readytorunbook Chapter 28 Not getting married is really illegal!
Chapter 28 Not getting married is really illegal!
That night, Shen Shi and his son had a long private conversation in the study. No one knows what they talked about. The next day, Shen Che went to see his uncle Li Sheng, and in any case, he was appointed as the chief envoy of the mission.
The general itinerary was to first escort the third prince of Qi back to his country, meet with the Qi emperor to convey the intention of friendly relations between the two countries, and then pass through Qi and head straight to Yu.
If nothing unexpected happens, it will take half a year to travel back and forth. Shen Qing thought, "Dude, you're going to finish three years' worth of KPIs in one business trip!"
Because of the remarkable effects of his minor mastery of lightness skills, Shen Qing couldn't wait to urge the system to deliver the lethal martial arts techniques it owed him.
[Beware of going astray if you're too eager for quick success!] The system cursed as it pulled out a red-covered thread-bound book.
Shen Qing automatically filtered out the profanity, picked it up and saw four characters written on it: "Vermilion Bird Mad Blade". He couldn't help but think to himself, why is he picking on animals? Does he look like a beast?
Upon opening the diagram, oh dear—it's still a dual-wielding style! My swordsman dreams are shattered.
As usual, Shen Qing eagerly ran to Instructor Yue to "ask" for advice on swordsmanship.
Yue Tieniu finally breathed a sigh of relief; he really knew how to do this!
He had someone carry a ten-pound broadsword and wielded it with great skill and flair.
"Great!" Shen Qing clapped enthusiastically, then added that he couldn't wield that big sword.
Yue Tieniu looked at the young woman's petite frame and pondered for a moment before saying, "I know a blacksmith who is very skilled and can make a knife tailored to your specifications."
Shen Qing had been waiting for these words. He took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and said, "In that case, I have a few thoughts."
……
Yue Tieniu glanced at Shen Qing's departing figure, then at the blueprints in his hand. His path to becoming a "reclusive master" was laid out perfectly.
Eating, sleeping, practicing martial arts, and going to school—Shen Qing's life was very regular.
At the palace gate, Shen Qing saw Jing Chuan from afar. Receiving his gaze, she thought, "Is he blocking my way?"
Sure enough, as he approached, Jingchuan bowed to him.
"What is the reason for this, Your Highness?"
"If it weren't for Lady Shen saving the Fourth Princess and the other noble ladies, this matter would probably not have ended well."
That makes sense. The only victim of that accident was Jiang Se. If a prince, princess, or other nobleman's son had been in trouble, Jing Chuan might not have been able to return. Thinking about it this way, this incident was probably not an accident but rather deliberate.
There must be someone in Qi Kingdom who doesn't want Jingchuan to return, so there must be an inside agent within the delegation. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Xuan Kingdom sent an envoy to escort him, so that Jingchuan wouldn't get into trouble in Xuan Kingdom and become a target of gossip.
"It's only natural, Your Highness, why don't you go in?"
"I will be returning to my country with the mission soon. I am staying at the post station now and will no longer go to the palace school."
As Shen Qing bowed and took his leave, he whispered as he brushed past Jing Chuan, "The quality of the flying boat shouldn't be this poor. Your Highness, you must be careful while on the mission. I hope you take good care of yourself."
Upon hearing this, Jing Chuan's eyes darkened, as if he had also thought of something. He bowed to Shen Qing again and said, "Thank you for reminding me. I owe Shen San Niangzi a favor."
Shen Qing smiled and left, but secretly thought to himself, "We've crossed borders already, I wonder if I can ever repay this favor. I might as well just give them money!"
But thinking about it, Jingchuan was a pitiful little thing who came out of the cold palace and had been a hostage in a foreign land for so many years. He was probably even poorer than him. Oh well, he didn't spend much money. Consider it a good deed.
Entering the West Pavilion, the seat to the left was still empty. Strange, it was already late enough, why hadn't Li Wan arrived yet?
She quickly understood why Li Wan hadn't come; he had good hearing, and the people in the East Pavilion hadn't been keeping their voices down.
"Jinyu, how does it feel to be a hero saving a damsel in distress?" The teasing tone was accompanied by the jeering and taunting of a group of teenagers.
Suhe blushed and stammered, "Don't talk nonsense. The Su and Li families have been friends for generations. How can I stand by and watch someone die?"
"Oh~ childhood sweetheart~"
"Oh, you two are childhood sweethearts!"
The more they talked, the more absurd it became. Shen Qing wanted to roll up his sleeves and hit them, but he was afraid of making it seem like he was trying to cover something up.
Fortunately, the boy's mind was quick and he soon changed the subject. Someone said something.
"Why didn't Jiang Se and the Fifth Prince come today?"
“He’s not like us commoners anymore. He’s a fifth-rank general with a noble title, so naturally he’s on duty.”
Que Qiong sneered, "The Imperial Concubine sells her son to raise her rank and secure a better future for her younger brother. My poor fifth brother has to leave the country and his hometown at such a young age."
"Yes, the Fifth Prince is only nine years old. I wonder if Jiang Se and the Imperial Concubine can sleep at night?"
Shen Qing was speechless. If he doesn't want to go, then you go. You're just making sarcastic remarks.
Suddenly I realized that having such good hearing isn't necessarily a good thing; too much trash talk makes my heart feel dirty.
She could tolerate the gossipy boys in Dongge, but her female classmates also talked behind her back quite a bit.
"You didn't see it that day, but the two of them were embracing each other, their clothes were disheveled and it was quite indecent."
"Oh dear~"
……
Shen Qing really wanted to crack open that woman's brain to see what nonsense she was spouting, but he couldn't tell. In the mundane world, gossip and rumors were rampant, and making a big fuss would only damage Li Wan's reputation.
He was very frustrated, wondering why he didn't have more hands.
Another day that made me furious.
Back at the Shen residence, Li Su dropped another bombshell on him.
"What!" Shen Qing jumped up. "Wanwan is getting engaged to Su Jinyu!"
"Just for that matter?" Shen Qing couldn't believe it. "That's too outdated... too rigid! Too hasty!"
Li Su looked at Shen Qing with puzzlement: "The two families are well-matched, and they are childhood sweethearts who are in love. Whether this matter exists or not is just a matter of time."
"..." That's what she said, but Shen Qing still felt uneasy and after a long while, she managed to say, "Wanwan is still young."
"You're not young anymore. Wan'er was only born two months after you. She'll be of marriageable age next year, and she'll be seventeen in the blink of an eye."
Shen Qing, puzzled, asked, "What's wrong with Seventeen?"
Li Su rolled her eyes at her and said helplessly, "According to the laws of Xuan Kingdom, women must marry at fifteen. Those who are not married must be fined silver the following year and serve imprisonment the year after that."
Damn! Not getting married is actually illegal these days!
Shen Qing exclaimed in horror, "But... the physician said that it's bad for a woman's health to give birth too early."
Li Su nodded: "But there's nothing we can do about it. Years of war have drastically reduced the population of Xuan Kingdom, so this law was enacted to speed up the recovery of new life."
Seeing Shen Qing's pale face, Li Su comforted her, "That's common folk. In wealthy and powerful families, people get engaged around the age of seventeen or eighteen, and no one will say anything if they don't marry then."
The wicked rulers encourage childbirth during wartime and promote widows' remarriage; when there are many widows, they issue chastity arches.
"Speaking of which, Qingxi, you will also be of marriageable age next year, so it's time to find someone to marry you. I think Song Ziyan is quite good." As for the verbal marriage agreement that Old Master Fang made for Shen Qingxi before his death, she didn't take it to heart at all.
Shen Qing felt a chill run down her spine. The thought of sleeping with a man and having a child felt like a hundred maggots crawling all over her body.
"Yue~" Uncontrollable physiological nausea.