Chapter 4 Choosing a Husband in Public
The officials looked at each other, none of them expecting things to escalate to such an unmanageable state.
They admired Meng Lingge's courage, but did not think that breaking off the engagement was a good decision.
Although Meng Lingge and Guan Yi'an have not yet held a wedding ceremony, let alone consummated their marriage, this world places great importance on a woman's reputation. Even a girl who breaks off an engagement will suffer damage to her reputation, let alone someone who breaks off an engagement on the wedding day.
Once the news of the annulment of the engagement spread, the good reputation of the prime minister's eldest daughter was ruined.
Finding a suitable husband in just one day would be virtually impossible. Even if a promising young man were to fall in love with her, her elders, considering her reputation and the haste of the marriage, would not approve.
Meng Xingyuan said reproachfully, "Lingge, your mother hasn't been feeling well lately. If she knew you were being so impulsive, she would worry about you even more. Marriage is no child's play. How can you break off an engagement so easily? Even if you're thinking of your mother, you should be tolerant. Marry Guan Yi'an first, and we can talk about other things later."
Meng Lingge shook her head, her face cold: "Father, Mother knows the truth and will agree to my annulment of the engagement. She only cares about whether her daughter is doing well or not, unlike you who weighs the pros and cons and cares about saving face. Father, don't worry, I won't trouble you with choosing a husband this time. I will choose a suitable one myself. The wedding will still be held in the manor, and I will get married as usual. I won't cause you any trouble."
After she finished speaking, she walked out gracefully. Although her steps were hurried, each step was still dignified and beautiful, like a lotus flower in full bloom.
“Lingge, why are you so stubborn, child…” Meng Xingyuan followed behind her worriedly.
He knew that Meng Lingge had made up her mind and would not listen to any more advice. He also guessed that it must have been Meng Lingge's idea to have the servants shout loudly in the front yard earlier.
This legitimate daughter has always been opinionated. If he were to stop her again, it would truly damage their father-daughter relationship. For now, he can only wait and see.
The military and civil officials kept a short distance from them, maintaining a proper distance while ensuring they didn't miss out on the exciting spectacle.
"The eldest daughter of the Meng family actually wants to choose her husband herself! What a boastful tone! I've never seen such a spirited girl before. It's a pity my unfilial sons are so inadequate. Otherwise..."
"You're just talking. If Miss Meng had this kind of personality, she would definitely be a hero among men, but she's a girl, so this personality might not be a good thing. In my opinion, she's probably just humiliating herself today."
"Yes, anyone who dares to take her is making an enemy of the top scholar Guan Yi'an. Although Guan Yi'an's official rank is not high for the time being, the emperor appreciates him, and he himself is indeed talented. It is only a matter of time before he is promoted. Few people dare to offend this potential formidable enemy."
"Besides, it's not exactly something to be proud of for a young lady to choose her own husband. If a grown man is chosen by a young lady, he has to get married immediately. Isn't that turning right and wrong upside down and disrupting the proper order? I think Miss Meng's chances are slim today..."
The crowd murmured amongst themselves, none of them optimistic about Meng Lingge's decision. The military officers' voices were loud, and some of their comments naturally reached Meng Lingge's ears.
She seemed not to hear anything, her posture and demeanor were not affected in the slightest, and went straight to the front yard.
The front yard had already been in an uproar because of the news of the thief breaking into the mansion. Now, seeing the bride followed by a large group of officials, everyone was confused and followed behind. The crowd grew larger and larger. When they reached the open space in the middle of the front yard, Meng Lingge walked to the corner steps, where a crowd had already gathered.
The crowd below whispered amongst themselves; the news of what had just happened at Ya Cui Residence spread like wildfire, becoming common knowledge in an instant.
Meng Lingge clasped her hands in front of her, her expression calm. She glanced at the crowd below and then gave a few instructions to the maid behind her. Soon, servants orderly served the guests hot tea, fetched charcoal, and added benches.
"It is cold today, and we apologize for keeping our distinguished guests waiting. It is not our fault. However, it is because there has been a problem with my marriage. Many officials have witnessed the details, so I will not go into them. In short, my marriage with Mr. Guan Yi'an is off, and we will have no further contact."
As soon as she opened her mouth, the audience fell completely silent. Hearing this, the women in the audience widened their eyes in astonishment. They were already shocked enough to hear that the groom had cheated on the bride's half-sister, but they never expected that the bride would dare to take the initiative to break off the engagement.
The reason the imperial court restricted the status of married women was because there had been many cases in the capital where couples quarreled on their wedding day.
Some couples broke up because of dowry, betrothal gifts, rules and etiquette, attitudes and social status...
To prevent this from happening and to make women more docile and obedient, the court introduced this rule: even if the groom behaves in a way that displeases the bride on the wedding day, the bride can only tolerate it in order to avoid being punished by being married off to a eunuch.
Since this rule was established, there has never been a case in the capital of a wedding being called off on the wedding day.
This rule prevents the woman from retaliating no matter how much she suffers on her wedding day, and it also emboldens the man, making him arrogant and audacious on his wedding day.
Guan Yi'an's daring to have an affair with Meng Huanyan today is naturally partly due to this reason.
The women all knew that this rule was unfair, but they had no choice but to hope that the men they were to marry would have some pity on them, and never thought of breaking off the engagement.
After all, the punishment of being assigned to a eunuch was truly frightening to them.
Now, Meng Lingge dares to say what they dare not say and do what they dare not do. They admire her, are shocked, are excited, but even more so, they are terrified.
Meng Lingge remained composed and her expression unchanged: "The rules of the court are well known. Although I have broken off my engagement with Young Master Guan, I still have to get married today, or I will be severely punished by law. Therefore, I dare to ask for a husband here today. As long as both parties agree, we can get married immediately. If any young master is interested in me, please come up on stage for a chat."
The audience was completely silent.
When conscripted in public, these men had never even heard of such a thing, let alone seen it.
Although Meng Lingge comes from one of the best families and is one of the most beautiful women in the capital, the fact that she has just broken off her engagement and is now seeking a husband, and that she needs to discuss her marriage in front of everyone, is still unacceptable to many.
Several young gentlemen were eager to try, but were stopped by the adults beside them. If they didn't get Meng Lingge's favor after going on stage, they would be ridiculed; if they did get her favor, they would also face a lot of trouble.
The guests present today are all wealthy and influential, and they are all very cautious about marriage. No one is willing to arrange a marriage so hastily and ostentatiously.
Even if some women felt sorry for Meng Lingge, they were unwilling to take such a big risk to help her out of this predicament.
Meng Xingyuan had a knowing look on his face. After a few minutes of stalemate, thinking that Meng Lingge should know the seriousness of the matter, he clapped his hands, preparing to say a few polite words to end this farce.
When Guan Yi'an comes to the door, as long as Ling Ge is willing to back down, the marriage can proceed as planned.
But he had only climbed halfway up the steps when he was shoved aside from behind. A man dressed in a sky-blue robe excitedly passed by him, quickly ran up the steps, and stood in front of Meng Lingge.
The man had a handsome face, but his bright eyes held a hint of confusion.
Several well-dressed guards below the steps exclaimed in surprise, "Young Master, what are you doing there? Come down quickly! Don't fall..."
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