Arc 7: Dizi’s Remarriage Chapter 2
In this lifetime, the world that Tao Yuan has come to is an ancient world where most people possess spiritual power.
The country where Tao Yuan currently resides is called the Donglai Guo1, and it is one of the largest nations in Xiuling Daluo2.
In the Donglai Guo, Emperor Wen and the Three Great Martial Kings are highly respected. Although the Emperor Wen holds the title of emperor, real power is still in the hands of the Three Great Martial Kings. However, the Emperor Wen still holds a very prestigious position and is considered the most honorable person. Moreover, when major conflicts arise among the Three Great Martial Kings, Emperor Wen has the authority to make decisions, but his decisions must be fair and accepted by the majority.
Nowadays, Donglai Guo is becoming increasingly powerful, and the competition among the Three Great Martial Kings is growing fiercer. The current situation in Donglai Guo is completely different from the situation two thousand years ago when internal conflicts could weaken the country. Even though there might be internal and external conflicts happening simultaneously, as long as the Three Martial Kings don’t completely break ties and resort to warfare, the stability of the Donglai Guo will remain intact.
Although Emperor Wen doesn’t wield much real power, he has establihed close ties with the families of the Three Great Martial Kings through several generations of intermarriage. For example, the current mother of Leiwu Wang3 is the eldest legitimate daughter of the late Emperor, Princess Yunyang. And the mother of the Martial Yanwu Wang4 is the second daughter born to the late Emperor’s successor, Princess Jiade.
The grandmother of the Hanwu Wang5 is also a princess, but King Hanwu’s influence can no longer be compared to the other two Martial Kings. So he has gradually withdrawn from the center of power struggles. Currently, it all boils down to between Leiwu Wang and Yanwu Wang Who gain control over the reins of power.
The Zhengjun6 of Wu Wang holds a rank just one level below that of the Empress and the Eldest Princess, and their actual authority surpasses that of the Emperor. Therefore, there are more people fawning over Zhengjun than the Empress. This is also why Qu Feng, who is soon to become the Zhengjun of Yanwu Wang, has so many young lords and ladies from prominent families seeking his favor, and why they dare to be so arrogant within the General’s Residence.
When Qu Feng arrived at the General’s residence, he was assigned to stay in the original host’s courtyard because it was the most beautiful and exquisite courtyard in the entire General’s residence. Qu Cang and his wife had only one child, and naturally, they gave him the best of everything. The original host shared a similar personality with his father and was not one to be overly concerned with details. He thought, since his courtyard was spacious enough and there were plenty of rooms, he could let Qu Feng stay there if he wanted. After all, he wouldn’t be staying for long before getting married.
Qu Feng originally planned to get married and leave from the original host’s courtyard. Aside from the fact that the courtyard made him jealous, there was another, more important reason. In his past life, the person who married Yanwu Wang was the original host. The reborn Qu Feng wanted to completely replace the original host’s position, and marrying from this courtyard was the beginning of his replacement.
Apart from Qu Feng, there is another reborn person, Yanwu Wang Yan Hao.
…
After being kicked out of the original host’s courtyard by Tao Yuan, Qu Feng had no choice but to stay in the courtyard of Lady Qu, waiting for his marriage. No matter how angry he felt inside, he had to endure it, thinking that once he became the Zhengjun of Yanwu Wang, he wouldn’t let this family off lightly.
On the day of Qu Feng’s wedding, the General’s residence was adorned with decorations, and guests came and went, creating a lively atmosphere. Qu Cang allowed Qu Feng to marry within the General’s Residence to save face for Yanwu Wang. Otherwise, Lady Qu could have stayed at the residence, but he would never have allowed Qu Feng and his parents to enter. Marrying out of the General’s Residence was the only option.
Tao Yuan followed behind Miao Chen, making their way to Lady Qu’s courtyard.
Once they entered the room, it was already filled with people, chatting and laughing, creating a festive atmosphere.
Miao Chen approached Qu Taijun, who sat at the head of the gathering, and paid his respects, saying, “Mother.”
Tao Yuan also followed him saluting, “Grandmother.”
Although Qu Taijun7 doesn’t want to see them in her heart, she still wore a smile on her face because today was a joyous day for Qu Feng. She nodded at them and continued chatting with others. Miao Chen and Tao Yuan found a place to sit on their own.
Qu Feng, dressed in a red bridal gown, walked out from an inner room and sat beside Lady Qu, holding her hand saying, “Grandma, I can’t bear to leave you.”
“Grandma can’t bear to leave you too,” Qu Taijun replied, patting his hand, her expression full of affection.
“Today, you’re getting married, but you’re still acting like a child, being so affectionate with your grandma. Sit properly now,” Mrs. Ye said, looking at her son with a doting expression in her eyes.
Qu Feng sat up straight and glanced at Tao Yuan. Just the thought of making Tao Yuan kneel before him once he became Zhengjun of Yanwu Wang filled him with satisfaction. In his mind, he vowed that in this lifetime he would not be a side consort again and would never allow himself to be overshadowed by Tao Yuan.
Turning his attention to Mrs. Ye, who seemed a bit teary-eyed, Qu Feng stood up and moved to sit beside her, saying, “Mother.”
Mrs. Ye looked at him and said, “You’re going to be the Zhengjun of Yanwu Wang now, so you can’t have a child’s temperament anymore, alright?”
“Don’t worry, Mother. Once I become Zhengjun, I will naturally behave as a wang jun8 should. Only in front of you, Father, and Grandma will I forever remain a child.”
Many officials’ wives and husbands were present at the celebration. Qu Feng’s father held the title of a Marquis in a remote region and had little interaction with the officials in the capital city. The presence of these officials’ spouses and children was largely due to Qu Feng’s impending marriage to Yanwu Wang.
“When he was at home, he was probably a bit childish, but as soon as he gets married, he’ll grow up quickly.”
“Yes, A-Feng is a sensible young man, and you’ve raised him well. He’ll surely know how to be a good wang jun.”
“A-Feng became wang jun, and the good times are yet to come. Just wait and enjoy the blessings.”
“A-Feng has a fortunate look about him. You don’t need to worry.”
“After A-Feng becomes the wang jun, don’t forget about us. Let us bask in his glory too.”
Mrs. Ye felt quite pleased with their flattery and smiled, “Thank you for your kind words.”
On the other hand, Tao Yuan remained expressionless throughout and didn’t even bother rolling his eyes in response to their hypocritical remarks.
A servant entered the room, bowed to Qu Taijun, and then turned to Miao Chen, saying, “My Lord, the General has urgent matters to discuss with you. He requests that you and Xiao Lang come over.”
Miao Chen stood up calmly, bowed to Qu Taijun, “Mother, I’ll go ahead first.” Then he addressed the others, “Please, enjoy your time here.”
Tao Yuan also rose and followed Miao Chen as they left the gathering.
Throughout the entire interaction, Qu Taiju didn’t spare them a second glance, as if they were insignificant people.
Once they were outside in the courtyard, Miao Chen slowed his pace and held Tao Yuan’s hand, saying as they walked, “I’m sorry you had to feel wronged.”
“It’s okay, Dad. They’ll leave soon anyway,” Tao Yuan said with a smile.
“I’ll go to your father first. There are many guests at the residence today, and it wouldn’t be good if anyone treated you poorly. You should go back to the courtyard and rest,” Miao Chen instructed.
“I know.” Tao Yuan nodded and watched as Miao Chen walked away. He didn’t accompany Miao Chen because he knew that the original host’s father most likely didn’t have any urgent matters to discuss. It was just an excuse to get them away from the gathering and spare them from the unpleasantness of dealing with those people.
Although Qu Cang is Qu Taijun’s biological son, Qu Taijun was the principal wife and legitimate wife. When Qu Cang was born, the old marquis immediately took him away and gave him to his legitimate wife, who couldn’t bear children. Qu Taijun never had a chance to raise Qu Cang for a day. Later, Qu Cang followed the old marquis and his zhengjun to the northern regions and only returned to the capital when he was in his teens. Qu Taijun held resentment in her heart, and she began to hate Qu Cang as well. In order to secure the marquisate for her second son, she had attempted several times to harm Qu Cang. Although Qu Cang felt hurt in his heart, he never held a grudge or held it against her.
Later on Qu Cang married Miao Chen and Lady Qu tried everything to torment Miao Chen. Qu Cang and Miao Chen were truly in love, and while Qu Cang could endure Lady Qu’s ill intentions toward him, he couldn’t bear to see Miao Chen suffer. This led to numerous disputes between Qu Cang and Lady Qu. After the old marquis passed away, Lady Qu used every means to pressure Qu Cang into giving up his right to inherit the marquisate.
Although Qu Cang did waver at times and considered cutting ties with Hou Fu9 and the family, he had promised his father that he would inherit the title. Later, Qu Taijin used the argument that Miao Chen couldn’t bear children as a reason to force Qu Cang to choose between taking a flat wife10 and giving up his position as heir to the marquisate. This was the final straw that broke Qu Cang’s resolve.
Qu Cang left Hou Fu without taking anything except for Miao Chen, the original host, and Miao Chen’s dowry. From the moment they stepped out of Hou Fu, Qu Cang no longer considered Qu Taijun as his mother.
Fortunately, Miao Chen’s father, General Miao, held Qu Cang in high regard, and since Miao Chen was his only child, he entrusted Qu Cang with everything he controlled.
Qu Cang had worked tirelessly to achieve everything he had now, except from what General Miao had left him. All of this was to ensure that Miao Chen and Qu Yun would have a good life, and had nothing to do with Hou Fu.
Tao Yuan walked towards the original host’s courtyard with his attendants and maids. Suddenly, he saw a crowd approaching from the opposite direction. He knew it was Yanwu Wang Yan Hao coming to pick up the bride. Not wanting to run into them, he turned and headed towards a nearby corridor, taking a different path back to the courtyard.
The crowd passing by from nearby couldn’t help but look at Tao Yuan because the way he walked, even just his side profile, was so beautiful that he looked like a celestial being from a painting, with an otherworldly and ethereal demeanor.
Although those onlookers didn’t dare to openly stare, they involuntarily slowed their pace. They couldn’t help but wonder what Yanwu Wang Yan Hao was thinking. He had such a stunning young man right here, not to mention he was General Qu’s only son, and he still hadn’t been married off. Instead, he was marrying the younger brother’s son of General Qu. How could this nephew possibly compare to his own flesh and blood? Wasn’t this a missed opportunity to win over General Qu for nothing?
Yan Hao naturally noticed Tao Yuan. He was momentarily stunned and felt a bit nostalgic. He remembered in his previous life, when he first married Tao Yuan, it was as if a noble and beautiful celestial had descended to earth. However, later on, Tao Yuan’s appearance had become extremely loathsome. Thinking about the changes that followed, Yan Hao believed that marrying Qu Feng as his wang jun in this lifetime was the right choice.
Yan Hao couldn’t help but notice Tao Yuan, and for a moment, he felt a sense of déjà vu. He recalled their previous life when he had just married Tao Yuan, who had seemed like a celestial being descended from the heavens—noble and incredibly beautiful. However, as time went on, Tao Yuan’s appearance had taken a drastic turn for the worse. Thinking about those later changes, Yan Hao felt that in this lifetime, marrying Qu Feng as the Yanwu Wang was the right choice.
In their previous life, Yan Hao had arranged for his mother, Princess Jiade, to meet with Qu Yun to curry favor with Qu Cang. His initial plan was to marry Qu Yun regardless of his appearance because he needed Qu Cang’s support. The moment he laid eyes on Qu Yun, he was captivated by his looks and demeanor, quickly falling in love with him. This only strengthen his determination to marry him.
Qu Yun thought to himself that sooner or later, he would have to marry someone. So he decided to choose someone who was most suitable and genuinely admired him. Even if they ended up living their lives together in mutual respect, it wouldn’t be a bad outcome.
Later, Qu Feng also married in the capital city. But two years after Qu Feng’s marriage, his husband suddenly passed away. Envious of Qu Yun being wang jun, he often found excuses to visit the royal palace and see Qu Yun. After meeting Yan Hao, he began harboring thoughts he shouldn’t have.
During the period when Qu Feng was mourning his husband, he seduced Yan Hao and had a relationship with him. Although Qu Feng couldn’t compare to Qu Yun in terms of looks or demeanor, as the saying goes, after indulging in delicacies for too long, one would yearn for some simple food. Qu Feng’s appearance in light, plain clothing tempted Yan Hao, and he couldn’t resist his desires.
Once Qu Yun learned about their affair, he experienced the pain of betrayal like never before. He realized that all the sweet words Yan Hao had spoken about loving only him during the early days of their marriage were false. Just when he had started to fall in love with Yan Hao and was wholeheartedly planning a future with him, Yan Hao had already started an affair with his cousin and even fathered a child before him.
Qu Feng cried as he knelt before Qu Yun, begging him to agree. He said he was willing to become the lowest-ranked concubine, as long as he had a legitimate status to bear children, he would serve him as a servant. Qu Yun felt his heart grow cold but didn’t make things difficult for Qu Feng. He didn’t object when Yan Hao proposed that Qu Feng become his side consort.
At this point, Yan Hao couldn’t help but feel somewhat guilty towards Qu Yun. After all, he still loved Qu Yun deep down. Shortly after, Qu Yun also became pregnant.
After Qu Yun became pregnant, Yan Hao distanced himself from Qu Feng for a while. But it had to be acknowledged that Qu Feng had an extraordinary ability to captivate men. He could portray an attitude of not competing or vying for Yan Hao’s favor while managing to regain Yan Hao’s affection. Moreover, he bore Yan Hao’s eldest son, and so ambition was undoubtedly brewing in his heart.
The only person who truly managed to remain calm and uncompetitive was Qu Yun. He was content with maintaining his dignity as the zheng jun and had no desire to engage in power struggles. But even though he had no intention of competing, others wouldn’t let him be. Qu Feng conspired against him in secret, while Yan Hao, in an effort to suppress Qu Cang, also started targeting and suppressing him.
In the midst of the invisible threats and dangers, Qu Yun, who had nearly lost his life several times, finally realized that Yan Hao, who held all the power, could no longer tolerate their Qu family. For the sake of his child and his family, he had to gather his courage. Qu Yun’s sudden change even made Yan Hao panic. Qu Cang also stopped being passive and began to take action for the sake of Qu Yun and his grandchild. What followed after that was an endless power struggle.
In the struggle of their power struggle, Yan Hao and Qu Yun’s relationship completely shattered. They no longer seemed like a married couple but rather like enemies. However, Qu Yun had already emotionally detached himself and no longer cared. Yan Hao, on the other hand, felt increasingly repulsed by Qu Yun and leaned more towards Qu Feng, wanting to make the eldest son of his side consort his heir.
The child was Qu Yun’s last bottom line of defense, and he went to great lengths for the sake of his child. He believed that, regardless of the battles between him, Yan Hao, and Qu Feng, at least Yan Hao wouldn’t harm his child. After all, “A tiger doesn’t eat its cubs.” But when he learned that it was Yan Hao and Qu Feng who had conspired to harm his child, he completely broke down and descended into madness.
Then, after Qu Yun had made all the necessary preparations, he chose to end it all along with Yan Hao, Qu Feng, and their children.
Surprisingly, after Yan Hao and Qu Feng died, they were both reborn. After careful consideration, Yan Hao decided that he would never marry Qu Yun in this lifetime. But he still needed Qu Cang’s assistance for the time being. So, he planned to first win over Qu Cang and then, before their plans succeeded, find a way to reduce the military power of the Qu family. In this life, he was determined not to let the Qu family become too powerful.
Having some slight technical difficulties this past few days TT orz
Hopefully tomorrow everything’s fine _(:Ⅰ」∠)
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- 东Dong: East(ern),
莱Lai: Weed;wasteland,
国Guo: Country/Nation – Eastern Weed [↩] - 修灵 Xiuling: Cultivation
大陆 Daluo: Continent [↩] - 雷 Lei: Thunder,
武 Wu: Military, attack & Defence, Martial
王 Wang: King [↩] - 焰 Yan: Fire [↩]
- 寒 Han: Cold/Frigid/chilly [↩]
- 正君 Zhengjun: Primary Husband/King [↩]
- 曲太君 Qu Taijun: title granted to the mother of a feudal official; honorific title of your mother; used interchangeably with
曲老太 Qu Lao Tai: Old Lady Qu/ Lady Qu [↩] - 王君 Wang Jun: Both character means monarch [↩]
- 侯府 Hou Fu: Marquis Mansion/Family [↩]
- 平妻 Ping Qi: Flat Wife/Legitimate wife/ Level Wife refers to the situation where there are multiple head wives in the polygamy system. It exists at the same time with the first legal wife. [↩]