Chapter 160: Clan Law Cuts Off Infatuation

Jin Ling, Chongyi Square, a small two-courtyard house.

Qin Ye's wife's maiden name was Wu. The Wu family was also a small wealthy family in Jin Ling, although far inferior to wealthy clans like the Xue and Wang of Jin Ling, they also had considerable assets.

Ever since Qin Ye was transferred to Jin Ling to preside over the construction of Daci'en Temple, Lady Qin took her son and daughter back to Jin Ling to visit relatives, usually living in this vacant courtyard of the Wu family.

Ever since the Daci'en Temple started construction, Qin Ye had been busy with the construction of the Great Temple, forgetting to eat and sleep, and rarely returned to the mansion on weekdays.

But today he returned for the first time, and he was filled with rage.

At this moment, Qin Ye, who had always been gentle, sat in the hall with a gloomy face, and Lady Qin stood on the side with a face full of worry.

And Keqing, the daughter who had always been pampered by the couple, was kneeling on the ground, her pretty face flushed with shame, but her expression was unusually calm.

Qin Ye said sternly: "During this period, you often came to Mount Qixia. I thought you were concerned about your father. I didn't expect you to do such a shameful thing, secretly meeting with that Jia Cong."

"You are already waiting to be married. I have chosen the eldest son of the Ningguo Duke mansion for you. How many families in Shenjing have such a status? You are still not satisfied and have done such a shameful thing that disgraces the family style!"

Qin Ye hoped that his son Qin Zhong would become a talent, so he had been very strict with his upbringing since he was a child. This rattan ruler was mostly used on his son.

"Nonsense! You have read the Four Books for Women since you were a child and learned the rules. Marriage is a major event decided by the parents' orders and the matchmaker's words. It is not up to you to decide whether you are willing or not."

He picked up the rattan ruler on the table and whipped Keqing hard. Keqing trembled all over with pain, but didn't make a sound.

"I heard what my father and mother said on the boat. Since my father and mother know that the person in the Ningguo mansion is a dissolute and lustful person, not a good person, and cannot be relied upon for life, why do you still want me to marry? I am not willing!"

"Tell me, did that Jia Cong see your beauty and intend to seduce you? He is also an official of the imperial court, yet he did such an immoral thing. I must go to Cunzhou to seek justice!"

It was really because this matter was a major violation of etiquette, related to the Qin family's family style, the daughter's lifelong reputation, and even involved Qin Ye's own official career, so he used such a heavy hand.

That day, she embroidered a handkerchief with a laurel tree on the moon and sent it to Jia Cong. Afterward, her feelings were hard to calm, so she embroidered an identical one and carried it with her daily, as if she could be closer to him this way.

Keqing's face was pale. Today, as soon as she returned home, her father took out her lost handkerchief and broke her secret in one breath.

Although Keqing was adopted by the couple, she had been sensible and clever since she was a child and was very loved by the couple. She had never been touched by a finger since she was a child.

In her anxiety, Lady Qin rushed up and protected her daughter with heartache: "Master, what are you doing? Keqing is a girl, how can she withstand this? What if she is beaten badly?"

In her anxiety, she blurted out: "This matter has nothing to do with Young Master Cong. He didn't have any bad intentions. It was I who liked him."

Qin Ye was almost angered to death by his daughter's words and shouted sternly: "You are truly shameless!"

Wouldn't that be exposing the family's shame? If it spread out and ruined the daughter's reputation, how could she still marry into the Ningguo mansion? His calculation of climbing up would also fall through.

In fact, even if Jia Cong really seduced Keqing, Qin Ye would never be stupid enough to go to Jia Zheng to argue.

Today, she went to the Buddha hall to see Jia Cong but was unexpectedly bumped into by someone. When Jia Cong led her to hide, she lost her handkerchief on the prayer mat in her panic. She didn't expect it to be picked up by her father.

Keqing didn't have such deep thoughts as Qin Ye. Hearing her father say he wanted to go to Jia Cong's uncle to argue, she was afraid. If it spread out, how could he stand in the Jia family in the future?

He wanted to get the truth from his daughter and then use it to warn and threaten Jia Cong privately, so as not to let him ruin his daughter's marriage and break his own calculations.

"Once this matter spreads, my Qin family's reputation will be ruined. How can I have the face to be a person in Shenjing in the future, and how can I be an official in the court!"

"Now the whole of Shenjing knows that you and the eldest grandson of the Ningguo mansion have already set the three books and six rites. The etiquette is strict. Whether you want to live or die, you are already a woman of Ningguo. If you don't want to marry, you have to marry!"

Lady Qin saw that her daughter didn't say a word after hearing these harsh words from the Master. Her face was as pale as snow, and the corners of her mouth were stubbornly pursed. She didn't cry or make trouble, but she was a bit scared in her heart.

Qin Ye's anger was hard to dissipate: "You raised a good daughter who said such shameless words!"

She knew her daughter's temperament best; although her daily manners were gentle and she appeared compliant when dealing with others, she was actually unyielding and stubborn to the bone.

Just now, the Master said he wanted to go to Jia Cunzhou to argue, and Keqing defended that Jia Cong without restraint, which showed that she was already obsessed with that person and had long ago given her heart to him.

Although that Jia Cong was outstanding, the daughter had long ago set a marriage with Jia Rong, and there was absolutely no possibility of breaking the marriage. But if he forced her blindly, what if she sought death?

Lady Qin was anxious and signaled her husband repeatedly not to force her anymore.

At this time, Qin Ye also came to his senses. He had raised his daughter for more than ten years, so how could he not know her temper?

If he said his daughter's vision was wrong, Jia Cong was more than ten times better than that Jia Rong. It was just that the daughter and that Jia Rong had already set a marriage date, and the etiquette was strict, which was absolutely impossible to change.

Even if his Qin Ye's heart for climbing up was very strong and he knew Jia Cong's talent was outstanding and his future was great, he would never dare to risk such a great world's condemnation.

If he really did that step, under the background of strict etiquette, not only would he form a deadly enmity with Jia Zhen of the Ningguo mansion, but his own family would also be ruined and he would not have a good end.

So in Keqing's marriage, Qin Ye was very rarely "loyal."

Qin Ye was only afraid that his daughter would not listen to his words just now, but this matter was a major taboo of etiquette and involved his own reputation and future, so he could not let his daughter be willful.

Since his daughter cared so much about that Jia Cong, he had to start with him, let his daughter give up the idea, and wait to marry into Ningguo with peace of mind.

"Keqing, that Jia Cong is outstanding in appearance and talent, easy to make people fall in love with, which is understandable. Your father won't blame you too much."

Keqing saw her father soften his tone and say such words, and her heart beat faster. Could it be that her father had changed his mind?

But she heard her father say again: "You and Jia Rong of Ningguo are a marriage of books and etiquette, known to the whole city. This matter involves the face of the Qin family and the Ningguo Jia mansion, and it is absolutely impossible to change."

"Feelings should stop at etiquette. Your feelings for Jia Cong are just delusions. Forget him."

"Even if you don't marry Jia Rong, you absolutely cannot marry that Jia Cong!"

"The Ning and Rong mansions of the Jia family are passed down by the same bloodline. That Jia Cong is a legitimate descendant of the Jia family's Yu generation. He is Jia Rong's legitimate uncle."

"If Jia Cong wants to marry you, it is an uncle taking his nephew's wife. That is a loss of human ethics, despised by the world, and he will definitely be expelled from the Jia family genealogy."

"Even if he has world-shaking talent, he will be ruined, his future will be destroyed, and he will never be able to turn over in his life!"

"Since you have feelings for him, do you want him to fall to that point for you? Keqing, marriage is determined by heaven, cannot be forced, and cannot harm others or yourself."

Qin Ye's words were like sharp blades piercing Keqing's heart. She felt the world spinning, her heart was like a knife, and her infatuation was cut into pieces.

Lady Qin saw her daughter paralyzed on the ground after hearing these words from the Master. Her original pale face was covered with a layer of dead gray, and the tears in her eyes couldn't stop falling.

She knew that the Master's words had broken her daughter's heart, but what could she do? If she didn't cut off her thoughts this way, and her daughter did something shameful with that Jia Cong, it would be hard to clean up.

Keqing knew that her father would definitely obstruct and persuade her in every way, but she didn't expect him to say these words, and these words couldn't be faulted at all.

Etiquette and clan law were as strict as mountains, but if they were crossed, they would be destroyed.

It turned out that she had been delusional from beginning to end.

Ever since she knew about the filth of the marriage on the official boat and saw Jia Cong's appearance, she couldn't forget it. Every time they spent together in Anding Temple made her trap herself, and her roots of love were deep.

However, even if she had a hundred expectations in her heart and her feelings were hard to cut off, she could never ruin him because of this.

He was young and successful, with outstanding talent and a bright future. If he was ruined because of this, what was the difference from killing him?

She would rather die herself than see him fall to such a point.

Regarding Jia She being the team of the deposed crown prince, Keqing being the daughter of the deposed crown prince, etc.

It is common in web novels and internet Redology.

As long as it is not a conclusion clearly written by Cao Gong in the Dream of the Red Chamber,

It will not be used as the basis and criterion for the plot in the book,

It will be structured according to the unfolding of the story and the context of the original work.

(End of chapter)