I opened the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 228 Refusing to be a Sallow-faced Woman

Emperor Zhenwu said with admiration: "My daughter, Zhu Yunwen is gentle and elegant. Look, Zhu Yunwen is like the spring breeze, gently blowing on your face, making you feel comfortable. His words and deeds are elegant and decent, just like the dancing butterfly, light and agile. His temperament is like the quietly blooming orchid, exuding a faint fragrance, refreshing. Such a person has temperament and can make you fall in love. With him by your side, you are like being in a beautiful garden, with pleasant scenery everywhere."

The more the Emperor Zhenwu spoke, the more intoxicated he became. He continued, "Zhu Yunwen is also very gentle in his dealings with others. His words are like the gurgling stream, pleasant to the ears and joyful to the ears. His smile is like the warm sunshine, which can dispel all the haze. His kindness is like the bright stars, which illuminate the entire night sky. With such a gentle and elegant man as your husband, your future life will definitely be full of poetry and romance."

Shuiying said helplessly: "Father, please don't just see his good points. Zhu Yunwen is weak in character, and he is simply a soft persimmon. Think about it, he is like catkins in the wind, drifting with the wind, without any opinion. How can I feel safe with such a person? It's like I bought a beautiful vase, which looks good but is useless. My daughter hopes that my husband can be more responsible and stand up in the face of difficulties. As the saying goes, 'A real man should stand tall and upright', wouldn't it be better for us to find someone with courage?"

The Mizukage paused, then continued, "Life is hard enough, I don't want to find someone who makes me worry more. I want someone who can protect me from the wind and rain, someone who can give me strength when I encounter difficulties. Not someone who is as weak as a sheep. It's like I'm walking on a rugged path and have to carry a big bag. How tiring it is. I'd better find a strong and brave person, so that my life can be enjoyable."

The Mizukage continued to refute: "Look at those happy young couples. The husbands are brave and decisive, and they support their wives. But if I follow Zhu Yunwen, I will probably have to charge into battle by myself, while he trembles behind me. It's like I'm fighting on the battlefield without a reliable comrade. I want someone who can fight side by side with me, not someone who makes me face difficulties alone. He is so weak and not suitable for me at all. I'd better find someone who is more suitable for me and can bravely move forward with me in this world."

Mizukage used a series of poems, idioms, proverbs and popular jokes to say: "His weakness is like 'a weak willow in the wind', vulnerable to a single blow; his cowardice is like 'as timid as a mouse', speechless; his irresponsibility is like 'a hands-off shopkeeper', not caring about anything. I don't want to be affected by his weakness, cowardice and irresponsibility. What I want is a 'heroic' life, full of vitality; what I want is a 'brave and fearless' life, not afraid of challenges; what I want is an atmosphere of 'responsibility and achievement', and common progress. Just like the popular song says, 'We are different, and everyone has different circumstances'. I can't find such a weak husband, otherwise my life will be like 'stagnant water', without any ripples."

Emperor Zhenwu frowned slightly and continued, "Huang Zongxi opposed feudal autocracy. My daughter, look at Huang Zongxi, his ideas are indeed very advanced! His ideas against feudal autocracy are like the brightest stars in the night sky, shining brightly. His courage and wisdom are like the surging waves, one after another, daunting. His works are like the bright pearls, emitting charming brilliance. With such a thoughtful man as your husband, your future life will definitely be full of wisdom and challenges."

The Emperor Zhenwu became more and more excited as he spoke, and continued: "Huang Zongxi's status in the academic world is quite high. His words are like the sound of a loud bell, echoing in people's hearts. His ideas are like a burning flame, illuminating the way forward for people. With such a person by your side, you are like having a treasure house of knowledge, from which you can always draw nourishment for wisdom."

Mizukage: "Father, look at Huang Zongxi, his ideas are really advanced! But this is also worrying! His head is full of those great principles. Think about it, he is like a clockwork robot, who only knows how to promote his own ideas all day long and can't stop at all. How can this work? You may get into big trouble because of his advanced ideas at any time. Don't you think this is not worrying! It's like an egg hitting a stone - overestimating one's own ability. Don't we live for a stable life, but he is just wandering on the cusp of the storm all day long. I, your daughter, hope that my husband can be content and not make trouble. A plain life is the real life. Just like the old saying goes, a plain life is a blessing, live a stable life. Don't think about challenging this and that all day long, we can't withstand the big winds and waves."

Mizukage frowned and continued, "Besides, he is so obsessed with his own ideas that he will definitely neglect his family. By then, I will be alone guarding an empty house. How lonely it will be. I don't want to live a life of being ignored. I want someone who can care about me and accompany me, not someone who runs around for his ideals all day long. It's like I'm walking in a dark tunnel and can never see the light at the end. I'd better find a gentle and considerate person who can live an ordinary and happy life with me."

Mizukage continued, "Look at those happy young couples, holding hands all day long, shopping, watching movies, and eating delicious food together. How sweet it is. But if I follow Huang Zongxi, I can only do these things by myself. It's like I'm singing a one-man show, so tiring. What I want is someone who can create beautiful memories with me, not someone who makes me wait in memories all the time. He loves to make trouble, he is not suitable for me at all. I'd better find someone who is more suitable for me, who can live a warm life with me in this small home."

Mizukage used a series of poems, idioms, proverbs and popular jokes to say: "His persistence is like 'stubbornness', which makes people helpless; his adventure is like 'fishing in troubled waters', which is full of dangers; his disregard for his family is like that of an 'absentee husband', which makes people sad. I don't want to be affected by his persistence, adventure and disregard for his family. What I want is a 'stable and down-to-earth' life, just like the old ox taking one step at a time; what I want is a 'warm and sweet' day, as sweet as honey; what I want is a 'harmonious and happy' atmosphere, just like that beautiful painting that makes people intoxicated. Just like the lyrics say, 'The most romantic thing I can think of is to grow old with you', but if I stay with Huang Zongxi, I guess I will become a yellow-faced woman early."

Emperor Zhenwu seemed to be thinking about something, and then said, "Wang Fuzhi is a thinker with many works. My daughter, look at Wang Fuzhi. He is really a great scholar, and his works can be piled up into a mountain. His wisdom is like the deep ocean, unfathomable. His talent is like the gorgeous rainbow, dazzling. With such a learned man as your husband, your future life will definitely be full of cultural atmosphere and the collision of wisdom."

The more he spoke, the more proud he became. He continued, "Wang Fuzhi's influence in the intellectual world is unparalleled. His views are like a sharp sword that can cut through all the fog. His works are like precious treasures that people can't put down. With such a person by your side, it's like having a private library, where you can absorb the nourishment of knowledge at any time."

Mizukage: "Hey, father, tell me about Wang Fuzhi. He is really a great scholar, and his works can be piled up into a mountain. But there is a problem with this! He is immersed in his own world of thought all day long. Just think about it, he is like a cow that has got stuck in a horn and can't be pulled out. How can this work? My daughter, I hope my husband can communicate and interact with me more. Don't always think about it by yourself and leave me aside. It's like having meat but no wine, which is not fun! We have to have give and take in our lives, and we can't always be a one-man show. It would be great if he could accompany me more and chat. Otherwise, life is cold and lonely, like winter without heating, which makes people uncomfortable."

The Mizukage paused, then continued, "Besides, he is so focused on his studies that he will definitely ignore my feelings. I don't want to live a life of being ignored. I want someone who can care about me and pay attention to me, not a nerd who only knows how to read and write all day. It's like I'm walking on a lonely path and will never see anyone to accompany me. I'd better find a gentle and considerate person who can live an ordinary and happy life with me."

Mizukage continued, "Look at those happy young couples, talking and laughing all day long, sharing every bit of life together. How sweet it is. But if I follow Wang Fuzhi, I will probably only be able to talk to the air by myself. It's like I'm acting in a play without an audience, how boring. What I want is someone who can create beautiful memories with me, not someone who makes me always wait in memories. He doesn't know how to communicate, he is not suitable for me at all. I'd better find someone who is more suitable for me, who can live a warm life with me in this small home."

Shuiying used a series of poems, idioms, proverbs and popular jokes to say: "His concentration is like 'turning a deaf ear to the outside world', which makes people helpless; his silence is like 'a dull person', which makes people anxious; his lack of communication is like 'a one-man show actor', which makes people lonely. I don't want to be affected by his concentration, silence and lack of communication. What I want is a life of 'laughter and joy', full of vitality; what I want is a day of 'speaking freely', unrestrained; what I want is an atmosphere of 'frequent interaction', to grow together. Just like the popular saying goes, 'I have met the right person through eye contact', but Wang Fuzhi is definitely not the right person, otherwise my life would be like 'stagnant water', lifeless."

Emperor Zhenwu said with admiration, "My daughter, Fang Yizhi is knowledgeable and talented. Look, Fang Yizhi is like a treasure house of knowledge, with endless treasures hidden in it. His knowledge is like the bright starry sky, shining with the light of wisdom. Whether it is astronomy and geography, poetry and songs, or philosophy and medicine, he can talk about them at will. He is like a universal key that can open the door to any knowledge. With such a knowledgeable and talented person as your husband, your future life will definitely be filled with the breath of knowledge and wisdom."

The Zhenwu Emperor became more and more excited as he spoke, and continued, "Fang Yizhi's status in the academic world is quite high. His words are like the sound of a loud bell, echoing in people's hearts. His works are like precious treasures that people can't put down. His wisdom is like a bright lighthouse, guiding everyone in the direction of progress. With such a person by your side, it's like having a private library, where you can absorb the nutrients of knowledge at any time. Think about it, those unlearned people who just mess around all day long, how can they be as profound as Fang Yizhi?"

Mizukage: "Oh, father, Fang Yizhi is indeed very knowledgeable and talented! Look at his knowledge reserves, it's amazing. It's like he has a supercomputer in his head, and all kinds of knowledge data can be called up at any time. That knowledge is like the water in the ocean, inexhaustible. But his wide knowledge also has problems. Think about it, he is like a busy little bee, flying around everywhere, wanting to pick every flower. As a result, he is busy all the time, but he may not be able to do one thing to the extreme."

The Mizukage paused, then continued, "My daughter, I hope my husband can focus more on important things. He can't try to get involved in everything and end up doing nothing well. It's like a blind bear picking corn - picking one and throwing one away. We have to have a focus, right? We can't be scatterbrained. We have to be down-to-earth and do important things well in our lives, and don't mess around with trivial things all day long. Otherwise, our lives will be a mess and there will be no rules."

Mizukage frowned and continued, "Life is complicated enough, I don't want to find someone who makes me more confused. I want someone who can give me a sense of security, someone who can focus on family and life with me. Not someone who is running around like a headless fly. It's like I'm walking on a foggy road and have to follow someone who is running around blindly. How tiring it is. I'd better find a steady and down-to-earth person, so that my life can be guaranteed."

Mizukage continued to refute: "His inattention is like a headless fly, flying around everywhere; his messing around is like a monkey picking corn, busy for a long time but to no avail; his lack of order is like a tangled ball of wool, making it difficult to sort out the clues. I don't want to be affected by his inattention, messing around and lack of order. What I want is a stable life, like an old ox plowing the land, one step at a time; what I want is an organized day, like a well-organized bookshelf, clear at a glance; what I want is a harmonious and orderly atmosphere, like a symphony, each with its own melody but perfectly integrated. Just like the pop song says, 'We are different, everyone has different circumstances', I can't find such an unreliable husband, otherwise my life will be like that 'tangled mess' that can't be untangled."