zChapter 819 - There Will Always Be a Good Life (1/2)

There Will Always Be a Good Life

The matter of Feng Yu Heng preparing to set out for her fief was not much of a secret around the capital. Word of this had already been spread from Hundred Herb Hall. Recently in the capital, even the commoners would spend their idle time lamenting a bit. It was unfortunate that such a good imperial daughter would actually be chased out of the capital. They really could not understand what exactly those people were thinking.

In regards to Xiang Rong’s decision, An shi was not at all surprised, but she still shook her head, saying to Xiang Rong: “I do not agree to this.”

Xiang Rong was puzzled, “Why?”

Ans hi told her: “You are my daughter. Although I am just a concubine, I still do not hope for my daughter to marry a large family to help improve relations for the family. I just want you to live a peaceful and quiet life. In the future, if you can find an obedient husband and live peacefully, that will be good. The path that your second sister will be walking will definitely not be normal. Xiang Rong, that is not something that we can keep up with.”

“Why must you think like this?” Xiang Rong furrowed her brow and asked An shi: “Why is it that we can’t keep up if second sister’s path is not normal? Even if she runs a bit faster, it’s fine. Right now, I just want to go with her and help her with what she does. Mother, I don’t want to seek connections with large families. I just want to be like second sister and live freely.”

An shi shook her head, “Freely? You think that she’s very free? There are all kinds of plots swirling about her, and every step that she takes is filled with uncertainty. She looks to be unrestrained, but you need to know just how much effort that requires. How much is required for her to make everything look so easy on the surface? Xiang Rong, you are my daughter. Mother would not cause you any harm.”

Xiang Rong looked at An shi and thought for a while then suddenly smiled, saying: “Mother, could it be that you’re reluctant to part with me? How about you come with me?! Second sister would not discard us.” The little girl’s eyes were shining, as she repeatedly shook An shi’s hand side to side, “I asked about it. Second sister’s fief is to the Southeast, and the climate there is better than in the capital. At this time, it has already begun to warm up. By the time we get there, we would be able to see the green leaves growing. Mother, let’s go together!”

She was filled with hope, as she was wanting to have An shi agree to leave together. This capital had given her far too many bad memories. Just that Feng manor alone had become a cage that she could not escape. Xiang Rong felt that if she continued to live here, she would eventually go crazy.

Seeing her daughter’s expectant gaze, An shi was also moved for a moment; however, she quickly calmed back down and said with a wry smile: “Where can I go? I am Feng Jin Yuan’s concubine, and my life contract is in the hands of the Feng family. I’m even lower than a servant.”

Da Shun’s treatment of concubines was extremely harsh. The one that set the law back then must have greatly disdained this existence, thus they decided that concubines must also have something like a life contract. When becoming a concubine, it was the same as handing over that life contract to the man’s family. Whether they lived or died, it was all decided by them. There did not exist any divorce. Once they lost favor, aside from waiting for death, they did not have any other choices.

Xiang Rong was young in the past and did not think of such things, but it was not that she had never heard about it. Now that she heard An shi bring it up, she was a bit troubled. After thinking a bit, she just stomped her foot and said: “I’ll go and find His Highness the fourth prince. It’s nothing more than a contract. He will have some ideas.”

As she spoke, she began to run out; however, she was pulled back by An shi: “No matter who you look for, it won’t have any use.” She patted her darling daughter’s hair and helplessly said: “Feng Jin Yuan has already run off. He has definitely taken something like the life contract with him. Even if he didn’t bring it, who knows where it was hidden? What would be the point of looking for His Highness the fourth prince?” She had Xiang Rong sit down before continuing to say: “Speaking of His Highness the fourth prince, I have something that I wish to ask you.”

Xiang Rong did not know what it was and blinked, saying: “Mother, please go ahead.”

An shi waved her hand and had the servant inside dismissed. Seeing the door closed, she finally spoke up: “How His Highness the fourth prince treats you is something that mother has seen over the years; however, I didn’t know what you thought and did not dare to ask. Speaking truthfully, I am going to repeat myself. I do not hope for you to seek connections with a large family. I hope even more that you do not have any connection with someone of the imperial family. Perhaps marrying into that sort of house looks quite glorious and enviable, but the heartache that comes later is something that only you will know. You will not have any place to speak about it and can only keep it internalized. Child, if you listen to mother’s words, don’t worry. You are only 13 years of age. You still have plenty of time. We can slowly make our choice. There will be a chance to meet someone suitable.”

An shi’s words left Xiang Rong in a daze, as she casually asked: “What sort of thoughts do I have for His Highness the fourth prince?” Although she said this, her heart was tugged very slightly. It was as though there was something that suddenly grasped her heart. Xiang Rong frowned. Her attitude on this matter was no longer as calm as before, but even if this was the case, she maintained her reasoning, telling An shi: “His Highness the fourth prince and I have nothing more than a master-disciple relationship. It was His Majesty that had me teach him embroidery. That is all. Mother, please do not have such wild thoughts.”

“Were my thoughts wild?” An shi helplessly shook her head, “Then just treat it as such, but without His Highness the fourth prince, there is still His Highness the seventh prince. In regards to that person, what do you have to say?”