Chapter 28

Chapter 28

After dinner, Meng Die found herself unable to concentrate on reading. She leaned back on the soft couch, lost in thought.

She mentally sorted through the identities of the male members of the Marquis Yongyi's household. The Marquis himself held a noble title and currently served as a Colonel, a second-class military officer without any actual responsibilities, meaning he wielded no real power.

The heir apparent, aside from his status as the marquis's son, was in charge of the Western City Gate as a City Gate Commander, a fourth-class position with actual duties. However, the rank was quite low, and military promotions typically happened faster than for civil officials, given their shorter careers.

Marquis Yongyi, at fifty-two years old, it was normal for him to hold a nominal position in the military. Men of his age usually occupied such roles, unless they were border commanders, like his cousin, Governor Tang.

Two years junior to Marquis Yongyi, he still holds a substantial position but is now stationed in the rear, overseeing logistics and supplies. His role resembles that of a mascot in the military, fostering morale without the need to engage in actual battles.

Scholars like Meng Tingyi are different. At fifty-four, he was in the prime of his career for a civil servant. If not for this entanglement, by the end of next year, it would have been a certainty that he would be elevated to one of the Six Ministers.

The prince consort was thirty-five, a fourth-rank military officer. Before Meng Changsheng, Meng Die's father, was stripped of his position, he had also been forty-three, likewise holding a fourth-rank title. Comparing the two clearly showed that the prince consort's rise through the ranks was swift when compared to an ordinary family, but slow in comparison to a family like theirs.

Meng Die's thoughts once again turned to the matter of acquiring property. It had been years since the Marquis's residence had made any such investments. Last time, she had surmised that the men of the house held little influence in court. Now, she was thoroughly convinced that it was not a question of their voices being faint but rather of their having no voice at all. Otherwise, their social exchanges would not have resulted in such a financial deficit.

Fortunately, the one who held the reins of the marquis's estate was not indulging in pleasures and waiting for doom; instead, they had started to actively scheme alternative avenues. Meng Die felt a slight relief. After days of exhausting efforts, a wave of weariness surged upon her all at once, and she couldn't help but yawn.

"Second Lady, why don't you retire to bed?"

Meng Die stood up and yawned again. "I recall that there's still a hedge of flowering trees separating our courtyard from the one next door. For her servants to be able to see the light in my room at night, their eyes must be exceptional, like they have X-ray vision!"

Xing Huang and Xue Qing shrank back. As Lu Wei helped Meng Die undress, she giggled. "Second Lady is so insightful, you saw right through our little trick."

"You've been reading articles every night until late these days, and it's showing in your figure. We tried to advise you, but you wouldn't listen. Since Eldest Lady is kind and respectful towards Lady, we thought we might as well deliberately mention this matter to the maids in her courtyard." Lu Wei's brows danced with delight. "Sure enough, when Eldest Lady heard about it, she came over."

Meng Die commented, "So they've started playing mind games now."

Lu Wei: "Who could have helped it if Second Grandma wouldn't listen?"

Meng Die: "So it's still my fault, is it?"

The three maidservants burst into laughter and promptly helped Meng Die lie down on the bed, extinguishing the candlelight without delay. It was as if they feared that if they were any slower, Meng Die would rise again to read through the night.

After a comfortable night's sleep, Meng Die woke up the next day feeling exceptionally refreshed. As expected, Madam Wen's guess had been spot on. After returning from their morning greetings, Lady Ning took Meng Die back to the eastern wing where she resided: "There's something I'd like to ask you."

Meng Die: "Mother, what is it?"

Madam Ning waved her hand, and the maidservants and matrons in the room bowed and retreated in unison. She pointed at the kang, an elevated brick bed: "Sit down first. Your second uncle's current posting will end next autumn, and he should return to the capital around early winter. Now that his six-year assignment in the provinces is over, we're all speculating where the Ministry of Personnel might assign him next."

It seemed the Marquis House was already planning ahead for her second uncle. Meng Die asked directly, "What were your second uncle's evaluations during these two terms?"

Madam Ning replied, "Both were excellent."

Meng Die pondered for a moment. "Mother, given that second uncle has completed his six-year provincial service, his next posting is crucial. It depends on the path he wishes to take. If he stays in the capital, the best fit for his background would be the Ministry of Personnel."

Madam Ning's eyes lit up. "If he enters the Ministry of Personnel, what kind of position might he hold?"

Meng Die: "Uncle is currently a sixth-rank Tongguan. If he enters the Ministry of Personnel, he would likely become a fifth-rank Wailang."

Madam Ning furrowed her brows. "Fifth-rank?"

"Yes, in the bureaucratic system, officials in the capital hold higher prestige than their provincial counterparts of the same rank. It's uncommon to skip a rank in promotions," Meng Die explained with her eyes lowered. "If he doesn't wish to stay in the capital, then becoming a governor in a less prosperous region would be the best choice."

Madam Ning: "Not staying in the capital? How can an official not remain at the feet of the Son of Heaven? And a less prosperous place? Who would want to go there?"

Meng Die: "Mother has a point."

Madam Ning paused, deep in thought for a moment. "If we don't wish to go, neither will others."

Meng Die replied, "Indeed, such places attract fewer interventions. Besides, since they were not initially prosperous, even a slight improvement would be considered an achievement. In contrast, in richer areas, although they might receive accolades, it's challenging to attain outstanding accomplishments."

Madam Ning fell silent.

Meng Die continued, "Mother, I don't really understand these matters either. These are just my random thoughts, so please take them as mere listening pleasure."

Madam Ning smiled. "Not just you, I don't quite grasp these things either. These are topics that the men outside deal with; we're just passing the time with conversation."

The two women exchanged more pleasantries before Meng Die finally took her leave from the eastern annex. She could tell that Lady Ning's intention was to have the second branch remain in the capital for their development, so they could complement the prince with both literary and martial prowess. But the capital's bureaucratic system wasn't a place for just anyone to thrive; it would be an arduous task for someone from a noble family to interfere.

However, where Second Master would ultimately take up his post was not a decision left to Lady Ning, nor even the prince. The final say in Second Master's future lay with the Marquis, Second Master himself, and his influential father-in-law, who held the position of a Censorate Minister in the Ministry of Personnel.