Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World

Not the legal wife, but better than the legal wife!

But a concubine is still a concubine; her status is illegitimate and her position is not legitimate.

When a concubine socializes with the wives of officials, it inevitably causes some controversy.

So, Cui called Sheng Hualan, and the two went out together.

In this way, visiting in the name of Jiang Zhao's wife, Sheng, with Cui accompanying her, would be perfectly legitimate.

As a result, Sheng Hualan's social circle of relatives of officials has become much wider.

Madam Wu of the Yongchang Earl's Mansion was also part of the social circle.

"Does my wife want to go?" Jiang Zhao asked in return.

"Yes," Sheng Hualan replied softly, her jade-like hand lightly touching the ground.

Jiang Zhao nodded and said, "Alright, let's go!"

"It would be nice to invite Zizhan, Ziyou, Ziping, and Zixuan to go on a trip together."

Fortunately, he had some free time during this period, so he could relax a bit.

"Thank you, sir!"

Wende Hall.

Civil and military officials, all dressed in purple robes, stood in orderly rows on the left and right.

"My esteemed ministers, do you have anything to report?" Emperor Zhao Zhen asked as usual.

Jiang Zhi stepped forward and said respectfully, "Your subject Jiang Zhi is of humble origin, but thanks to Your Majesty's great grace, I have been able to serve as a censor and assume the responsibility of supervision."

However, I am now over sixty-five years old, my energy is waning, and I often find myself unable to perform my duties as censor, which I fear will make it difficult for me to fulfill my responsibilities and fail to live up to Your Majesty's high expectations.

I humbly request Your Majesty's permission to retire and return to my hometown to live out my remaining years.

Zhao Zhen nodded.

Jiang Zhi has already submitted a memorial to the emperor regarding this matter, and he is aware of it.

There are established procedures for dealing with a subject who requests to retire.

Zhao Zhen closed his sleeves and said, "Since you took office as censor, you have been conscientious and upright, and have rectified the atmosphere of the court. I am very pleased with you. You are truly a pillar of the country, and I am really reluctant to part with you. However, your hair has turned completely white, and I cannot bear to keep you here."

"Alright, I grant your request!"

"I hereby bestow upon you three hundred bolts of silk and ten acres of fertile land, to provide for your comfortable old age!"

"This old minister thanks Your Majesty!"

Jiang Zhi bowed with tears in his eyes.

From then on, Jiang Zhi begged to retire and went to Huaizuo!

Chapter 50 Polo Match!

The cicadas are silent, the seagulls and egrets soar, and the wind whispers through the bamboo grove.

At Jinming Pond, the clouds are light and the breeze is gentle, with colorful flags fluttering in the wind.

From time to time, noble ladies would gather together to play games such as pitch-pot, ball-throwing, or fishing.

Occasionally, ladies from prominent families would keep a few meters away from gentlemen from prominent families, chatting and laughing politely.

Such a scene is quite rare.

It should be understood that there is a distinction between inside and outside, and between men and women; women have historically had few opportunities to appear in public.

Nowadays, this grassland is frequented by noble ladies who openly indulge in pleasure.

Isn't that extremely rare?

And this is the polo club!

Polo, also known as polo, is a game played on horseback using a mallet to hit a ball, requiring certain skills in both hitting the ball and horsemanship.

Originally, polo clubs were just places where sons of noble families could play polo in their spare time.

Bianjing was teeming with powerful and influential people, and there were dozens, if not hundreds, of polo matches a year.

Polo clubs are nothing new!

Even so, some people have still managed to organize this polo club in a unique and interesting way.

The Earl of Yongchang in this generation was mediocre and had no real ability.

But he married a very intelligent wife.

Madam Wu!

This Madam Wu came from a family of officials; one of her elders had served as a vice minister.

Having received a good education since childhood, Madam Wu is shrewd and capable, and because of her warm heart and quick temper, she is very good at making friends.

He was quite famous among the officials' wives and relatives in Bianjing.

Initially, Madam Wu only tentatively sent invitations to some prominent families and relatives of officials, but to her surprise, quite a few of them actually gave her face.

Those high-ranking officials' wives and daughters are generally people who do not participate in polo matches.

The fact that Madam Wu was able to persuade someone to do so caused quite a stir.

Over time, the polo matches organized by Madam Wu grew larger and larger, gradually becoming a gathering place for the wives of officials, noble ladies, and young men from prominent families in Bianjing.

Even the Empress herself had considered it and ordered Lady Wu to hold a polo match at Jinming Pond.

Once there is one, there will be two. Madam Wu held a polo match at Jinming Pond once, and naturally there will be a second one. Even though the Empress had lost interest in watching the polo match, it did not affect the fact that Madam Wu held polo matches at Jinming Pond afterward.

After all, the wives and daughters of officials in Bianjing did need an opportunity to socialize and have fun. Noble ladies and noblemen who might be secretly considering marriage also needed a place to meet.

Gradually, this became a tradition, evolving from once a month at the beginning to once a year now, and it has become increasingly famous.

"Is this Jinming Pond?" Sheng Hualan, dressed in a long brocade dress with gold embroidery, walked on the grass with her eyebrows lowered and her eyes filled with curiosity.

Jinming Pond is quite a famous place.

If I remember correctly, even the grand ceremony following the passing of the imperial examination was held at Jinming Pond.

But, a banquet on the grass?

"After crossing the grassland, there are some palaces; the palace banquet is held over there." Jiang Zhao noticed his wife's confusion and pointed out the edge of the grassland.

Sheng Hualan suddenly realized and nodded slightly.

Along the edge of the meadow, there are pavilions, divided by curtains, forming dozens or even hundreds of separate resting places.

The couple walked towards the pavilion, and after a few steps, a shout came from behind.

"Zichuan."

Jiang Zhao looked up and saw Su Shi waving.

Beside him stood a woman with a smile in her eyes, dressed as a married woman.

Unsurprisingly, she was Su Shi's wife.

Not far from Su Shi, Su Zhe, Zeng Bu, and Zhang Heng were each accompanied by a woman.

"Let's go," Jiang Zhao said softly.

He came to the polo club specifically, not because he was interested in playing polo, but more to get some fresh air, relax, and unwind.

The two walked in the direction of Su Shi.

"This is my wife, Sheng Hualan."

As the group gathered, Jiang Zhao introduced them to each other.

"Madam Sheng!"

"Madam Sheng!"

Su Shi, Su Zhe, Zeng Bu, and Zhang Heng, along with their wives, all bowed and greeted Sheng Hualan.

Sheng Hualan returned the greeting calmly and gracefully.

Jiang Zhao continued his introduction:

"This is Su Shi, a Hanlin Bachelor."

"This is Su Zhe, a Hanlin Bachelor."

"This is Zeng Bu, a Hanlin Bachelor."

"This is Zhang Heng, a Hanlin Academy Attendant."

"Hua Lan greets Su Shi, Su Zhe, Zeng, and Zhang." Sheng Hua Lan bowed again.

She was familiar with the reputations of Su Shi, Zhang Heng, and others, having heard her husband speak of them before.

Several people nodded in succession as a sign of politeness.

Jiang Zhao looked at the group of people.

Su Shi stretched out his hand and pointed to the woman beside him: "My wife, Wang Fu."

He then looked at Jiang Zhao and introduced him to his wife: "Jiang Zichuan, the Crown Prince's Attendant."

Just now, Su Shi, Su Zhe, Zeng Bu, and Zhang Heng had all been introduced by Jiang Zhao, and their wives had been listening attentively. Therefore, only Jiang Zhao had not yet been introduced.

Wang Fu came from a scholarly family. After her father passed the imperial examination, he became the head of the local academy. She was gentle and charming, but lacked a dignified and grand demeanor, and belonged to the type of girl from a modest family.

She had clearly heard of Jiang Zhao's name, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes as she bowed and said, "Greetings, Gentleman Jiang."

"Madam Wang." Jiang Zhao nodded and returned the greeting with a cupped hand.

After Su Shi introduced his wife, it was naturally the turn of the other three.

"This is my wife, Shi Qingwan."

Su Zhe's wife, Lady Shi, came from a family of officials. Her father, Shi Zhai, had served as the prefect of Jiangling.

"This is my wife Zhao Yunxin's heart."

Zhang Heng's wife, Zhao, was a refined young lady from Jianzhou.

"This is my wife, Wei Wan."

Zeng Bu's wife, née Wei, came from a family of officials in Xiangyang.

These individuals almost all come from prestigious families, either scholarly or official families.

It's quite astonishing to hear that.

However, in reality, Jiang Zhao's wife, Sheng Hualan, came from a relatively high social class.

Sheng Hualan is, after all, the granddaughter of Grand Tutor Wang!

The terms "scholarly family" and "official family" sound impressive, but upon closer examination, they are not actually that great.

What defines a family of scholars? It is simply a family that has been reading for generations.

What is a family of officials? It is simply a family that has been officials for generations.

The barrier to entry is not high.

Even the Sheng family could barely be considered a family of scholars and officials.

The Sheng family spanned three generations. The patriarch, Sheng Taiye, was awarded the title of Tan Hua (third-ranked scholar) and appointed to an official post. Sheng Hong rose to the rank of Tongpan (assistant prefect). A few years later, Sheng Changbai also passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination). Thus, three generations served as officials, making them a truly scholarly family.

Both grandfather and son were scholars who passed the imperial examinations, so it is not inappropriate to call them a family of scholars.

It goes without saying that three generations of them were officials, making them a family of officials.

In fact, there are distinctions between scholarly families and official families.

All three generations of their family were officials of the ninth rank, and they made a living by studying.

Three generations of his family served as prime ministers, and they made a living by studying for generations.

The Han family of Xiangzhou was a family of officials, as was the Jiang family of Huaizuo, and the Sheng family of Youyang.

Some official families are indeed prestigious families, while others are scholarly families; the difference is vast.

The group of people greeted each other in turn.