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Princess Changting shed tears. Her grandsons were not only noble and handsome but also filial. If any of her grandsons were to marry such an unsuitable woman, it would harm them. She felt uneasy at the thought of her husband involuntarily causing harm to her grandsons.
First Master Jiang said, “Mother, for the sake of Father, no matter what kind of woman this Lu family’s daughter is, we must bring her into the household. If Father’s condition does not improve, it means that Lu girl has not fulfilled her role in bringing fortune. We will give her a sum of money and send her away, ensuring she lives a worry-free life. If Father’s health improves, and if the Lu girl has mended her ways, our household can accommodate her. If she truly is intolerable, we can have her live in another courtyard, and the one who have married her can marry other wives.”
Princess Changting contemplated and reluctantly agreed.
Princess Changting and Marquis Jiang Ping have three sons: the eldest, Jiang Yuanhong, the second, Jiang Yuanzhao, and the third, Jiang Yuanchong.
Eldest Master Jiang Yuanhong have two sons and a daughter: the eldest, Jiang Zhanju, twenty-three years old (Eldest), was already married. The second son, Jiang Zhanxun (Sixth), was eleven years old. The daughter, Jiang Ling, was twenty and already married.
Second Master Jiang Yuanzhao have four sons and a daughter. The eldest legitimate son (second) had passed away, and the eldest bastard son, Jiang Zhanwei, nineteen years old (Third), was already betrothed and was supposed to be married in two months but his fiancée was later replaced by Lu Man. The second legitimate son, Jiang Zhanyu (Fifth), fifteen years old, was not yet betrothed. The fourth son, Jiang Zhankui (Eighth), was also a bastard, six years old. There was also a bastard daughter, also six years old.
Third Master Jiang Yuanchong have three sons: the eldest legitimate son, Jiang Zhankun (Fourth), fifteen years old, was considering marriage. The second legitimate son, Jiang Zhanpeng (Seventh), was ten years old. The third legitimate son, Jiang Zhanyan, was five years old (Ninth).
Of the unbetrothed, Jiang Zhankun (4th), Jiang Zhanyu (5th), Jiang Zhanxun (6th), Jiang Zhanpeng (7th), Jiang Zhankui (8th), and Jiang Zhanyan (9th), aged fifteen, fifteen, eleven, ten, six, and five, respectively, the most suitable candidates for marriage were Jiang Zhankun and Jiang Zhanyu.
Jiang Zhankun was considering marriage, and although it hadn’t been finalized, it was close. Furthermore, Princess Changting, knew that her 4th grandson was cherished by Marquis Jiang Ping, so she was reluctant to have Jiang Zhankun marry Lu Man. She looked at Jiang Yuanzhao, and Jiang Yuanchong and Jiang Yuanchong understood their mother’s intentions.
They knew that Jiang Zhanyu was the apple of Jiang Yuanzhao’s and Madam Lin’s eyes, and the second master Jiang was submissive to his wife. However, there was no alternative, someone had to marry Lu Man, and the marquis’s life was more important than anything else.
Third Master Jiang urged, “This concerns Father’s life and death. Second Brother, you must persuade sister-in-law for the greater good.”
At this point, Jiang Yuanzhao had no choice but to agree and hurried back to discuss with his wife. Half an hour later, he returned to the main hall, where his elder brother and younger brother were still present.
Jiang Yuanzhao wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to Princess Changting, “Mother, I discussed with Madam Lin, and it’s best to let Zhanyu focus on his studies. His teacher believes he will pass the imperial examination. We should let my second son, Zhanwei, your filial third grandson, marry the daughter of the Lu family…”
Eldest Master Jiang exclaimed, “Zhanwei has already been betrothed to the Shu family’s daughter. They are to marry in two months. This match was intended to bring fortune to Father, we cannot allow the daughter of the Lu family to become a concubine.”
Blushing, Jiang Yuanzhao said, “It’s fine. We can dissolve Zhanwei’s current engagement and offer compensation to the Shu family… Father’s situation is exceptional, and we must maintain our dignity to show that we are not rejecting the Shu family’s daughter due to her inadequacy. It’s an act of filial piety and won’t affect her future marriage. They will understand.”
Eldest Master Jiang added, “The Shu family’s daughter is about to come here. Refusing the engagement at this point might not be well received. Lord Shu is a straightforward man and won’t be swayed easily. If mishandled, he might even lodge a complaint against Mother and us at the court.”
Lord Shu held the position of a supervising grand secretary in the Ministry of Personnel, with a straightforward character. The one betrothed to Jiang Zhanwei was his granddaughter, Shu Mingwei.
Jiang Yuanzhao wiped his forehead again and said, “Rejecting the engagement is an act of filial piety. We can explain that the horoscopes of our other sons don’t match with the daughter of the Lu family, and only Zhanwei is suitable. Even if the Shu family is unwilling, it is not reasonable to impede our act of filial piety to save Father’s life.”
Princess Changting also felt more sympathy for Jiang Zhanyu and thought it was a real loss if he married the daughter of the Lu family. She was still unhappy about the refusal by Madam Lin.
She slammed the teacup on the table and scolded, “Look at your lack of backbone. For over twenty years, you’ve been led around by the nose by your wife. I’ve kept silent before, but even now, your ears are still so soft. Are your wife’s words more important than your father’s life?”
Jiang Yuanzhao hurriedly knelt down and said, “Mother, you’ve misunderstood. This has nothing to do with Madam Lin. She hasn’t said anything. It’s my own consideration. Zhanwei lacks literary and martial talents, and being a bastard, he can’t contribute anything to the family. Now is the time to use him. He has enjoyed the wealth and honor bestowed by the family, so he should share the family’s responsibilities. Furthermore, the Shu family’s status is not high, so this marriage between Zhanwei and their daughter is insignificant for our family. Zhanyu is different, he is my legitimate son and will surely excel in the imperial examination…”
Jiang Yuanzhao wasn’t lying, he had discussed the matter with Madam Lin, who remained silent. He understood her reluctance and came up with this idea on his own.
Princess Changting, who already favored her legitimate grandson Jiang Zhanyu over her bastard grandson Jiang Zhanwei, agreed after seeing that even the father was in favor. Once Princess Changting had agreed, Jiang Yuanhong and Jiang Yuanchong had little to say.
After discussing, they promptly went to withdraw from the engagement with the Shu family. The Shu family couldn’t afford to provoke Princess Changting and was forced to dissolve the engagement. Even though the Princess’s residence compensated them with five thousand taels of silver, it couldn’t quell Lord Shu’s anger. Not only did he berate the Jiang brothers, but he also went to the court to petition the Emperor, accusing Princess Changting of being untrustworthy and criticizing her bastard grandson.
The Jiang brothers, knowing they were in the wrong, dared not argue with Lord Shu even when reprimanded, merely stating they were acting out of filial piety. Especially Jiang Yuanhong, being under Lord Shu’s authority, had to repeatedly apologize to him with a red face.
Naturally, the Emperor sided with his sister, comforting Lord Shu briefly and not interfering further.
After the cancellation of the marriage alliance, the Jiang brothers sent a matchmaker to propose to the Lu family. When the Lu family’s grandmother heard that her granddaughter had connected with Princess Changting’s residence, she was overjoyed. She thought to herself that the ill-fated maternal grandfather of Lu Man had ruined the prospects of her two sons, but now, finally, she could make amends. Without hesitation, she agreed to the proposal.
With everything arranged, Jiang Yuanzhao informed Jiang Zhanwei to prepare as the groom. As for whether Jiang Zhanwei was willing or had any thoughts, they didn’t bother to consider.
Princess Changting still felt somewhat guilty towards her grandson. Despite him being an illegitimate child, he was still her flesh and blood. She generously granted him the leisure area of Orchid Pavilion for his relaxation and also privately gifted him five thousand taels.
Knowing he had been rejected and then betrothed again, Jiang Zhanwei remained silent, knowing that speaking would be futile. As a bastard, he was only worth so much. His birth mother had told him to endure, to take care of his younger siblings, and that good times would come when they eventually split from the household. But…
It’s odd to see “bastard” as opposed to shu/illegitimate