Chapter 99 (Combined Chapter 99)
The Prince of De's Mansion was one of the earliest princely mansions established in Shandong, and it was very wealthy. It is said that the Xingguo Zen Temple on Thousand Buddha Mountain, which Miaozhen and the others visited before, was also rebuilt with funds from the Prince of De's Mansion.
The Prince De's Mansion extends from Xianxi Lane in the east to Furong Street in the west, from Quancheng Road in the south to Houzaimen Street in the north, occupying almost half of Jinan City. Its size is astonishing.
However, Miaozhen had no time to appreciate it. In fact, even if she didn't choose Miss Liu, she couldn't make a decision about Kou Xueniang immediately. Mrs. Kou was indeed a good person, shrewd and capable, very perceptive of Shangguan's thoughts, and her understanding was quite accurate, but she hadn't gotten to know Kou Xueniang well enough yet.
Even when choosing wives for two members of her clan, Miaozhen was extremely selective, not seeking great wealth or status, but at least ensuring their temperaments matched. How could she be so hasty in choosing a wife for her own son?
Thinking of this, Miaozhen shook her head. No, even if she offended the Fu family, she couldn't just let it go.
Just like studying medicine, a slight difference can lead to a huge error.
Thinking about it this way, she felt much calmer.
"I am Xu, wife of the Prefect of Jinan, and I pay my respects to the Dowager Princess." Miaozhen bowed.
The Dowager Princess of the Prince of De's Mansion was originally just the daughter of an ordinary military household. After being selected as a princess, her family immediately appointed her as a commander. Later, she gave birth to the only heir apparent, successfully securing her position. After the death of the old Prince of De, her son inherited the title, thus making her status even more esteemed.
Miaozhen felt that the Empress Dowager's silver hair exuded a sense of ease and comfort.
"Get up quickly. I never expected that Prefect Xiao's wife would be so young." The Dowager Consort was somewhat surprised. Generally speaking, most men who could become prefects were in their forties or fifties. If it was the first wife, she should be a middle-aged or elderly woman.
However, the woman standing in front of her was really too young, looking like she was in her early twenties, but more like a young woman.
Miaozhen, unfazed by the Dowager Empress's compliment on her youth, quickly replied with a smile, "You flatter me."
The rank of the prefect and the governor is far different, and so is the seating arrangement. Governor Liu's wife and daughter sat to the left of the Dowager Empress, and they spoke to each other very affectionately.
According to Miaozhen, Prince De also has several young princes. Although Madam Liu and Prince De's family are currently very close, they would absolutely not agree to let her family marry their daughters into the Prince's family.
The princes of this dynasty, especially after the Jingnan Rebellion, had no real power, and the wives they married were all chosen from ordinary families in their fiefdoms. They were not as powerful as the civil officials.
Miao Zhen had just sat down when Miao Yun arrived. You see, most of the officials here are from Jinan Prefecture or the province. What is the wife of an official from Jining Prefecture doing here?
Mrs. Kou was also surprised: "What are people from Jining Prefecture doing here?"
The people from the Prince's Mansion were also full of doubt, but Miaoyun just smiled and said, "I was traveling with my children to Thousand Buddha Mountain when I heard it was the Dowager Consort's birthday. I specially brought my children to offer my birthday wishes and also to share in the birthday celebrant's good fortune."
These words pleased the Dowager Princess greatly, and she instructed someone to help Miaoyun find a seat.
Miaoyun naturally saw Miaozhen as well. She didn't show any embarrassment. Years of being an official's wife had honed her skills. She knew how to find any loophole to maximize her husband's benefits.
To be honest, Miaozhen may not be better than her. It's just that Miaozhen has a good father, which gave her a good marriage, so she doesn't have to be as busy as she is.
The eldest son of the Zhang family married a woman from a prestigious family, and his daughter married into a respectable family. She also has a younger son who is spoiled and dislikes studying. If they could find a wealthy and high-status marriage, that would be better than anything else.
After everyone had arrived, the Dowager Princess, being of an age and status, would not accompany the guests. Instead, she specially invited her daughter-in-law, Princess De, to lead everyone to the Prince's Garden to admire the flowers.
It was springtime, and peach blossoms were in full bloom, magnolias exuded fragrance, and the flowers cast colorful shadows. Miaozhen strolled among them, and her mood became much more relaxed. Fu'er was currently learning to make pastries with Miaozhen. Seeing the peach blossoms, she didn't think about admiring them, but instead whispered to her mother, "Mother, don't you think these peach blossoms would be delicious if made into peach blossom cakes?"
"I've tried peach blossom porridge, but I couldn't taste the flavor. However, Peach Mother loves it." Miaozhen thought it was amazing that she and her daughter got along like best friends.
As the mother and daughter were talking, Madam Liu glanced at them from afar and thought that Miaozhen didn't know how to behave. "The governor has taken a liking to your son, shouldn't you be eager to win him over?" But for Miaozhen, eagerness to win someone over is not a good deal.
Madam Liu showed a slight dissatisfaction, and Miss Liu, who was always good at reading her stepmother's expressions, breathed a sigh of relief. If her stepmother was not satisfied, the marriage might not go through. Therefore, she did not approach Miaozhen, and when she was face to face with Fu'er, she only smiled faintly for a moment before it was over.
At the Dowager Empress's birthday banquet, Miaozhen became even more certain that the Liu family was not truly intentional. Governor Liu had one idea, but Madam Liu and Miss Liu might not be of the same mind. Therefore, she went back and told Xiao Jingshi about it.
Xiao Jingshi said, "Since that's the case, then let's just forget about it."
“I think so too. It’s not good to climb up to someone’s level. We’ll always have to be mindful of their feelings. We’re not lapdogs. To be honest, let the Fu family blame us if they want. I think when our son passes the imperial examination or becomes a Jinshi, those who are eager to marry him won’t know their place. Why do this now? Anyway, I don’t want a grandson.” Miaozhen expressed her opinion.
Xiao Jingshi knew that his wife was not the kind of person who liked to rely on others and that she could only rely on herself. So he said, "In that case, I'll do as you say."
“Well, I’ll also write a letter back to Madam Fu, saying that my son hasn’t succeeded in his studies and we’re not discussing marriage,” Miaozhen said.
Xiao Jingshi had no choice but to let her go.
Miaozhen then called her son over and said, "Instead of marrying into a wealthy family for the sake of a so-called future, you should be your own future and your own ladder to success. Even though I am a woman, I will only marry your father after I have achieved fame and success."
If she didn't have excellent medical skills, why would Madam Ji help her? It was also because her father had the status of a student of the Imperial Academy, and she had saved up a dowry of over a thousand taels, that she was qualified to marry into the Xiao family.
But because she was a woman, she rarely had a status on her own; she had to rely on others to obtain an imperial title.
If she were a man, she would have made her own way long ago.
Zhao Ge'er is young, and it's the time for him to make his mark. Having something to look forward to too early might not be a good thing.
With Miaozhen's admonition, Zhao Ge'er studied even more diligently under Yang Bangyan. Xiao Jingshi couldn't help but nod; his wife was a strong woman, and their child was also ambitious.
As for Governor Liu, he politely declined, saying, "My eldest son has always been unruly and incompetent. He insists that with the Tatars in the north and Japanese pirates in the south, a good man should have ambitions in all directions. He says he will not return until he has conquered Loulan, and that he will only talk about marriage after he has completed his studies. My wife and I really can't do anything about him."
Governor Liu liked people like this the most, and he smiled and said, "It's alright, this is a good thing."
Xiao Jingshi thought to himself that he was originally an unruly person. After serving as an official for several years, his appearance did not change, but his heart had been tempered. On the other hand, his wife, who usually seemed to be an honest person, was actually very fierce and had a strong personality.
But this is a good thing. The wife has backbone, and the children have backbone. Only people with backbone can respect and love themselves.
When spring arrived and the flowers were in bloom, Fu Jie'er picked two peach blossoms from the back garden, put them in a copper vase, and smiled brightly: "Mother, the young princess of the Prince of De's mansion has sent an invitation to my visit. I would like to make some snacks with the peach blossoms and send them over."
"You should have fun too," Miaozhen said with a smile. She didn't stop her daughter from going out and making friends, especially since her daughter was about to come of age and it was time to start looking for a spouse.
Fu Jie'er personally made a lot of pastries and brought them to the Prince De's mansion. She played very well with the little princess. However, when she returned, she told Miao Zhen something: the wife of the prefect of Jining wanted to ask the little princess for her son to marry.
These days, almost no one with a bit of ambition, who aspires to a career in the imperial examinations, would marry a woman from the royal family.
Miaoyun's behavior was not very clear to her, but Miaozhen asked Fujie'er, "Will the little princess marry into the Zhang family?"
Fu Jie'er smiled and said, "The Prince of De's mansion is willing to marry their granddaughter to him as a county princess."
The Prince De's Mansion is not only home to the Prince De's family, but also to many other relatives. The so-called "Jun Jun" refers to the granddaughter of the prince. The rank of Jun Jun Yi Bin is the fourth grade, which is actually quite good.
"Has Madam Zhang agreed?" Miaozhen asked.
Sister Fu spread her hands: "I don't know about this daughter."
It is also said that Miaoyun originally thought that her son would be easily married to a princess, but she did not expect that the Prince of De's mansion would not even agree to a county princess, but only a county princess.
This greatly disappointed her. She had thought that Shandong was the hometown of Confucius and Mencius. Although it was not as prosperous as Nanjing, Jinan was the capital and there were many high-ranking officials and nobles. Especially her youngest son, if he wanted to have a rank without taking the imperial examination, he could only become a member of the Imperial Guard.
Although the title of Imperial Concubine is not as prestigious as that of the Imperial Son-in-Law, it is much more practical.
There are no princely mansions in Nanjing.
Therefore, she still couldn't give up. Even though the people in the Prince's mansion seemed a bit impatient with her, she still put on a smiling face and ignored their insults. She usually flattered the Princess Consort and the Dowager Princess, and today she came as usual.
Unexpectedly, the Dowager Princess said to Princess De, "Your health hasn't been very good lately, and the royal physician doesn't seem to know what to do with you."
Princess De laughed and said, "This is an old problem of my wife's, so there's no need to blame them."
“I heard Madam Pan mention the other day that Lord Xiao’s wife is a skilled doctor who cured her of her long-standing ailment. Why don’t you invite her over to take a look as well?” the Dowager Princess said.
Princess De couldn't help but nod: "Xu Miaozhen from Suzhou Prefecture is extremely famous. I never expected that she would be the wife of Lord Xiao."
The two of them actually started discussing Miaozhen right there in the room. Miaoyun felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. She hadn't expected that despite all her efforts to please them, they wouldn't take her seriously at all, and instead would discuss someone who wasn't even there.
Little did they know that not far away, others were also discussing Miaozhen.
Although the Yun family was briefly exiled for a few years, it took a heavy toll on their health, especially for Lady Yun. She suffered from rheumatism, and because she was exposed to cold water during her menstrual period and had to work hard, her menstrual periods would last for half a month each time, and she even suffered from metrorrhagia.
Even because Lady Yunjianhou had been intimate with Lord Yunjianhou, she suffered a hemorrhage. Although Lady Yunjianhou had consulted a doctor, she couldn't reveal the cause, and her health deteriorated day by day.
Seeing this, Zhao Rui secretly felt sorry for his mother.
Someone suggested to Zhao Rui: "I remember there was a female doctor in Suzhou who was very famous in the medical field. She was a master doctor. She even treated the ladies in the palace. Many extremely difficult diseases were easily cured by her."
"Yes, there are many female doctors in the Wu region, especially Xu Miaozhen, who is the most skilled. She is recorded in the local county and prefectural annals. She even provides free medical consultations and medicine wherever she goes, and thousands of people seek her treatment."
Zhao Rui, now in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, naturally investigated and couldn't help but sigh in dismay. Xu Miaozhen was actually Xiao Jingshi's wife. In fact, Xiao Jingshi's ability to climb up to his superior, Commander Lu, was entirely due to Xu.
That is precisely why he cannot openly confront Xiao Jingshi.
However, his family had advised him that Xiao Jingshi was an Assistant Surveillance Commissioner at the time, which was his duty, and that he should not have to deal with him.
But considering the countless deaths and injuries suffered by the Marquis of Yunjian's family, even though they were later exonerated, how could this grudge not be avenged?
It was clearly Xiao Jingshi who hadn't investigated properly and made baseless accusations in order to get promoted. If he hadn't asked someone to pass on the message, Xiao Jingshi would likely have been promoted to Junior Minister at the age of thirty-five.
Therefore, he is truly conflicted.
It was said that after Qingming Festival in April, it would be Dragon Boat Festival. Although the dragon boat racing in the city wasn't as popular as in Suzhou, many people still came out to enjoy themselves. Miaozhen also took her children on a spring outing. You should know that she was currently helping her daughter find a husband, and there were several decent families in the options.
At the dinner table, Miao Zhenzhen mentioned to Xiao Jingshi: "There is a family whose eldest son is the Provincial Education Commissioner. Their children are outstanding. I heard that they are a branch of the original Langya Wang family, and later settled in Taicang."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingshi smiled and said, "I know the Wang family of Taicang. They are indeed very wealthy, and their children are very well-mannered. You have good judgment."
“There is another family that is a local wealthy family. Although we are not willing for our daughter to marry so far away, I think that if our daughter is happy with her marriage, the distance is not a big problem.” Just like Miaozhen, although she married into a family three miles away, she does not live with her husband all year round. However, she still wants to find a satisfactory marriage.
After discussing their children, the couple started talking about the Jinan Prefectural Government. The previous prefect had died in office, and a new prefect was about to take up his post.
"That person looked radiant and healthy, and seemed to have no serious illness, yet he died just like that." Miaozhen sighed deeply.
Xiao Jingshi pondered, "He's taking up his post in Jinan alone. I wonder how things are going? I'll have to ask someone about it. You don't know that a circuit inspector is coming soon, and there are quite a few officials running away along the way."
The Imperial Inspector Miaozhen was familiar with this; it was Xiao Jingshi's first job, a perfect example of a lowly official with great power. She said somewhat nervously, "Although you've just arrived, you're now the Prefect of Jinan. If you're not careful, you might be framed."
The two of them had the same idea. Xiao Jingshi said, "I have already made arrangements."
The atmosphere became heavy when these things were mentioned. Miaozhen then told an amusing story: "You know what? Every time I go out wearing white clothes and a matching scarf, many people think I am Guanyin reincarnated. They trust me completely. I was thinking that if Zhao Ge'er and Fu Jie'er were to stand next to me like a golden boy and jade girl, they might actually fool people."
She thought that saying these words would make Xiao Jingshi laugh, but to her surprise, his ears turned a little red, and he looked up at Miaozhen: "Zhenzhen, you are the most beautiful in my heart."
Upon hearing this, Miaozhen quickly said, "I am not the same as before. Don't say things to make me happy."
This is true. After the age of thirty, metabolism slows down a lot. In the past, if you wanted to lose weight, skipping one or two meals would be effective, but now, if you drink a few more glasses of water, your face will be puffy when you wake up in the morning.
Miaozhen is considered to be very good at maintaining her appearance; her skin is still fair and delicate, and her eyes are bright and sparkling. However, she knows that she is not the same as before.
Xiao Jingshi, however, was still very attached to her and looked at her the same way: "I think no one is as beautiful as you."
"Your kind of love puts too much pressure on me," Miaozhen teased him.
After the meal, another invitation arrived from Governor Liu's family. It turned out to be Madam Liu's birthday, and they were inviting her to come over. Miaozhen and Xiao Jingshi exchanged a glance. Last time, Xiao Jingshi had told Governor Liu that his son was not going to marry for the time being, but Governor Liu did not seem to immediately refuse. Instead, he felt that his daughter could wait.
What is the meaning of this post now?
Never mind, we'll deal with whatever comes our way. Miss Liu wasn't keen on the marriage, and Miaozhen didn't want her son to marry someone who looked down on him.
Fu Jie'er, of course, knew what was going on, and said, "Mother, the princess and I often play around. Miss Liu is beautiful and has great ambitions. She once said that she wanted to marry the best man in the world."
“There’s nothing wrong with that. As a woman, it’s normal for her to think that way, especially if she’s beautiful and from a good family. But she should tell her own parents how she feels. Otherwise, if she doesn’t even have the guts to do what her parents say, how can she claim to be worthy of the best man in the world?” Miao Zhen sneered.
Upon hearing this, Fu Jie'er couldn't help but think that she herself was in the same situation. If she were like her mother, just the daughter of an ordinary bookseller, she probably wouldn't have had the courage to seek out teachers everywhere, nor would she have asked the Cheng family to help her maternal grandfather get a degree in the Imperial Academy. All of this was earned by her mother herself.
A few days later, Miaozhen took Fujie and Zhengge to a banquet. Zhengge was unexpectedly a martial arts prodigy. According to his martial arts teacher, he was born with extraordinary talent and could learn moves that were difficult for adults to learn in an instant.
At ten years old, he is someone that ordinary people might not be able to get close to. Many people speculate that Miao Zhen is a doctor, and that she may have been feeding Zheng Ge'er something since he was a child.
Therefore, when Xiao Jingshi went on a long trip, he asked Zheng Ge'er to accompany him.
Although the Liu family also lived in the government office, their furnishings were different from those of other families; even a small item was priceless. Everyone knew that Suzhou could almost lead the fashion trend in the whole country. Suzhou furniture did not emphasize carvings, but mostly used simple and ancient styles, and preferred high-grade wood such as rosewood. The screens, tables, chairs, and desks in their house were almost all made of rosewood.
Madam Liu wore a simple flat bun, and her headdress was not elaborate, but it still looked very noble.
Today, Madam Liu was very polite: "We didn't have much to talk about when we met at the Prince's Mansion last time. It's great to see you today."
"Thank you for your concern, Madam." Miaozhen did not think that her husband would not become a high-ranking official like a governor or even a minister in the future, so there was no need to flatter him. It was better to be neither humble nor arrogant in her interactions with others.
Madam Liu herself came from a prestigious family and was used to being flattered. Last time, she felt a little unhappy that her husband was going to marry their daughter to the Xiao family and that the Xiao family was treating her poorly. But in the end, she still put her husband first and re-examined this marriage relationship.
And look at this Madam Xiao, she is neither humble nor arrogant. The headdress she wears is made by the imperial court. Her clothes are not particularly elaborate or gorgeous, but they suit her well. Moreover, she is young and, although she comes from an ordinary background, she has a powerful background and should not be underestimated.
Therefore, although Madam Liu remained indifferent, she would still mention Miaozhen once or twice when talking to other officials' wives, such as the wives of the Provincial Governor and the wives of the Provincial Judge.
Madam Pan then asked Miaozhen, "I heard that your son and daughter are twins, is that true?"
Miaozhen smiled and said, "Yes."
"What's the difference between having twins and having a regular baby?" one of the ladies asked.
Miaozhen replied with a smile, but Madam Pan said, "Speaking of which, your Zhao'er is fifteen years old now, it's time to find him a wife."
"That's true, but this child insists on waiting until after he has passed the imperial examinations before getting married, and we, as his parents, can't persuade him otherwise." Miaozhen knew that once she said this, she would not be able to find a marriage for her son in Jinan, but it didn't matter. Her son was actually not that old, so it was good for him to focus on the imperial examinations first.
Madam Liu remained silent after hearing this, indicating that the Xiao family had indeed never considered the marriage arrangement.
After the birthday banquet, Madam Liu told Governor Liu about this matter. Governor Liu thought that if his daughter waited another three or five years, she would be an old maid. So he thought, "I think Wang Xuezheng's son is quite good. Why not choose him?"
Miss Liu was determined to marry into a wealthy family, but Governor Liu felt that since he already had a daughter who had married into a wealthy family, his illegitimate daughter should choose a talented young man to secure her future. However, Miss Liu did not think so. But Governor Liu's decision was final and could not be changed.
When news of Miss Liu's engagement to Wang Xuezheng's family arrived, Miaozhen threw away the invitation in front of her. Last time, the Wang family had been very fond of Fu Jie'er and had been very attentive. As soon as they saw that the Liu family was willing to marry off their daughter, they immediately agreed.
Although Madam Wang apologized to her, Miaozhen knew that no one should offend their superior.
But she was still angry and thought that she would find a good handsome young man for her daughter in the future.
Just as Miaozhen was about to help her daughter find a husband again, Zhao Rui, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, arrived that afternoon. Miaozhen had seen him in Fujian several years ago. At that time, he was a cheerful young man. Now, he appeared handsome and aloof, seemingly smiling, but the smile did not reach his eyes.
"Madam Xu, His Majesty has summoned you to the capital to treat the eldest son of Prince Yu. Please come in."
Miaozhen only remembered that Prince Yu originally only had one son, Wanli. It seems that the TV series is quite misleading. At this time, Prince Yu's primary wife, Lady Li, passed away, leaving behind a four-year-old eldest son, who could be considered the emperor's eldest grandson. However, this child fell ill, and the imperial physicians in the capital were helpless. The emperor remembered that Miaozhen was skilled in gynecology and pediatrics, so he ordered the Imperial Guards to travel overnight to send Miaozhen to the capital.
"Are we leaving now?" Miao Zhen raised an eyebrow.
Zhao Rui nodded calmly: "The Emperor orders you to come to the capital immediately."
Miaozhen was taken aback, thanked him, told her husband, and then told him to pack his luggage quickly. However, Fu'er was worried about her mother going to the capital alone and insisted on accompanying Miaozhen.
Miao Zhen quickly consulted with Zhao Rui, who then crossed his arms and looked at her, saying, "Madam Xu, do you think the Embroidered Uniform Guard is a vegetable market?"
In Fu Jie'er's eyes, her mother was a highly skilled doctor and was respected wherever she went. This Zhao Rui was really impolite. She immediately rushed out and said, "My mother often takes me to see doctors. We mother and daughter cooperate perfectly. Since this official was ordered to invite my mother, why is he treating her like a wanted criminal? What does this mean?"
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