Chapter 121 Refusal to Marry Zheng's Daughter
Du Min hesitated for a moment, then answered, "No, thank you for your concern, Your Excellency."
Meng Qing lowered his eyes in thought.
Governor Zheng nodded. “I have a young daughter whose marriage is still undecided. She is seventeen years old. I have discussed it with her aunt, and she suggested that you meet privately first.”
Du Min was overjoyed that Prefect Zheng was willing to marry his daughter to him. Although she was an illegitimate daughter, given the status of the Zheng family of Xingyang, it was indeed a marriage of the lowest possible status for a noblewoman to marry a poor county magistrate like him.
"This humble official thanks you for your high regard, Lord Du." Du Min rose and kowtowed in gratitude.
Governor Zheng stared at him for a few moments before leaning forward to help him up. A noblewoman marrying a county magistrate from a peasant family was a laughingstock in aristocratic circles. But Du Min truly had potential; he had already caught the Emperor's attention during the imperial examinations, and now, with the Lu Zhan case bringing down Prime Minister Lu, the Emperor was even more delighted. This honorary sixth-rank position was personally bestowed upon him by the Emperor, demonstrating his great favor towards Du Min.
"My daughter is a bit spoiled, please bear with her when we meet," Governor Zheng began, laying the groundwork.
Du Min understood, “I am of humble origin and come from a lowly family. It is normal for me to have feelings about marrying into a noble family.”
Governor Zheng was satisfied.
“What a coincidence! I was just worried that no one would manage the school’s accounts, and I had no way to contact the Minister directly. If you are willing to marry me, I can leave this matter to her. I will take on students and teach them, and she will oversee the accounts. With the revenue in her hands, I won’t feel uneasy, and I won’t worry about thieves stealing my money,” Meng Qing said with a smile.
Governor Zheng had a sudden thought: the income and expenditure of the free school were in the hands of his daughter. Even if the Minister of Rites changed in the future, the free school would still belong to the Zheng family of Xingyang.
Du Min was startled. Marrying a woman from the Zheng family meant that the Zheng family had planted a pair of eyes beside him. Not only would the school's income and expenditure be monitored, but his every move would also be under surveillance. From then on, he and Meng Qing would only be able to serve the Zheng family. Was it worth it? Furthermore, the Zheng family of Xingyang was also a prominent family. If the Emperor were to suppress the Zheng family one day, he, as the son-in-law of the Zheng family, would inevitably be implicated. A poor family, a poor family—the Emperor suppresses the prominent families and promotes the poor. Was this position of Imperial Advisor, bestowed by the Emperor, a sign of his influence?
A cold sweat broke out on Du Min's back.
"Get ready. Tomorrow at the end of Chenshi (7-9 AM), go to Baima Temple and wait there," Governor Zheng instructed.
Du Min lowered his eyes and nodded. He suppressed the panic in his heart and said intimately, "My lord, I have another request."
"speak."
"I ran into the military advisor from Runzhou in Luoyang the other day. He's from Wu County, Suzhou, and used to be an assistant minister in the Ministry of Rites. Years ago, he returned home to observe mourning for his father, and it was through his recommendation that I entered the prefectural school. Later, when I went to the capital for the imperial examinations, he also introduced me. He's my mentor. But today he's embroiled in a lawsuit. A local gentry from Wu County went to the capital to accuse him of holding a banquet during his mourning period, and the Ministry of Justice wants him to go to the capital to face punishment. He met me and begged me to help him give false testimony to get him out of trouble. I refused, but he threatened me..."
Meng Qing looked up at him.
Du Li frowned. Why bring up Chen Mingzhang's threats against him again? Was he going to tell Governor Zheng about Chen Mingzhang's accusations of filial impiety? Wouldn't that be giving someone a handle to use against him?
"Is his mourning banquet real? And what threat did he make against you? What leverage does he have over you?" Governor Zheng immediately sat up straight.
"The banquet during the mourning period is real. The host family is my second sister-in-law's family. Back then, the Meng family became famous in Wu County for their paper-made funerary objects, so they specially held a banquet on a painted boat to tour the river. I was on the boat at the time, and Lord Chen was also there." Du Min slowly recounted, rubbing his sweaty palms, and finally made his decision.
"As for me, I was recommended by him to study at the prefectural school. Because I was a commoner, and the only commoner student in the prefectural school, I was disliked and ostracized by the sons of the powerful and wealthy. They ganged up on me to bully me. For example, they secretly sawed off the legs of my stool, arranged for their page to dress up as ghosts to scare me at night, poured water on my bedding when I was not around, and even deliberately poured water on me before class to make me sick," Du Min recalled in a trembling voice.
"For all these reasons, I dared not leave the school easily, fearing that once I left, I would not be able to get back in, and thus I was unable to send messages home. One day, my parents and brothers went to the city to sell grain and stopped by the school to see me. They learned that I had enrolled in the prefectural school and went there to look for me. However, the day before, a servant had splashed a bucket of water on me before class. I finished class in wet clothes and slept on damp bedding all night in my dormitory. Even though it was a hot day, I still caught a cold. I forced myself to finish the morning classes and was dragged out by the servants in a daze. By then, I was so feverish that I couldn't recognize anyone, but people mistakenly thought that I was ashamed to acknowledge my parents, and even my parents had this misunderstanding."
Du Min gave a bitter laugh. "Later, my classmates at the prefectural school used this incident to blackmail me, forcing me to leave the prefectural school, otherwise they would accuse me of being unfilial and cut off my path to the imperial examinations. Today, Lord Chen is threatening me with this incident, claiming that he will tell the Lu family about this, and threatening to ruin me if I don't give him false testimony."
Governor Zheng had already regarded Du Min as half a son-in-law, and he was so angry that his breathing became heavier. "What a bunch of city foxes and rats, relying on their power to commit all sorts of evil deeds!"
Du Min smiled bitterly, "My own parents misunderstood me back then, and I even got slapped a few times by my father for it."
Governor Zheng's eyes showed disgust. "Your parents don't believe you? Don't your own parents understand their son's character?"
“Alas! My in-laws are the typical shrewish couple you see in the marketplace. They’ve toiled in the fields their whole lives, they have no worldly wisdom, yet they’re extremely concerned with saving face. Take me for example, I’m a merchant’s daughter who married into the Du family. Anyone with eyes can see what they’re after, but my in-laws accepted my dowry and yet they look down on me, openly and secretly despising me.” Meng Qing stared at Du Min, and seeing that he didn’t intend to stop her, she understood his thoughts. He couldn’t speak ill of his parents because of his son and his official position, but she, being of lower status, could speak on his behalf.
“If my third brother marries a Zheng girl, when the good news gets back to our hometown, my in-laws will have something to brag about. I can already imagine what they’ll say: the Du family has changed its social standing, their third brother has married into a noble family, and their grandson’s bloodline is now noble. They’ll definitely bring all their relatives and friends to see their daughter-in-law, who comes from such a prestigious family.” Meng Qingyu said with dissatisfaction, “Then I, the second daughter-in-law, will be the least popular.”
Governor Zheng was thoroughly disgusted. Du Min's descendants were of noble blood, but his grandson's blood was lowly. He took a deep breath, unable to accept having such a relative by marriage. He realized he had overlooked one thing: if Du Min's parents came to the wedding, not only would he have to entertain them, but his relatives would also have to deal with a pair of old, rude, and arrogant farmers.
No, no, he can't afford to lose face like that. Anyone who wants to win over Du Min should marry their daughter to him.
Governor Zheng rose, picked up his warm tea, took a couple of sips, then took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands. Calming himself, he asked, "What's the name of the person who threatened you?"
"Chen Mingzhang," Du Min seemed surprised that he had changed the subject, "My parents..."
“Oh! Chen Mingzhang! That ignorant fool!” Governor Zheng interrupted him forcefully. “When Prime Minister Lu resigned, the Lu family of Fanyang will definitely hold a grudge against you. If Chen Mingzhang accuses you of filial impiety, even if it’s false, the Lu family will still skin you alive.”
"Yes, I thought of that too. We can only appease him for now and then seek your help." Du Min followed up on his words, "He also wants you to step in and help."
Governor Zheng sneered, "A scoundrel official like him, he's not cut out for it. Du Min, if you want him to be no longer a threat to you, do you know what to do?"
Du Min glanced at him a few times and said, "I want to prevent him from going to Chang'an because of his injury. I want the magistrate to get his confession and send it to Chang'an to close the case, so that he can be dismissed from his post and return to his hometown."
"But he is eloquent and literate, and he will still be a threat to you after he returns to his hometown," Governor Zheng warned.
Du Min remained silent, his head bowed as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, looking timid.
Governor Zheng sighed, "Fine, I'll take care of it for you."
"Sir, you wouldn't be thinking of killing him to cover it up, would you? He's still an official, and he has a case against him. If he dies, the Ministry of Justice might investigate him thoroughly," Du Min hurriedly reminded him.
"I know what's important, don't worry." Governor Zheng took another sip of tea. "It's almost noon, are you having lunch here or going back?"
These words clearly meant he was being told to get lost, which put Du Min at ease. He stood up and said, "I'll be leaving now. I came in a hurry and didn't prepare any clothes or shoes. I need to hurry and buy a couple of sets."
Governor Zheng nearly swallowed his tea. He hesitated, but thankfully he still had some sense and didn't say anything about canceling tomorrow's meeting.
"Um... the marriage is not yet settled, so please don't announce it," he instructed.
Du Min nodded, "My lord, I do not know the young lady's birth order."
"three."
"What a coincidence, I'm also good at being third at home." Du Min was delighted.
Governor Zheng nearly ground his teeth to powder. After Du Min and his brother and sister-in-law left, he immediately left the study and went to the backyard. "Where is the Third Miss? Is she still in her room on a hunger strike?"
The maid nodded.
"Tell her she doesn't need to go on a hunger strike anymore. This marriage is off. Tomorrow, let her refuse Magistrate Du in person. I'll handle the rest." Governor Zheng regretted speaking too quickly. If he had asked a few more questions today, he wouldn't have said that he wanted his daughter to be matched with Du Min.
*
On the other side, Du Min stopped the carriage halfway and got off with his brother and sister-in-law to go to a clothing store to buy clothes and shoes.
"Second sister-in-law, don't you think my marriage to Zheng is a good match?" Du Min led the two to a deserted riverbank to talk.
Meng Qing shook her head. "I won't interfere with your choice."
Du Min glanced at her sideways, "Do you think I believe you?"
"I just want to remind you that if you marry Zheng's daughter, the charity school will indeed become Zheng's money bag sooner or later. You can't expect a merchant's daughter like me to outmaneuver a noblewoman. When she wants the account books and to manage the money, can I stubbornly refuse? If I don't give them to her, you, as Zheng's son-in-law, will be in a difficult position," Meng Qing said. "I'm just reminding you that if you still choose Zheng's daughter after weighing the pros and cons, I won't say anything. But for my own good, I will hand over the account books as soon as she marries into the family. Although spending will be limited, I won't be short of money. If you want to use the charity school's profits for anything, go ask her for it."
“The Zheng family’s daughter is proud of her status as a noblewoman. She will always favor the Zheng family and will never be of one mind with me,” Du Min said. “Tomorrow’s meeting will definitely not go through. I must take advantage of the fact that Governor Zheng has ruined the marriage and settle the matter as soon as possible.”
Du Li stroked his chin and glanced at the two of them, then let out a soft snort.
Meng Qing glared at him. "What are you humming about?"
"It's nothing." Du Li shrugged and walked away. "You're a hot commodity. Come on, let me buy you clothes and shoes."
Du Min scoffed, "You're being sarcastic again."
"Aren't you afraid that Governor Zheng will use the evidence you handed over today to threaten you in the future?" Du Li asked, turning around.
“If Governor Zheng really does come after me, my backing will be even stronger than that of the Zheng family of Xingyang. How could this vague charge possibly move me?” Du Min showed no fear, only excitement. He spread his arms and looked up at the sky. “Do I, Du Min, have that kind of luck?”
Meng Qing followed behind him, looking at him with hope for the future.
*
After buying their new clothes, the three of them had lunch outside and then walked back to the post station. As they approached the post station, they saw thick smoke billowing out of it. Terrified, they immediately ran towards it.
"Sister! Sister! We're here." Meng Chun led Wang Zhou over.
When Meng Qing saw the two of them, she felt a wave of panic wash over her and almost collapsed to the ground.
"What happened? How did the post station catch fire?" Du Li asked.
"Is the fire out? Was anyone injured? Where is Magistrate Zhao?" Du Min asked.
"It's out. It was a fire at Songlin Courtyard. Only one person was injured." Meng Chun looked strange. "We all know that person, Lord Chen."
Du Min, Meng Qing, and Du Li looked at each other in disbelief. Why did Governor Zheng act so quickly?
"How did the fire start?" Du Min asked. Seeing Meng Chun shake his head, he went to ask the postmaster, only to run into Prefect Yin, who was also questioning him.
"Today, Lord Chen asked us to prepare a mutton hot pot and wine for him. He probably drank too much and fell asleep, and then the boiler overturned, which caused the fire. The fire started inside the house. When we broke down the door to rescue Lord Chen, the house smelled strongly of wine," the postmaster explained.
"Is the door bolted from the inside?" Du Min asked.
The postmaster nodded.
"Has anyone gone to see him today?" Yin Mingfu asked.
The postmaster summoned the postmen, and several of them said that there were no visitors to Songlin Courtyard. One of the postmen said, "Lord Chen did go out twice, both times to inquire whether Lord Du had returned. The last time he inquired, he met Lord Zhao, and the two of them talked for a few words."
“Lord Chen is my mentor. We are both from Wu County, Suzhou. He asked me to do him a favor and inquired about my whereabouts, probably hoping for a reply,” Du Min explained.
"What kind of help?" Yin Mingfu asked.
“He’s embroiled in legal trouble,” Du Min said casually.
Yin Mingfu remembered that Du Min had mentioned he was going to visit the governor's mansion today, and since further questioning might implicate Governor Zheng, he didn't press the matter. He then asked Magistrate Zhao, who had been summoned by the yamen runners, "What did you say to Lord Chen today?"
Magistrate Zhao looked at Du Min and said, "Lord Du has been promoted to the rank of Imperial Advisor. I passed on this good news to his mentor, and he left after hearing it."
Du Min: ...Could it be that Chen Mingzhang was provoked and locked himself in his room to drink, and then forgot about the boiler after getting drunk, which led to the fire?
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Author's note: See you tomorrow night at 8 PM.
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