20demayo Chapter 730 Failed Attempt to Sell a Bargain
Chapter 730 Failed Attempt to Sell a Bargain
"It's not that I'm dissatisfied; it's just that I need to think more about my daughter."
Jiang Mingfei seems like a good match, but there are many things that are not visible on the surface.
Madam Ouyang was somewhat puzzled. Could it be that the Jiang family was all show and no substance? Surely not.
"What do you mean, sir?"
"It's not that there's anything wrong with the Chiang family. The Chiang family is extremely united, and the members are all ambitious."
It could be said that everyone, young and old, was of one mind. However, Jiang Shaoqing was the only male in this branch of the family, and he was highly valued by the clan.
Madam Ouyang then realized what her husband was worried about.
"So that's what you're worried about, sir. But the Jiang family might not necessarily let Jiang Shaoqing become the clan leader, right? How old is he this year?"
"That's not right. Mentality, methods, and abilities have no direct relation to age. Minister of Works Jiang Changqing values this junior very much, and Jiang Mingfei is probably his chosen successor."
"He didn't choose his own son, but instead set his sights on his cousin from the next branch of the family? This Minister Jiang is quite a character."
"Isn't Jiang Mingfei of today just like Jiang Changqing of yesterday? Perhaps Minister Jiang saw his own shadow in this younger generation, or perhaps he felt that the Jiang family could reach new heights under Jiang Mingfei's leadership."
What is most important for the prosperity of a family? It is inheritance!
Otherwise, it will end up like the You family, with no successor and no one to carry on the family line.
Madam Ouyang frowned. "If Jiang Mingfei really becomes the clan leader, our daughter will be involved in many family affairs after marrying into the clan, and life won't be so easy."
Master Ouyang nodded. "That's right. The position of clan leader means responsibility and burden. Jiang Mingfei will have to devote himself to the entire clan in the future."
When our daughter marries into the family, we will inevitably have to worry about her. Although our daughter has learned music, chess, calligraphy, painting, needlework, and arithmetic since she was young, she is not being raised to be a traditional wife.
Hiring a female tutor for her was mainly to keep her from getting too bored at home.
Madam Ouyang asked worriedly, "Then this marriage..."
"We need to think this through carefully. There's more than one talented young man in the capital."
"But how many people can truly compare to Jiang Shaoqing?" Madam Ouyang sighed inwardly, such a talent is one in a hundred years.
Master Ouyang fell into deep thought, and after a moment he slowly said, "Our daughter's marriage cannot be rushed. Although Jiang Mingfei is indeed outstanding, we cannot focus solely on that."
You have so many wives you know well; you can get together from time to time. There's no need to be so direct; everyone will understand.
Madam Ouyang nodded in agreement, "That's the only way. But it's freezing cold now, so it's hard to find a reason. Let's wait until spring."
In the dead of winter, no noblewoman would want to travel around in a carriage; who wouldn't want to stay home, cozy and warm by the fire?
···
This year, Beijing seems to have had an unusually heavy snowfall, with one snowfall after another.
With the successful example of Landlord Jiang, many officials and wealthy households in Beijing began to spontaneously provide disaster relief.
The people also became aware of the crisis, and the affected area was not very large afterward.
The downfall of the You family had no impact on the common people, whether inside or outside the city.
For ordinary people, the rise and fall of a large family is less important than a bowl of fragrant rice.
Only a few people care about and pay attention to the affairs of these important figures, and the Fifth Prince is one of them.
After all, the downfall of the You family was due to him. The carpenter who helped the tenth prince build the "chariot" is now buried in an unknown snowfield and looks like he froze to death.
The Fifth Prince felt no guilt whatsoever about this "use and discard" behavior.
After all, these were not his personally trained subordinates; they were merely the Third Prince's "relics." How could one be reluctant to part with relics?
He could even sell or pawn his own mother's belongings, let alone his half-brother.
There is no kinship in the royal family; the royal family is not worthy of kinship.
The Fifth Prince pondered the changes in the situation after the downfall of the You family. He made this move with extreme caution, leaving no trace of his plot against the You family.
He was very confident; this wasn't the first time he had cleanly extricated himself from a situation, and he was experienced in distancing himself from others.
"Your Highness, there has been a slight mishap in our mission to subdue the You family's subordinates."
"what happened?"
"When the You family saw that their masters had all been imprisoned, they packed up some valuables and ran away. Now, only two deaf and mute old servants remain in the You family."
The You family's residence has been sealed off, but these two people were inexplicably left behind to continue guarding it.
"So that's how it is. I thought the You family were all loyal, but it turns out they're not even as good as the rabble under Third Brother's command. Heh~"
"Forget it, they're all disloyal and unrighteous people. There's no point in keeping them around. Let them go."
The Fifth Prince's plan to take over the You family's resources using the same method fell through, which surprised him somewhat. The You family was, after all, a powerful clan; their methods of managing subordinates were nothing special.
This can be considered his first failed attempt to snag a bargain. He had tasted success with the former First Prince, and he had also gained a lot from the Third Prince. Even the worthless treasure map from the Tong family had yielded him a considerable amount of weapon materials.
Thinking of this, the Fifth Prince's face darkened.
Now that he no longer has any private soldiers, he can't understand how Ouyang Jue managed to destroy his barracks all by himself!
The barracks are in disarray now, and many people have become bandits because they are starving. It will be difficult for me to bring these people back together!
Ultimately, it was my own miscalculation; I shouldn't have let this person go south in the first place.
The Ouyang family is still looking for Ouyang Jue, but it's unclear whether they're putting on an act or genuinely unaware that Ouyang Jue has escaped danger.
Whenever he intentionally mentioned Ouyang Yan, Ouyang Zheng would either dodge the question or make excuses.
Even a prince like him has limited patience!
The Fifth Prince summoned Song Jinyang. Now that he was comfortable using Song Jinyang, he no longer needed to ask the eunuchs to do many things.
"Your Highness, do you mean we should prepare all the necessary items for the marriage proposal to the Ouyang family now?"
Song Jinyang was somewhat surprised, after all, the Fifth Prince had just said that Ouyang Jue might be the instigator of the food shortage in the private army camp, so why was he still thinking of getting related to the Ouyang family?
"Is there a problem? I've put a lot of effort into Miss Ouyang, I can't just end up with nothing, can I?"
The Fifth Prince didn't want to make a losing deal. Whether Ouyang Jue returned to the Ouyang family or not, it didn't conflict with his marriage to Ouyang Yan.
The Ouyang family is powerful, well-connected, and wealthy.
Now that he has become the son-in-law of the Ouyang family, even if the entire Ouyang clan is neutral, they will still side with him.
Even if the Empress Dowager dislikes him, she will still speak well of him to the Emperor.
At that time, the second brother, who is only a nominal crown prince, will be no threat at all. Today, the second brother can be the crown prince, and tomorrow, the younger brother can be the crown prince too!