Chapter 45 The 'Ambition' That Came Quickly and Went Even Faster (Part 2): Her ambition surged forth with tremendous force, so much so that Shen Wanqing spent the first half of the night thinking only of her past self…

Her ambition surged so fiercely that Shen Wanqing spent the first half of the night thinking about all the novels and palace dramas she had read before, trying to find a way to help Yinreng become the crown prince.

However, the identities of the protagonists in those stories are so different from my current identity. Unless there is some extraordinary coincidence, I probably will never be able to meet the Crown Prince in my lifetime.

Even if they met, it would be a sin for him to stand while I was kneeling, or even to look up and face him directly. With such vastly different statuses, the idea of ​​letting the crown prince ascend the throne seems like a form of hysteria.

Shen Wanqing's ambition vanished instantly. She turned over, grabbed Yu Lang's arm, and lifted him up, using the spot where his shoulder and chest muscles met as a fleshy pillow.

Perhaps because the fleshy pillow was comfortable, Grandma Shen, who was half-drunk and had been pondering too many things, slept very soundly in the second half of the night, not waking up until the sun was high in the sky. All the ambitions of the previous night had vanished with a dream.

When she woke up, Yu Lang was not in the room. Chun Qian said that he had gone to the next courtyard to spar with Shen Wen Yuan. Shen Wan Qing laughed when she heard this. People in this era are sensible at a young age. Yu Lang is not only her husband but also a captain of the Plain Yellow Banner. She rarely thought that this person was actually two years younger than her.

It was only at this time, when he saw that he would go to great lengths to find someone to compare whose kung fu was better because of something he said, that he realized that he and he were actually not that old.

Just as she wished, Yu Lang returned from outside, full of energy, after Shen Wanqing had just gotten up, dressed, and washed her face.

"Why are you up so early when you finally get a break? Why don't you sleep a little longer?"

"I felt restless after seeing your second brother yesterday, so I took advantage of some free time today to visit his courtyard."

Shen Wanqing paused for a moment while picking through the jewelry box, then turned and instructed Chunqian to go to her second sister-in-law to get some liniment.

"What do you need liniment for? I was just playing around and didn't take it seriously. Your second brother was afraid of hurting me, so he didn't really do it properly."

Yu Lang stopped Chun Xian from leaving, while he sat down next to Shen Wanqing and carefully examined his wife's jewelry box.

The original owner was a quiet person, and even her jewelry was mostly simple and elegant. But Shen Wanqing was an outgoing and lively person, and even her favorite colors were mostly bright red, purple and green. When she was five years old, she already knew how to wear a red skirt and green pants when she went out, and her whole outfit was so bright that it blinded the neighbors.

Now she lives a different life. She can compromise on other things, but not on her aesthetic sense and appearance. The most elegant and simple pieces in her jewelry box had long been picked out and put away separately by Shen Wanqing. When Feng Mama asked her about it, she only said that now that she was married, wearing those plain pieces all the time didn't look good, and she preferred brighter pieces now.

Granny Feng nodded repeatedly in agreement. She had always felt that young girls should be dressed in festive attire. However, the girl she had raised was a dull and unassuming girl. She always wore only off-white or pale yellow clothes, and there wasn't a single bright color on her. No matter how pretty she was, she wouldn't stand out.

Most of the hairpins and hair ornaments in the jewelry box were newly prepared before the wedding. Since they were prepared for the wedding, they were mostly made of gold, jade and kingfisher feathers. There were hairpins with twin begonias, double gold hairpins inlaid with rubies and sapphires, and hair ornaments with cloisonné gold and jade. Shen Wanqing thought each one was beautiful, but in Yu Lang's eyes, none of them were fashionable enough.

"I heard that jewelry with cloisonné enamel, kingfisher feathers, pearl, and pink tourmaline is all the rage this year. I've been saying I'd take you to Tianbaozhai, but we haven't been able to go yet."

“You usually have to go to the palace to work. Last time you came back for the Mid-Autumn Festival. This time you're back with a lot of things to do at home. Why would you go to Tianbaozhai? Do you have time or do I have time?”

Shen Wanqing is a very realistic person. So realistic that in her past life, when she went on blind dates, most women complained that the men were not romantic enough. But in Shen Wanqing's case, the men complained that she was too rigid, that she was too domineering and didn't act like a woman.

Shen Wanqing didn't know what it meant to act like a woman; she felt she was very womanly. But there was no need to argue about this; she just needed to know her own situation.

Yu Lang doesn't have to be with her, but he has to be doing serious business. Most of the time, one can only choose between money, power, and people; as long as he gives her one of them, Shen Wanqing feels it's acceptable.

"Let's go in a couple of days. In a couple of days, we'll go to Tianbao Pavilion. Look at this box of yours, there aren't many good things. This won't do."

Yu Lang recalled the knife he bought from Mu Ge's uncle; it cost one hundred and twenty taels of silver, and he hadn't even haggled over the price. Now, his great-grandmother wore only a few gold hairpins—what kind of behavior was that!

"There are still two days left. You have to go to the palace tomorrow."

"This time we have five days off, how can we stay in the palace every day?"

ah? !

Shen Wanqing never thought of relying on Yulang for the West Courtyard matter, partly because she thought Yulang's job was a five-day work week with two days off, but she didn't expect his job to be so flexible.

"Then why not go tomorrow?"

"I forgot to tell you again, I've arranged to go to Xiangshan to offer incense tomorrow with Eshan, and we can also enjoy the autumn scenery and see the maple leaves. Two families from our Zuo Ling will also be going along, so you can get to know them."

"Going out to play? That's great. Why did you suddenly think of this? Does E'shan know those two families? Why did you think of inviting them together?"

“Even if we bannermen enter the palace to serve, we can’t abandon our banner affairs. The people under our banner are alright, they all followed our ancestors to join the banner before entering the pass. I’ve been busy with palace affairs these days, so Akdun and Fuchang are managing the affairs for me.”

Akdun was a cavalry captain under Yulang's command, mainly responsible for military training and horse and weapon management within the command. He was considered the second-in-command within the command, and he was the one in charge when Yulang was not around.

Akdun was Yulang's cousin by seniority, but he was eight years older than Yulang. Back then, Akdun's father was a cavalry captain under Shuai Yanbao and Erhe. After Erhe's death, Akdun's father always supported Yulang with the strongest stance, which calmed down those in the Zuo Ling who had harbored ulterior motives.

Three years ago, Akdun's father passed away, and Akdun, who had been raised and trained by his side, took over. The two had known each other since childhood, and although they were uncle and nephew in terms of seniority, Akdun was the one who was truly like an older brother to Yulang.

Fu Chang was the leader of a Zuo Ling (a military unit in Taiwan). There were usually five or six leaders in a Zuo Ling, who were responsible for the daily affairs of the Zuo Ling, such as documents, household registration, food, and pay.

Fu Chang also shares the surname Hesheli, but the two families are no longer related. Yu Lang usually calls him Uncle.

Fu Chang was promoted by the old master when he was still alive because he was eloquent, literate and steady. After the old master died, he followed Erhe, and after Erhe died, he followed Yulang. Having served three generations of the Hesheli family, Fu Chang is the most senior and steady leader in the Zuo Ling.

“They are the two most capable people I have in the Zuo Ling. E Shan is also a decent person to befriend. His wife’s family is a leader under the Bordered White Banner Zuo Ling. Since our families are similar, we have nothing to worry about. Besides, we have to get to know some people sooner or later. It’s better to get to know them sooner rather than later.”

Yu Lang was a Zuo Ling (a military officer), and Shen Wanqing was his wife. The Zuo Ling system was unique to the Eight Banners, but it could also be applied to ordinary families.

The origin of the hereditary Zuo Ling (military officers) was that the patriarch of the Hesheli clan brought his entire family to submit to the Eight Banners and became Zuo Ling after being incorporated into the Eight Banners.

Therefore, the majority of people under Yulang's command were from the Hesheli family, and naturally, the Hesheli surname was the most common. There were also other surnames, but their ancestors were mostly vassals and servants of the Hesheli family. Vassal vassals were registered in the regular banner system, while servants were registered as bondservants.

Just like in a large family, Yu Lang is the clan leader, and people like Akdun and Fu Chang are the elders who have influence in the family. The cavalry and infantry under the Zuo Ling are young men from the family, and below them are ordinary people and servants. All of them together make up a Zuo Ling.

Under Yu Lang's command, there were about 150 men who could be selected to join the Eight Banners army. If you include the bondservants, there would be about 200 households. Shen Wanqing had to take care of all these households' weddings, funerals, births, illnesses, deaths, social interactions, presiding over sacrifices and distributing money, meat and vegetables during festivals, and even handling conflicts and disputes between two families under the command.

That's why, right now, the two have just gotten married, Yu Lang has gone to work at Yuqing Palace, and the Hesheli family is still in a mess and can't take care of its own affairs, so no one has come to Shen Wanqing's place. But she will have to take over these things sooner or later, so it's better to see Akdun and Fuchang as soon as possible.

Yulang receives nearly three thousand taels of silver annually from the Zuo Ling (military command), along with the unwavering loyalty of the entire Zuo Ling to its commander and its high-ranking position within the Eight Banners.

There's no such thing as a free lunch; Shen Wanqing quickly realized this and readily agreed.

"I understand. I don't know what time it will be when I get back today. I'll ask my mother to prepare some food and supplies for the journey tomorrow, so that I won't neglect them."

"You even gave them some flower dew, and they were so touched that they wanted to invite you to stay at their house. If you go tomorrow, it won't be considered neglecting them."

The Eight Banners are clearly hierarchical, and the three families who will be traveling together tomorrow are all of lower social standing than Yulang.

Yu Lang wasn't a bad person and had no one to rely on, so he had long since learned how to cultivate his network of connections. But a young master is a young master; he couldn't bring himself to deliberately flatter others. He was quite casual about what Shen Wanqing suggested preparing, and after instructing Chunxian not to prepare too much and trouble her mother-in-law, he didn't concern himself with it anymore.

When Madam Xu heard about the trip tomorrow, she quickly sent people to prepare a lot of things. In the afternoon, while Yulang was being called to the study in the front yard by Shen Hongshi, she came over to urge her daughter to go back quickly.

Having rarely returned home, Shen Wanqing had planned to take a good nap after lunch and then have dinner at her parents' house before heading back. However, she was immediately scolded by her own mother for coming back too often after her nap.

"Mom, I've never seen anyone like you. Other people's aunts are so happy to come back to their parents' home, why are you kicking me out?"

“How often do other people come back to visit? How often do you come back? Other women come home for a short visit and then rush back home, but you've stayed overnight both times you've come. Is this how a daughter-in-law should act? If your sister-in-law acted like this, you'd see how many nasty things I would say to her.”

"Isn't that different? Their family has much more rules than ours. Even if Mother wants her to go back, she doesn't want to. Why would Mother need to say anything unpleasant?"

Being a daughter-in-law in this world has never been an easy task. My own sister-in-law's family is said to have been a scholarly family since the previous dynasty, and even now, most of her family members have entered officialdom through the imperial examinations.

Although most of them were low-ranking officials, their families had a long history and rich heritage, and their daughters all married into high-ranking families. His sister-in-law, Qin, was not the best-married. The best-married was Qin's younger sister, who married a deputy commander of the Han Army Banner as his second wife.

But no matter who they were, the Qin family had a set of rules governing these married-out aunts. Each time they returned to their parents' home, they had to know exactly when to arrive and when to leave, what gifts to bring back to the Qin family, and what gifts to give in return. Everything was done meticulously and according to strict rules.

Qin had been married into the Shen family for several years, and Xu could recite the different gifts the Qin family sent on different holidays. She was impatient with and looked down on the Qin family's way of doing things, so she returned the same gifts every year.

Originally intended as an outlet for dissatisfaction, the Qin family turned out to be most pleased with the Shen family as their in-laws. They praised the Shen family everywhere they went, saying they were a respectable family. When these words reached Xu's ears, she felt as disgusted as if she had swallowed a fly, and she couldn't say anything about it to outsiders.

Fortunately, Qin was a sensible person. Since marrying into the family, her attitude towards her parents' family had always been to "do the proper etiquette." She would never go back to her parents' home unless absolutely necessary, but she never spoke ill of the Qin family in front of Xu.

Madam Xu liked her daughter-in-law's cleverness, so she treated Qin even better. Qin knew that her mother-in-law was satisfied with her, so she became more obedient and compliant. Naturally, their relationship grew better and better. The neighbors all knew that the second wife of the Shen family had a good relationship with her mother-in-law and was living a very comfortable life.

“Your sister-in-law is a smart woman. Although you are not stupid, you are too stubborn at heart. I didn’t realize this before, and I was only worried that you would suffer injustice. Now that you don’t hide anymore, I am not afraid that you will be bullied, but I am also afraid that you are too stubborn and will hurt others.”

Living under the same roof, you can't be too lenient, but you also can't be too calculating. If you're not calculating, you'll suffer; if you're too calculating... in the end, you'll still suffer. Jiyun, do you understand what your mother means?

"Pretty much. What I mean is, don't treat others like fools. There's no such thing as me having the final say in this world. Even if they're doing what I want right now, they're still human. If they suppress their dissatisfaction now, who knows when they'll retaliate, right?"

"She's alright, she's definitely not stupid. In that case, you should go back when Yulang comes back. Your mother is probably worried sick right now, it's not right for you to dawdle at your parents' house instead of going back."

I'll prepare the things you asked me to prepare. When you get back, you can ask your grandmother for advice. It's never a bad thing to be a little sweet-talking when you need to flatter someone.

The Manchu Eight Banners are different from us. Most of the people under your banner are from the Hesheli family. Who is on good terms with whom, whose elders cannot be neglected, and who has a grudge against whom—these are not things that you can sort out with just your heroic spirit.

Don't hold a grudge against the old lady over things from the past. Just remember that you didn't suffer the same loss. There's no need to feel aggrieved about things you haven't experienced. Do you understand?

"clear!"

These days, it's true that he's standing up for the East Courtyard, but it's even more true that he's using "standing up for the East Courtyard" as an excuse to take control of the household management, except for the West Courtyard.

Now that we've got it, we shouldn't be making trouble for the Tongjia clan or even the West Courtyard anymore. After all, the East Courtyard suffered the loss from beginning to end, and the Niohuru clan swallowed it all. What's the point of us holding onto it now?

"Mother, you mustn't let Yulang know what you're saying, or he'll be heartbroken."

“Why be sad? You have to worry about your own child. I worry about my daughter, and his mother worries about her son. She can’t support her son and manage the household herself, so my daughter has to stand up for him. If it weren’t for his intelligence and good looks, I wouldn’t even give him a kind look.”

After the mother and daughter had a heart-to-heart talk, Shen Wanqing waited for Yu Lang to return from the study in the front yard. After packing her things and saying goodbye to Xu Shi and Shen Hongshi, the two returned to the Hesheli family home.

Is my second uncle home?

"Sir, the Second Master was summoned by his in-laws. He just left and we don't know when he'll be back."

"Something happened?"

He had already stepped over the threshold, but upon hearing this, he turned back to ask the gatekeeper, Old Zhang, "The only family that can be considered in-laws in the West Courtyard is the Shumulu family. If the Shumulu family has called my second uncle over at this time, it must be something important."

"The West Courtyard called a doctor again last night, and this morning the nanny who served the Second Madam returned to the Shumulu family. Just after lunchtime, two of the Shumulu family's wives came and are still in the West Courtyard with the Second Madam."

Suddenly, Shen Wanqing realized that she was still too naive. In this situation, it was not appropriate for her to keep Yulang at her parents' house.

If she didn't return at this time, in the eyes of the Hesheli family, it would be seen as her standing aside and not wanting to get involved. Not only would Tongjia hold a grudge, but even the servants in the family would have doubts. Could such a housekeeper who didn't get involved in anything be trusted?

"Let's go, let's go check out the west courtyard first."

"What if I get tainted and can't get away with it if I go?"

"Don't try to test me with these sarcastic remarks. No matter how bad your second uncle and aunt are, they'll always be good to you at some point. Besides the two of them, there are several other children in the west courtyard. Are you really just going to watch them and not care?"

"Our great-grandmother is stubborn but soft-hearted, which is actually the best of us."

"No, don't flatter me. I'm a cold-hearted person and can't stand that."

Seeing the even more tender and affectionate look in Yu Lang's eyes after she mentioned leaving for the West Courtyard, Shen Wanqing knew she had been right.

After learning that Shen Hongshi had schemed against He Yi and that his second uncle was in for a rough time, the boy's resentment towards him had probably dissipated considerably. At this point, he absolutely could not continue to hold a grudge.

Shen Wanqing described herself as cold-hearted and indifferent, but when she reached the west courtyard gate, she called Chunxian back and asked her to go back and tidy up two rooms. She knew Shumulu's character well; she wouldn't disturb her family unless things got really bad.

In case anything happens, I need to take the younger children from the west courtyard over first, so they don't see things they shouldn't be seeing.

The west courtyard is usually very lively. Even when nothing is happening, there are always old women and stewards coming and going, or female relatives from the Zuo Ling’s family coming to pay their respects.

Yu Lang was unmarried, so he had no say in the affairs of the inner quarters of the household under the command of the Zuo Ling. Niu Hulu was a devout Buddhist and spent several hours each day in the Buddhist hall. After leaving the hall, she had to take care of Pusa Bao, who was at a mischievous age, and Fang Yi, who was already nine years old and had begun learning how to manage the household.

When people mention the First Madam of the East Courtyard who doesn't manage the household, they are all very considerate and proactive in saying they won't take up her time. Some of the better ones will even take a stroll around the East Courtyard, but most of them won't go and will go directly to Shumulu's side in the West Courtyard.

Stepping into the west courtyard again today, I felt a quietness that even carried a hint of desolation. The two walked along the corridor, and as soon as they entered Shumulu's courtyard, Huamei hurriedly came to greet them.

"Greetings to the elders, sir and madam."

"I heard from the gatekeeper that my second aunt called a doctor again last night, and my two maternal aunts also came today. I just got home and rushed over. As the younger generation, we should pay our respects to our maternal aunts."

“Madam is so kind. Last night, our mistress said she felt tightness in her chest while she was sleeping. When Doctor Peng came before, he said that it was normal for her to have chest tightness due to liver qi stagnation. So, my nanny and I prepared a dose of the medicine that we had prepared beforehand. She felt better for a while after taking it, but her chest pain became even worse shortly after she fell asleep, so we had to call the doctor again.”

Shen Wanqing did not accept the account books and keys from the West Courtyard, and her attitude towards the West Courtyard was quite mixed. On the one hand, she felt that this Shen family member was too heartless, dividing the family members so clearly.

On the one hand, they felt it was better for her not to get involved. The people in the West Courtyard had seen how stifled the East Courtyard had been in the past few years. Now the tables had turned, and the people in the West Courtyard instinctively didn't want to beg for food from the East Courtyard.

"So what did the doctor say this time?"

"As always, let him rest and not overthink things."

These words were spoken so lightly, but Shen Wanqing and Huamei exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes. Now was not the time for her to indulge in carefree eating and sleeping; saying such things simply meant she had no other choice.

The room was full of women, and Shumulu was still in bed. Yulang stopped at the door of the outer room and did not go in. He greeted Shumulu and his two maternal aunts outside, and then turned to go to the courtyard where Tu Nan and Hui Zhong lived.

Before leaving, she gave Shen Wanqing a look, and Shen Wanqing nodded slightly. The two of them passed each other, one going out and the other going in. They didn't say a word, but it made Huamei take a few more glances. She couldn't help but think that the couple was very tacit.

The two sisters-in-law of the Shumulu family looked very unpleasant inside the room, and the Shumulu woman leaning against the bed looked even more unpleasant. Only Shen Wanqing, who came in from outside, still had a faint smile on her face. Regardless of the attitude of the two ladies of the Shumulu family, she very casually asked Huamei to bring a chair to sit down by the bed.

"Second Aunt shouldn't be angry anymore. If she gets angry, she might not be able to save the child."

"you!"

The two sisters-in-law tried to persuade her indirectly for a long time, but they dared not be too direct and were afraid that Shumulu would not understand. They talked until their mouths were dry, but Shumulu's complexion and spirit did not improve at all.

As soon as Shen Wanqing sat down, she struck a nerve. The two men immediately became agitated, feeling that this niece-in-law from the East Courtyard had deliberately come to cause trouble.

To everyone's surprise, Shumulu was stunned by her words and burst into tears. She looked up at Shen Wanqing and examined her carefully for a long time before speaking in a hoarse voice, "Tell me, should I keep this child?"