Chapter 86

Han Qingwen's sudden appearance left Wang Xiaojun somewhat unprepared. He had originally planned to talk things out with Zhang Xiaofei first before going to talk to Han Qingwen about the issue. He never expected to meet Han Qingwen here. For a moment, Wang Xiaojun really didn't know what to say. As he hesitated, Han Qingwen took a deep breath, her expression returning to calm, and then she made a move that both Wang Xiaojun and Zhang Xiaofei did not expect—she took a small step back, then bowed slightly to Zhang Xiaofei and said, "Qingwen greets Sister Xiaofei. I didn't know Sister had arrived at the residence, and I couldn't welcome you from afar. I hope Sister won't be angry."

This sudden bow left Zhang Xiaofei at a loss. Accepting it would mean indirectly acknowledging Han Qingwen's status, which went against her current thoughts. Not accepting it, however, was hard to say to such a small, cute, and pitiful-looking little sister. Now, Zhang Xiaofei was in a dilemma, not knowing whether to stay or leave, and could only stand there speechless.

Seeing that Zhang Xiaofei had no further action, Han Qingwen knew she was indecisive. So, she continued, "Sister, where are you going? If you want to tour 'Qingyuan,' I can show you around. If you want to leave, I have something to say. I hope Sister will listen to Qingwen before making a decision."

Although Zhang Xiaofei still didn't speak, she didn't show any intention of leaving. Han Qingwen decided to seize the opportunity and continued, "Sister, I heard everything you and my husband said outside the door. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I was worried that something had happened at the residence since my husband had been gone for so long. So, I came to look for him and happened to hear it. I don't know why Sister wants to leave my husband. If it's because of Qingwen, then the one who should leave is Qingwen, not Sister. After all, Sister is my husband's legitimate wife, and it would be unreasonable to drive away the legitimate wife and keep the secondary wife."

At this point, Zhang Xiaofei had gradually calmed down and was thinking more comprehensively. Wang Xiaojun had told her that the new wife was the daughter of an official. Although she didn't know how significant the position of the留守府推官 (Resident Prefectural Magistrate) was, she knew that in this era, common people would never offend officials unless they were planning to rebel. Imagine if this Miss Han had to return to her parents' home because of her, would her father let it go? In that case, the foundation that her husband and his companions had built with great effort might be destroyed.

Therefore, Zhang Xiaofei, fearing that Han Qingwen would really have to leave because of her, quickly explained, "That's not what I meant. I'm not asking you to leave. I meant to say that I..."

"Qingwen knew Sister was a magnanimous person who wouldn't exclude Qingwen. Since that's the case, I humbly request that Sister stay at 'Qingyuan.' We can solve any issues gradually. I hope Sister will give Qingwen this face." Before Zhang Xiaofei could finish her sentence, Han Qingwen took over and sincerely invited her to stay.

Faced with the girl's sincere eyes, Zhang Xiaofei finally couldn't bring herself to say "no." Seeing that Zhang Xiaofei seemed to have tacitly agreed to her request, Han Qingwen finally breathed a sigh of relief and said happily, "Thank you, Sister. Your reunion with my husband is a great blessing, and it should be celebrated. I'll go and instruct the kitchen to prepare a feast to welcome you."

With that, Han Qingwen went to her living quarters to send someone to the front yard to find the steward Deng An and have him prepare the banquet. Wang Xiaojun and Zhang Xiaofei looked at each other, unsure of how to proceed. At this moment, the door to Fuyaozi's room opened, and Qingchen poked his head out to see if Wang and Zhang had left the meeting room. After seeing them, he quickly withdrew his head. Soon, Li Junwu, Zhang Weixin, and the other three committee members came out of the room and approached the two.

Zhang Weixin asked, "Fifth Brother, how did your talk with Sister-in-law go?"

Wang Xiaojun didn't speak immediately but gestured for everyone to go back to the meeting room. He then took Zhang Xiaofei's hand and led her in first. It seemed that Han Qingwen's words had had an effect, as Zhang Xiaofei didn't refuse and obediently followed him into the meeting room.

After everyone was seated, Wang Xiaojun recounted the situation to the other three. Zhang Xiaofei also indicated that she would stay temporarily but needed more time to consider whether she would accept Wang Xiaojun's remarriage. Although Zhang Xiaofei was still uncertain about accepting Han Qingwen, her willingness to stay temporarily meant there was still a chance. Wang Xiaojun, who had been worried, finally felt a bit relieved, but only a bit. He was still concerned about another issue—if Zhang Xiaofei accepted Han Qingwen, Han Qingwen's status in "Qingyuan" would become awkward. Previously, she was Wang Xiaojun's legitimate wife, but with Zhang Xiaofei's return, her status as the legitimate wife would be lost, making her a concubine. Although Wang Xiaojun didn't see any difference between the two wives and would treat them equally, and the other team members wouldn't look down on Han Qingwen, people outside the team might not see it that way, and her family would find it hard to accept. On the other hand, if Han Qingwen's status as the legitimate wife was maintained, Zhang Xiaofei would have to become a concubine, which she would definitely not agree to. In that case, Zhang Xiaofei would still leave.

After much thought, Wang Xiaojun couldn't find a perfect solution, and his face was once again clouded with worry. Zhang Weixin, who noticed his change, asked him what was troubling him. Wang Xiaojun explained his concerns, and Li and Xu also found it difficult to handle. Zhang Xiaofei even showed signs of retracting her earlier decision, saying she would leave as soon as possible to avoid putting Wang Xiaojun in a difficult position. Only Zhang Weixin had a different view. He waved his hand and said, "Fifth Brother, don't worry. There is a solution. I'm sure you've all heard the saying 'three wives and four concubines.'"

"Sure, we've heard it," the others nodded.

"This saying doesn't just mean having many wives and concubines. It has a historical background. The 'four concubines' part isn't relevant here, so let's skip it. Let's focus on the 'three wives.' The 'three wives' refer to one legitimate wife and two co-wives, meaning the three wives have roughly equal status. Of course, in reality, co-wives are slightly lower in status than the legitimate wife, but they are still wives, much higher than concubines. Although this system wasn't written into law until the Qing Dynasty, there were already examples of its use before that. So, Sister Xiaofei's return shouldn't affect Han Qingwen's status. She can exist as a co-wife."

As for the reaction of the Han family, I think as long as we ensure Han Qingwen's status in 'Qingyuan,' Han大人 (Lord Han) or Lady Han won't have much to say. On one hand, Fifth Brother married Han Qingwen with proper ceremonies, which is very different from taking a concubine. The Han family won't lose face. On the other hand, as Fifth Brother mentioned in the committee meeting, we were honest with him about his marital status from the beginning and didn't hide anything. Sister Xiaofei's return can be seen as fate, and Lord Han can't blame Fifth Brother for it."

"Even if he blames him, what can he do? Can he force Fifth Brother to divorce Sister Xiaofei? That would be unreasonable and would damage his own reputation," Xu Shaoguan said indignantly. "If he really does that, Fifth Brother can just divorce Han Qingwen. If Lord Han retaliates, we can go to Feilong Fort and rebel. I don't think a mere seventh-rank magistrate can get his Khitan overlords to send a large army to suppress us."

Seeing that Xu Shaoguan's words were a bit extreme, the others tried to calm him down, saying that things wouldn't come to that and there was still room for negotiation. Wang Xiaojun also said that if they couldn't reach an agreement, he would take the blame himself and wouldn't let it affect the team's future. The other committee members and Zhang Xiaofei rejected this idea.

After Xu and Wang calmed down, Zhang Weixin continued, "I think the key to resolving this smoothly lies with Han Qingwen. She is the one most affected by this, and if she can persuade her parents, it will be easier than us trying to explain. From what Fifth Brother said, it seems Han Qingwen has already accepted the reality, and it should be possible to persuade her to talk to her family."

"She accepting it is one thing, but persuading her parents is another. Will she agree?" Wang Xiaojun was concerned.

"I think it should be fine. Seventh Brother's analysis is reasonable. At worst, Fifth Brother can tell her that he will take her to all important social events to give her face. However, this will put Sister Xiaofei at a disadvantage. Sister Xiaofei, can you accept this suggestion?"

Xu Shaoguan's question was sudden, and Zhang Xiaofei didn't pay much attention to the context, so she answered casually, "I don't mind. I've been practicing Daoism at Yuxing Temple for a year and have gotten used to a quiet life. I don't really want to be in the spotlight."

After saying this, Zhang Xiaofei realized it was inappropriate. She quickly backtracked, "Wang Xiaojun, don't misunderstand. I was just going along with what Old Xu said. I haven't decided whether to stay yet."

Seeing Zhang Xiaofei's adorable and stubborn refusal to admit her true feelings, the others wanted to laugh but didn't dare to. They just tried to hold back their laughter, making their expressions quite amusing. Wang Xiaojun, sitting next to Zhang Xiaofei, became the target of the other committee members' frustration, and his tender waist became the object of his wife's venting. After pinching Wang Xiaojun a few times, Zhang Xiaofei, blushing, fled the meeting room to find her senior sister Jingyue, who was still chatting in Fuyaozi's room.

After Zhang Xiaofei left, the four committee members discussed further and decided that Wang Xiaojun should first communicate with Han Qingwen to get her to accept the status of a co-wife. Then, they would go to Youzhou City together to inform her parents and seek their understanding. To prevent the Han couple from blaming Wang Xiaojun and threatening his safety, the security team would organize a security detail to accompany them.

Subsequently, things went relatively smoothly. Han Qingwen showed great magnanimity throughout the process. She accepted Wang Xiaojun's explanation of the co-wife status and agreed to go to Youzhou City with him to explain the situation to her parents. She also promised to do her best to persuade her parents to accept it.

Han Qingwen's behavior deeply moved Wang Xiaojun. He thought that for a girl of only eighteen or nineteen, such a broad-minded attitude was truly admirable and a model of a virtuous wife. As for whether she would be a good mother, that would have to be seen in the future.

However, considering that the next day was the team's ancestral worship, the committee scheduled the trip to Youzhou City for April 20th. Han Qingwen accepted this arrangement with pleasure.

That evening, "Qingyuan" held a grand banquet to welcome Zhang Xiaofei and Jingyue. At the banquet, the time travelers warmly welcomed Zhang Xiaofei and urged her to stay. However, perhaps out of modern women's self-respect or unwillingness to express her opinion in front of so many people, especially the other female time travelers, Zhang Xiaofei ultimately didn't give a clear answer. She only said she would stay temporarily at "Qingyuan" and that the duration would depend on the situation.

Although they didn't get a definite answer, as long as Zhang Xiaofei agreed to stay, it meant there was still a lot of room for negotiation. The time travelers' spirits were high, and the atmosphere of the banquet became increasingly lively, lasting until late at night.

As everyone returned to their rooms to sleep, Wang Xiaojun and Zhang Xiaofei faced another problem—where Zhang Xiaofei would rest.

Wang Xiaojun naturally hoped that Zhang Xiaofei would stay in his west wing. This would not affect other team members and would facilitate communication and persuasion. However, Zhang Xiaofei was reluctant to stay in the west wing, as it symbolized whether she would accept Wang Xiaojun having more than one wife. However, her wishes were not possible due to Han Qingwen's persistent requests, and she eventually followed Han Qingwen into the west wing.

Of course, Zhang Xiaofei entering the west wing did not mean Wang Xiaojun could enjoy the benefits of having two wives. After Han Qingwen and Zhang Xiaofei entered the main living room, Han Qingwen told Wang Xiaojun, who was still dreaming, that she wanted to sleep with Sister Xiaofei and talk about girls' secrets, and he couldn't listen. As a result, the poor leader was sent to an empty room in the yard to stay alone.

As for what Zhang Xiaofei and Han Qingwen talked about, no one knew. However, from their subsequent close relationship, it was clear that they had a deep and thorough conversation that night.