Chapter Five: A True Gentleman Endures Poverty—To Hell with That!
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Zhao Feng was stunned.
“Give me the money, hurry up.” Hurry up for what?
Gu Zhengchen was no fool. The Ming Dynasty’s legal code explicitly stated:
“If a marriage proposal is accepted and a marriage contract signed, but either party reneges, they shall receive fifty lashes.”
The same punishment applies if the groom’s family backs out.
In other words, once the marriage contract is written, whichever side breaks the agreement first shall be punished with fifty lashes.
The Ming Dynasty inherited the Tang and Song legal systems, which prescribed five types of corporal punishment: flogging, beating, penal servitude, exile, and death. Flogging was the lightest, usually carried out with thorny branches, bamboo boards, or sticks.
During the Tang era, one could choose to be flogged on the legs, back, or buttocks. In the Song Dynasty, flogging was sometimes substituted by beating the buttocks with a rod; ten strokes of a large rod could replace fifty small strokes.
But in the Ming Dynasty, the punishment was strictly administered on the buttocks only…
Gu Zhengchen, physically weak and unwilling to endure fifty lashes, figured that since the Song family was so eager to back out, he might as well take the money and end it quickly.
Zhao Feng was confused by Gu Zhengchen’s sudden firmness.
The usually meek Gu Zhengchen had become unexpectedly resolute, his very bones radiating a sharp hardness!
After speaking, Gu Zhengchen turned and walked towards his mother and sister, heading for the door.
“Gu Zhengchen, stop right there!”
A sharp voice rang out.
Gu Zhengchen stopped, turned, and saw a beautiful young girl glaring at him in anger, her delicate lips slightly parted, her face pale.
“Ya’er, go back,” Zhao Feng scolded hurriedly. A young lady should not come out recklessly.
But Zhao Ya’er ignored her father and stared at Gu Zhengchen. “You just think my father’s offer is too little, so you don’t want to break off the engagement? Tell me, how much money do you want? Eight strings of cash? Ten? Fifteen?”
Gu Zhengchen shook his head, looking coldly at his “fiancée.” “This isn’t about money. When you shut my mother out and refuse to help, isn’t that just a ploy to pressure the Gu family into breaking the engagement? Maybe you’ve already started looking for another family. Since it’s come to this, why care about reputation anymore?”
Zhao Feng and Zhao Ya’er’s faces changed.
Zhao Ya’er quickly said, “Don’t talk nonsense. If you voluntarily break the marriage contract, I can have my father give you ten strings of cash!”
Gu Zhengchen looked toward Gu Shi and Gu Qingqing. “Let’s go home.”
Seeing Gu Zhengchen ignore her, Zhao Ya’er called out desperately, “Gu Zhengchen, the imperial examination has been canceled! You’re a penniless scholar with no future—why do you deserve me? Shouldn’t you be the one to break off the engagement?”
Gu Zhengchen fixed his gaze and asked his mother, “Mother, give me the marriage contract.”
Gu Shi took the contract from her bosom. “Zhengchen, you must think this through…”
Gu Zhengchen took the contract, glanced at it, and read aloud:
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“To respectfully seek the door to virtue, to traverse the city several fathoms, to celebrate the family’s joy, humbly presenting this letter. Through the matchmaker Zhang, it is agreed that Zhao Ya’er is betrothed to Gu Zhengchen, united in joyous matrimony, to live in eternal harmony...
This is a mutual agreement, no further words needed. Now that proof is desired, the marriage contract is established and kept as record.”
Gu Zhengchen sneered, looked at Zhao Ya’er, and with a ripping sound tore the contract in two, tossing it toward her. “Remember this: it is not the Song family breaking the engagement, but I, Gu Zhengchen, rejecting you. I’d rather endure fifty lashes than have you!”
“You!”
Zhao Ya’er’s face flushed crimson with rage, tears threatening to fall.
“Is this outcome satisfactory to the head of the Zhao family?”
Gu Zhengchen turned coldly to Zhao Feng and spoke, then strode off with Gu Shi and Gu Qingqing, leaving the Song family behind.
After leaving, Gu Shi looked at the resolute Gu Zhengchen and sighed, biting back her reproach.
Gu Zhengchen felt relieved. The Zhao family was no good, and Zhao Ya’er was shallow and foolish. It was better to end the engagement sooner than later. If they delayed, once the Gu family recovered, this marriage would become a burden.
No time to waste on them. When it’s time to decide, hesitation only breeds chaos!
Returning home to Dayan Village, Gu Zhengchen entered his room, sat at his desk, and idly toyed with copper coins, pondering his options.
The Gu family was at a dead end.
If things continued like this, he might have to beg for scraps at the Royal Awakening Temple.
In the past, Gu Zhengchen had no survival skills. He followed the scholar’s philosophy: “A gentleman endures poverty firmly; a petty man degenerates when poor.” He spent his days reading and writing, never even touching a hoe.
Endure poverty firmly?
Damn that!
I don’t want to endure poverty—I want money!
Gu Zhengchen put away the coins, picked up a brush, spread out paper, and listed the dozen or so wealthy families in Teng County, noting their preferences as he carefully considered his moves.
The Sun family ran an apothecary with aged medicinal herbs—no way to handle that.
The Liu family owned three hundred acres and favored women—no way to manage that.
The Wang family had a wealthy widow who liked men—no way…
Pah!
No way, absolutely no way.
“Wicked Gu Zhengchen, don’t soil my soul! I’m pure and I still want to work hard…”
The Liang family—now there’s a good show.
An old opera fanatic, huh?
Gu Zhengchen smiled.
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Though I can’t sing opera, I’ve heard plenty. Maybe “The Legend of the White Snake” could bring some benefits?
Wait!
In February this year, Old Zhu of the Ministry of Rites issued an edict forbidding the Music Bureau and all musicians across the realm from performing operas featuring ancient sages, emperors, loyal ministers, or righteous heroes; violators would be punished.
What was Old Zhu thinking? These “ancient sages, emperors, loyal ministers, and righteous heroes” are the main themes—it shouldn’t be forbidden, it should be glorified! So why ban it?
Not only did he ban the main themes, he added that roles portraying Taoist immortals, loyal and chaste officials and women, filial children and obedient grandchildren, and those encouraging goodness were exempt.
That makes it easier—“The Legend of the White Snake” clearly isn’t about sages, emperors, or loyal ministers.
No political risk, good. No need to lose my head over a play…
Who among opera lovers doesn’t adore “The Legend of the White Snake”?
“May I ask, sir, where you reside? I shall pay a visit another day to express my gratitude.”
“My humble home lies outside Qingbo Gate, west of the small bridge near the Qian Wang Shrine. Such trivial matters are hardly worth troubling your gracious footsteps.”
Gu Zhengchen hummed the tune, found the rhythm, and began writing the lyrics to the opera “The Legend of the White Snake” until Gu Qingqing called him to eat, at which point he put down his brush.
Two yellow corn buns, a bowl of clear broth, and some dark, salty sauce.
Seeing the worry etched between his mother’s brows, Gu Zhengchen smiled. “Mother, leave the family matters to me. You all shouldn’t go out these days.”
Gu Shi smiled bitterly. “Zhengchen, eat more.”
Swallowing the somewhat throat-scratching corn buns, Gu Zhengchen asked, “Mother, I heard that the rich Mr. Sun in town has a sweet tooth. Is that true?”
Gu Shi nodded. “It is. Why do you ask?”
Gu Zhengchen sipped the broth, catching his breath. “If that’s true, then it’s easy. There’s no white sugar yet, right?”
“What’s white sugar?” Gu Qingqing looked puzzled.
Gu Shi shook her head. There was no white sugar, only black and brown sugar.
Gu Zhengchen’s mind began to turn.
Though the term “white sugar” existed in the Tang era, the sugar then wasn’t pure white but more of a pale yellow.
Before the Jiajing reign, white sugar didn’t exist.
White sugar is valuable.
Later, Dutch colonists developed a highly profitable trade in white sugar in East Asia’s seas. This stuff can’t fail to make money…
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