Chapter 268: No Husband Without Poison

【Lost the noble lady and also lost the grain/supplies】？

Isn't this just a remake of losing the wife and losing the troops？！

Du Shanü frowned slightly, then subconsciously sat up straighter:

"Afang, explain in detail."

Chen Weifang, calm and composed:

"Promises like this—men say them, women say them, the Wise Lord says them, even a foolish ruler says them...... but in fact, they're the least reliable."

"If a casual promise could bring the Wise Lord a huge sum of grain and money, why not do it？"

"As long as the promise isn't kept, Chunri Jian won't leave."

"Even if the promise is kept, as long as we explain the pros and cons to Chunri Jian, using the need to temper them for a while as an excuse, we can first place the people sent by the Chunri clan into some minor official post......"

"Not only would the Chunri clan have nothing to say, but Chunri Jian would probably not make a fuss either."

"After all that talk, it's really just one word: 【fraud】—to swindle a large sum of grain and money for oneself."

"Du Shanü understood Chen Weifang's meaning, but therefore she didn't know how to speak up."

"She hesitated a moment, then only said:"

"But this way, it wouldn't be fair to the Chunri clan noble lady who's being deceived."

"Whether distant or near water, as long as it quenches thirst, it's good water."

"If one said Du Shanü wasn't the slightest bit moved by the act of sending money and people for the Chunri clan......"

"That's impossible."

"Everyone wishes they could, in a single move, rise like clouds and dragons, to enjoy all the advantages under heaven."

"However, Du Shanü also couldn't help but consider an extremely important point——"

"She usually hangs out with Chinu, giving the impression of being unrestrained and flirtatious."

"But nowadays, it's certainly not the case that one disregards rites and law at all."

"Just as previously mentioned, war needs 'righteous cause' and 'morality'; although today's worldly customs are somewhat open, everyone still has a bottom line in their hearts......"

"Even Du Shanü would be no exception."

"Although because of Chunri Jian's prior experience, Du Shanü truly has no favorable impression of the Chunri clan."

"But if Du Shanü truly agreed to marry into and ally with Chunri Jian's clan, and the Chunri Jian clan sends a woman over, then how would Du Shanü arrange for her?"

"Others might do so because this place is the male lord's domain and they can offer extremely generous official ranks, seeking wealth and honor through marrying off women in alliances, but Du Shanü herself must be clear: she is a woman and cannot take a husband."

"She cannot take a husband, so where should she place the person?"

"Among the people under her command, who could marry the Chunri clan's woman?"

"Chinu and Yu Baobao are utterly impossible; Afang refuses to marry; A Chou is ugly; Yu Lve is still trapped in that 'forty-seven' year omen; the Ouyang brothers need not be mentioned; foreign visitors are still on Du Shanü's list of doubts."

"After consideration, Leitie might be suitable, but he was originally just a common artisan; marrying into the Chunri clan chief's family's legitimate daughter, the marriage went unnoticed and all was well, but if someday the Chunri clan discovers and exposes it, trouble would inevitably arise......"

"Thus, after all consideration, nobody is suitable."

"Since no one can marry the Chunri clan's woman, after the Chunri clan sends a person over, because of Chunri Jian's sake, that person would also inevitably be unable to be employed......"

"Then the position can only remain vacant."

"Du Shanü is someone who deeply pities others, especially women."

"Perhaps she still needs many years to raise her troops, while a woman's prime years may only be these few; if they can't be used, then to deceive people under the pretense of marriage and not give them a good husband......"

"In Du Shanü's eyes, this is indeed somewhat excessive."

"Deceiving a transport vice commissioner out of some silver, one can still shamelessly count it as a successful scheme."

"But a woman's youth and prime years, however, truly cannot be considered very honorable."

"Really not possible......"

"Du Shanü pondered left and right, realized she was indeed somewhat reluctant to part with the grain and money, and then weighed her words:"

"Really not possible, then let the other side not send people?"

"The other side, a transport vice commissioner, can't even settle his own son; surely, aside from the previous cheating incident causing his son to make a huge fuss, which is not good to be too blatant, it must also relate to the size of the official rank?"

"Otherwise, how could the other side insist that his own son's official post must be even higher than Chunri Jian's?"

"Since they value official rank so highly, why not just sell offices and titles?"

"After all, it's all about holding office; why bother with the trouble of sending people for marriage alliances......"

"Wise Lord, no."

"Du Shanü was lost in her thoughts, but before she could come to a conclusion, Chen Weifang already spoke up to interrupt:"

"Marriage alliances since ancient times have never been this simple."

"Although the Chunri clan got the Wise Lord's yin-yang affiliation wrong, their willingness to offer a large sum is not just for an official post; the status of that Chunri noble lady is also part of their scheme."

"Throughout history, why have there been so many marriage alliances?"

"That is naturally because forming alliances through marriage emphasizes the character 'kin'."

"When two families intermarry, the man and woman are surely in their prime, or it is when both families are at their peak; if no mishap occurs, they will soon have offspring, and after those children grow ten or twenty years, the authority can be smoothly handed over to the next generation......"

"By then, the paternal and maternal clans will be much closer than outsiders, less likely to develop grudges, and the benefits they bring will far exceed those from selling offices and titles."

"The Wise Lord is still young and inexperienced; being able to say this is actually not surprising."

"But since he can see clearly, he naturally cannot fail to give further reminders——"

"Perhaps after Chunri Jian suddenly gained nobility, the family letters sent back lacked any sense of propriety."

"The Chunri clan being able to hold Qiongzhou for nearly a hundred years surely indicates they have talent; from the official post we gave Chunri Jian, they could see that Yongzhou lacks people, and that secret plots succeed—this is hardly surprising......"

"Chen Weifang calmly explained, then after a brief pause, she said:"

"Wise Lord, it's not that because you are benevolent and tolerant, others will treat you with benevolence and tolerance."

"The Chunri clan being able to make this probe clearly shows they are scheming for more. You keep saying you fear delaying the Chunri clan's woman in the future, but how could you know what innocent, pure-hearted good men and women the Chunri clan will surely send over?"

Since the first time the Osmanthus Water flowed after heaven and earth were split, it has carried a saying——

In the world, apart from naturally born fools, there are no true fools.

The Wise Lord must treat the other side well, but first he has to see whether the other side actually has the wherewithal to be treated well...... and whether he himself has the wherewithal to treat others well.

The Wise Lord is so smart; he ought to know that in this world, there are no free meals—only the cruelty of who gets to sit at the table after the game.

Heavenly light dances wildly, splendour contends in chaos.

Amid the fragrance of books in a room, that scholar with refined brows and eyes, a pale expression, hooked a careless smile from behind his desk and spoke softly:

"Wise Lord, you know my......"

"If I go by my own thinking, using the pretext of agreeing to a marriage alliance to pocket the benefits is the right course. We are secretly plotting to raise troops, and to win the world will surely mean many deaths; the maiden of the Spring Day Clan is innocent, but aren't those who sell their lives to charge for us innocent too?"

Du Shanü remained silent, while the scholar in blue robes still wore a smiling brow and eye.

His years are faded, yet his eyes remain warm and moist, refined; fixing one's gaze on those eyes makes one feel as if staring at an ancient painting slowly growing mottled.

His appearance is peerless, yet it cannot conceal the interior that is becoming mottled and decaying.

Chen Weifang laughed softly and said:

"Since the Spring Day maiden has already been sent to the banquet table, whether good or bad, the outcome is already settled; the Wise Lord, instead of being harsh on himself and unable to treat others well, had better ponder why her kin could send their daughter away for profit."

"Since they have the ability to send people over...... then someday, if we kill them offhand, it wouldn't count as much innocence."

Du Shanü remained silent, and that 'ancient painting' not far from her seemed oblivious to her expression.

Or perhaps Chen Weifang had noticed, but the words had come to this point, and she no longer cared.

Chen Weifang finally waited for the ink to dry, carefully folded the family letter, and said offhandedly:

"Besides, I also can't understand why the Wise Lord says the Young Emperor could never possibly marry into the Spring Day Clan."

"You already have Saner, and you're already pregnant; when the child begins to babble, are you really planning to abandon Saner and the child and then favor another?"

?? Typing furiously......