Transmigration: From Farmer To Empress-Chapter 2070 - 2078: Noble Concubine (Part 4)

After the children left, Fei’er put away her gentle smile and looked sternly at Chongwu, saying, "It’s not that I blame you, Brother. You’re just too muddle-headed. How could you do something so unseemly? Look around, is there a man in the Capital who has a concubine give birth before even bringing his wife through the door? If this gets out, what face would our Mu Family have left? And why would you get involved with someone when you had to choose the daughter of that shrew from Zhao Qing? Think about it, how could a woman like that raise a decent daughter?"

Chong Wu also realized that Dong Wan’er was problematic, but at this point, where was he supposed to find a regret potion? He had grievances he couldn’t voice, so he simply lowered his head and said, "Second Sister, your brother knows he was wrong."

Lady Du couldn’t bear for her son to be reprimanded as soon as he returned and intervened, "Fei’er, at this point, blaming him is useless. I say, we should marry Miss Zhang from Zhang Shangshu’s family as soon as possible before she gives birth. Otherwise, if the concubine’s child is born before the wife enters the door, the reputation of favoritism of a concubine over a legitimate wife will spread, and no decent family’s daughter will want to marry into our family. Our Mu Family’s reputation will stink..."

"That’s a good idea, but what if Dong Wan’er doesn’t agree?"

Yanran understood Dong Wan’er’s temperament the most. Given her arrogant disposition, she surely would not want to be a concubine to Chongwu.

Fei’er laughed coldly, "It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t agree. In fact, we wouldn’t want a woman like her entering the gates of our Mu family anyway. Just send someone to keep an eye on them and ensure the child’s safety. If she can raise the child well, let it be; if not, we have ways to bring the child back to acknowledge our clan. Wu’er, what do you think?"

At this moment, regret and frustration seized Chongwu’s heart. His mind was in chaos, completely indecisive, but he trusted his family. Hearing his sister’s question, he replied, "I’ll let Dad and Mom decide!"

...

Dong Wan’er thought that with the piece of flesh in her belly as leverage, she wouldn’t need to worry about Chongwu not marrying her. Eldest Princess Zhao Qing and Prince Consort Dong were also smugly planning the marriage of their daughter. They figured that once Mu Family came with a marriage proposal, they would ask the Emperor to pardon their crimes and restore their statuses. With the Mu Family’s connections to the Emperor, this seemed easy to achieve.

However, unexpectedly, news came that Mu Chongwu was engaged to the young lady from Zhang Shangshu’s family!

The Zhao Qing couple were dumbfounded, and Dong Wan’er was also at a loss!

The Mu Family, are they planning to abandon this child? Are they planning to abandon the mother and child? Legend has it that Mu Family people care deeply for their children, so how could they not want their own flesh and blood?

As they felt anxious, an unexpected guest arrived.

The visitor was none other than Dong Wan’er’s maternal grandfather, the father-in-law of Eldest Princess Zhao Qing, Dong Qinghe, who was instructed by Mu Zhongqing to persuade his son and daughter-in-law to let Dong Wan’er enter the Mu family as a concubine.

In this era, being a concubine was disgraceful. Concubines could be traded like commodities, given away, sold, or even killed, so decent families’ daughters would never become concubines.

But there are exceptions to everything. Now, the Mu Family is quite prominent in Great Jin, while the Dong family has already fallen. If Dong Wan’er could marry into the Mu Family as a noble concubine, with the help of the child in her belly, she should easily establish herself. Furthermore, if she can manage people well, win her husband’s heart, and appease her in-laws, it’s possible for the Dong family to rise again with the power of the Mu Family. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

More importantly, Lord Mu has made a stern statement that the Mu Family will not marry Dong Wan’er as the official wife. If she is unwilling to be a concubine, that’s fine too; the Mu Family won’t impose upon her.

Dong Wan’er is already pregnant with Mu Chongwu’s child, making her somewhat like a fallen woman. If she doesn’t marry Chongwu, no one will propose to her in the future, and the Dong family’s reputation will be ruined.

So, upon weighing the options, it might be better to marry Chongwu as a concubine!

Eldest Princess Zhao Qing previously only made empty threats, talking about appealing to the Emperor to scare Chongwu. But seeing the Mu Family genuinely not wanting her daughter, she didn’t dare make any noise. Now, her concern isn’t about whether her daughter becomes a wife or concubine to the Mu family but whether her status as Eldest Princess can be restored. If her status and identity can’t be restored, her son will have no future, and her later life will be hopeless.

Hearing her father-in-law say that if Dong Wan’er can give birth to a son in Mu Family and be well-behaved, they might get a chance to rise again, she couldn’t help but be moved and began to persuade her daughter.

"The Mu Family has already arranged marriage with Zhang Shangshu’s family and exchanged engagement letters. It’s impossible for you to marry Mu Chongwu as a wife now; you might as well marry over. Though as a concubine, you’ll still be a noble concubine after all, and since you’re pregnant, that Miss Zhang wouldn’t dare make things difficult for you after she enters."

Prince Consort Dong also said, "Wan’er, you’re still unmarried. If you return to Tongzhou with a big belly, what will people think? The spit from gossip might drown you. It’s better to marry into the Mu Family. The Mu Family is a prestigious family. Even as a concubine, your status will be much more respectable than many masters of ordinary families..."

At this point, Dong Wan’er also understood that the Mu Family would not abandon their engagement with the Zhang family because of her and the child in her belly. Without her, Mu Chongwu would still have children with other women, and she, without marrying Mu Chongwu, would truly become a fallen woman with no face to return to Tongzhou with a belly.

The nanny consoled her, saying, "Miss, though becoming a concubine doesn’t sound good, as the saying goes, people will respect what you carry. The old master and madam of the Mu Family will surely treat you kindly for the sake of the child in your belly."

Dong Wan’er, proud since childhood, would never willingly become a concubine, but at the moment, she had no other path available to her. After much deliberation, she painfully said, "Okay, then let’s follow Dad and Mom’s arrangements..."