dmims Chapter 130 Debate
Chapter 130 Debate
Chapter 130 Debate
Once the marriage was settled, Old Madam Sheng had a meal served.
After lunch, Mrs. Wang said goodbye.
Wang You didn't have a chance to speak to Minglan at all.
Grandma Sheng personally saw them off at the door, watching the Wang family drive away before returning to Shou'an Hall with Minglan.
"Tell me, why did you hide it from me?"
Grandma Sheng dismissed the servants and looked at Minglan, asking her a question.
"Grandmother, I didn't mean to hide it from you, but I didn't know how to tell you," Minglan said, bowing her head.
"Then let's explain it step by step," said Grandma Sheng.
"That day—"
Minglan could only recount her trip to Xiliu Manor to Old Madam Sheng.
"I didn't want you to worry, so I was thinking that if my cousin Wang could persuade the family to come and propose marriage, I would tell my grandmother, and if—"
Although Minglan didn't finish her sentence, Old Madam Sheng already understood what she meant.
"Silly girl."
Grandma Sheng pulled Minglan down to sit with pity, saying, "You should have told me sooner. What if I had refused just now?"
"Grandmother, you don't blame your granddaughter?" Minglan looked at Old Madam Sheng in astonishment.
Her actions could be considered a private engagement, and she thought that Old Madam Sheng would scold her.
"Strange, how can it not be strange?"
With a complicated expression, Old Mrs. Sheng said, "They say you only know your parents' hearts when you raise children. I actually wanted to refuse just now because I myself have been willful before."
But I remember that if my parents hadn't agreed back then, I would have hated them for a long time.
People who have never suffered losses tend to reject their parents' arrangements.
Back then, she fell in love with Old Master Sheng at first sight, but also had the rebellious spirit of youth.
The more her parents disagreed, the more she insisted.
It was only when she hesitated that she truly understood the difficulties her parents had faced back then.
If she refuses and insists that Minglan follow her arrangements, no matter how well she arranges things, Minglan will still feel resentful.
This way, you won't be happy either.
"grandmother!"
Minglan felt the deep care and love in her grandmother's words, and her eyes welled up with tears.
"alright."
Grandma Sheng said, "She's about to get married, why is she crying?"
You chose this path yourself, and whatever the outcome, you will have to bear the consequences yourself.
"Just don't blame me later for not stopping you."
"No way!"
Minglan shook her head repeatedly, saying firmly, "My cousin will treat me well, and I will never resent my grandmother."
"Priceless treasures are easy to find, but a true lover is hard to come by. People change, and no one can predict the future."
Grandma Sheng said seriously, "Moreover, marriage is never just a matter between two people, but between two families."
Why has marriage always been arranged by parents and matchmakers since ancient times?
Only when marriages are arranged by parents will the couple be relatively harmonious after marriage.
While this isn't absolute, it's certainly much better than having your family unwilling.
Like your older sister, although it was an arranged marriage, her relationship with her husband is quite good.
But you know how difficult her life was, even though it was arranged by her parents.
I don't know how Youge convinced his grandmother and parents, but they certainly didn't genuinely accept you.
After you enter the house, facing the difficulties posed by Old Mrs. Wang and his parents, he, as a descendant, cannot disobey them because of you.
Even if he disobeys, it will only make your situation more difficult.
At first, you might be able to tolerate the love and affection, but as time goes on, won't you start to feel resentful?
"When resentment builds in your heart, cracks will appear in your marital relationship. Have you considered this?"
"My granddaughter has considered it!"
Minglan nodded firmly and said, "Granddaughter believes she can handle this!"
With her intelligence, she naturally considered these things, but she didn't want to marry someone she didn't like and spend her life with them.
"It's good that you know what's going on."
Grandma Sheng didn't continue on this topic. What she had just said was only to remind Minglan of the situation she might face in the future.
"Now that the marriage has been arranged, it is no longer appropriate for you to go back to school."
Old Madam Sheng pondered for a moment and said, "Years ago, I knew a nanny named Kong in the palace. She left the palace a few months ago and was invited by some wealthy families in Bianjing to teach their daughters manners."
Since it's almost time to leave Beijing, I shamelessly invited her back to teach you some manners.
Although Old Mrs. Wang seems kind, she is actually very strict about etiquette. Learning more about etiquette will make your life easier after you marry into her family.
Because of Wang You, Qi Heng did not arouse Princess Pingning's suspicion as early as in the original drama.
It was only when Qi Heng fell ill that Princess Pingning noticed something was amiss.
Princess Pingning never learned that Qi Heng was in love with her, so she was too ashamed to come to the Sheng family and asked the Sheng family to prevent her three daughters from going to school.
In the original drama, it was because Princess Pingning came to the door and implied that the girls were too old to study together that Old Madam Sheng invited Granny Kong to teach them manners as an excuse to make Minglan leave the school.
Since Princess Pingning did not come to visit, she originally planned to have Minglan marry into a lower social class, so there was no need for palace maids to teach her manners and elevate her status.
Learning etiquette from the palace maids did improve one's social standing to some extent.
It's like how poor families often want their sons to marry maids from wealthy families.
In modern terms, the maids of wealthy families were worldly-wise, and their perspectives and abilities were naturally far superior to those of girls from humble families.
Teaching rules and regulations serves a similar purpose.
If we have Granny Kong to educate her for a period of time, she will be more respected when she marries into the Wang family.
"Ziqian!"
The next morning, Wang You arrived at the Sheng family's residence by car and happened to run into Gu Tingye and Qi Heng, who had just gotten out of the car.
Gu Tingye returned to Bianjing last month, and Sheng Changbai even took leave to pick him up.
However, Wang You did not go.
"Zhonghuai, Yuanruo."
Wang You returned the greeting, and the three of them entered the Sheng family home together.
"The weather is getting colder and colder, but thankfully classes will be suspended in a few days."
A gust of cold wind swept by, and Gu Tingye shrank his neck and quickly tightened his cloak.
"After the New Year, the imperial examination will be just around the corner."
Qi Heng sighed, "I was very confident before, but now that the date is getting closer, I'm starting to get nervous."
"
"What's there to be nervous about? Even if you don't pass the exam, you still have a noble title waiting for you to inherit," Gu Tingye said with a smile.
"Isn't Second Uncle the same?" Qi Heng said casually.
Upon hearing this, Gu Tingye's smile froze.
"Second Uncle, I—"
Qi Heng realized he had misspoke as soon as the words left his mouth.
No matter what, he was Gu Tingye's older brother, and they had a pretty good relationship when they were young.
Later, for some reason, the two brothers developed a rift, and Gu Tingye even confided in him about it.
"It's nothing." Gu Tingye shook his head.
"I can't compare to you guys. Even if you fail the exam, you can still inherit your titles. I can only rely on my own efforts," Wang You said with a smile.
"It's as if you're going to take the imperial examination."
Gu Tingye said enviously, "That's a Jinshi degree holder. Even if we pass the imperial examination with flying colors, we might not be as good as you."
"Yes." Qi Heng was also a little envious. If he had participated in the prodigy exam, he might have been able to become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).
"We've arrived at the school. Let's hurry inside," Wang You urged.
The three quickened their pace and entered the school, where a warm feeling washed over them.
"Good morning, Ze Cheng and Ze Xiang."
"Zhonghuai, Yuanruo, and Ziqian."
The Sheng brothers were already there. They greeted each other, and the three of them, with the help of their respective attendants, took off their cloaks and sat down.
"By the way, have you heard? The King of Western Xia has made Lady Liang his Empress and is now implementing Han customs in Western Xia. I must say, this King of Western Xia is truly remarkable," Gu Tingye exclaimed.
"Second Brother Gu, the King of Xia had an affair with his cousin-in-law and even made her his empress. Barbarians are barbarians; they have no sense of propriety or shame."
"This guy thinks he can marry a princess in the Song Dynasty? Even if he promotes the Han system, he's just a monkey in a crown. What's so great about that?" Sheng Changfeng said disdainfully.
Previously, the Western Xia sent envoys to the Song Dynasty, not only intending to make peace with the Song Dynasty, but also earnestly requesting the Song Dynasty to marry a princess.
The official had no sons, and most of his daughters had died young. Only four of them had grown up, so how could he bear to marry them off to the Western Xia?
After being rejected by the Song Dynasty, the ruler of Western Xia then appointed Lady Liang as his empress.
This Liang family member has a very special identity; his ancestors were Han Chinese officials.
The Western Xia had already submitted to the Tang Dynasty during the Tang Dynasty and were considered subjects of the Tang Dynasty.
Today, the territory of Western Xia, apart from a portion that was occupied during the chaos at the end of the Tang Dynasty, consists mostly of areas settled by the Tang people after they submitted to the Tang Dynasty.
At that time, the Han and Tangut people lived together.
The leaders of the Tangut people have always been appointed as military governors. During the late Tang Dynasty, the Tangut people were among the warlords who controlled various regions.
Therefore, the territory occupied by the Tangut people already had a large number of Han Chinese people.
There were also many Han Chinese officials in Western Xia, but the power of discourse in the Western Xia court was in the hands of the Tangut nobles, and the Han Chinese officials had no real power.
However, the Liang family held a high position among Han Chinese officials. In order to win over the Liang family's support, the powerful minister, Mozang Epang, who had previously held power in Western Xia, arranged for his eldest son to marry the eldest daughter of the Liang family.
Meizang Epang was the maternal uncle of the ruler of Western Xia, and Lady Liang was the cousin-in-law of the ruler of Western Xia.
Previously, the empress of Western Xia was the daughter of Meicang Epang. Lady Liang often visited her sister-in-law in the palace, and the two of them became lovers in private.
In fact, the Liang family played a crucial role in enabling the young emperor of Western Xia to regain power.
Two years ago, the Empress Dowager of Western Xia passed away. The young emperor thought he could finally rule in his own right, but he did not expect that without his mother's restraint, his uncle, Meicang Epang, would completely control the government.
The young emperor knew that if he remained a puppet, he might not have a good ending.
So while secretly winning over court officials, he was also cultivating his own confidants.
After discovering this, Mo Zang E Pang killed all of the young emperor's confidants.
But he also sensed that the young emperor was unwilling to be a puppet.
Although the young emperor was his nephew, there was no turning back for a powerful minister.
Throughout history, any powerful minister who becomes emperor will not have a good end unless he forces the emperor to abdicate and becomes emperor himself.
At this point, I have to say something in defense of Emperor Taizu.
Many people say that Emperor Taizu seized power by taking advantage of orphans and widows.
Even if he didn't do that and was willing to be a loyal minister assisting the emperor, if he wanted to avoid internal power struggles and prevent the young emperor from ruling in his own right, then he would have no choice but to seize power and become a powerful minister.
However, this would inevitably lead to a very tragic end.
Of course, he could also choose not to be a powerful minister and instead be a dutiful subject.
In this situation, if he doesn't do it, someone else will, and the internal struggle will only escalate into endless infighting.
In that situation, if the court is preoccupied with internal strife, its demise is not far off.
As a subject, what good end could he possibly have?
Either way, I'm going to die, so I might as well become the emperor myself.
Even though Mucang Epang knew that if he didn't become emperor himself, his future would be miserable.
Thus, the idea of eliminating the young emperor and becoming emperor himself arose.
But before he could even make a move, Lady Liang learned of the news and informed the young emperor.
Upon hearing this, the young emperor acted decisively, immediately contacting the generals he had previously recruited to strike first.
Although his confidants were eliminated by Mozang Epang, the court officials he had won over did not.
After all, in a situation where powerful ministers hold great power, it is no easy feat to remain in the court while not being of one mind with them.
Whether it was due to a lack of awareness or a sense of complacency, or because they felt they had done something well enough, they were completely unprepared.
After the Song Dynasty refused to marry the princess, the young emperor of Western Xia then made Lady Liang his empress.
The news only reached Bianjing in the last day or two.
The scholars of the Song Dynasty were all cursing the young emperor of Western Xia for lacking any sense of propriety, righteousness, or shame.
Upon hearing this, Sheng Changbai turned around and said, "Although a ruler must abide by ethics and morality, ethics and morality are not the standard for judging whether an emperor is good or bad."
Whether an emperor is wise or foolish depends on his civil and military achievements.
The ruler of Western Xia was only a teenager, yet he was able to eliminate powerful ministers. How many emperors in history can compare to him?
Wang You nodded in agreement. He actually disliked judging an emperor by focusing on his moral character.
It is not that emperors do not need morality, but that as monarchs, the emperor's primary responsibility is to govern the country well.
To focus on moral aspects instead of cultural and military achievements is either foolish or stupid.
Take today's officials for example. They are morally impeccable, but can you call them sage rulers?
The emperor must not only be exceptionally skilled in both civil administration and military affairs, but also be morally flawless.
That was no longer an emperor, but a saint.
Seeing that Sheng Changfeng's expression was somewhat unpleasant after being refuted by Sheng Changbai, Gu Tingye changed the subject, asking, "Ziqian, what do you think?"
"I think the ruler of Western Xia is very difficult to deal with."
Wang You said with a solemn expression, "After he eliminates the powerful minister, the Tangut nobles within the court will inevitably face a major purge."
This would leave a large number of power vacuums.
If he continues to promote Tangut nobles, the newly promoted ones will inevitably side with the small group of Tangut nobles who supported his power grab.
In this way, powerful ministers may emerge again.
The Western Xia ruler's decision to appoint Lady Liang as empress was primarily driven by his desire to promote Han Chinese officials.
"impossible!"
Upon hearing this, Sheng Changfeng immediately retorted: "Both the Liao and Western Xia had Han Chinese officials, but when have either country ever given Han Chinese officials important positions?"
"Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts. The Tang Dynasty is a prime example; how could the ruler of Western Xia not know such a simple truth?"
However, Gu Tingye and Sheng Changbai were carefully considering Wang You's words.
It must be said that Wang You's viewpoint is peculiar, yet very reasonable.
"The Western Xia was different from the Liao Dynasty."
Wang You shook his head and said, "In the end, the Liao Kingdom only occupied the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun after the end of the Tang Dynasty."
However, the Tang people had already submitted to the Tang Dynasty in the early Tang Dynasty, and the Han people and the Tang people began to live together.
Some Han Chinese in the Western Xia had lived with the Tangut people for hundreds of years, and due to intermarriage, they could no longer be considered true Han Chinese.
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