Chapter 83

Chapter 83

Shen Linfeng had not yet had the chance to instruct Yao Niang when he hurriedly left. After they moved to the capital, Yao Niang and her companions often interacted with the Gong family. The Emperor, back then, preferred to reinstate the retired Prime Minister Wen rather than allow Grand Secretary Gong to become too powerful.

The current Emperor is no longer the young prince from the frontier; the court is stable, and he will not tolerate any constraints. If anyone tries to constrain him, he will surely remove them.

Yao Niang did not understand the political factions in the court, but the news that Grand Secretary Gong intended to retire was undoubtedly shocking.

"Mother Gu, stay here and guard the place. I'll go see my mother-in-law first." Yao Niang naturally had to go and investigate the situation herself, as the Shen family and the Gong family were in the same boat.

Her marriage to Shen Linfeng succeeded partly because of the Gong family's influence.

Later, her father's nomination of Du Hongchen displeased the Gong family, so now whenever the Shen family visits the Gong residence, Lady Shen never brings her along.

As she stepped out of the courtyard, she encountered Wang Shi, who looked anxious. If the Gong family fell, although the Shen family was also an official household, what would happen if their official status were to be lost?

"Eldest Sister-in-Law," Wang Shi, despite her distress, still observed proper etiquette.

Yao Niang said, "Sister-in-law, have you also heard about the Gong family?"

At this moment, Yao Niang realized that Wang Shi was not good at handling such matters. Wang Shi even seemed afraid to hear about the Gong family, only saying, "I don't know, I'm just going to see Mother."

They parted ways at the crossroads. When Yao Niang arrived, Shen Mo was already there, taking care of Lady Shen. Seeing Yao Niang enter, she greeted, "Sister-in-law."

"Is Mother feeling better?" Yao Niang asked.

Shen Mo shook her head, "She took medicine today, but it caused diarrhea instead."

"Could it be that the medicine is too cold?" Yao Niang asked with concern.

Shen Mo couldn't explain clearly, but Yao Niang remained calm, "Let's wait until tomorrow to see. If it doesn't improve, we should ask the doctor to change the prescription."

After a moment of silence, since Lady Shen could not eat, the two sisters-in-law went to the outer room. Shen Mo asked Yao Niang, "Sister-in-law, I heard that Grand Secretary Gong has resigned?"

"Yes, I just received the news myself." In fact, Yao Niang wasn't surprised; during the New Year, the Gong family had been acting mysteriously.

Shen Mo was somewhat worried, "This won't affect our family, will it?"

"Without the skin, where can the hair attach?" Just like after Yan Yingqi left the capital, some of his former disciples resigned and returned home, while others were reassigned.

In this dynasty, scholars are not killed, but with Grand Secretary Gong stepping down, new people will naturally take his place. To ensure things run smoothly, the best solution is to replace them with one's own people, who are more obedient.

Shen Mo didn't expect Yao Niang to say such things, and she couldn't help but suggest, "Sister-in-law, why don't you go home and inquire about it?"

"This isn't something I can find out by asking around. Your brother and the others are already discussing it. If I rush back, it might be noticed by those with ulterior motives, and who knows what they might think? We mustn't panic."

At most, it would affect Father and the others, but it would be difficult for Shen Linfeng. In the official world, unless they are mortal enemies, no one would deal a death blow. Otherwise, the tide of fortune could turn, and others might not treat you kindly then.

Besides, there's still the Yan family.

Shen Linfeng was also in the study, discussing with his father and uncles. Outside, Shen Linqing and Shen Linjiang stood guard.

Lord Shen was unusually calm, "I've served as the Left Censor for many years, originally thinking I might be transferred to the position of Minister of Justice, but it seems unlikely now. However, Second Brother, you have just been promoted to the position of Sacrificial Wine Pourer at the Imperial Academy, which must be maintained."

"Yes, Second Brother, now that Linfeng, the eldest son of the main house, has entered officialdom, only you and he have the potential to compete for the position of Chancellor. My brother and I are not graduates of the Hanlin Academy, so reaching the rank of Minister is the peak of our careers," agreed Governor Shen.

Lord Shen glanced at his son and spoke up, "Linfeng, what are you thinking?"

Shen Linfeng looked at his father, "Do you remember the Zhou family, the family of the former Sacrificial Wine Pourer Zhou? Their case was overturned at the beginning of the year, and his son has come to the capital. From then on, I knew the tide had turned, and we are merely prolonging the inevitable."

The rest of the Shen family looked at him in surprise, but Shen Linfeng remained calm: "Since ancient times, if you don't advance, you retreat. By appointing Prime Minister Wen to balance Vice Premier Gong, the Emperor's favor has shifted from Gong. It seems that Secretary Yan also saw this and preemptively curried favor with Chancellor Du, securing a long-term connection with the Liu family and the Du family. When he returns to court, he will surely receive repayment from the Du family."

"Nephew Linfeng is right. Eldest Brother, now we have Elder Secretary Yan in the capital. He only has one granddaughter, so he will definitely take care of Linfeng. Even if Yan Yingqi returns to power, Linfeng will still receive his care. If you don't step down and someone finds fault with you, it won't be good," the Governor of Shen analyzed calmly.

Shen Er, who had been silent, said, "Third Brother, are you forcing Second Brother to step down? We can't let our own prospects force Eldest Brother to resign."

Shen Laoye glanced at his two younger brothers: "If I step down now, I will truly be tied to Grand Secretary Gong. I need to find an opportunity to stage a drama."

The Governor of Shen looked at Shen Er: "Second Brother, although Eldest Brother impeached Zhou Jijiu back then, it was your handiwork to gather evidence and set traps. If Eldest Brother steps down after achieving his goal, you must be cautious."

"Why bring this up? That Zhou Lingguang should blame his father for offending the Emperor. If not us, it would be someone else. Besides, as an official in the Censorate, my brother should impeach corrupt officials; there's nothing wrong with that." Shen Er wouldn't think a young man who wasn't even a scholar could do anything; it was like an ant trying to shake a tree.

The Governor of Shen looked up at the sky: "I should go to Henan to take up my post. Linfeng, leave Third Son's marriage to you and your wife."

Seeing how his third uncle had devoted himself to the family, Shen Linfeng couldn't help but seek out the Governor of Shen after everyone dispersed: "Third Uncle, isn't our marriage arrangement with the Han family too hasty—"

"I know what you're thinking. I've already lost hope in Third Son; he lacks talent and is dull-witted. Linfeng, when your aunt died, she was most worried about him. He's incompetent, and if we marry him into a powerful family, he might not be able to handle it. Your mother treats Third Son as her own. If he marries Miss Han, they will be like family, and I won't have to worry anymore." The Governor of Shen showed deep paternal love.

Shen Linfeng could only say, "Yes, Third Uncle, you're right."

The Governor of Shen patted Shen Linfeng's shoulder: "Looking at the next generation in our family, only you are a true talent. Linqing and Linjiang, one has entered the Imperial Academy, and the other is clever, but unfortunately, neither has passed the imperial exams. Their marriages, your mother and I have already discussed, and we've left it to your aunt to manage. You can rest assured."

Clearly, the Governor of Shen had many things to prepare before going to Henan, so Shen Linfeng had to take his leave.

The Shen family appeared calm on the surface. After leaving Lu Shaner behind, the Governor of Shen took his people to Henan to take up his post. Lu Shaner had previously thought that being married to an older husband made it easier for old houses to catch fire, but it turned out not to be the case. The Governor of Shen not only asked her to help with Third Son's marriage but also placed the youngest Sixth Son under her care, asking her to look after him well.

**

"Miss, Lady First and Lady Second have come to see you," a maid said as she entered.

Hearing that Yao Niang and Wang Shi had come together, Han Ruohua quickly got up to welcome them. She noticed that today, Lady First wore a light green spring robe, making her look fresh and natural, her skin even more like white jade. In comparison, Wang Shi fell short. Although she dressed in a grand manner, Han Ruohua knew that Wang Shi was full of hypocrisy, like a fair-weather friend who would disappear when trouble arose.

Among them, Lady First was the most responsible. Even without a distinguished background, she would eventually stand firm and live well.

Moreover, she was bold enough to faint and frame her mother-in-law, and to persuade her husband to stand up for her.

However, she stood on her aunt's side, so their positions were naturally different. If she wanted to gain her aunt's trust, she wouldn't choose to harm her interests.

"Two sisters-in-law, why have you come to see me?" Han Ruohua greeted them, inviting them to sit down and having tea served.

Yao Niang smiled at her: "How could you forget, your engagement ceremony is coming soon. Although we are relatives, we can't just let you marry without proper formalities. There are some rules we need to explain since your parents are not in the capital."

The Three Houses belong to the groom's family, so they couldn't come over now.

Wang Shi explained the details of the engagement ceremony, which were incredibly elaborate: "Other families prepare sixty-four pairs of head coverings, sixty-four oil packets, and sixty-four sesame cakes. For our family, we probably need to prepare one hundred and twenty baskets."

"Second Sister-in-law, this is different from others. If we prepare too much, it will just be moved from one courtyard to another, and everything will be wasted. Moreover, there might not be enough time," Yao Niang felt she was causing trouble. The Han family hadn't given them a single coin to arrange the engagement ceremony, and the Three Houses were only using public funds. Third Son received three thousand taels of silver, and the Han family didn't contribute a penny, wanting her to pay out of pocket. Dream on.

Wang Shi secretly thought Yao Niang was stingy and said, "I don't know about that. When I got married, we needed one hundred and twenty pairs..."

She kept talking to Han Ruohua, emphasizing how knowledgeable and well-mannered her family was.

Yao Niang wondered if she should give up. No, pretending to be generous when she couldn't afford it was out of the question, and giving up casually was also not an option. Lady Shen was ill and unable to manage things, and originally, Yao Niang found it difficult, such as removing the hairpin ceremony. But it turned out Lady Shen had no time to deal with these details.

This made Yao Niang realize that while she assumed others were as responsible as her, most people didn't care unless there was a specific purpose.

After Wang Shi finished her rambling, she said to Han Ruohua, "I heard the hairpin ceremony has been canceled. This is something every girl in the capital must go through. Only after the hairpin is inserted is it considered a proper selection."

"Second Sister-in-law, with no one from the Han family in the capital, how can we perform the hairpin ceremony?" Yao Niang suddenly felt she was becoming more like her grandfather, not caring about others' opinions.

Wang Shi was very surprised. Did Lady First not care about the Han family's opinion? And the servants would definitely say she was stingy and bullying her relatives. Han Ruohua also felt somewhat aggrieved.

Seeing Han Ruohua's expression, Yao Niang felt even more puzzled. As a cousin, with both parents alive, you are getting married in someone else's home, and all the expenses for the banquet are from Lady Shen's personal savings, not a single coin from your family. And you feel aggrieved?