Chapter 109: Turbulent Times in the Capital

After changing ships in Jining from Henan, they finally made it to the capital. Miaozhen entrusted almost all the matters that she couldn't handle herself to Zhaoge'er. Although Zhaoge'er was young and initially a bit inexperienced in handling things independently, he became quite proficient after just half a month.

Miaozhen looked at him and said, "Your father helped manage the family's farm business when he was younger than you. Now that you can stand on your own, I feel much more at ease."

“I’m still far behind my father,” Zhao Ge’er said with a smile.

Miaozhen shook her head: "Although it is important to study well, I always feel that being adept at interpersonal relationships is also very important. Many people who pass the imperial examination think they will rise to prominence, but they end up depressed for the rest of their lives."

Miaozhen always believed that while reading is very important, one cannot achieve much if one only knows how to read.

Many people passed the imperial examination, but very few rose to high positions. Even among Xiao Jingshi's classmates, some remained at the sixth or seventh rank.

Xiao Xi replied, "You asked Ping An and his wife to take care of things in the capital. I assume that everything will be in order when we arrive in the capital."

"Yes, I've entrusted both farms to the couple to manage. I wouldn't feel at ease if I just let them go. So many people in the capital are watching our family. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have come to the capital."

Generally, when a woman marries far away, she leaves her home and is escorted by the groom's elders along the way. The Xiao family initially chose Fu Jie'er's uncle, Xiao Jingtang.

But she was still worried. After going to the capital, the interactions would not be ordinary, and Xiao Jingtang might not be able to handle it. After all, she was now a third-rank noblewoman and still had some connections in the capital.

Outside, Fu Jie'er was bringing over a set of children's lined jackets. The jackets were made of satin and had goldfish-shaped fasteners. The embroidery on the outside was very neat. Miao Zhen took them and looked at them: "Your craftsmanship is very good. Just send them to Prince Yu's residence."

The relationship with the Prince Yu's Mansion must not be severed. Some insignificant little items will not be made a big deal out of nothing; on the contrary, they can enhance the relationship.

"Mother, I'll take care of all the needlework." Fu'er knew that her mother wanted to elevate her, and that after her mother returned to Henan, she would continue to maintain the relationship with her.

Miaozhen smiled and said, "Don't overwork yourself."

"I'm not tired. By the way, Mother, what is Commander Lu doing in the capital?" Fu asked curiously.

"He must have been promoted, from a commander to a garrison commander. But we've only met him by chance, so it's best not to ask too many questions. We'll be at Tongzhou port soon, and then we'll have to part ways." They were on an official boat, so the journey was smooth sailing. Otherwise, with such a large dowry, they would have been really afraid of river bandits.

Those who haven't encountered bandits usually think others are exaggerating, but Miao Zhen has actually met desperate criminals, and she has a slight worry in her heart. This is why she befriended Commander Lu. Having an acquaintance who is also a military officer means that at least he can help her out.

Thinking of this, she looked at Fu Jie'er again: "I saw you scratching your scalp just now, are you feeling hot?" Her daughter had a lot of thick hair, just like her, so when she felt hot, her scalp would easily become itchy and frizzy.

Sister Fu scratched her head: "I don't know either."

Miaozhen said, "It's inconvenient to wash up on the ship, but we still need to clean ourselves up. Bring the shampoo over later and I'll help you wash."

Sister Fu agreed with a smile.

When the sun came out at noon, Miaozhen had two buckets of hot water and a bucket of cold water brought over. In the outer room, she first wet her hair and then carefully washed it.

"Mother, I want to be your daughter again in my next life," Fu Jie'er suddenly said.

Miaozhen laughed and said, "Okay, you can still be my daughter in the next life, and I will love you just the same."

Sister Fu chuckled and looked at her again: "You said he sent over 20,000 taels?"

“Yes, it was given to me by your father. I said we could afford all of this dowry, but my son-in-law said it was only right. The public funds are public funds, and his own are his own. He said he clearly knew we were supposed to prepare a dowry of 30,000, but he exaggerated it to 50,000. He definitely has to make up the difference.” Miaozhen wasn’t concerned about the money; she was concerned about Zhao Rui’s attitude.

Fu Jie'er refused to accept the money no matter what. Her dowry was already enough, and any more would be conspicuous. People who didn't know better would think that her family were corrupt officials.

Her parents had separated many times for her sake, and now she had to entertain the relatives and friends who came to visit. She was doing well herself, but others were not doing well, so she had to take care of them as well. All of this required both money and effort, otherwise she would be seen as arrogant towards her relatives and friends.

Last time, a relative came to seek refuge and immediately asked her father to make arrangements. Her father examined the man and thought he was a complete idiot who wanted to become an official. He scolded him and finally gave him fifty taels of silver as travel expenses to send him away.

Officials value their reputation above all else, and even someone as unruly as her father had to be so.

Seeing her insistence, Miaozhen thought it made sense, so she decided to deposit 10,000 taels into the bank and give it to Fujie'er when she needed it in the future. She also planned to keep another 10,000 taels for herself in case of emergencies.

They rushed as fast as they could and finally arrived in the capital before the winter month. It had already gotten cold in the capital. Miaozhen changed into a dark blue embroidered gray squirrel fur coat with folded branches and flowers, and wore a pomegranate red four-panel horse-face skirt underneath. She wore a bun on her head with only half a piece of jewelry on it. She was saying goodbye to Aunt Yin.

"You should also visit our residence more often."

Aunt Yin said repeatedly, "Madam is so kind. We will definitely go when the young lady gets married."

Miaozhen boarded the carriage, the curtain was lowered, and Commander Lu rode his horse quickly forward. They arrived home in the evening. Fortunately, the underfloor heating was working well, and Miaozhen felt much warmer inside.

"If it weren't for the earth dragon, I would have been freezing to death, and my head still hurts."

My head tends to hurt when exposed to cold wind, and this has become even more pronounced in Miaozhen, who used to overthink things. Bitao brewed chrysanthemum and goji berries into tea, adding some rock sugar; it was quite sweet.

"Take a pot of this to the young lady later; she gets easily inflamed just like me," Miaozhen instructed.

While serving her, Bitao and the others took turns making the bed. As usual, Fourth Grandmother didn't need any servants at night, and they could all get a good night's sleep.

When Miaozhen and her family arrived in the capital, their family in Suzhou was also selecting people to go to the capital. Although Madam Chao was good at making arrangements, she was quite old and went anyway. She said she wouldn't go, but Xia Xianjie obviously wanted to go. Madam Chao and Xia Xianjie had been mother-in-law and daughter-in-law for many years, and she knew that this daughter-in-law was extraordinary when she was in a good mood. So she said to Madam Ren, "I think it would be better if our eldest son went in our place. The New Year is a busy time, and I can't leave."

"Where is the eldest son's wife?" asked Madam Ren.

Madam Chao smiled and said, "She still has children to take care of, how can she go out? Besides, I have things to entrust to her." Although she didn't like Madam Xia, Madam Xia had this good point: she was impartial in handling affairs and never embezzled a single penny of public funds. Letting her manage clan affairs was much better than letting her second son's wife, Madam Han.

Seeing that Madam Chao said this, Madam Ren asked with difficulty, "Aren't you and your brother's wife going?"

“Take Ting-ge’er with you. He was raised by Jing-shi’s wife, and he misses them very much now,” Chao-shi said with a smile.

Seeing this, Madam Ren had no choice but to accept it. As for the third branch of the family, there was no need to say anything. Their sons were all in the capital, and their eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Gao, was extremely capable and efficient. She would take care of everything, so they wouldn't have to travel so far.

As for the second branch of the family, Lou Qiongyu volunteered to stay and look after the house. Madam Ren smiled and said, "Your aunt and the others stayed behind. They can help take care of things. There's no need for you."

Madam Ren was even thinking of having Lou Qiongyu go with her when she was sent off to the wedding. Jing Tang was not like Jing Heng, and he did not hold any official position. If the couple were of one mind this time, she would also lend a hand. Jing Shi's wife was always a person of great principle and righteousness. She would then tell her grandson-in-law to give Jing Tang an official position, which would be better than this.

Lou Qiongyu still refused. The excitement was someone else's business; what did it have to do with her? Besides, Wei Jie'er's marriage was next year, and someone had to take care of it.

Seeing her youngest daughter-in-law like this, Madam Ren was also very uncomfortable. That evening, she said to Master Xiao, "I don't know what she's thinking. I used to think she was quite good at managing the household and socializing, even more popular than Jing Shi's wife. But now..."

"What's so strange about that? It's like the clansmen we did business with back then. In the beginning, who wasn't full of ambition? But in the end, some did extremely well, while others failed twice and refused to go out again. Like Brother Yuan, whose family used to be wealthier than mine. A few days ago, his son even begged to work as a shop assistant in our shop." Master Xiao said without any surprise.

Xu's father-in-law was originally just a scholar who lived a decent life, but he never made a mistake, whether in his career or when he was recommended to be a county magistrate. This shows his ability. As for his daughter-in-law, she was not without setbacks, but she overcame them all.

“But Jingtang is no stranger,” said Madam Ren.

Master Xiao said with a smile, "Jingtang is going to escort the dowry to the capital, and he didn't say he wouldn't go."

Ren thought so too, and the next day she happily went to deliver the letter to the Xu family, informing them of the departure date.

Xu Erpeng no longer needs to work as hard as before to make money by writing novels, but he still maintains a output of at least one a year. Because of this, he has little pressure and has actually lost a lot of weight, showing a youthful appearance in his old age.

I got up this morning and went to a nearby fish noodle shop for a bowl of noodles, then took a walk, making a long loop before coming back. As soon as I got back today, I heard that the Xiao family had set a date.

"That's wonderful! Let's get ready quickly," Xu Erpeng said to Madam Mei.

Madam Mei was getting old, and thinking that after this trip to the capital, she probably would never go to the capital again, she naturally wanted to go too. But when it came to her two sons, she said, "So, do all of our sons have to go?"

“Go ahead, you should at least familiarize yourself with the place. Just don’t bring too many trunks, bring plenty of changes of clothes, and keep everything else simple,” Xu Erpeng said.

With his approval, Madam Mei was naturally pleased, as were her two daughters-in-law, Madam Luo and Madam Zhang.

At the dinner table, Xu Erpeng said to them, "Even when visiting relatives, you can't go empty-handed. The dowry we give to Sister Fu is just a dowry, so you should each give something of your own."

Luo was an excellent cook and a skilled needleworker, especially in double-sided embroidery. Hearing her father-in-law say this, she thought it was good that she had prepared in advance, so she quickly agreed.

This put Zhang in a dilemma. Doing needlework was easy, but she didn't have her sister-in-law's skills. Pengze produced pearls, and she had quite a few in her dowry. It would be better to have them strung into a pearl necklace.

The daughters-in-law started racking their brains, while the two brothers remained calm. They both knew that their sister had always been quite accomplished in medicine, so they planned to buy some medicinal herbs to send over.

By the time they set off, it was already the winter month. Miaozhen had been in the capital for several days, but she wasn't as low-key as she had been the last time she came to the capital; she hadn't even gone out for a walk.

Fu Jie'er was suffering from severe internal heat, so Miao Zhen had to make her white fungus soup and herbal tea to reduce the heat. Of her two sons, Zhao Ge'er was good at taking care of himself, but Zheng Ge'er was suffering from severe constipation because he loved to eat meat and ate few vegetables on the boat. Miao Zhen also had to help him with his constipation.

Even she herself, exhausted from the long journey, needed to rest more.

The servants who came with them were in the same boat; their masters were tired, so they were even more tired and needed rest even more.

Lunch was very light, and Zheng Ge'er wrinkled his nose as he ate. Miao Zhen pointed at him and said, "You are the one who needs to eat vegetables the most. Fresh fruits and vegetables are very scarce in winter. If it weren't for the cave produce that we bought with money, you probably wouldn't be able to eat them."

"Okay, Mother." Zhengge'er made a face.

After the meal, someone actually came to the door to see a doctor. Miaozhen said to Zhaoge'er, "Just tell him that I'm busy with things right now and can't find the time."

She went to the capital this time to arrange her daughter's marriage. There were many things to do both at home and outside. Moreover, she had been framed by someone with ulterior motives last time, so she had to protect herself this time.

Zhao Ge'er hurriedly went out to decline.

Fu Jie'er then said to Miao Zhen, "It's all because of your daughter that I've delayed you."

“That’s not the reason. Once the situation becomes clear, I can continue to provide free medical consultations. Right now, it’s too easy for people to make a big deal out of it. Unless it’s a very serious illness, for common ailments, there are so many doctors in the capital, and they don’t necessarily need me,” Miaozhen explained.

Fu Jie'er laughed and said, "Even if a renowned doctor like Mother wanted to stay at home, people wouldn't let her go."

"You know how to flatter me," Miaozhen chuckled.

Sister Fu was absolutely right. The more you shut these people out, the more they think you have superb medical skills, and they start asking for exorbitant prices. Some even try to sneak in.

When Zhao Ge'er saw his mother ordering someone to bring over silver charcoal, he said, "Mother, as the saying goes, it's better to guide than to block. Why don't you just hold a clinic at home?"

Miaozhen sighed softly: "You are right. If I don't treat it, people will say that I am just seeking fame and reputation and that I am not benevolent and skilled in medicine."

Seeing that his mother had changed her mind, Zhao Ge'er smiled and said, "I'll go and make the arrangements."

Since she was preparing to see patients, Miaozhen had her former clinic cleaned up and bought some prepared medicinal herbs, planning to open for business on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month.

The first person to arrive was a child who had been injured by an axe and whose whole body was swollen. Because the child lived nearby, he arrived very early. Miaozhen frowned: "He must have been injured a few days ago. Why didn't you see a doctor?"

"We have medicine at home, but applying it didn't work."

“That’s true. Tetanus in children shouldn’t be treated with medicine casually. I happen to have some Zijin Ding here. I originally prepared it for my youngest son, but I made a little extra. You can take it back and apply it.” Miaozhen quickly wrote down the prescription and called the next person over.

Soon after came another child, suffering from scrofula, which is swollen lymph nodes in children. This patient was not from a poor family, but the son of a very famous merchant in the capital.

“From the age of three to six, she has developed scrofula on her chest, which has been festering for three years without healing.” The man looked at Miaozhen with eager anticipation.

Miaozhen looked at her and said, "Since the skin is already broken, we can't use the old prescription anymore. You should quickly bring over a piece of freshly fired lime and some raw tung oil. Bring them here and come to me to apply the medicine."

Miaozhen saw forty patients in one go today, and her back ached. When Fujie saw her mother like this, she said to Zhaoge, "You should find a capable wife to help manage the household in the future. Look at our mother, she is very skilled in medicine and she is too busy to handle all the patients who come to her house. She is not the type to do trivial things."

Zhao Ge'er shook his head speechlessly: "Let's not talk about this now, I have to go to my studies."

Fu Jie'er yawned: "You should go now, I'll sleep with Mother tonight." She knew that her younger brother's studies were very important, but as soon as she entered the main room, she saw Zheng Ge'er massaging her mother's shoulders.

"Mother." Fu'er knew her little brother was strong, so she didn't stop him.

Miaozhen smiled as her daughter entered the room and said, "You don't know, Zheng'er has already recovered."

“Mother, you’re old enough to write a ‘Constipation Bible’ for him. If he still can’t have a bowel movement, it really won’t do.” Fu’er covered her mouth and laughed.

Actually, apart from her medical skills, her mother wasn't a particularly patient person, but she was very patient with her three children. She took care of her health, her two younger brothers' health, and even her father's eyes, which were often uncomfortable, were treated by her mother every day.

Miaozhen pointed at her daughter and said, "Now you only tell jokes to make me laugh. With such a mischievous personality, how can you become the wife of the Crown Prince in the future?"

The matriarchs of the clan are generally stern and rarely smile, especially those from scholarly families, where the rules are very strict. Fu-jie'er then noticed the invitations on her mother's table, and surprisingly, one from the Han family was among them.

"This is……"

"Third Madam Han came to see me today specifically to check on my health." Han Sanlang was the person Miaozhen had previously chosen for Fu Jie'er. After receiving a reply from the Xiao family, and because his father entered the cabinet, he also married the daughter of another cabinet minister. They were considered a perfect match, a match made in heaven.

Sister Fu was puzzled: "She's only been married for half a year, what illness could she possibly have?"

Miaozhen didn't want to say more. Han Sanlang's mother was his second wife and a very strong-willed person. The daughter-in-law she married was of the highest status, so she gave the power to manage the household to Han Sanlang's wife. But the wives of the first two were not easy to mess with and were always looking for trouble. Even the daughter of the prime minister was on tenterhooks and could not afford to make the slightest mistake.

The men are fighting outside and feel exhausted, unaware that there is also unseen battle raging in the inner quarters.

Even though Han Sanlang is already an excellent young man, refined and caring towards his wife, he still can't manage the affairs of the inner quarters. He is still studying and only occasionally goes out to socialize, so he doesn't have a say in the family.

“The difficulty of traveling lies not in the water or the mountains, but in the fickleness of human relationships,” Miaozhen said.

Fu Jie'er understood what her mother meant. She was saying that the Han family's sisters-in-law and Third Madam Han didn't actually have any grudges against each other. It was just that Third Madam Han was the daughter of the Prime Minister and also the head of the household, so resentment arose. Therefore, those who went to the Marquis of Yun Jian's mansion in the future should not engage in too much internal strife, because as long as there are conflicts of interest, no matter how well you do, others will still target you.