Episode 35

  The spring confinement usually takes place in mid-February, but this year it was postponed to early March due to the emperor's poor health. Changbai and Qiheng set off in the middle of February. After they left, Wangshi burned incense and worshipped Buddha every day at the Taoist temple, filling the house with smoke and fog, causing outsiders to think that the Rong mansion was on fire and almost summoning the fire brigade. Every time Minglan went to pay her respects to Wangshi, she came out with her eyes red from the smoke. Sheng Hong initially scolded a few times, saying "the child is not speaking, it's all about strange powers and spirits", but according to reliable sources, he also secretly worshipped twice.

  This exam lasted for three days, each session was like a torture, even if you passed, you had to peel off a layer of skin. Qi Heng was carried back by the servants of the Qi Gong Fu as soon as he left the examination hall. Zhang Bai walked into the carriage with his own feet and was received by Zhang Wu Xue, the training director of the Imperial Guard, to rest. As a result, the good news arrived one step ahead of the examinees, and Zhang Bai passed the second place in the fifth place of the imperial examination.

  Wang was overjoyed and immediately wanted to set off firecrackers and give out money and rice, but Wang's wife hastily stopped him - Qi Heng had failed the exam.

  Magistrate Qi was still okay, he knew that it was rare for someone like Zhang Bai to pass the exam in one go, most candidates took two or three attempts to pass, and some even took over a decade, but Princess Ping Ning's face turned as black as a pot bottom.

  The Qis had a lot of connections, and even if they died, they would die with a clear conscience. Old Master Qi asked the chief examiner for advice, and that official stroked his beard and said a few words, roughly meaning: Other candidates simplified everything for the spring exams, and after the autumn exams, they closed their doors to study. But the Qis were afraid of not being lively enough, so they rushed back to the capital to celebrate the New Year, letting Qi Heng spend the last month or two drinking, attending banquets, and socializing, which was lively enough. How could he possibly pass the exam with just half a month of last-minute cramming?

  Ping Ning's mistress was too late to regret, and Qi Da Ren slapped his thigh in realization: No wonder the Sheng Mansion was so cold and deserted during the New Year! It turns out it was like this! If I had known earlier, I would have let my son spend the New Year in Dengzhou. He couldn't help but look at Sheng Hong with new eyes - after all, he was a professional, and his memorial to the throne was indeed experienced.

  After several days, the Hanlin Academy was re-examined, and Zhang Bai was selected as a Gongshi, and he was appointed to compile and repair. The following year, he took office. Along with this news came the news that Zhang Bai's older brother's marriage had been settled, and the match was the second daughter of the Jiangning Hai family, a scholarly family with a good reputation, and her father and brothers were all officials in the court. As for these two things, Sheng Hong and Wang Shi reacted with extreme coldness and heat.

  "It's rare for Bo Ge to pass the exam, why didn't he get an official position outside, but instead went to that cold and quiet place in Hanlin Academy to suffer!" Wang Shi cried and complained to Sheng Hong, "Isn't it true that Master said that several uncles would lead Bo Ge to pay respects and send gifts to establish relationships, but ended up getting a low-ranking Sheng Ji Shi position?"

  "A woman's opinion! What do you know? The Hanlin Academy is a noble place, and Bo Ge is still young. If he were to be sent out, it would be a waste of his talent!" Xing Huang felt that his carefully considered words had been dismissed by Wang as worthless, and he was furious.

  Wang didn't know what nobility the Hanlin Academy had, only that the Hanlin scholars were poor and destitute; but she also knew that Sheng Xuan was more knowledgeable in this regard than herself, so she stopped speaking. However, another matter was even more distressing.

  "This is all, we women are also ignorant, but after all, this son was born to me. I should have the final say in marrying a daughter-in-law! Now, Master has gone and asked Uncle Geng to be the matchmaker without even telling me, and it's only now that I know which family the daughter-in-law is from! What place has Master put me in!" Madam Wang felt even more wronged, and she bowed her head and wiped away tears.

  Sheng Hong sat beside the kang, picked up a bean green bottom painted pink ceramic tea bowl and took a sip, coldly saying: "Don't think I don't know, you've taken a liking to your elder sister's daughter-in-law. If it wasn't for me taking the initiative, I'm afraid this month you would have had to invite your niece over to live with you!"

  The Wang family was suddenly exposed, and she slammed the handkerchief on the kang: "What's wrong with Yun'er? She is knowledgeable and reasonable, elegant in appearance and wise at heart. Moreover, she is a cousin of Bo Ge, they know each other's roots and bottoms, I think it's perfect!"

  "Right! That's knowing the roots and bottoms!" Sheng Hong heavily put the tea bowl on the kang table: "Don't say it, brother-in-law has such a good family background, now the official is not as big as me, in the past few years when his father passed away, he actually had several children during the mourning period, the Imperial Censor's Office impeached him for taking a concubine during the mourning period, and he was dismissed from office. He didn't think about how to smooth out relationships, return to court, and fill vacancies, but instead spent his days with ordinary guests, discussing and evaluating government policies! Do you want such a relative?"

  Wang's face turned red with anger and she retorted, "Even if the master is dissatisfied with the current state of the Kang family, he shouldn't have sought out the Hai family. Their family rules clearly state that their descendants can only take a concubine after they turn 40 and have no children. Being a daughter-in-law in their household would be a great honor, but how could such a family's daughter be wanted? I've heard that the eldest young lady of the Hai family, after getting married, frequently disobeyed her mother-in-law and wouldn't allow her husband to take a concubine. And yet, with their high social status, they're inviting this living Bodhisattva into our home - how am I supposed to be a mother-in-law to her?"

  "Rubbish! If it weren't for this, how would our family be related to the Hai family? As long as you don't stir up trouble and send people to Bai Ge's room, just do your job as a mother-in-law and there will be no problem!"

  The couple had a big quarrel and parted in anger.

  Wang was extremely discontented and rushed to Old Lady Sheng's presence in tears, asking her to take charge of the matter.

  The old lady half-reclined on the soft couch, her eyes slightly closed, listened to Wang's cry and finished, gently patted her back, sighed: "Lao Ye is not a person who comes from an empty cave, what about the Kang family now? Although the Kang family is also related to my family by marriage, it's not as important as Bo Ge's future, Madam should be careful."

  The Wang family knew that Old Lady Sheng was looking at the world with a detached air, but in fact, she understood everything. Adding to her headache and dizziness from crying, she simply opened up and said: "...My sister's husband is also too incompetent. Now, my sister has more than a dozen children, both sons and daughters, and I don't know what kind of messy women are giving birth left and right, filling the house! Each one needs my sister to take care of them, marrying off requires betrothal gifts, and my brother-in-law only knows how to be an official but not how to make money. My sister's dowry is also unknown how much was lost, if my sister didn't agree, those idle uncles in the clan would say that my sister is not virtuous! Now, the Kang family is probably just an empty shell, fortunately, my sister's son is still quite capable, a few years ago he was appointed as the head of the Ministry of Rites. As her younger sister, I should help out a bit, and besides, the Kang family's social status isn't too shameful for our family either."

  The old lady looked at the incense smoke scattered everywhere and sighed softly: "Madam is kind-hearted, but to say something unpleasant, sisters are closer than sons! Ah... I'm also a mother-in-law, I know what you're thinking, it's just that you're afraid of the Hai family's power, and in the future, you won't be able to control your daughter-in-law, hmm?"

  Mrs. Sheng's sharp eyes scanned over, and Mrs. Wang felt a pang of guilt in her heart. In fact, she didn't have a very good relationship with her elder sister. They had quarreled and argued when they were young, but later on, the fortunes of the Sheng and Kang families changed, and her sister would often come to visit, lamenting and complaining about her situation. A few years ago, she began to suggest that they arrange a marriage between their children, flattering and fawning over Mrs. Wang, making her feel very comfortable.

  The old lady looked at Wang's uncertain face, gently patting Wang's shoulder: "At first, the Xu family also had relatives come to talk about marriage, but I rejected them all. Your Wang family and my family have never had any dealings with each other, but I still asked you to be my daughter-in-law. At first, my husband's career was smooth thanks to his father's help, and you gave birth to sons and daughters, taking care of the household chores. Today, I dare say: I've never regretted marrying you! Alas, all mothers in the world are kind-hearted, but which is more important, Bo's future or your own peace of mind?"

  Wang was said to be blushing all over her face, thinking that she wasn't very competent as a daughter-in-law either, and felt embarrassed, putting away the handkerchief and gently dabbing at the corners of her eyes.

  The old lady continued: "You don't have to worry, Auntie Kong has told me that the second daughter of the Hai family is a good person with excellent virtues and will definitely get along well with you as mother-in-law; As for Miss Kang, she is the wife's own niece, can the wife really put on airs and harshly discipline her? In the future when Longbai grows up and receives his official title, it will be impossible without the wife's help, isn't that even better?"

  Wang was said to be moved, and upon careful consideration, he thought of Sheng Hong's simple and rough communication methods. He felt wronged and said: "I'm not someone who doesn't understand reason either. If Master had also spoken nicely with me, how would I have been able to show my face in front of Old Madam? ...But what about Rong'er? She's already 17 years old, and Brother-in-law currently has no official position, neither high nor low, or else it will delay this child's future."

  The old lady smiled slightly and affectionately held Wang's hand: "What does Madam think of Tang Fang's son?"

  Wang heard this and was taken aback: "What does the old lady mean...?"

  Mrs. Sheng said indifferently, "The Kang family is indeed a noble family, but now they are just officials like your nephew; as for the thickness of their property, you, madam, know better than I do. Although Mr. Wei's family cannot be said to have millions of wealth, it is also quite rich and wealthy. There are only two brothers in his family, and in the future, even if Wu Ge'er becomes independent, he will still be very rich. As for Wu Ge'er's character, you, as his aunt, know best. These years, living alone in Beijing, he has been honest and upright, without any frivolous thoughts. It can be said that this is a good thing, a perfect match."

  "But... after all, he's just a merchant..."

  The old lady looked at Wang Shi's appearance, her mouth slightly raised, wanting to say a few sarcastic words, but restrained herself and said straightforwardly: "Wu Ge'er has been promoted to the middle rank of the Weiwei Army, and will take office soon. He has an official position, good character, and rich family wealth. If it weren't for bad luck in marriage, I wouldn't have agreed to this match. My old sister-in-law also wouldn't have asked me to intervene. If you really don't think it's suitable, then forget it. I'll find someone else to ask about another girl."

  Wang heard this and hastily said: "Old lady, don't worry, I'll write a letter to my sister right away. This is indeed an excellent marriage arrangement, and I think my sister will understand too."

  As she spoke, she hastily bid farewell and left. Looking at the back of Wang's wife, who was leaving in a hurry, Old Lady Sheng let out a long sigh and suddenly heard the sound of the curtain moving behind her. Without turning around, she said: "Little thing, have you heard enough? Why don't you come out?"

  Only to see Minglan rubbing her eyes, her small face was red and white, with a faint pillow mark on her cheek. She was only wearing a pink silk jacket with embroidered branches and jade orchids, and she came out of the inner room, rushing into Old Lady Shen's arms. The little fatty squirrel-like twisted and turned to get onto the kang, and Old Lady Shen hurriedly stretched out her hand to hold her granddaughter in her arms, but scolded: "I told you to go back and take a nap, but you insisted on staying here with me, now you've been disturbed."

  Minglan hugged her grandmother's neck and asked in a soft voice, "Grandma, am I going to have a new aunt?"

  "What's wrong with you, little girl? Didn't you hear?" The old lady slapped Minglan heavily on the back.

  Minglan slyly blinked her eyes: "Grandmother, actually that Miss Hai is your matchmaker, isn't she?"

  The old lady gave Minglan a glance, swept her eyes over the doors and windows, and Cui Ping understood, turned around to inspect them. The old lady stroked Minglan's hair and said: "It's also your father being too cautious, finding a daughter-in-law is originally the mother's affair, but coming to bother you, your grandmother, it doesn't matter, after all, Bo'er is our family's eldest son and legitimate grandson, can't be taken lightly."

  Minglan smiled innocently: "Father and Mother are harmonious, respectful to each other like guests, they must be very satisfied with Grandmother's matchmaking."

  The old lady scowled, wanting to scold, but couldn't help but laugh first. She lightly pinched her granddaughter twice and shook her head, saying: "Your big brother is now far better than your father was in his youth. With a fifth-rank father-in-law, a Zhongjunbo sister's husband, and a respectable uncle's family, even the Hai family's scholarly elegance cannot be underestimated."

  Actually, at the beginning, the Hai family didn't think highly of Changbai, thinking that the Sheng family's background was a bit thin. However, Old Lady Sheng was very confident. The Wang family had also hesitated about Sheng Xiang's marriage back then, but when Old Lady Sheng brought Sheng Xiang to visit them, Old Lady Wang immediately agreed as soon as she saw Sheng Xiang's elegant and refined demeanor - it's said that mothers-in-law tend to like their sons-in-law more the more they see them.

  Mrs. Sheng was very experienced in handling such matters, and this time she also let Mrs. Geng take Longbai to pay respects. As soon as Mrs. Hai saw Longbai's dignified demeanor and upright posture, she agreed half-heartedly. Who knows if Miss Hai had secretly taken a peek from behind the curtain? If she did, she would probably be smitten too.

  Of course, Minglan did not know this. Old Lady Shen continued: "That Miss Hai was mentioned by Aunt Kong several years ago. Her virtues and words are all good, but unfortunately, the men of the Hai family do not take concubines, so they cannot raise their daughters to accommodate a concubine's chamber. That is why it is difficult for the girls of the Hai family to marry. However, your elder brother is not afraid of this. Over the years, he has had only one concubine, named... hmm..."

  "Call Yanghao." Minglan handed it over.

  The old lady smiled lightly: "This is good, the other few broken names are also called out by your big brother, a good girl is called Zhuāng Láng Jī Shǔ...... That Yang Hao is just an ordinary person, and he is also a decent person, it doesn't matter whether to keep him or send him away."

  Listening to the old lady's casual tone, Minglan's eyes gradually dimmed, like a sheep's hair that had been used by its owner but had no name or status. In fact, her future was very worrying. The best outcome for them was to become a concubine after the birth of the legitimate wife's child, and if the master still favored her, she might be able to have another child. If the master and mistress were harmonious, she would become a mere decoration, slowly withering away her youth; if the mistress couldn't tolerate her, she would be sent away, either released or married off.

  But what kind of good person can she marry? After all, it's just a lower-ranking official in the government, a commoner, a woodcutter in the mountains, or a farmer in the fields. Any man with some ability to provide for his family and has a decent household would not want a woman who is no longer a virgin.

  However, she couldn't just tolerate and compromise all the time. Minglan knew that Old Madam's tragedy back then was largely due to the machinations of her husband's concubine. This kind of servant girl who had served the young master since childhood, familiar with both upstairs and downstairs, and having a deep emotional bond with the male owner, often had a stable position even before the female owner entered the house, and sometimes would even set traps for the new mistress.

  Minglan patted her heart and asked herself: when the time came, could she dispose of her opponent without hesitation?