Chapter 1998
Lady 2
A noble family cannot have a concubine's daughter as the mistress of the house, otherwise it will be ridiculed by other high-ranking families.
Of course, she would never allow her niece from her own family to become her son's concubine.
Upon returning to the Marquis's residence, Madam Liu summoned Zhu Xiuping and instructed him not to get too close to the Liu family's daughters.
Zhu Xiuping is only fourteen years old and is in the middle of his rebellious phase. The more his parents forbid him from doing something, the more he wants to do it.
Zhu Xiuping often went to the Liu family. Although he was mostly with Liu Feng and Liu Yu, he would still often see his three cousins—Liu Tao, who was already married.
How could Liu Tong not see that Zhu Xiuping looked down on him?!
Liu Dong scoffed inwardly. What was so great about Zhu Xiuping? He looked down on her, but she looked down on him too.
As arrogant as a little rooster, looking down on everyone.
Does he think he's a prince or grandson of the emperor?
Liu Tong's impression of her cousin Zhu Xiuping was not as good as that of her other two classmates, Liu Feng and Liu Yu.
The two people are named Qi Yuanxi and Li Han respectively.
Qi Yuanxi was the son of the Vice Minister of Rites, and Li Han was the son of the Duke of Ningguo.
Although neither of them liked Liu Tong, who didn't seem like a typical young lady from a wealthy family, they didn't show any obvious contempt for her.
Li Han had a better impression of Liu Tong, mainly because Liu Tong was the prettiest.
Li Han was fond of beautiful women, but his mother was very strict, and most of the servants around him were young men, while the maids were all of average appearance.
Li Han could only run to the Liu family to see the beauty and soothe his eyes.
Qi Yuanxi had a better feeling for Liu Mei, but he was very clear-headed and knew that his family would never allow him to marry a concubine's daughter.
Therefore, his feelings for Liu Mei were limited to appreciation, without any further emotional connection.
A year has passed, and the Liu family has established a firm foothold in the capital, while Liu Tong's Tian Ce Army has grown to several dozen men.
Most of these people were born beggars, and Liu Dong used his own savings to support them and teach them the cultivation methods of Tian Ce.
These people have now mastered the skills and are more capable than the palace guards.
With the brainwashing of Mo Shu and Mo Yan, these people all regarded Liu Tong as a reincarnation of a god and were extremely loyal to him.
Liu Tong understood that even with his exceptional skills, becoming a great general was unrealistic.
In this world, women are expected to stay at home to be good wives and mothers, and they will be pointed at and gossiped about if they show their faces in public.
Empress Dowager Xiao'an, the birth mother of the current emperor, was a remarkable woman.
When the late emperor passed away, the current emperor was still young, so Empress Dowager Xiao'an ruled from behind the curtain.
Empress Dowager Xiao'an's political skills were far superior to those of the late emperor and far more astute than those of the current emperor.
But just because she was a woman, at the age of sixteen, she was forced by court officials and her good son to relinquish power and return to the inner palace.
Otherwise, it would be like a hen crowing at dawn.
After returning to the palace, the Empress Dowager remained depressed and passed away less than two years later.
Liu Tong was filled with regret.
Why can't the Empress Dowager learn from Empress Lü or Empress Wu Zetian?
If Liu Tong wants to lead troops and stand openly in the court, he must prepare early.
He needs an ally!
The current emperor has three sons and four daughters.
Now that his three sons are all grown up, the struggle for the throne has begun.
But Liu Dong didn't want to help either of them.
He wanted to choose one of the four princesses, because only women who fought together against the ways of the world could be the best allies.
Unfortunately, after secretly observing the four princesses for a long time, he discovered that they were all bound by etiquette and none of them had any ambition.
Just when Liu Tong was feeling disappointed, he encountered a pleasant surprise: Princess Yinghua.
Princess Yinghua is the current emperor's younger sister, twenty years his junior, and is now only in her early thirties. After ascending the throne, in order to consolidate his position and win over the court officials, the current emperor married Princess Yinghua to the second son of the prime minister.
The second son was not only physically weak, but also had a cousin who was his childhood sweetheart.
Not long after Princess Yinghua married into the family, her second son, relying on the emperor's influence and his father's power, brought his cousin to Princess Yinghua and wanted to take her as a concubine.
Princess Yinghua gritted her teeth and agreed.
Not long after the concubine entered the household, the second son of the legitimate wife took her boating on the lake. However, the boat sank, and the second son drowned instantly.
The concubine caught a cold and remained bedridden for over a month before passing away, following in the footsteps of her second son.
Princess Yinghua closed the gates of her residence and went about her own life.
A few years later, the emperor, having used the prime minister to his advantage, discarded him and exiled the prime minister's entire family.
The emperor felt guilty towards Princess Yinghua and gave her considerable compensation.
He was unaware that Princess Yinghua had long harbored hatred for him. Over the past ten years, Princess Yinghua had secretly accumulated power and had already amassed a considerable force.
She originally planned to instigate the emperor's three sons to depose as many as possible, and never intended to take the throne herself.
But Liu Dong approached her.
Her ambition was stirred up.
Why can only princes become emperors? Why can't princesses?
She is also of royal blood!
With Princess Yinghua as an ally, the Tian Ce Army was quickly established.
There were as many as a thousand people, all of whom were housed in Princess Yinghua's fiefdom.
Every month, Liu Tong would leave the Liu family under the pretext of worshipping Buddha and go to the Princess's fiefdom to train troops with his soldiers.
Five years have passed, and Liu Dong has come of age.
Zhao became busy, starting to look for suitable husbands for her son and daughter.
Liu Mei and Liu Tong were only one year younger than Liu Tong, and Qian and Sun also began to worry about their daughters' marriages.
However, they didn't have as many headaches as the Zhao family.
Their daughters were raised to be gentle and virtuous, unlike Liu Dong, who was a tomboy.
Which family would want a girl like that?
In fact, the two had their eyes on the three young masters who frequently visited their home, so they often made things convenient for them, allowing them to see Liu Mei and Liu Tong in various places such as the garden and the waterside pavilion.
Otherwise, would it be so easy to meet the daughter of an official?
Zhao took Liu Tong to various banquets, showcasing her daughter and letting the upper-class ladies of the capital know that the Liu family's daughter was ready to get married.
Those who take a liking to their daughter will naturally come to propose marriage.
Unfortunately, very few wealthy families were interested in their daughters.
It's because their daughter is too "naive".
Older women often find this type of girl appealing, appreciating her simplicity and lively energy.
But such a girl is not suitable to be a housewife and cannot support the family.
Therefore, although many wealthy and noble ladies liked Liu Dong, none of them wanted her to be their daughter-in-law.
There was only one family whose social standing was lower than the Liu family, who wanted to rely on the Liu family's power, so he thought of marrying Liu Tong, the eldest daughter of the Liu family.
But Zhao would never look favorably upon a family like that.
Zhao was troubled: her son was gentle and refined, so why had her daughter turned into a tomboy?
Liu Tong: "Mother, don't rush to find me a husband. The most important thing right now is my brother's imperial examination." (End of Chapter)