CH 10

C10 – Unmarried Teenager Birth

“I still don’t know my son’s name. Lord Marquis must give him a good name,” Marquis’s Wife put on a loving expression and requested.

Yueyang Marquis hadn’t spoken yet, but Tang Yue introduced himself first. “My name is Tang Yue. It’s the only thing left by my birth mother and cannot be changed,” he explained. He had been using this name for almost forty years, so it wasn’t easy to change it.

Yueyang Marquis chewed on the name “Tang Yue” and frowned slightly, indicating his dissatisfaction. Marquis’s Wife exclaimed in surprise, “How could my elder sister give such a name? The Southern Jin and Northern Yue are enemies of the State of Yue.”

Tang Yue’s mouth twitched when he heard that his mother was still being criticized, even in death. His eyes filled with sadness as he explained, “My mother was illiterate, born and raised in North Yue. My father never left a name behind before he left us. What good name could you expect from a woman with no education?”

Even though Tang Yue didn’t think there was anything wrong with his name, he couldn’t help but wonder why it had to be associated with the hatred between the countries.

Yueyang Marquis appeared embarrassed and waved his hand, saying, “Never mind. It’s just a name. It’s not impossible.”

Marquis’s Wife looked disapprovingly at him and said, “Master Hou, it’s not appropriate for his birth mother to be from Vietnam. Using this name may bring criticism.”

Tang Yue stepped forward and reassured her, “Madam, you worry too much. It’s only a form of address. As long as I remain loyal to South Jin and do not commit any wrongs, who can blame me for my name?”

In the end, it was Madam who made the final decision, “There’s nothing wrong with it. When he turns twenty, he can add another word to it.”

“I’ll follow Mother’s decision,” Marquis’s Wife quickly nodded in agreement.

Tang Yue pursed his lips, realizing that the old madam still holds the most power in the family. He will have to work hard to gain her favor in the future.

Yueyang Marquis was pleased to see that the problem had been resolved, and he was in a good mood. “We’ve been working hard all this while. Yue Er must be tired too. Let’s freshen up and rest first. Get ready for dinner.”

The Marquis’s Wife added, “I have selected four maids and four guards for Yue’er. Would Master Hou like to have a look?”

Yueyang Marquis didn’t care about such trivial matters. “Let’s follow Madam’s arrangements.”

He looked at his son, who was almost as tall as him, and said, “Yue’er has grown up. She should choose a few clever girls to serve in her room. It is time to start arranging her marriage.”

Tang Yue’s eyes twitched upon hearing this. He heard the Marquis’s Wife giggle and cover her mouth, saying, “I don’t need you to remind me. Those four maids are all stunning beauties. Yue’er will definitely like them. As for the marriage, we cannot rush it. We have to choose carefully.”

“Madam is as meticulous as ever,” Yueyang Marquis said as he stroked his beard. He was pleased with his wife’s thoughtfulness.

Tang Yue was young and aware of the tradition of elders arranging women for their sons. However, being gay, he couldn’t force himself to marry a woman.

Despite being sixteen years old, he didn’t want to marry and mislead anyone. Yet, in this era, he was capable of getting married and having children. What if he wanted to have a wife and start a family?

He didn’t want to rush into marriage and hoped to find someone who would appreciate him in an open-minded society.

With a tinge of sadness, he rolled his eyes and replied, “I’m grateful for your consideration, Madam. But when I was young, an eminent monk instructed me not to marry before the age of twenty, as it would bring harm to my family. If I disobey, I’ll fail in life. If it’s severe, I’ll lose control of my parents, wife, and children.”

Tang Yue thought that such drama dialogues could convince people, just as they did in television dramas.

As he had anticipated, the madam immediately stood up and asked, “Who is this eminent monk? Did he leave anything else behind?”

Tang Yue thought carefully and gestured with his hand, “He’s a wandering monk, about seventy years old, with long eyebrows and beard, and holding a black alms bowl and a golden staff. He’s kind-hearted. Besides warning me against marrying too soon, he also said that I would meet an important person in the future, a sign of good fortune.”

Tang Yue felt relieved that the room was filled with elderly people. Otherwise, someone might have asked him, “Brother, are you sure this person is not Fa Hai?”

Everyone listened to his explanation and was convinced he was telling the truth. The old lady was a Buddhist and more inclined to believe in such things than not.

“Amitabha, it sounds like Master Hui Hai. It seems like Yue’er is destined to become a Buddhist,” the old lady said, fingering her prayer beads. “You’re sixteen this year, with only four years left until you’re twenty. There’s no hurry. Take your time to find a suitable wife. If you do, you can get engaged first. After all, you need to get married.”

Tang Yue breathed a sigh of relief secretly. If he could delay it for a year, it would be ideal.

Unexpectedly, before he could finish his thoughts, the old lady continued, “However, a child can become a gentleman. Having a concubine is not a problem.”

Tang Yue was speechless. He wanted to cry, but he held back his tears.

“Grandma, is it really okay to have an unmarried child?” he asked, feeling frustrated.