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

Chapter 69 Danzhou is a great place! (Part 2)

Long Pavilion.

A dozen or so wives and noblewomen of officials were discussing some hot topics, their eyes occasionally glancing at a woman in a dark blue robe with wide sleeves.

Kang Wangshi!
This person has been making headlines lately.

Originally, Kang Wangshi was not qualified to be part of their small circle.

Her maternal family, the Wang family, had long since fallen into poverty, and her husband's family, the Kang family, was even more dilapidated. Old Master Kang had died early, and Kang Haifeng was a complete playboy, holding only an eighth-rank official position.

Even at the polo club, Kang Wangshi did not receive a name card.

As a result, for some reason, Madam Kang actually went to Madam Qin of the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion and wouldn't let go of her.

During this time, Madam Qin expressed her disgust more than once, but Madam Kang still shamelessly refused to leave.

At this moment, Madam Qin's face had turned pale, clearly showing that she was harboring resentment.

Unfortunately, Madam Qin was kind-hearted but not easily angered.

While Madam Qin suffered a terrible ordeal, the other officials' wives and noblewomen were quite interested.

It's interesting to gossip in front of others!
"Huh?" Yu Fangshi, the daughter-in-law of Grand Tutor Yu, noticed several figures and couldn't help but ask, "Could those be Physician Jiang, Attendant Zhang, Vice Minister Su Shi, Vice Minister Su Zhe, and Vice Minister Zeng Bu?"

Upon hearing this, all the noblewomen and officials looked over.

Jiang Zhao, Zhang Heng, Su Shi, Su Zhe, and Zeng Bu formed their own little circle!
This small circle is extremely prestigious, with almost everyone starting as a junior scholar (庶吉士).

How can it be described simply as having a bright future?
Some busybodies even learned about past events and knew that this small circle consisted of seven people, the remaining two being Zeng Gong, also known as Nanfeng, and Zhang Dun, who had given up his imperial examination degree.

Thus, together they make seven, collectively known as the "Seven Sons of Jiayou".

This practice of using reign titles as titles even earned praise from the imperial court.

In this way, it gradually spread and gained recognition.

"ah!"

“That is indeed my nephew-in-law.”

A gasp rang out, and many officials' wives and noblewomen looked over.

Kang Wangshi!
Nephew-in-law?

Some of the wives and noblewomen of officials raised their eyebrows slightly, their faces showing sarcasm.

He offended his niece Jiang Shengshi just now, but now he's calling her "nephew-in-law" so affectionately. Doesn't he have any shame at all?
Among them, Madam Qin was the most striking; she looked at Madam Kang with her eyelids slightly lowered.

She was really unlucky; she had actually had dealings with Lady Kang.

At this polo match, Lady Kang followed her closely, never leaving her side, making her the most eye-catching official's wife and noblewoman, without exception.

Wherever she went, she would make subtle remarks to indicate that she had no relation to Lady Kang.

Unfortunately, Lady Kang was clinging to her, so she couldn't easily lose her temper.

Who made her famous for her compassionate heart?
Madam Wu stood up and laughed heartily, "Excuse me. I'll go over and greet you."

As the organizer of the polo club, Madam Wu enjoyed considerable prestige, and the other noblewomen all nodded slightly in agreement.

Princess Pingning covered her face with a fan, waved her hand, and said to her maid, "Go find Heng'er and have him send some wine over."

Even with Princess Pingning's pride, she had to admit it.

Those who entered officialdom through the civil service examinations and were originally military officers were destined to be disliked by civil officials.

A relatively better solution would be to let the son mingle in literary circles and have literary friends to back him up.

The Seven Sons of Jiayou are currently the most outstanding young generation in their own circle.

If Heng'er integrates into that circle and relies on the Empress's favor, she will certainly have a bright future.

It has both appearance and substance.

Upon receiving the order, the maidservant hurried out to find the young master.

Regardless of what Madam Wu and Princess Pingning did.

At this moment, Madam Kang was somewhat anxious.

She truly hadn't expected that Sheng Hualan would disregard filial piety towards her elders and dare to allow rumors that were bad for Wang's reputation to circulate.

This time, she deliberately relied on her thick skin to squeeze into the polo club, just to find Sheng Hualan and ask her to clarify the rumors.

Otherwise, no matter how thick-skinned she is, I'm afraid no official's family would dare to associate with her.

How can she possibly curry favor with him now?
It almost killed her!

Now that Jiang Zhao has been found, Sheng Hualan must not be too far away.

Kang Wangshi got up, took a few steps, and looked outside.

Looking around, one could see several beautiful women about a hundred paces away.

One of them was her niece, Hua Lan.

Madam Kang's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly waved her hand.

"Hualan!"

Many officials' wives and relatives were immediately intrigued upon seeing this.

This is going to be interesting!

The preparations for the Jinmingchi Polo Club were very thorough, with each of the visiting cards sent by Madam Wu bearing the serial number of a pavilion.

Originally, the women were all heading towards the designated pavilion when someone unexpectedly called out to Sheng Hualan.

The group stopped and looked in the direction of the shouts.

That was the largest pavilion in the Jinmingchi grassland, where famous officials' wives and noblewomen from Bianjing lived.

Sheng Hualan looked up and immediately spotted her aunt, Madam Kang.

How is she qualified to join the polo club?
Sheng Hualan was somewhat surprised.

Jinmingchi Polo Club is undoubtedly the highest-level polo club in Bianjing.

Even the Sheng family was not actually qualified to participate.

All the officials' wives and noblewomen who were qualified to attend the meeting were members of the powerful and influential class.

Kang Haifeng was only an eighth-rank official. Even if he were placed in a local area, let alone in Bianjing where powerful and wealthy people were everywhere, he would not be considered a high-ranking official.

"Who is that?" Su Shi's wife, Wang Fu, asked with some curiosity.

“Kang Wangshi!” Sheng Hualan frowned slightly: “I’ll go over there for a moment.”

After saying this, he walked towards the pavilion.

Since Madam Kang has already called for her, it would be impolite of her not to go over.

If Lady Kang uses this as an opportunity to spread rumors, it will inevitably cause unnecessary controversy.

Wei Wan, Wang Fu, Shi Qingwan, and Zhao Junxin exchanged glances and then walked over together.

“That’s my niece, Hua Lan.” Seeing Sheng Hua Lan walking towards her, Madam Kang spoke up.

This time, her hasty actions did indeed incur her niece's dislike.

The last time I went to the Jiang residence, we only met once and didn't even exchange more than a few words.

Kang Wangshi did not consider herself to have any great face.

They were shouting at this moment, partly because of their seniority and partly because they had the advantage of having more people.

With so many people watching, if Sheng Hualan doesn't come over, it will be a disgrace to the Sheng family.

She then had a lot to say!
The dozen or so wives and noblewomen of officials exchanged glances, somewhat surprised.

How can someone be so shameless?

Jiang Shengshi is crying and complaining everywhere, and you still have the nerve to call someone over?
"Madam Kang!" Sheng Hualan approached and gave a proper bow.

As a junior, she couldn't be impolite.

However, one can distance oneself from a relationship by using a certain form of address.

Wei Wan, Wang Fu, Shi Qingwan, and Zhao Junxin approached and nodded slightly to the dozen or so officials' wives and noblewomen.

The wives and noblewomen of officials in this circle were almost all from military backgrounds.

As the wife of a scholar-official, and since they were still strangers, a nod was enough.

"I wonder what brings Madam Kang to call me?" Sheng Hualan bowed and asked calmly.

"Hualan!"

Madam Kang stepped forward, her face pleading: "Come, let your aunt explain the matter of the visit to you."

"Indeed, my aunt meant well but made a mistake."

Madam Kang gave a fake smile and stepped forward to take Sheng Hualan's hand: "Aunt was thinking of getting the Wang, Kang and Sheng families to work together, so I was a little impolite. I hope Hualan will forgive me."

As she spoke, Lady Kang let out a long sigh.

She did this to clarify things and try to salvage her already poor reputation.

Sheng Hualan's several tearful pleas caused her reputation to crumble rapidly. The fight between her daughter and sister terrified Wang Ruofu, who had already been lending money at exorbitant interest rates. He immediately confessed everything to his daughter, erased the loan receipts for all the money he had lent, and dared not act recklessly again.

Not only did the loan sharking deal fall through, but her husband, Kang Haifeng, also considered divorcing her.

That old man was a lecherous man who kept many concubines. She was very strict with him, and the couple often quarreled.

This time, Kang Haifeng was truly considering divorcing his wife.

“No need, Madam Kang,” Sheng Hualan shook her head repeatedly.

Kang Wangshi's apology lacked any sincerity, and she would never accept it.

"Madam Kang has been coming to the Jiang residence to bother us for four consecutive days."

Sheng Hualan looked aggrieved: "I really don't know what kind of woman can bear the trouble from relatives for four consecutive days. If my husband is not understanding, how am I supposed to deal with this?"

“In the past, my mother was raised by my uncle and was not favored by my maternal grandmother. Even when it came to marriage, it was Madam Kang who made the first choice.”

Sheng Hualan sighed and looked at the group of officials' wives and noblewomen: "My father, Sheng Hong, is an official on the frontier, and I have never seen Madam Kang visit relatives and friends; Hualan got married, and I have never seen Madam Kang either. The two of us have only met a few times in our lives, so why is Madam Kang so fixated on me?"

That one sentence revealed a lot of information.

"Hualan takes her leave." After saying this, Sheng Hualan bowed.

At almost the same time, many noblewomen and officials' wives showed expressions of understanding.

Judging from the behavior of Lady Kang, the rumors are almost entirely true.

Judging from Sheng Hualan's speech and behavior, the so-called niece and aunt were not familiar with each other.

This is not surprising.

Kang Wangshi always stayed in Bianjing, and there was no interaction among relatives, so the kinship gradually faded.

Kang Wangshi's expression changed slightly.

If Sheng Hualan leaves, how will she save face?

She couldn't even keep her niece, whom she had specially invited, let alone clarify their relationship.

Doesn't this confirm it?
"Hualan," Madam Kang quickly grasped her niece's hand tightly and said, "We are of the same blood!"

Sheng Hualan glanced coldly at Madam Kang and said indifferently, "Hualan has other matters to attend to, so please do not stop me, Madam Kang."

Madam Kang's expression darkened slightly; she truly hadn't expected Sheng Hualan to be so disrespectful.

She's an elder, after all!

“Madam Kang, Hua Lan is pregnant, so please don’t hold her hand too tightly.”

Zhang Heng's wife, Zhao Yunxin, was a gentle and refined young lady, and very meticulous.

Upon seeing that Madam Kang was holding on tightly and refusing to let her leave, she quickly stepped forward and pulled the two apart.

She was a wife of an official who frequented literary circles. Her husband's family had produced a high-ranking official, and her husband was also clearly destined for success. But that didn't necessarily mean he was afraid of the fallen Kang Wang clan.

Unexpectedly, Lady Kang started throwing a tantrum.

"Who hasn't been pregnant before?"

On the grassland, Su Shi, Su Zhe, Zhang Heng, Zeng Bu, and a few others were leisurely playing with a game of marbles.

Jiang Zhao had just seen off Madam Wu, who had come to offer her greetings, and Qi Heng, who had brought wine. He glanced out of the corner of his eye toward the pavilion and was startled.

"What happened?"

Upon hearing this, the others all looked over as well.

Five women, Sheng Hualan, Wang Fu, Wei Wan, Shi Qingwan, and Zhao Junxin, were standing by the pavilion, seemingly arguing.

"Let's go and have a look."

Jiang Zhao said something and strode forward, and the others quickly followed.

Long Pavilion.

“Hualan, it hasn’t been easy for you to make it this far. As your aunt, is there a problem with me saying we should support each other?” Madam Kang asked, looking puzzled, and argued her case.

As she spoke, she glanced at the dozen or so wives and noblewomen of officials.

Little did they know, this practice was secretly loathed by many.

They never visit relatives normally, but when they do, they demand promotions and advancements. Who can stand that?

She adopted the demeanor of an elder: "This world is tough for everyone. Since your nephew-in-law is a disciple of Grand Secretary Han and holds a fifth-rank official position, it's even more important for us to help each other out. I'm doing this for your own good!"

Sheng Hualan's face turned cold.

Who asks for help like that?

Kang Wangshi kept talking.

These days, she has been visiting Sheng Hualan, but to her surprise, it has had no effect whatsoever.

She realized that moral blackmail was still the only option.

As a member of the Sheng family, she didn't believe that Sheng Hualan didn't care about the Sheng family's reputation.

Just as Sheng Hualan was about to speak, a gentle voice came from behind.

"what happened?"

Jiang Zhao approached: "Why are you starting to argue?"

When Jiang Zhao arrived, many officials' families nodded in greeting, showing proper etiquette.

This is the young Grand Secretary, Grand Secretary Han's only disciple!
"My lord." Sheng Hualan sighed softly and whispered a few words in Jiang Zhao's ear.

Jiang Zhao understood and roughly knew what the problem was.

He had also learned some things about Kang Wangshi's affairs these days.

Originally, he intended to use his power to intimidate people, so he simply demoted Kang Haifeng.

However, his wife was worried that Kang Wangshi would try to curry favor with her again, so she deliberately ruined Kang Wangshi's reputation and severed ties with her.

Therefore, Jiang Zhao let her have her way.

“Madam Kang, what my wife said makes sense. What kind of aunt visits her niece every day?” Jiang Zhao said calmly.

Many officials' wives nodded in agreement.

A daughter who is married to another man has her family visiting her every day. How can this be allowed?

With Jiang Zhao's arrival, the momentum of the Kangwang clan immediately weakened considerably.

As someone who has spent years mingling in the circles of the most powerful and influential, Jiang Zhao's unspoken aura alone is enough to make people feel uneasy.

Madam Kang quickly explained, "My nephew-in-law, you may not know this, but as the saying goes, those who share the same blood are connected. If her uncle becomes capable in the future, it will be a help to Changbai. I am doing this for Hualan's own good."

"Same bloodline?" Jiang Zhao raised his eyelids slightly. "What you say makes some sense. However, Lord Kang's political achievements are mediocre and lacking, which makes me, Jiang, ashamed to recommend him."

Jiang Zhaoping promised, "According to tradition, officials from the capital can be promoted one rank when they go to local areas. Danzhou is a place with great potential, so why not let Lord Kang go there to gain some experience? If he achieves good results, I, Jiang, will definitely recommend him personally!"

Madam Kang's expression changed drastically.

Actually, she realized something was wrong as soon as Jiang Zhao mentioned the word "Danzhou".

Unexpectedly, he was demoted to Danzhou?
Oh no, his rank has gone up, he's now a seventh-rank official!
"Hualan, I am your aunt!" Madam Kang's expression changed drastically.

Sheng Hualan remained silent.

Madam Kang panicked and quickly accused her, saying, "Your father, Sheng Hong, favors his concubine over his wife; your Sheng family has a corrupt reputation!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhao shook his head.

"Everyone says that the Grand Tutor's eldest daughter is virtuous and kind, but I don't think so."

After saying this, the couple slowly walked away.

Zhang Heng, Su Shi, Su Zhe, Zeng Bu, and their wives followed.

"Green bamboo snake's mouth!"

"A wasp's stinger!"

"Both are acceptable!"

"Women are the most vicious!"

A casual little poem sealed the fate of Kang Wangshi.

Even the clay Buddha still harbors some resentment!
Kang Wangshi bothered him every day, and Jiang Zhao was also annoyed.
The expressions of the dozen or so officials' wives and noblewomen changed slightly, and they walked away one after another, fearing that they had suffered some mishap.

This era was inherently one of male superiority and female inferiority.

Anyone who gets associated with this poem by the young Grand Secretary will likely suffer a terrible reputation.

What is dimensional reduction attack? This is dimensional reduction attack!

A renowned scholar, whose fame has always been known throughout the world, can have his reputation ruined by a single casual poem!

"Danzhou?"

"No, don't go to Danzhou!"

(End of this chapter)