NOVGO.NET Chapter 1382: Side Story: Qi Xiuyuan (14)
Chapter 1382: Side Story: Qi Xiuyuan (14)
Editor: Atlas Studios
Qi Xiuyuan had always felt that everything about a person would disappear after their death, so when Qi Feng died, his hatred and resentment towards him mostly disappeared.
However, it was impossible for Madam Wu to escape so easily.
Living without any hope but fearing death was the greatest pain, and he had indeed done this to Madam Wu.
Originally, Madam Wu didn’t come to his mind so quickly. After all, he still had many things to handle after quelling the chaos. He had to ascend the throne, appease the people, provide relief to the refugees who had been displaced by the war, and gather power to balance the power in the court. If she hadn’t appeared with Qi Shaosheng and Qi Shaotai, Qi Xiuyuan might not have noticed her for another two to three years.
Qi Xiuyuan was so angry that he laughed. As he smiled at Fan Zijin, he asked, “How can one possibly be so shameless?”
Fan Zijin, who knew the inside story, pursed his lips in disdain and said, “Your Majesty, considering you need to be mindful of your reputation now, let me handle this. I’ll see to it that they suffer.”
Back then, he and Haoran had also suffered at Madam Wu’s hands.
Qi Xiuyuan waved his hand. Though he still had a smile on his face, his eyes were extremely icy. “I’m the Emperor now. Do I still need to pretend to be polite to her?”
Qi Xiuyuan turned around and conferred her the title of Imperial Noble Consort. He also asked the Qi clan to come out and testify—Madam Wu had been unrightfully occupying the position of the main wife, but she was actually just a noble concubine. Saying that she was Qi Feng’s co-wife was completely false.
He then issued an edict saying that a man was only allowed to have one wife. If anyone violated this law, no matter what reason it was, they would be charged with bigamy. If someone filed a lawsuit, the government office would have to handle the case.
In fact, China had always had a monogamous system, and the law only recognized one legal wife. However, the commoners didn’t always abide by this law. There were people who found an excuse to marry two wives, and there were also co-wives like in Qi Feng’s case. However, no matter which one it was, it would not be recognized by the law. At most, it would be recognized by their clan.
However, in this era, the clan rules were more useful than the law. Therefore, very few people would bring this matter to the government office for the officials to judge.
Qi Xiuyuan wasn’t trying to sow discord between those families, and was just affirming the law once again. If a woman really couldn’t stand the humiliation and stepped forward to complain, the government office wouldn’t refuse to handle her case.
Moreover, this was the first time he had expressed his likes and dislikes since he ascended the throne. It was also his only like/dislike as an Emperor. The officials and commoners all praised this, making those who had two wives worry for a while. It also made it rare for such disputes to appear in Great Qi in the next 30 years.
Whoever wanted to have two wives would have to look up and ensure that neither of his wives would have any complaints and would not go to the government office to sue him. Otherwise, if he entered the government office, even if he did not die, he’d go through a great deal of torment.
Everyone knew that the Emperor made a very clear distinction between the legitimate wife and the concubines because of his childhood.
This was exactly what Qi Xiuyuan wanted. Everyone in the world knew that he disliked his two illegitimate brothers, so much so that he only conferred them the title of Marquis without giving them any real power. Also, he only met them once every New Year’s Eve. Under such circumstances, how many people were willing to flatter them?
While their elder brother had become a supreme ruler and their younger brother was a powerful king, they could only be a mere marquis. Qi Xiuyuan thought that considering his two younger brothers’ overambitious characters, they must feel pretty bad, right?
This kind of torture was like a blunt knife cutting through flesh. While it did not hurt, the constant grinding would induce much suffering.
Qi Xiuyuan’s revenge was naturally not limited to this. His revenge on Qi Feng and Madam Wu had started when he was six years old.
He felt that the greatest revenge against them was to let their descendants grow up crooked and have no future at all.
Back then, when his younger brother started to slowly learn how to walk, be mischievous, and speak, he knew that education was especially important. He had raised Qi Haoran as his son, so he was worried sick about this aspect. From this, he naturally knew how to change a person’s temperament.
Most people in the Qi Residence flattered Qi Shaosheng and Qi Shaotai. The entire Qi Residence and Madam Wu also doted on them. If nothing unexpected happened, they would only be ordinary profligates when they grew up. But unfortunately for them, there was Qi Xiuyuan meddling in their growing up years.
Qi Xiuyuan despised these two younger brothers almost every opportunity he got. At only six years old, he already dared to insult them with his chin raised. “You’re just two sons of a concubine. Yet, not only do you not bow to you elder brother, but you’re also so rude. As expected of the sons of a concubine.”
When they were eating together, he even dared to lecture Madam Wu in front of Qi Feng. “A concubine should act like one.”
Under such a two-pronged approach of flattery and disdain, it was difficult for Qi Shaosheng and Qi Shaotai to become good people. They were conceited and inferior, and their psyche was twisted.
In the past few years, the entire Qi Residence had isolated Qi Xiuyuan. Qi Shaosheng seized every opportunity to beat him up with the help of his servants, so he naturally beat him back. That was why Qi Shaosheng was short-sighted and narrow-minded.
Yet, under such an environment, Qi Xiuyuan could actually grow up to be a patriotic young man who was full of ambition, magnanimous, and open to advice. At the thought of this, he couldn’t help but admire himself.
The more Qi Xiuyuan spoke, the more he felt that he was amazing. Li Jinghua collapsed on the bed, laughing. Her heart ached for him at first, but now, she could only laugh. She could not help but push him and say, “Your Majesty, don’t tell anyone else about this. Otherwise, the courtiers will admonish you for being arrogant and conceited.”
Qi Xiuyuan held her hand and smiled. “I didn’t even say these things to Haoran, so why would I tell others? Hmm… I didn’t think so in the past. But now that I’m recalling them, it’s indeed because I have good roots. Otherwise, I’d definitely have grown crooked after experiencing such a childhood. However, these experiences have also polished my personality.”
Li Jinghua held his hand tightly with both hands and said with some heartache, “Then Your Majesty must have worked hard. I’d rather you not be polished by these incidents, even if you’re just mediocre.”
Qi Xiuyuan smiled but did not say anything. If he was mediocre, how could he protect his baby brother?
“What does Your Majesty plan to do with them?”
Qi Xiuyuan played with her fingers and asked with a faint smile, “Don’t you think I’m cruel?”
Li Jinghua hugged his waist and placed her head on his shoulder. She said softly, “But you’re my husband.”
Qi Xiuyuan’s heart skipped a beat, and his eyes burned. Sensing that his wife was about to get up, he quickly reached out to hold her shoulders and hugged her tightly. When the soreness in his nose slowly disappeared, he said, “Jinghua, help me.”
Qi Xiuyuan promised in his heart, ’Since you see me as your husband and are on my side, I will definitely not let you down.’
While Qi Xiuyuan never said this promise out loud, he constantly kept it in his heart.
After letting go of his wife, he said with a smile as he gazed into her eyes, “Didn’t she desire to be the Empress Dowager previously? While with her concubine’s status, she can’t be the Empress Dowager, she can be an Imperial Noble Consort. Although she’s a concubine, she has served Father for a long time after all. Therefore, bring her into the palace to be provided for in glory.”
“As for my two younger brothers, considering they don’t have any achievements or skills, they’re holding the title of Marquis while contributing nothing. Since they’re receiving a salary, let them study behind closed doors and forbid them from entering the palace unless necessary.”
It was effectively putting Madam Wu under house arrest.