Chapter 89: Life 61, Age 35, Martial Grandmaster Peak
Note: Edit to Chapter 84 that is somewhat important. The lesson Su Fang gets about being a Groom has been updated so that the final piece of advice is now about the proper role of a Flower. This is to give you context to understand what is normal for a Flower to do and what isn't. The relevant section is in the spoiler below.
The final part that stood out was when the instructor talked about the proper role of a Flower.
“Once a Groom becomes city lord, his Flower steps back from leadership and becomes his strongest pillar of support. She will be your consort and wife, giving you all of her affection and love, but she will also be your Grand Chancellor, ensuring the smooth functioning of your domain by using her knowledge and experience to assist you.”
I thought about Mei in this kind of role. Her blessing would certainly be of use in the political sphere. She would be able to easily manipulate her rivals. I snorted internally. I wasn’t sure if relying on her for such a thing was smart, but she was made for those situations. I wasn’t.
“She will have eleven years of experience, and you should rely on it to help you, but keep in mind that she is your wife, not your servant. She is there to support you, but you are the one who is in charge of running the city. After a Groom ascends to lordship, the Flower’s primary duty is to nurture her Seeds while you are in charge of governance.”
The teacher handed us each a paper that contained a historical account so we could better understand the role of a Flower.
In the story, the new Water Groom ascended to his position and began leading the city. He wanted his reign to be marked by significant changes and improvements to the city, so he worked with his ministers to craft a series of proposals for new street layouts, improved roads, and a sewage system.
His proposals would have affected nearly every significant interest in the city, and if he had implanted them directly, the major clans would have rioted.
This is where his Flower helped. She did not mediate with the clans directly. Instead, in her role as Chancellor, she advised the Groom on how clans would react and gave suggestions that would improve his ideas and make them welcomed by everyone involved.