Xu Zhi comforted him, "Young Master Zong, everything depends on human effort. No matter what you do, as long as you grasp the other party's weakness, you won't have to worry about them not doing things your way. If you take the initiative, why worry about things not going your way?"
Zong Chengping looked at Xu Zhi with some doubt. Xu Zhi smiled and said, "Unpopular rules are meant to be broken. No family will stick to an unpopular rule for many years. Young Master Zong, as long as you are determined, you will always find a way to break this rule."
Zong Chengping shook his head again, but his expression was much better this time. He said, "My conversation with you today, Madam, has made me feel much better. Madam, it is the best thing that has happened to me in all these years to be able to get to know your daughter. It's just a pity that I can't drag an innocent person down with me into that quagmire. Now that we part ways, I hope you will comfort Miss Zheng."
Zong Chengping stood up and bowed deeply to Xu Zhi, a very grand gesture. Xu Zhi quickly stood up to return the bow. Zong Chengping glanced at Zheng Yuanyuan, then left without looking back.
Looking at Zong Chengping's tall and straight back, Zheng Yuanyuan felt extremely sad and covered her mouth, sobbing. Xu Zhi quickly helped her sit down and said, "Alright, alright, it's rare that this young master Zong isn't a heartless person. He's still thinking about preventing you from falling into that pit of fire with him. You should shut up quickly, it won't be good if people hear you."
Zheng Yuanyuan cried and said, "Sister-in-law, how could such a good person have such a family?"
Xu Zhi sighed and said, "Everyone has to endure various kinds of suffering in life. This young master Zong is a rare and upright gentleman. I have said everything I needed to say to him. Now we'll see what he chooses. Yuanyuan, we can't decide other people's fates for them, let alone make choices for them. People will encounter all kinds of choices in life. What kind of life they choose is their business. We can only watch from the sidelines."
Zheng Yuanyuan bit her lip and choked out a sob. Thinking about it, it made sense. Wasn't she the same way when she was in the Pingxi Marquis's mansion? She had no choice in what she did and could only endure it day by day.
After Zong Chengping left the bamboo paper workshop and got into the carriage, the coachman smiled and said, "Young master, are we here to meet guests?"
The coachman was a servant of Zong Chengping's stepmother. Zong Chengping would always ride in this carriage when he went out. Every time he went somewhere or met someone, the coachman would go back and give a detailed account to his stepmother. After the coachman saw Zong Chengping's relationship with Zheng Yuanyuan, he went back and told his stepmother about it. Only then did his stepmother have the idea of ​​arranging a marriage for him as soon as possible.
Zong Chengping felt disgusted, but his face remained calm. He said, "No, I just noticed that this is a newly opened shop. Our family also has a shop that sells writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. The addition of such a shop in the capital will inevitably affect our business."
The coachman listened but didn't ask any further questions, his face full of disdain. The children born out of wedlock in the family all had a hard life. The girls were better off; after getting married with a dowry, those who married into wealthy families would be treated with some respect because they had to rely on the Duke's mansion. But those who were married off to poor families far away could only live a hard life with their husbands' families at home.
But what about the illegitimate sons in the family? Thinking of this, Zong Chengping couldn't help but think of those illegitimate sons who had already been arranged to marry by their elders. They all married the women their elders wanted, either to consolidate the status of their legal wives in the family, or to marry daughters of wealthy families for the sake of the family's finances. In any case, they married the women their elders wanted them to marry, simply for the convenience of doing things in the household.
Even after marriage, one cannot leave this mansion; instead, one must continue to serve this Duke's mansion like a slave. Zong Chengping now knows that his future is to waste his life in that place he calls a quagmire.
But, is he content to live his life like this? Zong Chengping was not content. He didn't want to live his life like this. The outside world was so wonderful, why couldn't he go out and see it? Why couldn't he live the life he wanted according to his own wishes?
Zong Chengping got off the carriage and went to his father's study.
Zong Chengping's father, Zong Houzhao, was the third son of the Duke of Cheng. The Duke of Cheng had three sons, all of whom were born of the principal wife. The Duchess of Cheng valued the Duke's offspring very much, and none of the sons born of concubines were male. Fortunately, she gave birth to three sons herself, which ensured that the Duke of Cheng had an heir. Zong Chengping could understand how many dirty things had happened in this process. Otherwise, he would not have been born in the first place.
Zong Houzhao is currently working in the Ministry of Rites as the Right Vice Minister, a third-rank official. He has been married to Zong Chengping's stepmother for many years but has no children. Since the principal wife has no children, the concubines and maids below her naturally cannot have children. Therefore, Zong Chengping, as Zong Houzhao's eldest son born out of wedlock, was born when Zong Chengping was over thirty years old. Because of this, Zong Houzhao's feelings towards Zong Chengping, his eldest son born out of wedlock, have always been quite complicated.
Having a son in one's thirties is a joyous occasion, but this son is not from the womb of the legal wife. If the legal wife had never had a child of her own, then registering this child under her name and raising him as her legitimate son would have been a wonderful thing. Unfortunately, the legal wife had a child of her own when she was just over thirty, so this illegitimate eldest son became a rather awkward situation.
Zong Houzhao was in his study at the moment.
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