Chapter 102

Chapter 102

On the Winter Solstice, Yao Niang’s family prepared all sorts of tangyuan. Being from the south, their customs for the Winter Solstice differed from those in the north, so she also sent some to each household.

Shen Linjiang originally had a very good impression of Yao Niang, finding her beautiful and talented, especially capable. However, he later discovered that she was rather aggressive, which made him somewhat dislike her. Men preferred women who were good at everything but still devoted themselves entirely to their husbands, even if they appeared tough on the surface, their core was always for their husband.

This Yan Mai, on the other hand, seemed to think only of herself, often making Shen Linfeng run errands for her.

For instance, during the Winter Solstice, Shen Linfeng wanted to visit Ouyang Zai, but Yan Mai first sent him to the Jinghai Marquis's residence.

"Ouyang Zai is now in a strong position, yet the eldest son’s wife makes him deliver gifts to the nobility, which is putting the cart before the horse," Shen Linjiang said to Shao Shi in their room.

Hearing her husband criticize Yan Mai, Shao Shi was naturally pleased. Her face, red with eczema, could not help but say, "The eldest son has been tricked by the Yan family several times, but there are some things we cannot easily speak about. You don’t know how many people have been criticizing Minister Yan recently, calling him a cruel official."

Shen Linjiang, of course, knew that she must have heard this from her brother-in-law. The political situation in the court changed rapidly, and Yan Mai had offended many people before. These people were eager to find his mistakes, and he himself had submitted a petition to protect the son of the Duke of Wei, offending the emperor. He still claimed to be an upright minister, and would surely be punished by the emperor.

Therefore, he said, "In a few days, it will be Second Aunt’s birthday. Have you prepared the birthday gift?"

Shao Shi smiled, "I think Second Aunt likes gold jewelry, especially those extremely delicate and small items. I had someone make a gemstone ring with plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum as the base, a pair of golden lychee yellow bird hairpins, and a golden phoenix-through-flower tortoiseshell comb, all of which are top-quality items."

Of course, the couple had their own requests, especially Shen Linjiang, who wanted to secure a position through the second house.

The ability of the Governor Shen to provide a position was limited to his eldest son, Shen Linqing. Shen Linjiang had received nothing, so he thought of seeking help from Shen Er’s wife.

"If Mother-in-Chief were still alive, these matters would only require a word. She always treated us like her own children. But Second Aunt is like a vulture refusing to let go of a rabbit; we still have to prepare these gifts," Shen Linjiang sighed deeply.

Shao Shi said, "My cousin still wants to eat the Wu Xing fish paste from the main house. Every time we entertain guests, we use the chef Ma. Now that Yan Mai is in charge, it feels uncomfortable to stay longer at the main house."

The couple naturally had some grievances against Yan Mai, but Shen Linjiang did not want to offend the main house, so he advised Shao Shi, "She is quite capable, and both Ouyang Zai and the Jinghai Marquis treat her as a distinguished guest. Unless they completely fall, we should maintain our usual relationship."

Shao Shi pointed to her face irritably, "Of course, I know. Later, I still need to ask her for some medicine for my eczema."

After discussing for a while, they heard that Grandmother Qing had arrived. Shen Linjiang went out, and Grandmother Qing, returning from the Fan family, felt her heart pounding. She truly believed that Lady Fan was insane.

Fortunately, after a few busy days during the Winter Solstice, she gradually forgot about it. Insane, truly insane.

Lady Fan even wanted her to commit murder for financial gain. Not to mention that she could not harm Yan Mai, even if she could employ some underhanded methods, it would cost her dearly. This was definitely impossible.

This aunt had just been promoted from a local position to the capital. While she might have engaged in ruthless actions locally, in the capital, with so many eyes watching, it would be impossible to succeed. Moreover, Lady Fan did not understand Yan Mai’s depth, so it was best not to get involved.

Soon, it was Shen Er’s wife’s birthday. Yao Niang, being pregnant, had changed her habit of staying up late. Shen Linfeng made sure she went to bed on time, so she woke up early in the morning. After getting up, she walked a few laps in her room and then had breakfast with Shen Linfeng.

Shen Linfeng shared some good news with Yao Niang, "I will soon be assigned to the Eastern Decree Office."

"That’s wonderful. Ouyang Zai has several students. You are a graduate of the imperial examination and are known for your diligence and competence. It’s finally a time of relief for you," Yao Niang nodded slightly.

Shen Linfeng smiled, "Actually, I owe much to my wife. You are close to Lady Liu, who can greatly influence Commander Liu. Although he is a military official, he is a trusted confidant of the emperor. If it weren’t for your painting in the palace, the emperor would not have noticed me. With a little recommendation from someone close to the emperor, I was able to catch the eye of the Prime Minister."

Yao Niang waved her hand, "You are too modest. It’s clearly because my husband is strong."

However, she then thought of her grandfather, "Grandfather spoke up for the son of the Duke of Wei, which was actually a fair statement. Although the Duke of Wei was somewhat arrogant back then, he indeed served the country and its people."

Shen Linfeng sighed, "Yes, because of this, your grandfather has become a target for everyone. Those people have long been sharpening their knives."

"It was expected. After Grandfather took office, he implemented land reclamation in the capital region, which offended the nobility and royal relatives. Everyone hopes he will leave," Yao Niang understood this well, but her grandfather was fearless.

Everyone has their own path in office. Grandfather is such a person; he is a capable official and cannot avoid taking action. Even if he is attacked for a while, he is not afraid at all.

Shen Linfeng then said, "You told me not to interfere with Grandfather’s affairs, so I dare not."

"That's right. Not only can you not help much, but you might even get yourself into trouble. I wouldn't blame you for that. As long as you agree with your grandfather's approach, when it's your turn to take charge, the legacy will continue," said Yao Niang.

Shen Linfeng was deeply moved by her words, recognizing that his wife's insight surpassed others by a hundredfold.

After finishing their breakfast, the couple went to pay respects to Shen Er's Lady. Although Yao Niang was pregnant and wore loose clothing at home, even favoring old clothes, she always appeared stunningly beautiful whenever they went out, making it hard for Shen Linfeng to look directly at her.

Upon arriving at the Second House, the couple parted ways. Yao Niang first paid respects to Shen Er's Lady. Naturally, many other ladies were present. Yao Niang also saw Fan's Lady. They exchanged glances, and Yao Niang couldn't help but feel that Fan's Lady was deliberately scrutinizing her. She smiled at Fan's Lady.

Beside Fan's Lady stood Fan Ruhui, who had been with Zhou Lingguang that day. Fan Ruhui seemed quiet, quite different from what Yao Niang had heard.

Shen Er's Lady introduced them, saying, "This is my nephew's wife, Lady Yan, wife of our eldest son Linfeng."

Fan's Lady smiled and said, "Linfeng has grown up under my watchful eye. Our Lord and Shen Lord used to work together in the Dali Temple."

"Oh, really?" Yao Niang feigned surprise.

Fan's Lady noticed that Lady Yan was exceptionally beautiful, far beyond the ordinary. She possessed a graceful demeanor and spoke with neither arrogance nor humility. Despite knowing that Fan's Lady was the wife of a Second Rank Left Censor-in-Chief, she showed no fear, which was not something everyone could manage.

Initially, Fan's Lady had some thoughts, but now she felt the situation had become more complicated.

Thus, Fan's Lady nodded, "Yes, indeed."

Yao Niang then said, "In that case, our families must be old acquaintances. We should visit each other more often in the future."

This was originally a polite remark, but Fan's Lady thought Lady Yan was quite sensible, making things easier.

However, after a brief conversation with Fan's Lady, Yao Niang saw Zhao's Second Minister's Lady approaching and hurried over to greet her. Zhao's Lady smiled at Yao Niang, "I see you still look well despite being pregnant. It seems the baby is doing fine too."

"It's the child being sensible. I've heard that if it's a girl, she'll be this well-behaved. If it's a boy, he would be more active," Yao Niang touched her belly, hoping for a girl, otherwise, her collection of dolls would have no one to inherit them.

Zhao's Lady said, "You're still young. Whether it's a boy or a girl doesn't matter."

Yao Niang smiled in agreement. She and Zhao's Lady chatted amicably, and Fan's Lady watched closely. She then saw the Marquis of Fuguo and Xinning Marquis's Lady approaching, both of whom seemed very familiar with Yao Niang.

After greeting them, Yao Niang returned to sit with the other sisters-in-law. Among them, she stood out, unique and distinct. She, of course, used some tactics, intentionally having someone pass a message to Yao Niang.

She initially wanted to find Qing's Lady to relay the message, but unfortunately, Qing's Lady had not visited since being splashed with water that day. So, she chose Ping's Lady, who was Jie's cousin.

Ping's Lady's father currently served as Deputy Censor-in-Chief, and her husband was the Prefect of Baoding. She had returned to her hometown for a visit and was conveniently found by Fan's Lady. Of course, Fan's Lady did not mention wanting Shen Linfeng to change wives; she only intended to use this matter to gradually pressure Yao Niang.

When Yao Niang met Ping's Lady, they naturally reminisced. Although Yao Niang did not interact much with the Jie family, let alone Ping's Lady's maternal relatives, she had no particular favors to ask, so they had drifted apart.

"I've heard in Baoding that many people are petitioning to punish the old Lord, accusing him of being an accomplice to the Duke of Wei. Although the Duke of Wei was renowned during his lifetime, he was impeached on 136 major charges, and the Wei family was stripped of all their assets..." Ping's Lady looked worried.

Yao Niang replied, "Aunt, that's true. The court is now divided into two camps."

Ping's Lady said, "Fortunately, I'm good friends with the Left Censor-in-Chief's wife, Fan's Lady. The Emperor has assigned Fan's Lord to investigate this case. Yao Niang, why don't you speak to the old Lord? Perhaps Fan's Lord can show leniency and clear the old Lord's name."

The suggestion sounded reasonable, but the matter involving the Duke of Wei was merely a fair comment made by her grandfather. This aligned with his character, known for his hatred of evil and integrity.

The Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) was everywhere, and if her grandfather were to meet the Left Censor-in-Chief, it could easily be a trap.

She could only focus on her own affairs and could not casually arrange matters for her grandfather, lest it backfire and lead to a worse outcome. Therefore, Yao Niang said, "Thank you for your concern, Aunt, but I trust my grandfather's character. Why should I try to persuade anyone? Besides, even the Left Censor-in-Chief must follow the Emperor's orders. How could he help the Duke of Wei and my grandfather just because of your connection?"

Ping's Lady urged, "What if I can?"

Yao Niang smiled slightly, "Then you might be deceived. What is more important than one's official position in this world? We have no ties with the Fan family. Why would he help us unless there was a greater incentive?"

Ping's Lady was taken aback. She hadn't expected Yao Niang to be so unyielding. Fan's Lady, who had secretly sent someone to eavesdrop, was surprised that Lady Yan didn't care about her grandfather's career and safety, and wasn't falling for the trap.

Yao Niang continued, "Aunt, isn't this something the Fan family asked you to say, trying to force us to admit collusion with the Wei family?"

Ping's Lady quickly waved her hands, "Absolutely not. I only suggested it because I was worried. Since Fan's Lady is kind, I thought it might help. I don't know anything else."

Ping's Lady quickly left, fearing Yao Niang's sharpness, and wondered why her good intentions were questioned. Just as Fan's Lady heard the servant report, she saw Yao Niang approaching fearlessly. She was startled and almost fled in panic, wondering if Yao Niang knew her plans. But that was impossible; she had only confided in Fan Ruhui.

As Yao Niang approached, Fan's Lady felt overwhelmed by her presence, finding it hard to breathe.