Chapter 80 (combined with Chapter 80)
After Zhang finished her mourning period, she listened to Miaozhen's advice and left two hundred acres of fertile land for the Cui family to use as sacrificial land. She persuaded the clan elders and was able to marry the garrison commander smoothly. Her dowry was also included in the marriage, which can be considered a happy ending.
Even Lou Qiongyu sighed when she mentioned this, saying, "I never expected her marriage would end up like this."
"Yes, that's what they call reaping what you sow; it's all about what you get." Miaozhen was very happy for Zhang.
Liu repeatedly praised Zhang, implying that she was born with a life of wealth and nobility, without mentioning Miaozhen's contributions at all. Lou Qiongyu thought that Zhang had once seduced her fourth brother, and her sister-in-law had gone to great lengths to arrange things, but in the end, the other woman married even better than her. She wondered what Zhang was thinking.
But Miaozhen was genuinely happy for Zhang's change of heart. Seeing Liu say this, she understood the implication in her words and smiled, "Yes, saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. I hope that everyone who does good deeds will be rewarded."
This attack meant nothing to her, because she wasn't jealous of Zhang at all; she felt she was already doing very well. Only Liu and Bian were deeply resentful. They were both daughters of officials, still unmarried young women, yet their husbands were not very promising. While Miaozhen, a student of the Imperial Academy, and Zhang, a remarried woman, were marrying into higher social classes, each one seemed to be doing better than the last.
Seeing their sour faces, Xiao Suyin couldn't help but purse her lips and said to Miaozhen as soon as she came out, "Fourth Sister-in-law, don't take it to heart."
Miaozhen was taken aback, then shook her head: "I never took it to heart." Now that she has won the Emperor's favor and been granted a plaque by herself, she will definitely be included when people remind women doctors of their profession. Why would she care about a few flies buzzing around?
"I knew you weren't the type to overthink things, so that's good." Xiao Suyin smiled.
After returning from celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with his family, Xiao Jingshi had been working in the Ministry of Personnel for a year since returning from Xuanda. The Ministry of Personnel received a lot of requests, since it was the department in charge of personnel changes.
The invitations filled almost two boxes. Qingfeng carried them in, and Miaozhen looked at them. Then she said to Xiao Jingshi, "Offending petty people in officialdom can lead to serious trouble. You should take a closer look."
"Can you read it for me?" Xiao Jingshi lay on the chaise lounge, rubbing his temples.
Miao Zhen agreed and read them to him one by one. Even Xiao Jingshi thought she was quite patient. People like her would succeed no matter what they did.
He only went to a few places he could normally socialize with, and almost never went to the rest.
The two sighed, "People will definitely think we're ungrateful for our good fortune."
Miaozhen laughed and said, "Anyway, you're just starting out, so you must cherish your reputation. My consultation fees this month are over sixty taels, which is more than enough."
"Silly girl, why do you always tell me what you're doing with the money you earn? Be careful someone doesn't overhear you." Xiao Jingshi pinched her soft, white arm.
Miaozhen, however, said righteously, "We've been in the world of fame and fortune for a long time and have seen a lot. We should know that those corrupt officials weren't corrupt from the start. In fact, they all had great ambitions at the beginning, but one wrong step led to another. We are all ordinary people, and it's normal to have greed. So let's restrain ourselves and avoid places that are too tempting."
Only by cherishing your reputation can you go further.
Meanwhile, in Suzhou Prefecture, Xiao Jingshi had just celebrated her birthday on the eighth day of the eighth lunar month. Because her son, Xiao Jingshi, was quite successful, many local officials came to visit her. In the past, it was they who fawned over the government, but now the tables had turned.
Madam Lou, Madam Mei, and Sister-in-law Han all came. Madam Mei is now much more plump and confident. Her daughter has been bestowed a plaque by the Emperor, and her son is a scholar at a young age. Since Miaozhen got married, her family has been saving money all these years and has finally saved up five thousand taels ahead of schedule.
Compared to the Xiao family's wealth, this sum of money was a drop in the ocean, but for Xu Erpeng and his wife, it was a considerable amount of retirement funds.
In contrast, since Magistrate Lou retired, the Lou family has lived solely on the rent from their land. Although their son is a minor official, he is the head of the household and does not allow his parents to keep the money, so they are very frugal.
Now, Mrs. Mei and Mrs. Lou have completely reversed their roles.
Ren was very polite to Mei, saying, "Sometimes when my daughter-in-law is home, I'm not afraid of anything. This child is talented and has good medical skills. I don't know how my in-laws raised her."
"You're too kind," Madam Mei said with a modest smile, though she was secretly very pleased with herself.
However, Madam Ren thought that when her fourth son and his wife went to the capital last time, they were worried that no one would take care of the children. Madam Mei went to the capital to help take care of the children despite the hardships. This was much better than Madam Lou, who only had the mouth to talk.
Moreover, I've heard that the Xu family's child is also a promising student, and they're very strict with their upbringing. Such a family of scholars shouldn't be underestimated.
Mrs. Lou could certainly sense the difference. She was always very self-important, polite to her face but rolling her eyes at the sky behind her back. Thinking that her daughter was in the capital and her son-in-law was still only a scholar, she complained that her son-in-law was not working hard enough. However, when she heard that Xiao Jingshi was now in the Ministry of Personnel, she perked up: "The Ministry of Personnel is in charge of the promotion of officials."
"Yes, I heard it's called the Examination and Merit Bureau, which is for evaluating officials." Ren didn't quite understand either.
It was Chao who, with his broad knowledge, explained: "Whether an official appointed outside the capital can be promoted is almost entirely up to the Director of the Examination and Merit Department. However, the Director of the Examination and Merit Department will assign positions to Assistant Directors and two Principals. So, although this position is not of high rank, it is extremely powerful."
Mrs. Lou couldn't help but think of her relative, a scholar who had never been promoted. She thought it would be better to tell Xiao Jingshi, since it would be a piece of cake for him anyway.
She actually wrote a letter to Lou Qiongyu and his wife, and Xiao Jingtang scoffed when he read it: "Your mother just opens her mouth and wants to arrange an official position."
Lou Qiongyu sighed, "My mother doesn't know the situation in the capital. She thinks my fourth brother is like my third uncle."
Back then, my third uncle would help anyone who asked for favors. For example, Xiao Jingyan from the eldest branch of the family became an official through the connections of my third uncle. But Xiao Jingshi was different. He did not accept any favors and was usually very honest and upright as an official, even to the point of being somewhat aloof.
"Forget about outsiders, my brother will still help family members. I'll go ask him." Xiao Jingtang was also afraid that people would say that he had become biased after becoming an official, which would damage his brother's reputation.
Human relationships are of paramount importance.
When Xiao Jingtang came to the study to find Xiao Jingshi, he saw Xiao Jingshi practicing calligraphy and said with a smile, "Fourth Brother, why aren't you going out for a walk today since it's your day off?"
"I'm taking Zhao Ge'er to find an open space to learn horseback riding later, so I didn't go out," Xiao Jingshi said, continuing to write.
Although both children have tutors, Miaozhen told him a lot about child abuse and child molestation cases, and she was not comfortable leaving the children with outsiders, especially when going out, so she still let him accompany her.
Xiao Jingtang couldn't help but praise, "No wonder Zhao Ge'er is only a month older than my Miao Ge'er, but he's half a head taller. It's because he's usually very active, while our Miao Ge'er is very quiet."
"If we're talking about being mischievous, Zheng-ge'er is the most mischievous. Compared to his younger brother, Zhao-ge'er is quite well-behaved," Xiao Jingshi said casually.
Xiao Jingtang sat down and said a few words to his brother before explaining his purpose. He took out the letter given to him by Madam Lou and spread it out in front of Xiao Jingshi, saying, "I don't know what to say about my mother-in-law. She makes my brother do difficult things all the time."
If it were truly for his brother's good, he wouldn't have presented it to him. Xiao Jingshi glanced at his younger brother: "How much did you receive in bribes?"
"Brother, I didn't take a single penny." Now Xiao Jingtang was truly wronged; he really hadn't taken a single penny.
Xiao Jingshi said, "Is it not enough for a mere scholar to be an instructor? I also want to arrange salt administration work and send him to wealthy areas. I don't have that kind of ability right now."
Xiao Jingtang said, "We're all relatives, I'm just afraid the Lou family will say something."
“What can she say? I think she doesn’t know her place. My father-in-law is still a student of the Imperial Academy. Even your sister-in-law told me not to show favoritism, let alone her?” Xiao Jingshi was quite blunt.
Xiao Jingtang said, "Didn't Third Uncle help Eldest Brother back then? It was just a matter of lifting a finger for Brother. Third Uncle is also a well-known upright official in the court."
"Third Uncle? He's an extremely honest official. The money came from our second branch of the family; he didn't embezzle a single penny while in office. As for helping others, his cover-up of the Rao family was investigated, and he almost lost his official position. If it weren't for getting Third Brother and the Gao family's old lady married, where would we be today? The capital investigation is coming up soon, and Third Uncle is even preparing to resign early. And you're talking about this?" Xiao Jingshi felt that Xiao Jingtang was thinking too simply.
The struggles in officialdom are usually as calm as a lake. The surface of the lake may appear calm, but in reality, everyone is being held hostage by someone, and no one dares to make a move. They may even have to do things against their conscience.
Therefore, Xiao Jingshi wanted to keep public and private matters separate when he was an official, and he could not let public office lead to private interests. Otherwise, he would be held hostage by others and controlled by them. He was most unwilling to be controlled by others in his life.
Xiao Jingtang never expected that his third brother would marry Gao Shi for this reason. He couldn't help but say, "I really didn't expect that."
"Your mother-in-law's pressure on you isn't enough, she even dares to tell me what to do? Don't worry about me, I'll write home and tell my parents. My status is what it is, this is our family's biggest protection. If you're still not satisfied, then I'll resign and go home." Xiao Jingshi was not someone to be trifled with.
Seeing that things had escalated, Xiao Jingtang sighed and walked out with his head down.
Miao Zhen learned about this in the evening. After Xiao Jingshi finished speaking, she said, "If he is a talented person, then it's fine. He can participate in the selection process at the Ministry of Personnel. If he is not a talented person, you will be implicated as the recommender in the future. You must be very careful in these matters. Look at me, if I encounter a difficult illness, I will write a disclaimer first. Otherwise, I will be finished if there is a problem."
Just like Xiao Jingshi never sought help from his third uncle when he entered the Hanlin Academy to be selected as an official, Xiao Jingshi was originally thrown into Xuanda University as cannon fodder. In less than a year, a person with no powerful backing was not afraid at all. He reported the imperial family, exposed corrupt officials, and even learned about the war in advance, giving the credit to Governor Lu.
Only in this way did he gain the appreciation of Minister Huang and Governor Lu.
No matter where you go, you have to rely on your own abilities to make your name.
Xiao Jingshi put his hand on Miaozhen's shoulder and said, "My wife, with a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for? In the future, when we find a wife for Zhao-ge'er, she doesn't need to be from a high-ranking family. As long as the girl is well-educated and reasonable, and there are no family burdens, that's better than anything else."
“That’s how it should be. History is full of ups and downs, and what lasts forever? Marrying for temporary gain may bring temporary benefits, but it may not be good in the future,” Miaozhen said.
Xiao Jingshi thought that when Miaozhen was doing well in the palace, her first thought was to retire, and he would probably do the same in the future.
Having a wife who was thinking about his future, Xiao Jingshi was a sensible man and very grateful. However, he added, "In that case, it will be difficult for you two sisters-in-law to get along."
This was the first time he had asked this question. Miaozhen smiled and said, "Why are you worrying about housework? Don't worry, it's alright."
"Are you really alright?" Xiao Jingshi looked at her with eyes like stars, revealing a depth of affection he had never shown before.
Miaozhen said, "Actually, I'd rather have some distance between us. When people are too close, some things become harder to say. When you were a junior official, I thought I was busy and asked her to help manage the household. That was fine, and it made them feel less like they were living under someone else's roof. Now you've only been an official for two years, and in such a crucial position in the Ministry of Personnel, so many people are eager to find something to use against you and bring you down. I can't control what happens outside, but I will definitely manage things at home. I'm the mistress of the house, what can she possibly do to me?"
She's no saint; she won't let anyone who dares to jeopardize their future get away with it.
Lou Qiongyu and Miaozhen were also becoming increasingly dissatisfied due to the accumulation of things. The matter of Wei Jie'er and the matter of her uncle made them feel that their fourth brother and sister-in-law did not treat them as family.
So when Gao accompanied her husband back to report on his work, she originally admired Gao the most, thinking that Gao had excellent social skills and was considerate of others. Therefore, she thought of asking Gao for help with her uncle's matter.
Upon hearing this, Madam Gao couldn't help but laugh and said, "The Ministry of Personnel can handle this matter. Why don't you go ask your fourth brother?"
Lou Qiongyu wasn't as quick-witted as Xia Xianjie, so she stammered. Seeing this, Gao Shi understood and said, "This matter is actually not difficult. You can have your relative apply for a position at the Ministry of Personnel. They need to register at the Ministry of Personnel first, and then take the exam. Then you can see who the examiner is and make some arrangements. Isn't that enough?"
In fact, Gao did not directly offer help, but she spoke very nicely. As the daughter of an official, she knew the importance of managing one's family, governing the country, and bringing peace to the world. In this respect, she was different from Miaozhen, who relied on ruthlessness to survive due to constant family conflicts since childhood. She did not mind giving some benefits to satisfy the people around her. When people asked for her help and there was a business relationship, the relationship would naturally be better.
Lou Qiongyu was very happy about this and often visited the third branch of the family, which made Xiao Xi say, "I've never seen her like this before, even though she usually eats and lives at our house."
“That’s not how it works. The Xiao family hasn’t split up yet,” Miaozhen said.
"Even so, what the family sent from the public funds was also for Fourth Master and you." Xiao Xi saw it very clearly.
Miaozhen shook her head: "Alright, stop talking. Just watch whether she accepted any gifts. Also, the gatekeeper said that his monthly salary has increased to two or three taels of silver. If he accepts visits from other officials, it won't just be a matter of losing his rice stipend. I'll kick him out then."
She's using high salaries to encourage integrity. These people are provided with food, lodging, clothes for all four seasons, and free medical treatment and medicine, but they are not allowed to accept bribes from officials outside the region.
Xiao Xi said, "I understand."
Besides managing her household well, Miaozhen also began to devote herself to studying her medical skills. She felt that her medical skills were much better than before. The lady of the Miao family used to look down on her, but now she always insisted on seeing her for medical treatment, but Miaozhen refused to see her anymore.
Speaking of Madam Miao, Wei Wan, who introduced her to the family, had also come to the capital. Miao Zhen invited her to her residence for a chat and told her about the Miao family's affairs: "It's not that I don't want to treat her, it's just that..."
True friends understand you very well. Wei Wan smiled and said, "I know. Actually, my family has some business dealings with their family, but I'm not very familiar with her."
"It's been almost ten years since we last met in Suzhou." Miaozhen noticed that Wei Wan's appearance hadn't changed much.
Wei Wan laughed and said, "I've been traveling around all year round, experiencing all kinds of hardships, and I'm getting old."
"Not old at all, not old at all, I think you're perfectly fine. Why didn't you bring your son along? Are you afraid I won't give you a gift?" Miaozhen teased.
Wei Wan waved her hand: "He's studying, so it's not good to bring him out. You don't know, this child doesn't like studying, he prefers playing with weapons. He's finally decided to study, so how could I dare to bring him out and distract him?"
"I see," Miaozhen then asked about the Cheng family: "Although they lost their official position, they are still well-off and live a comfortable life. It's just that they don't speak as they used to."
"It's already a miracle that I survived such a disaster and kept my money. Last time I was going to Xuanda with my husband, I heard that the eldest mistress wrote a letter to the third young lady, and even asked me to go all the way to Nanjing for medical treatment." Miaozhen spread her hands.
Wei Wan disagreed with Ji's approach: "There are many famous doctors in Nanjing, how can we let you go? You only worked for her family for three years, do you expect to be at their beck and call for the rest of your life?"
Miaozhen sighed, "It hasn't come to that yet, but it also depends on whether I have the skill. It was fine when I was alone, but now I have a whole family, so I have to bring them with me when I go to the capital."
Wei Wan and the others were planning to open two more shops in the capital and asked Miao Zhen if she wanted to invest. Miao Zhen laughed and said, "I would like to, but your capital is too high and I don't know how to run a business, so forget it."
"My capital for the silk shop is indeed quite high, tens of thousands of taels. The capital for the silk and velvet is five thousand taels. If you contribute two thousand taels, I'll consider it half your investment. In the future, if anything happens to the shop in the capital, please help me out." Wei Wan was a shrewd businesswoman, but she didn't like drinking and networking. She had originally come to visit Miao Zhen, but she was shocked to see that Miao Zhen hadn't acquired any property over the years and that her income was only from consultation fees.
So, she was giving her friend some benefits in return.
Miaozhen said, "I can't take advantage of you."
“What’s wrong with that? You’ve saved me so many times. I’ve been feeling a bit unwell these past few days, so I’d appreciate it if you could take a look,” Wei Wan said without any politeness.
Miaozhen examined her and found a mass in her abdomen. When she pressed it, Wei Wan cried out in pain.
"Don't be busy yet, let me treat you first," Miao Zhen said with a serious expression.
Wei Wan described her symptoms: "I experience sharp pain in my lower abdomen every time I have intercourse."
"Are there clots in your menstrual blood? What color is it? Is your breast swollen and painful?" Miaozhen asked.
After hearing what Wei Wan had said, he looked at her tongue and saw that it was dark purple with ecchymosis. He knew what was going on, so he first asked Sister Tian to have the pharmacy staff bring Guizhi Fuling Pills. Then he performed moxibustion on her Zhongwan, Guanyuan, Qihai, Sanyinjiao, Zigongxue, Xuehai, and Zusanli acupoints.
“If you come three times every ten days, the effects will be quite good in about a month. In that case, you might as well stay at my house. It’s not safe for you to live alone outside,” Miaozhen said.
Wei Wan was very tactful and quickly waved his hand: "What kind of place is it for an official family like yours to keep coming in and out like a merchant like me? I know you don't care about these things, but I don't feel comfortable staying here. I have my own place to stay, so I'll come here often."
Miao Zhen is a true friend who will consider your situation and won't put you in a difficult position.
Before investing those two thousand taels, Miaozhen had discussed it with Xiao Jingshi: "Sister Wei has a very keen eye for business; she used to manage the Cheng family's business..."
"Just take it, why explain so much to me?" Xiao Jingshi said with a smile.
Miaozhen never expected that he would trust her so completely, and she felt very satisfied. When Wei Wan's illness was almost cured, she gave her two thousand taels of silver, and Wei Wan wrote a contract for her.
This was the first time Miaozhen had invested so much money, and she was very nervous. Fortunately, a year later, the shop delivered a dividend of more than 600 taels, and Miaozhen breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it.
Two years have passed since Xiao Jingshi took office as the principal of the Ministry of Personnel. Next year will be a crucial time for his promotion. At this time, Xiao's third uncle retired. The third branch of the family originally had a large house in the capital, but Xiao's third uncle remembered that his mother was still in Suzhou. He was also homesick, so he asked someone to buy a house in Dingxiang Lane in Suzhou. Fortunately, Madam Chen next door was willing to sell, so they bought it.
Lou Qiongyu was surprised that the Third Master had also retired. Well, the eldest son of the Third Branch had been serving in office for many years, and the Third Master was not young either, so it was normal for him to resign. It was just that she had no place to go.
She thought that Miaozhen, who had no friends, had not only made friends with a female Tao Zhu like Wei Wan, but also with Consort Shen and Consort Ma in the palace, not to mention Lady Chen, the Earl of Pingjiang, and Lady Zhang, the garrison commander's wife.
Thinking about this, Lou Qiongyu realized that everyone else was socializing with superiors, unlike her. Although she had a good relationship with the Gao family, the Gao family had good relationships with everyone, even with Miaozhen.
She even became an official's wife; in nine years, everything had changed.
Miaozhen didn't care about any of that. Recently, the Emperor's eldest daughter, Princess Chang'an, was getting married. She had been going to the palace many times to help Princess Chang'an take care of her health and was highly trusted by the palace.
This was a good thing for her, especially since the princess was very humble. She had carefully read the "Nan Jing" and "Mai Jue" that she had given her, and would ask her questions when she went to the palace if she didn't understand something. Miao Zhen also liked this kind of studious person and often helped her with her questions.
However, she discovered that many of the palace women loved listening to Buddhist teachings. Because she wasn't very interested, sometimes the verses and Buddhist stories they told sounded like gibberish to her, and she had to catch up on them herself.
People really need to learn throughout their lives!
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