Chapter 379 Identity Must Be that of a Legitimate Daughter
Do men know the intricacies of the power struggles among women in the inner quarters?
They are certainly aware of this, and they might even use these struggles as a check and balance.
After Yan Fengju stopped Jiang Yu's sedan chair, Grand Tutor Yan realized that his granddaughter was no ordinary person, and naturally began to value her more. Later, when Yan Fengju entered the Imperial Crafts Bureau, Grand Tutor Yan naturally valued her even more than Yan Fengxi, whose education had been deemed a failure.
However, he thought that Yan Fengxi, who had been carefully taught for many years, should understand this principle and know how important it was for someone in the family to work in the Imperial Workshop. If the eldest daughters of the family did not enter the palace, they would all become the mistress of the household, but Yan Fengxi had no sense of the bigger picture.
At that very moment, Grand Tutor Yan decided that Yan Fengxi absolutely could not be married off, nor could she be married off to her lover's family, otherwise it would surely bring disaster to the family.
Thinking this to himself, the serious and angry expression on his face gradually disappeared, turning into a blank expression. He glanced at Yan Fengxi and Yan Shuyang and said, "The Duke of Wei's mansion intends to propose marriage, and the object of their proposal is Fengju."
A simple sentence stirred up waves in the hearts of Yan Shuyang and Yan Fengxi. The difference was that Yan Shuyang's face showed surprise, while Yan Fengxi instantly lost all color. Her hands clenched the handkerchief tightly in her sleeves, her knuckles turned white, and anger surged in her eyes, but she forced herself to suppress it, only revealing a few stiffness.
"Really?" Yan Shuyang asked in surprise, "Which member of the Duke of Wei's family is the one who proposed marriage?"
Grand Tutor Yan took in the expressions of the two men and replied with a smile, "Fengju is an official, and only the eldest grandson of the Duke of Wei is a suitable match for her."
........
Hahaha.....
The room fell silent, then Yan Shuyang burst into laughter. He truly hadn't expected that his illegitimate daughter, whom he'd never paid any attention to before, would have such good fortune. The eldest grandson of the Duke of Wei! That meant he would inherit the title, which meant his illegitimate daughter would one day be the Duchess of Wei.
Although the Yan family has amassed considerable influence in the capital over the years, they still cannot compare to established noble families like the Duke of Wei's mansion. Moreover, since the Duke of Chu entered the court and gained increasing favor from the emperor, the Duke of Wei's mansion, which has been related to the Duke of Chu's mansion by marriage for many years, has also seen its status rise accordingly.
Not to mention that the eldest grandson of the Duke of Wei is the direct cousin of the Duke of Chu.
“Then… Fengju’s status as a concubine’s daughter seems somewhat inappropriate.” After a moment of joy, Yan Shuyang realized the crux of the problem.
Grand Tutor Yan grunted in acknowledgment, then turned to look at Yan Fengxi, who was kneeling on the ground with a stiff expression, and said, “Get up. As the eldest daughter of the principal wife, you should be mindful of your words and actions. Do not do anything that is disrespectful and disturbs people’s peace.”
"Yes, thank you, Grandfather." Yan Fengxi stood up with tears in her eyes, not daring to find a seat, and stood quietly to the side.
Grand Tutor Yan paid no attention to her behavior and said, "The Duke of Wei naturally knows that Fengju is a concubine's daughter. The fact that he came to propose marriage for his eldest grandson shows that he doesn't care about Fengju's status as a concubine's daughter. However, for the sake of everyone's reputation, we should still register Fengju under your wife's name, so that she will also be a legitimate daughter."
"Yes, that's what my son thinks too." Yan Shuyang said with a smile, "My son will talk to her in a bit and get this settled as soon as possible."
Grand Tutor Yan nodded in satisfaction, "Well, as for the Crown Prince, you don't need to worry about him. Once Fengju and Ning Yunchuan are engaged, the Crown Prince and his allies will have to think twice before doing anything to us."
Firstly, the Yan family is not to be trifled with, and secondly, the Duke of Chu is being highly valued by the Emperor.
"Yes, son understands." Yan Shuyang stood up. "Son will go to the backyard now."
Grand Tutor Yan hummed in acknowledgment. Yan Shuyang looked at Yan Fengxi, who bowed to Grand Tutor Yan and followed him out of the study. Once outside the courtyard, Yan Fengxi, her eyes red, said to Yan Shuyang:
“How could Father do this! Mother is Father’s lawfully wedded wife and the matriarch of the Yan family. Father didn’t even consult with Mother before deciding to register Yan Fengju under Mother’s name, giving her the title of legitimate daughter for no reason. Where does this leave Mother’s face? How am I, the legitimate daughter, supposed to face her in the future?”
Yan Shuyang frowned as he watched her argue with red eyes, his tone stern and unquestionable: "You've really become more and more spoiled and ignorant! Fengju was able to enter the Heavenly Crafts Bureau because of her own abilities. Now she is a proper official of the imperial court, which is an honor for the Yan family!"
"Even without this marriage proposal from the Duke of Wei's family, given her future prospects, it's only a matter of time before she's registered under your mother's name and earns the status of a legitimate daughter. This is a dignity she has earned herself!"
He paused, his gaze fixed intently on Yan Fengxi: "As the eldest daughter of the legitimate wife, instead of thinking about contributing to the family, you are fussing over the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children. Do you know how important Fengju is now? She can pave the way for the Yan family and give your mother more confidence in the household. This is the big picture! If you continue to be so unreasonable, don't blame your father for being impolite!"
Yan Shuyang flicked his sleeves and strode away. Yan Fengxi stood frozen in place, watching Yan Shuyang's resolute departing figure. Her chest felt as if a boulder had crushed it, a dull and painful sensation. She wiped away her tears and quickly followed Yan Shuyang, entering Madam Yan's courtyard one after the other.
The old woman guarding the door was pleasantly surprised to see Yan Shuyang arrive, but when she saw Yan Fengxi, whose eyes were red, following behind him, she knew something might have happened. She immediately gave a signal to another old woman, who smiled, bowed to Yan Shuyang, and then ran off to inform him.
Madam Yan, who was sitting in the small flower hall looking at the account books, frowned upon hearing the old woman's report and immediately got up to greet Yan Shuyang. Yan Shuyang entered just as she reached the door.
Madam Yan bowed and said with a smile, "Fengxi is young and doesn't know any better, sir, please don't take it to heart."
Yan Shuyang snorted heavily. Madam Yan realized that things might not be simple, and asked, "What did Fengxi do to displease the master?"
Yan Shuyang walked to the chair and sat down. "She's very capable; she even made my father angry."
Madam Yan was taken aback. While her heart pounded, she smiled and said, "I will definitely teach her properly later."
Yan Shuyang snorted again, "You and your daughter can talk about her matter later. I'm here to tell you to register Fengju under your name. From now on, she will be your daughter."
........
Madam Yan remained silent for a long time. Yan Shuyang glanced at her and said, "Fengju is now an official, and being registered under your name as your daughter is an honor for you."
Madam Yan's face stiffened, unsure how to refuse. Just then, Yan Shuyang's voice rang out again, "The Duke of Wei intends to propose marriage for his eldest grandson, and the object of his proposal is Fengju. Therefore, she must be the legitimate daughter."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
