Volume 2 Chapter 20 (2/2)
“The Fifth prince had the talent to be an Emperor, but the previous Emperor favoured his eldest son. With you in the scene, the marriage between you and the Fifth prince allowed the Emperor to kill two birds with one stone. By taking a man to wife, the Fifth prince is destined not to have any Di children, and will lose all claim to the throne. With this marriage, the Wu family line will be broken, and with it, the ambitions of the Fifth prince. The previous Emperor is really worthy of being our Greater Ming's Taizong Emperor.”
Note : 太宗 (Tàizōng) – the Emperor's temple name, also literally means Great Ancestor (of Ming).
So that's how it was. It was no wonder, even after Tao Ziyu had affronted Jing Cheng to this degree, he still returned to marry him. It seems that the Emperor is determined to force Jing Cheng to take a man to wife.
However, Jing Cheng was not one to fall easily at the schemes of others. When accepting the marriage decree back then, he must have really taken a liking to Tao Ziyu. But now he hates the very sight of him, so why continue with this sham of a marriage?
It beggared belief that anyone would be able to twist the arm of the current Fifth prince. Even if it was by the edict of the previous Emperor, with that personality of his, it wouldn't bother him one whit.
Could it be, he was doing this for the Wu family!
This old man Wu Xingde was famous for his headstrong obstinacy. His two sons died under the hand of the previous Emperor, his only grandson was given away to a man to be his Princess. But he remained loyal throughout and devoted to Greater Ming, a paragon of steadfastness.
Note: 王妃 (wángfēi) – wife of a prince, equivalent to a princess. Hence Su Yang would be 五王妃 (Fifth w.a.n.g fei).
But Su Yang felt like there was something off about the whole thing. Based on the personality of the previous Emperor, he should have attempted to wipe them out completely down to the last child, but why did he take such a roundabout way when it came to Tao Ziyu, not making any attempts on his life, unless…… was Wu Xingde actually not as heartless as he seems, and made some sort of deal with the previous Emperor?
But how is any of this related to Jing Cheng?
Su Yang pondered for a great while until his head hurt. The imperial family has always had layers and layers of secrets hidden under each other, a mess of tangled knots that could not be traced back to its origin. How has this woman been surviving in this environment of intrigues and hidden schemes for so many years?
As they say, to keep company with a king is akin to keeping company with a tiger3. The Wu family had served with loyalty for generations, but was ultimately rewarded with an end to their bloodline.
It would seem that she has been haunted by these fears for many years, not knowing when the axe will fall on their necks, and bearing the burden of heavy guilt in her heart with it as well.
Wu Xueyan's voice was barely a whisper: “Back then, if I hadn't married him, he would still be the high spirited champion of the Imperial exam, displaying his talents and ambitions and be the greatest minister among ministers. But because of the Wu family, the Emperor's suspicions were extended to him, and he had to tread on thin ice, always wary of falling.”
“These past few years, I watched as he gradually lost his spirit, and turned to wine to drown his sorrows. Caught between the Emperor and the Fifth prince, he had to discard his dignity, and learn how to flatter and pander to the whims of others. I know that our family is always on his mind, he dares not gamble and risk our safety.
“All that he has to bear, was laid upon him by me.”
If, back then, she had not lifted the curtain of the sedan and looked out, if she had not seen him, how much grief could have been avoided.
If life was when we met for the first time, then it is better if we have never met at all4.
Su Yang didn't know what to make of it. Although Tao Yunfeng was pitiable, but since you have already taken the girl to wife, you should be responsible for her to the end, instead of rus.h.i.+ng over with promises and in the end, leaving her with nothing but broken dreams. It was worse than not having offered her anything at all.
Although there were many things in his heart that he wanted to say, he had no choice but to remain mute and continue his act of being an idiot.
Wu Xueyan breathed out in relief. She did not need anyone to comfort her, and had only wanted to voice out the pain she had kept in her heart for so long with no one to talk to.
To the outside world, she was viewed as a fierce and respected lady, the dignified wife of the Minister of Revenue, a renowned and glamorous woman. But within, she was just a wife unable to keep her husband, and a mother unable to control her son. Her life seemed perfect on the gilded surface, but was actually a broken ruin on the inside.
“My dear Yu-er, you have to marry in three days, and the Fifth prince will not treat you well. You must look after yourself.”
Seeing Su Yang's puzzled look, Wu Xueyan lifted his sleeves and pointed at the ring of bruises on his wrist. “The bad man who bullied you, he is the Fifth prince, others may address him as the Fifth prince, but you must call him Husband.”
Su Yang nodded his head obediently, with the look of one committing it to memory. Be thick skinned, be stress free.
Wu Xueyan continued: “That man has a bad temper, and may bully you, but if you behave and be good, he will soften and be reluctant to do so, you understand?”
Su Yang nodded again. Being cute and loveable, he's the best at this!
The Prince's residence.
An old butler hurried into the study room. “Master, have you decided on where to house the young master of the Tao family?”
Jing Cheng didn't lift his gaze, and replied faintly: “We're to be married, naturally he'll stay in my room.”
The butler: “………”
The subordinate planning the arrangement: “..….”
Jing Cheng turned his sight to the back of his hand, where there wasn't a single imprint on the skin.
He suddenly recalled the puppy he had raised when he was a child, it was the size of a palm back then. Even if he stuck his finger into its mouth for a bite, it would only leave a shallow tooth print, he felt no pain, not even an itch, but it tickled his heart.
Tao Ziyu is lovelier and more delicate than the puppy, behaving more sweetly spoiled and pitiful, but without the loyalty of a dog.
Since he has no loyalty, tie a chain to him.
Tidbits:
Say what : 纳尼 (Nà ní) – Su Yang actually said nani (j.a.panese for “what”) here. XD Old cow grazing on young gra.s.s : 老牛吃嫩草 (Lǎo niú chī nèn cǎo) – describing a huge age gap between both parties in a relations.h.i.+p. To keep company with a king is akin to keeping company with a tiger : 伴君如伴虎 (Bàn jūn rú bàn hǔ) – Basically comparing a king to a tiger, who holds the power to be ruthless, capricious and savage. If life was when we met for the first time, then it is better if we have never met at all : From a poem by Nalan Xingde (poet in the Qing dynasty) t.i.tled Mulan flower: An elegy (木兰花令·拟古决绝词). Roughly means, the best of life was during the first meeting, but then after, people change, and what you loved best was fleeting and now no longer exists, hence it would have been better to have never met at all.
Thanks for reading.
-Syeki
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