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

"Well!"

Jiang Zhao was somewhat surprised and put his wife down.

"what happened?"

Sheng Hualan shook her head, took a few steps outside, and leaned against the door, dry heaving.

I gagged for a while, but nothing came out.

Jiang Zhao's heart skipped a beat, and she asked in surprise, "Could it be that you're pregnant?"

"Ah?" Sheng Hualan was startled, patting her belly, both surprised and delighted.

Since the beginning of May, my grandmother's old friend, Mrs. He, has been in Beijing. She has been taking medicine for nearly two months now.

But Sheng Hualan was afraid it would all be for nothing, so she hesitated and said, "What if..."

Jiang Zhao hesitated for a moment, then strode out: "Hesheng, take my name card and go invite Imperial Physician Zhao. Remember, be polite."

Upon hearing this, He Sheng quickly responded and ran outside.

……

That night, at the Sheng residence, in the Shou'an Hall.

Grandma Sheng had a kind and gentle face. She had a well-behaved five or six-year-old girl under her knees, whose eyes were slightly closed and who was already showing signs of drowsiness.

"Hmph!" Old Mrs. Sheng patted her granddaughter's head. "It's late now. I'm an old woman, and I'm used to staying up late. You should go and rest tomorrow!"

Sheng Minglan nodded obediently.

At her age, she's at her most playful and sleepy.

By this point, I'm starting to feel the strain.

Just as Sheng Minglan was about to walk back to her residence, a shout came from inside.

"Oh my God!"

"Mother, Zhao-ge'er has been promoted!"

Before I saw the person, I heard his voice first.

Wang Ruofu chattered as she strode in, her face beaming with joy.

Grandma Sheng was somewhat surprised to hear this, smiled faintly, and shook her head.

This is indeed Wang's nature.

"Mother, Mother!" Wang Ruofu hurriedly approached and gave a hasty bow.

"Sit down." Old Madam Sheng waved her hand.

Just as Wang Ruofu sat down, another person walked in; it was Sheng Hong.

His face was slightly flushed, and he smelled a little of alcohol.

“Mother!” Sheng Hong bowed respectfully.

Grandma Sheng nodded gently, indicating that she should sit down.

The husband and wife sat on opposite sides of the table.

"You just said that Zhao Ge'er got a promotion?" Old Madam Sheng took a sip of tea and looked at her daughter-in-law.

"That's right!" Wang Ruofu clapped his hands excitedly and said eagerly, "Haven't we been busy with the matter of establishing an heir in recent years? Zhao Ge'er submitted a memorial to the throne and resolved the matter. After the ancestral temple sacrifice, the emperor specially rewarded Zhao Ge'er, and he is now a fifth-rank official."

As he spoke, Wang Ruofu looked proud and smug.

Her son-in-law is a fifth-rank official!

"A fifth-rank official?" Old Madam Sheng was somewhat surprised.

The matter of Jiang Zhao submitting a congratulatory memorial has recently been the subject of much speculation and discussion.

From submitting the congratulatory memorial to the arrival of the imperial family in the capital and the sacrificial ceremony at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the process lasted for more than a month.

The news of He Biao had already spread far and wide.

Sheng Hong would occasionally send news from the court, and she naturally knew about this matter.

But he's already a fifth-rank official?

Sheng Hong explained, "The Emperor appointed him as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, a fifth-rank official, as well as the Hanlin Academy Reader, a fifth-rank official, and the Grand Master of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, a fifth-rank official."

After court, my son-in-law and I went to Fanlou for drinks.

At this point, Sheng Hong looked thoroughly pleased and asked, "Does Mother know who participated in the celebration?"

"Oh?" Old Mrs. Sheng knew Sheng Hong best, knowing that he was cautious and timid and rarely showed off.

"Could it be that Grand Secretary Han has gone?" Old Madam Sheng pondered for a moment, guessing the most likely possibility.

If it were anyone else, she would never have guessed it was someone at the level of Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

Unfortunately, this is Zhao Ge'er!

"Mother is truly a diviner!" Sheng Hong praised, then said, "Grand Secretary Han stayed for a full quarter of an hour, along with six other high-ranking officials in purple robes and jade belts."

Besides these, Su Zhe and Su Shi of the Three Sus, Zhang Heng (who ranked second in the imperial examination), and Zeng Bu (who served as a junior official in the Ministry of Personnel) were all first-rate figures!

Sheng Hong was deeply moved.

Han Zhang and the six high-ranking officials in purple robes and jade belts were, without needing to say more, figures who commanded respect in their respective regions.

The other young men were either people with powerful backgrounds like Zhang Heng and Zeng Gong, or people with considerable reputations like Su Shi and Su Zhe, and they were all junior scholars.

This gathering is truly impressive!

When did he ever get the chance to participate in such a gathering, and even have a few drinks?

How honorable!

When Old Madam Sheng saw Sheng Hong's radiant face, she knew he was a little smug, so she couldn't help but admonish him, "Zhao-ge'er invited you, his father-in-law, to celebrate, which shows that he hasn't forgotten our family ties. But you must also be clear that you need to know your place and not be arrogant."

In short, he's not from any particular social circle!

Everyone else has their own abilities, but you were only able to participate because you married off your daughter.

It's best to maintain this kind of relationship properly, but you shouldn't be too hasty.

In any case, Sheng Hong is only a sixth-rank official, so promoting a sixth-rank official is not a difficult task for these people.

As Jiang Zhao's father-in-law, he certainly wouldn't lack opportunities for promotion.

However, despite the difference in their positions, they are not on the same level, so it's best to maintain a relationship that is neither too close nor too distant.

Otherwise, using too much force might even annoy people.

Sheng Hong was startled, his mind suddenly clearing. He quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your warning, Mother. I understand!"

When Old Madam Sheng saw Sheng Hong's serious expression, she knew he had taken her words to heart and slowly nodded.

"Mother!"

Seeing this, Wang wanted to share the good news, but didn't know how to start.

Grandma Sheng shook her head.

Her daughter-in-law is good in every way, except she's too stupid.

Otherwise, Lin Qinshuang wouldn't have been able to gain the upper hand.

"It's late, everyone go and rest."

Today's number is 6k. The first one is a bit hard to distinguish; it's broken in the middle.

Chapter 66 Aunt Kang! (Two Chapters Combined)

Bianjing, right under the emperor's nose.

If you ask where the people with the best information are, the answer is undoubtedly the people of Bianjing (Kaifeng).

Benefiting from the wealth and status brought by power, the wives and noblewomen of officials in Bianjing (Kaifeng) paid the most attention to court affairs, and their news spread like wildfire throughout the land.

The slightest disturbance becomes common knowledge.

Lecture Hall Alley.

This place, adjacent to the Daxiangguo Temple, got its name because some teachers once opened lecture halls here.

Today, the lecture hall has long since disappeared, and only some pharmacies and cloth shops can barely maintain a certain flow of people.

Not to mention that it is far inferior to Quyuan Street, where literati and scholars often reside, it is also three points inferior to Jiying Lane on Xuanhe Street.

If there's anything noteworthy about the alley, it's probably that a family surnamed Kang lived there.

The wife of this official surnamed Kang was the eldest daughter of the late Grand Tutor Wang Youzhi, and came from a distinguished family.

Kangzhai.

"Bang!" A teacup was smashed.

"Look at you! How could I have been so blind to choose you?" Madam Kang pointed at her husband, who looked completely idle, her face full of disappointment and frustration.

“My brother-in-law, Sheng Hong, rose from a low-ranking official in the frontier all the way to Bianjing. What about you?”

Madam Kang scolded, "You spend your time hanging out with a bunch of scoundrels, and all you do is go to Guangyuntai to drink and patronize prostitutes. You're just a lowly eighth-rank official, do you have any sign of being capable of anything great?"

"Humph!"

Kang Haifeng glanced at his wife and snorted coldly, "Don't be unreasonable. I've only taken a few concubines."

Wang Ruo pointed an impatient finger and said, "If you were an ambitious person who would relieve me of worries about my children's future, I wouldn't utter a sound even if you took a thousand concubines."

You, a hypocrite, utterly useless and incompetent, yet you're eyeing my dowry. Is there any logic to that?

Kang Haifeng glanced at his wife. Even though he was an idle scoundrel, he knew that misappropriating a woman's dowry was a despicable thing.

Suddenly, his momentum weakened considerably.

Kang Haifeng turned to leave, but Wang Ruoyu persisted.

"Look at your pathetic state, what good are you?" A disdainful remark annoyed Kang Haifeng.

He slammed his teacup down and roared, "You're so capable! If you're so capable, why don't you curry favor with the young Grand Secretary and get him to promote me?"

After saying that, he strode away.

"You're hopeless!" Wang Ruoyu hissed, her eyes filled with resentment.

Compared to her younger sister Wang Ruofu, her starting point was much higher.

At that time, the parents chose two husbands for the two sisters.

One of them was Kang Haifeng. His father, Old Master Kang, was a fourth-rank official, someone who could easily wear a purple robe. Kang Haifeng himself was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), which was quite extraordinary.

They have both a powerful background and exceptional talent; they are clearly from a wealthy and promising family with a bright future.

As someone with connections, Kang Haifeng only needed to serve as an official in a local area for three years, and after going through some proper procedures, she could return to the capital. Marrying into that place wouldn't be a hardship for her at all.

One of them was Sheng Hong. His father was a third-ranked scholar in the imperial examinations, but unfortunately he died young and left no family fortune. His adoptive mother was the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Yongyi, who was quite wealthy. Sheng Hong himself was also a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).

However, compared to Kang Haifeng, Sheng Hong undoubtedly has no background.

The eldest daughter of the Marquis of Yongyi, she sounds like a noblewoman from a prestigious family.

However, what help can a woman provide in matters of officialdom?

Not to mention, she was a woman from a military family!

Once she marries Sheng Hong, who knows if she'll ever have the chance to return to the capital?

Sheng Hong was even forced to take up a post in a harsh and cold place; heaven knows how much hardship he would have to endure.

Kang Haifeng!

Sheng Hong!

The difference between the two is very clear.

As the favored daughter, Wang Ruo naturally had the right to choose first.

She chose Kang Haifeng.

Who would have thought that not long after she married into the Kang family, Old Master Kang passed away.