TFWYH – Chapter 769 You Shameless

At last, it was Ling Shang who broke the silence.

“Wan’er, you are, after all, a citizen of Feng Nation. Now that another woman has taken a liking to your man, according to our customs—”

“Why should I?”

Tang Wan had been holding back her anger for a long time.

Without discussing it with her, they had suddenly exposed everything. How was she supposed to face Ling Yu now?

What about all of Ling Yu’s plans moving forward?

And this so-called princess…

The Doctor was someone she regarded as very important, almost family, but that did not give him the right to make decisions for her again and again.

Besides, she still wasn’t even certain that Ling Shang truly was the Doctor.

With a cold expression, Tang Wan spoke for the first time with the authority of her title:

“Whether this county lady is from Feng Nation or not, I was married to Ling Yu through proper betrothal gifts and formal ceremonies. National Preceptor, listen carefully—it was a marriage. Ling Yu married me. Do you understand? Therefore, whether in life or in death, I am his lawfully wedded wife. No matter how eloquent you are, that fact cannot be changed.”

Ling Shang said nothing.

He merely gazed deeply at her.

Ignoring his stare, Tang Wan turned toward Princess Han Guli and continued,

“And you!”

Han Guli frowned.

“What about me?”

Tang Wan answered seriously,

“You are shameless, and you have no understanding of propriety.”

For a moment, Han Guli thought she had misheard.

She cried out in disbelief,

“You dare insult me?”

“Why shouldn’t I?” Tang Wan replied coldly.

“In the Heavenly Dynasty, marriages are arranged with the consent of parents and matchmakers. As for taking concubines, the principal wife must first give her approval before they may enter through the side gate. I am neither dead nor divorced, which means I remain the mistress of the Ling household.

“Forget whether my husband likes you or not—even if he did, he would still need my permission.

“If you wish to become an equal wife, then the person you should seek out is my mother-in-law, not His Majesty.

“If you wish to enter as a concubine, then you should be currying favor with me.

“What kind of person starts demanding this and that before even entering the household?

“So tell me—was I wrong to call you shameless and ill-mannered?”

Han Guli was left utterly speechless.

The officials all nodded, looking at Tang Wan with approval.

Indeed, this had always been the custom in the Heavenly Dynasty.

Although…

Ahem…

Many wives, fearing their husbands’ displeasure, dared not openly oppose the taking of concubines.

Still, tradition was tradition.

Unless the Emperor personally bestowed a marriage, the rules remained unchanged.

And it was obvious that the Emperor had no intention of issuing such a decree.

As for Ling Yu’s mother—Tang Wan’s mother-in-law—she was not even present.

Who had ever heard of someone loudly insisting on marrying a man who already had a wife?

Many noblewomen had already found Han Guli’s behavior distasteful.

The moment Tang Wan spoke, they eagerly joined in.

“County Lady Wengnai is absolutely right. My husband has four concubines and two bedchamber maids, and every single one entered the household only with my approval.”

“Exactly! My family also has an equal wife, but that was because I bore no sons. My mother-in-law arranged it properly, with formal betrothal rites and everything. Who has ever heard of someone shamelessly forcing herself upon a family?”

“As the saying goes, one who is married properly becomes a wife, while one who throws herself at a man becomes a concubine. And this one wants to be a principal wife? Forgive my bluntness, but how is that any different from the women in the pleasure quarters?”

“She truly comes from a barbaric land—utterly lacking in manners.”

“Indeed. If someone like that were brought into the family, what kind of chaos would follow?”

“No wonder County Lady Wengnai is angry. I would be furious too.”

“The concubines in my household may not be noble-born, but every one of them understands propriety. Without rules, everything would fall into disorder.”

…

Of the people attending the imperial banquet, nine out of ten women were principal wives.

And principal wives generally had little affection for women who tried to steal their husbands.

How could they possibly approve of Han Guli’s behavior?

In Northern Frontier, such actions might be praised as bold and passionate.

But in the eyes of these proper wives, she was nothing more than a shameless seductress—a brazen, thick-skinned hussy.

Sentence after sentence reached Han Guli’s ears.

The relentless criticism left her completely stunned.

Surrounded by countless looks of contempt and disdain, her face turned deathly pale.

At last, unable to endure it any longer, she burst into tears and ran out of the hall.