Do You Know?: Rule the World

"I see Sun Zhigao coming to our house to ask for money every time. It's obvious that he's being indulged by you!"

Li's face turned pale at his words. She defended herself, "On the road to the imperial examination, those who can pass the exam are rare."

"He just failed the provincial examination once. Weren't you very satisfied with Sun Zhigao in the past?"

"Besides, I'm doing this for our family and Shu'er's future!"

Sheng Wei sighed to the sky and raised his hand to twist his swollen eyebrows.

"The past is the past, I tell you the truth."

"During this trip to Bianjing, I became acquainted with Brother Hong's son-in-law by chance."

"Only after meeting him did I finally understand what a scholar is. His demeanor is truly as gentle as jade, and he treats people with respect and courtesy."

"Unlike Sun Zhigao, who didn't work hard after failing the exam, but instead studied late into the night and spent his days eating, drinking and having fun."

"You've read all the sage books into a dog's stomach!"

Li twisted the handkerchief in her hand and was silent for a moment. She said softly, "How can our family's status compare to that of the second branch?"

"In a small place like Youyang, apart from Sun Zhigao, I have never found a brother who is better than him."

He passed the imperial examination at the age of twelve, and there were only a few such people in the Jiangnan region who could pass the examination.

In Li's opinion, as long as Sun Zhigao puts his mind to it, he will have no worries about not getting into high school.

After Shulan came of age, she married into the Sun family. The Sun family was short of money, but the Sheng family had plenty of it.

The two families are tied together, and when Sun Zhigao becomes an official in the court in the future, they will also be able to benefit from it, and Pinlan will also be able to marry into a good family.

She would not always bow down to Wang Ruofu.

"I need to think about Shu'er's marriage again."

"If Sun Zhigao comes to ask for money again in the future, just chase him away."

"Tell him that if he doesn't stop being a playboy and study hard, my Sheng family won't give him a penny."

Although Sheng Wei did not raise his voice, every word he said was as firm as iron and did not allow for any compromise.

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Chapter 62 The Father-in-law and the Son-in-law Are of One Mind

As the wedding date approaches, according to etiquette, Zhao Han is not allowed to visit the Sheng family again.

But Sheng Hong couldn't suppress the shock in his heart.

Today, under the pretext of discussing official business, he specially asked his trusted servant Dong Rong to invite Zhao Han into the mansion for a chat.

Sheng Hong's study is located in the wing on the west side of the main courtyard. It is spacious and bright, with a few green bamboos dotted outside the window, adding a touch of quietness and elegance.

When Zhao Han slowly said that the emperor had given him the courtesy name Chengyuan, Sheng Hong, who was holding the teacup to his mouth, suddenly trembled with his hand.

"puff--"

A mouthful of the best Lu'an tea spurted out, choking him and making him cough repeatedly.

His old face flushed crimson, and the teacup fell with a clang onto the table beside him.

"Father-in-law, are you okay?"

Zhao Han showed concern on his face, stood up and wanted to hand over the handkerchief, but was blocked by Sheng Hong's waving sleeves.

"Ahem...what did you say?"

Sheng Hong frantically wiped the tea stains off his collar with his sleeve, his mind full of the imperial gift of a courtesy name.

After calming down, Sheng Hong's eyes widened, his voice trembled, and he unconsciously lowered his voice.

"A worthy son-in-law!"

"As far as I know, since your Majesty ascended the throne, the number of times you've bestowed courtesy names on your subjects can be counted on one hand."

"This is a tremendous honor, especially since you're so young...it's incredible..."

Zhao Han still maintained a respectful attitude and said in a gentle voice: "Don't worry, father-in-law, I will not worry about the seriousness of the matter."

"The word 'Chengyuan' is both a gift from heaven and a responsibility."

"From now on, when you walk in the court, you must always remember to be cautious and tread carefully."

Sheng Hong stroked his beard and nodded repeatedly, "Hey, this is it."

He suddenly stretched his neck and said, "Since you are favored by the emperor, there will definitely be many people in the court who want to win you over. The two factions of the Yong and Yan princes are fighting like black-eyed chickens."

"You must remember that the succession is like a red-hot iron—don't touch it!"

"I sent someone to call you here today because of this matter."

Zhao Han's eyes were calm as he spoke word by word, "My son-in-law understands that from now on, no matter when or where, I will not form a clique or attach myself to powerful people. I will only be a loyal minister who values ​​the country above all else."

"Very good, I was right about him. From now on, we, the father-in-law and son-in-law, will be of one mind and have no worries about our careers!"

"I'm relieved to leave Hua'er to you."

Sheng Hong turned his head to look at Zhao Han, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise.

After some casual chat, the sun outside the window gradually set.

Zhao Han stood up to say goodbye and was about to turn around the hanging flower gate when suddenly a soft and tender voice called out to his ears.

"Brother-in-law!"

Zhao Han paused when he heard this and looked back. He saw Minglan trotting towards him with her skirt lifted up, the pearl flowers in her hair swaying gently.

At this moment, Minglan still has some childishness in her, but her round little face has gradually begun to show delicate contours, and her every frown and smile can vaguely show her future elegance.

"Sixth Miss." Zhao Han's brows relaxed, and her voice softened unconsciously. "But do you have something to talk to me about?"

Minglan stopped three steps away from him and bowed politely.

Then she raised her little face, her almond-shaped eyes full of water.

"My dear little sister, this is a token of her love. May my brother-in-law and I live happily ever after."

"She is not in a position to show up in public. She thinks that the next time her brother-in-law comes to the house, it will probably be for his return to his home with her elder sister."

"Let me deliver the gift in advance. I hope my brother-in-law won't mind it."

After that, she added carefully, "I spent several nights embroidering this, the stitches are very fine."

Zhao Han took it and took a look. He saw that it was an embroidery of a pair of mandarin ducks playing in the water. He said softly, "Sixth Miss, please thank Miss Wei on my behalf."

"I'll definitely find a fine rosewood frame to frame it and hang it in the most conspicuous place in the wing."

Hearing this, Minglan smiled brightly, revealing two sweet dimples: "As long as my brother-in-law likes it."

As she spoke, she bowed gracefully and said, "Brother-in-law, take care. I still have to go to the eldest lady's place and deliver the embroidered shoes I made for her."

Xiao Tao, who was following behind her, also bowed quickly and said crisply, "Goodbye, brother-in-law!"

As soon as the words fell, the master and servant looked at each other and ran away without a trace.

Zhao Han smiled and shook his head, then walked straight out of Sheng Mansion.

-

At the foot of the imperial city, Prince Yan’s Palace.

Prince Yan frowned and paced back and forth, seemingly feeling aggrieved. "There's famine in Liangzhe, and the government hasn't opened the granaries to distribute grain as I requested."

"Instead, you listen to slander and try to fix prices with price!"

"If refugees from Liangzhe rise up everywhere and the land is full of starving people, I want to see how they will end it!"

After saying this, he stopped and angrily slammed his palm on the rosewood table, causing the teacups to clink.

Pang Bin, a doctor from the Ministry of Revenue, said cautiously, "Your Highness, as far as I know, the Emperor has been summoning a Hanlin tutor named Zhao Han at every turn lately."

Before he could finish his words, Prince Yan turned around abruptly, and his sharp eyes swept over like a knife.

Pang Bin's voice unconsciously lowered a few degrees. "The method of controlling prices by price is exactly the strategy proposed by this person."

He secretly observed Prince Yan's expression and added cautiously, "I also heard that the emperor has given him quite a few rewards recently."

"It is truly rare for a newly arrived scholar who has just entered the imperial court to not only thrive in the Hanlin Academy but also receive such generous treatment from the emperor."

Upon hearing this, Prince Yan frowned fiercely, "Tanhua Lang... I didn't know there was such a person in the court."

"Is there anyone backing him up?"

Pang Bin pondered for a moment, then bowed and said, "Your Highness, I have thoroughly investigated."

"This man comes from a merchant family in Yangzhou. The Yue family that proposed marriage to him not long ago is none other than Cheng Zhilang Sheng Hong, who was recently transferred to Beijing."

He said with a hint of disdain, "I've met Sheng Hong a few times. He's timid and cowardly."

"It's funny, I tried to win him over several times, but he always rejected me with vague answers."

"It's really something that is not presentable."

"If Zhao Han had someone backing him up, he wouldn't have chosen such a Yue family."

Upon hearing this, Prince Yan's brows relaxed slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "I can't figure out the old man's thoughts in the palace for now, but any officials who frequently enter and leave the forbidden area must be kept under my close watch."

"If this man truly possesses great talent, even if he cannot be used by me, I must not let him fall into the trap of that old bastard Zhao Zonghe (Prince Yong)!"

Qiu Zheng immediately responded, "Your Highness is right."

"If soft tactics don't work, we'll have to use hard tactics. We have to let him know which mountain he should pay homage to in Bianjing City."

Prince Yan glanced at Qiu Zheng quietly, then turned to face the carved window lattice.

The dusk was so deep that his figure seemed to be very long.

"Zhao Han..."

He murmured the name softly, tapping lightly on the window frame with his fingertips, making a dull sound, and a hint of uneasiness emerged in his heart.

Chapter 63 Weak and unable to take care of themselves

The day before the wedding, Mrs. Quanfu held colorful silk threads in her hands and recited auspicious words while carefully weaving Hualan's face.