xymnovel Chapter 9, I guess I'll just have to make do.
Chapter 9, I guess I'll just have to make do.
Because of Wang Lu's antics, a perfectly good wedding was made a bit more comical, and it did bring some shame to the family. But since it was just a junior's antics, at most there would be some gossip among the common people, but it wouldn't have any real impact. Overall, the wedding still ended perfectly.
In an unprecedented move, Han Tong personally grasped Zhao Kuangyin's hand and escorted him and his brother Zhao Kuangyi all the way to the door and onto their carriage. He then watched them until they were far away before returning home.
Zhao Kuangyin was quite surprised: When did Han Dengyan, this rough and uncouth man, become so polite?
But I didn't think much of it.
Zhao Kuangyi chuckled and joked from inside the carriage, "Brother, that Taoist priest Wang is clearly Han Tong's son-in-law, yet he seems quite eager to curry favor with you."
I can tell he got married unwillingly. I heard he used to be a hermit, a highly accomplished person. Who knows, he might really have seen destiny. Brother, you are truly destined for this world.
Zhao Kuangyin glanced at Zhao Kuangyi, sighed, and said nothing.
Whether or not fate is at play is hard to say, but judging from Wang Jun's attitude towards him, it was clearly wrong. This new son-in-law of Han Tong was far too enthusiastic and too obsequious towards him.
He and Han Tong respectively commanded the Palace Guard Command and the Imperial Guard Command. Han Tong was also the Chancellor of the Secretariat and the Chancellery, making him a higher-ranking official than him.
Moreover, although Zhao Kuangyin had a deep foundation and outstanding military achievements, he was actually less senior than Han Tong. In fact, Han Tong was of the same generation as his father, Zhao Hongyin.
Wang Jun's treatment of Zhao Kuangyin was clearly not that of a colleague slightly lower in rank than his father-in-law, but rather...
It was obvious that they regarded him as an emperor with the power of life and death, and they had been trying their best to please him within the limits of Han Tong's tolerance.
This was something even Zhao Kuangyi could see, so Zhao Kuangyin himself certainly couldn't be unaware of it. But precisely because he saw it, he was at a loss for what to do.
"I asked you to write a letter to the King of Wei. Did you write it? Did you relay my words? If the King of Wei becomes the emperor, I will surely follow him with unwavering loyalty."
"I wrote it, I really wrote it. My father-in-law has absolutely no interest in becoming emperor. He says he's too old and that the world will eventually be handed over to a young person like you, brother. Brother, my father-in-law has emphasized this many times. He truly supports you becoming emperor."
Zhao Kuangyin smiled wryly and said, "Your Majesty, is this really such a good job? If it were so easy, why doesn't the Prince of Wei do it himself? Why do I have to do it? If he wants to be the emperor, who can stop him?"
In just over fifty years, this empire has seen fourteen emperors rise and fall, and which family has fared well? Once this path is taken, there is no turning back; even the simple life of a commoner is now impossible.
Zhao Kuangyi said excitedly, "My father-in-law is already sixty-five years old this year, and after Fu Zhaoxin's death, he has no successor. Even if he becomes emperor, how many more years will it take to achieve peace? Naturally, he will lose his vigor and dare not move forward, nor should he move forward anymore."
But you, brother, are in the prime of your life! Don't you have any ambition or drive for advancement in your heart?!
Zhao Kuangyin remained silent, only turning his head to look out the window, his mind troubled.
Han Tong watched Zhao Kuangyin's carriage until it disappeared from sight, then he finally breathed a long sigh of relief. His heart was pounding in his chest, he was so nervous, he had almost made a terrible mistake.
He turned around and went back to his residence, heading straight for Wang Jun's small courtyard.
Han Tong's mansion was very large, bestowed by the imperial court. As a high-ranking official, his mansion was second only to that of a prince. However, because he had only been recalled to Kaifeng in May, before Chai Rong's death, his entire family had only been there for a little over two months, and there simply wasn't enough time to fill it up.
There were more than ten empty rooms in each of the east and west wing rooms, so one room, along with a small courtyard, was specially set aside for Wang Jun to live in.
After seeing Zhao Kuangyin off, Han Tong came to the courtyard and saw Wang Lu sitting in the outer hall, tending the fire and brewing tea. He nodded to him and sat down beside him. Wang Lu calmly poured out two bowls of tea, one for himself and one for Han Tong.
"Where's your father?" Han Tong asked.
"In the bridal chamber? Should we call him out?"
"No need."
Han Tong took a sip of tea and said, "I really owe you a lot for what happened today. If it weren't for your intervention, my unfilial son would have caused me a great disaster. I never expected that this unfilial son would have such audacity."
Han Tong himself knew that Han Wei was mentally challenged, but he never expected that someone with such a problem would be so bold and so proactive. His heart was still pounding.
"First, I must thank my stepmother. As soon as I called, she came out of the bridal chamber without delay. Seeing the young master with a weapon, she immediately stood in front of him and managed to stop him."
Secondly, I must thank your personal guards. They serve under Han Wei, but they clearly harbor doubts. When I called out, they all readily complied and stopped moving. Otherwise, how could I have stopped them? It's truly a blessing from Heaven, Grand Commandant.”
Han Tong nodded: "That's natural, but ultimately, it's still your good deed that's done."
"Does Grand Commandant Zhao have any suspicions?" Wang Lu asked.
"There shouldn't be any. Just consider it a family scandal of the Han family and don't suspect anything else."
"That's good."
Han Tong stared at Wang Lu for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Even I, as his father, didn't notice anything unusual about my rebellious son. I never expected him to have such audacity. How did you find out in advance and stop him? If it's a coincidence, it's too much of a coincidence."
"Besides, I don't believe that a ten-year-old boy could be so quick-witted in the face of such a major event. It's as if you planned and orchestrated it all. Could it be that you and your father are truly capable of divination? Are you... really ten years old?"
He then frowned and shook his head, saying, "But Master Wang should really be your father. If you weren't ten years old, this doesn't make sense."
No, or perhaps Master Wang actually possesses the art of preserving his youth, and is a recluse who doesn't show his age? He's probably not actually older than me.
Wang Lu was slightly startled, inwardly admiring Han Tong's keen insight, but he asked in return, "Grand Commandant, you are so persistent in your questioning; do you believe in fate or not?"
"What if I believe, and what if I don't?"
"With your sharp eyes and quick wit, how could you not see through the thoughts of my father and me? If you believe that my father and I can foresee the will of Heaven, then why bother asking any further questions? Shouldn't we just follow the will of Heaven as soon as possible? That would be the right way."
"If the Grand Commandant doesn't believe my son and I can foresee destiny, then why did you ask? Whether you believe it or not, what good does it do?"
Han Tong paused for a moment upon hearing this, then shook his head with a wry smile and said, "Very well, you and your son are indeed no ordinary people. If you don't want to answer, I won't ask."
"But you keep calling me Grand Commandant, it's too formal. Now that your father is my son-in-law, how about you call me Grandfather?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Lu stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Grandson Wang Lu greets his maternal grandfather."
"Good, good, good son-in-law, good grandson. No matter what, this relationship is real. I only have one son, but he is useless. The continuation of our family line may well depend entirely on you and your son."
After saying that, Han Tong patted Wang Lu on the head, then drank the whole bowl of tea on the table in one gulp, not minding how hot it was, and then strode away.
Wang Lu watched his retreating figure, completely disbelieving his final, beautiful words.
However, after this incident, and with this statement, it seems that the relationship between the father and son and Han Tong has indeed become much closer.
Living in a chaotic world and having boarded a pirate ship, the father and son were even guilty of possessing a treasure. Han Tong had treated them with a combination of coercion and force, so naturally, the father and son had no good feelings towards Han Tong and were lucky if they didn't hate him.
On the other hand, weren't the father and son also protected by Han Tong? At least Han Tong really did marry a daughter into the family, and he did indeed go to great lengths to do so. The father and son were in their thirties and sixties respectively, so they couldn't really be arrogant towards Han Tong.
Whether he was forced or not, the father and son are now indeed in the same boat as him, tied up and unable to get off. He can't just think of scuttling the boat and sinking it because of his unwillingness.
Just like my own father and his sixteen-year-old stepmother, they definitely had no feelings for each other beforehand, but since things have come to this, what else can I do? At least this stepmother seems to be sensible and reasonable.
Well, we'll just have to make do.
Most adult relationships are like this: if you can get by, you just make do.
Thinking of this, Wang Lu looked into the inner room, wondering how his father and his sixteen-year-old stepmother were doing on their wedding night.
Sixteen years old!
Pah! Disgusting! An old cow eating young grass, how shameless!
Wang Lu tiptoed over and listened through the crack in the door for a while, but couldn't hear anything. He didn't know if the house was well soundproofed or if the two of them were just making quiet noise.
Sixteen years old!
Pooh!
I just can't bring myself to do it.