Xie Wangzhi learned about Li Qishen's house arrest five days ago, during a casual conversation after dinner at Xie's residence.
Not talking while eating or sleeping is a rule for scholars. After all, the Xie family is a noble family with hundreds of years of history, so they naturally abide by it. They eat a meal so quietly that not even the slightest chewing sound can be heard. They can only speak after the food is cleared away and the tea is served, and after washing their hands and taking the teacup.
However, Wang was reserved and gentle, and Xie Wangzhi didn't want to make himself look boring, so it was usually his grandfather Xie Zhou and his elder brother Xie Yunzhi who talked. The two of them mostly talked about political affairs, and those who were not in the front row of the Xuanzheng Hall could not understand them at all. When the two of them could chat, the others at the same table could only look at each other awkwardly.
But Xie Zhou didn't care. He thought it was good, as if the whole family was reunited. He was relaxed and natural when talking. As they talked, they talked about Li Qishen. He first told the news that the prince was under house arrest, then shook his head and said, "The prince of Yanyang was a young talent. He had many friends in Chang'an before. Unfortunately, he is now trapped in the palace, and there is no way for the friends he made in the past."
Xie Wang was so shocked that the teacup in his hand almost fell over: "Why are you grounded?"
"It doesn't matter if you don't tell the outside reasons, it's just to whitewash the situation." Xie Zhou was surprised that his daughter, who had always been silent, would actually speak up. He was slightly startled, but didn't care. He continued, "It's nothing more than not being favored by the king. What a pity, what a pity."
He said "what a pity" twice, but Xie Wangzhi could not hear much sympathy, but rather the feeling of watching the fire from the other side of the river. Her heart tightened, and she could not help but say: "It's just that I can't win your heart, what's the pity?"
"There is a difference between the emperor and his subjects. Even if he is your biological son, he has to be a subject in front of your majesty. When the emperor is angry, millions of people will die." Xie Zhou thought Xie Wangzhi didn't understand. "A good piece of material, but if it doesn't please the emperor, it will be buried in the dust and away from your majesty. Do you think it's a pity?"
"To be with the emperor is like being with a tiger," Xie Wangzhi felt sick when he thought of Li Chengjing, "It's just trying to get the skin of a tiger."
"What are you talking about?"
"Sister is still young and doesn't understand politics. Think for yourself. It's inevitable that you will have some distracting thoughts." Xie Yunzhi tried to smooth things over. He was always relaxed and almost frivolous in front of Xie Wangzhi, but he was as solemn in front of Xie Zhou as he was in the court. "Besides, Wangzhi was once good friends with the Prince of Yanyang. Young people value friends. I think he was just anxious for a moment."
"Men and women are different. Forget about the usual socializing. Don't think about the prince in your heart, so as not to damage your reputation." After Xie Zhou finished speaking, he turned to Wang and said, "Wang Zhi should also discuss marriage, right?"
"It's almost time. Wang Zhi is already eighteen years old. She should have found a suitable man long ago." Wang was a little embarrassed. "But in the current situation, Chang'an City... doesn't have much time to spend on marriage."
"That's true." Xie Zhou thought of Cui Yunqi, "How was the young man from Cui's family last time?"
"They said the age is not right. That young man is indeed a few months younger than Wangzhi, so he is not suitable. Young Master Cui went to Fanyang years ago, and I don't know how he is now..."
"Then let's change someone." Xie Zhou was quite confident that his daughter would have no trouble finding a husband. "Do Wen or Wang have any men of the right age?"
"…I think so." Wang was not sure. "I will send someone to ask in a few days…"
"No." Xie Wangzhi suddenly spoke.
Wang was stunned and even more embarrassed: "This... Are you shy? There is no need to be shy. My wife will grow up and get married eventually. It is better to see each other in advance, so that she will not be in the dark when she gets married, and she will have more resentment after marriage."
"No." Xie Wangzhi knew that Wang Shi was in a difficult position, so his tone softened, "Marriage is my own business... I have made arrangements, so don't worry about it, Master and Madam."
Nowadays, the society is open-minded, and there are many men and women of marriageable age who fall in love with each other when they socialize. However, they have to go home to get married, get the parents' permission and the matchmaker's words, otherwise they have to get married privately. Wang wanted to persuade them, but after all, she was not her biological mother, so she couldn't say too much: "If you like a man, remember to go home and tell him, so as not to let others look down on you."
After being refuted twice in a row, Xie Wangzhi could not refute again and just nodded: "Thank you, ma'am."
Wang also responded and forced a smile.
Originally, this matter was over, at most it was just a minor friction. Xie Zhou was not a petty person, but the court had been in a mess recently. Xie Wangzhi's words made the family feel uneasy. He was immediately a little angry: "What do you think of yourself? You are bringing disgrace to our family."
"… Father! Wangzhi usually meets good men who know their limits. It's a bit too much to say that he is bringing disgrace to the family." Xie Yunzhi was closer to Xie Wangzhi, so his tone was a little heavier. After thinking for a while, he turned around and gave the door, "Wangzhi, tell Father, let Father rest assured."
Xie Wangzhi didn't want this opportunity: "Then according to Aye's opinion, what should I do?"
"Stay at home and wait for your marriage. Don't go out. Princess Changning and Prince Yanyang are not people you can socialize with." Xie Zhou knew how unrestrained and uninhibited these two men were, and how attractive they were to girls of this age. But he was worried. "As for marriage, leave it to Madam. She will definitely not match you with a resentful couple."
Xie Wangzhi was silent for a moment: "... I don't want it."
"Then what do you want?" Xie Zhou's anger surged up again, and he put the teacup down heavily. "A girl of eighteen years old should be a mother in other families. I have raised you until now, what are you dissatisfied with?"
Seeing this, Wang Shi hurriedly comforted Xie Zhou: "Husband, Wang Zhi has grown up and has his own ideas. He is usually obedient and a good child."
Xie Zhou didn't respond, his brows furrowed.
"But I don't want to be obedient anymore." Xie Wangzhi also put down the teacup.
Xie Yun was shocked: "You..."
Xie Zhou and Wang were also stunned, and the other peers at the same table didn't dare to say a word.
"People always say that women should be gentle and virtuous. The teacher my father hired also taught me this way. He taught me music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, history and etiquette. In the end, it was all to please men, as if I was born to marry a man and depend on him for the rest of my life. They also always say that I should be obedient. When I am at home, I should listen to my father and brothers, and after I get married, I should listen to my husband." Xie Wangzhi continued, "Maybe there is nothing wrong with this. I know that many women are like this, and they live very well after getting married. But are people born to listen to others? Or is it because I was born a girl that I am not a human being and should not have my own thoughts?"
Xie Zhou had never heard his taciturn daughter say so much in one breath. He was stunned for a moment and frowned even more tightly: "Ridiculous!"
"What's so absurd? I'm a human being, not a dog or a horse. I shouldn't live only according to what others say. I have my own heart... I'll be sad, too." Xie Wangzhi knew that Xie Zhou would never understand, so he suppressed the bitterness in his heart and said softly, "Father, I listened to you for eighteen years, lived according to your will, tried hard to learn what you thought I should learn, and knew what you thought I should know. Now that I think about it, I feel that I was truly alive during those years in the Daming Palace. Once I go home, I should be obedient, but I'm like a puppet."
She paused, "But now, I don't want to be like this anymore. I want to live my own life and not be anyone's puppet."
Xie Zhou was shocked. In his impression, this daughter had the same temperament as his first wife who died young, gentle and virtuous, like a soft dough that could be molded into a suitable appearance for the family. It was not that he had no father-daughter feelings for Xie Wangzhi, and he would worry with Wang about what kind of good husband to match for his daughter. In his heart, Xie Wangzhi was a good girl who followed her brother and would follow her husband in the future.
However, Xie Wangzhi grew up, with a face that was three-quarters similar to her mother's, but her words were completely different. She was not dough at all, she was a piece of unforged iron, so strong that it would break at the slightest fold.
Xie Zhou suddenly realized that he seemed to not understand his daughter at all. His heart was in turmoil. He felt powerless and angry, and in the end, the anger got the better of him.
"You feel alive only in Daming Palace? In Xie's place, have you been shortchanged or whipped?" He said without thinking, "Since you feel that Xie's group is treating you as a puppet, then leave and never come back. Let's see how long you can survive out there!"
Xie Wangzhi was stunned. She didn't expect that Aye could say such a heartless thing. She wanted to cry for a moment, but then she held it back. She just thought that this was Xie Zhou's true words, so she stood up and walked out without saying a word.
There were voices behind her, but when she stepped out of the house, no one chased her out.
**
“… Just for such a small matter, you ran away?” Li Qishen felt sad after hearing this. He hated Xie Wangzhi for not knowing how to flatter her, and he also hated himself for being trapped in the mansion and not even being able to help her.
Huo Jun and Pei Wen didn't like to watch the fun, so when Xie Wangzhi showed up, they retreated outside. Now the courtyard was empty, and Li Qishen didn't pretend to be a reserved gentleman. He touched Xie Wangzhi's face with heartache, "So how have you been these past few days?"
"My father forbade anyone to come and see me, but my brother didn't listen to him and sent someone to give me some money. He wanted to book a place for me, but there were no vacant houses or inns in Anxingfang, and I felt uneasy outside the area." Xie Wangzhi said honestly, "So I went to see Princess Changning. The princess was so kind that she allocated a room for me in her house and said she would treat me like a guest."
Fortunately, there was a Changning. Li Qishen breathed a sigh of relief, caressed Xie Wangzhi's face lovingly, and whispered, "Thank you for your hard work."
"It's not hard. The princess has never treated me badly. During the few days I stayed in her house, I saw things I had never seen before and figured out things I had never figured out before." Putting aside the worries of leaving home, Xie Wangzhi was really happy in the princess's house. "There are female teachers in the princess's house. I followed them to learn poetry, books and zither, and also picked up the mathematics that I had thrown away before."
She paused for a moment, and when she looked at Li Qishen, her eyes sparkled, like a child who had received praise from a teacher and was proudly showing off to someone she knew, "I actually still remember it and can calculate the exact number. If I continue to study with you for a while, I think I can do the accounting for others and won't starve to death."
She was clearly a lady of aristocratic family, but she left home because of his affairs, thinking about settling accounts for others and avoiding starvation. Li Qishen felt bitter in his heart, mixed with a hint of joy that shouldn't be there. In the end, all he wanted to say turned into a sigh.
He touched Xie Wangzhi's face for the last time, raised his hand, and flicked her forehead lightly: "Silly."
The author has something to say: Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated nutrient solution during 2019-11-22 17:42:12~2019-11-23 11:59:33~
Thanks to the little angels who threw grenades: Natsume 1;
Thanks to the little angel who cast the mine: 1 for Daxi;
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: 4 bottles of Ai Weiyang;
Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!