Chapter 2 No Longer Surrendering
In her previous life, the princess stayed in Chenyang for a while. When she returned, the regent had passed away and Zheng Chengyan had passed the imperial examination and become the top scholar. Even though the princess hated officials taking concubines, she had no way to show it.
Now, with everything still unsettled, the situation is very different.
Guo still persuaded gently: "Girl, since you are going to enter the mansion, what is the difference between a concubine and a concubine? In the ancestral temple, a concubine is also a concubine."
The difference is indeed huge.
The concubine can be promoted to the principal wife in the future, just like the principal wife.
This is not the case with me. The laws of the Great Qi State are strict and a concubine cannot be promoted to a wife.
Once Jiang entered the palace as a concubine, she would be a concubine for life and there would be no hope of turning her life around.
Su Wanyu responded with a cold look: "Mother, what should we do? The letter has already been sent, and the princess will return to Beijing in the next few days."
Old Madam Zheng jumped up in anger, and the Buddhist beads in her hand were hit hard: "Well, Su Wanyu, you are really capable!"
She lowered her voice and wanted to continue scolding Su Wanyu with anger, but the words were stuck in her throat and she couldn't say them.
Everything Su Wanyu said today made sense. They sounded soft, but each word was as sharp as a needle, leaving no room for rebuttal and no place to swing your fist.
Old Mrs. Zheng held her breath and angrily pulled Jiang out of the main hall.
It was late at night. Mrs. Zheng and Mrs. Guo discussed the matter all night and finally decided to make Jiang a concubine.
The matter of having a concubine can be a big deal or a small one. If the eldest princess really intervenes, it will definitely not do Zheng Chengyan any good.
Jiang was just the daughter of a minor official, there was no need to let her affect Zheng Chengyan's future.
Even if they don't like Su Wanyu, they don't have to accommodate Jiang.
In the future, once Su Wanyu is gone, we can find a wife of noble status for Yan'er and adopt Jiang's child to her. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?
After careful consideration, they immediately drafted the documents for taking a concubine.
The Zheng family of Changping Marquis Mansion has been powerful and prominent for three generations.
Zheng Chengyan was the second son of the Zheng family and a famous talent in the capital. He could recite poems at the age of three and compose fu at the age of five.
The great grandfather of the Zheng Mansion was an important minister of the previous emperor. He held the highest official rank and was later granted the title of Marquis of Changping, a title that has been passed down to the present day.
However, since the generation of Zheng Chengyan's grandfather, the Zheng family began to go downhill. They could only get a third-rank official in the court. By the generation of Zheng Chengyan's father, they could only get a fourth-rank official.
The youngest aunt in the family was sent to the palace two years ago and was recently named Huipin.
By Zheng Chengyan's generation, apart from his eldest brother who died young, he and a younger sister were the only ones left in the direct line.
As the second son, he became the only possible candidate to inherit the throne as the Crown Prince in the Marquis of Changping's Mansion.
Today, the Marquis of Changping's Mansion appears to be in great glory on the surface, but in reality it is just for show and does not have much real power in the court.
Coupled with the extravagant spending over the years, the family’s savings have been reduced to very little, and it has become a hollow shell with a bright appearance.
Therefore, Mrs. Zheng thought of the idea of letting Su Wanyu come in.
As soon as she got married, Mrs. Zheng put her in charge of the household.
In name, she was put in charge of the household chores, but in reality, they wanted her to use her own money to fill the gaps when managing the household.
There were more than five hundred servants in the mansion.
Next is the monthly salary for each room and branch.
These monthly expenses are not small amounts.
The master of the Zheng family was an only son. He had been married to Guo for decades and had six concubines, two of whom died, leaving four.
The eldest brother and sister-in-law of the first wife, Ms. Wang, died early, leaving only Ms. Wang and her three daughters.
The second wife is Zheng Chengyan and Su Wanyu.
The third room is the family of Zheng Chengyuan, his illegitimate brother, and his unmarried sister.
They each lived in different courtyards, and the monthly expenses of rouge and powder used by the women alone were equivalent to the living expenses of an ordinary family for three years.
Su Wanyu returned to the yard and counted the dowry.
A total of 200,000 taels of gold, 800,000 taels of silver, 32 shops, 13 houses and 7 manors.
In the previous life, this wealth was enough for the Zheng family to enjoy for ten years.
She put away the account books and called the maid Yunyi.
"Miss." Yun Yi lowered his head and walked into the room, bowed and saluted.
Su Wanyu picked up the bowl of boiled medicine beside her and poured the poison that the Zheng family said could "give birth" into the flower pot little by little: "Yunyi, from now on, you don't have to use my dowry to supplement the family expenses. All the money should be transferred to the bank that mother left for me."
"Miss, this..." Yun Yi suddenly looked up, looking surprised.
Su Wanyu put down the medicine bowl and said firmly, "From now on, the Zheng family is not worthy of spending a penny of our Su family's money."
Yun Yi was stunned for a long while, then suddenly knelt down, banging her forehead heavily on the floor, tears choking in her throat: "Miss... you finally understand... I told you long ago that the uncle was just trying to coax you..."
Tears welled up in my eyes and slowly slid down, bringing a bit of bitterness.
Her young lady had been spoiled and proud since childhood, but she seemed to have become a different person after marrying into the Zheng family. For the sake of Mr. Zheng, she endured humiliation and worked hard in the mansion.
Now, God finally opened his eyes and the young lady came to her senses and was no longer deceived by Mr. Zheng.
Su Wanyu helped her up, took out a handkerchief, and gently wiped away the tears on her face: "Silly child, it's not worth it to cry for a family like that. I was not wise enough before. Don't worry, in this mansion, no one will let us suffer any injustice in the future."
In her previous life, ever since Jiang came into the family, she could no longer bear the oppression of the Zheng family, so she went to Old Lady Zheng to discuss a divorce, which caused a lot of uproar, but she didn't know that she had already fallen into a trap set by the Zheng family.
They would rather force her to end her life in the Zheng family's backyard than let her leave with dignity.
This time, she won't make the same mistake again.
Although his family was wealthy, they had no influence in the court. To easily propose a divorce would be tantamount to seeking one's own death.
The Zheng family wanted to use this high wall to imprison her, so she wanted to destroy this cage with her own hands.
"Go, find me a pink dress like the ones dancers wear." Su Wanyu ordered Yun Yi.
Yun Yi was puzzled: "Master, what do you want these clothes for?"
Su Wanyu's eyes were as cold as a knife, and she replied, "Just now the old lady asked me to welcome Jiang into the family, so I naturally cannot refuse their kindness. Tomorrow, I will go to welcome my concubine into the family for my husband."
Marrying a wife requires an auspicious time, and taking a concubine also requires a good day, and tomorrow happens to be an auspicious day.
Yun Yi looked worried: "Master, that Uncle Zheng..."
Su Wanyu looked far away, with a sneer on her lips: "Of course he should thank me, his wife, for being gentle and virtuous, and for helping him marry a beautiful concubine."
The next day, the morning light appeared and the night stars disappeared.
The spring breeze blows gently, and the pear blossoms in the courtyard fall like snowflakes.
Su Wanyu walked in the morning mist and received the documents for taking a concubine from Old Lady Zheng early in the morning.
Today she deliberately changed into a long gown with a blue background and silver edges, paired with a green and white frost skirt.
Her hair was in a high bun, with a golden hairpin decorated with a peony flower in the center, jade beads and silver ornaments inlaid around it, silver-glittering hairpins on both sides, and a blue flower ornament on her forehead.
She has willow-shaped eyebrows, phoenix eyes, red lips, white teeth, and skin as white as cream. She is naturally beautiful without any embellishment, with an extraordinary temperament and is gentle and dignified.