The eldest son of the Marquis of Jinxiang, by a concubine, was named Pang Yan, and Wang Zijin's classmate was Weng Zhicheng.
Pang Yan, as the eldest son by a concubine of the Marquis of Jinxiang, held the title of "eldest," meaning he was naturally not young and this was not his first marriage. His original wife had died in childbirth, a double tragedy claiming both mother and child. His character was considered decent, without any notable flaws. He currently served in the Divine Machine Battalion, and was not a person of delicate sensibilities.
"How old is 'not young'?" Wang Qingyao asked.
The Divine Machine Battalion managed firearms, and was considered a military unit. Her mind automatically conjured the image of the rough and boisterous Prince of Dingnan. Being a second marriage, he must be in his thirties, right? Thirty-something was not a big deal in modern times, but in ancient times, that was an old man.
Wang Da wasn't even forty yet!
If Wang Qingzhen were to marry Pang Yan, the son-in-law would be almost the same age as the father-in-law, which would be terribly awkward.
Thinking of this, Wang Qingyao remembered Wang Da's new wife, Lady Gu, who was also a young girl, about the same age as his daughter.
This was how it was in ancient times; old men marrying young girls was not uncommon, but an old woman marrying a young man was big news, a rarity encountered once in a hundred years!
After a period of wild speculation, Wang Qingyao heard Xiao Yun say, "Twenty-seven."
Wang Qingyao: "..."
What was considered "not young" about that?
He was only twenty-seven.
However, Wang Qingzhen was only seventeen, a full ten years younger, a ten-year generation gap.
"Twenty-seven is acceptable," she said, "not old."
"The Marquis of Jinxiang has no legitimate son. This eldest son by concubine is treated almost like a legitimate son in the household. Once the Marquis of Jinxiang petitions the Emperor, he will likely be enfeoffed as the heir. Third sister is currently the eldest daughter by concubine, and with no legitimate elder sisters to suppress her, her status is a good match. However..."
Xiao Yun paused.
In the Great Sheng Dynasty, legitimate sons inherited titles. There were precedents for illegitimate sons inheriting when there were no legitimate heirs, though it depended on the Emperor's mood. If he was in a good mood, he might grant a favor; if not, he could refuse with valid reasoning.
Wang Qingyao asked, "However what?"
"Pang Yan only has one concubine, who is the daughter of his maternal uncle. They were childhood sweethearts, have deep affection for each other, and have a son and a daughter. This son is also Pang Yan's eldest son by concubine."
This was just like his father, having an eldest son by concubine before a legitimate one.
"You've investigated quite thoroughly," Wang Qingyao remarked, "you know everything about their family affairs."
Xiao Yun smiled, "It's not hard to investigate. Pang Yan currently has no official wife, so that concubine manages the household. When it comes to social interactions and entertainment, it's also that concubine who represents them."
This was a bit lacking in etiquette.
Wang Qingyao asked curiously, "What about the Marchioness? Doesn't she manage things?"
"How can she manage all the time? He is, after all, the eldest son by concubine, not close to her, and he's already this old. She wouldn't know about some private social dealings."
Wang Qingyao then inquired about Wang Zijin's classmate, Weng Zhicheng.
"Weng Zhicheng is one year older than your elder brother. He currently works in the Ministry of Works. He's a decent person, handsome too, but his family is not wealthy, and he was raised by his widowed mother."
A single-parent family!
Single-parent families often produced mama's boys.
Neither of these two seemed like a good match.
Wang Qingyao sent a message to Wang Qingzhen. The next day, Wang Qingzhen came over.
Wang Qingyao shared the information she had gathered. Wang Qingzhen seemed unconcerned.
"Grandmother and Father have already decided. It's the eldest son by concubine of the Marquis of Jinxiang. The day after tomorrow, Father will use the excuse of discussing official business to invite him to our home, and then we will have a chance to meet." She smiled slightly, "Having a childhood sweetheart concubine is fine, at least it shows he's devoted. I only need to be a qualified main wife and receive sufficient respect."
Wang Qingzhen was very open-minded.
She had grown up witnessing Wang Da taking in concubine after concubine. Now, when it was her turn to marry, she considered it a virtue if her husband didn't take too many concubines.
This showed how important one's original family was.
Since Wang Qingzhen felt that way, Wang Qingyao didn't try to persuade her further. After all, marriage was a major life event, decided by parents and matchmakers. Although she was a princess, she was only a cousin, and couldn't make any major decisions.
"If he bullies you in the future, I'll support you."
Wang Qingzhen smiled, "Thank you, Second Sister." She paused, then added, "My betrothal gifts cannot be worse than Han Suqin's."
Wang Qingyao burst into laughter, "Naturally."
A few days later, the Wang family specifically sent someone to inform Wang Qingyao that Wang Qingzhen was betrothed to Weng Zhicheng, and Wang Qingzhu was betrothed to Pang Yan.
Upon hearing the news, Wang Qingyao was stunned.
Wasn't it Pang Yan who was supposed to be betrothed to Wang Qingzhen? Why did it change to Weng Zhicheng?
What had happened?
The messenger was a嬷嬷 (māma, a senior female servant) from Old Madam Wang's side. Wang Qingyao didn't want to pry for information from her. She just smiled and said she knew. She also mentioned that she was pregnant and had many physical inconveniences, and asked Wang Qingzhen and Wang Qingzhu to visit the Prince of Ding'an's mansion often to keep her company.
The Wang family naturally wished for their three sisters to get along. The next day, Wang Qingzhen came over, but Wang Qingzhu did not. She claimed to be ill and feared passing the sickness to Wang Qingyao.
"It's all an excuse," Wang Qingzhen said, "She's too embarrassed to come."
Oh, there was gossip.
Wang Qingyao immediately perked up her ears. She had Yin Zhu bring fruits and snacks, and while cracking melon seeds, she said, "Tell me slowly, what exactly happened? Didn't you tell me that day that the family had arranged for you to marry the eldest son by concubine of the Marquis of Jinxiang?"