flstandardbreds Chapter 396 Selling Children
Chapter 396 Selling Children
The Minister of Rites had no daughters or sisters, and he didn't trust the girls from distant relatives. He was also afraid that they wouldn't serve the emperor well and would anger him. Just when he was feeling melancholy, he and his wife thought of their sister-in-law.
So, the Minister of Rites persuaded his wife to speak to his father-in-law. If his sister-in-law could gain favor in the palace, not only would he rise to prominence and provide greater support to the family, but his father-in-law and brother-in-law would also enjoy endless wealth and glory in the future. If she gave birth to a son for the Emperor, they would become the Emperor's father-in-law and uncle-in-law. At that time, the brother-in-law would have no worries about his official position; it would only be a matter of a word from his sister-in-law.
[How could the parents not be tempted by such a big pie thrown out by the Minister of Rites and his wife?]
This Lord Zhang never took a concubine; he only had one wife and three children. Strangely, Zhang Ran's life at home was worse than that of a concubine's daughter from a wealthy family. Lord Zhang and his wife doted on their eldest daughter since she was young, giving her all the good things they could. They ignored their second daughter, even making her help with laundry and cooking in the middle of winter.
[After the birth of her youngest son, she doted on him even more, seemingly ignoring her second daughter from beginning to end.]
[The marriage proposal for the Minister of Rites was originally arranged by the Minister's mother while the second daughter was out socializing. However, the Zhang family felt that the Minister of Rites's marriage was good but that they were marrying above their station. So, when the Minister of Rites came to propose marriage, they substituted their second daughter for their eldest daughter. Initially, the Minister of Rites's family was unaware of this and only discovered the substitution after the marriage took place. However, she was still the Zhang family's daughter, so they couldn't make a fuss, as this would have been disrespectful to both families. The Minister of Rites's family would have suffered the consequences.]
[After being tempted, the parents sent their second daughter to the palace without a second thought. They even spent all day lecturing her, telling her that if their eldest daughter had not been married to the Minister of Rites, their second daughter would have received a better marriage and would have been directly admitted to the palace as a concubine. They even told Zhang Ran to strive for favor and give birth to a prince after entering the palace, and not to forget them once she gained favor.]
[This is really a joke. If entering the palace was such a blessing, why didn't they let their beloved eldest daughter enter the palace? This family is just gambling with their second daughter's life. If Zhang Ran is favored, they will enjoy endless wealth and glory. If Zhang Ran is not favored, it has nothing to do with them.]
This pair of scumbag parents had waited day and night, but they had never imagined the situation in the palace would be like this. The Emperor hadn't entered the harem for nearly a year, nor had he summoned any concubines to his bed. Everyone was disappointed and had even forgotten about the incident. It wasn't until the Emperor came to the harem that they regained hope. The wife of the Minister of Rites even came to the palace and told Zhang Ran how to win his favor. Zhang Ran tried to follow her advice, but it didn't work at all. The Emperor never visited any other palaces except Kunning Palace, and he wouldn't even glance at the other concubines.
Zhang Ran learned from Wen Nuan that the emperor only had her in his heart, and that even their efforts would be in vain. Rather than becoming a victim of the harem's favor, it would be better to be prudent and live a good life in the harem. As Zhang Ran stayed by Wen Nuan's side, she gradually saw the situation in the harem more clearly, and she no longer had any desire to compete for favor, but only wanted to live a good life.
When the Emperor first agreed to enter the harem, not only the concubines, but even the ministers of the previous dynasty hoped day and night that the women they had sent into the palace would gain his favor. However, after all their waiting, the Emperor wouldn't even bother to look at them, and the ministers could only return home disappointed.
[The Zhang family's hopes were dashed.]
Until recently, the Emperor expelled all the concubines, leaving Zhang Ran homeless. Zhang Ran never imagined that her family would take all the blame for their misfortunes. They blamed her for not being able to win over the Emperor within the harem, and for being expelled because of their lack of favor. They were deprived of their wealth and glory, and were ridiculed. Even her brother's official position was ruined.
[Hey, I'm a little hot-tempered. How could there be such a scoundrel in the world? They really must have been blinded by a little knife. If you're not doing well, it's your own fault for not working hard. What does Zhang Ran have to do with it? When they sent Zhang Ran to the palace, they should have considered that she might not be favored. Besides, the palace is not the outside world. One wrong step could cost her life. They don't care about whether Zhang Ran is doing well in the palace. They only care that she can't bring them the benefits they want and are going crazy.]
Zhang Ran also felt suffocated. She tried desperately to explain, but it was one thing to not receive her parents' forgiveness. Lord Zhang, Madam Zhang, and their incompetent and insatiable son also blamed her. They even blamed Zhang Ran for all their own troubles.
It's easy to blame others, but harder to see one's own mistakes. Zhang Ran's brother is not only lazy and greedy, he's practically Voldemort. However, they didn't dare ask their eldest daughter for help. After all, they couldn't afford to offend the Minister of Rites. They could only desperately exploit Zhang Ran, who they could bully and had a softer temper.
After Zhang Ran returned home, they stole the money I had given her, as well as the jade pendant, and used it to buy a minor official position for their son.
They didn't intend to let Zhang Ran go. They thought she was a worthless piece of junk that the Emperor didn't want, and she definitely wouldn't be able to marry into a good family. So they imprisoned her, hoping to find a wealthy family to marry her off to, even if it meant marrying her off as a concubine. That would earn them a generous dowry, which they could use to marry their sons, making Zhang Ran less worthless.
"I've really grown up. Isn't this just selling my daughter? And you're selling her so openly. You only care about your son and eldest daughter, and have never considered Zhang Ran's life or death."
It's truly tragic that Zhang Ran has such parents.
Gu Jianchu slammed the table in anger, causing the teacup beside him to shake slightly.
The sound of Gu Jianchu's clapping was not loud, and only the palace maids serving nearby heard it. Several palace maids looked in Gu Jianchu's direction with lowered brows, and they couldn't help feeling uneasy.
They didn't know why the queen was angry.
I’m afraid it’s because of Zhang Ran.
Others might not know why, but Xie Ci'an knew clearly why Gu Jianchu was angry.
Knowing the cause of these things, not to mention Gu Jianchu, he was very angry and wanted to cut such parents into pieces to vent his anger.