Chapter 115: Side Consort (II)
Cheng Yujin pinched herself quietly, trying to use the pain to sober her mind. It was not easy for her toe this far, and she couldn’t ruin years of hard work for a momentary emotion.
Ten fingers connected to the heart. As the tingling pain seemed to reach her brain, Cheng Yujin was about to speak, but another person suddenly stopped her. Li Chengjing forcibly stopped Cheng Yujin from pinching herself, then turned around and bowed to Empress Dowager Yang: “Empress Dowager is right. As the Crown Prince, this grandson should be the example of the world. The founding ancestor of the countryid down thew: ‘A Qinwang<sup>1</sup> is allowed to take concubines, one at a time, up to ten at most. When a Junwang<sup>2</sup> has no di-born son at the age of twenty-five, he is allowed to take two women of a good birth as concubines, and when he is still childless at thirty, the number of concubines can be upped to four. As formon man, in the case he is without a son at forty, is allowed to take one concubine.’ This grandson is a Crown Prince, but a prince who breaks thew must be punished with the same punishment asmon men and vice versa. This grandson has the responsibility and duty to set an example for themon people in the world. This grandson is indeed still without a child, but also not yet forty, so how can this grandson take a concubine?”
Hearing this reasoning, Empress Yang couldn’t help frowning. The founding emperor was extremely strict. What he hated the most were extravagant and corrupt officials, which prompted him to formte very strictws. Even the number of concubines Qinwang, Junwang, officials, andmon men could take also be regted. But it was a long time ago. The founding emperor had passed away for many years, and many of his strictws had long stopped being enforced.
The Lin family’s rule, in which men under forty were not allowed to take concubines, was actually originated from thisw. However, seeing how Lin Qingyuan, whose family still practiced this rule, was regarded as a rarity in the capital, one could imagine of such a degree thisw was actually enforced.
But aw was still aw, so it must still be preserved somewhere in old archives. Li Chengjing suddenly took out thew made by the founding ancestor, which truly surprised Empress Yang. Even the people of the Ministry of Justice might not be able to remember where to find such an oldw, but Li Chengjing fluently recited it from memory. Moreover, it was also the first time Empress Yang used the phrase ‘a prince who breaks thew must be punished with the same punishment asmon men.’
This logic was impermeable. In theory, amon man could only take one concubine when he remained without a son at the age of forty. However, how many people still knew about this outdatedw, let alone follow it? But Li Chengjing cleverly made use of this and even set a vow to restrain himself by using themon people as an excuse.
Empress Yang was dumbfounded, but the excuse Li Chengjing used was indeed aw formted by the ancestor. No matter what, Empress Yang dared not to point her finger at the founding emperor.
Empress Yang had no choice but to turn to Empress Dowager Yang for help, hoping that her aunt woulde forward to break Li Chengjing’s argument. But Empress Dowager Yang remained silent, frowning. Obviously, she also felt the difficulty of this matter.
After a while, Empress Dowager Yang finally said, “This sentence should not be used here. You are the Crown Prince; how can you be the same as themon people? Themon people’sws are simply wronging you.”
“Empress Dowager may have forgotten, but a moment ago, you said that the Crown Princess is the example of women in the world. Therefore, this grandson should also be the role model of the men in the world. If this grandson cannot even follow thews made by our ancestors, then how can I ask others to follow the imperialws? If this matter is spread out and known by the public, this grandson will definitely lose their trust. In this way, how can this grandson maintain my duty as the example for the subjects?” Li Chengjing asked, “Empress Dowager, don’t you think so?”
These were originally Empress Dowager Yang’s words, twisted before thrown back intact by Li Chengjing. Empress Dowager Yang was first suppressed by the ‘ancestralw’ and then was mmed by her own words. Feeling suffocated, she tried to open her mouth to refute, but no words coulde out.
Empress Dowager Yang couldn’t swallow this anger: “Imperial hair is not a trivial matter. As the Crown Prince, how can you have no one to serve you?”
Li Chengjing lowered his head and simply responded, “This grandson is indeed unfilial.”
As for the matter of taking concubines, he refused to back down.
Empress Dowager Yang wanted to say more, but the emperor coughed twice and said, “Okay, the Crown Prince is still young, and it has been only a year since Zhen finally found him. There is no rush for children. Besides, it is only half a year since the Crown Prince’s marriage, and it is still too early to rush them for a child.”
The Emperor opened his golden mouth, so Empress Dowager Yang was forced to shut up. Next to him, Empress Yang sat with a dark face. The Emperor always respected Empress Dowager Yang and obeyed her words. But today, for the sake of the Crown Prince, he openly humiliated Empress Dowager?
Empress Yang looked at the young man sitting below. A tall, graceful figure. A handsome man at the height of his youth. Anyone who saw him praised him for his talent, but this person was Zhong-shi’s son.
She couldn’t win against Zhong-shi, and now even Zhong-shi’s son was pressing on her Jun’er’s head.
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<em>Click this page for advanced chapters TOC.</em><ol><li>Qinwang: First-rank prince by blood, usually sons of an emperor.</li><li>Junwang: Second-rank prince by blood, usually di-born sons of a Qinwang.</li></ol>