Well, i gotta agree with u, most of ppl back then really value of proper wife position. The primary wife, is the 1 u propose with matchmaker (1 or 3 ppls if u r rich/famous), have 6 rituals done before married, have dowries, get proper tea ceremony from parent (both side), and recorded their marriage in the government office (although almost no novel mention this LOL). There is no way a woman can be elevated from concubine to primary wife status, because she never has all this rituals (it's consider as honor to the woman). Once ur status is concubine, u will never get up, because concubine considered as slave (except royal concubine). Secondary wife usually will get less grand ceremony (even tho the primary already dead). It's not as if Ling is the only 1 can give birth for the husband. Or, if Ming got a little dose of villainess, just kill Ling after she got in houfu, then keep the children. Aint those palace concubines usually doing this? Look how much messes Ming will avoided if she has a little brain, 1st, kill Ling and keep the children, 2nd adopt MC as dead's friend child (she can do this to NQS, why not to MC???). and maybe 3rd, get a bunch beautiful (but slightly stupid for ez control) concubines for husband (distract and keep him happy). But then, there no stories to be told LOL.... Well, all author gotta move their brain for the shake of plots, even tho the plots hv huge black hole just 3 meter away from reader.
LOL, yes! Chapter 84 is when Madam Ming's brother appears and brings up this matters briefly. He wants to investigate how come his sister happened to have an affair that cost her her position and made her a flat wife. Not sure they will bring the dowry issues next, because this matter and the poisoned dead, are supposed to be dealt with later on (Ning Zu'an things he has everything covered, but we already know the uncle has some evidence in his hands, and that's why he came in at this moment). As you say, there was no way for a concubine to be eleveated. A secondary or side wife? Yes, if the main wife passed or did something unforgiveable, giving the fact secondary/side wifes were already given the right to be registered in the genealogy and to raise their own children no matter the circumstances, it gave them way to be elevated if the occasion demanded so. But never an outer room. Like, outer room is already a taboo & and crime to the official wife. While also being a crime that the main wife wouldn't allow outer room children to recognize their ancestors if she discovered of their existence, the offense still resided on the husband and it could affect his career. I remember that in the novel The Rebirth of Han Yuxi, one of the nicest characters had her husband raise an outer room. Despite the father-in-law made the woman abort (in fact, it was this character's male cousin, who discovered it and got super mad) the child, the woman (the main wife) knew for years of her husband's betrayal, yet she played dumb and she only retaliated like 20 years after, when the husband openly took a concubine (having her permission) by feeding him medicine to make him steril so the new woman wouldn't be able to have any children (the concubine pissed her off, telling her she loved the husband while the main wife was just a forced marriage). When this husband discovered it, in a rage fit, he sent a letter (he wa living in the front, wife stayed behind with the in-laws), saying he would divorce her, and the wife played smartly, taking all her children to the hamlet she owned, waited for the husband to come appologizing. However, it was resolved in an unsatisfactory manner, as the woman never confronted him properly and as soon as he came appologizing for his behavior, she conceded. Like, she should had let him know she knew about the past outer room and his intent. At the time, the woman kept giving birth to daughters, the pressure was high, and although the husband inner thoughts said it wasn't his intention, surely he was hoping the outer room would give birth to a son that he could hide for a few years before bringing him back. Despite being unsatisfactory, that novel treated another outer room case, and in both of those cases, it was as unrealistically treated as in this novel. Like, there's no way those outer rooms would had joined the official manor and stepped on the main wife. In the case I've mentioned in detail, the intention was surely to bring in woman and child, but the child would've been inscribed under the main wife's, raised by her. However, it was shameless of the husband, as the child would had come passed the age of 5, already too attatched to his birth mother. This is why it pissed me off the wife chose to never confront him about this huge disrespect and betrayal, and she quickly forgave him for letting the new concubine (not the past outer room, but the one she agreed on) step on her head.
I must say I've seen not many shameless former MC's romantic interests as Xia Yuhang. Even though the spoilers briefed on his situation, I never expected to be it even worse! LOL. The man can't just keep it in his pants, can he? Aside from the affair with Ning Ziyan, he already had another side-chick, this Chen Hexiang. After reading the spoilers on this threat, I thought the other girl was just some former sweetheart or obsessed young lady, turns out the man was already sleeping with two other women while having a 10 year engagement with Ning Ziying... ¬¬ So, even if Ning Xueyan wasn't interfering, I guess he wouldn't be able to avoid the mess. After Ning Xueyan slightly intervened (really, she only led her good sister to the place her husband was having a rendez-vous), Ning Ziyan took in Chen Hexiang, but she just made her her personal maid, which was against the girl's previous perfect plan because, of course, she's also pregnant! LOL. Needless to say, Chen Hexiang already tried to kill Ning Ziying once, but since she failed, she calculated to become a co-wife soon enough, because the past MC was as weak as the past real Ning Xueyan.
Well, the outside room consider a huge shame, because u don't know what kind of woman is she (her birth class, clan, etc). Even a proper concubine should be agreed on by wife (or the man's parent), otherwise the man considered as lustful (and ruining his own reputation). Generally as long as the man not really attached too much important toward them, nobody bat an eye how many concubines they have. If u have a hard time digest man with their concubine, substitutes of those concubines like pets, u wont judge ppl with 1 or 3 cats/dogs right? maybe u/random outsider even compliment it's cute/pretty, but that's it, even the wife wont goes cray cray with those "pets" (given she know how to put them in their place). But if somebody have 20 cats/dogs maybe u feel that's WAY too much. Concubines in ancient time (even nowadays) is just, well, rich man "pet". With this metaphor, outside room is like random mutt u suddenly pick from the street, not some pure breed pet u buy from pet store/kennel. Ofc, all this with the best scenario, those "pets" children wont threatened the wife's children. All hell will break loose when main wife is super jelly woman, or her children's position threatened. But, for this novel, the marquis can get away with all this stupid outside room become concubine then wife stuff because there is no serious elders and relatives that keep him in check. As far as i read, the family in this novel only consist of laotaitai, dad, and bunch of kids from ling and others. Some other old aunts was like decoration as they hv no right to speak coz they stay in the family to mooch the food. In Rebirth of HYX, the FIL act to preserve family reputation (well, stink move if u r the outside room), but they (the whole clan) want to make sure this shame never happen (as it will affect the whole clan's name). As for why they don't punish the concubine the step on the wife, it's maybe because it's happened inside the house. As long as u don't preach, who will know? And that is concubine the wife agreed upon, so proper wife (as long as she is not stupid, brain damage, soft heart) should have a way to deal with it. In the end is matter of communication ay?? Well, tbh, no matter if ancient times or modern, any relationship have to be maintain with good positive communication. Marriage in ancient times often "treat each other respectfully like a guest".
I think he can also get away with raising the status of the wild mutt from outside because he and she know and have materials from the previous dynasty's princess and he uses it to get higher position and bribe people with so no one would say anything. The brother-in-law that terrifies him had been far away for a long time and he has long forgotten to be scared. He is a piece of ... I really hope his ending is brought on by women. Lol
Yes, but what I meant about the HYX character is, the reason why she decides to sterilize her husband is precisely because she never forgave him for the outer room incident, and nobody knows she knew all these years, but chose to remain silent, because the father-in-law still look for her... however, she had to put up with a lot of bs from the separated sister-in-law (that SHE helped save from the gates of hell) and her mother-in-law not stopping her from constantly disrespecting her. When the incident of the agreed concubine happened, she still chose to keep that grievance inside, which was exactly what made her go mad and feed sterelizing medicine to her husband. LOL.
ah yes, that's too, i forgot that little details about "previous dynasty inheritance". Afaik, NZA only suspect Ming has connection because she is in good rls with the previous queen. Ling is very informative about what Ming's have in the storage and very diligent looter. But even so, they never really find the army symbol they suspect Ming has (coz there is no such a thing from the beginning). Couple with all this happened at the time of the chaos from dynasty change, maybe nobody will even say anything about wife change (hell, the emperor was change ytd, who am i to judge why ur wife is change as well??)
I really like (even though is just cheap writing XD) how MC pulls off several matters all at once, making use of a Concubine's birthday banquet while turning over one of the schemes they had prepared for her like: 1.Concubine Ma's fake pregnancy 2.Concubine Ma's lover (even though not exposed for the moment, MC caught them) 3.Ning Ziyan's pregnancy of 2 to 3 months (way before the wedding). 4.Ning Ziying being ALWAYS present when Xia Yuhang visited the Manor (hinting at something must be wrong with this marriage). 5.Chen Hexiang's pregnancy + affair at the temple (the last part, is revealed after the guests are gone, though). 6.Xia Yuhang's playboy nature, which goes against a good gentleman demeanor. Is like a fireworks show LOL.
XYH is just a fukboy, he will sleep with any woman given chance. Like later, his wife, NZYan tried to scheme MC to sleep with him, he just tag along with that. Even tho in the end it becomes NYL, he still happy to take NYL as his concubines. In the end when he become accomplice murderer, his dad lost his official position, the family also lost reputation. XYH himself then banned from imperial examination coz he has record. some little details i just remember, about ML past. Remember the dead fiance in the past? the 1 become ML's reason to not get marry early but actually just a bunch of excuse ppl said, ML never really acknowledge it or clarify, just let the rumor flying by. Well, turn out she is not really dead. (again if im not rmb it wrong) Her name is Hua something, Hua family have 3 famous daughter, eldest send to the palace, for ML's dad, but ML's dad is dead (become lost investment). So the 2nd 1 is engaged to ML, but when ML got himself in dire situation, and the emperor (who was still a prince back then) seems have lots of higher ground, Hua 2nd lady ditch ML, then goes off to seduce the emperor. BUT, ayy, ML is not dead, even though the prince she slept with become emperor, she cannot really become emperor's concubine legally, because she is ML's legal fiance. So she fake her death and come to be "mysterious" emperor concubine that nobody know her real face as she always cover it with veil. As for the emperor, he likes this 2nd Hua very much because she was "ML's beloved woman" and he the 1 get it, not ML, it boost his ego and mood i guess. ML of course know about this, just not really bother about this. No woman worth his care anyway. BUT BUT BUT, this rumors in really feed 2nd Hua's ego. She somehow think ML really loved her that much so he stay unmarried for many years. So when later Hua family 3rd daughter is in the age of marriage, again the family offer her to ML (Hua family is very aggressive social climber ayy), 2nd Hua is super vexed. 3rd Hua also used her "dead" sister's relationship to make MC jelly. Joke on everybody tho, ML explain to MC about Hua's family schemes and their defect back then (he just keep the tab open, for later revenge). So later, 2nd Hua try to contact ML and want to bring some secret docs about the emperor (all this under Ya guifei's scheme). But ML and MC already know about this, so they change the docs to loves poem how she miss ML. And ofc, like every schemes, it was unveiled in front of many guests at random party. So everybody got front seat to watch the drama, and surprised realizing she is the dead 2nd Hua, as for how she become emperor's concubine, 2nd Hua keep saying "the emperor tear us apart" (or a bunch of bullsh1t like this). Were the letters she brought is really secret docs, maybe it will be story of woman spy for ML, but now it change to love poems, so it become story of emperor robbed his brother's fiance.
So, Ning Huaiyuan is lustful for that 3rd adopted sister and he mistook her for the MC? XD I hope MC can milk this.
Not that there aren't enough annoying young misses in the Ning Manor... but I think that Ning Qing Shan is the worst of them all, even if she wasn't the one to kill the MC. She is snobbish, classist, too self-centered... the first thing she does when entering the Manor is try to trick MC so she can steal the housekeeping right she just gained (Madam Ling is right now closed into the Ancestral Hall), and she is constantly trying to mock MC for being the daughter of a Concubine, she even tried to insult her prior to her arrival by sending volts of silk with a color only suited for a Concubine. I guess she's the one to have karma hit her biggest, when MC achieves degrading Madam Ling and restoring her mother's position, as this Ning Qing Shan is currently still registered under Madam Ming's name, but will soon be transfered to Madam Ling's so she can marry the 3rd Prince as a Wangfei.
NHY is lustful to MC as well i think?? or maybe i rmb it wrong... i just rmb he has some "untoward attraction" for his sister(i forgot which sister). And NQS actually knew it, and use him a lot. Like the carriage incident later, it was under NQS goading to NHY to arrange it. NQS herself is kinda psycho, she want to be the BEST, so everything hindered her must be eliminate. She was under Ming's name back then, but Ming was demoted to 2nd post, and Ling become 1st wife, so she ask to transfer the name at that time (she should be just a little child, but edy scheming). She was contacted regularly by 2 group of ppl, 1st is Ya guifei, as NQS is the only daughter of Ya guifei's dead brother. Ya guifei put her in the Ning family with fake background stories to make sure she can marry 3rd prince with Ning family's support and power. And Ya family also suspicious about Ning family has the former dynasty army symbol, so they usually ask her to snob around NZA's study to look around. The 2nd group is the former dynasty remnant, they looking for the missing princess (Ning ZiYing, not MC, coz nobody know the queen is pregnant back then). The 2nd group then told her she "might be" the missing princess, because of her somewhat blurry background and the right age. And NQS really believe them, because she feels Ya guifei is maybe just want to use her, and being a missing princess is boost her ego. Until her death she never knew she just being used by this 2nd group to lure the real princess out (again, if im not wrong, at that time she already degraded to be 3rd prince Yiniang, and her hate toward MC is enormous as MC the 1 make her like that (rolled eyes). So she "ordered" the 2nd group to rape MC, but the 2nd group already knew MC is 1 of the previous princess, this fake dummy doesnt need to be maintain anymore. So yeah, later she is the 1 got raped, then the emperor knew her being defiled, so ordered her to die). But man, she is like cockroach, every time she scheming something, MC either deflect it back to her, or kick it back her, yet she still like a maso, keep coming back asking for more. In this regard, i feel her more like Ling's daughter than NYL, coz she at least has the creativity of Ling to make a scheme. Unlike NYL who is put all her points in her beauty stat, but forgot her intelligence completely. The remnant of previous dynasty was NZYing and MC's original cousin, he alone survive the genocide of the clan back then, and got himself adopted by a local Wang (i really forgot his name, but he is the shizi that always being chase by other girl at temple in early chapter, the 1 describe as beautiful and such but MC secretly afraid of him because once he pull his sword toward her as NZYing). Later that guy realize the missing princess already dead, and MC is also the his cousin. He tried to marry her to reunify whatever they lost back then (by right, MC still the direct line of the former emperor, while this guy is only branch family even tho he is male). MC just, "nah man, i like ML". Later after MC marry ML and the emperor almost dead, this guy decide to lead rebellion. He was defeated few years after ML become emperor.
What's the deal with the always ambiguous Wen Xueran? He seems amused by Ning Xueyuan and, at the same time, a little of a threat to her?
He just happened to see Ning Xueyuan and mistook her for Ning Qing Shan because he hadn't seen her for 3 years. Yes, he's lustful towards MC, definitely, but MC inner monologue implied that his relationship with the adopted daughter seemed to be "too close" for a normal sister and brother... only that right after they all return, Ning Qing Shan starts attacking MC and MC flawlessly exposes her to all the men that could be attracted to her in the past, so not only the 3rd Prince, Ning Huaiyan also starts disliking her.
XD I just posted asking about this character's ambiguous nature! Wen Xueran. I forgot that he mentions in his thoughts that Ning Xueyuan's eyes/face are somehow familiar to him. So, you just answered my previous post XD
I'm still curious and expecting about the dowries matter. Chapter 200, it's brought in again, because MC sent her nanny, Mama Han to investigate both girls' properties that were swallowed by Madam Ling & Ning Ziyan. I am not quite sure how she plans to get back Madam Ming's dowry, but I start suspecting she decided to leave Ning Ziying's properties for now, because those can become nice evidence once the murder case is made public. Since there's still staff at the Jiagnan Manor of the Ning Branch Ning Ziying belonged to, there must be ways to prove the shops were stolen. Of course, they stole more than that, but so far, for NZYing they only have control of the shops that were supposed to belong to her (there's a copy of the dowry list of Madam Ning in MC's possession, saved by her maternal uncle).
OK, so this psycho of Ning Qing Shan is also the chess piece Madam Ling used to start poisoning Madam Ming and also start stealing her dowry little stuff such as jewelry and small things. Chapter 205, because this may not be used when taking revenge. MC is well aware that the whole Protectorate Manor is involved with the abuse she & Madam Ming & Xueyuan suffered. She knows her father is highly responsible for everything that's happened, that is why the villains are like cockroaches, she needs to go step by step and trace a net that can catch them all at once in big blow. If you want to read about her confessing she started poisoning Madam Ming back then: Chapter 594. Needless to say, a lot of things have happened to NQS due to her failed schemes up to this point. She's now a discarded chess piece of Concubine Ya (from the Emperor's).
For those that are interested there's a manga https://www.cocomanhua.com/16004/ and the novel raws are mostly readable http://www.mianfeixiaoshuoyueduwang.com/book/1104/
Chapter 219, it is more clear now that Ning Zu'an trully used Madam Ming to ascend as a nobleman. It is told at the end of the chapter how Ming Family belonged to the previous dynasty, meaning their aristochratic roots were deeper than the current noble families. The scumbag made a show of kneeling and promising he would only marry Madam Ming in this life to later make an outer room with children appear, force it inside the Manor and let that woman steal the main wife's seat while poisoning and killing the legitimate wife & daughter in the house. I trully expect the events bringing his demise make him have no place to hide these horrible crimes he committed. He even allowed his outer room to swallow the main wife's dowry and property. He used the change of dynasties (they married before that) to push Madam Ming's brother to the front and take advantage to rise his own position and also to bring in the outer room. Man is trully one of the shitiest fathers in the genre.
Chapter 230... wait a moment... isn't Ning Qing Shan getting raped by one of the princes after she tried using Ning Lingyun (4th sister) to trick Ning Xueyuan (MC) into getting raped? And she wanted Xia Yuhan's brother to be the one to find them, but now it's MC, NLYun and this brother of XYH the ones who walked in together into the rape scene. Apparently, the Prince is NLYun's fiancée she stole from the 2nd sister (with another rape scheme), and the man was tricked with aphrodisiac into thinking he was going to get it with an oiran (which I have no idea what it is, a maid?). OK, so an "oiran" is a high ranking prostitute, this MTL is giving me Japanese translations once in a while XD like "maiko" and surnames. Well, this Prince (I think it's the 2nd one) surely is lustful. XD Chapter 232, MC starts to see the identity of NQS is not simple, because the 3rd Prince decided to suppress this incident (despite he saw the scene too) and still marry her as a wangfei.