’ve thought it over carefully. Since things have come to this point, as long as it benefits everyone, let it be. Don’t fuss about it anymore, or else Father will go crazy.”
Regardless, Yuwen Chu still had his strengths. Reality had taught her many things, and although there were unresolved grievances, she knew what the right choice was. She would just keep her distance and he couldn’t actually harm her.
Accepting it calmly like this? Fu Mingzheng didn’t believe it, “You…”
Mingzhu flashed him a bright smile, “Really, I just feel like, you know, it’s a bit shameless, bullying others like that.”
It seemed he had worried unnecessarily on her behalf; fools were best at being carefree. Fu Mingzheng sneered disdainfully, “You’ve lost your reputation long ago. Now you’re being melodramatic again. Go away! If I were you, I would only think about how to make people obedient.”
With that, he swayed off, leaving.
Mingzhu slept until dawn, dreaming of the scene when she and Yuwen You were newlyweds. How should she describe that scene? Five or six days out of ten were filled with chaos, three or four days with silent quarrels, and only one day of peace. At that time, she didn’t feel tired, but now even dreaming made her weary. Mingzhu lazily laid in bed, thinking about the past.
Thinking it over, she couldn’t imagine how marrying Yuwen Chu would be worse than before. Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly heard Su Jin whispering outside, “My older brother brought something for me. I’m going to meet him. I heard there was a commotion outside, it seems Linan Wang is here again, and Fourth Master happened to be at home. They actually got into a fight. Many people are saying Linan Wang is pitiful.”
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