Chapter 095 Chapter 95
On the second day of the Chinese New Year, Yao Niang and Shen Linfeng went back to visit their parents' parents. They brought several carts of gifts and happened to meet Wen Qilang and Qian Niang at the door. Yao Niang and Qian Niang had an average relationship, but Wen Qilang and Shen Linfeng, the two brothers-in-law, had a good relationship.
"Second brother-in-law."
"Third brother-in-law."
Yao Niang asked Qian Niang: "Why don't you bring the child back to show grandfather?"
"Children cannot stand the wind." Qianniang secretly blamed Yaoniang for not having given birth and not caring for children. However, she looked at Yaoniang's waist and remembered that she and her sisters had once taken a hot spring bath together at the hot spring resort. Yaoniang did not even have hair under her armpits. Her body was too bare, and she was afraid that it would hinder her husband's fertility.
No wonder people say that women should not be too beautiful. Since ancient times, beautiful women have often had a short life.
In fact, Yao Niang also felt that Qian Niang had changed a lot. Although she had a lot of small thoughts when she was in the Yan family, she was not really a bad person. After going to the Wen family, she became much more vain and competitive. It seemed that she had some spirit before she got married, but now it is all gone.
The two sisters were very polite when they met Li. Li herself was only pretty, but she found that the girls in the Yan family were more beautiful than each other, and some could even be considered both beautiful and talented. She always felt a little inferior.
"Second sister, third sister, are you here together?" Li came out to greet them with a smile.
Yao Niang said, "We just happened to meet at the door. Sister-in-law, you don't have to greet us. I will go to my previous room and take a look by myself."
"Sister-in-law, I want to tell you about my daughter. I brought a lot of little things for my nephew. Come on, let's go in and talk." Qianniang pulled Li in, talking about children.
Yao Niang shook her head and went into her room to look around. The furnishings remained the same. She came back often, so Li did her a favor and often sent people in to clean the room.
After dinner at her parents' home, they listened to a small opera. On the third day of the new year, they went to the Marquis of Jinghai's mansion. There were many days of opera and wine at the Marquis of Jinghai's mansion. Yao Niang saw that Madam Liu had lost weight due to her busy schedule. She even said to Yao Niang, "I was so busy that I was dizzy and didn't even notice you coming."
"Sister Du, I made two sets of clothes for Sister Shan. She saw that my doll's skirt looked good on her, so I asked the tailor to make it accordingly. Remember to give it to her." Yao Niang said with a smile.
Mrs. Liu sighed, "No wonder Sister Shan is always thinking about you. You are the only one who always remembers her kindness. Also, is your family holding a play on the sixth day of the New Year? I will go there whenever I can."
Yao Niang said, "Lin Feng and I are the only ones here, and since our parents are not around, we won't invite many guests. We can just invite relatives and friends to get together on the sixth day of the New Year."
Mrs. Liu nodded: "I would love to, but you know my family, there is nothing we can do."
As he said this, he led Yao Niang to the table. Yao Niang was a very young wife of the Imperial Academy, and she came from an extraordinary family. She always kept a high profile in such occasions. It was not that she was not good at socializing, but that there was no need. Shen Linfeng was an editor of the Imperial Academy, and he was so active that he could easily be plotted against.
Besides, a bird in the hand is worth a thousand in the forest. She is on good terms with Madam Liu and is a guest of honor at the Marquis of Jinghai's Mansion, which is much better than many others.
Mrs. Liu thought the same. She said to her mother, Mrs. Du, "This girl is young and not the type to go around scheming. She is very kind to our sister Shan."
Madam Du said, "In fact, it is not necessary for her status. I have seen some wives of officials socializing with others everywhere. It is not good if they get involved in something. I have heard that some wives lend money privately or open shops together and ask for favors everywhere. It is not good at that time. The Shen family is rich, Shen Linfeng has a bright future, and her grandfather is the Minister of Works. There is no need for this."
"Even if her grandfather wasn't an official, there wouldn't be any need for this. Once you enter a circle, it's easy for you to be out of control." Mrs. Liu was a little tired of hosting flower banquets in a row, and she thought that holding one a year would be enough in the future.
Unless she is like her aunt, the wife of Duke Cheng, whose family has fallen into decline and she has started to rely on these things to gather a group of people.
Otherwise, if you walk on the roadside often, your shoes will get wet.
In fact, it is not that Yao Niang is aloof, but she feels that it is not worth it, and she has her own judgment. Because her family and she herself do not need to ask others for anything, as the saying goes, "no desire means strength."
Soon it was the sixth day of the first lunar month. Shen Linfeng invited many of his peers from the Hanlin Academy, relatives and even his classmates in Beijing to come, including Yao Niang, Qin Shubai's wife and several Hanlin wives. Qian Niang also came, of course. She rarely came before. In her opinion, she was the daughter-in-law of the prime minister and should not lower her status easily.
But she didn't expect that when she came here, she would find that the wife of the Prince of Jinghai, Princess Jianing, the wife of the Duke of Chengguo, the wife of the Minister of Rites, Mrs. Du, and even the daughter-in-law of Zhao Ci Fu were all there, not to mention the wives of the Hanlin scholars who were also present.
Although she, the daughter-in-law of the Prime Minister, was treated with considerable courtesy, she was not as treated as she had imagined.
Goodbye Yao Niang said to everyone: "We grow very rare peonies and roses at home, most of which are shipped from Luoyang and Pingyin. Peonies bloom best in June, especially the one in a pot and two in a pot, which I like the most. But because I don't want to use the greenhouse in winter, I painted it down for everyone to appreciate."
She spread out the painting, but saw a pot of purple and pink flowers on it. The two colors complemented each other, and the flowers bloomed for good fortune. Pian Yao Niang was a timid person. She saw that many people, including Shao Qianniang, seemed to use children to squeeze her out, so she had another plan in mind: "I heard that those who see this flower are likely to conceive a dragon and a phoenix fetus. After all, it is a plant with two colors. It's a pity that my waist is too thin, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to conceive two. So if any of you want a dragon and a phoenix, I can give it to you."
When Mrs. Qin heard this, she quickly agreed, "Yes, I have heard that too, but I already have two little kids at home, so two more won't be too much."
"Mrs. Qin, don't take advantage of your family's good relationship with Grandma Shen to just take it away. Why don't you give it to me and I will give it to my daughter-in-law." Mrs. Du joked.
Everyone was half-jokingly eager to come over, and the people who had originally said they were going to play around actually wanted to take it for themselves.
Yao Niang covered her mouth and said, "I'm sorry that you all snatched my flowers so much. If our Erqiao is lucky enough to bloom this year, I will definitely invite you all to come and admire the flowers."
Then he asked someone to put the painting away. "Don't you like to isolate others and look down on them based on whether they have children or not? What's the big deal about having one child? Why not have two or ten?"
Finally, she praised Mrs. Liu for her good fortune in giving birth to twins, a dragon and a phoenix.
Mrs. Liu was certainly very lucky. She had both sons and daughters, her parents and parents-in-law were all there, and she was her only husband. She was the most envied woman in the capital.
This was also something that everyone knew. Seeing that Yao Niang only cared about praising her, Madam Liu said, "I have known the little sister of the Yan family for many years. I watched her grow up and get married. Now that I see that Editor Shen loves her so much, I am very happy."
"I would also like to thank you for being our happy wife back then. How could I be so lucky?" Yao Niang said with a smile.
Mrs. Liu thought that Yao Niang was really good at talking. It all depended on whether she was willing to coax you. Even a woman like her felt very comfortable after being coaxed.
Everyone saw that Yao Niang and Madam Liu had a very good relationship, and she was neither humble nor overbearing in her conversation with everyone. A lot of refreshing dishes were prepared for the banquet. Grandma Zhao said, "I can't stand eating fried meat these days. Fortunately, there are refreshing dishes like this now, stir-fried rapeseed, with a little bit of oil residue, but not too vegetarian, I like it."
"Our drinks are still peanut milk. Rice milk is nothing, but this black bean peanut milk is particularly delicious." Mrs. Du often loses weight. Those drinks are delicious, but there are too many peaches in them. This is much better.
Yao Niang smiled and said, "It's good that everyone likes it. After dinner, we will go to listen to storytelling and ventriloquism. Today's story is "The Destined One in Guazhou"."
Wang covered her mouth and said, "We only listened to the first part, and sister-in-law called the storytellers for the second part so quickly."
"It's nothing, it's just that I have a lot of money and I can do whatever I want." Yao Niang didn't lie. The opera troupe was lively, but they had already arranged the date, and she only wanted one day. In that case, it would be better to invite a storyteller. There was only one person telling the story, and she could invite him for thirty taels. Anyway, they couldn't finish a book in one day.
Thirty taels is almost half a year's income for a storyteller.
She was joking, but the people around were impressed by the elegance of the Shen family's furnishings, the exquisite utensils, and the gorgeous clothes of the servants. Yao Niang certainly didn't like to show off her wealth to others, but she only invited the actors and actresses for one day, so it was inevitable that some people would talk nonsense.
This made Qianniang jealous. She married into the Wen family, the prime minister's mansion, and their wealth and power were beyond the reach of ordinary people. The family could eat shad given by the emperor, wear clothes made in the inner palace, and even take Western medicine. Even the peony that Yaoniang mentioned just now, their Wen family had a large peony garden in Luoyang, but this still could not change her sister's wealth.
This is the capital city. Power and wealth can easily dazzle people. If you don’t have them, others will look down on you. Everyone is born with a pair of eyes that yearn for wealth.
After the banquet, everyone went to listen to storytelling. During the banquet, all kinds of exquisite Jiangnan snacks, drinks and soft chairs were prepared very well. Even Lu Shaner couldn't help but say to Qingda's grandmother: "The eldest wife is really rich. The charcoal burned in the house is the best silver wire. No wonder there is no smell at all."
Grandma Qing said, "That's not the case. There is a big incense burner in the middle. Yan is good at incense. Even other charcoal will be covered by the fragrance. And she keeps serving hot drinks. Even if someone is cold, they will not feel cold after drinking a few sips of hot water. Yan is indeed good at managing the household, but my daughter-in-law is not as good as her."
Lu Shan'er said, "You can see through all these things about her. Isn't your ability greater than hers?"
實際上清大奶奶就是這麽想的，只是她的家世不如顏神妃罷了，除此之外，她什麽都比她強。
但窈娘卻是覺得她真的想多了，因為她的确全部準備的是銀絲碳，根本就沒有耍花樣。很簡單，她莊子上送的銀霜炭三百斤她就用不完，更別提沈家一共送了銀霜炭上等一千斤，中等兩千斤，柴炭三萬多斤。
更別提之前趁着便宜，窈娘也買了不少炭。
她說家有千金行止有心并沒有錯，在家的時候解氏很會賺錢開鋪子還有當鋪銀好，在婆家，丈夫也是個非常擅長經營的。
只不過窈娘有錢也不愛當冤大頭，她這個人天生就不是什麽好脾氣的人。
“今日大家齊聚我家，我想畫一幅圖留作紀念，大家不必在意我。”窈娘站起來笑道。
劉夫人一聽說窈娘要畫畫，連忙對身邊的人道：“去找二爺幫我拿鏡子過來。”
杜夫人則責怪女兒：“你讓下人拿就罷了，還讓女婿特地拿過來，你也真舍得差遣他。”
“誰讓他昨日惹我生氣了。”劉夫人可不聽。
在場的衆女眷也趕忙正襟危坐，倩娘素來以才女自居，在文家一衆兒媳裏也是自覺不同于別人，別人都誇她是顏家才女，窈娘卻默默無聞，衆人不過是知曉她頂多就是生的好看，即便偶爾有人說她擅長丹青，那是在破案，并非真正擅長丹青。
因為窈娘擅長的不是畫畫，她只是擅長把別人描述的人畫出來。
現下窈娘坐在不遠處的高臺，對整個場景了若指掌，她先把說書人的臺子畫下來，這個臺子是她家，也是她親手布置的，因此很熟悉。
其實大部分人是沒什麽鑒賞水平的，她們想要的就是自己在畫中很漂亮，她們就很會高興，就連沈臨風何等自持之人，自己把她畫的英俊無比，他都難以自抑的高興。
人群中最漂亮的人當屬劉夫人，這是客觀而言，她常常誇自己好看，窈娘倒覺得她也很美，是那種跟水蜜桃一戳就破流汁水似的女子，眼睛還帶着鈎子，這點窈娘可比不是，她充其量只能迷住沈臨風罷了。盧扇兒的容貌也清麗多姿，如今成了沈三夫人，整個人又多了幾分雍容。
其餘的夫人容貌不佳的就把氣勢畫足，她邊想邊畫，連晚上的宴席她都一直在上色，在她們離開的時候，窈娘才讓人掌燈拉開畫軸。
随着畫卷展開，連前廳的男子都過來觀看，劉指揮使眼睛最尖，一眼就看到了劉夫人，他甚至不惜喊出妻子的閨名：“若薇，我看到你了，那是你，最美。”
劉夫人臉一紅：“說什麽呢。”
窈娘和沈臨風對視一眼，都暗自偷笑，沈臨風也悄悄過來道：“窈娘，你才最美。”
“別胡說，這畫上還有好些人呢。”窈娘打了他一下。
其餘的夫人們也都在畫像上找自己的圖像，還有趙次輔的大兒媳婦趙大奶奶，悄悄把窈娘拉到一邊要二喬的畫像。
窈娘頗有些為難：“方才好幾位都跟我讨要，我若是給了您，如何給她們交代呢？要不您幫我想個法子。”
其實這幅畫原本就是送給趙家的，現在趙大奶奶求，那也不能給的太輕易。
趙大奶奶笑道：“這還不好說，明日就是我們家戲酒，你就說我什麽都不要就要這幅畫作賀禮，旁人又如何敢置喙？”
“好，那我明日就攜着畫上門。”窈娘道。
今日客人們，尤其是女客最為滿意，她們這些內宅女子，很少有人會為她們畫像。除非是去世之前，才有人替她們畫，甚至是死了之後，家族讓人幫她們畫。
這些女子的容貌很難會留存于世，尤其是最年輕美貌的樣子。
有這幅畫，那些想來看自己小像的當然會常常過來，如此自己根本不必谄媚，那些人就會來，什麽時候都是真本事才最吸引人。
清大奶奶經營這許久，卻見那些夫人們都圍着窈娘，忍不住對邵氏道：“真是好手段，我讓你和她和好沒錯吧。”
邵氏冷哼一聲：“大嫂，我要回去照顧我的孩子了，他年紀小，離不得人。”
“弟妹怎麽急着要走啊？還得等太太呢。”清大奶奶道。
韓若華也道：“是啊二嫂，還得等太太呢。”
邵氏看了她一眼，才強等着盧扇兒，盧扇兒第一次見窈娘時，就是窈娘幫她作畫，現下看到一幅夜宴圖，圖上還有自己，她正歡欣的很。
三個兒媳婦等了半天，盧扇兒才過來，她見這三位看起來都淡淡，不禁暗自在心中吐槽，真是才高遭嫉，顏氏這一招連她都佩服不已，這三人完全是寒鴉與鳳凰。
利用自身才學籠絡衆人，這是別人完全無法複制的，不得不說顏家的子女的确才高八鬥，玲珑心思。
像清大奶奶喜歡用利益捆綁住人，但同時也要拿沈巡撫的帖子出去做人情，實際上盧扇兒雖然不是大家出身，但也知道帖子不能随便給。這些人拿着帖子去外面胡來怎麽辦，但是她還未清楚之際，這清大奶奶就拿了好幾張送了出去了。
利益雖然能讓大家暫時在一條船上，可是利益也會讓人瞬間分崩離析。
次日，窈娘将那幅二喬圖送了過去，她在趙家并非八面玲珑之人，但只要有人和她說話，都會被她的風趣幽默所吸引。
因為和趙家的關系緊密，而翰林院掌院學士和趙次輔乃是同年，甚至二人關系還頗為親密。故而，輪值內閣的機會就輪到了沈臨風。
沈臨風拉着窈娘坐在他腿上，忍不住道：“沒想到有一日我沈臨風也吃上了軟飯。”
“那你可生氣啦？”窈娘知曉不少男子自尊心要強，尤其是沈臨風這樣的人。
沈臨風迅速搖頭：“軟飯吃起來還是挺香的，更何況，那些吃不上軟飯的人才會嫉妒我？不過我很好奇，為何你就送了一幅畫，就讓趙次輔推薦我呢。”
窈娘笑道：“因為我在靖海侯府的時候聽劉夫人不經意之前說起趙家子嗣艱難，可是那日趙大奶奶的媳婦吳氏吃飯時卻似乎幹嘔不止，似乎有害喜之像，但吳氏似乎自己不知曉，所以我當晚就作了二喬，又編了一段話，我有三分把握吳氏可能有孕，那麽我這幅畫就有送子之意。果不其然，吳氏過了一個月就有了身孕，我就知道我們倆的好日子來了。”
她作為官宦人家的小姐當然知曉輪值內閣，才能更近一步的和閣輔們打交道，多學治國安邦之道，若有才幹能讓上頭的人得知，沈臨風出頭會比別人更快。
“其實我也是運氣好，若吳氏沒有身孕，那我就難了。”
沈臨風抱着她笑道：“是我們神妃妹妹福慧雙全罷了。”
“哪有什麽福慧雙全，我只是想讓你去輪值內閣了，就忙起來了，也沒那麽些功夫折騰我了。”窈娘嘴硬道。
沈臨風大喊冤枉：“你不是說挺舒服的嗎？倒是怪起我來了。”
窈娘一貫能言善辯，這時候被他一說，倒似一個熟透了的蝦子一樣，頭一次沒有反駁。
**
沈臨風輪值內閣以來，兢兢業業，有時候甚至一夜都不能回去，比以前忙了很多，但是他也逐漸接觸到了不少官員。能做到內閣的官員都算是官員中的佼佼者了，還有六部尚書們，尤其是他常常接觸的兩位尚書，一位是杜尚書，這位底下的兩位侍郎和他不大對付，杜尚書即便頗有才幹，但是他是空降到禮部的，禮部的不少權利被其他各部侵吞蠶食。
再說顏老尚書顏邁，這位是他妻子的祖父，此人的确是能吏，每次報出來的數字所說的話都是精确到分毫，甚至不必看冊子，全部娴熟爛于心中，但他是孤臣，不結黨也不營私，因此常常孤掌難鳴，即便他提出來的建議好，也很難有人采納。
除非是遇到黃河、修建某處地方是皇上下旨，便要催逼顏邁。顏邁卻和他想象中的不同，并不抱怨，反而把事情做的非常好。
甚至是他的恩師趙次輔，其手段上下協調，各不得罪，雖然偶爾多偏向他的鄉黨，但是籠絡人的本事也是一流。
現下他要做的是典理機務，做好自己的分內之事。
而随着沈臨風輪值內閣後，沈二老爺在桌上也常常誇起沈臨風：“這孩子我原本以為他不像他哥哥，沒想到他竟然輪值內閣，據說趙次輔和文首輔都誇過此子，我們沈家這是要出一頭千裏駒了。”
沈二夫人剝着栗子，有些不信：“老爺你是廷試第一，難道臨風還比你強嗎？”
“我雖然是廷試第一，但是在翰林院修史修了六年才升了個左春坊左谕德，他這是進翰林院的第二年就已經輪值內閣了。會做官可比做會做學問強啊……”沈二老爺道。
Madam Shen Er laughed and said, "I heard that Brother Feng's daughter-in-law had a relationship with the Zhao family, which is why this happened."
Second Master Shen said, "That's because Brother Feng has good vision. If he had really listened to his eldest sister-in-law and married Han, and Han had been talking about economics and official careers every day, Sanlang would have been unwilling to go home by now. Back then, Yan was originally chosen by the third brother for his son, but Sanlang was scared away and Linfeng took over. Linfeng is not someone who is willing to do such a ridiculous thing easily. So, even if Yan helps him, he has to be discerning enough to marry Yan and be good to Yan, so that Yan will be willing to help him."
Madam Shen Er disagreed: "If you marry a chicken, you follow the chicken; if you marry a dog, you follow the dog. If Yan marries Sanlang, who knows, it would be difficult for a good cook to cook without rice?"
"But she won't get married. A woman who can personally set questions for her future husband is so opinionated that she will definitely not marry an ordinary man~"
Second Master Shen took a sip of wine and suddenly remembered that Zhou Lingguang, the son of the former Imperial College Priest, seemed to be secretly investigating him and was planning to marry into the new Zuodu Yushi Fan family. What a fool! He only picked family background but not the ability of his wife. He thought that he could fight against himself by finding a capable father-in-law. In this respect, he was not as good as the women of the Yan family. They were willing to examine the character and ability of their future husbands. I am afraid that they will suffer a great loss in the future.