The fourth wife stared at Jiang Shuwan in shock.
She knew all too well the benefits a good father and a good family background could bring to a woman.
Take her for example. If her family had been better off, she wouldn't have ended up marrying into the fourth wife's family.
As for the four branches of the family, they have face wherever they go. They are all of the Marquis's bloodline and live in this mansion that occupies half a street. They have wealth and dignity.
Ultimately, they were just living off the first wife's family. Their husbands had no official position or property, and while they had no worries about food and drink, they relied on public funds and had no real power.
They may seem impressive in ordinary times, but they inevitably become less impressive when it comes to their children's weddings.
Moreover, her husband doesn't do any proper work outside, so it's no wonder he can't find a good marriage for her daughter.
So she didn't dare to have high expectations at first. She only hoped that Jiang Shuwan would find Pei Shushu a family with a decent financial situation for the sake of the old lady. If fate allowed, it would be great if the other party had half the strength of Lu Shaogan.
After all, she had heard that just a few months ago, Madam Sun of the Second Rank General's Mansion wanted to get engaged to Sun Wanwan. Sun Wanwan's aunt introduced Jia Qingzhou, the second son of the Fourth Rank Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies.
Jia Qing was renowned for his talent and was a famous scholar in the capital. The Jia family was also a second-rate family of civil officials with considerable influence in the court. It was a good match for the daughter of a military officer to marry into a family of scholars.
Jiang Shuwan, however, admired Lu Shaogan, the eldest son of the fourth-rank Loyal and Martial General's Mansion.
Lu Shaogan is a few years younger than Jia Qingzhou. Apart from being a bit more handsome, his family is not as powerful as Jia's, and he is not as calm and composed. Compared to Jia Qingzhou, anyone would choose Jia Qingzhou.
But who could have imagined that Lu Shaogan would become a sensation this year, winning the third-highest rank in the martial arts examination? He was a young man who passed the examination at a young age and was naturally quite dashing, making many girls in the capital jealous of Sun Wanwan.
Afterwards, Lu Shaogan volunteered to guard the border, which made His Majesty think even more highly of him. His Majesty thought he was an honest boy who was willing to give up the prosperity of the capital at such a young age. His Majesty not only ordered him to be rewarded, but Lu Shaogan was also incredibly lucky. He went to the North and immediately encountered the war in the North.
He distinguished himself in battle, rising from a lowly centurion to a commander of a thousand, and is now a fifth-rank general of Dingyuan.
A fifth-rank general who is not even twenty years old—who wouldn't be green with envy if word got out?
Even so, His Majesty hasn't rewarded the army yet. When General Sun returns to the capital, His Majesty will reward him according to his merits, and Lu Shaogan's official position might even be promoted.
That would be terrible.
Many people even calculated that, given Lu Shaogan's age, even without earning any great military achievements, he could still climb the ranks to become a third or fourth-rank military officer simply by gaining seniority.
It's not like the capital city lacks officials of the third or fourth rank, like generals. After all, many military families without hereditary titles have had their ranks reduced generation after generation since the founding of the country. Now, they're all just third or fourth rank generals, but they don't have any real power.
Lu Shaogan was stationed at the border, and he held real soldiers in his hands; soldiers meant real power.
With real power in his hands, the support of the Lu family, and the prestige of his father-in-law, General Sun, in the north, such a person's future is absolutely bright and promising.
It can be said that, given the bleak prospects for military officers in recent years, Lu Shaogan shines like a rising star.
Previously, some people thought that Jia Qingzhou from the Jia family was a good match. But after the battle in the north was quelled, who still remembered Jia Qingzhou? All eyes were on Lu Shaogan.
But what good is jealousy and envy? Lu Shaogan has already married Sun Wanwan, and the couple is living a very happy life in the north.
Whenever she thinks about these things, the fourth wife admires Jiang Shuwan's foresight.
How could a young woman with such a keen eye for people be so accurate?
"I never expected people to say this about me..."
Jiang Shuwan drank half a cup of tea, then had Qingxing bring in two more plates of fresh fruit. She bit into the newly arrived plums and found them sweet and delicious. She even invited the fourth wife to have some with her.
She said to the fourth wife, "Judging from what Auntie is saying, could it be that you also want to find a marriage like Lu Shaogan's?"
"How could I dare to even think about that? That's Lu Shaogan. How could an ordinary person dare to even think about him?"
The four wives shook their heads repeatedly, indicating that they dared not even think about it.
Hearing her say that, Jiang Shuwan breathed a small sigh of relief. People like Lu Shaogan are not like melons and fruits that can be found everywhere, and you can find a whole basketful of them if you just look around.
If the fourth wife had her eye on someone like Lu Shaogan, she really wouldn't know where to find him.
Moreover, Lu Shaogan's rapid promotion was not only due to his own abilities, but also because he encountered the Northern War.
As the saying goes, troubled times produce heroes. Even the most powerful general has to coil up in a prosperous era.
For example, the top-ranking martial arts scholar in this year's martial arts examination was better than Lu Shaogan and ranked first, but he chose to stay in the capital, which meant that he was still just a minor official of the seventh rank.
She had heard before that because Lu Shaogan had made meritorious contributions in the north, many military men in the capital were envious and had also found ways to go to the border, hoping to find a better future.
However, apart from the chaos in the north, the Great Jing Dynasty has only experienced minor disturbances in other places in recent years.
Military officers' achievements are earned by risking their lives; without battlefields, the only path to promotion is through seniority.
Lu Shaogan's path to promotion was a result of riding the wave of the times, beyond his personal ability, and he could even lose his life if he wasn't careful.
When the war in the North broke out, she was terrified and couldn't even eat for a while, fearing that something might happen to Lu Shaogan. She wondered how she, who had single-handedly brought about this marriage, would face Sun Wanwan.
Fortunately, Young Master Lu was unharmed and even rose through the ranks, otherwise...
Jiang Shuwan lowered her head and handed a piece of fruit to the fourth wife.
“Aunt, please have Uncle and Shushu do as I say. It’s not hard to find someone like Young Master Lu, but it’s not difficult to find someone with good character and a wealthy family…”
"If that's the case, then we really have to thank you."
The fourth wife was overjoyed to hear this, and she even sighed.
“You know, our soup kitchen has been set up for a few days now. Why didn’t I think of getting your fourth uncle to go and take care of it? That way, we could keep him out of trouble and also give Shushu a good reputation.”
“Your Highness’s wife, you are so thoughtful. My brain is really useless. And your sister Shushu, she has read a few books, but compared with those talented ladies from noble families, she is not even worthy of carrying shoes. Her needlework is terrible, and she is not steady. I am really worried. At home, she is very happy and everything is good for her, but how can she be like this after marriage…”
The fourth wife was very troubled. She remembered when Jiang Shuwan first married into the family, Pei Shushu felt that Jiang Shuwan was not good enough for her older brother. A younger sister-in-law from the fourth wife's family was a problem, so she wanted to come and cause trouble for Jiang Shuwan.
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