Love Affairs in Chang'an - Chapter 78

Chapter 78 An Unexpected Thought
Because he came home late, Qin Mubai hardly disturbed his family. It wasn’t until he woke up the next morning and went out to meet his mother, Madam Liu, that the family found out that Qin Mubai had returned.

Madam Liu was overjoyed to see his precious son. Little sister Shuang’er was the same. The three of them went to Qin Shubao’s room together. He had just finished a set of fists and returned to his room to wash up.

“Eh, when did Saburo return?” Qin Shubao asked doubtfully when he saw Qin Mubai.

“Father, I came back late last night, so I didn’t dare to disturb you.” Qin Mubai cupped his hands in greeting.

The family of four had breakfast together. Mrs. Liu and Shuang’er went to the market and said that autumn was coming soon. They had to buy some thick satin and prepare to change clothes. They went to buy some good dishes for Qin Mubai personally to make a tooth sacrifice.

After a month or two, Qin Shubao’s body seemed to be getting healthier. Qin Mubai was delighted to see him.

Qin Shubao seemed to be in a good mood. He pulled his son to the backyard and rode his horse to shoot an arrow. They were all covered in sweat.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed myself so much.” Qin Shubao chuckled and said, “After all, practicing archery alone is a bit boring. Your eldest brother and second brother are also busy coming back once in a while. Now that you’re busy, you haven’t returned home for a month or two. Tell me, you’re so close that you don’t go home to take a look. What are you busy with all day?”

Qin Mubai simply told Qin Shubao about being a daddy in the palace.

“I’ve heard about this long ago. Your eldest brother is on duty in the Great Bright Palace. Come back and tell me.” Qin Shubao’s expression suddenly became serious. “What else are you busy with?”

“Nothing!” Qin Mubai said blankly.

“Really?” Qin Shubao chuckled coldly. “Every evening, you tell me about your errands in the Great Ming Palace. You can always go home at night. Why don’t you come back and take a look?”

Qin Mubai’s heart tightened. He knew that his father was referring to teaching Princess Gaoyang how to play the pipa, so he didn’t know how to respond.

“What? Are you speechless?” Qin Shubao did not reprimand him sternly. He only said with a bit of seriousness, “Sanlang, you are still too young. There are many things that need to be prioritized. The most complex and dangerous place in the world is the imperial palace. The emperor’s side is at its peak. As the saying goes, companions are like accompanying tigers. Aren’t you afraid of getting into trouble if you repeatedly commit taboos?”

Qin Mubai nodded honestly, “Father, I know what you mean … Actually, this child also knows very well in her heart, but there are some things that she is helpless about.”

“This is a joke. Could it be that Princess Gaoyang took the initiative to pester you?” Qin Shubao said.

“Perhaps Father doesn’t believe me, but it’s true.” Qin Mubai sighed, “From the beginning to the end, I never thought of provoking her, nor was I interested in her at all. But …”

“Forget it, you don’t have to say it.” Qin Shubao waved his hand and interrupted him, “Princess Gaoyang is young and ignorant. Don’t tell me you’re as foolish as her? A single slap won’t make a sound. No matter what, it’s your responsibility. Don’t just think about avoiding it.”

“Yes, Father.” Qin Mubai did not want to contradict her father, and at the same time, she was too lazy to defend herself. This kind of thing was always getting darker and darker.

“Actually … if Princess Gaoyang really likes you, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.” Suddenly, Qin Shubao changed the topic and said this.

“Ah?” This time, Qin Mubai was stunned.

“Yeah, what’s wrong?” Qin Shubao said, “Men are not married, women are not married, there is nothing wrong with being in love.” Furthermore, I, Qin Shubao, have died for the Great Tang for so many years. As one of the officials of the Tang Dynasty, the Emperor has never married a daughter to our Qin Family. The eldest son, the second son, has always been a habit of our dynasty. There are quite a few people who have married a princess. Why can’t they have our Qin Family? So what if you’re the son of a concubine? My son is talented and capable, and he will definitely have great prospects in the future. Although she is favored by Princess Gaoyang, she is still only a concubine empress. You are completely worthy of her. ”

Qin Mubai was speechless. He never thought that Qin Shubao would suddenly say this.

“Why aren’t you talking?” Qin Shubao’s sharp eyes fell on Qin Mubai.

‘”Father, there’s no way to talk about this. First, Princess Gaoyang is still very young. Second, the Emperor loves her so much that it’s impossible to marry her off so easily. Also, there’s not the slightest bit of boyfriend affection between her and the child … The child treats her as if she were a little brat who doesn’t know anything.” Qin Mubai vomited bitter water, afraid that Qin Shubao would be more serious about this matter.

“Are you telling the truth?” Qin Shubao said calmly, “Princess Gaoyang, I’ve seen her before.” At that time, although she was young, she was definitely a rare beauty. She had inherited the appearance of her mother, Yin De Fei, and even if it wasn’t for the fall of the city and the country, it would still be one in ten thousand. Coupled with her family background, there would probably be no man in this world who would not be tempted by her. She is no longer young. Didn’t Empress Changsun marry the Emperor when she was only thirteen or fourteen years old? Princess Gaoyang is about the same age. ”

Could it be that father really wanted to promote this marriage and personally propose marriage to the Emperor? Then he would really die a tragic death! Qin Mubai felt a chill in her heart, “Father, what do you want to say in the end?”

“Nothing much, just the two of us chatting.” Qin Shubao smiled and said, “It’s normal for a man to marry a woman. Isn’t it normal for parents to worry about this? Although you have already promised to marry Wu Meiniang, I don’t think she is a good wife and mother who works hard and thriftily to educate her son. A man without a wife is like a tree without skin. Marrying a good wife is a lifetime thing.”

Qin Mubai’s heart tightened slightly. Could it be that his father was dissatisfied with Wu Meiniang and wanted to cancel the marriage? According to the laws and customs of the Tang Dynasty, it was reasonable, legal, and honest for a man to cancel his marriage. There was no need for reason or shame. It was a matter of “righteousness” in terms of law and morality.

“Father, did you hear some rumors and have a prejudice against Mother Mei?” Qin Mubai simply opened the window and told the truth. It would be better to explain this matter clearly. Otherwise, if they were hidden in the bottom of their hearts, they would become fermented, mildewed, and even more uncontrollable.

Qin Shubao was silent for a moment, but he was not in a hurry to express his stance. He only looked up at the sky with a serious expression and stroked his grey beard. “Although my father came from a humble background, with his ability, he is now an official of the third rank. The Qin Clan’s ancestors were all well-behaved families of Men Fengqingdi.”

Qin Mubai nodded and sighed, “Looks like father still cares about Wu Meiniang’s identity as a child of a businessman.”

“Wrong. Father has never thought of it this way.” Qin Shubao said, “I do care about the opinions of the Shi Clan’s industry and commerce, but I don’t value them as much as ordinary Shi Clan doctors do, because I am also a person from a poor family. A martial artist who also wants to compete for the first place in the clan is pretending to be elegant and affectionate.”

“Then why is father” Qin Mubai shook her head in confusion.

“Do you still want to hide this from me?” Qin Shubao turned around and stared sharply at Qin Mubai. “What’s going on between her and Hanwang?”

As expected, it was because of this matter!

‘”So father knows everything. It happened all of a sudden, and it’s been settled perfectly now. I didn’t want to make you angry and worried. But now, I’ll tell you everything!” Thus, Qin Mubai explained the cause and effect of the incident.

After hearing this, Qin Shubao was neither angry nor angry. Instead, he said leisurely, “An ordinary man is innocent, and he has his own sins. Wu Meiniang is a troublemaker. If you accompany her for a lifetime, you will never be able to find peace.”

“Thank you father … I know that father said all of this for my own good. However, Mama Mei is innocent. We can’t blame her for this. We can’t treat her unfairly.” Qin Mubai said.

“Just like what happened between you and Princess Gaoyang, a slap won’t make a sound.” Qin Shubao said, “Think about it, if Wu Meiniang was a woman from a good family who was careful not to be so high-profile, could such a thing happen?” Not only did she like to show off, she also wished that her fame would spread throughout Chang’an City, so that all the men in Chang’an would covet her beauty. Sanlang, I know you’ve always been confident that you’re not worried about anything like Red Apricot cheating on you. However, with Li Yuanchang today, and with Wu Yuanchang and Zhang Yuanchang tomorrow, thousands of prodigal disciples are staring at your woman … Are you really at ease? Will you be able to live a peaceful life in the future? ”

“The source of this mistake is still me.” Qin Mubai knitted her brows and said, “Back then, I agreed to and encouraged her to go into business. Also, some of her actions now are related to our previous plans.”

“I don’t want to put any pressure on you, let alone put you in a difficult position. In short, you should act on your own initiative, and … you should let her stop!” After Qin Shubao finished speaking, he scissors his hands and walks away.

Qin Mubai fell silent for a moment and thought quietly. Obviously, his father was a little angry about this matter. If it wasn’t for his usual open-mindedness and generosity, if it were an ordinary family of a large mansion, he would have already slapped the table and shouted for his daughter-in-law to be rested.

Speaking of which, it was all caused by that bastard Li Yuanchang! After such a long time, there were naturally many people in Chang’an who secretly coveted Wu Meiniang’s beauty. However, Li Yuanchang was the only one who dared to stir up trouble.

Actually, Wu Meiniang was quite smart. She left the shop to someone else to take care of and temporarily left Chang’an to calm down this disturbance. Perhaps, she had also thought of the pressure of public opinion she might face in her heart, right?

There was no other way. Right now, this was a patriarchal society. Men cheat, this is called romance; A woman who attracts bees and butterflies is frivolous and lecherous. Even if they were unintentionally targeted by some prodigal disciples, they would still be condemned as a person who would ruin the sect’s reputation as an ominous person.

“But no matter what, I would rather be a bachelor than marry a little devil like Princess Gao Yang! Even if my father were to forcefully suppress this matter, I would still refuse.” Qin Mubai said to herself, “As for the matter with Wu Meiniang … Although our relationship isn’t strong, we have a little understanding. Let’s consider it from the long term.”