Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 448 Want both and want
Despite their reluctance to admit it, they now have to face the reality that their books are not only more expensive than those at Minshuo Bookstore, but they also have a smaller selection. Haven't you seen how those who can't buy any are practically tearing their bookstore down?

The heads of several powerful families sat together, exchanging bewildered glances. They had thought this was a sure-win gamble, but the cards had been dealt, and they were now at a disadvantage. Moreover, they didn't even know when their opponents had made their move. To have so hastily fallen into their trap was utterly foolish.

What should we do now?

"What else can we do? We can only let the whole world laugh at us."

"Are we just going to admit defeat like this? We'll be infamous for eternity! If we give up now, whenever anyone mentions the Wang and Xie families, they'll think of this lawsuit, of the Wang family's cruelty, and of the Xie family's mistreatment of their wives. Will our children ever be able to find men and women of similar social standing?"

The head of the Wang family looked heartbroken at this moment, but the heads of the other aristocratic families around him did not listen to him.

"To be honest, Mr. Wang was wrong. No matter how bad Wang Heng is, she is still your own daughter. How could you just ignore her? If you had treated her well, Xie Mingchen would be the closest man to the Prince now, and you might even have been able to marry into his family. Would the Wang and Xie families still be like rats in the street now? In this situation, no one is to blame but yourself for being too self-righteous and thinking that suppressing Wang Heng would be the end of the matter."

"What do you mean?"

"What do you mean? It means I can't stand you! Because of the despicable things you two did back then, now Prince Chen has his eyes on us too. We have no grudges against each other, so why do you have to drag us down with you? What good does it do you? Do you think we have to follow you down? They say that families of five clans and seven surnames are of the same blood and lineage, but if you ask me, we haven't enjoyed any benefits and have only suffered because of you. Originally, my family had two rather handsome nephews and nieces, and I was thinking of introducing them to His Highness the Prince. Even if they couldn't become prince consorts, they could at least be his lovers, but now you've ruined it all."

"You're offering your own child to a prince as his concubine? Have you no shame? We're a family with a history spanning hundreds of years. Don't you care about your reputation?!"

"Don't give me that nonsense! I don't believe that if the prince takes a fancy to your son or nephew, you wouldn't be willing to offer him up. That's the only prince right now, and His Majesty's most beloved daughter. The Fourth Prince lives a secluded life in the deep palace, while only this prince enjoys His Majesty's deep trust. Now he's even starting to interfere in politics; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he wields immense power. Besides, he's young and handsome. If he were to take a liking to my child, I'd be overjoyed."

"You! You are shameless!"

"You're a hypocrite!"

Seeing that the problem remained unresolved and the five families and seven clans were even plotting internal strife, Xie Kun finally couldn't take it anymore and slammed his fist on the table.

"Enough! What time is it now? Still thinking about infighting? If we don't come up with a solution soon, we won't be able to stay in the capital anymore. In the future, this will be someone else's territory, and staying here will only bring shame upon ourselves."

Unexpectedly, someone didn't listen to him. The head of the Li family was more than ten years younger than Xie Kun, and was in the prime of his youth. Xie Kun himself had many flaws, and the events of the past few days were all caused by him. Now he still wanted to act like the boss? Did he really think everyone had to listen to him?
Sneered.

“Why can’t I stay here? Even if we fail this time, I can still stay in the capital because I haven’t done anything wrong. Besides, the capital is the most prosperous place in the world. I have money and a house, so why can’t I continue to live here? Moreover, His Highness the Prince has always been kind and generous, and he might not do anything to our Li family. After all, our Li family has never abused our wives and daughters.”

"you!"

When it happened to Xie Kun, he was shocked to find that he couldn't remain calm either. Fortunately, he knew what was important, and after taking a few quick breaths to suppress his anger, he managed to try to calm him down. "What we need to do now is not to have pointless arguments here, we have to win. Even if we lose, we have to lose gracefully."

"Then what do you think we should do?"

"We have to..."

Before Xie Kun could finish speaking, the butler's panicked voice came from outside.

"Master! A group of commoners have come and are throwing dirty things at our walls! There are also a few scholars who are composing poems outside and want to write them on our walls!"

Xie Kun didn't have time to reprimand him for his lack of manners. He suddenly stood up and hurried outside. It was one thing for ordinary people to be offended, but for scholars and literati to write poems to mock them? If he wasn't careful, he could be infamous for eternity.

When he hurriedly went outside, he was surprised to find that there were indeed several young students outside who were writing satirical poems on the white walls of their house.

The steward and guards tried to drive them away, but Xie Kun stopped them.

Faced with the butler's innocent expression, Xie Kun felt like spitting out blood. These scholars and intellectuals had sharp tongues; if he were to injure them even slightly today, his Xie family wouldn't just be remembered for their infamy for eternity, but would become infamous throughout the world within two days.

Therefore, even though Xie Kun was filled with hatred, he could only show an anxious expression on his face.

"I don't know why you gentlemen are scribbling on my Xie family's walls. Ink and brushes are precious and should not be wasted like this."

"So you're the head of the Xie family?"

One of the stubborn-looking young men sized Xie Kun up and down several times, before giving him a disdainful look just before he got angry.

"You're the Xie Kun who abused his wife and took a concubine on his wedding day, hoping to have two women on each side?"

"...It is I. I wonder who has misled you all? You are all young and talented scholars, and you may become officials in the future. You must not ruin your careers because of a few words from others. You must know that reputation is the most important thing when you embark on your official career."

His earnest advice made him seem like a truly upright elder. At least two or three of the young people opposite him had already been swayed, showing some embarrassed expressions. However, before Xie Kun could press his advantage, the young man who had spoken first scoffed and interrupted him.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry to interrupt you. You're the head of the Xie family, a person of importance. How come you speak and act with such petty manners? Let me tell you the truth, we weren't influenced by anyone else. I came here today because I can't stand your mistreatment of your wife. You want true love, of course you can. But you have to marry her properly. There's no such thing as wanting both a noble wife from a prestigious family and a gentle, submissive concubine. Since you like your concubines so much, why don't you make them your legal wives? It's obvious you think their status isn't good enough for you. Wanting both, that's quite an ugly thing to do."