Chapter 17
Xie Qinghong sat inside reading. It was raining today, with occasional spring thunder. Dark clouds hung heavily in the sky, and the green plants in the garden, nourished by the spring rain, looked even more verdant and lovely. The weather was rather muggy, and even with all the windows open, the room still felt oppressively stuffy.
Just now, both his father and elder brother were summoned to the palace, and his elder brother was also on duty there. Xie Qinghong knew that something important must have happened. The Xie family had snatched the person His Majesty had chosen for the Prince of the South, so naturally they would have to pay the price.
When she had that dream, she only vaguely saw Qin Heng's self-narration in the book, saying that the Xie family was unwilling to marry their daughter to him, a second son who could not inherit the title, so he stopped interfering. After that, the emperor issued an edict to arrange the marriage, and the Xie family's daughter left her hometown to marry a foreign prince, and did not return to her homeland for ten years.
For those ten years, no one knew whether she was alive or dead; they could only guess from the occasional sorrow on the faces of the Xie family that she had not been doing well. Indeed, without family to rely on, and without the prosperity and splendor of Wangjing, the usually pampered young girl could only endure hardship.
The words in the book slipped through her eyes, but left no trace in her memory. Xie Qinghong simply closed the book, took an umbrella, and went to the garden to look at the lotus leaves sprouting in the pond. The raindrops pattered densely on the surface of the pond, and the pattering sound of the rain rang in her ears through the umbrella. The spring breeze in March was not cold.
She stood there for an unknown amount of time. The rain lessened, and the dark clouds on the horizon slowly dispersed, revealing soft, fluffy white clouds. A swallow's cry swept by, and she looked up to see that the sky had cleared.
Her brother hurried past her across the covered walkway, only to find her gazing at the sky silently in the garden. Afraid of startling her, he lowered his voice and called out, "Ah Yao."
Xie Qinghong turned around and saw the worry that he couldn't hide on his face. A part of her heart immediately felt empty. So this was the fate that had been arranged for her. Before she could even struggle, she was already in the torrent.
"Brother, what is it?" She smiled and put away her umbrella as she walked onto the covered walkway.
Xie Qingya's expression turned serious: "Because my uncle intends to arrange a marriage between Qingke and a woman from the Qin family, and His Majesty has agreed to the marriage between the Prince of Nan and his son, there is no one to fulfill the agreement. My uncle recommended you."
This was something Xie Qinghong hadn't expected. She was slightly surprised, but then a thought struck her: "His Majesty has promised the Xie family many benefits? Or is this for the sake of the country and its people?"
Xie Qingya nodded approvingly. His sister's composure in the face of danger and her ability to guess the hidden truth gave him some comfort. However, considering their current situation, he explained to her in detail as they walked: "Not only that, His Majesty intends to grant me the title of Duke, and says that Qingke has high talent, but lacks outstanding virtue. What do you think this means?"
Xie Qinghong pondered slowly: "Your Majesty is using my cousin to coerce my uncle. There is no need to worry about my cousin's family background and talent, but there is much to be done about his character. If my cousin's official appointment is delayed because of this, and his future is ruined, my uncle will also find it difficult to inherit the title of Duke."
“So,” she stopped, her eyes turning cold, “my uncle sacrificed me for the sake of the ducal title and my cousin’s future.”
"Don't worry, Ayao, this matter can still be resolved. Today, your father has already firmly refused, and many in the court do not approve of the marriage alliance. The Prince of Nan also said before that he had no intention of marrying. Your Majesty should at least consider the Prince's wishes. However, the phrase 'for the greater good of the country' is too absurd." Xie Qingya frowned. He had always been upright and honest, and did not agree with the practice of forming cliques or using marriage alliances.
Emperor Xingde distrusted the Prince of the South, fearing that if he stayed in the South for too long, he might consolidate his power and become a local tyrant, and what would happen if he rebelled? But since it was not yet time for war, the Prince of the South could not be found to have done anything wrong, so he could only show him favor first and take this opportunity to place people in the South to keep an eye on him.
Xie Qinghong didn't answer. She only remembered that in the book in her dream, according to Qin Heng, she was a bride sent to the south for a political marriage. It shouldn't be considered a political marriage, right? Although it was the same as leaving one's hometown and being far away from one's homeland.
Has the plot changed, or has Qin Heng simply confused things?
She couldn't understand it, so she told her brother that she wanted to be alone. She went back to her room and lay down on the bed to try to recall the details, but the tiny bit of the story was like a flower in a mirror, impossible to see clearly.
In a daze, Xie Qinghong drifted into a dream and saw the book again. He quickly opened it and found that the whole book was about Qin Heng's wisdom in suppressing the court officials and his smooth career. Occasionally, there were interludes about Zheng Yingluo using her knowledge from her previous life to help high-ranking officials avoid disasters. The couple worked together to dominate the court and had many admirers.
Who wants to read this nonsense and wild speculation?!
Xie Qinghong turned the pages with increasing force, almost crushing them, before finally finding something about himself:
"After being reborn, it was springtime again in February. Qin Heng recalled the wedding procession that stretched for ten miles along the street at this time of year and couldn't help but sigh at the Xie family's wealth. However, all that rich dowry sent to the south ended up in the treasury of the Southern King's mansion, and the Xie family was furious but helpless."
"What a pity, what a pity! If only I had been more resolute back then, first betrothing the Xie family's daughter, then marrying the seventh daughter of the Zheng family, both my beloved and the bright moon in the sky would have entered my inner quarters. This would have spared them a lifetime of misery, and allowed me to enjoy the bliss of having two wives. Only then would I have lived a worthwhile life in this second chance."
Xie Qinghong slammed the book shut. No wonder her mother said those plays were just the fantasies of low-class men, completely illogical and even incoherent! The first part clearly said she was a bride sent for political reasons, but then it became a marriage to a man in the south. Dreaming of having multiple wives? Keep dreaming!
Even in my dreams, I'll throw the book away!
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