Chrysanthemum Appreciation Party at Prince Chun's Mansion.
Ushiha and Bechuk, accompanied by their maids, went out together. The two sisters were now prominent figures in Beijing's social circles, given that the Fourth Prince's status was now the most prestigious among the princes. Prince Chun was Kangxi's brother, and his descendants all had names beginning with "Tai." Today's chrysanthemum appreciation gathering was hosted by Chunfang, Prince Chun's eldest granddaughter, who had sent invitations to the prominent ladies of Beijing.
“I heard from Hongli that the ‘Tai’an’ in Prince Chun’s mansion is not a good person, and he told us not to provoke him,” Bechuk said to Ushiha.
“We accepted Chunfang’s invitation, and since we have no male relatives, we naturally won’t go to see that Tai’an guy,” Wuxiha said, holding a book in his hands as he read.
"I've heard that 'Tai'an' is now a black sheep among the elite young men of the capital, a true disgrace to the Aisin Gioro clan. A descendant of a prince, he's become utterly useless. Prince Chun is our Emperor's own brother, yet his grandson is such a disgrace," said Bechuk.
“Hey, I’m telling you, Biechuk, that Tai’an isn’t our brother. He’s just Prince Chun’s grandson. Whether he becomes a big shot or not is none of our business. Don’t mind him, okay?” Ushiha said, looking down at his book.
"What book are you reading?" Bechuk leaned over to look.
“You won’t watch it anyway,” Ushiha said.
"Water Margin?" Bechuk glanced at the back of the book in Ushiha's hand and said, "This is a banned book. What do you think of it?"
“I love reading banned books. I just happened to find this in an old bookstore. You mustn’t tell Mother and Father.” Ushiha clutched the book to his chest.
“I won’t tell Mother, but it’s not good for you to read books like this,” Bechuk said. “They’re full of stories about lowly people and scoundrels; they’re banned books that have been banned for a long time.”
"That's just your opinion. I think the story is quite exciting, much better than any 'Rules for Women.' Bechuk, can you stop acting like a stern-faced empress, always lecturing people with a long face? Aren't you tired of that?" Ushiha said nonchalantly.
“Ushiha, it’s not that we want to teach you a lesson. But if you look like this after you get married, won’t your in-laws be terrified of you?” Bechuk said.
"Hmph, I have no intention of getting married. Besides, I don't even look at any of those powerful and wealthy young men in the capital," Ushiha said dismissively.
"What nonsense are you talking about? How could your mother and father let you stay married? They're probably already arranging marriages for you right now," Bechuk said. "Do you really want to stay married forever and become an old maid?"
“I just don’t want to marry an ordinary son of a powerful family, stay at home to be a good wife and mother, tolerate my husband taking concubines, raise his illegitimate children, and pretend to be magnanimous. It’s just too against my conscience,” Ushiha said.
“But which powerful person doesn’t take concubines? Even those who are in good relationships have concubines at home. If you insist on being with only one person for life, I’m afraid you’ll really have a hard time finding a suitable marriage,” said Bechuk.
“So, I’m not getting married. Don’t worry about me, just focus on your daughter’s upbringing. Anyway, I’m not like you,” Ushiha said, ignoring Bechuk.
“Ushiha, I’m not against you, but I think your approach is unrealistic and simply won’t work,” Ushiha said.
“I’ve heard of men who only had one woman in their entire lives,” Ushiha said.
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