Chapter 042 Chapter 42

Prefect Xie is over 60 years old this year, but he still doesn't dare to put on airs in front of his son-in-law. Yan Yingqi, on the other hand, seems very respectful, even observing the etiquette of a disciple, and speaks very sincerely. He hopes that the mother and daughter of the Xie family can follow Prefect Xie to work outside for a year, which can be regarded as a way to relax and be filial to their parents-in-law.

For Prefect Jie, the reason he was able to become the prefect of Kaifeng this time was of course thanks to his son-in-law. His own ability was limited. If he was transferred to Su and Yang to be the prefect, although the local areas were rich, those places were all fat meat that was being eyed, and there was a risk of complaints from the people, which could cause civil unrest if he was not careful.

Furthermore, the third old lady of the Yan family was the governor of the river, which was an additional layer of protection for him.

This is a public matter, but from a private point of view, Xie is the apple of his eye, he has held her in his lap since she was a child and raised her to study. Now that his daughter needs to hide away and needs a place, of course he feels obliged to help her without hesitation.

Therefore, Yao Niang and Jie Shi, who had originally planned to return to Jinling by sea, now had to travel by land to Kaifeng, Henan.

This trip also made Yao Niang discover something new. She had always thought that Xie had a good temper, because at home, her father, her brother, and even herself did not have good tempers. But now that she was with Grandpa Xie, she discovered that her mother actually had a bit of a temper as well.

Most of the time, in front of their parents, even the oldest adults will become children.

Prefect Xie had been a county magistrate in Huguang and other places. Due to the humidity in the area, he became an old smoker. Yan Yingqi gave him a lot of high-quality tobacco. Now on the road, it was full of smoke. Xie hid his tobacco bag and said, "You were not in good health to begin with. You often coughed. Now you are better. You have set a limit every day, smoking day and night."

It seems that the prefect Jie still has a good temper. He just smiled bitterly and said, "You kid, be careful what your son-in-law says about you."

Prefect Xie is old, and Xie's stepmother passed away a few years ago. Now it is Xie's biological mother, Aunt Xu, and two younger maids who serve Prefect Xie.

Having said that, the relationship between Xie and the old concubine seemed a little unfamiliar. She said that when she was a child, she didn't even know that the old concubine was her mother. Moreover, the old concubine had many rules and was afraid that Xie would be looked down upon because of her background. Therefore, even when the two met, she was strict with Xie, not allowing her to be picky about food or slack off. Xie was good at needlework, and it was the old concubine who forced her to learn it.

Even now, the old concubine treats Yao Niang very well, but Xie Shi can never get close to her.

From the capital, passing through Hebei, it is about 800 miles from Hebei to Kaifeng. A horse carriage can only travel 150 miles a day at most. If you don't drive as fast as you can, it can only travel 50 miles a day, which will take about half a month.

In the past, Yao Niang had mostly seen places full of flowers and splendor. Whether in Jinling or the capital, this kind of place was rarely seen, with low villages, ragged passers-by, and even passers-by whose faces could not be seen clearly.

These were actually still considered good. Prefect Xie had a classmate who was also the co-prefect of Baoding Prefecture. According to this person, there were even refugees on the road, so he warned Prefect Xie to be careful.

After hearing this, Prefect Xie couldn't help but ask, "I don't know why the refugees are now coming to Baoding Prefecture when the emperor said he had already sent people to provide disaster relief? What if they attack the capital? What should we do?"

"The Yellow River has flooded this year, otherwise Henan Left Governor Yan Gong would not have been promoted to the position of River Governor. He is a famous cruel official. He just wants to dredge the river. The water here is very deep." The co-magistrate said privately.

Prefect Xie couldn't help but ask, "Does this mean that we need to rectify the administration of officials this year?"

The deputy governor refused to say anything more and instead advised: "You and his family are relatives, what are you afraid of?"

Otherwise, why did the Yan family members become more and more powerful? It was because each of them had his own talents. For example, Yan Yingqi was very good at guessing the intentions of his superiors and was able to build a good relationship with the ruling party, thus maintaining a good relationship with the scholars in the opposition. The third old lady Yan was a person who was strict in ruling, fearless of power, and dared to make suggestions.

After he passed the imperial examination, he was originally appointed as a clerk in the Ministry of Rites, and later was promoted to the position of Kedao. In the same year, he impeached the first and second assistants, which was a jaw-dropping act.

Later, he was sent to Yunnan, Guizhou and other places where ethnic minorities lived, but he still had considerable achievements as an official and was considered a capable minister.

Prefect Xie originally had a teacher from the King of Shaoxing, and now he also had a teacher from his son-in-law, so he asked these two people for their opinions first.

Master Wang was very conservative: "Dong Weng has not yet taken office. Even the previous matters have nothing to do with Dong Weng. When he takes office, the first thing he should do is to finish the work."

It means to protect yourself. If your predecessor suffers a loss, it is none of your business.

Prefect Xie nodded: "I think so too."

Master Xu smiled and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Dong. The most important thing this year is probably to repair the river. As the capital, Kaifeng can comfort the people more than anything else."

Prefect Xie nodded.

When the group was on their way from Hebei to Henan, Yao Niang saw refugees along the way. She and Jie took out their money and asked someone to buy a lot of food to distribute to the refugees along the way. Although it was a drop in the bucket, it was still a way to help.

"Mother, if we hadn't come out, even if we knew there were such refugees, we would have never seen them. They are so pitiful. Some of them clearly still have a few acres of land at home to make a living, but natural disasters and man-made disasters have become so serious. The local county magistrate did not provide disaster relief or rescue people, but actually abandoned the city and ran away." Yao Niang couldn't help shaking her head.

Xie also nodded and asked, "Should we buy some more steamed buns and dry grains to share with them?"

Yao Niang shook her head and said, "Mom, although we are a large group following Grandfather, the refugees are already starving. What if a leader calls for them to come and rob us? Instead of that, we should get to Kaifeng as soon as possible and tell Dad what we have seen along the way."

"Okay." Xie listened to her daughter.

Yao Niang explained, "Five years ago, when my daughter, grandfather, and grandmother returned to Nanjing, we witnessed with our own eyes a wealthy man who was very sympathetic to the refugees and distributed food along the way. In the end, his money was robbed and his wife and daughter were killed. Mother, we are not officials after all. The deeper we go, the more refugees there are and the fewer officials there are. If we are not careful, we will easily get ourselves into trouble."

In Yao Niang's mind, she is born strong and her mother is thin and weak, so she should protect her mother.

Because Yao Niang Xie stopped providing relief to the disaster victims, Prefect Xie also breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as Yao Niang expected, they saw a luxurious carriage collapsed on the side of the road. All the expensive ornaments in the carriage had been seized, and there were even people lying naked on the ground. Someone must have divided up their food, money and clothes. It was shocking to see.

While Xie and Yao Niang were on their journey, Yan Yingqi had a hard time. He had been with Xie all these years and they were rarely apart. When Xie suddenly left, he really didn't know where to find peace and security.

Zhen originally thought that Xie was going back to Nanjing, but she unexpectedly went back to Henan. Yan Yingqi said at the table: "They went to Luoyang to see the peonies and relax. Now the eldest girl is sent back to Nanjing. After this year, everything will return to normal."

Yingniang was full of envy: "Dad, why don't you want me to go see the peonies too?"

Yan Yingqi smiled and said, "If you want, you can go with your mother."

Yingniang does have an uncle who was the county magistrate in Pengze six years ago and is now the magistrate of Jiangzhou. Unlike Yaoniang, she is not happy wherever she goes. She likes to complain. Yan Yingqi knows his daughter well, so he said it directly.

"Fourth girl, stop talking nonsense." Zhen came out to smooth things over.

No matter how angry Xie was when she left, many opportunities had to be won by one's own efforts. Therefore, Zhen was thinking about what she should do next year to arrange the marriage between her daughter and the Shen family. As for Qianniang, she was not within her control at all. As far as she was concerned, she had already been very good to Qianniang.

All her clothes and jewelry are exactly the same as her own daughter's. Even when she goes out socializing, Qianniang has more advantages than Yaoniang. It is good enough for a stepmother to be able to do this.

Who in the world is not selfish? It's okay for her to be nicer to her own daughter.

Zhen would not tell her daughter about her plan until it was accomplished. Her daughter was young and outspoken, and it would probably be bad if she revealed even a little bit of it.

Qianniang was still completely unaware of her stepmother's intentions at this time. She was just feeling depressed, thinking about how much she had paid to get the title of a talented woman, but now everything was gone because of her elder sister. She couldn't help feeling discouraged.

After the meal, she went to the room to rest. Fortunately, Aunt Yin came over. Aunt Yin had just come over after helping Zhen take a nap. Now that Xie from the third room had left, the concubines from the first room would of course be the cheap ones.

The Madam has always been generous. Today, she specially asked An'er to bring midnight snacks to the study, or asked Aunt Feng to serve the dishes. Even Le'er, who is by her side, has been wearing much lighter clothes these days.

She had no one to talk to, and it was not appropriate to discuss the fight for favor with her daughter. She just vented her anger by scolding Yan Ningxin: "That guy is really harmful. If she had married into the Shen family properly, then there would be nothing to worry about. Dog meat cannot be served at the main table. I heard that the guy surnamed Wei was also exiled. They are a perfect couple."

"Aunt, stop talking. I don't want to hear it." Qianniang covered her ears, not knowing what to do next.

The third sister followed her grandfather to Henan, and the third uncle was the governor of the river. Maybe he could find another way to find a good marriage for her. She had a way out, but what about herself? Was she going to drag it on like this? She was already fourteen years old, and this year should have been the age for her to find a marriage. She was the most involved with Yan Ningxin, so how could she not be upset?

殷姨娘則道：“如今就這件事情最是鬧心了，你大哥哥倒是沒怎麽受影響，關夫人昨日上門，似乎還想把她侄女說親過來，殊不知太太也似乎有那個意思呢？我見太太已經和老爺說了，說她想把自己的侄女兒從江州接過來，說是心疼侄女，這其中是不是為了大爺來的，這誰知道呢？”

“您是說大夫人想把她的侄女嫁給大哥哥？”倩娘有些驚訝。

殷姨娘撇嘴：“二夫人這麽一走，機會可不就來了，大哥兒這個人是很有主見的，他若看對了眼，老爺夫人也肯定同意。”

倩娘心想，這後宅之中，真是失之東隅收之桑榆也。

大夫人因為顏寧馨之過，被氣了好幾日，結果也因為大姐姐的事情，二夫人和三妹妹離開京師，不巧又給了大夫人機會。

自己也不能一直這般消沉下去，原本她的眼光一直都很高，以她父親今時今日之官職，即便要嫁的好，也不是什麽難事。自己也得想個法子，否則，等明年她就十五歲了，準備親事至少兩三年，姑娘家年紀大了即便家世好也會被人嫌棄。

對了，趙家，趙家倒是一條出路。

上次趙顯雖然未中會試，但是其父頗得父親賞識，特意推舉他去了蜀州任同知，自己不如以趙芳的名義多聯絡。

若趙家有意，自然上門求娶，她到時候有好人家，當然也不會嫁到趙家去，但若一直受到大姐事情的影響，趙家也未必不行，人得做好兩手準備才行。

她可不像窈娘，事事有母親哥哥還有顯赫的背景依靠，也不像瑩娘有大夫人可以依靠。

這些成算她也放在心中，不會和殷姨娘講，只是算着天數道：“我聽說從京師到河南，快則半個多月，慢則一個多月。算了算時日，三妹妹她們應該到了。”

**

開封知府府衙

窈娘正帶着下人收拾床鋪，這次從京中過來，只帶了一半的衣物過來。因為解家也不是尋常人家，即便是解氏當初嫁給顏應祁也是一大船的嫁妝陪送的，更別提解家兩個舅舅多年經營，解外公也為官二十餘年。

“你們日後就不要透露出我是吏部侍郎的女兒，聽到了嗎？”窈娘吩咐道。

顧媽媽疊着衣裳，不解道：“姑娘這是為何？”

“低調一些不是壞事，再者，祖父在此任布政使這幾年，也不知道有沒有得罪過的人，舉凡做事情，太過高調反而不容易成事。”你以為你的身份高，別人就不會搗鬼嗎？身份只有在需要用的時候拿出來，平日根本不需要随時随地這般。

顧媽媽和青黛紅袖聽完深以為然。

今夜還有接風宴，府裏的衙署，還有同知通判們都要一起與會，自然這是前院男人們的事情，後院則是解氏在幫忙操持，她現在的身份不是吏部侍郎的夫人，就是單純的帶着女兒照顧父母的姑太太。

窈娘也跟着解氏一起出來見客，來的這些夫人中，多是同知通判夫人，三位通判的夫人年紀都在四十多歲以上，倒是陳同知的夫人看起來和解氏同齡，她膝下也有一女叫陳淑怡，比窈娘要大一歲，只是人生的很是腼腆。

陳夫人對解氏說起自己的女兒也是沒辦法：“我家這女兒就是太懂事，太腼腆了，倒是讓您見笑了。”

衆人見解氏舉止高華，說話文雅，身上着的是軟煙羅淺藍色雲錦裙，氣質非同一般，又讓人觀之可親。解氏倒也介紹自己女兒道：“我們家這個倒是調皮，常常讓我頭疼，您不嫌棄，就讓她們在一處玩。”

窈娘也旋即上前和陳淑怡見禮，陳淑怡本來在人群多的地方，尤其是這種衣香鬓影之處，她每次都有些恐懼，再見窈娘，宛若姮娥下凡，更是聲若蚊讷。

陳夫人沒想過這姑娘生的如此絕色，連忙誇道：“真真是個大美人，和您一樣。”

窈娘又帶着陳淑怡在一旁的小桌子上坐下，自己介紹道：“也不知道姐姐尊名？”

也許是人少了些，陳淑怡見窈娘笑吟吟的，她忍不住也笑開了，人與人的緣分就是很奇妙，比如顏家其她姐妹，日日在一處，未必有什麽感情，但是有的人，只見幾面，居然覺得一見如故。

“我姓陳，閨名叫淑怡，是家中獨女。”陳淑怡道。

窈娘則笑道：“我姓顏，在族中排行第三，家中只有一個兄長，你喚我窈娘就好。”

陳淑怡從善如流：“窈娘。”

二人又重新敘了年齒，原來陳父在八年前中了進士，先做了六年知縣，如今升了開封府的通判，顯然也是有一定人脈的。

但窈娘不會貿然去問人家的後臺，她只道：“解府臺是我外公，我是跟随母親一起過來外家做客，日後姐姐若是無處消遣，只管來找我。”

陳淑怡雖然人腼腆，但是個細心的人，她聽窈娘雖有父兄，但只提外公，料想她母女二人肯定是投奔來此，因此也不多問。

二人官話都說的不錯，皆是說平日所讀之書，原來陳淑怡一共上了三年學，原本想去鄰家借館讀書，但是陳淑怡腼腆，只好請西席上門來教。

“我總是這樣，一看到人多，我就有些緊張，也不願意和人打交道。”陳淑怡說起來還有些不好意思。

窈娘則笑道：“這也沒什麽，舉凡女子出去的少，自然就很容易害羞，你不知道我以前看到人多就躲在我娘身後，我娘怎麽拉我，我都不肯出來。”

“妹妹也如此嗎？那你現在怎麽看起來……”陳淑怡驚訝。

窈娘笑道：“陳姐姐，你有沒有想過你緊張，別人也緊張，你看到別人泰然自若，興許那是別人裝的？人嘛，裝着裝着不就大方起來了。日後，陳姐姐和人說話時，你得這麽想，慢慢的就和我一樣了。”

“咦，這倒是個好法子，妹妹真聰明，真不知道該如何謝謝你？”陳淑怡頭一次覺得自己算是有救了，她想起上次和別的官家小姐們一起去，聽到別人背後說她小家子氣，她回來還痛哭了一場。

窈娘呷了一口茶：“姐姐若覺得這個法子好，那比什麽都強，還要謝什麽。若姐姐真要謝謝我，就看我初來乍到，多帶帶我。”

陳淑怡滿口答應下來。

甚至，陳淑怡見窈娘誇她的臂钏，還把自己的臂钏解下來送給她了，這讓窈娘很驚訝。但是也很高興，她和解氏道：“雖然現在說這些為時過早，但是女兒想開封也許真的是咱們娘倆的福地，您看我在京裏也沒有交到什麽好的手帕交，倒是來這裏就和這位陳姐姐一見如故。”

“傻丫頭，就是咱們倆的氣度衣裳，也許人家就先知道你出身不凡了呢？”解氏笑道。

窈娘勾了勾唇：“娘，那我有什麽損失嗎？反正不管她是真的和我好，還是假的和我好，總是好，如果她翻臉，那我也翻臉啊。娘，人想開點比什麽都強，就像爹爹也拿我們母女沒辦法，但是總是知道我們的決心。”

解氏點頭：“這倒是，你小小年紀，倒是比我要想的通。”

“娘，其實爹有一句話倒是說對了，女子為何就得顧着臉皮，就得一定要安分守己。乖乖等着別人來給咱們一切，事實證明，天底下誰也不會站在誰的立場說話，都得咱們自己争取。”窈娘笑道。

但說完，又翻了個白眼：“看我，天天說這些做什麽，咱們母女是來河南躲難的，我就天天做這些白日夢。”

“哪有，我女兒可是見識不凡。”解氏誇着女兒。

母女二人今夜一起睡的，窈娘抱着解氏的胳膊道：“女兒早就想和娘一起睡了。”

陳同知府上，陳夫人也是頭一次見女兒這麽高興，她摸了摸女兒的鬓發：“看來我們淑兒認得了一個好朋友。”

陳夫人膝下只有這一個女兒，小時候拘着她就拘的緊，後來就養成這樣小心腼腆內向的性子，有地位比她們低的那些人家故意和女兒玩，是為了哄着她占便宜，有地位高的，又看不上，難得那位顏姑娘，生的天仙似的，人品性子看起來都很好。

陳淑怡點頭：“是，窈娘人很好的，還知道我愛看書，說她箱子裏有幾冊新書，可以借給我看呢。”

“這就好。”陳夫人見那位解氏穿着談吐不似一般官眷，卻獨自帶着女兒回娘家，可能是丈夫死了，帶着女兒投奔而來。

故而，陳夫人又問起：“你說的這位顏姑娘有沒有提起她父兄？”

“也沒怎麽提，就說她在族裏排行第三，有個哥哥，也沒說她哥哥如何。”

陳夫人腦補了一出大戲，看這位解氏年紀二十餘歲，應該很年輕，因為做了別人的續弦，丈夫去了，所以帶着女兒被趕出來了，才被迫回娘家。

Thinking of this, she also felt a little sympathy. She believed that Xie must have married an old man of high status and power before, otherwise it would be impossible for the silk handkerchief she used to be made inside. Although she looked very low-key, she couldn't hide it.

Suddenly, Mrs. Chen thought that Xunfu Shen is now 41 years old. At the age of 38, he was already the Shaoqing of Dali Temple, and now he is the Xunfu of a province. It is said that he has six sons. Mrs. Chen passed away exactly two years ago.

Last time, I heard that the wife of the Fortune Envoy wanted to find a matchmaker for Shen Xunfu, and the girl she was looking for was a pretty sixteen-year-old from the wealthy Peng family in this province. I heard that Shen Xunfu thought she was too young and wanted to find someone more compatible.

Mrs. Chen felt that Xie was just right. If she could arrange this marriage, her husband's career would not have to worry about it. Besides, Xie would also get a good marriage. She saw that although Xie was not young, she had extraordinary charm and was the daughter of an official, so her status was higher than that of the daughter of the Peng family.

Well, I'll go and find out tomorrow.