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Fei Min laughed heartily and said, "This is a joyous occasion—how could there be any reason for blame?" Though his words sounded as if he held no grudge whatsoever, in reality, aside from a tinge of regret, there was also some dissatisfaction in his heart.
The regret stemmed from the fact that now that Fei Qian had married the daughter of the Huang family from Jingxiang, even if the Fei family found a suitable match for him, it would no longer be appropriate to marry her off to Fei Qian.
Unless Fei Qian were to divorce Lady Huang, any woman marrying him now would only hold the status of a concubine. For a woman from the main branch of the Fei family, such a position would be humiliating and utterly unacceptable.
Of course, if Fei Qian's status and position were to rise significantly, then even a servant girl would be willingly offered by many…
During the Zhou Dynasty, noblewomen were accompanied by sisters or nieces when they married, known as ying (媵). These ying would become secondary wives, holding a status higher than that of concubines. Over time, the distinction between ying and concubines blurred. As stated in The Book of Rites - Internal Regulations: "When the wife is absent, no concubine dares to take her place at night."
In the Han Dynasty, unless one had made extraordinary contributions, a man could only marry up to eight concubines—"achieving merit and receiving enfeoffment, one may have eight concubines." Ordinary officials were limited to a maximum of one wife and two concubines—"a minister or high official may have one wife and two concubines." As for commoners, they were not permitted even one concubine—"a commoner may have only one husband and one wife," meaning they were restricted to a single spouse.
Thus, in the Han Dynasty, someone like Fei Qian, whose rank had not yet reached that of a "minister or high official," would face severe consequences if he dared to take a concubine without authorization. If discovered, what was meant to be a joyous occasion could quickly turn into a funeral…
This was also the source of Fei Min's dissatisfaction. He had previously written to Fei Qian, hinting that he would arrange a marriage for him. Yet not only did Fei Qian not accept the offer, but he also married into the Huang family of Jingxiang without informing Fei Min, completely derailing Fei Min's original plans. Naturally, this left Fei Min feeling rather displeased.
However, since it had only been a hint in the letter and not an explicit statement—though Fei Min was certain Fei Qian had understood the implication—it had never been openly discussed. Thus, while Fei Min harbored discontent, he had no grounds to voice it.
Though Fei Qian could detect no visible sign of displeasure from Fei Min's expression, a small detail revealed the latter's true feelings…
If Fei Min had genuinely been happy for his junior, even if he hadn't been present at the wedding, he would have at least asked about the ceremony itself or how the couple was faring afterward. Even if Fei Min, as a male family head, was more concerned with the family's interests and uninterested in trivial details, he should still have inquired about any benefits Fei Qian had gained from allying with the Huang family—whether they had offered him any support, for instance.
Yet to Fei Qian's disappointment, Fei Min asked none of these questions. His congratulations were merely perfunctory, making his true stance all too clear…
It seems the family head isn't as magnanimous or kind-hearted as he pretends to be, Fei Qian thought to himself. Who knows when he might slip me a pair of tight shoes to wear…
Fei Min leisurely stroked his beard and asked casually, "I've heard that Nephew has taken office under Governor Liu of Jingzhou. Is this true?"
After all, Fei Qian was hardly a figure whose every move shook the world. Unless one deliberately sought out news from Jingxiang, updates about someone of Fei Qian's rank were easily overshadowed by more pressing matters—such as the eastern gentry's campaign against Dong Zhuo. Thus, it was only natural that Fei Min's information about Fei Qian was outdated.
On the surface, the question seemed innocuous—no different from an elder asking a younger relative, How's your job these days?
But to Fei Qian's ears, the implications were far more complex. After all, no one became the head of a gentry family by being simple-minded—even in a smaller clan like the Fei family…
From this single question, Fei Qian deduced at least three underlying meanings:
First, in the Han Dynasty, taking office often signified pledging loyalty to a specific individual. Fei Min's question was, in essence, asking whether Fei Qian had sworn allegiance to Liu Biao, the Governor of Jingzhou.
Second, Liu Biao himself bore multiple political labels—he was a member of the imperial clan, a regional warlord, and part of the eastern gentry faction. Though he had not openly declared a stance, his tacit cooperation with the eastern gentry was an open secret. Thus, Fei Min was also probing Fei Qian's political alignment: Was he with Dong Zhuo? The eastern gentry? Or was he, like Liu Biao, a fence-sitter waiting to see which way the wind blew?
Third, and most naturally, if Fei Qian had been serving in Jingxiang, why had he suddenly returned to Luoyang? Was there some special reason? Of course, Fei Min would not ask directly. Instead, he framed it this way—if Fei Qian could disclose the reason, he would; if not, Fei Min had not explicitly asked, sparing both parties any awkwardness.
Fei Qian replied, "I have already resigned from office…" Since this was something people would eventually learn anyway, there was no point in hiding or lying about it. Honesty was the best approach.
"Oh?" Fei Min straightened slightly, his hand pausing mid-stroke on his beard. "For what reason did Nephew resign?"
If Fei Qian had remained in Jingxiang to develop his career, Fei Min would have had little to say—after all, the purpose of a gentry family's expansion was precisely to spread its influence. But now that Fei Qian had resigned from his post in Jingxiang, did that not mean…
A flicker of unease crossed Fei Min's mind. His own son was now grown and needed a platform to demonstrate his abilities and secure achievements—this was the proper path to inheriting the position of Fei family head in the next generation.
Originally, the succession of the Fei family headship had seemed uncontested. But now, a young Fei Qian had emerged unexpectedly. Though he had yet to attain a high-ranking position, the influential figures standing behind him represented potential resources too significant to ignore. The once-secure succession might now slip from his son's grasp…
How could Fei Min not feel tense about this?
Had he not spent years managing the Fei family precisely to ensure its legacy would pass to his own child? And now, though Fei Qian had shown no overt signs of competing for the position, who could guarantee he would not develop such ambitions in the future? Moreover, if Fei Qian had been comfortably settled in Jingxiang, why resign and come to Henei? What exactly was his goal?
Though the smile never left Fei Min's face, his gaze bore into Fei Qian with piercing intensity, as if trying to strip away his outward demeanor and uncover the true thoughts hidden within.
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