Qin Shuang'er's face was red, she lowered her head, twirled the corners of her clothes, and looked shy as if she wanted to stop talking. She whispered in a low voice: "Third brother, don't you know everything? Why are you asking..."
Qin Mubai smiled: "Third brother, haven't you been away from home for three years? How much can you remember? I don't know what happened between you two. Tell me, what else can you hide in front of my brother?"
Qin Shuang'er flashed her big eyes and smiled shyly, nodded, and told the whole story.
It turned out that because Qin Shubao was Li Shimin's former minister of the Qin Palace, the children of the Qin family had been close to Li Shimin's children as early as their childhood. After going back and forth, Qin Shuang'er and Li Ke became good friends as childhood sweethearts. Later, when they grew up,
Li Ke is interested in Shuang'er, and the two are expected to get married, but there is a barrier between their marriages.
One of the biggest obstacles is the concept of family status. Although Qin Shubao was a high-ranking general of Shangzhu Kingdom, Zuowuwei General and Yi Guogong, he came from a humble background. The Li family originated from the old nobles of Guanlong and was an emperor's family.
According to secular concepts, the two families were not of the same family. Qin Shuang'er was a concubine born from a side wife. Compared with the noble-blooded prince Li Ke, her status was extremely low.
Another obstacle is Qin Shubao. For some unknown reason, although Qin Shubao has no objection to Li Ke, he is opposed to his daughter's marriage to the King of Wu.
In today's Zhenguan Dynasty, the concept of family status is deeply rooted in people's hearts. Although it is invisible and intangible, it is an insurmountable gap in people's hearts. Just like the Qin family, an emerging wealthy family that started from poverty, no matter how big the official position is now
, in the eyes of the world, they are not as noble as the bloodline of the old noble families. Furthermore, since Qin Shubao's objections to the important matter of marriage and the appointment of a matchmaker by his parents, even if Li Ke was a dignified prince of the Tang Dynasty, he would not dare to force it.
In this way, Li Ke and Shuang'er became a pair of fateful lovers. Two years ago, seventeen-year-old Li Ke married the daughter of the former Sui royal family Yang, and Qin Shuang'er was heartbroken.
She almost gave up the idea of getting married - no matter what, Qin Shubao's character would never allow her to marry as a concubine.
However, the friendship between the two of them since they were young is difficult to erase. Therefore, both Li Ke and Qin Shuang'er could only hide their feelings and interact with each other in private, but they did not dare to cross the border even half a step.
After hearing this, Qin Mubai shook his head, never expecting that there was such an emotional entanglement between Fourth Sister and King Wu.
"Third brother, why are you just shaking your head... tell me, what should I do?" Qin Shuang'er said nagging, looking at Qin Mubai pitifully.
Qin Mubai smiled and said: "Silly girl, King Wu has already married a wife. Even if your father agrees, are you willing to marry her and become a concubine (the prince's concubine)?"
In the Tang Dynasty, as in many feudal dynasties, concubines had no status or respect. No matter how noble your birth was, if you were married as a concubine, you would be just like the livestock of the male master's family. You could be beaten, scolded, driven, and even bought and sold at will.
.Among the noble families of the Tang Dynasty, there was a custom of exchanging concubines for fun, even the concubines of princes were no exception.
The laws of the Tang Dynasty even expressly stipulate that if the head of the family and his wife kill a concubine, they can pay a fine to offset the crime. Moreover, generally speaking, concubines cannot be rehabilitated. If the male master dares to abolish his wife and establish a concubine, he must be sentenced -
--Exiled for one and a half years.
Although the folk customs of the Tang Dynasty were relatively open and the status of women was relatively high. It was this environment that later led to the emergence of a unique female emperor in history, but it still could not change the nature of this patriarchal society - concubines were just playthings.
The reality is so cruel.
Qin Shuang'er's face really changed, she lowered her head in frustration, and there seemed to be tears in her eyes, and murmured: "But, I really only like him... If I can't marry him, I would rather die alone or become a monk."
.”
Seeing this scene, Qin Mubai's heart throbbed slightly.
From his 21st century point of view, free love is too normal, and the younger sister is very fond of Li Ke.