I fought back after reselling my engagement

Su Jingzhai couldn't help laughing.

Treat your grandchildren as sheep, one sheep, a flock of sheep.

Su Jingzhai is quite satisfied with his three grandsons, especially Su Wulang, who is quite responsible as an elder brother. Now even Su Qilang has become more sensible.

After today's conversation, Su Jingzhai felt that his granddaughter had really grown up. Being disturbed like this, she lost all desire to sleep. "Wen Jiang, talk to grandpa."

Zhen Su took a seat.

The old servant made some tea. "My lord, would you like light tea or strong tea?"

Zhen Su said: "Drink boiled water."

*

Late at night.

The moon in the night sky is bright, the moonlight is like water, and it is quiet like a dream.

"The Su family of Jiangnan cultivated a sense of family honor among their descendants. This is something we should learn from. Only by uniting the hearts of the Su family in Beijing, even if not all of their descendants are talented, they will not become playboys or prodigals."

That night, the grandfather and grandson talked a lot, from discussing the future of the Su family in Beijing to the issue of teaching students in accordance with their aptitude. Zhen Su had the memory of the modern life, and had modern educational concepts and views in teaching, which often gave Su Jingzhai a refreshing feeling.

After talking about the issue of education, Zhen Su asked about the five younger generations of the Jiangnan Su family who were supported by Su Jingzhai.

Su Jingzhai asked, "You don't agree?"

"Two of the candidates who were admitted to the government became county magistrates, and three became county assistants. My grandfather was a public official, so it was his duty to introduce candidates to the government. It was a great risk to recommend the Su family in Jiangnan to the government."

If these people are extremely talented, recommending them for official positions will not be a merit; but if these people have committed mistakes, the people who recommended them will be guilty.

Officials of the Great Qi Dynasty entered the civil service either through recommendation by powerful ministers or through passing imperial examinations. Three percent were recommended, while seven percent were passed through imperial examinations. It was difficult for recommended officials to be promoted without great achievements and connections, but those who passed imperial examinations were evaluated every three years and ranked according to seniority, but in reality, their achievements and connections were also considered.

After Zhen Su understood the official system of Da Qi, he realized that Su Jingzhai's move was almost a big risk.

"The Xie family and the Su family are getting married. Old Master Xie from Luoyang is the biological uncle of my eldest and second uncles. The two uncles were reluctant to let their legitimate children get married, so my grandfather arranged for Su Wulang to get engaged to the girl from the Xie family."

Su Jingzhai was silent for a moment. "Back then, your maternal grandmother passed away, leaving your eldest and second uncles, the twin brothers, with no one to take care of them. At that time, the Xie family's father-in-law and mother-in-law hoped that I could marry the third daughter of the Xie family's eldest son as my second wife. This third daughter was born out of wedlock, so I did not agree.

At that time, I was still young, and I told my father that my first marriage would be decided by my parents, but I wanted to marry someone I liked the next time. This... is your grandmother."

Zhen Su had heard that throughout his life, his grandfather loved and valued Little Xie the most, rather than his original wife, Big Xie.

"Grandfather already knew grandmother?"

"Yes, when I was young, your great-grandfather was an official in Hedong and had frequent contacts with the Xie family in Hedong. When I was five years old, he arranged a marriage between me and the elder Xie family. After the elder Xie family came of age, I followed my grandfather and father's orders to go to Hedong to propose marriage. On the way back to Hedong, I fell seriously ill and happened to meet your great-grandmother in the inn. She was bringing your grandmother back to her hometown to celebrate the birthday of the old man of the Xie family..."

It had been decades since these events happened, but every time he recalled them, it was as if they had just happened. He could still remember how, when he was sick and helpless, Xiao Xie's mother and daughter helped him when they heard that he was Da Xie's fiancé, and how Xiao Xie personally cooked porridge and boiled medicine for him.

As a young man, he thought thousands of times that it would be great if his fiancée was her.

He stayed in the inn to recuperate for more than half a month, and Xiao Xie's mother and daughter took good care of him for more than half a month. If he had not met Xiao Xie in the autumn of that year, he might have really died in that inn.

Being together day and night, his care, companionship and encouragement during her illness also allowed her to enter his heart.

Mrs. Xie died after giving birth to twins. Just after the 49th day, someone from the Xie family in Hedong came and wanted to marry the third daughter of the eldest son, Miss Xie, to him as his second wife. He firmly opposed it. He had no say in the choice of a second wife before, but now he wanted to fight for his own happiness.

Xiao Xie's father was an official away at that time, and her mother had only Xiao Xie as her child. Although she had siblings, they were all born to her father's concubines.

"My father-in-law from the first house said that if I marry the daughter of the second house, I must promise to do three things for the first house of the Xie family, and these three things are all within my ability."

If Xie and Su were to get married, and his original wife's family did not agree, he would not be able to marry little Xie.

For the sake of his own happiness, Su Jingzhai agreed to the conditions of the eldest master of the Xie family.

"Grandfather agreed?"

"I won!" Su Jingzhai answered with three words, "According to the Great Qi Law, when the first wife dies, the successor wife must be recognized by the first wife's family before she can be the wife."

Zhen Su thought of Zhen Yuan marrying Yu, "My father helped Yu to be his wife..."

"Yu is at most a concubine, not a second wife. There are two conditions for a second wife to be included in the family tree: first, there must be someone representing the original wife's family present to express their approval of this woman as the mother of their nephews and nieces; second, the husband's family cannot object to her becoming a second wife."

The conditions for a concubine to be included in the family tree are much more stringent than those for the original wife to be included in the family tree.

Zhen Su had not expected that there were these two conditions and rules.

"Emperor Taizu of Qi specifically set up rules to distinguish legitimate and illegitimate children and to ensure order of seniority. The more disciplined a family is, the less likely it is that they will take a concubine as a wife. They would rather choose a respectable girl as a successor than take a concubine as a wife.

Yu was a concubine before. Once a concubine, she will be a concubine for life. Without the consent of our Su family, she cannot be included in the family tree. No matter how glorious she is in the outside world, she is still a concubine. "

The Yu family was not included in the family tree, and Zhen Su knew this.

She had to read the "Da Qi Law" carefully so that she could understand the laws and regulations of Da Qi and act conveniently in the future.

"I am the eldest son of the Hedong Xie family. Thirty years ago, I used my connections to help the eldest son of the family enter the government. Twenty years ago, I also helped the third son enter the government as an exception as a scholar."

The eldest master was the eldest brother of Mrs. Xie. He was a juren after all. He died of illness while serving in Fangzhou in the twelfth year.

The third master is the younger brother of the eldest lady Xie. He entered the officialdom as a scholar and obtained a job as an eighth-rank clerk in a county. Although he is still alive, he is still an eighth-rank clerk. Even if he is a clerk, he is still an official after all.

"The old master of Luoyang Xie's family is the second brother of the eldest Xie. The first, second and third masters are all her brothers. They promised three things back then, which are the three conditions. I will do one thing for each of them.

Although the second master was the second son, he was not liked by the old grandfather and the old lady. After the old grandfather and the old lady passed away, he was suppressed by his brothers. He proposed the condition that the grandchildren of the two families should marry each other.

Zhen Su felt it was unfair earlier. The old man of the Xie family in Luoyang was the uncle of the eldest and second uncles of the Su family. Even if the two families were to marry, their children should be chosen. However, these two families did not give any face at all. Instead, the eldest son of the youngest uncle was engaged to Miss Xie.

It turns out that the marriage between Xiao Xie and Su Jingzhai is also involved here, and this is a condition that Su Jingzhai was willing to exchange for.

"Helping the Xie family gain a foothold in Luoyang, why should we help the descendants of the Xie family learn business and help Xie Si Niang marry into the royal family?"