Chapter 9: Marriage 1

Therefore, a good feudal emperor must be more shameless and more unscrupulous than the feudal bureaucrats in order to ensure the continuation of his dynasty amidst the ongoing power struggles between imperial authority and the bureaucratic elite

Wang Shuhui is unable to adapt to the interpersonal relationships of modern society, let alone those of feudal society. In reality, Wang Shuhui understands that interpersonal relationships are essentially a product of feudal society; in an industrialized society, only relationships based on interests exist, while interpersonal relationships do not. The so-called face and interpersonal relationships in modern China are merely a remnant of feudalism.

Zhu Youzi was overjoyed in his heart, for these words were indeed well said; after all, we are family. Ignoring the drastic change in Zhu Weiwan's expression beside him, Zhu Youzi happily said to Wang Shuhui, "Since you, my nephew, have said this, I shall no longer keep anything from you. During my illness, my greatest concern was the future of your sister. As you have seen, although my family is said to be of royal descent, we are actually just an ordinary family, even less prosperous than a well-off farmer. It is a delusion to think of marrying your sister into a wealthy family. If she were to marry into a poor farming household, I would be heartbroken to see her suffer that hardship and endure that misery. You, my nephew, have returned to secular life, and according to the regulations of the court, you should return to your original home. However, since you wish to settle in Zhijiang County, I believe the best solution is to form a marriage alliance with my family. This would not only allow you to settle locally but also fulfill the wishes of a sickly father for his beloved daughter."

Upon hearing this, the little radish head Zhu Weiwen immediately fled in a panic like a rabbit. Wang Shuhui was taken aback by this proposal, unsure of how to respond for a while. Goodness, it truly is said that one can sit at home while fortune comes from the sky. It turns out that this time travel comes with benefits; to establish oneself in the Ming Dynasty, one also receives a radish head wife.

As bloodline nobles of the Ming Dynasty, the members of the Zhu family enjoyed a very high status, allowing them to completely disregard the constraints of feudal etiquette and live freely and unrestrained. Of course, this came at a cost: they were confined within the royal palace's fiefdom, maintained by the court much like pigs are raised. As long as they showed no intention of rebellion, the court paid them no mind. This may also be the fundamental reason why none of the vassal kings of the Ming Dynasty appeared to be well-adjusted individuals; they all seemed to exhibit either psychological or physiological abnormalities. As long as they showed no intention of rebellion, the court paid them no mind. This may also be the fundamental reason why none of the vassal kings of the Ming Dynasty appeared to be well-adjusted individuals; they all seemed to exhibit either psychological or physiological abnormalities

Wang Shuhui indeed agrees with the words of this middle-aged bachelor who has been married three times. As a sociological researcher, Wang Shuhui has his own understanding of those who do not wish to find a wife or claim they cannot find one. He believes that in any society and under any circumstances, the allocation of social resources is optimized. In modern society, both women and men are considered a form of social resource. Therefore, as wealthy and powerful individuals possess high-quality social resources, men and women, who are also high-quality social resources, will naturally gravitate towards them. He fully acknowledges this phenomenon, which he refers to as an objective law, having no relation to people's subjective desires.

From the perspective of known history since the late Ming Dynasty, both the Tianqi Emperor and the Chongzhen Emperor experienced a malfunctioning court due to the extreme expansion of bureaucratic power. After the death of Wei Zhongxian, the emperor's means of suppressing the landlord class and the civil official group completely disappeared. The Chongzhen Emperor relied entirely on civil officials to govern the country, which ultimately led to the complete collapse of the national finances and the eventual downfall of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, in Wang Shuhui's view, the latter part of the Chongzhen Emperor's statement "The sovereign is not a sovereign of a fallen state, but all the ministers are ministers of a fallen state" is entirely correct. After the death of Wei Zhongxian, the emperor's means of suppressing the landlord class and the civil official group completely disappeared. The Chongzhen Emperor relied entirely on civil officials to govern the country, which ultimately led to the complete collapse of the national finances and the eventual downfall of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, in Wang Shuhui's view, the latter part of the Chongzhen Emperor's statement "The sovereign is not a sovereign of a fallen state, but all the ministers are ministers of a fallen state" is entirely correct.

While reviewing the historical materials of the Ming Dynasty, Wang Shuhui deeply resonated with Zhang Dashen's words. The emperors of the Ming Dynasty were indeed undergoing a continuous process of nobility. As a researcher in sociology, Wang Shuhui believes that once feudal rulers completely sever their blood ties with the common people, they are essentially on the path to demise. This is because noble emperors cannot comprehend, nor do they understand, how filthy and shameless the feudal bureaucrats, who hail from landlord and quasi-landlord backgrounds, can be, and how viciously they pursue their own interests. If the emperor cannot effectively restrain the bureaucrats representing the landlord class, their desire for land will expand without limits, leading to a contraction of the national finances due to the concentration of land. Ultimately, the result will be the downfall of the entire dynasty.

As a contemporary of Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youzi embodies a certain degree of ancestral regression due to the deprivation of noble status that began in his grandfather's era. Zhu Youzi is not concerned with maintaining the dignity and prestige of the royal family; rather, he is focused on securing a wealthy husband for his only daughter. In pursuit of a better future for his sole relative, Zhu Youzi is willing to resort to any means necessary. Zhu Youzi is not concerned with maintaining the dignity and prestige of the royal family; rather, he is focused on securing a wealthy husband for his only daughter. In pursuit of a better future for his sole relative, Zhu Youzi is willing to resort to any means necessary

His temperament is quite well-received among ordinary people, as he has helped raise his neighbors, all of whom praise and appreciate this honest and straightforward child. However, in a society that values interpersonal relationships, Wang Shuhui is somewhat marginalized. He himself does not care about this phenomenon

Wang Shuhui, how should one put it? To use a trendy expression, he is somewhat socially inept. Throughout his more than twenty years of life, he has come to realize one issue: that face and personal connections, aside from hindering and disrupting the progress and efficiency of tasks, hold no other meaningful value. Therefore, Wang Shuhui is quite an unsophisticated individual in modern society. While everyone relies on him in work-related matters, in life and in the distribution of benefits, he always finds himself on the sidelines.

"Your nephew has worked hard to refine the elixir for me," Zhu Youzi said with a smile to Wang Shuhui

A former colleague of his conducted an analysis from a sociological perspective regarding the continuously rising failure rate of modern marriages. He believes that the primary reason for the failure of marriages among modern individuals is the economic independence of both spouses. As economically independent individuals, they possess a strong sense of independence in their lives, which leads to a greater freedom of choice. Unlike in the past, when individuals had to bear the pressures of life as a family unit, modern marriages face little external pressure; instead, they confront the issue of external temptations. Whether men or women, as economically independent individuals, they experience a strong sense of independence in their lives, which results in a greater freedom of choice. Unlike in the past, when individuals had to bear the pressures of life as a family unit, modern marriages face little external pressure; rather, they must contend with external material and spiritual temptations. Furthermore, the ability of modern individuals to resist such temptations is notably weak, which contributes to the widespread difficulty in sustaining modern marriages

However, as mentioned earlier, Wang Shuhui's time travel encounters a declining royal family, which originally lacked a strong sense of feudal etiquette. After their decline, they became even closer to the common people. If Wang Shuhui had encountered a feudal scholar-official family during his time travel, it is possible that several lives would have been lost by now

Wang Shuhui truly dislikes the elaborate formalities of ancient society, and he does not conceal his preferences. He directly told Zhu Youzi, "There is no need for the uncle and the nephew to be polite; feel free to speak openly. We are all family, so there is no need for formalities that create distance between us"

The relatively unknown figure, Comrade Zhang Dahua, once made a profound assessment of the differences between founding emperors and the last emperor. Although Wang Shuhui cannot recall his exact words, the general idea conveyed is that founding emperors, particularly the commoner emperors represented by Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang, exhibited a ruthless style characteristic of the lower social strata, which gradually faded away through successive generations of emperors, ultimately disappearing entirely by the time of the last emperor. In a certain sense, this ruthless style is an essential quality of a competent feudal ruler; without it, an emperor would be deemed unqualified and unable to rule effectively. However, the overall message remains that the founding emperors, especially those like Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang, embodied a ruthless style from the lower social strata that diminished over generations, vanishing completely by the time of the last emperor. This ruthless style, in a certain sense, is indeed a necessary quality for a good feudal ruler; without such qualities, an emperor would be unqualified and incapable of ruling.

From a certain perspective, it is quite fortunate for Wang Shuhui to encounter Zhu Youzi, a fallen member of the royal family, during his time travel to the late Ming Dynasty

In the feudal society, feudal rites and teachings served as the fundamental order, permeating every aspect of the lives of ancient people. However, in the feudal society, particularly during the Ming Dynasty, there existed a group that was an exception. This group was the members of the Zhu family clan.

Wang Shuhui is in his twenties this year. As a young man who is both physically and mentally healthy, it is impossible for him not to have considered the issue of marriage. However, the shadow cast by his parents' unfortunate marriage and the complex and deteriorating relationships between men and women in modern society have instilled in him a profound fear regarding the matter of marriage