Chapter 331: Chapter 331: There Will Be No Such Thing as Patriarchal Discipline in the Future
Prime Minister’s Mansion, Chunhui Hall.
For the umpteenth time, Song Zhiyuan glanced at his younger brother who looked utterly defeated in life, and couldn’t help but throw an almond at him: "Enough with the face. It’s just an arranged marriage, and you’re acting so dramatic, like life and death, what’s the matter with you."
Song Zhiyu dashed over to Song Ci’s side, hugged her leg, and wailed: "Mom, look at big brother, I’m already so miserable, and he’s still mocking me here. Is he still my real big brother!"
"If I weren’t your real big brother, would I be wasting time with you here? Get up now. Do you want people to know you’re unhappy with this marriage and let the Emperor chop your head off?"
Song Zhiyu shrank his neck: "You, you don’t try to scare me!"
Song Zhiyuan snorted with a cold laugh.
Seeing that her wickedly smart son’s patience had reached its limit, Song Ci said: "Alright, Silang, stop clowning around. You’re in this situation because of your own actions. If you hadn’t been picky before, you wouldn’t be in this mess now. Who’s to blame?"
"Mom, can’t you ask the Empress Dowager for help? I, I don’t want to marry that woman—that female tyrant!" Song Zhiyu pouted.
"Impudent!" Song Zhiyuan slammed the teacup on the table heavily and said, "The imperial decree has been issued. You can’t just ask to annul it. You’re almost seventeen, not a child, and you should learn to grow up. You can be headstrong in other matters, but not in this one!"
Seeing his face stern and cold, Song Zhiyu dared not argue further and nestled beside Song Ci.
Song Ci gave him a disapproving glance: "I won’t stand up for you this time. Your big brother is right, you’re not a kid anymore. You’re about to get married, you can’t be willful. Besides, Pan’er is not a female tyrant. Frankly, I’m quite happy with this marriage. With your inadequate talents both in civility and martial arts, to get such a Commandery Princess as your wife is like you’ve accumulated good karma from a previous life. You should be secretly laughing instead of disdaining her, hmph."
"Mom! Think this through; marrying her means it’s impossible for her to serve you like my sisters-in-law. Anyone can tell that Niu Pan’er won’t serve you. With her vigor, it’s more likely she’d chop a few people down."
Song Ci: "I have servants to attend to me. I don’t need a daughter-in-law for that. Silang, let me remind you, it’s not a marriage, it’s you becoming a live-in son-in-law. After the big wedding, you will live with the Commandery Princess in the Prince’s Mansion."
Song Zhiyu’s fair face immediately turned pale.
Oh heavens, can time turn back? If he had agreed to marry that girl surnamed Wang earlier, things would have been fine. A live-in son-in-law? He’ll lose face completely!
I had set my heart on marrying a sweet lady, but alas, the sweet lady became a tyrant. Even fiction wouldn’t dare to write it this way.
With a face about to cry, Song Zhiyu looked pitiably at Song Zhiyuan, sniffling: "Big brother, is there really no turning back with this marriage? Commandery Princess Dongyang is so fierce and good at fighting. Little brother here is all skin and bones, afraid that with just a disagreement, I’d be beaten to death by her. By then, you won’t have such a delightful and lucky little brother like me anymore."
Not beaten to death, but probably crushed under her weight. He would have no autonomy in the future.
How tragic life is!
Song Zhiyuan: "It’s an imperial decree for an arranged marriage. There’s no taking back an imperial decree. The only way this marriage won’t happen is if you die, then the marriage will be void."
Song Zhiyu froze.
So it’s really finalized!
Song Zhiyu closed his eyes, recalling how just a few days ago he told Niu Pan’er that woman about some Buddhist tale about a man who buries bones, saying she would eventually meet the man who buried her bones in a past life.
Turns out heaven had already set a trap for him. He’s the bone-burying man, about to die.