Harem Daily Life

Chapter 1087 This princess cannot stand seeing anyone bully the weak.

Hua Ruyan was heartbroken. She never expected to be seen by the Crown Prince and the Fifth Princess today. If the Crown Prince and the Fifth Princess both defended the Su family's girl, wouldn't she be at a disadvantage?

She was so frightened that she couldn't utter a word, and her face had turned deathly pale.

While Madam Su was sitting at home, she was invited by the Crown Prince's guards with a token. By this time, everyone had entered a teahouse. He Yucheng, He Yinuo, and his two younger brothers sat down, and the people surrounded the Su family mother and daughter and Hua Ruyan, with discussions rising everywhere.

Madam Su had never seen such a scene before. She had met the Fifth Princess before, but when she saw the three noble young men sitting beside the Fifth Princess, she was so frightened that her legs went weak and she knelt on the ground: "This concubine, Su Li, from the second branch of the Su family, greets His Highness the Crown Prince, the Fifth Princess, and the two princes."

With the current empress's four legitimate children right before her eyes, Madam Su was both surprised and delighted.

Seeing that her daughter Su Yue was still standing there like a dazed child, she quickly tugged at her daughter, and Su Yue finally came to her senses, blushing as she knelt down to pay her respects: "Your subject Su Yue greets Your Highness the Crown Prince, and greets the Fifth Princess and the two princes."

Su Xing frowned. Why was Su Yue's voice so strained today? It was rather eerie.

He Yucheng remained silent, while He Yinuo said, "Please rise, Madam Su. I invited you here today to inquire about Su Xing's marriage. Su Xing's marriage is not something I, the princess, should concern myself with, but I cannot bear to see anyone bullying the weak. Let me ask you, did you agree to Su Xing's marriage to the Zhou family without my consent?"

Madam Su was taken aback and quickly replied, "Your Highness, the Zhou family did indeed come to propose marriage. They just brought over the birth charts and are still checking the horoscopes."

Madam Su said angrily, "I have said before that Xing'er's marriage must be approved by me to be valid. Why did you accept their betrothal letter without my consent? I rejected the Zhou family a long time ago."

Madam Su said leisurely, "Sister-in-law, you've been living in the inner quarters for so long and don't have much social interaction. What good families could you possibly know to introduce to Xing'er? I've met more people than you. The Zhou family is a wealthy family, and they want to marry a principal wife as a second wife. Such a good marriage is a great honor for my niece."

Madam Su said, "The age difference is too great, and there is a shrewish concubine in the family. My daughter will not marry into such a family."

Madam Su scoffed lightly, "It's not up to you to say what you mean. Mother has already given her approval, and Master also thinks it's good. The Zhou family has even sent over their betrothal gift list."

Upon hearing this, Hua Ruyan was both angry and anxious. She glared at the Su family mother and daughter and began to sob, "I knew this vixen girl was no pushover. She's already seducing people at such a young age."

He Yinuo narrowed her eyes: "Are you deaf? It was the second branch of the Su family that agreed to the marriage without permission. What does it have to do with the first branch and their daughter?"

After being rebuked by the Fifth Princess, Hua Ruyan had no choice but to remain silent, daring not to speak her anger.

He Yinuo glanced at the Su family mother and daughter, whose eyes were red, and then looked at the second branch of the family: "I didn't know that Madam Su the Second had the right to force a marriage? Which law is backing you up?"

The Great Zhou Dynasty did indeed stipulate that marriage required the consent of the parties involved. Madam Su Er was overstepping her bounds.

She coughed lightly and said, "Your Highness, you may not know this, but our Su family is managed by the second branch. As the mistress, I... am in charge of these matters."

"Pah!" Madam Su, no longer caring about saving face, angrily retorted, "Our eldest and second branches of the family have long since separated. Your second branch has no right to make decisions for our eldest branch."

Madam Su rolled her eyes: "You eat and live in the Su family, and then you eagerly ask me to help you find a good match. You found a good family, but you refuse to marry into it. Now you've even asked the Crown Prince and the Princess to stand up for you. Sister-in-law, you really have too much to do. You're making a scene in the street. Aren't you afraid of upsetting your mother-in-law and getting a reputation for being unfilial?"

Madam Su was tongue-tied and, preoccupied with her anger, her head was spinning.

Su Xing patted his mother's back, bit his lip, and said, "Second Aunt, it's true that we eat and stay at the Su family's house, but we paid for it. It's two taels of silver a day, while staying at an inn or eating at a restaurant outside only costs one tael."

After she finished speaking, the surrounding people started talking amongst themselves: "This... they're accepting money?"

"Two taels of silver a day is quite a lot for two people. You wouldn't need that much if you moved out."

“That’s right. A small courtyard can be rented for only three taels of silver a month. This mother and daughter in the main house pay two taels a day at the Su family, which is sixty taels a month. Why would they still want to stay? It would be better for them to move out sooner rather than later, so they won’t be taken advantage of by others at every turn.”

"That's right, the eldest son's daughter is about to be sold by the second son's family!"

Seeing that public opinion was on her side, Su Xing continued, "My daughter and I rejected the Zhou family's marriage proposal long ago, but Second Aunt disregarded our feelings and secretly accepted betrothal gifts and marriage proposals. What is she trying to do? Don't use the excuse of doing what's best for me to actually harm us, a widow and her child! I am still surnamed Su, Second Aunt, how cruel you are!"

Madam Su's eyes darkened as she glared at Su Xing: "I'm only doing this for your own good. Your father has passed away, and you have no one to rely on. Where can you find a family as wealthy as the Zhou family? Don't you know what's good for you? You're even blaming me. Have you lost your conscience?"

Su Xing met her gaze, but the little girl was unusually firm: "Our two branches of the family have long since separated, and my marriage is not for the second branch to manage. I hope that the Zhou family's betrothal letter will be returned, Aunt, I will not marry."

Madam Su also lost her temper: "The old lady has already agreed, how dare you go against your grandmother's wishes?"

“I will explain to my grandmother myself, but if my second aunt insists on forcing me to marry into the Zhou family, I will have no choice but to file a lawsuit and take it to the government office, asking the prefect of the capital to judge whether you, as a second aunt, can handle my marriage.”

Su Xing stared intently at Madam Su, making her feel uneasy.

"Summon the Prefect of the Capital? That's easy, go and invite him now." He Yinuo said, and the guard was about to go when Madam Su Er hurriedly stopped him: "No, no, no, it's just a family matter, why bother the magistrate?"

Lord Su is an official in the court. If he finds out that I took this matter to the government, wouldn't it be a disgrace to the Su family and even more so to Lord Su himself?

"Oh? You don't want to alarm the authorities? Then, in front of this princess and my brother, the Crown Prince, Madam Su, make a choice. Will you follow the path of justice, or will you break the law, commit one... one..."

He Yinuo didn't know what the law said and couldn't explain it for a moment, so she kicked her silent brother.

He Yucheng was kicked and said helplessly, "Crime of defying a woman's will."

"Yes, yes, yes, if you insist on bypassing Madam Su and arbitrarily arrange Su Xing's marriage, that's the crime of defying a woman's will. Crimes can lead to imprisonment!"

"Going to jail, jail is gloomy and smelly."

"They can't see the sunlight, and they have to be tortured."

He Xiaobao and He Xiaoliu each added a sentence to their sister's sentence.

Madam Su was startled, and a chill ran down her spine.