Author: 打字机N号
Chapter 48: The search for one’s mom second spring 16/For the sake of my mother’s remarriage 16
“Teacher, my mother’s wedding ceremony will be held on the 7th day next month. This invitation is for you and madam”
Jiang Liu handed over the invitation to his teacher. Since his apprentice had failed to bring the Tanhua back to him, these days Jiang Shendao had been in quite a daze. Therefore, he did not register his disciple’s word carefully and instead took the invitation in a joyful manner. However, once he opened the card and saw the name of the bride, he finally sensed that something was wrong with it.
Because she had not yet remarried, the name written on the card was Jiang Meng Yun. Following the law of Jin Dynasty, once Meng Yun-niang got married to the Hu family, her name will be transferred to the Hu family trees and will be renamed as Hu Meng Yun.
When Jiang Shendao saw the name of the new bride, he realised that it was a remarried widow. Finally, at the moment, his brain registered the words of his disciple.
His disciple’s widowed mother is going to remarry!
His disciple is going to let his mother remarry!
Jiang Shendao looked at the calm and even faintly ecstatic disciple and could only remain silent.
It was not that he could not accept the widow to remarry. But this matter was related to the reputation of his disciple. As a son, the fact that he could receive his mother’s remarriage so calmly made Jiang Shendao having an illusion that his disciple is being unfilial by betraying his dead father.
Jiang Shendao could not imagine that he will be able to accept it if one day he were to died and all his children will be happy to let their mother remarry after that.
However, although he was a teacher of Jiang Liu, Jiang Shendao did not have the power to precede over this matter of another family, so he could only accept the invitation, and then kindly admonished his disciples with a few words.
“You’re still on the tip of the iceberg. The Emperor wished to put you back on the centre of the turbulence. There are a bunch of people waiting for you to stumble and grab your weaknesses. If you were to let your mother remarry, I am afraid there will not be a few ministers who will hand in their complaint to the Emperor. Are you sure that you wanted to do this?”
Jiang Shendao put the invitation aside and asked his disciple with a solemn face.
“Since the disciples dare to do, of course, I am ready to be held accountable. I know that teacher is worried about me. But have you ever thought that this might also be my opportunity.”
Jiang Liu shook his head and smiled.
During the previous reign of the Emperor Xiandi, there were 13 high-ranking officials, and only his master, Jiang Shendao, having the worst position of all. Because he was in the wrong line [T/N you know like Yoo Jae suk’s line and Kang Hodong’s line, if you are into K-variety], he was relegated to another place. Once a high-ranking leader was thrown to the side, the opportunity for them to turn around was even less. Now he could only act as a county magistrate in remote and barren places.
There were, however, some of the top candidates for the imperial examination who placed lower than Jiang Shendao in ranking but managed to rise through their connections.
So, being a Champion in the imperial examination doesn’t mean anything. The rank and achievement only give the scholar a slightly higher starting point than the average person. However, to raise, it all depends on their luck and connections.
After listening to Jiang Liu, Jiang Shendao was very anxious to stop him, but in the end, he decided not to say anything more.
*****
Unlike Jiang Shendao ‘s hesitation, Jiang Furen’s first reaction when she heard the news that Meng Yun-niang is getting remarry was to be thankful.
“That’s great!”
Jiang Furen couldn’t help sighing.
If Meng Yun-niang were to remarry, she would undoubtedly move out from the Jiangfu to live in his husband’s home. It is not that Jiang Furen could not tolerate Jiang Liu’s widowed mother; however, as the saying goes [ Far fragrance, near stench]. With this marriage, Meng Yun-niang’s attention will be diverted to her husband and future children. There will be less confrontation going to happen between this mother-in-law and her daughter-in-law. As long as her daughter took care of Jiang Liu well and being dutiful, Meng Yun-niang should be satisfied with her daughter-in-law’s performance.
[T/N: [ Far fragrance, near smell] something like absence made the heart grows fonder?]
“Furen?”
Seeing his wife’s face light up with delight, Jiang Shendao could not help but shivered. Could it be that after his death, his wife is also planning to remarry?
However, since his wife already used to his handsome look, free and relaxed personality, not to mention his outstanding and elegant appearance coupled with full dedication to her, will her lady able to accept those unworthy and ugly men to become her future husband?
Jiang Shendao unexpectedly believed such a cruel reality.
Jiang Furen looked at Jiang Shendao’s expression and knew precisely the kind of twisted imagination playing in his head but she decided not to correct his misconception.
Men are like that. For them, the concern that women have in their life should only be regarded as a petty affair. When Jiang’s old lady was still alive, that mother-in-law of her had often been at odds with her due to Jiang Shendao’s lack of concubine. But until now, in Jiang Shendao’s mind, he had always thought that his wife and mother had been getting along so harmoniously.
This is a man. They always put more focus on the matter at the front yard, on the national affairs. Even if Jiang Shendao loves his daughter dearly, he wouldn’t be as careful as what she wanted him to be.
“I just think that Jiang Liu is very filial.”
Jiang Furen continued.
“Meng Yun-niang had been widowed only after being married for four years. She had been alone for more than a decade and had been struggling all by herself to support the family’s livelihood. Now Jiang Liu is already passed the exam, sooner or later he will surely get married and have his own family. Even if there is filial piety from her children, inevitable Meng Yun-niang will be lonely to spend her life all by herself. Now Liu ‘er is not only restrained by the worldly etiquette but also the dogma of the society. And yet, he still wishes to bless his widowed mother with a companionship regardless of possible infamy. If this is not filial piety, then what is?”
Jiang Furen remarks touched Jiang Shendao.
Before he had some doubts about this marriage because of his disciple’s late father, however, he forgot the position of the widowed mother.
The other party had become a widow for more than 11 years. She had used all her time and energy to cultivate for her son into a worthy person. She had never done anything unworthy for his son through the time she was observing herself as a widow. Now, her son had already passed the examination and became the Champion. This should be considered as her meritorious deed. Therefore, what’s wrong for her to marry another man and finally usher a quiet and prosperous life for herself?
Being a widow was not anyone’s mistake. Jiang Liu’s mother had suffered a lot for him, so it was right for Jiang Liu to show his filial piety to his mother.
The only contradiction in Jiang Shendao’s heart is already gone. Right now, he couldn’t help but feel a little bit guilty over his narrow-mindedness.
“We will prepare a generous gift when we went over to congratulate the bride on her marriage.”
Having sorted out his thought, Jiang Shendao’s next action was rather straightforward.
Although he understood his disciple, in the eyes of the outside world, he is too deviant. But if he as the teacher attend this wedding, those who want to attack his disciple also need to put some weigh on their though and realised that behind his disciple, there is still his teacher who is willing to stand behind as a supportive teacher.
******
In a particular tavern’s private room, several officials were drinking and bad-mouthing some other ministers who had not been conforming to their political view.
“Preposterous! This is too absurd. Did you read the article written by the new Champion? Look at his shocking remark. Who did he think he is to dare to attack the established system? Even if his teacher is Jiang Shendao, it doesn’t mean that he can spout whatever he wants, right?”
“Shh-“
One of the officials had not been entirely drunk. Therefore he remembered that that Champion was someone chosen by the Emperor himself. He was afraid that the wall might have ears, and if this complaint came out, it might affect their career path.
“Hump, stop persuading me. That essay submitted by Jiang Liu to the Emperor seemed to promote the widow to remarry. If I remember correctly, his father had died early and he was brought up by his mother since young. Don’t tell me that he wishes to send his mother to marry another man and let his dead father wore a green hat?”
That official finally realised at this time that his words might bring him some harm and his expression had changed a few times. However, since he already said it, and if he were to suddenly changed his words, this would prevent him from showing off his uprightness in front of others. Therefore, he could only continue to aggressively pick fault on Jiang Liu to prove that Jiang Liu was the so-called “genius” with a superficial appearance.
“If he dares to do so, this old man will immediately write a complaint, asking the emperor to surrender this unfilial person.”
One of the officials bowed down while cupping his fists in the direction of the palace, looking disapproving. [T/N: You know the kung-fu people greeting style]
Apparently, in his view, Jiang Liu’s article was only written for the sake of groping His Majesty’s inclination while at the same time to fawn and flatter him. As a normal man, how could he watched his widowed mother remarry and betrayed her deceased husband, unfeelingly?
That kind of person is just a waste of human life and therefore does not deserve to become an official.
“Have you heard our new Champion is going to host his mother’s wedding!”
“Who didn’t know about it? These days a lot of people from the Champion’s residence had been buying all the necessary items for the wedding. I heard that this new Champion intended to send his widowed mother to marry.”
“Tch, our Champion’s mother, has a good life to be able to raise such a filial son. “
“Pooh! He’s very filial to his widowed mother. But if I were his late father, I would have crawled out of my coffin due to my anger at this son.”
Just after the official had finished, they heard some people walked outside their room. They could not help but overheard the discussion since those people were talking very loudly.
After some time, the people inside the room turned their heads and looked at the person who spoke just a moment ago who was also the Imperial Censor.
No one had thought that the new Champion would dare to do so. After all, the appointment letter from the court had not yet come down. Therefore, is he crazy for daring to risk the universal condemnation and send his widowed mother to remarry?
The group of people didn’t have time to think about Jiang Liu’s motive for acting as such. They once again looked at the Imperial Censor who made the declaration previously.
Is Jiang Liu going to let his widowed mother remarry? This person is still the only student of Jiang Shendao. In another hand, he is still a very minor imperial censor; did he even want to denounce Jiang Liu at the court or not?
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Political dramaaa https://media3.giphy.com/media/YMjwFhqCtN6f7YfZfc/giphy.gif