Dong Tingzhen’s throat rolled as she continued: “Cousin can even go to battle like men, and despite being a woman… has gained fame across all nations, becoming a fierce general that all nations fear. This is something many men want to achieve but cannot! I truly envy that Cousin can make decisions for her own life and control her direction!”
When Dong Tingzhen was little, she visited the Bai residence and saw Bai Qingyan sparring with Duke Zhenguo Bai Weiting in the courtyard using bamboo as swords. After returning home, she also tried practicing with bamboo, but was scolded by her mother. When she wanted to ride horses, she was forced by her mother to learn embroidery. When she wanted to practice martial arts, she was forced by her mother to learn the qin.
She had never made any decisions for her own life.
Even before Prince Liang appeared, she thought her life would be… mastering qin, chess, calligraphy and painting, learning from her mother how to manage household affairs, then marrying and bearing children, learning how to navigate between husband and in-laws, learning how to manage her husband’s concubines.
This… was probably the life of most women in the Great Jin.
Dong Tingzhen smiled as she wiped her tears with her handkerchief: “I’ve already chosen this path, so if I don’t walk it… How will I know if this path is right or wrong? Perhaps… Prince Liang is an ambitious person who covets that lofty position. Perhaps Prince Liang’s weakness and incompetence are all that he wants others to see, but without seeing for myself, I’ll never know!”
Dong Tingzhen stood up and bowed formally to Bai Qingyan: “If Prince Liang marries me truly for the feelings between us, then I’ve won! If he marries me to gain Second Uncle the Prefect’s support and Cousin the fierce general of Jin’s support, then I won’t let him succeed! The Dong family… has always believed that if someone treats me with one inch of sincerity, I treat them with one foot of sincerity! If someone betrays my sincerity by one inch, I’ll destroy us both!”
“Your parents raised you like a precious pearl and jade, so you could destroy yourself with that pig-dog creature?!” Bai Qingyan couldn’t control her anger, her voice rising, “Tingzhen, can my words today not dissuade you from marrying Prince Liang?”
Dong Tingzhen bit her teeth tightly: “Cousin, please indulge me this once! I beg Cousin not to tell my parents about this; otherwise, even if it’s brought before the Emperor, I’ll only admit that Prince Liang and I privately pledged ourselves to each other. Then all the Dong women’s reputations would be affected, and I don’t want it to come to that!”
Bai Qingyan clenched her fists, suddenly feeling powerless. Even though Prince Liang held Dong Tingzhen’s longevity lock, as long as she could convince Dong Tingzhen, Bai Qingyan could find ways to remedy the situation.
But if Dong Tingzhen insisted on marrying Prince Liang, no matter how many schemes she had, she couldn’t deploy them.
She could only hope the Crown Prince would enter the palace and stop this.
She clenched and unclenched her fists, calming down to say: “It won’t come to mutual destruction! The Emperor won’t be rash enough to issue a marriage edict just from seeing your safety lock. Uncle isn’t an unreasonable person. If you truly cannot live without Prince Liang, you could get engaged first. After a year or two, if you still deeply believe Prince Liang is a good man you can entrust yourself to, then marry! If you discover Prince Liang isn’t sincere toward you but is using you, you can cut ties cleanly! Tingzhen… if it’s just for being willful once and ruining your entire life, that’s the most worthless thing! Moreover, after marriage, if you have children, would you want them to watch their parents destroy each other?”
Since she couldn’t persuade Dong Tingzhen to abandon the idea, she let Dong Tingzhen confess to Uncle, so Uncle could be prepared.
Even if they ultimately couldn’t stop Dong Tingzhen from marrying Prince Liang, the worst outcome would just be an engagement, which still left room for maneuver.
Prince Liang urgently wanted that position, and since he had never sat in the Crown Prince’s seat, with the Emperor now taking elixirs… once something happened, the Crown Prince would ascend the throne. How could Prince Liang not be anxious?
Anxiety… most easily leads to chaos.
“Two years, you’re not willing to wait?” Bai Qingyan asked again.
Dong Tingzhen shook her head, thought for a moment, then nodded: “I’ll go find Father and Mother right now! Cousin… could you accompany me?”
Dong Tingzhen twisted her handkerchief, feeling somewhat afraid.
“Alright!” Bai Qingyan nodded.
·
Prince Liang entered the palace, urgently requesting to see the Emperor. The Emperor, who was listening to Concubine Qiu play the qin, thought something major had happened.
Who knew Prince Liang would kneel before the Emperor and tearfully tell how he had mistaken Bai Qingyan for the girl he had fallen for in childhood, which was why he wanted to marry Bai Qingyan. Now he had found the girl who didn’t disdain his dirtiness and gave him a handkerchief to wipe his face back then, but before he could report to the Emperor… requesting the Emperor to grant their marriage, this girl had already been noticed by Grand Tutor Chen… who had already asked the retired Imperial Teacher’s wife, Old Lady Tan, to visit and propose marriage for Chen Zhaolu.
Hearing this, the Emperor realized there were such twists and turns, and immediately became interested: “You’ve been crying for so long, but I still don’t understand… whose daughter is this?”
“Reporting to Father Emperor… she is Honglu Si Minister Master Dong’s legitimate daughter, Dong Tingzhen!” Prince Liang quickly took out Dong Tingzhen’s longevity lock and held it high above his head, “This is Tingzhen’s longevity lock. Tingzhen was afraid Father Emperor wouldn’t believe in our mutual affection, so she gave this to your son! Please let Father Emperor decide for your son! Your son will marry none but Tingzhen in this lifetime! Please, Father Emperor!”
Prince Liang kowtowed heavily.
Concubine Qiu, standing beside the Emperor, timely sobbed twice and dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief: “Your Majesty, Prince Liang and Miss Dong are so devoted to each other, it moves this concubine greatly. Why doesn’t Your Majesty fulfill this loving couple?”
The Emperor looked at his always weak son, who could come before him for a woman’s sake. He squinted and leaned against the dragon-embroidered brocade cushion, asking: “You and this Miss Dong… have you been intimate?”
“No, no! Absolutely not!” Prince Liang fearfully kowtowed on the ground, “Father Emperor, Tingzhen is the most proper and well-mannered girl. The reason Tingzhen gave your son her longevity lock this time is because your son previously mistook Princess Zhenguo and caused such a scene; she was afraid Father Emperor wouldn’t believe in our mutual affection, so she gave me this! Please let Father Emperor see clearly!”
“Your Majesty!” Concubine Qiu coquettishly tugged at the Emperor’s sleeve, “Look how you’ve frightened Prince Liang! This shows… Prince Liang truly cherishes Miss Dong! Why doesn’t Your Majesty fulfill Prince Liang’s wish?”
“Father Emperor, your son fears everything in this life! Your son hides from everything! But… when it concerns Father Emperor and my brothers, your son seems to have tremendous courage. Now your son feels the same way about Tingzhen. Your son was fortunate to find Tingzhen, and Tingzhen doesn’t disdain your son’s incompetence, doesn’t disdain that your son is useless…”
“What nonsense are you talking about! You are my son… who dares to disdain you as useless!” The Emperor was annoyed by Prince Liang calling himself useless.
Prince Liang was his son. Even if he was useless, he, as Emperor, could say so, but who would be tired of living enough to disdain his son!
“Father Emperor…” Prince Liang looked up toward the Emperor, tears streaming down his face, “Those people don’t say it with their mouths, but that’s what they think in their hearts!”