Chapter 10: Consider the Qin Family

After the mother and daughter had chatted for a while, Lu Desheng returned.

“Did you see them off?” Madam Jiang asked.

Lu Desheng picked up his cup and drank all the water in it. “Yes, I sent them to the second gate and then came back.”

“Zhao family actually broke off the engagement with the Qin family. That was quick,” Madam Jiang remarked with a sigh.

Lu Songli nodded. Indeed, a lot had happened in just one morning. The Zhao family was really busy.

Today, the Lu family had received representatives from two prominent families in Chang’an—one civil and one military. The two elders felt quite emotional about it.

“In comparison, the Qin family does seem to be more responsible,” Madam Jiang said, expressing a favorable impression of the Qin family.

Lu Desheng snorted. “Heroic deeds are often done by the lowest of people, while unfaithfulness is more common among scholars!”

Madam Jiang rolled her eyes. “Why do you have to include yourself in that?”

“I’m different,” Lu Desheng insisted stubbornly.

Seeing this scene, Lu Songli couldn’t help but smile and chime in, “Mother, Father is indeed different from Xie Zhan. Xie Zhan is no match for my father.”

Lu Desheng puffed out his chest, looking very pleased as he addressed his old wife, “Did you hear that?”

Madam Jiang gave him a disdainful look and then waved him away. “Alright, alright. Aren’t you supposed to attend the court tomorrow? Why aren’t you going to the study?”

At Madam Jiang’s reminder, Lu Desheng immediately stood up. “Yes, I should head to the study. Don’t call me for dinner.” With the grand court session tomorrow, he had prepared a great gift for the Zhao family, and on the eve of such events, he always stayed in the study to rehearse various things, aiming to avoid any mistakes in court.

Madam Jiang waved him off.

Lu Songli stood up and, with a smile, saw her father off to the study. Her father’s habit of preparing thoroughly was quite good and worth maintaining.

“Stay and sit with Mother for a while.”

Lu Songli noticed her mother seemed to have something to say.

“Mother, if you want to say something, just say it. Is there anything we can’t talk about?” She had initially planned to follow her father to the study and pick out a couple of books to read, but now that wasn’t possible.

Madam Jiang smiled. “You noticed, did you?”

Lu Songli thought, “It’s so obvious. My eyes aren’t that bad.”

Madam Jiang composed herself and asked, “ALi, what do you think of Qin Sheng?”

Lu Songli looked at her mother, eyes widening slightly. Was her mother asking what she thought?

Madam Jiang gave her a reassuring look. “The Qin family is flourishing, and their family tradition is solid. If you marry into them, Qin Sheng, as the youngest son, will have the protection of his father and brothers, so you’ll have it easier.” The most important thing was that the pressure of continuing the family line as the youngest son would be much less.

She had always been worried about the marriage with the Xie family. With her daughter’s health, marrying into such a prominent family and becoming the eldest son Xie Zhan’s wife would bring enormous pressure. However, this match had cost her daughter so much, and she was reluctant to give up on it. The ambiguous attitude of Madam Xie and Xie Zhan earlier in the day had only deepened her concern.

“Your mother is right; Qin Sheng is indeed acceptable.” The voice of her father came from outside the door.

“Father, weren’t you going to the study?”

Lu Desheng replied, “I left something behind and came back to get it, but that’s not important. We’re discussing Qin Sheng right now.”

With that, both parents turned their attention to Lu Songli.

“Wait, why are you suddenly thinking this way?” Lu Songli was startled. She needed to quickly dispel her parents’ dangerous thoughts.

 …..

It’s important to know that in the original story, the Qin family was punished and exiled shortly after Zhao Yutan married into them. Although Qin Heng later led troops back to Chang’an and achieved ultimate victory, many people in the Qin family must have died. Otherwise, the Qin family’s second-generation young emperor wouldn’t have been so close to Zhao Yutan, who had remarried.

The Xie family maintained their power well during the change of the ruling dynasty. With strong ministers and a young emperor, it was inevitable that power would shift, and with Zhao Yutan’s influence, it became evident that Xie Zhan would later act as regent and control the court. In the end, it was uncertain whether the new dynasty would bear the Qin name or the Xie name.

Qin Heng might have seen these issues, but he likely found himself powerless to remove the Xie family. Exile and warfare had taken a severe toll on his health, which naturally affected his lifespan. Given the Qin family’s weakened state, he probably could only sigh and close his eyes in resignation.

These were her speculations based on the plot provided by her younger cousin. At that time, her cousin hadn’t mentioned the specific crimes of the Qin family. Although the plot has changed now, whether the Qin family can escape this calamity remains uncertain.

The Qin family achieved the final victory, but considering both risks and rewards, betting early offers high returns but also carries significant risk. There’s a possibility of losing everything, even one’s life. The Lu family, on the other hand, only needs to find an opportunity to join in once the situation becomes clearer.

Why should the Lu family wade into these muddy waters so early? She worries that her father’s frail body might not be able to handle it.

“Ali, trust your father’s judgment.”

“Ali, if the marriage with the Xie family falls through, you really need to seriously consider the Qin family. Otherwise, your future marriage prospects will be much more challenging,” Madam Jiang said with a pained expression. The reality was harsh. If they broke off the engagement with the Xie family, combined with the recent mishap, their daughter’s future marriage options would be significantly limited.

“What?” Lu Songli frowned slightly. Her thinking was still influenced by her previous life, and she subconsciously felt that breaking off the engagement with the Xie family wasn’t a big deal. She didn’t realize the situation was even more severe than she had imagined.

“But, Father, if I have to choose, I would choose Qin Heng.” Not only did he survive to the end and achieve ultimate victory, but Qin Heng was also twenty-seven years old. Given that she was in her mid-twenties in her previous life, they would be a suitable match. Moreover, his first wife died during childbirth, leaving behind a pair of twins. With her own health issues, a painless childbirth would be most suitable for her.

In ancient times, Confucianism was prevalent, emphasizing filial piety and the idea that nurturing gratitude was greater than the natural bond of birth. If she raised her child well, she needn’t fear them being unfilial. If she couldn’t cultivate a child who would dutifully respect her in such a supportive environment, that would be her own failing.

If she were to match with Qin Sheng, it would be like an old cow eating tender grass—no matter how thick-skinned she was, it would still be hard for her to accept. Furthermore, Qin Sheng was essentially a cannon fodder character. Although she was somewhat attracted to his looks, he was likely to die during exile, as the saying goes, “not living past the third episode.” Despite her own status as a cannon fodder character in the original story, at least the original character had lived into the middle and later parts of the story. Lu Songli stubbornly thought.

It seemed that her parents were suggesting that two cannon fodder characters be paired together—were they hoping for their destruction to be delayed?

“No, Qin Heng is too old!” Lu Desheng immediately opposed fiercely when he heard. Qin Heng might appear mature and stable, but he was much older than his daughter!

Lu Songli blinked. Was twenty-seven really considered old? In the later years, many young women in their thirties were still considered youthful. Plus, Qin Heng didn’t look old at all. She didn’t realize that the average lifespan in ancient times was only around forty or fifty years. To put it bluntly, at Qin Heng’s age, he had already lived two-thirds of his life!

Madam Jiang also shook her head at her choice. Neither of her parents believed this was a decision made after careful consideration; they thought it was a choice made out of stubbornness.

Lu Desheng stopped his wife from continuing to persuade, “Since Ali doesn’t want it, we won’t consider it.”

Madam  Jiang sighed. “Fine, fine. If the Qin family knew about Ali’s health condition, their attitude might not be as accommodating as it is now.”

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