Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Life after marriage was quiet and unremarkable.

Prince Li had no interest in women. He spent his days either in his study or at the military camps, a situation I found quite agreeable. We only shared a bed a few days each month.

Though he appeared cold and distant, he didn’t harbor any of the perverted hobbies the rumors suggested. Thinking back, those previous deaths must have truly been accidents. Perhaps I had actually snatched a good marriage away from Mu He.

I became pregnant about six months after the wedding. When Prince Li found out, his expression remained neutral, though he did send word to my parents. The very next day, Mother arrived with Mu He.

They happened to run into Prince Li on his way out. Once he had gone, Mu He suddenly asked me if my life was difficult now.

“How could it be?”

“But,” she said, her small face wrinkling, “the Prince seems very difficult to get along with.”

He was indeed a bit difficult, but it was manageable. After all, we didn’t spend much time together. Mother gave me many instructions on prenatal care and even gave me several recipes for food. “Back when I was pregnant with your brother and couldn’t keep anything down, it was these recipes that helped.”

I skimmed through them. Most were sour or spicy dishes, not the kind typically eaten in the capital.

When I was six months pregnant, I returned to Ningguo Mansion. Mother told me that Mu He’s marriage had been arranged. The groom was a student of Father’s who had recently passed the imperial examinations and become a Jinshi. With a little maneuvering, they would secure him a minor official post in the capital.

As a student of Father’s, his character was likely sound, but a rank seven or eight position was far too low.

Mother seemed to sense what I was thinking. “Ah Rou, that student’s family background is simple. Ah He isn’t as clever as you; she wouldn’t be able to handle a large, complicated household.”

Though the student came from a wealthy family, he had been unfortunate. He lost his mother as a child and his father passed away a few years ago. It was only because he had been observing the mourning period that he remained unmarried. Usually, it was common for men to marry by eighteen, but his age was a good match for Ah He.

“I just feel his status is a bit low,” I said.

“As long as he’s a good man, that’s enough. Ah He likes him herself. With the family protecting her, she won’t suffer.”

Matches that were both socially equal and born of mutual affection were rare. To outsiders, Prince Li and I were perfectly matched in status, yet there was no talk of mutual affection. Mu He and that student might have affection, but even as an adopted daughter, she was still a lady of Ningguo Mansion. A low-ranking official was hardly a worthy match for her.

“Is Ah He’s dowry ready?” A woman’s dowry is usually prepared bit by bit from childhood. When I married, I was marrying a Prince, so my dowry had been significantly bolstered. Now that it was Mu He’s turn, I suspected many things hadn’t been prepared in time.

After all, a dowry isn’t just about money. Some fine items require luck to find; ordinary pieces aren’t good enough for a family of our standing.

“It’s prepared. I discussed it with your father. Her dowry doesn’t need to be as grand as yours. The man she’s marrying isn’t your equal, so she doesn’t need the very best of everything. Instead, we’ll provide more cash and shops. It’s better for her to have money in hand.”

Money is never a bad thing. However, my own dowry had included several crates of books. They looked ordinary, but they were actually rare ancient texts-priceless treasures that couldn’t be bought. When marrying into a powerful family, people look at the depth and heritage of the dowry.

“I’ll add something to Ah He’s dowry when the time comes.”

“Good, good.”