Chapter 37
Yingxiang stared straight at the person in front of her, mostly puzzled. Wasn't it said that people in ancient times valued reputation highly? The person in front of her came from a scholarly family, so why was he behaving this way?
In an era where polygamy was legal, she knew she couldn't fight back, but she wasn't without other options.
“I have admired him for a long time, and it was love at first sight. I know you are his wife, but he has a bright future and can't stay with you alone. I think, for his sake and for our future, you can persuade him to grant me the status of a secondary wife and let me into the family. I am an only child, and my parents will definitely not mistreat me.”
Liu Yan spoke very softly, being very careful in public. Yingxiang remained stunned for a long time after hearing this, looking at the person in front of her with confusion.
In the noisy teahouse, everyone was chatting excitedly, and no one paid attention to them. However, Liu Yan's words seemed too unusual to her. Her tone seemed to carry a hint of humility, which was completely different from the rich young lady she had met by chance that day.
Although the two of them didn't speak that day, she looked completely different from how she does today.
But has she gone mad? A concubine is not the same as a principal wife. Although she is not a concubine, would her parents agree to it? Wen Shi is not a so-called "phoenix man" (a man from a poor background who achieves success), otherwise she would have entered the family long ago. Looking at the thin, earnest girl in front of her, Yingxiang couldn't help but sigh. What a mess.
"Women in the inner quarters are dependent on men, an age-old custom. As you probably know, no matter what I say, I can't control him."
“Young lady, you have a good family background and good looks, why are you so fixated on this one man? Anyone who didn’t know better would think he was the only man left in the world. Did your parents know you came here today?”
Liu Yan's expression changed. She really had no choice. Her parents absolutely disagreed, no matter what she said, it wouldn't work. Her father was even threatening her. As for Wen Shi, it was even less likely. He never wanted to rely on nepotism and only wanted to rely on himself.
After much deliberation, she finally decided to find a breakthrough by approaching Wen Shi's wife. She could try to entice her gently until she was inside the family. She refused to believe that she couldn't control or manage a country woman in the future.
She was bowing her head now for a better life in the future. She didn't believe she would misjudge someone, and feelings could be cultivated slowly.
"Miss Liu."
Yingxiang's tone became more serious, and her expression changed. Liu Yan looked at her, more puzzled than anything else.
"Call me jealous or resentful, but as long as I live, I will never help her take a concubine, much less help him marry any so-called secondary wife."
"It's better to rely on yourself than on others. This is a life principle that my husband and I have always believed in."
"Whether your family is wealthy or powerful, that's yours."
After Yingxiang finished speaking, she strode away. Liu Yan watched her retreating figure, her face flushed with shame and indignation.
Yingxiang's words were like a bucket of cold water, especially her lines that said it's better to rely on yourself than on others, and that she wouldn't help him take a concubine or a second wife. These words made her feel even more humiliated.
She's just a country woman, probably illiterate, what gives her the audacity to speak like that? She's truly ignorant. Does she really think that since Wen Shi married her early on, she'll be his only wife for life?
"Miss."
Her trusted maid looked worried, and Liu Yan's face paled without her noticing. She stormed out, but of course, she couldn't go back just because she had made an excuse to go out for a stroll.
I randomly went to a shop, picked out some clothes and jewelry, and then went back.
The weather turned gloomy again without anyone noticing, and Yingxiang didn't stay outside for long before going back home. This incident directly affected her good mood.
What Liu Yan didn't know was that someone was following her. Before she even got home, Tang Shi already knew the whole story and was so angry she almost fainted.
What a tragedy! What crime did she commit in her past life that God would punish her like this? Tang almost fainted from exhaustion.
Previously, when Liu Yan's health improved, she even apologized to her. They thought their daughter had come to terms with it and understood, but they didn't expect her to still be so persistent and deliberately deceive them.
“Madam, we can’t tolerate Miss like this any longer. If word gets out and the whole family loses face, that would be terrible. The First Madam and the Old Madam won’t let it go like this.”
"The First Madam is ruthless and has a lot of say in front of the Old Madam. She will inevitably face family discipline."
Tang did not ignore what her trusted old woman said.
She sat in the chair, her gaze fixed on the exquisitely crafted teacup on the table, her slender fingers tapping the surface absently.
This time, I called my daughter over for her wedding. She's old enough to get married now, but I never expected such a big accident to happen.
"Prepare the carriage. When Miss returns, put her in it immediately. I'll take her back to the prefectural city first to get some writing materials. I'll leave a letter for Master."
"yes."
As Tang said this, a flash of ruthlessness crossed her eyes.
The women in the inner quarters should not be underestimated. Even though she hadn't experienced much firsthand, she had seen plenty of them in the prefectural city over the years. If soft tactics didn't work, then hard tactics would do. She refused to believe that this matter couldn't be resolved.
After the old woman brought over the pen and ink, Tang picked up the pen and wrote a letter with a focused expression. After putting it away, she asked the old woman to take it to the steward.
This matter needs to be resolved eventually. Rather than dragging it out, it's better to take drastic measures to solve it sooner rather than later.
Inside the county school, Master Liu was unaware of this matter. After class, he returned to his study.
Wen Shi sat in his seat, reading intently. His deskmate, who was good at socializing, noticed that several classmates had gathered around and the discussion was getting louder. Wen Shi was also distracted and went over to listen.
It was mainly what they were talking about that I found somewhat interesting.
"Is what you're saying true? Are you sure that Mr. Huang Li has resigned from his official post and returned to his hometown to open an academy?"
The name Huang Li is familiar to everyone. It can be said that no scholar in the surrounding prefectures and counties is unaware of him, and teachers often use Huang Li's deeds to encourage them.
Huang Li began his studies at the age of six, passed the imperial examination at the age of twelve, and then achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations. He initially served in the Hanlin Academy, and later experienced various postings. Over the past thirty years, his career has taken him to various places, from a low-ranking sixth-grade civil official to a first-rank official, serving as the Minister of Rites.
What's most admirable is his personal ability. You have to remember that he was just an ordinary farmer's son before. He got to where he is today entirely on his own. His character and talent are both top-notch.
He is also the person Wen Shi most wants to become.
Many people say that everything will be fine after becoming an official, but those who truly understand officialdom know that this is just the beginning, and it is really difficult to have a smooth career.
Wen Shi was not bad in his studies, he was diligent and eager to learn, and he was also of good character. Even so, Master Liu did not think highly of him, which was also because of his family background. To put it bluntly, it was best not to be a burden.
Given Wen Shi's background, if no one had helped him, he would have become an official by sheer luck, at most a county magistrate, and that would have been the end of his career; he wouldn't have advanced any further.
The evaluation after becoming an official not only requires outstanding political achievements, but also the ability to cultivate connections. This is not something that can be accomplished in one generation. If you have a wealthy family background, that's fine, but if you have little or no family background, you have to save up first, unless you are extremely lucky and someone is willing to help you. But over the years, how many students from rural families have become successful? Most of them live a mediocre life, neither good nor bad.
It is quite normal for a family to go through three to five generations to prosper.
Wen Shi was well aware that the path Huang Li took might not be the path he would take in the future; it depended on fate and luck, not entirely on one's abilities.
There is no denying that Mr. Huang is a truly remarkable person.
"The old gentleman is over forty years old. I thought he was just returning to his hometown to retire, but I didn't expect him to actually open an academy. Are there any requirements for the students?"
Some people are already eager to try.
"The amount of money he received as a filial gift wasn't much, about the same as what we would receive in the county. He doesn't rely on this to make money, and I guess he probably finds retirement life boring."
"However, it is very difficult to become his student. I have heard that many students have gone to his house but have failed. Among them are many children from wealthy and official families."
"But why didn't he go back to his hometown county to retire? Why did he go to the prefectural city? He brought his whole family back with him."
“The prefectural city is bustling and prosperous. The old man has lived in the capital for many years and may not like the county, but he is nostalgic for his hometown. The journey from the prefectural city to the county is less than a day if there is a carriage. It is closer because his hometown is not far from our county, but it is still quite a distance to the prefecture.”
"Apart from his old lady, none of his other children and grandchildren have returned. The old man has three sons, and I heard that they have all entered officialdom. His eldest son is already a fourth-rank official at a young age."
"That's really impressive."
"Have you considered becoming apprentices to them?"
"We have to give it a try, even if we don't know exactly where it is."
"It's on East Street in Songjiang Prefecture, not far from the Songjiang Prefecture Government Office."
"If you go from our county, it will take at least three to five days. However, if you can successfully become an apprentice and pass the exam, your career path will definitely be easier."
“You can learn real skills from him. The old gentleman has been in officialdom for many years and has a lot of experience. Although he has resigned, his previous connections and subordinates are still there. For those of us who are not wealthy, with his introduction, our future careers will definitely be easier.”
Some quick-thinking students had already started thinking about what opportunity to go there. The county school was good, but that was only in comparison to other academies in the county. The biggest advantage of the county school was that it was run by the government and the price was preferential.
However, there are also drawbacks. Although the teachers here have been teaching for many years, their thinking is inevitably rigid. Ordinary farmers' children do not have many choices, while wealthy families often go to famous academies in various places to study and study under great Confucian scholars.
"Don't be too optimistic. Not to mention that the number of people coming to his door every day is no less than the number of people coming to see him, you might have to wait in line for a month and still not be able to see this old gentleman, let alone become his disciple. It's not easy. I heard that he only spends two hours a day meeting with us students from all over the country who come to become his disciples. The questions are tricky and strange, and they are extremely challenging."
Wen Shi sat in the chair without saying a word.
Before long, a teacher came to give a lesson, and everyone immediately returned to their seats and focused on the lesson, as if the discussion had never happened.
After school, Mr. Liu opened his wife's letter, but he didn't think his wife had done anything wrong.
After Wen returned home, he remained silent for a long time. Then he took Yingxiang's hand and asked her how much money her family had left.
Yingxiang was taken aback. Seeing his solemn expression, she roughly calculated that, after deducting the money she had earned from system check-ins, she had less than twenty taels left.
After arriving in the county, he managed to bring back money intermittently, but his daily expenses were still quite high.
Some of that came from the shop's profits, but the money she earned from signing in was her private savings, which she had to keep hidden.
She was truly devoted to him, but she couldn't leave herself no way out. This was roughly in line with Wen Shi's estimation. He glanced at his wife, hesitated for a long time, and finally spoke.
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