“That’s why I said if I have a choice.”
Becoming an official was only an extension of her third requirement, not an absolute condition.
Weisheng He knew her own circumstances well enough.
“If we really can’t find an official, a wealthy merchant with powerful nobles or officials backing him would work too. He just needs enough influence to make the Li family think twice.
“Fifth, preferably, he shouldn’t have any children. At the very least, no sons.
“It’s not because I want to fight over the family property,” Weisheng He explained. “It’s simply to save myself trouble. If he already has a son, then he already has an heir. Even after I marry him, there’ll always be some distance between us, and he’ll inevitably be on guard around me.
“Besides, once an heir is involved, his late wife’s family may not be happy to see another woman take her place. Who knows whether they’ll try to stir up trouble between us?
“I don’t want to have to deal with all that after I marry.”
Her father stared at the densely written conditions on the sheets of paper for a long time without speaking.
“Heniang, you’re thinking too far ahead.”
He sighed.
“You’re still in mourning, and besides…”
“And besides, I’m a widow with four children, so I have no right to be picky,” Weisheng He finished for him.
Her father opened his mouth but did not deny it.
“But Father seems to have forgotten something. Given my background, no one thought I was a match for Yanming in the first place. No one believed he would really marry me.”
Weisheng He’s tone remained calm.
“So what if I’ve been married before? So what if my husband died? So what if I have four children?
“By conventional standards, yes, a widow like me wouldn’t have much room to choose when remarrying. But not everyone in this world thinks that way.
“Look back over thousands of years of Chinese history. Widows weren’t always looked down on. During the Qin and Han dynasties, a woman whose husband died was sometimes even considered to have an unusually auspicious fate. People would say her husband’s fate simply hadn’t been strong enough to withstand hers.
“Empress Wang of Emperor Xuan of Han entered the palace for precisely that reason. Emperor Xuan later made her Empress. Who could say she wasn’t blessed with an extraordinary fate?
“From the Qin and Han dynasties through the Song dynasty, widows who had already given birth were sometimes even more desirable marriage prospects than unmarried young women.
“For one thing, a woman who had already survived childbirth was thought less likely to die during a future delivery. For another, having already borne children proved she was capable of having them.
“There are countless examples like that.
“History has never lacked consorts, empresses, or empress dowagers who had once been widowed. Since when did widows become second-class people the way they are treated now?
“And that’s only ordinary widows.
“Don’t forget that I also have a great deal of money in my hands.
“During the Song dynasty, wealthy widows like me were especially sought after. There were even women who used their wealth to marry chancellors.
“I’m not saying all this because I expect Father to find me some extraordinary marriage.
“I’m saying that just because most people see my circumstances as a disadvantage doesn’t mean everyone will.
“To some people, the very things others dislike about my situation might actually be advantages.
“Father, Mother, you just need to find the people who see it that way.”
If I weren’t stuck at home observing mourning, I would’ve gone looking myself long ago.
I found Li Yanming myself, after all.
If I’d followed my parents’ plans, how could I ever have married into the Li family and lived such a comfortable life? I probably would’ve married a farmer while I was still young and be out in the fields scraping a living right now.
Her parents both looked troubled.
Her mother spoke first.
“Daughter, of course we’re willing to help you. But you know what your father and I are like. We’re nothing more than an ordinary farming couple.
“We were only able to buy a home and settle in Weiyang because you and Yanming quietly helped us. Other than our immediate neighbors, no one in this city with any real status would even bother with us.
“Even if we want to find the kind of man you’re looking for, where are we supposed to start? We simply don’t have the connections to meet people like that.”
Weisheng He froze.
“You’ve lived in the city for all these years, yet you don’t know a single wealthy or influential family?
“Even if you don’t know the families themselves, don’t you at least know one of their stewards, gatekeepers, or household servants?”
Her parents exchanged glances.
Then both shook their heads.
Weisheng He fell silent.
She tipped her head back and let out a long sigh, utterly speechless.
With no better option, she decided to put a little pressure on them.
“But the Li family is constantly watching me. The moment my mourning period ends, they’ll definitely try to force me to marry whatever miserable excuse for a man they deliberately pick out.
“Can you really bear to watch your daughter marry someone like that and spend the rest of her life being tormented?
“And I have to think about my four children.
“If they stay with the Li family, sooner or later they’ll lose their lives. But if they come with me when I remarry and the man I choose is poor, wouldn’t the children just end up suffering alongside me?”
Once she had made her point, she softened her voice and began coaxing her parents.
“Father, Mother, please. Consider it your daughter begging you. Just find some way to ask around for me, all right?
“You only need to help me find possible candidates. I’ll handle everything after that myself.”
Seeing their expressions begin to soften, she added, “I’m not demanding that you find someone no matter what.
“If you come across someone suitable, look into him. If you don’t, there’s no need to rush.
“I still have more than two years of mourning left.
“We have plenty of time.”
Her parents looked at their daughter, their eyes suddenly stinging.
She was only twenty-two.
She should have been in the best years of her life.
Yet not only had she lost her husband, she was now forced to suppress her grief and begin planning her next marriage at the very start of her mourning period.
It was all because of those wretched members of the Li family.
Every last one of them was rotten to the core.
Sooner or later, they would get what they deserved.
“All right.” Her father’s voice caught slightly as he nodded. “Father will ask around for you.”
Half a year passed.
Weisheng He’s father asked every friend, neighbor, and old acquaintance he had. He made inquiries throughout Jiangnan, yet still failed to find a single suitable candidate.
“The wealthy ones have no power, and the powerful ones aren’t interested in you.”
Her father placed two thin pages of information on the table with a bitter smile.
“There are two men who are interested, though.”
He opened the first profile.
“Master Zhou of Suzhou. Forty-eight years old. He’s in the silk business and has an enormous fortune.
“His younger brother serves as an official in the capital. Zhou supported his education and helped him establish himself, so his brother looks out for him.
“He’s a widower looking to remarry. He has one son and two daughters, but his son lives with his maternal uncle while studying and is already married.
“He is willing to marry you, and he’s also willing to let you bring the children with you.”
Weisheng He glanced at the page.
“What are his conditions?”
“He wants you to take out the Li family money and use it to expand his business.
“Of course, Master Zhou says it would only be a loan to help with his cash flow. He says he’ll repay you later and won’t simply take your money for nothing.”
Weisheng He immediately closed the profile.
Her father opened the second one.
“Juren Chen of Jinling. Thirty-seven years old. His wife died the year before last, and he has no children.
“His family circumstances are ordinary, and he doesn’t have much money on hand. He also intends to continue sitting the imperial examinations.
“He is willing to marry you and accept your children, but…”
“He gave you conditions that put you in a difficult position?” Weisheng He raised a brow.
Her father’s expression twisted.
“You must give him a son within three years.
“You would also have to cover all his expenses for the imperial examinations.
“And he has more than a dozen uncles, brothers, and cousins, all living together in a small three-courtyard compound. Once you include their wives and children, it’s an enormous household.
“Their living expenses would also need to be…”
How is that any different from asking me to support his entire family?
Weisheng He frowned.
“A juren is short of money?”