Chapter 380 Disappointed that you're not living up to your potential!
"The Duke of Wei intends to arrange a marriage for his eldest grandson, and the candidate is Fengju. Therefore, she must be the legitimate daughter."
The words struck Madam Yan like a thunderbolt, her head buzzing and her temples throbbing. After a long while, she finally found her voice, "Master... what did you say?"
Yan Shuyang had anticipated her reaction; Yan Fengju needed her consent to be registered under her name, so she patiently explained again:
"The Duke of Wei intends to arrange a marriage for his eldest grandson, and the candidate is Fengju. Therefore, she must be the legitimate daughter."
Madam Yan clenched her handkerchief tightly, forcing herself to remain calm as she asked, "The Duke of Wei intends to propose marriage for his eldest grandson, and the candidate is Fengju?"
Yan Shuyang smiled slightly, but when he saw the stiff expression on Madam Yan's face, he stopped smiling and said, "You have always been reasonable and considerate of the big picture. Fengju is successful today because of her own hard work, but all these years you have treated her like your own daughter, taught her manners and nurtured her character, which is why she is where she is today."
Yan Shuyang softened her tone, her words carrying a deliberate gentleness, "The Duke of Wei's family took the initiative to propose marriage because they value Fengju and also to save face for our Yan family. If this matter is settled, it will benefit you, me, and the entire Yan family. As the matriarch, you understand the weight of the word 'accomplishment' best. Putting Fengju under your name is not only in accordance with the will of Heaven but also preserves the dignity of us as elders. What do you say?"
Madam Yan gave a stiff smile. "What you say is true. It is a blessing for Fengju to be favored by the Duke of Wei's mansion, and it is also a matter of honor for our Yan family."
Madam Yan tightened her grip on the handkerchief, her smile still somewhat strained, but she tried to soften her tone, "But... the Duke of Wei's family is of such illustrious lineage, why would they suddenly take a liking to Fengju? Although she has entered the Heavenly Crafts Bureau, she is ultimately..."
She paused, but ultimately didn't utter the words "illegitimate daughter."
Yan Shuyang's smile and deliberate gentleness gradually disappeared. He lowered his head, tugged at his robe, and said, "Fengju is now a member of the Heavenly Crafts Bureau, receiving a salary from the imperial court. She is a proper official, which makes her different from ordinary young ladies."
Yan Shuyang looked up at her, his tone carrying an undeniable certainty, "Besides, she comes from the Grand Tutor's Mansion. Even if she is born out of wedlock, she is still more respectable than the legitimate daughters of ordinary families. What the Duke of Wei's Mansion values is her potential—the Heavenly Crafts Department is favored by His Majesty, and she is a capable member of it. Her future is limitless."
He straightened his cuffs, his voice calm yet clear: "Although Ning Yunchuan is the eldest grandson of the Duke of Wei's mansion, what the Duke of Wei's mansion wants is a marriage alliance that can help them. Fengju's official position and future prospects are exactly what they want. If Fengju is registered under your name, you will gain a daughter with official robes and a son-in-law with a distinguished background. How wonderful!"
Madam Yan took a deep breath silently. "What you say is true, sir. It would be respectable to register Fengju under my name."
Madam Yan's voice lowered slightly, her fingers gripping the handkerchief turning slightly white. "But... Fengxi is my own daughter, the legitimate eldest daughter of the Yan family. Now, Fengju is to marry into the Duke of Wei's mansion, a family of the highest rank in the capital. If Fengxi's future marriage is not as good as Fengju's, wouldn't it make our legitimate daughter seem inferior..."
She paused, then swallowed the rest of her sentence.
Yan Shuyang's face showed displeasure. "Then what do you want to do?"
Madam Yan turned to look at Yan Fengxi, who stood to one side with red and swollen eyes, and clenched her handkerchief tightly, saying, "I believe that what the Duke of Wei values is not necessarily Fengju's official position, but rather the power of my Yan family. In fact, Fengxi is more..."
"Nonsense!"
"Mother."
Yan Shuyang and Yan Fengxi spoke at the same time. They looked at each other and Yan Shuyang said to Yan Fengxi with a stern face, "You speak."
He thought Yan Fengxi would persuade Madam Yan, but to his surprise, she knelt down with a thud and said, "Your daughter admires Prince Rui and hopes that Father and Mother will grant her wish."
......
The room fell silent; Madam Yan's hands trembled with anger. Who was she trying to persuade with all this? Wasn't it all to secure a good husband for her, to prevent her from being oppressed by a concubine's daughter? And yet, she was fixated on Prince Rui. Was Prince Rui someone she could possibly aspire to?
But this is her own daughter, what can she say?
At this moment, Yan Shuyang's voice rang out, "Do you know what nonsense you're spouting! How many noble ladies in the capital admire Prince Rui? But look around, has anyone ever gotten their wish?"
He took a breath, his eyes sharp as knives: "The marriage of Prince Rui is to be decided by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager themselves. How dare we interfere? Those who tried to get involved all ended up getting humiliated, and some even caused their families to lose the Emperor's favor!"
Pointing at Yan Fengxi's nose, his tone became even more somber: "Give up on that idea as soon as possible! Not to mention that Prince Rui might not even look at you, even if he did, you won't get past the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, so it's all just empty talk! Behave yourself, and your father will find you a suitable match."
"No, I'd be willing to be a concubine." Yan Fengxi sobbed on the ground.
Madam Yan pulled her up with heartache, wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, and said, "I know what you said, sir, but with Fengxi crying like this, I, as her mother, can't care about anything else."
Madam Yan embraced Yan Fengxi, patting her back gently, her voice choked with emotion, "She's never suffered such injustice in her life. Now that she's like this, my heart feels like it's being pricked by needles. How can I think of anything else? As for Fengju's matter... let me think about it for a while. Let me try to talk to this child properly, okay?"
Yan Shuyang glanced at the mother and daughter with a deep look in his eyes, then stood up and said, "Then think it over carefully. Fengju needs to become the legitimate daughter before the engagement. If you can't make up your mind, go back to your parents' home and let your father-in-law analyze it for you."
Madam Yan's face stiffened again. Her family was not as powerful as before, and now they were dependent on the Grand Tutor's mansion. If her father knew, he would probably rush over to apologize that very night, and then force her to agree to this matter.
Yan Shuyang strode away, and Yan Fengju's cries grew louder, even bringing tears to Madam Yan's eyes. When she had previously suppressed those concubine's daughters, she had never imagined that one day she would be driven to such a state by a concubine's daughter.
She gently pushed Yan Fengxi away, wiped away her tears, and asked, "Tell me what happened before."
Sobbing, Yan Fengxi looked at Madam Yan through her teary eyes and said, "Mother, please agree to my request. If you use the fact that Yan Fengju is registered under your name to threaten Grandfather and Father, they will definitely find a way to marry me to Prince Rui. I don't ask for anything else, I only ask for the position of a concubine."
Madam Yan: "........."
I'm so disappointed in you!
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