The Good Concubine of the Qing Dynasty [Red Mansion]

There are several types of noble title inheritance. The most common one is ‘decreasing rank inheritance’. For example, the late Duke of Rongguo was a duke, and his eldest legitimate son should have inherited the title as a marquis. However, due to unexpected events—such as the heir making a mistake, supporting the wrong side, or displeasing the emperor—the rank may be downgraded by more than one level.

Another type of inheritance is ‘unchanged title inheritance’, but it can only be passed down for three or five generations. For example, in the Lin family, the title was consistently that of a marquis. Lin Ruhai’s father was the last to hold the title, and by the time it passed to Lin Ruhai, the title was no longer in effect, and he had to rely on the imperial examination to enter officialdom.

There is also the ‘iron-cap prince’ system, where the title of prince is inherited without change. The title stays as “prince” for each successive generation, and it doesn’t get downgraded over time, unlike other noble titles that tend to fade into obscurity.

This is the ultimate goal for many royal clans.

Whenever a war breaks out, there are always members of the royal family eager to make a name for themselves and advance their rank.

However, the Wang family has little connection to most of these royal clans.

The only member of the royal family with whom they had a close relationship was Prince of the Second Rank, Nersu.

In the 40th year of Kangxi’s reign, the old Prince of the Second Rank passed away, and Nersu inherited the title. Last year, he married a woman from the Zhen family.

Prince Nersu of the Bordered Red Banner was now the banner commander, while Wang Ziteng, at present, held a third-rank military position, which he had occupied for quite some time. He was eager to advance further.

This is why he thought that his daughter’s marriage might offer him some leverage.

Marrying a side consort to a prince of the Second Rank with an iron-capped title wouldn’t be a bad match.

Hearing Wang Xiluan’s words, Wang’s mother was taken aback: “Have you thought this through?”

A prince of the Second Rank with an iron-capped title—and so young at that—was truly a prestigious match.

However, deep down, Wang’s mother still had some concerns.

Her daughter was simple and lacked cunning. Would she be able to handle the intricacies of marrying into such a powerful family?

But upon further thought, she reasoned that as long as Prince Nersu protected her, what couldn’t she handle? After all, it was the prince who had first brought up the proposal.

Her daughter was so lovable; surely, the prince would cherish her.

Moreover, by joining their families through marriage, they could mutually support each other. The prince could also benefit from the Wang family.

“You’ve finally come around. There are plenty of good men out there. Once you’re in the prince’s manor and have a son, he’ll inherit a title. The Zhen family and our family have old ties, so the princess consort won’t make things difficult for you.”

When Wang Ziteng returned from the office and heard what his daughter had said, he frowned and hadn’t yet made up his mind. “I’ll think this over carefully.” He scolded his wife, “You shouldn’t have spoken to our daughter before everything was settled.”

Wang’s mother responded, “Have you changed your mind? Can you find a family with even higher status? Can you make her a prince’s consort?”

Many princes’ consorts, with lowly maternal backgrounds and lacking favor, were worse off than being the side consort of a prince with an iron-capped title. If those princes are not valued and lack ability, they remain mere ‘Beizi’ or ‘Beile’ for life.

Wang Ziteng said, “Don’t forget, side consorts need an official decree to be granted the title. If our daughter enters the household, she would only be a ‘Gege’ (a lower-status concubine). Could you bear that?” Unless the emperor arranges the marriage, a side consort must request a title, which often requires having children first. But childbirth is uncertain—what if our daughter can’t bear children?”

This uncertainty is why he hesitated.

However, Prince Nersu, although young, is still the leader of a banner. In time, he would surely wield great power. That’s why Wang Ziteng hadn’t made a final decision yet.

Wang’s mother hesitated. “Then maybe we should forget it. A Gege’s status is still too low.”

She felt sorry for her daughter. “Dear, perhaps we should look elsewhere. It doesn’t have to be a prince’s manor; we can consider other royal households.”

Wang Ziteng shook his head, “A prince from another surname? There’s no one close in age.” Those who are close in age have statuses that are too low. “I’ll think about it more carefully.”

He had originally considered the Lin family, which had imperial favor, and thought a marriage alliance with them would be a good match. Unfortunately, the Lin family declined.

He had also looked into other families, but they all had various shortcomings. As for Prince Nersu, if they could successfully secure the side consort title, it wouldn’t be a bad arrangement…

Not long after, when Wang Ziteng confirmed that the person ahead of him in rank was gravely ill and likely wouldn’t survive much longer, he saw this as his opportunity to rise. He made up his mind, and soon, the good news spread.

When Second Madam Wang and Wang Xifeng heard about it, they had mixed feelings. There was joy, but also some sadness.

After all, Prince Nersu was an iron-capped prince, a highly prestigious title, but Wang Xiluan would only enter his household as a Gege

That status was simply too low!

Moreover, Prince Nersu’s official wife was from the Zhen family, the same Zhen family as the emperor’s wet nurse.

When the imperial edict for the marriage had first been issued, everyone was surprised, because the Zhen family was of Baoyi (bonded servants’ descendants).

The daughter of a Baoyi family was elevated to the bannermen’s class and married off as the main wife to an iron-capped prince. Aside from the emperor’s favor, who could have ever imagined such a thing happening?

Some even speculated that perhaps the emperor held some grudge against this branch of the royal family. Otherwise, why would he marry off a Baoyi daughter to an iron-capped prince?

Though the Zhen family had been elevated, they were still of Baoyi origin, except for the Zhen daughter.

Even if she had been elevated to the Han Army Banner, her status would still be higher than that of a Baoyi, and in the future, when Prince Nersu’s children are born, the status of their maternal family would also be higher. But the emperor didn’t do that, which left people puzzled.

Did the emperor favor Nersu, or did he dislike him?

However, the Zhen family seemed to be highly favored. During the southern tour, the emperor had even stayed at the Zhen family residence.

Wang’s mother said, “We’ve discussed it. Once Wang Xiluan has a child, she will be granted the title of side consort. After all, Prince Nersu is still young. He doesn’t have much power in his hands yet, but he wants to gain merit on the battlefield.”

The Wang family were military officials.

There could be mutual benefits from this marriage.

After hearing this, Second Madam Wang and Wang Xifeng felt a bit more reassured. “If that’s the case, it seems reasonable. Actually, it’s not always necessary to have children to request a title; as long as there’s a valid reason, it can be done.”

“Exactly, but most of the time, that’s how it works,” Wang’s mother agreed.

Jia Lian didn’t think that being a Gege was a low status. After all, there were Gege assigned by the emperor to the imperial princes and brothers, some of whom came from Manchu families with third- or fourth-rank fathers. How was it beneath the Wang family’s daughter to become a Gege for an iron-cap prince?

In the future, if she bore a son, once the prince passed away, the eldest legitimate son would inherit the prince title, and the other sons would still receive a noble rank. Wang’s cousin could leave the household and enjoy a life of luxury as an old lady.

He then called for his daughter, played with her a bit, and said, “Do you think our daughter could have the same fortune as her aunt? An iron-cap prince!”

Wang Xifeng rolled her eyes at him, “Second Master, you say that so easily. My second uncle is a third-rank official.”

So naturally, her younger cousin could enter the royal household, and while becoming a Gege might feel somewhat beneath her, when their daughter grows up, by then, her father (Jia Lian) might still be around, but it’s uncertain whether their grandmother would live that long. If she passes away, as the eldest legitimate daughter of a general’s household, with only a nominal fifth-rank title for her father, their daughter might not even have the chance to marry into a prince’s household as a side consort.

This was the same old argument. Jia Lian found it meaningless and said, “Can’t you talk about something else?”

He stopped playing with their daughter, flicked his sleeves, and left in frustration.

Wang Xifeng scoffed.

*You’re incompetent, and you won’t even let me talk about it?*

When will you ever get me a noble title?

Relying on him is pointless; I’d rather pin my hopes on my unborn son.

Ping’er, witnessing the scene, couldn’t help but sigh.

Wang Xifeng heard it and frowned, “You silly girl, I haven’t sighed, so what are you sighing about?”

Ping’er forced a smile, “I don’t even know.”

Somehow, the sigh just slipped out.

The Lin family only found out later, and when they did, they all fell silent. Was Wang Xiluan acting on a momentary impulse, or was this something the Wang family had already decided?

If Wang Xiluan was acting on impulse, treating her life this way was highly irresponsible.

Yun Shuyao asked, “If her family doesn’t agree, can this marriage go through?”

Indeed, without her parents’ consent, this marriage wouldn’t be possible. Perhaps it was a momentary impulse on her part, but what about her parents?

Chenyu remained silent for a while, then shook his head and said nothing more.

When the old lady learned about this, she found it amusing.

A battle of wills—just childish behavior, not understanding what she would have to face. As for Wang Zitong and his wife, it was simply that they didn’t care much for their daughter.

Families like that were never in short supply.

“Instead of focusing on all this, you should settle Chenyu’s major life decisions. How’s that coming along? Has it been decided yet?”

The old lady had been conflicted about this for a long time. She knew that the Fourth Prince would eventually ascend to the throne, but she didn’t know much else. For example, which people the Fourth Prince would favor after his rise, or which of the current officials would meet a good end… Most of what she knew was limited to the Jia and Lin families.

The Jia family rarely talked about matters of the court, as they no longer had anyone in a significant position. Wang Ziteng had climbed the ranks quickly, largely benefiting from the residual influence of the Jia family, but he took the path of a military official, unlike the Lin family.

Since they wanted to form a marriage alliance, they needed to look for someone from the civil service side, or there would be a conflict in family values.

The old lady had already ruled out families connected to the Crown Prince or the First Prince, but Lin Ruohai had done the same from the start. He wanted no further entanglements with anyone but the Fourth Prince.

After receiving the list from Lin Ruhai, Yun Shuyao first checked if there were any familiar names.

She had learned history and knew some particularly famous ministers, like Zhang Ying and Zhang Tingyu. However, Zhang Ying had already retired.

He maintained a neutral stance and wouldn’t form any marriage alliances with the princes.

The Lin family also had a daughter who had married into the Fourth Prince’s household, so they were avoiding any suspicion as well.

Then there was Ao Bai, who was famous thanks to the TV drama Kangxi’s Capture of Ao Bai. Also on the list were Suo’etu and Mingzhu, two key figures in the power struggle between the First Prince and the Crown Prince.

Another person of note was Nalan Mingzhu’s son, Nalan Xingde, who was famous for his poetry.

Further ahead, Yun Shuyao could only recall notable figures from the Qianlong period, such as the corrupt official He Shen.

As of now, Qianlong had not even been born, so it was uncertain whether the course of history might change his position or even his existence due to the butterfly effect.

Lin Ruhai had previously given Yun Shuyao a list of four families.

She took some time to investigate their situations.

Lin Ruhai’s criteria were based on the family’s social standing, political ideology, and the men in the family. However, his understanding of the women’s personal qualities was somewhat limited.

The most prestigious among the families was the granddaughter of the cabinet scholar, which was also Lin Ruhai’s next political target.

The family with the lowest standing was the daughter of a posthumously promoted third-rank official.

Posthumous promotion meant that he had already passed away. He had been Lin Ruhai’s senior and had died in the line of duty. While in office, he was a fourth-rank official, and after his death, he was promoted to third rank.

His senior had a daughter and a son who lived with their grandparents. The one Lin Ruhai had his eye on was his senior’s eldest daughter.

The siblings had three uncles. The second uncle was currently a fourth-rank official serving as a governor, while the other two uncles managed household affairs and served as teachers in the family’s private school.

Their grandfather had passed away; before his retirement, he held a third-rank honorary title.

Among the four families, Yun Shuyao had interacted with all of them, and the one she was most satisfied with was Lin Ruhai’s senior’s family.

Perhaps it was because the siblings had lost their father at a young age; they lived with their grandparents and had experienced the ups and downs of life. When she first met them, it reminded her of the tender grass that breaks through the soil after spring rain.

They appeared harmless on the outside but were incredibly resilient at their core, able to withstand any storms.

As for the women from the other three families, one was quite conventional, adhering to the standards of womanhood and virtue. This wasn’t a bad thing; it was typical for the era, but… it was just too conventional.

One was a young girl who had been spoiled since childhood. Although her behavior and knowledge were acceptable, she was accustomed to following others’ instructions, making her more suited for a second or younger son.

The last one was also an eldest daughter from a respectable family, well-mannered and fond of horse riding and archery. However, after getting to know her better, Yun Shuyao realized that she hadn’t developed a love for reading since childhood, which might lead to a lack of common topics to discuss.

She completely disregarded their backgrounds and social standing, focusing solely on the individuals themselves, which surprised Lin Ruhai.

He had thought she would choose the granddaughter of the cabinet scholar, as that was how his mother had selected.

Yun Shuyao said, “Two people are meant to accompany each other for a lifetime. The time I’ve spent interacting with them isn’t very long, so I can’t say I’ve seen through them. They must have shortcomings that I haven’t discovered, as well as strengths I haven’t recognized. I think it’s necessary to ask Chenyu for his opinion.”

She looked at him seriously: “If they can be a good match as a couple, that would be a lifetime of happiness. But if the couple is harmonious in name only, then discord in the household can happen in an instant.”

Lin Ruhai was silent for a moment before calling Chenyu over.

“Among these candidates, which one do you admire the most?”

Chenyu first ruled out the overly conventional one and the one without independent opinions.

“Can I talk to these two? If it’s not convenient, that’s fine.”

Not liking to read doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t common topics to discuss. Losing a father and learning to be independent and strong might make one overly stubborn and lacking in a balanced mindset.

If possible, he wanted to meet with them and have a personal conversation.

Yun Shuyao wholeheartedly agreed: “For such an important matter in life, it shouldn’t be impossible to make some accommodations with the elders present, right?”

Lin Ruhai paused for a moment: “You all shouldn’t rush.”

It depended on the intentions of the women involved.

Afterwards, Chenyu met with both of them separately and chatted for a while. Yun Shuyao didn’t know what they discussed, so she asked, “Have you made up your mind? No regrets?”

Chenyu smiled: “I’m sure. I can’t say I’ll never regret it for life, but at this moment, I don’t regret it. Aunt, I will strive to be a good husband.” The last part of his statement was light, but it was a genuine expression of his feelings.

So, as Wang Xiluan entered the Pingjun Wang’s residence, the Lin family quickly arranged a marriage with the Tang family, Lin Ruhai’s senior brother.

During the betrothal ceremony, Yun Shuyao noticed a familiar name.

The mother of the Tang family girl was surnamed Tian, and she had an uncle named Tian Wenjing.

Tian Wenjing? That name sounds a bit familiar.