It can be said that Sheng Hong's position as a fourth-rank official was not in vain. According to Ming Lan, he had a high degree of political sensitivity. On the third day after the Northern Expedition army returned to the capital, he keenly felt that he would soon be busy.
The military power of the Great Zhou Dynasty was originally concentrated in the Five Military Commanderies, plus the Capital Garrison and local garrisons, and some in the Wucheng Bingma Division. Then, after the new emperor ascended the throne, he experienced two major wars in succession, the "Jingtan Rebellion" and the Northern Expedition against the Jie Nu. Most of the elite troops that were capable of fighting were concentrated in the hands of Chen and Gu.
According to convention, the general in charge was required to hand over the military seal after the army returned to the court. However, it had been half a month, and the Ministry of Personnel had submitted several letters and given slight reminders, but there was no response from the emperor. Finally, Qiu Shu, the Grand Secretary of the Wuying Palace, made a public memorial during the court meeting, and the emperor severely reprimanded him for "usurpation."
Sheng Hong felt that something was wrong, and he always trusted the old lady. One day after the office was dismissed, when he came to Shou'an Hall to pay his respects, he said a few words and then went to discuss it in detail with Changbai.
“Please don’t let anything happen again.” Old Madam Sheng put her hands together and silently chanted a few Buddhist verses. “Disasters and wars will ultimately bring suffering to the common people. The chaos a year ago caused so much fertile land on both sides of the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers to suffer harvest failures. It’s a pity for those farmers who have to sell their children again.” The old lady has been worshipping Buddha for many years and has a kind nature. She has reduced the rent of many tenants since a year ago.
Minglan picked up an embroidery needle and carefully poked an embroidery frame. Hearing this, she looked up and said with a bewildered look, "No way, there are not many emperors in history who like to fight wars."
Old Madam Sheng had some experience after all, so she pondered, "Could it be that the Emperor... wants to do something?"
Minglan listened and nodded. "Grandmother, what you said makes sense. The lecher grabbed a butcher knife to forcefully molest someone, and the thief grabbed a mace to become a robber. The Emperor holds onto military power and refuses to give it up. I'm afraid something's going to happen."
Emperor Renzong was very lenient towards the nobles and powerful men, so for the past twenty or thirty years, most of the military power was controlled by the noble families. These families had been intermarrying for generations, their power was complicated, and military discipline was lax. When the new emperor ascended the throne, a major change was necessary.
The old lady pinched Minglan's smooth, delicate face. Seeing her mischievous expression, she was happy that she had regained her playful spirit. She scolded her with a smile, "You silly girl, you're talking nonsense! You're also talking nonsense about state affairs! I'll slap you in the face!"
Minglan covered her face, desperately trying to twist the old lady's claws away, and cried softly, "This isn't government affairs! This is a matter concerning our family."
"What's the big deal?" the old lady asked curiously.
Minglan put down her hand, leaned over and said seriously, "Hurry up and tell Madam not to rush to find a husband for Fifth Sister. It will be more reliable to wait until this round of settlement is over!"
At least she received a gold necklace as hush money, which was a bit of a help; it couldn't be too bad if it could have a positive impact on Rulan. It's not easy to have a true love these days, and Minglan hopes Rulan can be happy.
In fact, Minglan was worrying too much. The emperor acted faster than Wang. Before Wang could choose a son-in-law, the first round of impeachment began.
Those who colluded with the deposed four princes in the "Shenchen Rebellion", those who had connections with the two rebellious princes in the "Jingtan Rebellion", and those who failed to assist in military affairs in the Northern Expedition against the Jie Nu, the emperor ordered all the censors of the Censorate to investigate them strictly, and then jointly with the Dali Temple to conduct strict trials.
According to the basic military principle that one should not fight on two fronts, the emperor concentrated his firepower on powerful and aristocratic families this time. He stripped several royal titles and demoted more than a dozen families. The Yongchang Marquisate was also severely punished due to its poor coordination in the army. The Marquis was fined one year's salary, and the two imperially granted manors were taken away from the Marquisate.
The civil service group was temporarily safe, so they spared no effort to offer advice and suggestions to the emperor and contribute their manpower. Sheng Hong, as a small leader of the Censorate, was particularly busy. He did not come back until midnight for many days in a row, and sometimes had to sleep in the ministry.
…
On this day, Hualan came to visit the pregnant Hai with a lot of bags, and took her own son and daughter to her grandparents' house to play. Quan Ge'er and Shi Ge'er were not much different in age. Children at this age are the most fun, they love to move and make noises, but they can't do anything big, they can't walk or crawl far, and their most powerful technique is still to open their mouths and cry.
Not long ago, Minglan designed a row of wooden fences more than a foot high for Shiger, wrapped the edges and corners with brocade cotton, and placed them around the kang like building blocks, forming a square little place. The inside was soft everywhere, so it didn't matter if the children climbed up or fell down.
This idea was greatly appreciated by Hai. Since she became pregnant, she had not been able to be close to her son. She often sat aside with a smile, watching Minglan using small toys to play with Quan Ge'er in the fence. The chubby little boy would fall upside down and then take a few crooked steps holding on to the fence, which often made the adults watching laugh.
Hualan saw it and thought it was interesting, so she simply put Quan Ge'er in and let the two little brothers play by themselves. The two chubby little kids twisted together, sometimes helping each other and helping each other to stand up, and sometimes fighting over toys and quarreling, twisting themselves into a tangled mess. Zhuang Jie'er clapped her hands to cheer them on, and everyone laughed so hard that even the maids and old women next to them couldn't help laughing.
Finally, they were exhausted. After crying for a few times, the two little brothers fell asleep together, their heads touching each other, their short and fat legs stacked on top of each other, snoring softly, with loud whirring sounds and drooling.
Zhuang Jie'er was also tired from playing. She held the Doraemon stuffed doll that Minglan had just given her in one hand and rubbed her eyes with the other. Wang Shi quickly put her to sleep in the warm room next door and asked the maid to watch over her. Hai Shi rubbed her lower back and also felt tired, so the old lady asked her to go back and rest.
"Ah... it's still better here. Look how strong and robust Shi Ge is. Not only is he good-tempered, but he's also very open and willing to help others." Hua Lan smoothed out the wrinkles on her clothes from playing around. From a distance, she looked at her son sleeping on the kang in the inner room and sighed softly, "Unlike Quan Ge, who's so dull and weak."
Rulan was playing with a rattle when she looked up and said to Hualan, "Sister-in-law often carries Shi-ge'er in her arms while walking in the garden, letting him jump around without restraint. It's because you're too attached to Quan-ge'er!"
Hualan's face darkened, as if she was unhappy. Wang Shi saw that her two daughters were about to bicker again, so she quickly said, "What do you know? Your eldest sister's family is not as well-managed as ours. They have many people, and their thoughts are unpredictable. How can your eldest sister be at ease if she doesn't take good care of Quan Ge'er?"
Hua Lan's expression eased slightly, and she said bitterly, "None of those people in your son-in-law's house are worry-free. How could I dare to be distracted for a moment? My sister-in-law is lucky. They are all honest people in her family. I, ah..."
Old Madam Sheng felt sorry for her eldest granddaughter. She pulled Hua Lan to her side and hugged her gently: "My dear Hua, there are many things in life that are not as you wish. But after all, your uncle treats you well, right?"
Hua Lan looked at the old lady's loving and concerned eyes, and her heart warmed. She felt that she finally had her mother's family to rely on, so she smiled and said, "Shi Ge'er's father treats his granddaughter very well. He just takes care of the flowers and plants in the house and leaves it to him. He spends most of his time with his granddaughter, and whenever he has time, he plays with his brothers and sisters! My mother-in-law sometimes bullies me with words, but he doesn't dare to contradict her in person. He always reports to my father-in-law, and my father-in-law frowns and scolds her, saying, 'You are living too comfortably! A happy son and daughter-in-law are the blessing of a family. Don't make trouble out of nothing. What's wrong with a mother-in-law constantly interfering in her son's room? You are disturbing the family peace. Why don't you go to the family temple to copy scriptures?' Then my mother-in-law will behave herself for a while."
Hualan used a rough voice to imitate the tone of Lord Zhongqin very realistically. Rulan couldn't hold her breath and fell laughing in Minglan's arms. The wife of Lord Zhongqin was also a well-known fool in the capital. She often got scolded by the old man. Even her elder sister-in-law, Lady Shoushan, looked down on her. Many relatives and friends knew it.
Wang finally breathed a sigh of relief, wiped her eyes, and said repeatedly, "That's good, that's good! Your father finally didn't make a mistake. Your son-in-law is a good man!"
The old lady took Hua Lan's hand, patted it gently, and said with emotion: "My dear Hua, you are doing very well. You should be humble and understand the truth. You don't have to be too afraid of her. Your father-in-law and husband are both sensible people. They won't let your mother-in-law do whatever she wants!"
Rulan knew Hualan's life wasn't easy after hearing this, and she felt embarrassed. She slowly stood up, hesitantly apologized, and said, "Big sister, you don't have to worry about my brother. My brother-in-law is very capable and experienced, and my nephew will surely be just as capable. He might become a powerful general in the future!"
Hua Lan wiped her eyes and deliberately joked, "But they say sons resemble their mothers. I can't even get any of your brother-in-law's benefits!"
Rulan lacked tact and immediately got stuck. She pinched Minglan, who had come to her rescue more than once. She sighed inwardly and immediately continued, "...Then the nephew resembles his uncle. If Shi Ge'er looks like his big brother, hey..."
"So what?" Hua Lan asked with a smile.
Minglan deliberately sighed deeply, spread out her two chubby hands, and said with a look of embarrassment: "Even if you want to study hard and fail the exam, it will be extremely difficult!" Rulan clapped her hands and laughed, "That's great, either you will be a young general or a young champion!"
Everyone in the room was very happy. Wang felt very happy listening to it. Hualan walked over to Minglan and twisted her hair hard several times. Rulan came to help. The three sisters clapped and twisted it, giggling.
Seeing that her daughter was doing well, Wang Shi thought of the other married woman and couldn't help asking, "Hua'er, have you heard about the Yongchang Marquis' Mansion recently? Is it serious?"
Old Madam Sheng glanced at her unhappily. Wang's tone contained more gloating than concern. She was too impatient.
Hua Lan shook her head and sighed, "Alas! The Liang family is too cunning. The recent struggle between the Third and Fourth Princes for the throne was truly terrifying. If the Prince of Jing succeeds, wouldn't those who helped fight the enemy be in trouble? That's why they've been so perfunctory in the army. Now that the emperor has caught them off guard, they can't say anything. The Liang family's eldest son did follow the army north, and although he made some contributions, he was promoted by General Gan. But General Gan... was promoted to Minister of War, freeing up a vacant position in the army, and why doesn't the emperor send his own men there?!"
The emperor did not have a good life before he ascended the throne. Not to mention that the powerful families in the vassal states did not give him any face, every time he came to the capital, he often saw those powerful families trying to curry favor with the third and fourth princes. He must have been unhappy for a long time.
Wang listened in fascination, and combining this with the gossip she had heard recently, she quickly said, "Right now, the most prosperous family in the capital is probably the Shen family. Not only did they have a queen, but they also have a brother-in-law who is good at fighting. Wow, the Shen family is so lucky!" The implication was that she was quite envious of the Shen family's vision in choosing a son-in-law.
Hua Lan knew what her mother meant. She covered her hands with her sleeves and chuckled, saying playfully, "My mother-in-law is regretting it now. Half a year ago, my sister-in-law Wen Ying was officially engaged, but who would have thought that just a month later, Uncle Shen's original wife would have passed away. Now, there must be so many people proposing marriage to the Shen family that the door must have been broken down!" Thinking of her mother-in-law beating her chest and stamping her feet in frustration, Hua Lan just found it funny.
Old Madam Sheng shook her head and sighed softly, "Even though the fire is boiling and the flowers are blooming, marrying into such a high-ranking family doesn't necessarily mean life will be easy. I see that your husband's aunt is a very honest person and loves her niece very much. The Shoushan Earl's Mansion is not large, so it would be a real blessing for your daughter to marry into it!"
Hua Lan always admired the old lady's insight and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Grandma is right! Let's just leave it to the Yuan family. They've been neglected in the past, and now they're not involved in anything. This time, the emperor is focusing on cleaning up the noble families, but the Yuan family is safe."
Minglan's heart moved, and she interrupted, "Big sister, you just said that the emperor might want to replace his own men in the army. Someone like big brother-in-law, who has no affiliation or faction, might be able to be reused."
Yuan Wenshao had thought of this a long time ago, but Hualan was too embarrassed to brag about it in front of her parents. Seeing Minglan point it out for her, she was happy and pursed her lips proudly, saying modestly, "Not necessarily. It depends on the emperor's opinion."
The old lady was delighted and said, "Your son-in-law is capable. Your life in the Yuan family will be better!" Wang said bluntly, "When can we separate the family? Only when you leave your mother-in-law can you truly live a better life!"
The old lady sighed inwardly, and this time she didn't even have the energy to be angry with Wang. This was indeed the common feeling of the Sheng family, but could she say this in front of her mother-in-law?
Hua Lan was incredibly clever. One look at the old lady's face told her that Wang Shi had spoken inappropriately, so she quickly changed the subject: "Grandmother, Mother, and my two sisters, do you know what the most interesting thing happening in the capital right now is?" Seeing everyone's cluelessness, Hua Lan chuckled and continued, "Does anyone know about Gu Tingye, who led the Northern Expedition alongside Uncle Shen?"
Minglan was startled, but immediately calmed down and sat down obediently.
Wang laughed when she heard this. "How could I not know? The playboy and unworthy son of the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion has now risen to prominence! He is also implicated by the Fourth Prince. The Marquis of Jinxiang, the Duke of Lingguo, and three or four other families were stripped of their titles and certificates, their property was confiscated, and they were put on trial. But the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion only took down the imperially commissioned plaque. They say it was because the Emperor was doing this for Gu Erlang's sake. What happened to him?"
Hua Lan took the teacup, sipped the tea, and said slowly, "Years ago, the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion arranged a marriage for Gu Tingye. It was with the Peng family, distant relatives of the Fu'an Marquis. At that time, Gu Tingye was away on his own and unaware of the situation. When he found out, the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion had already sent a matchmaker to propose. But the Peng family, seeing that Gu Tingye was in dire straits, refused to agree to the marriage. Not only that, they even asked a concubine's daughter from a side branch of the family to take his place. Gu Erlang was so furious that he gathered a few of his brothers in the army and went directly to the Peng family to reject the idea!"
Wang's eyebrows danced with joy as she heard this. She laughed in surprise, "So that's how it is! I only knew half of this story. The Peng family didn't recognize the value of this valuable property. They must be regretting it now!"
"Isn't it?!" Hua Lan smiled at the old lady and said, "Now that Gu Tingye is no longer the same as before, the Peng family actually wants to arrange this marriage again. They even dragged the matchmaker who went to Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion to propose the marriage and shouted everywhere, saying that 'there is already an engagement!'"
Wang said disdainfully, "The Peng family is too shameless!"
Old Madam Sheng also shook her head repeatedly after hearing this and said in a deep voice: "Even so, it's not good to make things awkward. After all, the face of Marquis Fu'an is involved."
Hua Lan's white fingers gently touched her lips, unable to conceal her smile. "That Gu Erlang is not the kind of person who would suffer a loss! He sent a painting to the Peng family. The Peng family was very happy and opened it in front of many people. The painting showed a barren field and a farmer walking away with a plow."
When Minglan heard this, she almost spit out her tea with joy. Wang and Rulan looked at each other. The old lady seemed to have noticed something and smiled slightly. Rulan didn't dare to ask anyone else. She grabbed Minglan's arm as usual and whispered, "What do you mean?"
Minglan swallowed the tea in her mouth before catching her breath and said, "... barren land has no one to cultivate, but once it's cultivated, people will fight for it!"
Rulan understood and clapped her hands in laughter. Wang said sarcastically, "Well said! The Peng family must be so embarrassed now!"
Hua Lan laughed and said, "Gu Tingye used this painting to point out that the Peng family was in the wrong. The Peng family couldn't play dumb anymore, so they found a way out. I thought Gu Tingye went a bit too far, but your son-in-law said that Gu Erlang has restrained himself a lot now. If he had kept his temper, he might have just come to our house and started cursing!"
Minglan thought of the Yanran incident and the pirate brothers who were shot like hedgehogs, and nodded secretly. This guy really has a bad temper.
Hua Lan wiped away the tears of laughter and continued, "The Peng family's behavior is nothing but a source of ridicule. Even the Fu'an Marquisate refused to help them. There are so many wealthy families who want to recruit Gu Tingye as their son-in-law. Gu Tingye has been busy at the Governor's Mansion lately and hasn't even been back to the General's Mansion. Matchmakers have all flocked to the Ningyuan Marquisate. Who still remembers the Peng family?"
Minglan drank her tea silently without saying a word; she only secretly thought that this matter could not be blamed entirely on the Peng family. How could a wandering playboy and a new noble who was favored by the emperor have the same treatment? Now, everyone is talking about their relatives. The second uncle will definitely find a legitimate daughter who suits his taste, who is gentle, virtuous, submissive and considerate. How great!
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