Chapter 135 Chapter 135 Two Chapters Combined
After finishing their meal, the couple rinsed their mouths and washed their faces before going to bed.
Jiang Xian personally held the lamp and handed a small box to Jinniang. When Jinniang opened it, she found that it was a box of northern pearls. She knew that Northern Pearls were expensive, so she looked at her husband and asked, "Where did you buy this?"
"It was a reward given to our envoys by the king of that country. Don't worry, it's not just me, another official from the Ministry of Rites also gave it." Jiang Xian knew that Jinniang never accepted bribes and she kept a strict eye on him.
Jinniang was relieved: "Then I'll keep it."
Jiang Xian said: "Don't give it all to the child, keep it for yourself, you don't have anything good."
"I know. I'll keep it for making jewelry." Jinniang said with a smile.
Jiang Xian also knew that Ning Ge'er had already been studying in the prefecture and had adapted well, so he praised him repeatedly: "As expected of my son, he is amazing."
"Look at you like this." Jinniang held her chin and looked at him with a smile.
Jiang Xian had a lot more to say, but seeing his wife like this, he whispered, "Is the food soaked?"
Jinniang pointed to the bowl next to her, and Jiang Xian instantly lifted his wife's chin. In the green gauze tent, the mandarin ducks were intertwined, so charming that it was not to be told to outsiders.
The next day, Jiang Xian went to the old house again and talked to Master Jiang Liu about the bestowal of titles. Master Jiang Liu could also get an official position because of his son, and of course the same was true for the late Madam Jiang Liu. It was not easy for Zheng to argue about it because Jiang Xian said that even his wife had not asked for a title.
The Jiang family naturally appreciated it. Jiang Xian also talked about repairing his mother's tomb. In the past, Jiang Yan was there and he was the eldest son, so it was not easy for him to bypass his brother. Now that Jiang Yan went to Yingtian Prefecture, he had the highest official position and no one would say anything about him doing these things.
Jiang Yan has always been good friends with Jiang Xian. The two of them were drinking in the garden. Although Jiang Xian is now in a high position, he never acts arrogantly in front of his clan members. Jinniang also prepared good wine and food.
"I ate too much meat in Liao Kingdom, and now I want to eat some radishes and vegetables." Jiang Xian said with a smile.
Jiang Yan said: "Shiliu Lang, I see you have become much stronger."
Jiang Xian thought to himself that he still had to maintain a good figure. It would be cute if his wife was a little plump, but that was not the case for him, so he just laughed it off.
The two talked about the tomb repair. Jiang Xian started to cry poor after hearing Jinniang's words: "Alas, my eldest lady's dowry almost used up all the money in the family. We also bought this house before, so we still need to raise some money for the tomb repair."
Jiang Yan remembered something: "When you and my brother passed the imperial examination, my father allocated 600 acres of land from the clan to your family——"
In fact, Jiang Yan knew what Xu had done, but as the saying goes, distant relatives cannot alienate close relatives. But now that Jiang Xian was short of money, he told him quietly.
Jiang Xian thought that it was exactly as his wife said. His sister-in-law was holding on to their land, but it was very difficult to come back at this time. He might as well do her a favor, so he waved his hand and said, "These are all managed by my sister-in-law. Now that my brother has resigned and gone to Yingtian Prefecture, it is even more difficult for me to take them."
"Shiliulang, everyone in the clan knows about the things happening in your family. It's all thanks to you and your wife's magnanimity." Jiang Yan was also a smart man, and he raised his glass.
Jiang Xian smiled and said, "Since ancient times, cultivating oneself, managing the family, governing the country and pacifying the world have been difficult to achieve. Brother Yan knows my concerns, which is better than anything else. I can only vent these bitter waters to you."
Jiang Yan was also middle-aged, and what he was most worried about was the issue of offspring. Jiang Xian said, "Brother Yan, I know a doctor who will take care of you and your wife together. Sometimes, there is nothing wrong with the health of a couple, but they are just a little bit short."
Jiang Xian heard from his wife that the inability to have children is mostly the man's problem. Women generally have normal menstruation and fertility is not a big problem. But he didn't want to say that there was something wrong with Jiang Yan, so he mentioned it this way. Jiang Yan wanted to have a child, so he naturally agreed.
The two of them drank three rounds before they separated. Jiang Xian sent Jiang Yan away before entering the study. His eyes were clear, and he saw Jinniang bringing him some hangover soup. He drank a bowl, then pointed to the chair in front of him and asked his wife to sit down.
Jinniang sat down with a smile: "My dear husband, you have just come back and I have asked you to be busy with this and that, why don't you take a rest?"
"I still have a lot of things to do. Please accompany me today." Jiang Xian wanted his wife to sit and accompany him.
Of course Jinniang agreed.
Three days later, Jiang Xian took office. His relatives, friends and peers all came to congratulate him. Jinniang naturally prepared wine and food and brought Ning Ge'er back from the government school. The Wei and Zhang families, the in-laws, and the Jiang family of the clan were quite lively.
The three brothers of the Wei family also came over. Wei Dalang was talking to Wei Qilang, "Your father-in-law has now given birth to a fifth-rank official. This is a transfer official, and I'm afraid he will have to rise even higher. Our marriage is truly a blessing."
Wei Qilang said, "Brother, please don't say this in front of me, Old Taishan."
"Of course I know about this." Wei Dalang also had some concerns in his mind. Although he had been promoted to an official position, he had not passed the examination for the lock hall, so he had not been assigned in the past two or three years.
Therefore, it is hard to understand why I see others getting promoted so quickly.
Wei Qillang hit the nail on the head, so Wei Dallang had to change the subject. As for Wei Liullang, he was born out of wedlock, and although the three brothers seemed to be in harmony with each other on weekdays, they also had their own concerns.
Besides, Zhang Jiulang and his wife also said, "Luckily we have this good marriage."
Although Zhang Jiulang and Jiang Xian are good friends, they would still be distant if they were not related by marriage. Now that the Zhou family has fallen, they can come and cling to their thighs.
Mrs. Zhang was even more satisfied: "This year, my son-in-law was transferred from Shuzhou to Songyang County to serve as the county magistrate because of the Wei family."
"Yes, this is also Pingjun's blessing." Zhang Jiulang said with a smile.
Mrs. Zhang praised her husband: "It's not that you make a prompt decision."
The house was full of guests and Jinniang was too busy to entertain them. Fortunately, her nephew's wife, Xiao Wu, was there to help. Xu said she was not feeling well, but Jinniang knew that she was just suffering from a mental illness and simply couldn't stand seeing others doing better than she was.
Fortunately, Xiao Wu is a good person in dealing with people. Last time, after Ning'er was admitted to the provincial school, Xuan'er personally brought a few firecrackers to set off.
Although they were not very close, their words and attitudes were always good, and Xu also took her face into consideration. Jinniang's husband now held a high position, so she only exposed the fact that Xu had occupied their land in the clan and did not blame her too much.
Why? If she pushed too hard, it would damage her reputation. Just like when the two nephews of the Feng family came, Jinniang said she didn't want to see them, but she also gave them a generous gift, so that no one could find fault with her.
Even though it may seem like you have been wronged on the surface, the people in your clan will be more supportive of you. What's wrong with that?
"Brother Xuan's daughter-in-law, you should also take a rest." Jinniang said.
Little Wu smiled and said, "The people from the Immortal Tower that Auntie invited are very capable."
"That's right. Besides, it's cheaper than those in the four departments and six bureaus, and there are more dishes." Jinniang and Huixianlou have an old friendship.
In fact, Xuan Ge'er is not young anymore, he is still in his prime, but it is a pity for him to say that. When he was a child, Xu sat at his desk, holding a bamboo stick to urge him to do his homework. However, when he became studious, Xu stopped doing anything. Originally, Jiang Yan entrusted Xuan Ge'er to study at the home of a famous scholar, but the scholar resigned and returned to his hometown, and now Xuan Ge'er is neither here nor there.
Jiang Xian also has his own son, and he has so much to worry about, how can he take care of his nephew?
Moreover, even his own sons did not seek to study with famous scholars. They were all admitted to the provincial school and even ate second-class meals with those children from poor families. They did not receive any special treatment.
Just like my wife said, if you can achieve success on your own, why do you have to rely on others?
However, Xiao Wu considered her husband and not only had a good relationship with Jinniang, but also introduced him to her uncle and father.
Jinniang praised her very much and said, "Since ancient times, the husband is honored and the wife is noble. If you can make Xuan Ge'er pass the imperial examination, you will also enjoy happiness in the future."
Xiao Wu thought that it was a good thing that her husband could come here and deal with people from the Wei family, the Fan family, and even the Shen family. Since they gave you this opportunity, you have to seize it.
Ning Ge'er was eating happily outside. He was growing taller and the food in the school was very ordinary, so he naturally buried his head in the food and said to Wei Qilang, "Qige, fortunately my mother brings me food every three days, otherwise I would really be greedy."
Wei Qilang said with a smile: "Why don't you come out and have a bite to eat?"
"Then we should all come out to eat together. It would not be good if I go alone." Ning Ge'er was also very careful about his manners. He was originally a son of an official family, and it would not be good for him to seek special treatment.
Wei Qilang secretly admired him. He picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs and gave it to him: "Come on, eat more."
"Thank you, seventh cousin." Ning Ge'er said with a smile.
After the meal, most of the people outside had left. Jiang Xian kept Wei Qilang to talk, because he was his biological son-in-law after all. Wei Qilang and Jinniang get along very well. In his opinion, although his mother-in-law is not very easy-going, she is a warm-hearted person. If you are good to her, she will definitely return you ten times.
However, his father-in-law was different. He looked smooth and didn't show his preferences in public. Instead, he felt a little scared.
"How is Qilang's academic performance these days?"
Wei Qilang said: "My nephew is studying..."
Jiang Xian listened and pointed to a book and said, "This is a poem written by several young talents in Mr. Fan's house yesterday. I think it's good. You can take it back and study it."
Wei Qilang bowed and took it, then came out of the study and came to Jinniang to say goodbye. However, seeing that Jinniang was still reading, he felt a little embarrassed and said, "My aunt's family is really full of literary style."
"I'm just killing time when I have nothing to do. Why, is your uncle asking you about your studies?" Jinniang asked with a smile.
Wei Qilang nodded: "Yes."
Seeing that he was a little nervous, Jinniang said, "Your uncle has high expectations for you, but you don't have to take it to heart. The elders have always been like this. Just make your own plans."
This was very aptly said, and Wei Qillang felt relieved.
The couple's singing with both good and bad faces made Wei Qilang dare not take it lightly after he returned.
Late at night, Jiang Xian came back from his study, washed up casually, and went to bed. But seeing his wife sleeping soundly with her black hair scattered on her fair face, he couldn't help but lean over and give her a kiss.
It was also said that new residents had moved into the house opposite Jinniang's, which had originally been guarded by a few servants. Now that the master had been transferred back to the capital, the house suddenly became lively again, and someone even sent a box of osmanthus rice cakes and two sliced roast ducks to her family.
Jinniang also sent two boxes of trendy snacks over and made some inquiries.
Soon Ah Ying came back and said, "Madam, there is also a big family next door. The master's surname is Meng, and he is currently the deputy director of the Ministry of Revenue. Madam Meng is about 40 years old and is a royal family. Her sister is Concubine Qiao in the palace."
Jieyushi is a third-rank lady of honor. The new emperor has just ascended the throne and he has already conferred the title of Jieyu on her. It seems like a good thing.
"Sounds good." Jinniang said secretly.
The Meng family soon sent out invitations again, and Jinniang brought her daughter to have a warm wine. Mrs. Meng had a round face, big bags under her eyes, and a loud voice. Her eldest daughter was already married, and her son-in-law was an inner palace guard. She also had a second daughter who was about the same age as Yunjie'er, and a little daughter who was twelve or thirteen years old, who was said to be born out of wedlock.
"The girls in your family are all as pretty as water chestnuts, which is really enviable." Jinniang said with a smile.
Madam Meng, on the other hand, took Sister Yun'er's hand and said, "Your daughter is really as pretty as a water onion. I wonder if she has been promised to someone?"
Most women would ask these questions when they met. Jinniang smiled and said, "I got engaged last year. The one I engaged was my nephew from my mother's family."
"It's great that we have closer relatives." Mrs. Meng sighed.
While the two were talking, the girls were asked to talk outside.
Jinniang took a sip of tea before saying, "As mothers, we are afraid that our daughters will suffer. This aunt is always better than others as a mother-in-law." This was half true and half false. Madam Wei was very strict, but fortunately Jinniang and Yunjie'er could figure out her ways, which was better than groping in the dark.
"Mrs. Jiang is right. I have the same plan." Mrs. Meng seemed to have found a like-minded person.
The two chatted for a while, and then a maid came in hesitantly. Madam Meng frowned and asked, "What's wrong?"
"To answer Madam, Miss Huang is about to give birth."
When Jinniang heard that the family was going to give birth, she immediately told Yunjieer to go back first, which made Madam Meng angry and said, "A young woman is going to give birth, so what? You really think you are so important." This made Madam Jiang from the opposite side go back, and Madam Li also turned back when she reached the door."
The maid said, "But Miss Huang seems to be having a difficult delivery..."
Mrs. Meng stood up and said, "It's really troublesome. Let's go get a doctor."
Not to mention that when the Meng family next door just arrived here, the concubine had a difficult delivery. The concubine desperately gave birth to a son, but lost her own life. Mrs. Meng had the body hastily prepared for the coffin and didn't even do any funeral arrangements.
Yun Jie'er couldn't help but say, "Mother, Madam Meng is not very generous." The noble ladies she had met, even if they didn't like concubines, would deal with it secretly and would not do such a thing to save face.
Just like Zhang disliked both Guo Xiaoniang and Xiang Ming, but she didn't dare to be so blatant.
Jinniang said, "This matter was caused by the male owner. If the male owner had spoken, would Madam Meng dare not listen? Madam Meng and this young lady have nothing to do with each other."
If men do not marry several wives, this situation would never happen. Although concubines have a low status, they also give birth to children and die, but the men seem to be invisible.
Sister Yun remembered that her father had no mother, so the family had peace and harmony and lived together. It can be seen that it is actually okay for a man not to marry a younger woman, and my mother is not a shrew as outsiders say. On the contrary, she knows how to relax and work hard, and my father is devoted to me.
Until the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Meng family was in peace and prosperity again. The second daughter of the Meng family was engaged, and Mrs. Meng invited her sister-in-law from her natal family to be the bride and groom. Jinniang and Mrs. Li sent gifts together.
It's as if nothing had happened.
Yun Jieer told Jin Niang that the deceased Huang Xiao Niang was the biological mother of the third daughter of the Meng family, and she felt very sorry for the third daughter of the Meng family: "Mother, do you know? I heard that the master of the Meng family wanted to marry her to one of his students, a scholar from a poor family."
At the end of the conversation, Sister Yun suddenly began to cherish her life.
Jinniang heard something else from Madam Meng. Madam Meng and Jinniang were now quite familiar with each other and there was no conflict of interest between them. However, the matter of Huang Xiaoniang did damage Mrs. Meng's image, so she pretended to mention it casually.
"This Huang Xiaoniang originally served my mother-in-law. After I got married, she served our master. First she gave birth to a son, then a daughter, and started to compete with me at home. Don't look at me as being so powerful in charge of the household in Beijing. I was not like this before. I had the harsh criticism of my mother-in-law above and the provocation of concubines below, but I just managed to get through it. When Huang Xiaoniang was pregnant, she was in charge of the household, and she brought all the good supplements and delicious food into her room. When she arrived in Beijing, she learned that my sister was a concubine and was pregnant, and she became afraid again. She checked the meals three or four times a day and scared herself." Mrs. Meng was so angry that she laughed at the end of her speech.
Jinniang was not interested in other people's wives and concubines, but when she heard that Concubine Qiao was pregnant, she acted as if she didn't know: "I see that Madam Meng is very elegant, so she must be from an official family, right?"
"Madam Jiang, you are not right. My father was a Jinshi (a famous scholar) and he was serving as a military governor when I got married. My sister was a posthumous child, otherwise she would not have entered the palace." Madam Meng sighed when she mentioned her sister. Once you enter the palace, it's like entering a deep sea.
Jinniang nodded slightly and continued, "As the saying goes, a man of integrity is self-innocent. When everyone gets to know you in the future, they will naturally know that you are definitely not that kind of person."
Seeing that Jinniang was willing to listen to her, and that she spoke elegantly, looked graceful, and had a good demeanor, Madam Meng smiled and said, "You are right."
After Madam Meng left, Jinniang talked to Jiang Xian about Concubine Qiao during dinner: "She is still a Concubine now, but her status may be different after she gives birth to a child."
"The queen has no children. Although Concubine Qiao is not as favored as Concubine Lan, she has already given birth to a princess. If she is pregnant with a prince, her status will probably be further improved." Jinniang said.
Jiang Xian knew that Jinniang never acted without purpose. When she first went to Wu County, she was still sociable. Later, after arriving in Daming Prefecture, she gradually began to selectively socialize and learned what it meant to form a strong alliance.
That's why he had contact with the Wei family and helped choose a good marriage for his daughter.
Until now, he had noticed that Jinniang was usually indifferent and didn't go out much to socialize. It turned out to be this reason.
"It's too early to say this now." Jiang Xian said.
Jinniang smiled and said, "We are not making friends with the harem, but the Meng family is our neighbor, it would be great if we could get some information." Thinking of this, she shook her head, "Once the emperor changes, everything will change drastically."
The prestigious Prime Minister Jixian stepped down and was replaced by Minister Shen.
What if Shen Shangzheng is no longer in office after a few years?
Jiang Xian nodded after hearing what Jinniang said, "My lady always keeps her mouth shut, so just do what you want."
After they finished their meal, they saw the invitation from the Zheng family. Jinniang handed it to her husband with a smile and said, "Ever since you asked for the imperial decree for your mother-in-law, the people in the Zheng family have been moving around more frequently."
Jiang Xian was not actually a man of strong principles, but when it came to requesting an imperial decree for Zheng, he was very opposed to it from the bottom of his heart.
But when he gets promoted in the future, according to etiquette, he will have to ask for a title for his stepmother before Jinniang, which will make him even more uncomfortable. Anyway, he still has an older brother, and Zheng left the title to him. He can say that he has never served Zheng, so he still wants to confer the title on Jinniang first.
In fact, Zheng had no grudge against him, but he just didn't like Zheng taking over his position.
Since this psychological awkwardness involved Madam Jiang Liu, Jinniang did not try to comfort her. After all, she always felt that Madam Jiang Liu was very kind to her. A woman's marriage is an important matter that affects her lifelong happiness. Mrs. Jiang Liu gave her such a good husband and divided the property in advance, allowing the couple to separate from the first wife cleanly.
Of course Zheng wanted an imperial edict, which represented a woman's status and dignity, something she dreamed of.
But Jinniang didn't go to Zheng's house often, and going there once out of three times was considered giving face.
Seeing her sister like this, Zheng's sister couldn't help but say, "You are just too honest. Although you are a stepmother, a stepmother is still a mother. You are so cowardly now, and you are actually afraid of them."
"How do you say I'm afraid of them? Shiliulang didn't ask for a title for Wei. The emperor has only given him one position, and he's only a fifth-rank official." Although she said this, Zheng was still longing in her heart.
"Sister, have you ever thought about what would happen if your third child is like the eldest child and can't become an official in the future? After all, the dead get an imperial decree, but you get nothing?"
Yes, with the ups and downs in officialdom, the Zhou family was once very prominent, but now has been demoted to a place like Lingnan. His stepson Jiang Yan was so highly regarded before, and he felt like he was at home when he went to the prime minister's house. But now he is in some remote place editing books.
This made Zheng anxious.
It was obvious that Jiang Xian and his wife did not take her seriously. Not only did she rarely attend the Zheng family's banquets, but Jiang Xian was also not that concerned about any problems encountered by the Zheng family's children.
There was also Ms. Xu, who was already unhappy because Jiang Xian and Jinniang openly retaliated against her for occupying their 300 acres of land. She became even more unhappy when she saw Jiang Xian getting promoted and helping Jiang Liu's wife repair her tomb and getting in the spotlight.
Of course, she could sense Zheng's anxiety, and said to Mother Ge with a smile, "She deserves it. She always went against us before, and now she is anxious for a bit."
Mother Ge said, "But even if she is so anxious, she can't hurt anyone at all."
Although Xu didn't like Jiang Xian and his wife, she didn't want her step-mother-in-law Zheng to bully her in front of her, so she kept her mouth shut and didn't offer any advice.
Because of this incident, Zheng fell down when she got up early in the morning. When she was helped to the bed, she originally thought that she could just rest for a few more days, as it takes a hundred days to heal a broken bone, so she just needed to recuperate well.
But when she saw Jinniang and Yunjieer coming to visit the patient, an idea suddenly came to her mind.
She had to get a promise that the next time Jiang Xian was promoted, she would be granted the imperial decree first, and Wei could not be granted the imperial decree first. After all, Wei was the legitimate wife, and people usually said that granting the wife an imperial decree would benefit the children. If Jiang Xian had only one chance to bestow an imperial decree, he would definitely give it to his wife. Wei had a better chance of winning than her.
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