Shortly after Qian Jiajia and Qian Jingjing returned to their rooms, the imperial decree from Emperor Mingzheng, granting the marriage between Han Ze and Qian Xiangxiang, arrived at the Duke of Zhen’s Mansion.
Qian Jingjing lowered her head helplessly, struggling to hide her dejection.
Qian Jiajia knit her elegant brows. Her once confident and dignified second sister had never looked so dispirited. She stepped forward and gently took Jingjing’s hand. “Second Sister, the decree has been issued; there is no turning back. You should try to look at it differently. A daughter of the Qian family doesn’t need to be a Crown Princess or even a royal bride to be cherished; no matter which family you marry into, you will be held in high regard. Why suffer over a man you can never have? Even if he is the Crown Prince—marrying a man who already has a legitimate heir is not necessarily a good destiny.”
The Crown Prince already had a legitimate son, one said to be deeply loved by the Emperor and Empress. If Jingjing were to have a son in the future, given her personality, would she be content with her child ranking below another? Once she developed other intentions, it would spark endless strife. The Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince would never forgive her, and it could drag down the entire family and implicate her sisters.
Qian Jingjing pulled her hand back and looked at Jiajia, forcing a stiff smile. “I know your worries; you can rest easy. I won’t do anything to harm the Qian family. But letting go of such a thing isn’t something that happens overnight.”
Jiajia wasn’t embarrassed that her sister had seen through her. She truly was worried that her sister might do something to ruin the family’s reputation, especially since her own marriage hadn’t been settled yet. She said, “Second Sister, don’t blame me. If you had even a slight chance with the Crown Prince, I would help you with all my might. But now the Crown Prince would rather take side-consorts than a Crown Princess; it’s clear where his heart lies. Even if the Emperor hadn’t decreed the marriage between Big Sister and Prince Chun, you wouldn’t have had a chance to become the Crown Princess.”
“I know. I know everything. We sisters have been raised with family discipline since childhood; I would never do anything to disgrace our house. You can be at peace.”
Being exposed by her younger sister made Jingjing feel a bit awkward. After a moment, she gave a smile of relief. Since becoming the Crown Princess was hopeless, as her sister said, why not be more open-minded to avoid worrying everyone? She said, “Among women of our time, how many truly get to marry the man they admire? I was being narrow-minded.”
“Second Sister…” Jiajia looked at her with concern.
Jingjing said slowly, “I truly envy Big Sister a little.”
Jiajia looked confused.
“Prince Chun may be simple, but he treats Big Sister with a single heart. Our Big Sister has always been protective of her own; if she didn’t like him, how could she tolerate us speaking ill of him?” Jingjing gave a bitter smile. “The sister we always looked down on has obtained the very kind of marriage we dream of. How can one not be envious?”
Jiajia was silent for a moment, then agreed. “It truly is enviable. However, everyone has their own fate. There’s no need to belittle ourselves; we aren’t lacking, so surely our own marriages won’t be bad.”
Noble daughters were usually confined within the boundaries of etiquette and upbringing. Only their Big Sister, Qian Xiangxiang, did whatever she pleased, treating rules as if they were nothing. Even their father and mother indulged her, unable to bear seeing her suffer through learning strict etiquette. She lived a vivid, free life. Even if she was looked down upon or isolated, she seemed not to care at all.
Jiajia didn’t want to admit it, but she was actually envious. She longed for it—envying that Big Sister dared to challenge convention and didn’t care about the world’s gaze. Jiajia, however, didn’t dare. She feared the world’s scrutiny and even more their judgment. Her every move followed the teachings of tutors and nannies; she even strove to do better just to receive praise and the satisfied gazes of her elders.
She had received the praise and the satisfied gazes, but that was all. Even though Big Sister was eccentric and ignored the rules, the elders still doted on her and indulged her. No matter how hard Jiajia worked, the love she received couldn’t compare to Big Sister’s. How could she be content? It wasn’t so much that she disliked her sister as much as she was jealous—jealous that her sister lived freely and received more love.
Over time, she realized that envy and jealousy were useless. Only by living her own life well could she find substance. She was jealous, but she knew what she wanted, so she wouldn’t let that jealousy destroy her reason.
“I hope so,” Jingjing said with a vacant smile.
…
Emperor Mingzheng looked at his “silly” son with a tender gaze. “The wedding is still six months away. You cannot be idle for half a year. Starting tomorrow, you will study at the Prince’s Mansion.”
“Dad! I’m about to get married! Why do I still have to study? Can I not? I don’t like studying!” Han Ze immediately glared and shouted.
“Who told you that getting married means you stop studying?” The Emperor was both angry and amused. Only this son dared to tell him so bluntly that he hated studying. If any other son said that, they would be severely punished.
Han Ze blinked and shifted the blame instantly and without pressure: “Prince Yong.”
The Emperor’s face darkened. He snorted. “Is he not at home reflecting on his actions?” Still has the energy to fool his brother? It seems the punishment was too light.
“He said it before,” Han Ze said without a shred of guilt. “He said he got a break when he was getting married. Why do I have to study? Dad, you’re biased!”
The Emperor had a headache. Brat, how am I biased? If anything, I’m biased toward you! He rubbed his temples. He loved his son and didn’t want to admit he was “slow,” but he knew his son’s thinking was different from others. He couldn’t understand normal logic, so perhaps he shouldn’t blame Prince Yong for “talking nonsense”—it was likely Han Ze’s own misunderstanding.
Thinking of the hardships this child suffered as a boy, the Emperor couldn’t bear to be harsh. He said patiently, “You still have six months before the wedding. When that time comes, I’ll let you rest for a few days.”
Han Ze’s total reluctance was written all over his face.
“Then take a whole month off,” the Emperor said. Seeing that face, his heart softened instantly.
Han Ze immediately broke into a wide grin. The Emperor shook his head and waved him off. “Fine, go see your mother. I am busy with state affairs and don’t have time to chat with you. Go pay your respects to her!”
Having finished, he ignored him and picked up a memorial to review. Han Ze pouted and said unhappily, “Didn’t you tell me to come to the palace? Now you’re saying I’m bothering you.”
Emperor Mingzheng: “…” This brat.
Han Ze looked up, saw his father’s dark face, and asked with dissatisfaction, “I knew it. Dad thinks I’m annoying and doesn’t like me.”
The Emperor didn’t know why his silly son would say such a thing. Distracted by state affairs, his tone wasn’t great: “When did I ever say you were annoying?”
Han Ze snorted. “Dad is being fierce with me!”
The Emperor truly wasn’t being fierce, but he had no way to explain. Faced with his silly son, any rage turned into total helplessness. He had to coax him. He sighed, feeling that being an Emperor was incredibly stifling; he had to coax his son, coax his concubines, and be annoyed by ministers every day. “Dad is busy. Be good and go find your mother.”
Han Ze frowned and curiously stepped forward. “What is Dad busy with?”
“Things you wouldn’t understand. Just focus on your studies.” The Emperor thought: What could I tell you? Can you help me solve it?
Han Ze was defiant. “If you don’t tell me, how do you know I won’t understand?”
“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t get it. Don’t cause trouble,” the Emperor said. “Go on now.”
Han Ze muttered unhappily, “Looking down on me… you won’t know unless you tell me!”
The Emperor sighed. “Be good. Go talk to your mother. Making her happy is helping me.”
Han Ze: “Fine then!”
…
Han Ze spent his days at the Prince’s Mansion studying under a tutor, learning basic primers like the Three Character Classic and the Thousand Character Classic. When Xiaoxing and Xiaozhu returned from their lessons in the palace, they looked at their father with sympathy. They knew how much he hated studying; Imperial Grandfather really was amazing to make their father agree to it.
Seeing their sympathetic looks, Han Ze smiled and beckoned them over.
Xiaoxing asked, “Dad, what is it?”
Han Ze looked serious. “I haven’t finished memorizing my books, and I still have twenty pages of calligraphy to write. You two help me; ten pages each.”
Xiaoxing: “Ah?”
Xiaozhu: “Ah?”
Han Ze asked, “What? Unwilling?”
Xiaoxing said, “Dad, this is your homework. How can we do it for you?” Xiaozhu nodded along.
Han Ze gave a cough. “I am your Dad! You won’t listen to what I say?”
The siblings looked at each other, their little faces dejected. Han Ze added, “Twenty pages is so many… if I don’t finish, the tutor will beat me with the boards!”
Hearing about the boards, the children shuddered. They had been hit before and knew how much it hurt. Xiaoxing’s face wrinkled. “Then… then we’ll help you write a few?”
“Only a few?” Han Ze said. “Then just let Dad be beaten.”
Xiaozhu hurriedly said, “I’ll write ten! Big Brother will write ten!”
Han Ze gave a simple laugh and praised them, “My daughter truly is the most caring.”
Xiaoxing pursed his lips, feeling quite helpless. “I’ll write them.”
Han Ze arched an eyebrow triumphantly. Xiaoxing endured it, but finally couldn’t help saying, “Dad, you’re about to be married. you can’t be like you were before; you have to have a man’s sense of responsibility. We’ll only help you this once. Next time you have to do it yourself.”
Han Ze scratched his nose. “When has Dad ever lacked responsibility? I’m trying to find ways to earn silver to raise you every day! As for reading and writing, I really don’t like it. Your Imperial Grandfather is the same—why must he make me study?”
Xiaoxing said, “Dad, Grandfather is doing it for your own good, so you won’t be illiterate and get cheated without knowing it. Yet you hate studying and misunderstand his good intentions.”
Han Ze said, “Fine, fine, I know he means well. Oh, never mind that—hurry up and write for me. If we delay any longer, we won’t finish in time, and then I’ll get the boards.”
The siblings looked at each other helplessly and went to the study. Once there, Xiaozhu suddenly said, “Dad is a Prince. Who would actually dare to hit him with the boards?”
Xiaoxing’s eyes went wide, and he snorted. “We were tricked by Dad!”
Xiaozhu lowered her head and scrunched her nose. “Dad is so over-the-top. And here I was, so worried for him.”
Xiaoxing’s shoulders slumped. He said dejectedly, “Just write. Who told him to be our Dad?”
If their father wanted to act like a rogue, not only were they helpless, but even their Imperial Grandfather was too! At this thought, he spread out the paper, lifted his brush, and began to write seriously.
Xiaozhu blinked and sighed along with him. Since he was their father, they could only go along with him.
Maria Lian On CFRFGC Chapter 104