Chapter 95

Chapter 95

On the second day of the New Year, Yao Niang and Shen Linfeng returned to her family home with several carts of gifts. They happened to meet Wen Qilang and Qian Niang at the door. Although Yao Niang and Qian Niang's relationship was rather lukewarm, the two brothers-in-law, Wen Qilang and Shen Linfeng, got along quite well.

"Second Brother-in-Law."

"Third Brother-in-Law."

Yao Niang asked Qian Niang, "Why didn't you bring the child back for Grandfather to see?"

"Children shouldn't be exposed to the wind," Qian Niang thought to herself that Yao Niang, who had never given birth, didn't understand how precious children were. But looking at Yao Niang's slim figure, she remembered the time they bathed together in the hot springs at their estate. Yao Niang had no body hair, smooth as silk, which might hinder her husband from having offspring.

It was no wonder people said that women should not be too beautiful; beautiful women often met tragic fates.

In fact, Yao Niang also noticed that Qian Niang had changed a lot. While she had her share of petty thoughts when they lived at the Yan family, she wasn't truly malicious. After marrying into the Wen family, she became much more vain and competitive, losing the natural charm she once had.

When the two sisters met Li Shi, they were both very polite. Li Shi, though only moderately pretty, found that the Yan family girls were one more beautiful than the other, and they were all talented and beautiful. She always felt somewhat inferior.

"Second Sister, Third Sister, did you come together?" Li Shi greeted them with a smile.

Yao Niang replied, "We just happened to meet at the door. No need to fuss over us, Sister-in-Law. I'll go check on my old room."

"Sister-in-Law, I want to talk to you about my daughter. I brought some toys for the nephew. Come, let's go inside and chat." Qian Niang pulled Li Shi inside, talking about their children.

Yao Niang shook her head and went to her room. The furnishings hadn't changed, and since she often came back, Li Shi had people clean it regularly.

After eating and watching a small play at her natal home, on the third day, they visited the Jinghai Marquis's residence, where there were continuous plays and banquets. Yao Niang saw that Lady Liu had lost weight from being busy. She said to Yao Niang, "I'm so busy I'm dizzy. I didn't even notice you were here."

"Du Sister, I made two sets of clothes for Shan'er. She liked the dress on my doll, so I had the tailor make them for her. Remember to give them to her," Yao Niang smiled.

Lady Liu sighed, "No wonder Shan'er always thinks of you. Only you remember her well. And your family is having a play and banquet on the sixth, right? I'll try to come."

Yao Niang said, "It's just Linfeng and me. Our parents aren't here, so we won't have a big gathering. On the sixth, we'll invite some relatives and friends to gather."

Lady Liu nodded, "I wish I could, but you know how it is at our house. There's no way around it."

As she led Yao Niang to her seat, Yao Niang, a very young wife of an Imperial Academy scholar, maintained a high profile due to her distinguished background. It wasn't that she lacked social skills, but rather that she didn't need to use them. Shen Linfeng, as a compiler in the Imperial Academy, would easily attract trouble if he was too active.

Moreover, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Being a frequent guest at the Jinghai Marquis's residence and on good terms with Lady Liu already put her ahead of many others.

Lady Liu thought the same. She told her mother, Lady Du, "This girl is young and doesn't run around seeking favors. She's very good to our Shan'er."

Lady Du said, "With her status, she doesn't need to. I've seen some officials' wives who constantly socialize, and it can lead to problems. I've heard of some who lend money or open shops, and it can backfire. The Shen family is wealthy, Shen Linfeng has a promising career, and his grandfather is the Minister of Works. She doesn't need to do those things."

"Even if her grandfather weren't an official, she wouldn't need to. Once you enter a certain circle, it's hard to control yourself," Lady Liu, tired from organizing flower banquets, planned to hold them only once a year from then on.

Unless, like her aunt, the Marchioness of Chengguo, whose family had fallen, she needed these gatherings to rally support.

Otherwise, walking by the roadside, how can you avoid getting wet?

It wasn't that Yao Niang was aloof, but rather that she found it unnecessary. She had her own judgment. Her family and she herself didn't need to seek anything from others. As the saying goes, nothing ventured, nothing lost.

Soon it was the sixth day. Shen Linfeng invited many colleagues from the Imperial Academy, relatives, and even classmates from the capital. Yao Niang, along with the wives of Qin Shubai and several other scholars, attended. Qian Niang naturally came as well, though she rarely did so before, considering herself the daughter-in-law of the Prime Minister and thus above lowering herself.

However, upon arriving, she was surprised to find that the wife of the Jinghai Marquis's heir, the Janning County Princess, the Marchioness of Chengguo, the Minister of Rites Lady Du, and even the wife of the Deputy Prime Minister Zhao were all present, not to mention the numerous scholars' wives gathered there.

Though she, as the Prime Minister's daughter-in-law, received considerable respect, she was not the center of attention as she had imagined.

Seeing Yao Niang speaking to everyone, "Our family grows rare peonies and roses, mostly transported from Luoyang and Pingyin. Peonies bloom best in June, especially the 'Er Qiao' variety, which I particularly love. However, I didn't want to use a greenhouse in winter, so I painted them for everyone to enjoy."

She spread out the painting and saw a pot of purple and pink flowers, the two colors complementing each other beautifully. Flowers blooming also bring good fortune. However, Yao Niang was rather mischievous. She noticed that in recent days, many people, including Lady Shao and Qian Niang, seemed to be using their children to ostracize her. Thus, an idea came to her mind: "I've heard that seeing this flower can easily lead to conceiving twins, after all, one plant with two colors. It's just a pity my waist is too slim; carrying two would be difficult. So if any of you want to have twins, I can give it to you."

Lady Qin, upon hearing this, quickly chimed in, "Oh, I've heard that too, but I already have two rascals at home, so naturally, more wouldn't be a problem."

"Lady Qin, don't take it just because your family is close to Lady Shen. Lady Shen, why don't you give it to me? I'll pass it on to my daughter-in-law," Lady Du joked.

Everyone half-jokingly wished to take it, and even those who were initially just playing along actually wanted to claim it for themselves.

Yao Niang covered her mouth and said, "It's embarrassing to see everyone fighting over it. If our second peony blooms this year, I will certainly invite all of you to admire it."

As she spoke, she had someone roll up the painting. Aren't you all fond of isolating people based on whether they have children or not, looking down on them? Having one child is nothing; why not have two or ten?

After that, she praised Lady Liu for her good fortune in having twins.

Of course, Lady Liu was very fortunate. She had both a son and a daughter, her parents and in-laws were still alive, and her husband had only her. She could be considered the most envied woman in the capital.

This was something everyone knew. Seeing that Yao Niang kept praising her, Lady Liu said, "I've known Young Miss Yan since we were young, watching her grow up and get married. Now seeing how much Scholar Shen loves her, I am truly comforted."

"I must thank you for being our Quanfu Lady that day. How could I have such good fortune?" Yao Niang smiled.

Lady Liu thought that Yao Niang was indeed very eloquent. It depended on whether she was willing to flatter you; even she, a mere woman, felt very comfortable being flattered.

Seeing that Yao Niang and Lady Liu had a very good relationship and that she spoke to everyone with neither arrogance nor humility, Lady Zhao said, "I've been eating too much greasy food these past few days. It's a relief to have such light dishes now. The stir-fried baby bok choy, slightly crispy, is not too plain, which I really like."

"Our drink is peanut milk. While rice milk is common, this black bean peanut milk is particularly delicious," Lady Du, who often dieted, said. Although the drinks were tasty, there was too much honey peach added. This was quite good.

Yao Niang smiled, "If everyone likes it, that's great. After we finish eating, we'll go listen to storytelling and oral performances. Today's story is 'The Fate of Guazhou.'"

Lady Wang covered her mouth, "We've only heard the first part. Sister-in-law, you've brought the storyteller for the second part so quickly."

"It's nothing, just that wealth allows one to do as they please," Yao Niang didn't lie. The troupe was lively, but they had already scheduled their dates. She only invited them for one day, so it was better to invite a storyteller. After all, it was just one person speaking, and thirty taels were enough to hire him for the day, even though he couldn't finish the entire book in one day.

Thirty taels were almost half a year's income for a storyteller.

She was joking, but seeing the elegance of the Shen household, the beauty of the utensils, and the luxurious attire of the servants, everyone was impressed. Yao Niang didn't like to flaunt her wealth, but since she only invited them for one day of entertainment, some people started spreading rumors.

This display made even Qian Niang envious. She had married into the Wen family, the residence of the Prime Minister, whose wealth and power were beyond what ordinary people could achieve. They could eat imperial sturgeon, wear clothes made by the imperial workshops, and even take Western medicine. Even the peonies Yao Niang mentioned, the Wen family had a large peony garden in Luoyang. Yet, this did not change the fact that she envied her sister's prosperity.

This was the capital, where power and wealth could easily dazzle people. If you didn't have them, others would look down on you. Everyone had eyes for wealth and power.

After the banquet, everyone went to listen to the storytelling. Various exquisite Jiangnan pastries, drinks, and soft chairs were prepared. Even Lu Shaner couldn't help but say to Lady Qing, "The main house is truly wealthy. They burn the finest silver thread charcoal, no wonder there's no smell at all."

Lady Qing replied, "That's not entirely true. In the middle is a large incense burner. Lady Yan is skilled in the art of fragrance, so even if it were another type of charcoal, the scent would mask it. And she constantly serves hot drinks, so even if someone feels cold, a few sips of hot water will warm them up. Lady Yan is indeed skilled in managing a household; I fall short in comparison."

Lu Shaner retorted, "If you can see through all of this, doesn't that mean you're even more capable than her?"

In fact, Lady Qing thought exactly that. Her family background might not match Lady Yan's, but in every other aspect, she was superior.

But Yao Niang felt that she was overthinking it. She had indeed prepared everything with silver thread charcoal, without any tricks. It was simple; her estate sent three hundred pounds of silver frost charcoal, which she couldn't use up, let alone the thousand pounds of high-quality silver frost charcoal and two thousand pounds of medium-quality charcoal, plus over thirty thousand pounds of firewood sent by the Shen family.

Not to mention, she had bought a lot of charcoal when it was cheap.

When she said that wealth allowed her to act as she pleased, it wasn't wrong. At home, her mother-in-law was very good at making money, running shops and pawnshops. In her husband's family, he was also very skilled in business.

However, despite her wealth, Yao Niang didn't like to be taken advantage of. She wasn't a person with a good temper.

"Since everyone has gathered at my house today, I want to paint a picture as a keepsake. Please don't mind me," Yao Niang stood up and smiled.

Upon hearing that Yao Niang was going to paint, Lady Liu immediately instructed someone, "Go find Second Master and ask him to bring a mirror for me."

Mrs. Du blamed her daughter: "It would have been fine if you had asked the servants to bring it, but you even made your son-in-law come over specially. You really know how to put him to work."

"Who made him upset me yesterday?" Mrs. Liu wouldn’t hear of it.

The other ladies present quickly straightened up. Qian Niang, who always considered herself a talented woman and felt different from others among the Wen family’s daughters-in-law, was often praised as a talented lady of the Yan family, while Yao Niang remained relatively unknown. People only knew that she was beautiful; even when someone occasionally mentioned her skill in painting, it was in the context of solving cases, not truly being skilled in painting.

Yao Niang's talent wasn't in painting itself, but in accurately depicting people as described by others.

At the moment, Yao Niang sat on a high platform not far away, fully aware of the entire scene. She first sketched the storyteller’s stage, which was familiar to her because it was her own home and she had set it up herself.

In fact, most people didn’t have much appreciation for art. They just wanted to look beautiful in the paintings, and they would be very pleased. Even Shen Linfeng, who was usually so composed, couldn’t help but feel delighted when he saw himself depicted as exceptionally handsome.

Among the crowd, the most beautiful person was undoubtedly Mrs. Liu. Objectively speaking, she often boasted about her beauty, and Yao Niang did find her very beautiful—like a peach that bursts with juice at the slightest touch, with eyes that seemed to hook one’s heart. Yao Niang couldn’t compare to this; she could only captivate Shen Linfeng. Lu Shaner, with her clear and graceful appearance, had become the third wife of Shen, adding a touch of elegance to her demeanor.

For those whose looks were less than perfect, Yao Niang emphasized their presence and aura in the painting. As she thought and painted, she continued to add color even during the evening banquet. When the guests left, Yao Niang had the lamps lit and the scroll unfurled.

As the scroll unfolded, even the men in the front hall came to watch. Commander Liu, with his sharp eyes, immediately spotted his wife and called out her maiden name: "Ruo Wei, I see you! That’s you, the most beautiful."

Mrs. Liu blushed: "What are you saying?"

Yao Niang and Shen Linfeng exchanged glances and secretly smiled. Shen Linfeng quietly approached and said, "Yao Niang, you are the most beautiful."

"Don’t talk nonsense. There are many others in the painting," Yao Niang playfully hit him.

The other ladies also searched for their images in the painting. Grandmother Zhao, the eldest daughter-in-law of Chancellor Zhao, quietly pulled Yao Niang aside and asked for a portrait of the Two Qiaos.

Yao Niang was somewhat hesitant: "Several people have already asked me for it. If I give it to you, how will I explain it to them? Can you think of a way?"

Actually, the painting was originally intended for the Zhao family. Now that Grandmother Zhao was asking, it couldn’t be given too easily.

Grandmother Zhao smiled: "That’s easy. Tomorrow is our family’s theater banquet. Just say you want nothing but this painting as a gift. Who would dare to object?"

"Alright, I’ll bring the painting tomorrow," Yao Niang agreed.

Today’s guests, especially the female guests, were most satisfied. These women of the inner chambers rarely had their portraits painted. Unless it was before their death, no one would paint them, or even after they died, the family would commission a portrait.

These women’s appearances, especially their youthful and beautiful selves, were hard to preserve for posterity.

With this painting, those who wanted to see their portraits would often visit, so she wouldn’t need to flatter anyone. True talent was always the most attractive.

After managing for so long, Lady Qing saw the ladies surrounding Yao Niang and couldn’t help but say to Lady Shao, "She has good skills. I was right to ask you to reconcile with her."

Lady Shao snorted coldly: "Sister-in-law, I need to go back and take care of my child. He is young and can’t be left alone."

"Why are you in such a hurry to leave, Sister-in-law? We still need to wait for Madam," Lady Qing said.

Han Ruohua added, "Yes, Second Sister-in-law, we still need to wait for Madam."

Lady Shao glanced at her and then waited for Lu Shaner. The first time Lu Shaner met Yao Niang, Yao Niang had helped her with a portrait. Now, seeing a night banquet painting with herself in it, she was very pleased.

The three daughters-in-law waited for a long time before Lu Shaner finally arrived. Seeing the three of them looking indifferent, she couldn’t help but think to herself that true talent indeed invited jealousy. This move by the Yan family was so impressive that even she admired it. These three were like crows next to a phoenix.

Using her talents to win over everyone was something others couldn’t replicate. It had to be said that the children of the Yan family were indeed highly talented and clever.

Lady Qing liked to bind people with benefits, but she also used the invitation from Governor Shen to curry favor. In reality, although Lu Shaner wasn’t from a prominent family, she knew that invitations shouldn’t be given out casually. What if these people misused the invitations? But before she could make a decision, Lady Qing had already given out several.

While benefits could temporarily keep everyone on the same boat, they could also cause a sudden split.

The next day, Yao Niang delivered the Two Qiaos painting to the Zhao family. Although she wasn’t a smooth-talking person, anyone who spoke to her was drawn to her wit and humor.

Due to the close relationship with the Zhao family and the fact that the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy and Deputy Prime Minister Zhao were fellow scholars from the same year, their relationship was quite intimate. Thus, the opportunity for a cabinet rotation fell to Shen Linfeng.

Shen Linfeng pulled Yao Niang onto his lap and couldn't help but say, "I never thought there would come a day when I, Shen Linfeng, would be eating soft rice."

"Are you upset about it?" Yao Niang knew that many men had strong egos, especially someone like Shen Linfeng.

Shen Linfeng shook his head quickly, "Eating soft rice is actually quite fragrant. Besides, those who can't eat soft rice will envy me? But I'm curious, why did you give just one painting to make Deputy Prime Minister Zhao recommend me?"

Yao Niang smiled, "Because when I was at the Jinghai Marquis's residence, I overheard Lady Liu mention in passing that the Zhao family had difficulty with offspring. However, on that day, Lady Wu, the wife of the eldest grandson's wife, seemed to be nauseous during dinner, which suggested she might be pregnant, though she herself didn't seem to know. So that night, I painted 'Two Qiao' and fabricated a story, with a thirty percent chance that Lady Wu was indeed pregnant. My painting then carried the meaning of sending a child. Sure enough, after a month, Lady Wu confirmed her pregnancy, and I knew our good days were coming."

As the daughter of an official family, she naturally understood the importance of the cabinet rotation, which would allow her to interact more closely with the cabinet ministers and learn more about state governance. If her talents were recognized by superiors, Shen Linfeng's rise would be faster than others.

"In fact, I was also lucky. If Lady Wu hadn't been pregnant, it would have been difficult for me."

Shen Linfeng held her and laughed, "It's just that our divine concubine sister has both virtue and wisdom."

"There's no such thing as virtue and wisdom; I just wanted you to go to the cabinet rotation so you'd be busy and wouldn't have time to bother me," Yao Niang said stubbornly.

Shen Linfeng cried out in protest, "Didn't you say it was comfortable? Now you're blaming me."

Yao Niang was usually eloquent, but at this moment, she seemed like a ripe shrimp, unable to retort for the first time.

**

Since Shen Linfeng started his cabinet rotation, he worked diligently, sometimes not returning home for a whole night, much busier than before. However, he gradually came into contact with many officials. Those who could serve in the cabinet were considered the best among officials, including the six Secretaries, especially the two Secretaries he often dealt with: Secretary Du, whose two undersecretaries didn't get along well with him. Despite Secretary Du's considerable talent, he was transferred to the Ministry of Rites, where many of its powers had been eroded by other ministries.

Then there was Old Secretary Yan Mai, his wife's grandfather. He was indeed a capable official, with every number and word he reported precise to the last detail, even without looking at the records, all memorized perfectly. However, he was a solitary minister, neither forming cliques nor seeking personal gain, often finding himself alone in his efforts. Even if his suggestions were good, they were rarely adopted.

Unless it was something like the Yellow River or the construction of a certain place ordered by the Emperor, which would then pressure Yan Mai. However, Yan Mai was different from what he imagined; he didn't complain but instead handled things very well.

Even his mentor, Deputy Prime Minister Zhao, skillfully coordinated up and down, offending no one, although he occasionally favored his fellow townspeople, his ability to win people over was top-notch.

Now, what he needed to do was manage the affairs of the state and do his part well.

After Shen Linfeng began his cabinet rotation, Lord Shen Er often praised him at the table: "I originally thought this child wasn't like his brother, but unexpectedly, he has been assigned to the cabinet rotation. It's said that Deputy Prime Minister Zhao and Chief Minister Wen have both praised this young man. Our Shen family is about to produce a thousand-mile horse."

Lady Shen Er, peeling chestnuts, was somewhat skeptical, "My lord, you were the top scholar in the imperial examination. Is Linfeng stronger than you?"

"I may have been the top scholar, but I spent six years in the Imperial Academy compiling histories before being promoted to Left Instructor of the Left Spring Pavilion. He, however, was assigned to the cabinet rotation in his second year in the Imperial Academy. Being good at politics is better than being good at scholarship..." Lord Shen Er said.

Lady Shen Er smiled, "I heard that it was because Feng's wife connected with the Zhao family that this happened."

Lord Shen Er replied, "That's also because Feng has good judgment. If he had really listened to his elder sister-in-law and married the Han family, Han is said to talk about economics and career paths daily, and Third Son would have long refused to return home. Back then, this Yan family was originally chosen by the third son for his own son, but Third Son was scared away, leaving Linfeng to take his place. Linfeng isn't someone who would easily agree to such absurd things. Therefore, even if Yan helped him, it's because he had the foresight to marry Yan and treated her well, leading her to be willing to help him."

Lady Shen Er disagreed, "Isn't it still a case of following the husband wherever he goes? If Yan had married Third Son, she might have found herself in a difficult situation too?"

"But she wouldn't have married him. A woman who can personally set questions to test her future husband is so decisive that she wouldn't marry an ordinary man."

Lord Shen Er took a sip of wine and suddenly remembered that the son of the former National University Sacrificial Wine Master, Zhou Lingguang, seemed to be secretly investigating him and was planning to marry into the Fan family, the new Left Censor. What a fool. He only cared about the family background and not the talent of his future wife, thinking that finding a powerful father-in-law would allow him to oppose me. In this regard, he is inferior to the women of the Yan family, who are willing to assess the character and abilities of their future husbands. He will likely suffer greatly in the future.