Chapter 036 Chapter 36
The woman in the mirror is no longer young, but still elegant and majestic. But sometimes, having the upper hand is more useful than anything else. Xie came first, and Yan Jingzhao is five years older than her son. All the glory was taken by others.
She sighed deeply and saw Mother Wei hurried in.
"Madam, that's a good thing." Mother Wei said with a smile.
Zhen looked at her and said, "What good news? What good news can I have now?"
Mother Wei smiled and said, "I was ordered to go see the eldest grandmother. I feel that her pregnancy is unstable and it doesn't look good. Giving birth is like the gate of hell. If something unexpected happens to her, then the eldest wife--"
"What else can it be? My eldest brother can marry a girl from a high-class family, who may be of higher status than Guan. Xie will be even more powerful." Zhen didn't think it was a good thing.
Mother Wei thought to herself, “I haven’t thought of this yet.”
"Before, Jing Zhao was just the son of the Vice Minister of Rites in Nanjing. Now, he will soon be a newly-appointed Jinshi, with both talent and beauty, and a distinguished family background. What men hope for most is to get promoted, make money, and have a good wife. You, you see things too superficially." Zhen shook her head.
Mother Wei was horrified.
After the joint examination is the palace examination. During this period, the new scholars have to pay homage to the masters, including the senior and junior teachers, as well as their classmates. Yan Jingzhao and Shen Linfeng are both young talents, and they enjoy great glory.
Shen Linfeng was quite satisfied with the Yan family, or to be more precise, he was very satisfied with the men in the Yan family. This was also normal. Nowadays, getting married would form a strong alliance and be closely related to each other, so that one could continue in officialdom.
Just as he was thinking, his sister Shen Mo came over. She said with a smug look on her face, "It seems that I told mom that you like Miss Yan, so mom and dad came to mention it. Now it seems that this marriage is right, right?"
"I wonder why they are like this. Forget it. It doesn't matter who I marry. As long as she can be the mistress of my Shen family, that's fine."
"My vision is not good enough. Didn't the eldest son of the Yan family pass the imperial examination just like my brother?" Shen Mo said with a smile.
Shen Linfeng looked at his sister and asked, "Has the Prince of Qi written to you recently?"
Shen Mo smiled and said, "One after another."
In Shen Mo's opinion, his sister is definitely very ambitious, because she was predicted to be the "Phoenix Queen" since she was a child, so she is particularly concerned. In fact, the Shen family has always been good at betting, but it is not necessary for the sister to go first, and it is the same to let others go.
Therefore, Shen Linfeng said: "If a man and a woman have an affair, what will be the consequences once it is discovered? You know this better than me. Besides, the Prince of Qi is a vassal prince. A few days ago, I had a drink with Yan Jingzhao. I wanted to ask the Prince of Qi about it. After all, the Prince of Qi told us confidently that the Yan family supported him very much. But I think Yan Jingzhao seemed to have distanced himself from the Prince of Qi and didn't even bother to mention the relationship of marriage."
Shen Mo was shocked: "Brother, are you saying that Prince Qi is deceiving us?"
Shen Linfeng hesitated for a moment and said, "Think about it yourself. I need to go out for a while."
"What are you doing outside?" Shen Mo asked.
Shen Linfeng waved the book in his hand and said, "Go read."
Shen Mo came out of the house in anger and complained to the maid beside him: "My brother is really something. I wanted to tell him about Miss Yan's preferences, but he left immediately."
The maid smiled and said, "Second Master probably wants to go riding. He has been studying day and night these days and has suffered a lot. It would be good for him to relax a little."
Shen Mo shook his head: "That's not the case. My eldest brother died young. My second brother was the youngest son and his temperament is different from now. He looks bright and cheerful now, but in fact he is not even half as bright as before. When he was a child, he loved to play and laugh the most."
"We just need to wait for Miss Yan to come in. I heard that Miss Yan is lively and good at playing polo. Her personality is different from the other young ladies in the Yan family." The maid had also heard about this.
Shen Mo sighed: "If it weren't for me pushing him, my brother wouldn't have any interest in women. Mother would have suspected him—"
She didn't say anything more.
**
"Second sister, why are you here?" Yao Niang was still learning tailoring. While she was sewing, she saw Qian Niang coming over.
Qianniang said, "Third sister, I heard that Zhao Xian didn't win, is that true?"
Yao Niang nodded: "I asked the housekeeper, and it is true. My brother said that Master Zhao has followed his father to live in the capital. Now Master Zhao is no longer an official, and he is studying with Master Zhao."
"Thank you, third sister." Qianniang pursed her lips.
Yao Niang looked at the sky again and said, "My elder brother is already taking the palace examination. I wonder how he did?"
In fact, Yao Niang didn't really want to hear Qian Niang's words, because she knew very well that Qian Niang seemed to only care about Zhao Xian, and she probably wanted her to let her guard down.
If she really only had her eyes on Zhao Xian, why would she bother to curry favor with Yan Ningxin? Her relationship with Yan Ningxin was just average before.
For some people, you don't have to look at what she says, but what she does.
Qianniang thought she had achieved her goal, and congratulated Yaoniang: "After big brother's palace examination, Donghua will naturally call out your name. Third sister, your blessing is still to come."
Yao Niang laughed and said, "Second sister, what are you talking about? Even if my brother is an official, if he is ranked second, it's fine. If he is ranked third, he has to be sent out to work. He has to work his way up from the seventh rank, and there are still many opportunities. You know the officialdom nowadays. I just hope that everyone is safe and happy."
It is also very difficult to praise or criticize Yao Niang, because she thinks she has her own judgment. Although people outside often say that she is a talented woman, in fact, Yao Niang has already surpassed her in terms of writing and painting.
The two sisters both pretended to be ignorant even though they knew the truth. It was actually very difficult for them to get along well with each other. They were close in age and neither of them was willing to be mediocre, so naturally there was no question of them getting along peacefully.
After Qianniang left, Hongxiu came in and said, "Third Miss, I just heard from the First and Second Madams that after our eldest master passes the imperial examination, the whole family will go to the Dagu Temple to pray for the eldest grandmother as well."
"Really?" Yao Niang asked happily.
Hong Xiu smiled and said, "Mother Song told me to tell you this, how could it be false?"
"That's good. I remember there was a man selling some burnt cakes outside the Dagu Temple. They were very delicious. We should buy some and try them when the time comes." There were often many people selling snacks like this near temples, Yao Niang thought happily.
Living up to public expectations, Yan Jingzhao won the first place in the second class of the palace examination at the age of 19. He also won the second place in the provincial examination. Now that he has been selected as one of the second class, he naturally enjoys unlimited glory.
Everyone was waiting for news in the main room, and when they saw Yan Jingzhao like this, they all had different expressions.
Xie and Yao Niang were really happy. Yan Jingzhao was now an official. With his age, he would definitely be selected into the Hanlin Academy as a scholar.
"Where is Mr. Shen?" Zhen glanced at Yan Ningxin and asked with a smile.
"Mr. Shen ranked ninth in the second class."
…
The two houses immediately became lively, and the Yan family and the Shen family also announced their marriage to the outside world, and at the same time prepared to invite the eldest lady of the Gong family to be the wife of Quanfu. Although Gong Gefu is now only the third assistant, he and Yan Yingqi are political allies. The reason why Yan Yingqi was successfully recommended to serve as the Minister of Personnel this time is because of the Gong family.
Naturally, next year is the year of the imperial examination. Who knows how many people's fate will rise and fall in the political game. The Gong family needs Yan Yingqi, and Yan Yingqi now also has to rely on the Gong family.
As it happens, Gong Gefu and Shen Zongxian also have some relationship. This is what Zhen said: "Gong Gefu is Shen Zongxian's junior tutor. Shen Zongxian also passed the imperial examination at the age of 18. I didn't expect that Mr. Shen would also pass the imperial examination at the age of 18."
Xie smiled and said, "This is also the eldest lady's blessing. It has always been so when the husband is prosperous, the wife is honored."
"That's true. You should also talk to your eldest brother's wife about it." Zhen joked.
Xie said, "She is pregnant now, so she shouldn't be too sad or happy. But I think such a happy event doesn't need me to tell you, because everyone in the mansion already knows about it."
Everyone agreed, and the house was bustling with activity for several days.
Besides, Yan Jingzhao and Shen Linfeng were both selected as Hanlin Academy students. Zhen and Xie also took their female relatives to the Dagu Temple. Yao Niang and Xie rode in the same carriage.
Xie explained, "I heard that this ancient temple is very effective in praying for marriage. Your elder sister has found such a good husband now. I just hope everything goes smoothly."
"Mom, if big sister is successful, we will be more successful, right?" Yao Niang said with a smile.
"Of course. She is the eldest sister and she married well. If she behaves better after marriage, then people will see the good qualities of the Yan family's daughter and naturally you won't have to worry. But your eldest sister..." Thinking of this, Xie felt a headache.
It's not that she can't stand people being good, but if a person's virtue is not worthy of his position, he will have a very hard life. Just like her daughter-in-law Guan, who looks dignified on the outside but always thinks highly of herself on the inside. If such a person finds someone with a softer personality, or marries someone of lower status, she can be controlled.
However, Yan Jingzhao was a first-class rebellious and bloodthirsty person, both in terms of family background and personal temperament and ability. Guan couldn't control him, but she felt suffocated if she obeyed him. Seeing that Xie had a good temper, she repeatedly ignored her elders and tried to seize power as soon as she entered the house. Later, she was counterattacked by Xie. She was still ignorant of the current situation and always wanted to compete with her mother-in-law. Her relationship with Yan Jingzhao was also dull.
When Yao Niang thought of this, she said to Xie: "Mother, it would be great if marriages between men and women could be like this."
"What nonsense are you talking about? You can't control your mouth. If someone hears you, just imagine what they will say about you." Xie poked her daughter on the forehead.
Yao Niang pleaded, "I know, I know, I'll just tell you."
In the Dagu Temple, the thing that people look forward to most, besides eating burnt cakes, is drawing lots.
Even Yan Ningxin was looking forward to it. She silently chanted three times and solemnly drew out the lottery. Yingniang quickly picked up the lottery and after reading it, her face changed: "Big sister, here you go."
When everyone looked at it, they found it was a bad fortune, which meant that one had met a bad person.
"No, Mr. Shen is a rare talent." Zhen frowned.
The person who interpreted the fortune said, "This is what you are meeting now. She is a person who will harm you. You know you cannot be friends with her, so you should stop dating her immediately. You can find another good partner, or you may as well just meet the wrong person."
What this means is that the person you are meeting now is a harmful person. If you know that he is not someone you should associate with, you should stop dating him immediately and find another good partner.
Yan Ningxin also looked worried, because Qianniang was afraid that she would draw a bad lot, so she let Yaoniang draw first. Yaoniang was not afraid and quickly drew a lot. She breathed a sigh of relief, because it said a good lot, and the lot said "I can be married".
"Fortune teller, what does this mean?" Xie asked.
The interpreter smiled and said, "It literally means that the third girl is suitable for marriage. However, there are still some problems at present. They are all trivial and need not be worried about. If good things come to pass in the future, they will be forever in love and live together until old age."
Yao Niang glanced at Xie, who secretly said that her daughter's marriage might have some twists and turns. Although there were problems, it was still a good thing.
And Yingniang also drew the best lot, with the words "What a blessing, what a blessing."
Yao Niang knew the meaning of this fortune without the need for the fortune teller to explain it. She said, "This comes from Mencius's Wan Zhang Shang, which means that everyone gets what they deserve. This means that when Fourth Sister faces an important choice or decision, she should make a decisive decision. If she hesitates, she may lose the opportunity. Seize the opportunity, and then you will have a good chance."
The person who interpreted the fortune nodded. Yingniang's first fortune was very auspicious, better than Yaoniang and Yan Ningxin's. She was extremely happy and urged Qianniang to draw.
Qianniang couldn't persuade her, so she had to pray sincerely. Fortunately, the fortune she prayed for was of medium to high quality, and the words on the fortune were worthy of heaven and worthy of people.
The interpreter looked at Qianniang and said, "This means that a person's words and deeds are upright, and he is not ashamed of himself in front of heaven or the earth. He regards the wealth in life as floating clouds. If his heart is upright, even if someone knocks on the door in the middle of the night, he will not be startled. So it also means that there are rules for being a human being, which must be followed." [1]
Because of the signature, Yao Niang felt that it was a bit embarrassing for a little girl like her to be a wife like an older sister.
At the same time, I was wondering what trivial things I would encounter.
"Miss, the vegetarian food is here." Qingdai asked someone to bring in some vegetarian rice.
After eating, Yao Niang took a nap. She was different from when she was little. She was afraid of being seen by others, so Xie Shi kept her under control. Ying Niang was in a very good mood because she had drawn a good fortune. She kept talking to Qian Niang, so she said goodbye to Zhen Shi and went to relax nearby.
Zhen knew that the lot she drew was not good, and she consoled her by saying, "You don't have to take these words too seriously."
After all, Yan Ningxin is not that old, only fifteen years old this year, but she still takes it very seriously, so she goes for a walk in the peach blossom forest of Dagu Temple.
But she didn't like people following her closely, so she said, "You guys just wait here for me, I'll pick a peach blossom and come out."
"Miss, the mistress told us to follow you." Jinli also felt that something was wrong.
Yan Ningxin wiped her sweat with a handkerchief and said, "It's so hot. The branches here are so dense. If the three of us walk together, our clothes will be torn. It will be bad if others gossip about us."
If you are weaker than these servants in the Yan family, they will challenge you and have many ways to deal with you secretly.
As expected, Jin Guan and Yin Dan stopped outside the forest. Anyway, they could see the girl from where they stood. However, they didn't expect that as soon as Yan Ningxin entered the forest, she saw a seven or eight-year-old nun coming over with honey water. "My two donors, the master asked me to bring it here because it's hot today."
Although Jin Chang and Yin Dan disliked the fact that the bowl was just a white porcelain bowl and looked a bit crude, it was really hot at the time, so they thanked the little nun. However, they didn't expect that after drinking the bowl of honey water, they both fell down one after another.
But when Yan Ningxin looked up, she saw a familiar person. The person had perfect facial features and a tall stature, and he looked at her with complex eyes.
"Brother."
Yes, because she accompanied Wei Wuji in the army, it was not appropriate to address him as master, so she called him "big brother". This title was always used to address Wei Wuji, and she only called her real big brother Yan Jingzhao "big brother".
Wei Wuji calmed himself down before saying, "You disappeared so suddenly, why didn't you even say goodbye?"
Yan Ningxin pursed her lips, remembering that Madam Wei had said she was going to arrange a marriage for him, with the daughter of a deputy commander who was a good match for him. Wei Wuji promised that he would marry her just because they were a good match, and that he would never treat her badly after the marriage. But how could Yan Ningxin be willing to be a concubine? She was about to escape, but she happened to meet the prince of Qi who came to her house. The prince of Qi recognized her and took her back to the palace.
In the familiar little house in the palace, her memory gradually became clear, and her cousin the prince told her that this was the place where she had lived for so many years. No matter how Princess Qi wanted to change it, he stopped her, but he had been looking for her secretly.
Especially after he gained his own power, he never stopped.
However, the Yan family didn't know that she had been lost, so the Prince Qi's Mansion created a cover-up, so she could not tell anyone about her whereabouts in the Wei family.
But the Prince Qi's Mansion, which seems to be a place full of flowers and splendor, is actually full of crises. Fortunately, someone from the Yan family came to pick her up, saying that the eldest son of the Yan family was getting married and wanted to invite her back. In order to let her escape the conspiracy, the Prince Qi's cousin also tried his best to break through the siege and send her out.
After that, I have been learning how to be the eldest daughter in the Yan family, and it seems that I have almost forgotten the past days.
"Brother, I..." She told him the whole process of how she thought she had met her relatives.
Wei Wuji was heartbroken: "After you left, I realized what I was missing, Si Niang, is it too late for me to say anything now? I have already convinced my mother and canceled the engagement with Miss Jiang."
Yan Ningxin has learned a lot of rules now, especially for a family like the Yan family. She has no place at all in marriage discussions, and she even has very few opportunities to talk to Shen Linfeng in private.
So she was a little scared: "No, I have already passed the Engagement Letter and the horoscopes have been matched. Now everyone in the capital knows that we are getting married."
Thinking of this, she looked outside, fearing that Jin Gou Yin Dan would see them. Wei Wu Ji said, "Don't worry, they will sleep quietly for half an hour."
Yan Ningxin widened her eyes: "Did you do this?"
Wei Wuji held her hand: "If not, how could I talk to you? When I found out your identity, I knew we could finally be together. At that time, every time I fell and fought, you were heartbroken and your face was wrinkled like a bun. Si Niang..."
Yan Ningxin bit her lip and shook her head: "No, no, you don't know that I can't control myself now."
"Oh, you are jealous of the power and wealth of the Wuxing Shen family." Wei Wuji shook off her hand.
Yan Ningxin frowned and looked at him: "How dare you look at me like that."
When Wei Wuji was about to say something, Yan Ningxin heard someone's voice coming over. She struggled desperately, but Wei Wuji held her hand, as if it was welded to her hand. Yan Ningxin heard the voice of the maid beside her, and was so scared that tears flowed out instantly. Wei Wuji seemed to feel her tears falling, and let go as if his hand was burned.
…
After returning from the Dagu Temple, the women were all very tired. Even the ride in the carriage was very bumpy. Xie also asked for a few amulets for Guan and sent someone to deliver them.
Yao Niang yawned and said, "Mom, you really look thin, but you are actually more energetic than me."
"That's because I seldom stay up late now, unlike you who always lights a light to read. It hurts your eyes if you look carefully, or your eyes are always red." Xie decided to make a chrysanthemum pillow for her daughter to reduce her fever, and then make chrysanthemum and wolfberry tea for her every day.
Yao Niang said, "Mother, speaking of red eyes, I saw that my elder sister's eyes were red when she came back. Do you think it was because she drew a bad fortune that she was very sad?"
"It's not impossible. Her marriage is this year, and you said she suddenly drew such a fortune. She met the wrong person. No one can see that Mr. Shen is a bad person, right?" Xie couldn't see clearly either.
After returning from the Dagu Temple, I learned that my third brother Yan Jingwen had passed the county exam and would take the prefectural exam in April. In fact, Yan Jingzhao had passed the county exam before because the magistrate of Daxing County allowed him to do so out of respect for Yan Yingqi. Yan Yingqi directly asked Yan Jingzhao to retake the exam this year, saying that he could not rely on his father without any talent or virtue.
Fortunately, Yan Jingzhang finally passed the county examination, and this time he took the provincial examination with Yan Jingwen.
Yao Niang happened to be learning tailoring, so she asked Yu and Zhen for their measurements and made a Taoist robe for each of them. This Taoist robe was commonly worn by scholars at home, and it was fashionable at that time to make the sleeves as wide as possible. Her skills in making clothes were not that great, but she knew how to make them look good.
Fortunately, the clothes were sent over before the trial at their mansion. Yan Jingzhang said thank you to her and said they fit her perfectly. And Yan Jingwen came over to thank her directly wearing them.
Yao Niang knew that this third brother was always young and enthusiastic, and she had also talked to her daughter's family. When she saw him coming over, she asked, "Is there anything you want to change?"
"I think it's very good. Third sister's cooking skills are really great." Yan Jingwen turned around.
"It's the first time I do it and my brothers are so supportive. I wish my third brother a bright future and success." Yao Niang said with a smile.
Yan Jingwen came and said a few words, and then asked if Yan Jingzhao was at home. Yao Niang said, "Today is a day off, and my eldest brother is at home. However, a doctor is here to check my sister-in-law's pulse. Third brother, why don't you have two cups of tea here before leaving."
But in the East Cross Courtyard, Yan Jingzhao invited a doctor to come over. On the way, he couldn't help but say, "Sir, you are a gynecologist recommended by others. My wife is already more than three months pregnant. I don't know how the fetus is. I hope you can take a close look at her pulse when the time comes. Yan will be very grateful."
"You are too polite, Hanlin Yan. I will do my best." The doctor was very fond of Yan Jingzhao because he was young and as light as a jade tree with a jade-like body and a golden appearance. Moreover, he was courteous to the wise and humble, so he would do his best.
But he didn't expect that after he took Guan's pulse, he found that there was something wrong with it: "No, your wife is not pregnant. Although she seems to have the symptoms of pregnancy, she is not actually pregnant."
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