Chongfei Manual pt. 1

96.2

Elder Princess Gao Yang didn't say anything and Wei Kun wouldn't concede. The current scene was very awkward.

Standing at the doorway, Li Song was wearing an ink-colored robe embroidered with golden thread. With his eyes looking down, he thought for a long time before finally entering the room.

He saluted Prince Ru Yang and Elder Princess Gao Yang and said, "Mother, I’ll marry her."

Elder Princess Gao Yang was started. She incredulously exclaimed, "Song-er?" She thought that Li Song had said this so that she wouldn't be put into a difficult position and hurriedly said, "Don't worry. Mother will handle this for you..."

He curved his lips. He was clearly smiling, but there wasn't the slightest trace of a smile in his eyes. Instead, there was an obstinate struggle. "Anyways, I reached a marriageable age. I have to marry someone. It might as well be Wei Zheng."

He had his own selfish motives. Previously, he had thought a lot while standing outside. He wouldn't be able to marry Wei Luo in this lifetime. It wouldn't be bad to be her brother-in-law. At least, in this lifetime, they would always have a connection. She wouldn't be able to get rid of him.

Elder Princess wasn't the only one that was startled. On the side, Li Xiang was also extremely shocked. She stood up and said, "Older brother, did you become stupid? How could that type of woman be suitable to enter out family? Don't you find her dirty?"

Hearing these words, Wei Kun's face became very ugly.

Li Song didn't reply. He looked at Wei Kun and indifferently said, "But, I have a condition."

"Say it." Wei Kun said.

"After we're married, she can't meddle with anything I do. My mother will continue to manage Prince Ru Yang's residence's household affairs."

This meant that Wei Zheng would be marrying into an empty position. There wouldn’t be any benefit to marrying him.

This was already pretty good. At least, she would still be married. It was better than losing her innocence and staying at home until she became an old spinster. Wei Kun hesitated for a moment. In the end, he still nodded and agreed.

Even if Elder Princess Gao Yang didn't want to agree, her son had already spoken. She didn't have another option and could only accept this. Wei Kun didn't leave Prince Ru Yang's residence until the two families spent an hour discussing the details of the marriage.

Three days later, people from Prince Ru Yang's residence sent over betrothal gifts. The gifts were for fifth branch's Fifth Miss.

The betrothal gifts were carried over by only thirty-six people. It was a pitiful amount. It showed how indifferent the groom’s family was about this marriage. Wei Kun was displeased about this in his heart, but he didn't say anything. It was Wei Zheng's fault for being a disappointment. She had pre-marital sex. Why wouldn't they think lowly of her?

After the wedding date was settled, every few days, the women from noble families talked about how House Wei’s Fifth Miss was going to marry before her hairpin adulthood ceremony. The marriage had been decided so quickly and the groom's family didn't even give decent betrothal gifts. People who used their heads tried to guessed what had happened. There was a lot of gossip and none of it was good for Wei Zheng's reputation.

Wei Zheng and Li Song's wedding was scheduled at the end of the next month. The timing was too short. Everyone in Duke Ying's residence was busy with preparing for Wei Zheng's wedding.

On the surface, no one said anything. But, they couldn't resist secretly gossiping about her with disapproving words. For her own family to be like this, it wasn't necessary to say how outsiders viewed her.

(T/N: I don’t understand Wei Kun’s actions. Is he marrying Wei Zheng to Li Song to punish her? Li Song has an infamous reputation as the capital’s worst bully. And Wei Kun thinks that Chang Hong almost died twice because of Li Song’s actions. Even if Li Song had a wonderful reputation, his entire family thinks this girl raped him. If she marries into this family, her life will become a living hell.

I’m surprised that Duke Ying and Old Madam didn’t have Wei Zheng quietly sent off to an abbey for the rest of her life using the excuse that her health isn’t good like her mother’s. Why would they air out their family’s dirty laundry instead of trying to sweep it under the rug? Marrying off thirteen-year-old Wei Zheng only caused outsiders to gossip about their family and damage the reputations of the remaining unmarried girls in their residence by association. The recent chapters of Unruly Phoenix Xiaoyao illustrates the Confucian concept of one person can bring shame upon the entire family’s shame really well. The entire family would want to hide and mitigate the shame to protect the family honor regardless of how they feel about that family member. A more extreme example that's based on the same underlying principle would be nine familial exterminations.