Chapter 052 Chapter 52
Because they were frightened by Yan Ningxin's incident, Yan Yingqi and Zhen Shi just wanted a stable marriage for Qianniang. Qianniang had been in contact with Zhao Fang by letter, but she had no idea that Zhao Xian had married the daughter of a local tribute scholar, which made her very disappointed. Fortunately, she had a good harvest after a loss. Now that the haze in her family has passed, she has arranged a good marriage.
When Yingniang came to Yaoniang, she asked, "Do you think Sister Zhao will marry into our family after all?"
"What do you mean?" Yao Niang stopped sewing.
Yingniang smiled and said, "Mrs. Junsan has never had a son, so this is just a way to adopt a son from the family, and it's just right for Sister Zhao to marry him."
Yao Niang nodded: "They are cousins, which is a close relationship." After they came back, they didn't know how the Shen family would react, so except Yan Yingqi and Yan Jingzhao, no one in the family knew about their relationship with the Shen family. What's more, Shen Linfeng hasn't passed the imperial examination yet, so no one knows what will happen in the future.
Yingniang had a lot to say. Although she and Zhenli were cousins, they were not biological sisters after all. There were some things that even if she was told them, she would not have the courage to tell them to her. But it was different with Yaoniang. To some extent, their identities and status were equal.
So, Yingniang laughed and said, "Do you know that the second sister secretly wrote to sister Zhao? But the Zhao family only wants to marry their daughter here. The rich family marries the daughter and the poor family marries the wife. They have figured it out."
"Is there such a saying?" Yao Niang said with a smile.
Yingniang snorted coldly: "Why not? Besides, it is almost impossible for the Zhao family to marry the second sister, but marrying Zhao Fang is the most likely."
"That's right." Yao Niang naturally knew that Qian Niang's feelings towards Zhao Xian were not what she showed, so she thought it was a failure. She just asked, "I don't know which family Second Sister is talking about. Do we know them?"
Yingniang said, "There are some clues. It's the Wen family who will be appointed as prime minister again."
Yao Niang nodded: "So it's the Prime Minister's family, it's really a very good match."
"Wen Shoufu has seven sons and three daughters. The one you are talking about is the seventh, and the older brothers are not much behind him." Ying Niang mentioned.
This marriage seems to be a good one, but there are hidden concerns. Even if he is the Prime Minister, how many years can he be appointed Prime Minister again? Three to five years is considered the most. There are so many sons, and the difference between them is not that big. Even if he is favored, will the youngest son get his turn?
But Yao Niang still said, "The prime minister's family is better than anyone else's."
Yingniang thought of Shen Linfeng and couldn't help but say, "Although the family background is high, it is still better to strive for it on your own. If you can pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi, that would be great."
"What you said is true. As the saying goes, the influence of a gentleman will be cut off after five generations. Even if my father is good but my son is not, so what? It is common for a family to decline." Yao Niang is not so worried about the future now because even if her father is gone, she still has her brother and grandfather, who are both high-ranking officials.
Yingniang liked to hear these words. She sat down again and watched Yaoniang embroidering. She couldn't help asking, "What are you embroidering?"
"Summer is coming and the weather is going to get hot again. I'm going to embroider a few handkerchiefs for myself." Yao Niang usually painted and played the piano, and did some needlework in her spare time.
Yingniang sighed: "I have to go to Gong's house again tomorrow. I don't like going out anymore."
Yao Niang said, "Let's go. The adults told us to go, so why shouldn't we go?"
In Yingniang's opinion, Qianniang's marriage was settled, and if Shen Linfeng passed the imperial examination, her marriage would be put on the agenda immediately, so it was inappropriate for her to go out and socialize. It was said that her father originally intended to let her second sister marry Wang Mian, but Wang Mian had already been removed from the list of candidates, and it was not easy to find a young Jinshi now.
"Hey, fourth sister, is your cousin going with us?" Yao Niang tied a knot and asked Zhen Li again.
Ying Niang said: "That's for sure, she is also our cousin."
Yao Niang smiled and said, "Speaking of cousins, I think of cousin Xin. She is not young anymore, I wonder what her family says about her."
When Xin Wan was mentioned, Ying Niang was stunned for a long time: "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten it."
While Yingniang was talking nonsense here, Yaoniang was thinking about other things. Daddy has always had a good relationship with Gong Cifu, but now the second sister is going to marry the son of the first assistant. Does this mean that father is also leaning towards the first assistant?
No wonder Dad didn't take the Shen family's marriage very seriously this time when he came back.
But this is a taboo in the officialdom. If you can betray this person, how can you guarantee that you will not betray another person? This is a question of integrity.
The three-year term is coming to an end. Whether my father will be promoted or retained depends on the court recommendation, or my second sister's marriage is a token of his loyalty.
She was thinking a lot, and Yingniang saw that she was still embroidering, and she would feel drowsy and fall into a deep sleep from time to time.
When Yaoniang finished embroidering the handkerchief, she saw Yingniang sleeping inside, so she told people not to make any noise and covered her with a quilt. Qingdai whispered, "The fourth lady is sleeping so soundly."
"She has always been like this. She can fall asleep as soon as she lies down. I admire her." Yao Niang smiled and shook her head.
The next day, she accompanied Xie, Zhen, and Yingniang to the Gong family. Xie was now a married woman, no longer a concubine who could not go out and was not presentable.
Of course, the Gong family also knew that no matter what Zhen said, Yan Jingzhao was Xie's son. It was not convenient for them to visit and interact with Xie before, but now that Xie was settled, the Gong family would not care what Zhen thought.
"Mom, I'm so happy to be out with you." Yao Niang was the happiest.
Xie touched her daughter's head and said, "But you have to get along with so many people. It's better to be alone."
In fact, Xie came out to find another wife for Yan Jingzhao. She has no idea now. Madam Guan has come to her house three times, and Sima Zhao's intentions are obvious.
But I didn't expect to meet Madam Shen and Shen Mo as well as Madam Li, the wife of the Minister of Revenue, and their daughter at Gong's house. These families were originally close friends, and the ones they met here were no exception.
Mrs. Shen had seen Yao Niang once before, it seemed to be two years ago. Now seeing Xie's mother and daughter come in, she looked at them secretly. Although Xie was a step younger than Zhen, she looked to be in her twenties, very young, and seemed to be inexperienced. She was surprisingly lively and compelling. Then she looked at the third daughter of the Yan family. She wore the same skirt as sisters her, but she stood out from the crowd.
Her appearance was more beautiful than her mother's. Even in her orange-red dress, she looked elegant and refined, with a bit of the naivety and loveliness of a young girl. But she was not completely a little girl. Her figure was exquisite and beautiful, and she had all the qualities that would make a man fall in love with her.
Of course Yao Niang also saw Shen Mo and her daughter. After she thought of Shen Linfeng, she felt more and more that she could not reveal any traces.
"Greetings to Madam Gong and Madam Gong." Yao Niang bowed immediately.
When Mrs. Gong saw Yao Niang again, she couldn't help but said happily, "I haven't seen you for a long time. You have become more and more outstanding." In Mrs. Gong's view, Yao Niang was a daughter of heaven to some extent. Her grandfather was a governor of the first rank, her father was an assistant minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and her brother was a scholar in the Hanlin Academy. She herself was both talented and beautiful.
Yao Niang said, "You're kind, I'm just a weak girl." After saying this, her fair cheeks turned pink, and she seemed a little shy.
"Tsk tsk tsk, Second Madam, I don't know how you raised this girl. She's so pretty and charming. Anyone who sees her will be happy." Madam Gong held Yao Niang's hand tightly.
Xie waved her hands: "She is naughty at home too. Her second sister is quiet, and her fourth sister is better than her."
It was rare for Xie to say such things. Madam Gong and Madam Shen thought that it was no wonder that Yan Yingqi loved her. Such a character was better than Zhen's. Zhen felt sad. She didn't expect that the third girl would find a new way. Maybe her husband helped her, but he kept it a secret and didn't let her know.
But now she still suppressed her unhappy emotions, and treated Jie as if they were real sisters. She also introduced them to Madam Gong: "My sister-in-law is the most quiet and simple-minded, and so is the third girl. To be honest, I wish the third girl was my daughter. Look, the purse I am wearing was embroidered by our third girl."
One must behave magnanimously in public, Zhen thought, and she must do her best in everything Xie could do.
Otherwise, the family tradition is not good, and the victims are all the unmarried girls in the family. The Yan family cannot afford to cause any more trouble now.
Mrs. Shen nodded when she saw this. Except for Yan Ningxin, everyone else in the Yan family was quite normal.
When a person like Mrs. Gong reached this point, of course she would praise everyone to her satisfaction and she would not put on any effort to show it. The girls had all come out with their mothers and now they all sat obediently beside them, listening to what the adults said.
Yao Niang glanced at Miss Li who was sitting opposite her. It was said that her mother came to see this girl today. Miss Li had been in mourning at home for three years. She was already seventeen years old this year. She was very pretty, but looked a little thin.
Thinking of the fact that Yan Jingzhao liked plump and charming women, Yao Niang thought that her mother always followed her and her brother's ideas, so she might give up. However, when choosing a wife, one cannot just look at her appearance, but also her temperament.
"This is black tea, not the tea we usually drink. How does it taste?" Mrs. Gong said with a smile.
Mrs. Shen has always loved tea, and she nodded: "It tastes good to me, but I can't get used to the Enshi Yu Lu. Someone gave me some a few days ago, and it tastes like water."
"It seems that you like strong tea. I have some Pu'er tea, which is new. You can try it. Even our old lady thinks it tastes good." Mrs. Gong said with a smile.
This kind of situation is actually very boring, as people mostly talk about food, clothing and daily necessities. But every time you have to pretend to listen carefully and even know how to strike up a conversation, which requires a considerable level of skill.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Madam Gong said, "This year, the Chengguo Mansion will hold a polo club. You can all go and play. When the time comes, we didn't like this. It's better for young people to play."
Madam Li said, "My daughter doesn't know how to do it either. I was thinking of asking Madam Gong to recommend a master for us."
"That's fine, I actually recognize one," said Mrs. Gong.
At this time, Shen Mo suddenly asked Yao Niang: "Third Miss, how are you doing with polo now?"
Yao Niang shook her head: "I'm not very good at it either."
"If you don't mind, I can teach you." Shen Mo said.
Mrs. Shen nodded secretly. Regardless of success or failure, her family had done something to avoid Gong Gefu's accusation of discord between the two sides. So, Mrs. Shen smiled and said, "Yes, you sisters can all come to our house. We have a horse farm. Although your sister Shen is not very good at playing polo, she can teach you."
Yao Niang looked at Xie. Xie would not be as high-profile as Yan Ningxin before. The Shen family did not come to propose marriage, so how could she let her daughter go to the Shen family? If this matter succeeded, it would be over. If not, all the past would be gone.
Therefore, Xie said: "Thank you for Madam Shen's kindness. I will ask her to come to my house for advice when she is free in the future."
She didn't say yes or no, and maybe she wouldn't ask for advice again in the future. Madam Gong has always been in these families and knows more than others. Xie is Yan Yingqi's bedmate, and she knows Yan Yingqi best. It seems that Yan Jingzhao has no chance of getting married to Shen Mo.
Xie Shi indeed did not consider Shen Mo, because she knew very well about the relationship between Shen Mo and the Prince of Qi. It was said that the Prince of Qi had already started choosing a wife in the fiefdom, and Shen Mo would definitely not marry into the family. However, Shen Mo's relationship with the Yan family was just average before, so naturally it was unlikely.
Mrs. Shen's face froze, but soon returned to normal. Zhen breathed a sigh of relief, but when she saw that Mrs. Li opposite her was inexplicably in a better mood, Zhen looked at Miss Li again. Could it be her?
Miss Li felt a little inferior. She saw the three girls from the Yan family sitting opposite her, dressed gorgeously and acting quite arrogantly, especially the third girl who was indeed a great beauty. Then she thought about how she had spent two years losing weight, but still couldn't match their looks and figure, and she felt a little discouraged.
"This cake is delicious." Yao Niang took a bite of the mung bean cake and found it sweeter than usual. She whispered to Ying Niang.
Yingniang pretended to be a lady from a rich family because Mrs. Shen was here. But Miss Li said, "This mung bean is made after the skin is removed, and some red bean paste is added inside, but it is not icing sugar, but sweet osmanthus honey."
"Oh, Sister Li knows a lot about food." Yao Niang said with a smile.
Miss Li smiled a little embarrassedly. She couldn't lose weight because of her greed. Naturally, her cooking skills were also very good.
Mrs. Li saw Yao Niang asking, and said with some pride: "My daughter likes to make soup and cakes, and asks people to find recipes for her wherever she goes. I didn't let her cook originally, Miss, what if her skin is broken? She just does this."
"Then I will have to ask Sister Li for more advice in the future." Yao Niang's eyes sparkled.
Miss Li blushed slightly, but she was very honest: "Sister Yan San, if you like green bean cakes, I will make them for you in two days."
Because talking about food, Mrs. Xie and several other ladies who were all mistresses of wealthy families had some suggestions. When Yao Niang saw that the topic was brought up by Jian Niang, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Unexpectedly, two days later, Miss Li actually sent over a few boxes of mung bean cakes, which tasted exactly the same as the ones the Gong family had eaten. She even carefully sent over the recipe.
"Sister Li is a very honest person. She actually sent us some mung bean cake." Yao Niang put a piece into Xie's mouth.
Xie smiled and said, "It's really good."
"Mother, will this Miss Li become my future sister-in-law?" Yao Niang asked.
Xie smiled but said nothing.
This time when choosing a wife, you can't be careless and you must investigate her carefully.
Yao Niang packed a box of Roselle tea and sent it to the Li family. Miss Li found the tea very exquisite and drank it from her favorite pot that day. She also gave it to her mother to drink.
Mrs. Li didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Look at you, you are still like a child, but you are already seventeen years old."
"So what? The tea that Miss Yan San brought is really delicious. Just have a sip." Miss Li still wanted to feed it to her mother.
Madam Li poked her daughter's head and said, "You are already so old, but you are still acting like a child. You need to think about how to find a good husband. Although you are the daughter of the Minister of Revenue, it is not easy to find a young and talented man."
Miss Li understood it, of course. She recalled the startled glimpse she had that day. It seemed that the eldest son of the Yan family came to pick up the women of the Yan family. Her heart started pounding.
But she couldn't say it, because she couldn't be compared with Shen Mo. Although her family was from the Li family of Linxi, the first few generations were only minor officials like Shouguan. It was not until her father's generation that they became successful. Moreover, her mother was a stepmother, and her brothers and she had different mothers.
In fact, whether she could marry Yan Jingzhao didn't matter to her. She thought Miss Yan was very beautiful and lovely, and she didn't have any prejudice against her social status.
Xie was not very good at judging people, but Yan Yingqi had been the Minister of Personnel for several years and he considered himself a first-rate judge of people. Therefore, when Xie included Miss Li in the list, Yan Yingqi gave Xie an idea: "It is easy to pretend for a while, but it is difficult to pretend for a long time. So it is better to let Yao Niang invite her to play at home."
"That's a good idea." Xie praised.
Yan Yingqi suddenly said, "Shen Linfeng will take the imperial examination tomorrow."
Xie was puzzled: "What did you tell me?"
"Don't you want to marry Yao Niang to him?" Yan Yingqi felt that he was just giving a reminder.
Xie spread his hands and said, "Just go."
Yan Yingqi was speechless: "Let me tell you, that kid submitted 50 essays, and I heard that each one was better than the last, so he was selected to participate in the third class. There is only one person in this dynasty who won the third class."
"So what? I don't think the Shen family has that intention." Xie even felt that her daughter was not bad at all.
Yan Yingqi wanted to pinch her face, but was afraid of hurting her, so he scratched her nose and said, "You are stupid. If he succeeds in the imperial examination, he will be the youngest talent in this dynasty. The emperor will meet him in person, and his future will be limitless. Will your daughter have a place to stand by then? Sometimes people have to be bold. It doesn't matter whether Madam Shen likes her or not. It's good enough for Shen Linfeng to recognize our daughter."
After saying this, he whispered a long list of instructions into Xie's ear.
Xie looked at her husband awkwardly, and said in a daze, "Ying Qi, if you were a woman, I wouldn't be able to beat you."
Yan Yingqi was not angry, but laughed: "That means I can live like a fish in water no matter where I am. You take your honest daughter with you and listen to me tomorrow, understand?"
**
After passing the fifty essays, the next step was the palace examination. There were two other people taking the examination together. Both of them were very talented and knowledgeable. Shen Linfeng was actually still very nervous.
Mrs. Shen was of course aware that her son would be taking the imperial examination tomorrow, and she came here specially tonight.
"Feng'er, you will take the imperial examination tomorrow. I believe you will do well."
Shen Linfeng nodded: "My child will do his best."
Mrs. Shen smiled again: "Your father also said that you can definitely do it, and asked me not to let you work too hard, otherwise you should rest early today."
"My son can't sleep, Mom. I want to read for a while." Shen Linfeng said.
Mrs. Shen didn't say much, for fear of affecting her son's mood.
The next day, Yaoniang got up early to dress up, and Xie said, "Yaoniang, hurry up, your brother's carriage is waiting."
"Isn't my brother in the Hanlin Academy? He must go there." Yao Niang touched her lips with lip balm.
Xie waved her hands and said, "I have already asked for leave. Hurry up and wear this veil. Your father said you look better dressed today."
Yao Niang showed an unspeakable expression: "Daddy, why does he even have to take care of this?"
Xie joked, "Your father is not ordinary, really. I used to think he was just good in the officialdom, but I didn't expect him to know everything. He is indeed quite capable."
Unfortunately, Yao Niang got up and dressed before dawn, and yawned again: "Mom, Dad gave me a bad idea, I still want to sleep."
"My dear daughter, hurry up!" Xie urged her again.
Yao Niang then stood up and looked at Xie again. Xie waved her hand and said, "Go quickly."
Yao Niang nodded heavily.
Yan Jingzhao was waiting for her outside. It was the first time for Yan Jingzhao to do such a thing, and he was a little embarrassed: "Sister, our carriage will be faster in a while, please hold on tight."
"Okay." Yao Niang got on the carriage.
Yan Jingzhao, who claimed that he had no experience, was thinking that his father was really snobbish. He didn't know whether Shen Linfeng could take part in the imperial examination before, and he couldn't hold back. But now he is so quick and his reaction is too fast.
It is said that even though some people are still waiting and watching, my father has already taken action. There is also the seventh son of Prime Minister Wen, whom my second sister is going to marry. My father said that although this man has average talent in imperial examinations, he is good at considering the overall situation.
The second sister is born out of wedlock, which does not affect her marriage, but the person she marries must stabilize the situation of the Yan family, so that the Yan family can get rid of the haze. If the third sister and Shen Linfeng can get together, it will be a perfect match made in heaven, which shows that the Yan and Shen families are still as harmonious as before, and the Yan family values Shen Linfeng very much.
It would be great to have a brother-in-law like Shen Linfeng, especially since he had heard that Shen Linfeng and his third sister got along quite well on the way back to Beijing.
As they were thinking, the carriage had already arrived at the destination. Shen Linfeng actually arrived later than them. He stayed up late yesterday and slept in this morning. He drank a bowl of ginseng soup to regain his energy.
Unexpectedly, he saw Yan Jingzhao as soon as he got off the carriage. Yan Jingzhao strode over and congratulated him, "Brother Shen, congratulations on taking the palace examination."
Shen Linfeng smiled and said, "Thank you." But seeing that he had come to see him at this time, he couldn't help but ask, "Bo Ying, what do you want to see me about?"
Yan Jingzhao pointed to the carriage not far away and said, "It's not me who's looking for you. Someone is looking for you."
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