My husband, who abandoned his father and kept his son, actually wants me to be his concubine.

Chapter 31 You wouldn't happen to be the eldest daughter of the He family, would you?
When Lu Jinshi caught Rong Yi's gaze, he coughed and said, "Perhaps it's fashionable these days to leave the father behind and keep the son."

Xu Yang exclaimed in surprise, "Sending away the father and keeping the son is fashionable? This behavior is immoral, disrupts social order, and is utterly shameless!"

Lu Jinshi said coldly, "In the Great Sheng Dynasty, young men from slightly wealthy families will definitely have a large number of wives and concubines in their harems."

Those girls who were pampered before marriage would inevitably have to manage their husbands' harems and concubines after they married these men. They would have to work hard and worry about it, and might even have to give up their own dowry to raise their husbands' illegitimate children. If they helped their own children a little, they would be complained about for being unfair and unvirtuous.

"It would be better to find a male concubine to keep the son and save myself the trouble of serving my husband..."

Xu Yang frowned and said, "Having three wives and four concubines has been the way since ancient times, so what's wrong with that? A woman's mission is to support her husband and raise her children, and to manage the household for her husband. The man is in charge of external affairs and the woman is in charge of internal affairs. The husband earns money for his wife, and the wife is in charge of supporting the concubines and children in the household. This is not a way of mistreating women. To abandon the father and keep the children is to disregard human ethics!"

Lu Jinshi found it amusing. "Your future wives will certainly be of equal social standing to you. Their dowries will be enough to ensure they live a life of comfort and wealth. Why would they need you to support them?"

Unable to argue with Lu Jinshi, Xu Yang looked to Rong Yi, hoping Rong Yi would stand up for him and refute Lu Jinshi's fallacious reasoning.

Rong Yi simply sat down and nodded slightly, saying, "Senior Sister Lu is right."

When Lu Jinshi met Rong Yi's gaze, he looked away with disdain and began to read.

Outside the window was a field of lush green wheat, the wind rustling through the wheat, and the spring breeze blowing in. Rong Yi raised his eyes slightly and looked at Lu Jinshi's earlobe, his thoughts racing.

Lu Jinshi spoke for half an hour, then closed the book. "Later, you will write an essay on the topic of filial piety. I will come and see it tomorrow."

After leaving the school, Lu Jinshi headed outside.

Mu Yan caught up with Lu Jinshi and said, "Junior Sister Lu, you only talked about the Zuo Zhuan for the purpose of writing articles. Isn't that a bit too much of a pursuit of fame and fortune?"

Lu Jinshi smiled faintly and said, "Senior Brother Mu, among the scholars in this world, very few truly delve into the study of classics. Most use their studies as a stepping stone to enter the court. The sages of the past did not write down classics just so that future generations would only study them. The most important thing is to apply what they have learned to benefit the people."

Mu Yan said, "I just think that studying only to pass the imperial examinations is too utilitarian."

Lu Jinshi said, "Even if these people didn't pass the imperial examinations, they could still enter the court as officials through their family's influence. Uncle Lin asked me to teach them to read so that they could pass the imperial examinations. Being a little pragmatic is not a bad thing."

As long as it's not someone who secretly intends to study for fame and fortune while pretending to be indifferent to worldly gains and feigning high-mindedness, it's fine.

Mu Yan's expression changed: "Junior sister, I didn't..."

Lu Jinshi smiled at Mu Yan and said, "I know that you are truly dedicated to your studies, but not everyone in this world is as pure and detached as you. Many people want power and wealth. After ten years of hard study, seeking wealth is not utilitarianism or ambition, but human nature."

Mu Yan smiled at Lu Jinshi and said, "Junior Sister is right. It's a pity that Junior Sister is a girl. If she were a man, she would surely have achieved great success in the imperial examinations and become a high-ranking official. What a pity..."

Lu Jinshi smiled faintly and said, "It is not a pity that I am a girl. Although the world is unfair to women in many ways, I am still proud to be a girl. Although I cannot win the imperial examination, my disciples can. I hope that my disciples will become high-ranking officials in the court in the future and change the injustice of the world to women. That way, my life will not have been in vain."

Mu Yan said, "Junior Sister is very righteous."

Lu Jinshi glanced at Mu Yan's face without disdain and said, "Senior brother, it's rare for you to hear me talk about such ambitions without mocking me as a dreamy young man."

Mu Yan said, "I believe in my junior sister. One day she will get what she wants."

Lu Jinshi said, "Thank you, Senior Brother."

Behind the two, Rong Yi looked at Lu Jinshi's smile with a sinister gaze. Did she really have no awareness whatsoever of being the future Seventh Prince's consort?
Why does she have so many senior brothers around her?

You can drive one away, but there's still another.

After getting into the carriage, Lu Jinshi began preparing for the lessons to be taught in class the next day.

The carriage stopped, and Lu Jinshi saw Rong Yi enter the carriage.

Lu Jinshi frowned and said, "Didn't the Seventh Prince come to you yesterday to tell you to stop bothering me?"

Rong Yi said, "You really have some skills. You even managed to find my cousin to teach me a lesson. There are rumors outside that the eldest daughter of the He family left her father and her son. You wouldn't happen to be the eldest daughter of the He family, would you? Your grandfather died on the same day as the old Marquis He."

Lu Jinshi said, "My surname is Lu."

Seeing that Lu Jinshi still wouldn't admit it, Rong Yi said, "Are you really not the eldest daughter of the Yongxing Marquis's mansion?" Lu Jinshi said, "So what if I am? So what if I am not? What does it have to do with you? Don't bother me anymore. And I'm warning you, if you dare to take my Zhang'er away again, I will definitely not forgive you."

"How do you intend to make things difficult for me, Senior Sister?"

Rong Yi leaned close to Lu Jinshi's ear, his gaze fixed on her earlobe.

Lu Jinshi pushed Rong Yi, "Don't call me senior sister. And don't ever say you studied at Tianzhang Academy. Having a student like you who is so fond of women is a disgrace to Tianzhang Academy."

Rong Yi said, "Fond of women? How am I fond of women?"

Lu Jinshi said, "You're not interested in women? All that talk about taking concubines for the sake of having offspring is just an excuse. If you want three wives and four concubines, then you're a lecherous person."

"Wanting three wives and four concubines is not lustful. This is true lust..."

Rong Yi sat down in front of Lu Jinshi, trapping Lu Jinshi's legs with his own.

One hand gripped Lu Jinshi's hands tightly, while the other hand was placed behind Lu Jinshi's head. He lowered his head and kissed the red lips that he hadn't tasted for several days.

Lu Jinshi's new lip rouge had a light, sweet scent.

"hiss!"

When Rong Yi was so busy that he let go of Lu Jinshi, he touched the corner of his lips, his fingers covered in blood, because Lu Jinshi had bitten him hard.

Lu Jinshi glared at Rong Yi and said fiercely, "Get out!"

With blood trickling from the corner of his lips, Rong Yi had finally gotten his wish and kissed the red lips he had longed for these past few days. He left satisfied, since he had already angered Lu Jinshi, and if he didn't leave, he would inevitably get slapped again.

After Rong Yi left, Lu Jinshi wiped her red lips with the back of her hand in disgust. Rong Yi was such a bastard.

When Lu Jinshi's carriage arrived at the courtyard on East Street, she was still very angry.

As soon as Lu Jinshi stepped off the carriage, she saw Madam Shen, the mother of her senior brother Shen Xing, walking up to her with a cane and saying, "Jinshi."

Lu Jinshi was curious as to why he would see Madam Shen here.

Ah Hui, who was supporting Madam Shen, stepped forward and said, "A few days ago, my brother said he wanted to come and find you. I guessed that you were in the East Street area. After asking around, I found you after you moved here."

Lu Jinshi asked, "What brings you here?"

Madam Shen gripped her cane tightly and said, "Jinshi, when Xing'er was seriously ill before, I was so worried that I asked you to take the initiative to annul the engagement. I hope you can understand my worries as a mother..."

Lu Jinshi said, "That's all in the past."

Madam Shen said, "Jinshi, I have something I'd like to ask for your help with."

Lu Jinshi asked, "What is it?"

Madam Shen said, "Xing'er is already twenty-five years old and still unmarried. I have my eye on your cousin He Jiayi, and I hope you can help your senior brother find a match..."

Lu Jinshi said, "Senior Brother Shen is my ex-fiancé after all, so I can't be the matchmaker for him."

Ah Hui looked at Lu Jinshi and said, "You're unwilling to act as matchmaker, is it because you still have feelings for my brother and want to marry him?"

“Mother, I knew Lu Jinshi still had feelings for my brother. A few days ago, when my brother found out she was in Chang'an, he rushed over to find her. If it weren't for the officials of the Hanlin Academy telling him not to pack his bags and to go to Luoyang immediately, he would probably have fallen into Lu Jinshi's trap again.”

Listening to Hui Niang's words, Lu Jinshi couldn't help but wonder what important matter the Hanlin Academy had that required Shen Xing to go to Luoyang immediately.

Madam Shen's face darkened as she said, "Jinshi, you are a good girl, but you are destined to bring misfortune to your husband. You have already harmed my son once, so don't try to harm him a second time."

(End of this chapter)