Chapter 1745 – When in Doubt, Consult the Leader
“Rong Li, how could you bear to do this?”
Sun Lan looked at his good buddy with pleading eyes, lamenting how they promised to stick together for life, yet here he was, kicking him off the carriage halfway through.
Feng Yi said, “I truly can’t help you with this. But here’s a tip: write a letter to Lord Sun or Military Adviser Qiguan.”
Seeing his buddy trying to smooth things over, Sun Lan had to reveal his card. He turned around, ready to seek out Jinghui.
Feng Yi raised an eyebrow, instinctively feeling that Sun Lan wasn’t the type to make things simple, and asked, “A-Lan, where are you going?”
“To find Jinghui, so she can talk to Changsheng.”
If Changsheng got “stirred up” into rebellion too and posed the same dilemma to Feng Yi, wouldn’t Feng Yi end up as his own worst enemy?
At that point, he was curious to see how Feng Yi would manage to look after himself.
Seeing Sun Lan take off, Feng Yi quickly grabbed his hand and said in frustration, “Are you trying to drag me down with you?”
Sun Lan halted, grinning, “A good bro shares both fortune and misfortune, right?”
It wasn’t fair that Sun Lan was fretting over this while Feng Yi was happily enjoying himself.
Feng Yi: “…”
Damn this “share both fortune and misfortune” nonsense; who knew Sun Lan, with his bold brows and bright eyes, had such a devious mind.
“Rong Li, will you help or not?” Sun Lan blinked his big, innocent eyes, which only made Feng Yi’s inner thoughts burst into a tirade—this guy was nothing like Lord Sun; he was much better at playing the fool to catch the tiger!
“You really put me in a bind here.”
Feng Yi sighed. After all, they’d shared years together as classmates, colleagues, and friends; it wasn’t in his nature to turn a blind eye.
As the saying goes: better tear down ten temples than ruin a single marriage. Sun Lan had been pining for the Qiguan Family’s Eldest Lady for years, and he couldn’t let him remain a bachelor forever.
Sun Lan chuckled, “Rong Li, you’re indeed a righteous one.”
If it weren’t for manners holding him back, Feng Yi would have rolled his eyes to express his true feelings.
What “righteousness”?
If Sun Lan didn’t resort to pressure tactics, he wouldn’t have boarded this pirate ship in the first place.
“Rong Li, what’s your plan?”
Being the standout young man of their generation, Sun Lan had high hopes for Feng Yi; he was bound to come up with a solution.
“A plan? Write a letter to our Lord, first test the waters. Otherwise, if we act on our own, the ones who suffer will be your grandfather and my father; they wouldn’t be able to handle it,” Feng Yi explained. “Although Jinghui is only asking to remain a head of the household without being confined to the inner chambers, seemingly a simple request, it involves a lot of things we shouldn’t meddle with. We can’t fix it.”
Sun Lan’s expression went slack.
He hadn’t expected Feng Yi’s plan was just to reach out to their elders; first finding grandpa, now asking the Lord.
After all, being Lord Sun’s grandson, Sun Lan had some political instincts, but not as sharp as Feng Yi’s.
“Testing the Lord’s attitude?” Sun Lan mused. “If the Lord intends to promote female households and support women, a dual-head structure could be the root of the solution. However, implementing this dual system could involve taxation, population checks, and other issues. Only a fundamental solution can pave the way. If the Lord is keen, our problems will surely be addressed. Otherwise, if the Lord remains silent, it could indicate other changes for female households—either improvements or a temporary fix?”
Feng Yi nodded, “We need the Lord to lean one way or the other before we can strategize; otherwise, it’s all in vain.”
If the Lord didn’t have any intentions, the two of them charging in would be a waste of effort.
Sun Lan hesitantly asked, “Rong Li, how likely do you think this is?”
Feng Yi obscured his face with a fan, but his eyes twinkled with a profound kind of laughter.
“Our Lord is, after all, a woman. If we don’t change the societal views on inheritance, and she ends up with a child, the legacy she wishes to continue will belong to a male heir, which means all her years of struggle are just making a fine wedding garment for someone else!” Feng Yi saw through the layers; Sun Lan stared blankly, realizing for the first time that his buddy was Feng Zhen’s own flesh and blood, “Living one’s life is about money, fame, status, and power, ultimately for oneself. Why does everyone care so much about legacy? It’s not just to have descendants offer sacrifices after death; only the dead know what happens in the afterlife. Another reason is the continuity of heritage.”
The fruits of a lifetime of labor are naturally meant for one’s own children.
Such children have their differences, much like the palm and the back of a hand.
If society believes that sons continue the male lineage, then everything the Lord has will go to her son. In the eyes of the world, isn’t that like giving a fine garment away for free? Even if all children are truly theirs, it just doesn’t sit right.
Sun Lan exclaimed, “But the Lord isn’t a fool; her thoughts can’t be so narrow-minded!”
Feng Yi sighed, “You just insulted yourself, too.”
Sun Lan stammered, suddenly realizing something, his face turning pale.
Feng Yi remarked, “This isn’t foolishness; it’s something everyone thinks about—it’s not narrow-minded. If you end up with only one daughter, and she has to marry and join another household, all your hard-earned gains could end up benefiting your son-in-law through your daughter. Wouldn’t that sting? Conversely, if your daughter had her own household and carried on your legacy, you’d feel a bit better after a hundred years.”
Everyone prefers to capitalize on opportunities rather than be taken advantage of.
However, after thousands of years of legacy beliefs, changing them is no easy task.
Sun Lan pondered, “So, you’re saying… the Lord’s acceptance is quite possible?”
Feng Yi smiled, “We’ll only know the result after testing the waters.”
His analysis would likely work on ordinary people but didn’t quite fit when it came to Jiang Pengji.
Even if the results were the same, the thought processes were vastly different.
Because Sun Lan had spoken so confidently, he was now a bit uncomfortable and careful not to look at Jinghui, fearing she’d be disappointed in him.
Little did he know—
All his reactions were within her expectations.
Due to their parents’ connection, Changsheng and Jinghui had a strong friendship, very close indeed.
It didn’t take long for Jinghui to hear about Sun Lan’s troubles.
She remarked, “I see this won’t be easy; you’re clearly trying to make things difficult for him.”
As a student nurtured by the strong faculty of Golden Scales Academy, with Changsheng’s excellent bloodline, she certainly knew the obstacles of implementing a dual household system.
“I know it’s troublesome, but it’s meant to show him that marrying me won’t be a walk in the park. The daughter of the Qiguan Family is no ordinary inner chamber woman. If he dares to marry, he should be prepared, lest he ends up bickering with me later. It’s better to lay it all out from the start.”
While Changsheng munched on the peanut candy, his eyes couldn’t help but roll around.
In the distance, Feng Yi and Sun Lan were huddled together thinking about how to draft a letter to Jiang Pengji, suddenly shivering.
A sense of ominous premonition washed over them.
_(:з)∠)_
