Chapter 70

Xu Hao often gave Zhu Qiaoqiao some interesting little gifts, changing them up from time to time, all of which he claimed were specially sent by his elder brother. He also wrote to Xu Wen, telling him everything and urging him to return home soon.

Due to their joint efforts in battle, this year, the 14-year-old Crown Prince of Qin, Zhu Shangbing, had shed his previous coldness and often led his 10-year-old brother, the second legitimate son of the Crown Prince of Qin, Zhu Shanglie, to come over and chat.

As Xu Hao gradually learned more about the Crown Prince of Qin's household, he discovered that the Crown Prince's chief consort was actually the younger sister of the great general of the Yuan Dynasty, Wang Baobao, who was also the elder brother of Zhao Min in Jin Yong's novels. The only person who had ever defeated Xu Da was Wang Baobao, and what was even more surprising was that Wang Baobao's father was a Han Chinese who had remained loyal to the Mongol Yuan Dynasty and fought against the Ming Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang greatly respected this opponent and, after Wang Baobao's death, praised him as a remarkable man of his time.

Xu Hao thought that this was probably said for the benefit of the civil and military officials. By modern standards, Wang Baobao was a traitor who had betrayed his own people, but during the Ming Dynasty, because the legitimacy of the Yuan Dynasty was acknowledged, Wang Baobao was not considered a traitor.

The Crown Prince's consort, Lady Wang, and Wang Baobao's biological mother were from the Naiman tribe, which was the most culturally advanced tribe on the grasslands. They had their own writing system and a splendid culture, and even after being conquered by Genghis Khan, they still held a high status. The Golden Family and the Naiman nobility intermarried.

Although Xu Hao had never met Lady Wang, he could tell from the unique appearance of the brothers Zhu Shangbing and Zhu Shanglie that Lady Wang had some Semu (mixed-race) blood, making the brothers half-blooded.

Zhu Qiaoqiao, on the other hand, was of pure Han Chinese descent. Her mother, who had been a palace maid by the Crown Prince of Qin, had died of illness at a young age.

The Crown Prince of Qin, Zhu Song, had cherished his only daughter for many years, so the pampered Zhu Qiaoqiao held a status in the household that was not much lower than that of her brothers. The chief consort, Lady Wang, did not like her.

Later, the Crown Prince of Qin, Zhu Song, married the daughter of the Ninghe King, Deng Yu, as his second consort. Unfortunately, this daughter of a meritorious official had no children, and she was gradually losing favor.

Deng Shi treated Zhu Qiaoqiao as her own daughter, and she had put a lot of effort into this marriage. First, it was out of respect for the consort of the Prince of Yan; second, it was due to the ties between the Deng and Xu families; and third, she wanted her daughter to have a peaceful life. Although the Xu family was not particularly wealthy, there were advantages to not being wealthy.

The chief consort, Lady Wang, had given birth to three legitimate sons, solidifying her position. The third son, Zhu Shangyu, was still young and stayed with his parents, while the favored concubine, Zhang Shi, had given birth to the fourth illegitimate son, Zhu Shangpeng, and the concubine Wu Shi had given birth to the fifth illegitimate son, Zhu Shangyan, both of whom stayed with their mothers in the fief.

The relationship between the brothers Zhu Shangbing and Zhu Shanglie and their elder sister Zhu Qiaoqiao was good. As they interacted more, Xu Hao noticed that Zhu Qiaoqiao was not entirely satisfied with the marriage. Her elder brother, Xu Wen, was not the ideal husband in her mind, and she had more affection for her second brother, Xu Ji, often inquiring about his well-being unintentionally.

Zhu Qiaoqiao had a straightforward and strong personality, which might be why she chose Xu Wen over Xu Ji. After all, Xu Wen had the advantage of being the eldest son and grandson of the Xu family. Perhaps the shadow of being an illegitimate child in her childhood made Zhu Qiaoqiao choose the eldest legitimate son, Xu Wen, without hesitation.

Xu Hao was somewhat troubled by this. It seemed that some unknown events had occurred in the past, which was why his second brother had moved to the Imperial College in disappointment and had not returned home for a long time, clearly deeply hurt by Zhu Qiaoqiao. His elder brother was also hiding in the military camp, probably knowing that his wife did not like him. It was a rather melodramatic love triangle, and they had not even been married yet, but they were already a pair of unhappy spouses.

Regardless, Xu Hao had to follow his own plan. Since Zhu Qiaoqiao's attitude was strange, he decided to target the Crown Prince, Zhu Shangbing.

Zhu Shangbing was still a child, though he might get married this year. He was easily convinced by Xu Hao and personally promised to try to advance the wedding date. When Zhu Qiaoqiao found out, she was helpless.

On the first day of the first month, the Crown Prince of Qin's household sent a team of over a hundred craftsmen as agreed. The eunuch in charge was one of the two who had come to the Xu family that day and had received a bribe from them. Seeing Xu Hao, he put aside his previous arrogance and treated him like a father, promising to complete the work as quickly and well as possible.

The new house was built on one side of the Xu family's residence, not affecting the daily life of the family in the garden. Xu Hao let the two eunuchs do as they pleased, as the money and effort were all theirs. Even if they tore down the house and built a golden palace, it would still be the Crown Prince of Qin's business, not the Xu family's.

The old matriarch and the three madames were pleased and praised Xu Hao for keeping his word, not spending a single penny of the Xu family's money. Seeing the third son becoming more capable, Lady Wang and Lady Liu became more eager to arrange a good marriage.

The most delighted was Lady Xiao. Faced with the enthusiasm of her sisters-in-law and sister-in-law, she smiled but did not commit, saying that the children were grown and the marriage should be up to Hao's own wishes.

One day, after a morning of training at the military camp, Xu Hao returned home, feeling sore and sweaty. Seeing Hongye napping, he immediately instructed Zhulan and the others to guard outside while he stripped and jumped into the hot spring.

The hot water soothed his skin, and Xu Hao lay in the pool, enjoying the warmth without moving.

Since Hongye moved in, she had also taken over the hot spring, often pulling her elder sister and Yushi to soak in the pool. Her cousin would also come uninvited, and the girls' long baths left Xu Hao with few opportunities to enjoy the hot spring. Fortunately, the other four female guests in the house were very considerate, or his hot spring would have become a public bath.

Actually, it was already like a public bath, with many maids sneaking in to bathe in the middle of the night. Xu Hao, not a gentleman, had thought about secretly peeping at the bathing girls, but his elder sister had instructed Zhulan and the others to guard him strictly.

Xu Hao was in the prime of his youth, and his morning erections were intense. However, the girls in the garden were not flowers to be plucked at will. Sometimes he could not control himself and thought about making a move on the prettiest maids, Musue and Qingwen, but the opportunities for being alone were so rare that he hardly had time to act before someone entered the room.

Zhulan and Qiuxiang were of average appearance, with delicate features and slim figures. Young women were not ugly, and Xu Hao, who was hungry, should not have overlooked them, but he knew the serious consequences of a momentary impulse. It would be too inhumane to ruin someone's life for a fleeting pleasure.

Even if he enjoyed the blessings of a polygamous household, he should only choose those he liked, not just anyone. That would not be passion but promiscuity.

Whenever Xu Hao felt the urge, he would think of Mu Ningsnow, and for some reason, it was more effective than a bucket of cold water, instantly quelling his desire.

The worst was Qingwen, who had noticed that the gentle Musue would not resist the "beast" and always prevented the two from being alone together.

Living in a world of women and being a monk was the dilemma of a gentleman. Xu Hao knew that his body was still developing, and excessive indulgence would hinder his growth. Besides, he had his closest companion, the fifth young lady, who could help him relieve his urges without causing any trouble.

No matter who he married in the future, it would be difficult for her to tolerate the women in his room before the marriage. Xu Hao could insist on keeping them, but that would create conflicts with his new wife. It would be better to wait for her to take the initiative to arrange for concubines, which would be more comfortable for everyone.

As for a jealous wife, if it were Mu Ningsnow, he could tolerate it, but if it were someone else, he would not stand it. Without love, what could she do to him?

At that moment, the four maids, Zhulan, Qiuxiang, Qingwen, and Musue, were laughing and joking outside. One said to go in and help the young master bathe, another said to help him scrub his back, but none of them dared to step forward.

Qingwen, seeing Zhulan and Qiuxiang's reluctance, sneered, "What's there to be embarrassed about? If you don't have bad intentions, why are you pushing each other? Do you think he'll eat you?"

Zhulan laughed, "Then you go in. No one is stopping you."

Qingwen coldly snorted, "I don't have that status. You were personally assigned by the old matriarch. If you go in to serve, no one will say anything, but you're making excuses. And Qiuxiang, you've served him for so many years, now you're shy and unwilling. I don't believe you've never seen his body."

Zhulan quickly clarified, "I was indeed sent by the old matriarch, but I swear I've never had improper thoughts. I'm two years older than him and plan to marry in a few years."

Qingwen mocked, "Age is no obstacle. How many can compare to him? Besides, after living like a young lady for so many years, can you bear to marry an ordinary man?"

Zhulan solemnly said, "Why not? Everyone goes through this."

Qingwen smiled, "If you really do as you say, I'll respect you for life."

"Deal," Zhulan smiled, but her smile was somewhat forced.

Qiuxiang, knowing she couldn't withstand Qingwen's sharp tongue, quickly waved her hands, "Don't involve me. I only know how to serve him wholeheartedly and don't understand what you're talking about."

Qingwen, without any mercy, said, "That's true. He's never been particularly close to you. When he said to let you go, you left, and even though he brought you back, it proved that you two were innocent."

Qiuxiang bitterly smiled, feeling down, "In the garden, besides the young ladies, you and Musue are the prettiest. He treats you specially. With me and Zhulan here, who will go in to serve?"

Qingwen pointed at the flustered Musue, "I would go in, but I don't want to be talked about. I won't make any vows. We can all see each other's thoughts. I won't do anything improper. Musue, the gentle one, is the favorite. Go in."

"I won't go," Musue blushed and lowered her head, stomped her foot, and ran away.

Qingwen's eyes twinkled, and she put her hands on her hips, "You two stay here. I have to help Hongye embroider the five-colored mandarin ducks. I'm off."

Watching Qingwen's light steps, Zhulan and Qiuxiang realized they had been forced to distance themselves from the young master. In the future, they would have to be careful around Qingwen and Musue.

"Annoying!" They both cursed Qingwen's cunning in their hearts, but they were also frustrated. It seemed Xu Hao didn't have much affection for them, and they needed to think about their future.