On the way back from Hanhai Mansion, Mi Niang kept thinking, who on earth is so boring? It should not be a man who can write about this, but a woman.
There are quite a few people who call Fang Weiyan cousin, including sisters Ye Jiayin and Jin Shuqin, and even He Dizhu.
Ye Jiayin was ruled out first. She had a noble character. Although she was a little bit petty, she never played such shady tricks. If she didn't like someone, she would just say it out loud. Besides, she got married last year and was living a good life.
Because she was weak, Mi Niang and Xu sent a doctor to take care of her body, and she became much more cheerful.
Jin Shuqin is a possibility. The reason why Xu chose people from outside was that she didn't want to choose Jin Shuqin or Ye Jiayin. She didn't like either of them. But I heard that Jin Shuqin worked very hard in the Marquis' Mansion. Not only did she have a good grasp on Fang Yaqing, but many servants in the mansion had also received her favor.
And Xu was actually very nice to Jin Shuqin.
Could it be her?
After all, Jin Shuhui looks clumsy and often hides behind Jin Shuqin. He Dizhu is similar and has a cowardly nature.
Thinking about the so-called "Spring Flowers and Autumn Moon" this time, which is about a widow remarrying, it is quite interesting.
Only Jin Shuqin fits the bill best here.
She had a rough idea of a candidate in mind, but of course, she wasn't completely sure.
When she was about to ask Fang Weiyan, Fang Weiyan got a very good job. He was on duty in the inner cabinet. Although it was only for half a year, even Ruan Jiading knew about it. Her father-in-law came to her house in person to give her money. This was something Mi Niang had not expected.
Mi Niang also asked: "Dad, why are you here too?"
"You thought I came here on my own, but it was Lord Cao from the Ministry of Works who sent me here. This is also the usual delivery, and it's from the official government account, so don't worry." Ruan Jiading explained quickly.
Even the Marquis of Dong'an knew about it and came specially. The father-in-law and son-in-law, the father and son were all chatting in the study. The head of the Ministry of Revenue also came to visit. How could Mi Niang have time to think about idle books?
"Shuxiang, Moxiang, there are only two little girls in the tea room, and I'm afraid they can't handle it. You two go and help, and ask the kitchen to prepare the dishes. If someone stays for dinner, we can't fail to entertain them properly."
Now the household is managed by Xu, but the courtyards are still managed by the grandmothers. Mi Niang has no interest in being a housekeeper because she will not be the head of the family in the future anyway and she really is too lazy to manage it.
But she has to care about Fang Weiyan's future.
Dong'an Hou is also a person who cares about appearances, especially in front of Ruan Jiading, he is more at ease. Ruan Jiading is a technical bureaucrat, and as an official he lacks the tact, but Ruan Jiading is the kind of person who will be very supportive when hearing others bragging, because he really believes in others to an outrageous extent in many things.
This made the Marquis of Dong'an even more talkative. When Mi Niang brought the banquet over, Fang Weiyan ate in silence, letting the two fathers talk freely. Fortunately, the head of the Ministry of Revenue came over and Fang Weiyan quickly slipped away.
In fact, Mi Niang still didn't quite understand: "Isn't it just a rotation of the inner cabinet? Why are these adults like this?"
Fang Weiyan shook his head: "Since ancient times, it has been easier to deal with King Yan than with the little devil. Maybe he is afraid that we, the clerks, will do something in the middle. If I refuse, it will make people feel scared."
He handed her a few banknotes from his sleeve and said, "Here, these are our own money."
Fang Weiyan would naturally not be stingy with the salary paid to the public, but as for private expenses such as writing allowances and other things, he would give every penny to Mi Niang.
Mi Niang suddenly understood. So what if it was written by Jin Shuqin?
If she went there in a rage, people would think she was taking it for granted. She would not tell anyone about Fang Weiyan's kindness to her.
It would be bad if someone else came to compete with her for her husband.
Just like many rich people, the house looks ordinary on the surface, but it is a different world inside, that's probably what it means. And Jin Shuqin has already fallen to the bottom, married to an older man as a concubine. Xu Jing didn't want her before, and the son she gave birth to was said to be stupid. Mi Niang felt that she really didn't know how to take revenge on her.
She felt that living was more painful than being dead, and writing these books was like a kind of catharsis, just like many frustrated writers liked to write articles. Most of those who wrote storybooks were unsuccessful in their official careers. People like Fang Weiyan were so busy every day that they didn't even have time to have meals with her, let alone write storybooks.
"Okay, I'll save it for your son to use when he gets married." Mi Niang smiled and took it without any courtesy.
Fang Weiyan shook his head: "A good man does not eat the meal of a divided family. What should I do for my son? These are for your headdress. I see that you are wearing the clothes made at home this spring. Also, buy more rouge and powder. The other day I saw that the silver hairpin you were wearing seemed a little old. Why not change it? Silver hairpins tend to turn gray after being used for a long time, which doesn't look good."
The person who pays the most attention to her every move every day and is the most considerate is Fang Weiyan. Moreover, he is not like a motherly person, but very attentive and considerate.
Mi Niang was very pleased to hear this: "Okay, I understand. Wei Yan, why are you so nice to me and always thinking of me?"
"I am your Wei Yan. If I don't think about you, who will?" Fang Wei Yan found it funny.
If you want to stand out, it is one thing for others to give you opportunities, but it is very important whether you can seize them.
The higher Fang Weiyan's status, the more stable Xu's status became, so the fact that Concubine Mei was pregnant did not cause any commotion at all.
Mi Niang went to pay her respects to Madam Xu, and saw Madam Xu casually saying to Madam Tang: "Send another little girl from Aunt Mei's place, it's not easy for her either."
There is no special treatment, just an extra portion of soup for each additional person.
Seeing Mi Niang, Xu smiled and said, "How is Envy'er? If I don't see him for a day, I can't even enjoy my meal."
Now, because Fang Weijun has not yet married and Fang Yaqing has not yet given birth, Xu's only grandson in name is Xian'er. Xu is really good to Xian'er. The relationship between grandchildren of different generations is no joke.
Mi Niang rarely said she was strict with her son in front of the elders. At this time, she just said, "He is still sleeping soundly. I don't want to wake him up. I will bring him over to see you after dinner."
"Well, your sister-in-law is going to marry soon, and there are so many things to do at home. I really can't handle it. If you have time, you can come and help me."
Mi Niang ignored this and just made the excuse that she had to take care of the children.
Since Fang Weiyan was not going to inherit the title, why did she need to be the housekeeper? If Fang Weijun's wife came home in the future and saw Mi Niang in the housekeeper, would she feel that she was taking over the house? Sometimes, people should avoid suspicion in order to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Seeing that Mi Niang did not take over the job of housekeeper, Xu felt that her daughter-in-law was avoiding the task, but at the same time she was relieved.
Because she knew very well that her sons would have their own families after they got married, and it would be impossible to continue as before. It was already very good that Ruan Shi did not oppose Wei Jun's seizure of the title and actively offered suggestions. If she was still asked to work so hard for her sons, it would be impossible.
People are inherently selfish.
I don't know if she and Mi Niang got along well from the beginning, so to some extent she rarely felt bad about Mi Niang, because she was the one who chose her.
Mi Niang actually felt that Xu was very considerate to her daughter-in-law. Of course, Fang Weiyan was also there to smooth things over, but Xu was also very tolerant of her. This mother-in-law was still a good person.
"Madam, a good friend of mine is going to give birth to a baby girl in a few days, so I want to go there on that day."
Guo Yaoyu had another daughter, so she had both a son and a daughter. Therefore, she held a big banquet for all the guests and specially sent someone to tell Mi Niang that she had to go no matter what. Mi Niang naturally had to give her good friend this face.
Xu agreed without thinking.
I have met several of my daughter-in-law's friends. They are all daughters-in-law of officials. In particular, Mrs. Jiang's husband is also a young talent. And Mrs. Tao, the grandmother of Luo, is also a very kind person. They are all worth getting along with.
Mi Niang thanked her mother-in-law happily.
It was also said that Fang Weiyan's new job was known to all relatives and friends, and even Xu Jing's new daughter-in-law had heard about it. Aunt Xu was still very satisfied with Xu Jing's daughter-in-law, Zhao. Although she was not as pretty as Fang Yaqing, she was also very good. It was just that her son was a little disappointed with her.
But then again, if a woman is very beautiful like Ruan, everyone would want to marry her and every man would like her.
Lord Li, who is now the Second Assistant, was able to fall in love with Ruan, who was the daughter of a nobleman. She was not only beautiful, but also talented in calligraphy and painting. She was better than others in managing affairs and giving birth to children.
Zhao didn't know this. She was the daughter of an official and had a wide range of knowledge. Although she was the youngest daughter at home, she was not the kind of person who relied on her pampering to be arrogant. turns to serve in the inner cabinet in just four years, which is enough to show his ability."
Aunt Xu knew very well what her nephew was capable of. She had a very good relationship with her sister-in-law Xu. But if her son had not been having an affair with Jin Shuqin, this would not have happened.
But Zhao is not bad either.
Better than Jin Shuqin.
Jin Shuhui naturally heard about it as well. Her husband's family members heard that her cousin gave her a higher status in her husband's family. But because of this, Jin Shuhui felt very uncomfortable. If she had married her cousin Fang, everything would be hers today.
All her anger could only be turned into words and written in a book.
However, no one in Jin Shuhui's family knew that she was writing a storybook. She usually wrote in seclusion. She just finished one volume of "Spring Flowers and Autumn Moon" and has to continue writing.
But before she wrote a few words, she said that her stepson should be contacted with regard to his studies, and Jin Shuhui had to pretend to be Hyun-hui and go to take care of his stepson.
Li Guan, who was also a member of the Hanlin Academy, did not take the turn to serve in the inner cabinet this time. Last time it was Zhang Ao, and it was originally his turn this time. However, Fang Weiyan's writing was gorgeous and beautiful, especially the poem he wrote this time, which was greatly appreciated by Emperor Yonglong. After he met the emperor, Cui Ti spoke for him, saying that he was extremely good at Qingci. The emperor directly let him take the turn to serve in the inner cabinet.
Therefore, Li Guan was very depressed. Mrs. Li said, "Your father said that you can transfer to the sixth department. You can gain some experience first. You have to gain some experience after all."
The son has a somewhat easy-going and indecisive personality, and is often not decisive in doing things. On the surface, Fang Weiyan seems to be just a small Hanlin who does not compete or fight for anything, but he is able to humble himself and is very capable. Especially for someone like Cui Ti who had offended him, she actually recommended Fang Weiyan in front of the emperor, which is enough to show his ability.
However, Madam Li said, "I guess Cui Ti was able to speak for him out of respect for Mi Niang. I heard that Fang Weiyan was once imprisoned to write Qingci because of him. Later, Fang Weiyan publicly stopped writing. Many people gossiped about Fang Weiyan in front of Cui Ti, but Cui Ti said that Fang Weiyan married a virtuous wife. I think everyone said that Mi Niang offended him. From what Cui Ti said at the end, she must still admire her very much."
Speaking of which, Mi Niang is really a lucky charm for her husband, and she couldn't help feeling a little regretful.
Li Guan was also like this, but he said: "I am not a person without tolerance. I have endured enough in the past few years in the Hanlin Academy. Now Fang Weiyan's incident also makes me feel that it is not bad to go to the Ministry of Education."
Fang Weiyan, who was originally an eunuch in the Imperial Academy, was usually very silent and low-key in the Hanlin Academy. However, he was unexpectedly very active when it was time to step forward.
Moreover, he was extremely talented, and his Qingci was probably even better than Cui Ti's.
He developed a feeling of self-loathing, as if everyone thought he was the top pick. Of course, there were historical facts about this, but because his father was a second-best pick, it was buried.
Seeing her son silent, Madam Li said quickly, "It's good that you've thought it through, my son. Your grandmother has grown old in recent years. If your father gets sick one day, we will have to return home. It will be difficult to recover. You go to the Six Ministries. No matter what, you will be promoted faster."
It's not easy to survive in the Hanlin Academy. Although Li Guan is the son of Li Ci Fu, he is not very outstanding.
When Mi Niang heard Li Guan's name again at Guo Yaoyu's house, she felt nothing. When she heard that he went to the Ministry of War, she just said, "I never thought of that."
In his previous life, Li Guan had always been in the Hanlin Academy. It was not easy to get promoted in the Hanlin Academy. Everyone thought Fang Weiyan was an unknown person who suddenly stood out because of his talent. They didn't know that Fang Weiyan had paid a lot.
She had caught a cold a while ago and Fang Weiyan was unable to accompany her, but he actually took Lu's family to seek medical treatment. Cui Ti seemed to be speaking for him, but in fact it was because she had reached an exchange with Lu Rufa.
Officials are more practical when it comes to exchanging interests. What else can Mi Niang say? Fang Wei Yan is really amazing.
Guo Yaoyu held her daughter in her arms and looked at Mi Niang and said, "You just said that I have both a son and a daughter. You should also give birth to a daughter. Then we can become in-laws. I don't worry about what my future daughter-in-law will look like when you and Editor Fang look like this."
"Go away, now that you have given birth to two children, you are becoming even more cramped. I already have a jealous boy and that's enough to worry me. If you give birth to another one, I won't be able to take care of it." Mi Niang really didn't want to have another child. At least she wanted to wait a few years.
Because Guo Yaoyu's husband and Jin Shuhui's husband were of the same generation, Mi Niang also saw Jin Shuhui. After getting married, Jin Shuhui seemed very virtuous. After getting married, she and Wang Sanniang were very famous in the capital. They felt that they were different. Jin Shuhui was different from before and took the initiative to greet Mi Niang when she saw her.
Mi Niang couldn't help but say, "I didn't expect to see you here. When I went to my aunt's house the other day, my cousin's wife said that you hadn't been home for a long time."
The cousin-in-law refers to Xu Jing's wife Zhao. Zhao probably doesn't know about the Jin family's affairs, and she even mentioned this matter to Mi Niang.
Jin Shuhui smiled awkwardly: "Really? I've been busy at home these days and haven't been there much. I will definitely go to see my aunt and cousin's wife when I'm free in the future." She felt that Mi Niang mentioned the Xu family on purpose. She knew clearly that the Xu and Jin families had a falling out, and Aunt Jin had moved out and lived in her own house outside. They rarely interacted with each other, but she still asked this question. It was obvious that she wanted to make fun of her.
But even though she was so angry that her teeth were itching, she could not show any displeasure. After all, in the outside world, she was able to marry into her current husband's family because of her identity as the niece of the Xu family.
At the same time, she could not offend Mi Niang. Fang Wei Yan got a new job and worked in the inner cabinet. It was possible that he would become a general or a prime minister in the future.
Seeing Jin Shuhui like this, Mi Niang couldn't help but ask indirectly: "How is your sister? I only heard that she got married, but I don't know how she is doing?"
Speaking of her sister Jin Shuqin, Jin Shuhui said: "It's not very good. She just sent me a letter. I don't know about other things."
Seeing that she looked a little regretful, Mi Niang thought that Jin Shuhui had a hard life too. She had such a sister and was also implicated. Fortunately, she herself did not cause any trouble.
After a while, Guo Yaoyu saw Jin Shuhui and said, "You are such a busy person, but you still have time to come over."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Jin Shuhui was asked to go aside, and Guo Yaoyu said to Mi Niang, "Your cousin is really busy. I heard that the previous stepson was very naughty, and she had to manage the household, and she also had to take care of this stepson. She has no time to rest all day long."
"Really?" Mi Niang looked at her from behind and thought, that shouldn't be her. Just like when Mi Niang took care of Xian Ge'er for a whole day, she was exhausted. Who else had the energy to write a book? It could only be Jin Shuqin.
Jin Shuqin is dissatisfied with her life and is likely to vent her anger on books.
But Jin Shuqin had no idea where Aunt Xu had taken her, so it was useless for her to retaliate.
Mi Niang will put this matter aside for now.
Besides, there was a happy event in the family. Fang Weichang's second wife, Yu, came into the family. A second marriage was naturally different from a first marriage, and the Shen family also sent people to attend the wedding. No matter what, for the sake of their grandchildren, the Shen family could not completely ignore Fang Weichang.
Yu was a submissive lady of about eighteen years old. It was said that she had missed her wedding date due to mourning. Naturally, it was also said that she had two younger sisters and a younger brother, who was still very young. Commander Yu's wife had a difficult delivery while giving birth to their youngest son.
When they met for the first time, Yu was quite calm and confident, but she was unwilling to show off in front of others.
Second sister-in-law Yu usually wouldn't show up at such an occasion, but third sister-in-law smiled and said, "I've been looking forward to your coming."
Her husband and Fang Weichang were born of the same mother, so naturally their relationship was different from that of other brothers. Third Grandma welcomed him, and Mi Niang had no hostility towards Yu. To be honest, when she saw her mother-in-law, she really felt that being a successor was not easy.
Just like she found it hard to imagine what it would be like if Fang Weiyan continued the relationship if she was gone.
It's not that she feels good about herself. Fang Weiyan still has deep feelings for her. If he marries another one and she doesn't do as well as her in any aspect, people will criticize her. Besides, apart from other things, Shen is a very capable housekeeper. It has been difficult for Xu to find any fault with her for so long.
If Fang Weichang had not stabbed him in the back, he would never have brought about his own destruction.
Yu was also a lady from a wealthy family, but she was still a little nervous about marrying into the Marquis's mansion. She was chosen by Xu, and before she entered the mansion, she heard others talk about the feud between Xu and Fang Weichang. She was also warned by her father not to get involved and to just be honest and low-key and have a child.
Before entering the house, she had also met the women of the Dong'an Marquis's Mansion, especially the Fourth Grandmother, Ruan. She was truly stunning. She had heard that her father was a fifth-rank official and came from the Ruan family, a prominent family in Jiangling. She was a member of the late queen's maternal family and had a wealthy family background. In addition, she was beautiful, smart and capable, so no one was dissatisfied with her.
Therefore, when Yu saw her greeting her with a smile, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Fang Furong also knew that Fang Weichang would enter the Southern Camp to serve after getting married. He would be getting further and further away from the position of Crown Prince anyway. She was too lazy to make things difficult for Yu, as Yu seemed to be an honest person anyway.
Yu was really tolerant and took good care of the pregnant concubine Fang. She was not overly attentive, but followed the rules for pregnant concubines in the mansion. At the same time, when it was inconvenient for her to serve Fang Weichang, she deliberately asked her personal maid to help. This made Madam Weng and Xu very satisfied.
Old Madam Weng even took the initiative to give her the Buddhist beads she usually wore, which made Yu very happy.
Afterwards, Fang Weichang went to another place, and Yu was not as reclusive as her second sister-in-law Yu. She would participate in playing cards and mahjong, but she was not prone to doing anything. She was also very tolerant to the servants. Although everyone said that the rules of the first house were not as good as when Shen was there, it was still pretty good for the servants of the first house.
As for Shen's two sons, Yu was not too concerned about them, but treated them normally, and her daughter Sheng Jie'er also treated them with courtesy.
This made Old Lady Weng somewhat dissatisfied. Mi Niang privately said to Fang Weiyan: "What you said is true. The eldest sister-in-law is the second wife. How can she care about the affairs of the previous child? If you are really strict, then the old lady will think that this person is worthy of being a stepmother. Even if she treats the previous child harshly, who wants to do this? It is better to leave it like this."
Mi Niang would say that her current sister-in-law is actually very smart. She is not the type of person who appears to be naive but is actually cunning. She can do as much as she can.
Fang Weiyan was not interested in these things, but he was interested in what Mi Niang was concerned about. When he heard Mi Niang say this, he agreed: "You are right."
"You're just trying to please me. Humph, you must be tired today." Mi Niang rubbed his temples.
Fang Weiyan shook his head: "Not tired." This was how he got promoted in his previous life, and having been the capital for many years, he was very adept at handling government affairs.
But things in this life are very different from the previous life. Although everyone scolded Queen Mother Ruan for wanting to imitate Lu and Wu in the previous life, the Sixth Prince she gave birth to was smart and clever. But now, among these princes, none is outstanding. Fang Weiyan sighed deeply.
Mi Niang rushed in front of him, knowing that he was in a bad mood, and coaxed him: "Can I kiss you ten times?"
Seeing Fang Weiyan looking at her leisurely, Mi Niang kissed him on the face ten times. Fang Weiyan could feel her sweet breath, and in an instant, he felt all his worries were gone.
"Wei Yan, let me tell you something incredible."
"Ah? What?" Fang Weiyan's attention was all on her red lips.
Mi Niang said, "I saw a storybook called "Moon Shadow". The person in it looked like you. It also said something like I was seducing you and how about you and your childhood sweetheart living together... Let me show it to you."
She got out of bed, took the storybook and handed it to Fang Weiyan. Fang Weiyan said with a headache: "I never really read storybooks."
He prefers to read books like "Seven Heroes and Five Gallants" or "Water Margin". Of course, these were also his favorite books when he was a child. Now he prefers to study "Records of the Grand Historian". Reading history can make you wise.
He really didn't want to read this kind of love story book, but he was still willing to read what Mi Niang said. Unexpectedly, the more he read, the angrier he became.
At daybreak, Concubine De in Zhaoyang Palace got up. Concubine Cui was already dying in the palace. Although Concubine Cui was demoted to a low-ranking concubine, she was quickly reinstated as Zhaoyi because of the emperor's favor and the fact that she had given birth to a prince.
In order to please the emperor and restore her position as a concubine as soon as possible, she started to think of a trick, which was to write Buddhist scriptures in blood to show her sincerity, because the emperor believed in Taoism. However, she did not expect that Concubine Cui was haunted in the palace, so that she often could not sleep well at night, and had to cut blood to write scriptures during the day, so her health quickly deteriorated. Emperor Yonglong frowned and looked at her shouting and screaming. He thought she was too crazy, so he ignored her and asked Fan Yuzhen to take care of her.
As the saying goes, "strike while you're weak." How could Fan Yuzhen be willing to see Concubine Cui rise to power? After spending several years in the palace, she felt that she was really cruel, but she had to be cruel.
It's either you live or I live. If she doesn't act ruthlessly, and if her son is not the future emperor, she will definitely be buried alive.
Fan Yuzhen was not willing to be buried alive with the dead.
"Empress Defei, the Queen Mother has invited Cui Ti's wife to the palace today and asked you to come over as well."
Cui Ti’s wife?
Fan Yuzhen said "Oh" and thought to himself: "The emperor is very fond of Cui Ti. After Zhang Xiang left, he will be the prime minister. He is not old and has a chance to be prime minister for at least ten years. If he becomes prime minister, it would be great if he supports my son to become the crown prince."
Thinking of this, she said to the people around her, "Hasn't Zheng Zhaoyi always been concerned about Concubine Cui's affairs? Just tell her that the Queen Mother has summoned me to Shoukang Palace, and ask Zheng Zhaoyi to go see Concubine Cui on my behalf."
The palace maid quickly said yes.
This was the first time Wang Sanniang entered the palace. She had been there once before, but Cui Ti's position at that time was not as high as it is now. Wang Sanniang felt a little uncomfortable. Now, as the Prime Minister's wife, she was probably feeling very different.
The first difference was that she was treated with great courtesy. At the door, Concubine De's sedan chair came to pick her up. This was not a favor to her, but a courtesy to Cui Ti. Wang Sanniang declined several times before she got on the sedan chair and left.
The Empress Dowager has always loved liveliness. Normally, she was disfavored by Concubine Guo Jin, and the Emperor did not like the eldest prince at all. However, the country depended on the eldest son, and now there was no legitimate prince, so Concubine Guo Jin's status became prominent, especially from the Empress Dowager's side, who valued her the most.
Fan Yuzhen also respected Concubine Guo Jin very much. She was different from Concubine Cui. Concubine Cui relied on her favor to be domineering and even harmed the empress. Although Fan Yuzhen was favored, she was very tolerant and kind to everyone.
Because of this, the Empress Dowager had repeatedly tried to persuade the Emperor to make Fan Yuzhen the empress.
In terms of family affairs, character and even the birth of children, Fan Yuzhen was not bad at all. However, although Emperor Yonglong doted on Fan Yuzhen on weekdays, he did not say a word about this matter.
Naturally, Fan Yuzhen also wanted someone to write a letter on her behalf, but she was very sensitive and knew that the emperor was definitely not the boyish man she had once thought he was. Moreover, she was afraid that someone would surpass her, even though she was now Concubine De, one of the Four Concubines, and Concubine Guo Jin was not as favored as she was.
But she has no family background. Although the Hanhai Mansion can help her, the person found by the Hanhai Mansion will definitely be envied by the emperor.
Therefore, if the person she is looking for is a loyal official, someone the emperor trusts, and if this person speaks for her, then one word from him is worth ten words.
Therefore, when Wang Sanniang came over, Fan Yuzhen became a little more enthusiastic towards her.
The Queen Mother was also surprised when she saw Wang Sanniang: "I didn't expect Madam Cui to be so young. She is a blessed person."
Wang Sanniang hurriedly said, "Thank you, Queen Mother, for your compliment."
Fan Yuzhen smiled and said, "A young man is born in a wealthy family. Madam Cui and Lord Cui love each other, so she looks very young."
The Queen Mother smiled and said yes. Wang Sanniang looked at Fan Yuzhen. She had heard of this young Defei. She was really very beautiful. She was like an orchid in a valley. Few people saw such a concubine in the palace. She was gorgeous without any corrosion. She was very ethereal.
But Wang Sanniang also knew that her husband had to be a loyal subject and she could not have any contact with the concubines in the harem, so she just nodded slightly to express her gratitude to Fan Yuzhen, but she had no intention of getting close to her.
Fan Yuzhen was secretly unhappy. No matter how powerful Madam Cui was, she was still only the wife of a minister. Why were you so arrogant?
After several years of life as a concubine in the palace, Fan Yuzhen was no longer the cousin living in the mansion of a nobleman, but the highest-ranking lady in the harem.
What's so great about Mrs. Cui? Aren't all husbands prosperous and wives wealthy? What's so great about that?
In terms of personal ability, Wang Sanniang is far inferior to Mi Niang. Thinking of Mi Niang, I heard from my grandmother when she entered the palace that she married well and her husband loved her very much, but she herself was also very talented and good at painting. She even relied on painting to break into the high-level civil service circle.
As I thought of this, I heard Wang Sanniang talking about folk stories. Now she was talking about a storybook called "Moon Shadow". She said, "I heard that this storybook has been adapted into a play. Many families have read this storybook and want to hire a troupe to perform it."
The Queen Mother was actually not very old, and the so-called worship of Buddha was just a formality. When she heard about what was happening outside the palace, she became very interested.
The wife of the Marquis of Xinling, who was sitting next to the empress dowager, said, "Mother, what Madam Cui said is very true. Many people read "Moon Shadow", but everyone is guessing who wrote the story. It is said that he was originally a son of a wealthy family, but he wrote this book because his family fell into poverty. It seems that he lived in the inner court, not like the talented scholars and beautiful women in the past. Instead, it is just some pedantic scholar writing nonsense."
Lady Xinlinghou had been raised in the palace. She was actually a few years younger than the empress dowager, but nominally she had to call her mother.
With the support of Lady Xinlinghou, the Queen Mother was very interested.
Women were the most enthusiastic about gossip, and the Queen Mother was no exception. She only heard the wife of Duke Qi say, "It is rumored that this is a family affair of the Marquis of Dong'an. Is that true?"
The Duke of Qi's family intended to marry the daughter of the Marquis of Dong'an. At first, they thought that Fang Yaqing's engagement had been broken off, so they came to propose marriage as if it were a favor. Unexpectedly, they were rejected by Xu. Coincidentally, Xu did not come today. The wife of the Duke of Qi felt that this matter was not groundless, but a rumor in the market.
Wang Sanniang also joined in the fun: "Are you saying that Yuchan is similar? I don't think that's entirely true."
The Queen Mother quickly asked what the coincidence was and who was being talked about. At this time, the noble ladies were reluctant to say anything, and no one was stupid enough to say it bluntly, which would please the Queen Mother but offend the Dong'an Marquis's Mansion.
The Dong'an Marquis's Mansion is now thriving, and the nobles are extremely jealous. In the past, Fang Weichang was a concubine's son and had an unstable foundation. Although he had the help of the Shen family, it was still different.
Moreover, Xu and Fang Weichang were in trouble at the time, and the two sides were at loggerheads. Many noble families were waiting to see the joke.
But Fang Weichang was defeated and went to another country, and he didn't even take revenge. Fang Weijun shined in the military camp and was praised by the emperor once, not to mention Fang Weiyan. Now he was doing well in the Imperial Academy and had better abilities than anyone else in the Imperial Academy. When the time came, the emperor would have Fang Weiyan to help him, Fang Weijun was guarding the Hou Mansion, and the son-in-law of Dong'an Hou Mansion was still the number one scholar.
Compared to the nobles who are generally not very ambitious, the Dong'an Marquis's Mansion is extremely successful. The Dong'an Marquis used to live a secluded life, but now he has become much more active.
How can this not arouse the jealousy of others? A piece of gifted snack is only so big. If you get more, won't others get less?
Wang Sanniang had no intention, but the wife of Marquis Xinling and the wife of Duke Qi did.
But these two are experts, and they are very careful and know when to stop.
The wife of the Duke of Qi was a little more aggressive, but she continued to speak for the Dong'an Marquisate.
But the Queen Mother was still very curious, and even asked the eunuchs to find out something in private. Unlike the palace maids, the eunuchs were able to leave the palace. This matter was circulated in the upper circles, but most people kept it secret. However, the young eunuchs certainly had their own channels to find out what the Queen Mother wanted to know.
Soon, not only the Queen Mother, but even Fan Yuzhen knew about it.
The Queen Mother and Fan Yuzhen were chatting: "This cousin Lin in "Moon Shadow" is Fang Weiyan, the editor. I never thought that he would be seduced by women. If he was with his childhood sweetheart, he probably wouldn't be like this."
Fan Yuzhen covered her mouth and laughed, but she was thinking in her heart, who wrote this? She knew that Mi Niang had been engaged for a long time. In fact, with Ruan Mi Niang's intelligence, if she stayed in the palace, she might not be a match for him. But she had to go out at that time, and it was definitely not to get her drunk to seduce a man.
But she couldn't say such words, otherwise how could she, a mere concubine, know what was going on outside the palace.
The Emperor was very willing to show his filial piety to the Empress Dowager regarding such matters as watching a play. As long as the Empress Dowager did not interfere in government affairs, it would be fine. He did not care much about such trivial matters.
The opera was compiled by the Yuefu in the palace, and the wife of Marquis Xinling laughed when she heard about it.
The Xinling Marquis' Mansion is different from the Dong'an Marquis' Mansion and the Nanping Marquis' Mansion, especially when it comes to sons. The distinction between legitimate and illegitimate sons is not obvious, and on the surface everyone is treated the same.
Just like the marriage of the Marquis of Dong'an, there is not much difference between the legitimate son and the illegitimate son. It mainly depends on whether you have any potential. They are all sons of the Marquis, and the configurations are the same. Anyway, they are all the same on the surface.
Although He Tinglan has absolute power in the Nanping Marquis's Mansion, he is the crown prince and his monthly allowances are similar to those of other concubines.
Even the Hanhai Mansion was like this. Old Madam Ruan treated her eldest son and second son no differently. She only conferred the title of Crown Prince on the second son because he was the legitimate son. But in fact, when the second son was not conferred the title of Crown Prince, the two were treated the same.
However, there is a clear distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children in the Xinling Marquis's mansion. Because the wife of Xinling Marquis is a princess, she treats illegitimate sons no differently than ants. All of the illegitimate sons in the family married illegitimate daughters. The only person she cannot control is Gu Wangshu.
This wild boy was just the son of a singing girl and a prostitute, but he had been disobedient and unruly since childhood. Lady Xinling wanted him dead, but she didn't expect that he would make it, and even become the commander of the Jinyiwei, and even became the emperor's confidant.
However, her son was still mediocre and had no say in front of the emperor. He finally had a chance to guard the emperor during his ancestor worship, but heard that the Marquis of Dong'an wanted to arrange his own son Fang Weijun to take the position.
Don't blame her for this.
Gu Wangshu was a man with a strong sense of revenge. He was like a poisonous snake. He would bite you when you are not paying attention, and you would not even know how you died. Moreover, he was cruel and ruthless. Lady Xinlinghou knew very well how she had treated Gu Wangshu in the past. She often had nightmares at night, in which the little boy who was locked in the woodshed and not given any food when she was a child looked at her with a sinister face.
Sometimes after being startled awake, I couldn't recover for a long time and my heart ached.
Sometimes she saw that Fang Weichang, the crown prince of the Dong'an Marquisate, had lost his position, so why didn't he have the desire to kill Xu? On the contrary, after Xu remarried for him, he went to join the army in another place, and he still left the children to Xu. Xu was also stupid. If it were her, she would definitely cut off the roots. But Xu was still caring for the children.
Sometimes she felt that Mrs. Xu was more tolerant than she was. If she had known that Gu Wangshu would become what he was today, she swore that she would never treat him like that.
She is already old, but her son is still mediocre. If she doesn't seize this opportunity, she will never have the chance to stand out in the future!
The Duke of Qi's Mansion must also be eyeing this position. The Marquis of Dong'an's Mansion is already very good. Fang Weijun has a brother who is doing so well.
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