Of course, as long as they are in true love!
Completely different from Su Jun who came to meet the prince's identity.
The Zhang family and the Crown Prince are emotionally connected, paying no attention to these external things. On the contrary, they even think that gold and silver are vulgar, contaminating their feelings with the Crown Prince!
As for why she was made a selected concubine a year ago?
Zhang served ink and brush to the Crown Prince. With people constantly coming and going in the hall, someone noticed Zhang.
With her daily favors from the Crown Prince, Zhang bore a certain allure, which any perceptive person could guess at.
However, there are indeed those who are impulsive. With the backing of the Crown Prince's trusted aide, they directly ask for Zhang.
The Crown Prince was so angry that he demoted the person to the southern part of the country. He didn't care about Zhang's refusal to accept the position of a selected concubine and declared, "I want everyone to know that you are my woman."
When Zhang heard those words at the time, her face flushed red. Alright, that's just the way men are; they want to mark their women as their own, and can't help but want the whole world to know about it.
Zhang had always been proud of that, and the Crown Prince valued her so highly that no one else was allowed to covet her.
However, after hearing that, Dong Shuang's face twisted slightly.
It sounds domineering, but it's just the position of a selected concubine... If you didn't know better, you might think it was the position of the empress!
Over the past few days, Zhang still looked down upon these backward wild people, but deep down in her heart, she was still filled with fear for Dong Shuang.
She has never experienced such hardships, and after coming to the Crown Prince's side, she was immediately favored by him. She has never truly experienced the life of a palace maid.
Now, Dong Shuang simply making her practice walking, sitting, and squatting... is enough to wear her down.
Especially when she tries to find the Crown Prince to cry, but there is no trace of a wound on her body!
Instead, it seems like she is making a fuss without reason, and after a couple of times, the Crown Prince no longer wants to listen to Zhang's complaints.
Zhang hopes to finish these rules as soon as possible.
She doesn't care about the position at all. If it wasn't for the Crown Prince's insistence on giving her this position, she should be by his side now.
However, Zhang's attitude changed quickly.
At 5 o'clock, after Zhang helped the Crown Prince go to the court, she went to the outside of Su Jun's compound to pay respects.
"The Empress is resting, please wait."
The cold wind outside the corridor made it straight for the bones, especially in this cold weather.
Not far from there, a slanting room had a maid hiding inside to keep warm. As for the main courtyard in front of her, the thick curtain was drawn down, and none of the interior could be seen clearly.
Zhang shivered from the cold and, unwilling as she was, had no choice but to bite her teeth and enter the corner room where the maids rested.
Only a few days ago, she would have left without a second thought.
But——
Old hag, you old thing, at your age, still getting involved in your grandson's bedroom matters!
When Su Jun finished her grooming, it was almost noon.
Empress Mother was sympathetic towards her and exempted her from the palace greetings, only requiring Su Jun to go to the palace in the afternoon for greetings.
As for the concubines in the harem... Our dynasty values the legitimate offspring over the non-legitimate, and the emperor treats his non-legitimate sons that way, let alone the concubines in the harem.
No one dares to show a superior attitude in front of the Crown Prince's Consort.
Otherwise, no matter the emperor, they would be in trouble with the empress mother above.
As a result, Su Jun has always woken up naturally.
"Empress, Zhang Shu has arrived to pay respects to you at the hour of the dog, and is waiting outside."
Su Jun took a sip of fruit juice and said lightly, "The etiquette training is over?"
Dong Shuang replied, "It's more or less passable, just enough to make a show of it. To truly train her to meet the standards of a Crown Prince's close attendant, one must be strict."
"Then what if you see who she really is?"
Dong Shuang said, "She's someone who thinks of herself as above others, disdainful of everyone, feeling unique and superior to all, treating rules as if they don't exist."
"But she lacks experience, has little respect for the rules, as if she's been artificially raised... like a thin horse."
Dong Shuang hesitated for a moment before choosing to say the final two words.
Zhang Shu, after all, is the Crown Prince's concubine. She shouldn't be compared to the courtesans at the brothels, but this is the most accurate description.
She is close to the Crown Prince without any regard for occasion, has no sense of shame, and doesn't care at all whether her body is seen by others... She only thinks that it is something to be proud of if the Crown Prince desires her.
She is willing to sacrifice her own body to please the Crown Prince... Dong Shuang saw the purple and blue on Zhang Shu's wrists from her handcuffs and the candle stains on her chest. Yet, when Dong Shu noticed this, she was actually quite pleased.
This is different from girls from proper families.
Even if there is no way to refuse one's husband, such things are enough to provoke anger.
Only thin horses, specifically raised in this way, taught to please men and make them forgetful, can become the top of the girls in the ranks. Only then can they receive better treatment... Over time, this naturally formed such a mindset.
Su Jun was surprised: "Is it really like that? Isn't it pretending to be cute to win the Crown Prince's favor?"
Using charming tactics to achieve one's goals is one thing, and thinking that satisfying one's husband's desires is something to be proud of is quite another.
Although Su Jun, relying on the status of the Crown Prince's Consort, didn't treat Zhang Shu as anything more than that, she also didn't think Zhang Shu was born to be a slave.
Dong Shuang said, "My maid has been observing and testing her these days, and it's indeed true."
Su Jun's mouth twitched, and she suddenly understood why the Crown Prince liked Zhang Shu.
The Crown Prince is the heir apparent, and the Emperor values him. A few years ago, he was young, who would dare to give a thin horse like this to the Crown Prince?
According to the Emperor's standards, those who serve the Crown Prince must be the cream of the crop in every aspect, naturally literate, having read a few books, and also intelligent and articulate.
Such maids, even if forced to do so, would definitely feel humiliated and would not willingly serve and please the Crown Prince.
As for the official's daughters that the Crown Prince encounters... That's even more ridiculous! Everyone has dignity!
Let the Crown Prince just dream about it!
It can't be said out loud, or else the petitions from the officials could fill up the entire Qianqing Palace.
Compared to the previous dynasty, the wind of this dynasty is not as open.
But it's not just that women can no longer remarry; it's also that men are not allowed to divorce and remarry!
Of course, the lower-income families and low-level officials can do whatever they want without worrying about their face.
But in Su Jun's circle, it's a saying that the wife who came through hardships can't be abandoned!
A marriage is about the alliance of two clans.
When people choose to get married, they usually pick families that are close and can support each other. Even if it's a lower-status marriage, unless the family is in ruins, it's still within this circle.
In this period, divorce was seen as forcing one's wife to die and questioning the upbringing of the wife's family!
It was a way of breaking off relations with the in-laws and becoming enemies!
One would also bring shame to themselves and affect the family's wedding and marriage!
If someone dared to divorce their wife without a reason and no one in the family tried to stop them, then the entire family would never be able to get married in this circle again.
In their social class, once a marriage agreement is set and the wedding contract is issued, no matter what, the two must be together for the rest of their lives.
The officialdom advocates chastity, and girls from prestigious families certainly cannot remarry, and those of the same status cannot divorce and remarry!
So, at this time, the wife of a nobleman is more like a business partner with her husband. As long as she gives birth to offspring, there is no need to worry about anything else.
As for who the husband favors?
As long as she follows the rules, don't favor concubines over wives and let the wife take care of herself.
So the wife will never accompany her husband to do such things.
On the contrary, if a husband wants to visit courtesans or never step into his wife's courtyard, he can expect to be scolded by his elders.
As for saying that because the wife doesn't want to do such things with him, she caused a scene...
Eh, even the most hedonistic young men in the capital wouldn't do something like that.
