Chapter 87: Comparison
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Not wanting to marry is one thing, but being belittled like this was intolerable. Mingzhu couldn’t bear it any longer and shouted, “Am I that worthless in your eyes?”
Fu Mingzheng replied with a smile that wasn’t a smile, “What else? Do you think you’re extraordinary? Is he infatuated with you, unable to marry anyone else?”
Mingzhu pouted angrily, wanting to retort: No, Yuwen Chu must have wanted to marry her long ago, otherwise, he wouldn’t have put so much effort into scheming for her. But the words circled in her mouth for a while and never came out.
Yuwen You hated her so much but married her because of interests. Yuwen Chu could certainly marry her because of interests too, but the need to marry her and the unwillingness to marry anyone else were two completely different things. Thinking of this, Mingzhu couldn’t help but feel a little despondent. She probably wouldn’t meet that person who was infatuated with her and wouldn’t marry anyone else in her life.
Fu Mingzheng saw her first angry, then melancholic, feeling somewhat sorry in his heart. But considering that her marriage was destined to not be simple, if she continued to hold on to the same innocence and courage she had towards Yuwen You in the past, she might end up in trouble again. So he hardened his heart and said, “Doing foolish things once or twice is enough. If you do it a third or fourth time, you’ll only end up drowning yourself. Alright, I’m leaving. Just stay at home peacefully. You’re currently in the spotlight, so don’t go out looking for trouble.”
Seeing that he was not accommodating, Mingzhu had no choice but to find another way. However, with her notorious reputation, her family knew she was a troublemaker, so they refused to let her go. She had no choice but to pretend to be a reformed and virtuous woman, just so she could accompany Madam Cui and listen to the gossip outside.
The overly talkative wife of the Dali Temple came to visit and excitedly talked about the situation with the Wusun delegation.
“Those Wusun people look very different from us, with high noses, deep-set eyes, curly hair, and very tall and strong. They brought furs, jewels, and fine horses, wanting to exchange them for our tea, grain, silk, and porcelain. They even want to marry one of our princesses as their wife…”
She suddenly lowered her voice, leaned close to Madam Cui’s ear, and whispered, “Sister, you must have heard what the Prime Minister said, right? The King of Wusun is already an old man in his fifties or sixties, with many children. Wusun is a barbaric land, living in felt tents, living on raw meat and blood. Who would be patient enough to go there? The concubines and princesses in the palace must be crying their hearts out now, wondering who will be chosen?”
Madam Cui was not impressed. “The marriage alliance between the two countries is a major national affair. The Emperor will decide, and the princesses are deeply favored by the Emperor. It’s a supreme honor for whoever is chosen.”
Everyone knew that the young Emperor couldn’t handle affairs, so it was either the Great Empress Dowager or the Prime Minister who made the decisions. Otherwise, Empress Dowager Min would also intervene, depending on whose methods were more ruthless.
The wife of the Dali Temple not only failed to inquire about the inside story but also ended up making a fool of herself. She smiled awkwardly, grabbed Mingzhu’s hand, and said, “Hmm, it’s been a while, and you’ve become even more beautiful. Sister, not to flatter this child, but she is indeed getting more beautiful with age. It’s not an exaggeration to say that she resembles the Great Empress Dowager of the past…”
Madam Cui said, “Aunt and Niece, it’s a common occurrence.”
Mingzhu lowered her eyes, blushing with a shy smile, saying nothing. The wife of the Dali Temple found it strange that she, who used to be like a carnivorous cat, had suddenly turned into a vegetarian rabbit. She smiled and said, “Look at this gentle and dignified appearance. She’s almost on par with the second daughter of Changxing Marquis.”
Mingzhu couldn’t help but feel choked. Was this her fate, to be compared with Jiang Shanshan in both lifetimes? She felt uncomfortable, but also guilty because of what happened with Yuwen Chu earlier.
She smiled and said, “Second Sister Jiang is gentle and dignified. I’m not as good as her.”
“Look at you, so modest.” The wife of the Dali Temple laughed exaggeratedly and brought up gossip about Jiang Shanshan and Yuwen Chu again. “In terms of age, Jiang Shanshan is several years older than Mingzhu. The Madam of Changxing Marquis is eager for her to get married soon. Unfortunately, some expert advised Ying Wang not to marry early, fearing it would harm his wife and children. So it’s been delayed for year after year.”
Is there such a thing? Mingzhu was surprised and worried that the wife of the Dali Temple suddenly brought this up. Could she have received some news? She looked at Madam Cui, whose thoughts were similar to hers, but showed nothing on her face, calmly saying, “Such things happen, and yet the marriage is still delayed.”
The Madam of the Dali Temple became interested, “It’s something unknown to most people outside. I only heard about it accidentally from the sister-in-law of Marquis Changxing’s family.”
Seeing that she didn’t seem to know the inside story, Madam Cui breathed a sigh of relief, “In that case, Miss Jiang can be considered dragged into it.”
The Madam of the Dali Temple chuckled, “Indeed. His Royal Highness Ying Wang is truly a modest gentleman. He has proposed several times out of fear of burdening the bride, otherwise, the marriage would have been called off. However, the Marquis Changxing and Second Miss Jiang are both honest and trustworthy. They say marriage is not child’s play; marrying a chicken follows the chicken, marrying a dog follows the dog. This is fate for each person…”
Suddenly remembering that the person in front of her was a stubborn and wicked woman who treated marriage as child’s play, she was shocked and quickly covered her mouth, chuckling awkwardly, “If you ask me, her family was attracted to His Royal Highness’s noble background, gentle and capable demeanor, so they were willing to wait. If it were someone stubborn and of bad character, they would have found a way to back out long ago.”
Madam Cui felt displeased, giving a disdainful snort from her nostrils. Mingzhu chuckled at the irony; well, with Jiang Shanshan as a comparison, she was the one who was stubborn, of bad character, untrustworthy, and disrespectful to women. Oh well, comparisons are odious.
If Jiang Shanshan was the epitome of noble ladies in the capital, then she was the extreme example that one should never follow.
The Madam of the Dali Temple realized her mistake in speaking and didn’t want to stay any longer. She made an excuse to leave, but before departing, she tried to please, “Kundu Wang of the Wusun tribe has brought his daughter to the capital for diplomatic purposes. It is said that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager intends to host a banquet for this Wusun princess. At that time, unmarried daughters of the royal family and the daughters of officials ranked fourth grade or higher are expected to attend.”
Mingzhu remembered this event, but at that time, she was already married and naturally not on the list. This time, she was definitely going to attend, unless Empress Dowager Min held a grudge against her and intentionally embarrassed the Fu family by not allowing her to go. But considering Empress Dowager Min’s petty and face-saving nature, she guessed she wouldn’t be forbidden from attending but might be humiliated during the banquet.
Seeing her excitement, Madam Cui sneered, “Don’t dream too much. I won’t allow you to leave the house.”
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