无翼乌工口里番无色无摭挡

The two of them were engrossed in their conversation, but He Tang was upset.

When Mother He once again extolled the virtues of the Cui family’s girl in front of him that evening, he mocked coldly, “If she is really that good, why hasn’t she married yet at nineteen? Could it be that she is unattractive?”

“How could you say such a thing? How could a lady, raised delicately within a lady’s chamber, be unattractive?”

“Whether she is attractive or not is not related to how delicately she has been raised.”

“So, according to you, women who expose themselves in public all day, scrubbing clothes and cooking, with their coarse hands and feet, are they more attractive?”

He Tang stood abruptly. “Mother, who are you referring to?”

“You don’t know who I am referring to?”

“I know that Mother does not think highly of Ah Ning, but mind your words, lest they bring misfortune!”

“What law am I breaking by talking about her?”

“Her status is different now, you cannot simply make stuff up about her!”

“You unfilial son, would you defy your own mother for a disabled girl of questionable background?”

“Of questionable background? Mother, you may not know yet, but Ah Ning’s real identity is that of the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister’s Mansion.”

“So what? She is a cripple! Can’t even walk properly, I don’t understand what you see in her.”

“I like everything about her, so much it hurts!”

“All your back talk is useless.” Mother He snorted coldly, “Even if she were a princess, she would not be allowed to enter my He family’s house!”

“If she cannot enter, then other women shall not enter either!”

“Are you planning to end the line of the He family?”

“It ends, then so be it. It has nothing to do with me.” He Tang said coldly.

Mother He was stunned.

Father He could not help but slam the table, “If you dare not to get married and have children, do not bother coming into this house, do not acknowledge me as your father!”

Mother He could not help crying, “You are being too disrespectful! Can’t you think about us?”

Coldly, He Tang retorted, “You destroyed my lifelong happiness without considering me, but now you want me to consider you? Am I to marry a woman I do not love just to continue the family line as you want?”

“All that we’ve done, it’s all for your own good!”

“What do you mean by ‘for my good’? For my good, you would have me watch the woman I love marry someone else?” He Tang was beyond patient and roared, “You initially said that as long as I received a degree, I could decide for myself! I studied day and night without rest, entrusting you to take care of Ah Ning, but you didn’t even tell me when she was taken away by the Prime Minister’s Mansion!!”

Mother He spoke with a trembling voice, “The Imperial Examination is about to start, we kept it from you to not disturb your peace of mind. If you failed and had to wait for three more years, it wouldn’t be worth it for a crippled girl!”

“I worked so hard, all for her!!”

“We raised you to this age, funded your studies, now you say your hard work was all for a stranger? Are you being fair to us, to the ancestors of the He family?!” Mother He was shaking in anger, “Your shouting at us is useless. Now, Jiang Ning has already married and borne a child, your remorse is irrelevant!”

He Tang calmed down: “I know.”

“Since you understand, stop dwelling on it.” Mother He sighed, “Son, we only have you as our son, we are counting on you for our later years. If you marry a crippled girl, who will take care of you, who will take care of us?”

“Our house has maids and servants, there’s no need for her to take care of anyone.”

“Nonsense, which daughter-in-law does not serve their in-laws? You are young now, someday you will understand.. How crucial it is to marry a diligent and virtuous woman!”