Daily Life of a Powerful Official Supporting His Wife

Chapter 41

Another year passed, and Xie Junling, having achieved excellent results in the Imperial Academy Examination, was summoned by the Emperor to stay overnight in the inner court. Perhaps due to their pleasant conversation, the Emperor, knowing Xie Junling's humble origins, was delighted to see that he offered no fawning advice, offered insightful insights into floods and droughts, and prioritized the people's livelihood. The Emperor was irritated by the way some officials, seeking to praise his diligence and achievements, portrayed the suffering of the people outside the capital as peaceful.

Using the results of the imperial examination as an excuse, he promoted Xie Junling to the rank of fifth-rank Imperial Academy reader, whose job was to lecture the classics and history to the emperor and the princes. He announced this to the outside world, but in fact, he was a close minister of the emperor and could meet him from time to time. This was a gift, and it also meant that the emperor had noticed Xie Junling for two full years and finally wanted to use him.

Xie Junling's promotion to a "Red Hanlin" was a testament to his rank. Those who ranked lower in the exam, like Shen Yun, were called "Black Hanlin." Having missed this opportunity, he could only wait for the next one. He was already feeling frustrated, and when he saw his colleagues gathered around him to congratulate him, he sighed deeply and returned home after the Hanlin Academy closed.

In the world of Kyoto officials' wives, rumors were rampant, and a major event like the Imperial Academy exam was bound to spread throughout the city. Li Jiao also knew that Shen Yun hadn't done well in the exam, and his official position seemed to be stuck there, unable to move.

Cui was a fool. She was stunned to hear that her son was so talented—he'd been second in the imperial examination, just one spot shy of first place—how could it be that two years had passed, he'd already been promoted to Imperial Tutor, while Shen Yun hadn't been heard from at all? It must be that enchantress, Li Jiao, constantly pestering her husband and delaying Shen Yun's studies! It would have been fine if she'd gotten pregnant, but she was having trouble conceiving. Two years had passed, and there was still no sign of pregnancy. How could Cui not be anxious?!
Cui thought, doesn't she have a cousin daughter on her own side who's still unmarried? If her family is willing, wouldn't it be better to take her into the family and give Shen Yun more children? After all, they're all from her mother's side, and their blood is close.

At noon, after Cui had finished her meal, she called Li Jiao to her side. She said with a half-smile, "Ah Jiao, it has been two years since you married into the mansion, right?"

"Yes." Li Jiao nodded obediently. She thought that Cui must be unhappy about Shen Yun's mistake in the Hanlin examination and wanted to take it out on herself!

"I've seen the youngest daughter-in-law of the Wang family. She married in late last year and had good news early this year. It's been two years since you got pregnant, why haven't you gotten pregnant yet? Has the nanny been taking good care of you? Yun Ge'er is the most affectionate person. He stayed in your room every night for the first two years of our marriage. Why are you so disappointing?"

Li Jiao hadn't expected Cui to tell her about the issue of having an heir in front of the servants. She was so embarrassed that she wanted to find a hole to crawl into. As the mistress of the house, how could she let Cui humiliate herself in front of the servants like this?

However, Shen Yun's official career was not going well. If she contradicted Cui again, she would definitely be accused of being unfilial, so she could only bear it.

Li Jiao was extremely frustrated, and could only swallow her anger and say, "Mother is right, it's all because of my daughter-in-law who is not doing her best."

Seeing her timid attitude, Cui was satisfied. She took a sip of tea and said, "Mother doesn't blame you, but having an heir is a big deal for our family. I'm sure Yun'er is also worried about this, which has affected his studies. As his wife, you should share his worries, right?"

How could he even go from being unable to have children to Shen Yun's promotion? This was a huge sin, and Li Jiao really couldn't admit it.

Seeing her apprehensiveness, Cui Shi had achieved her goal. She pointed out the problem directly, "Since that's the case, I, as a mother, would like to find a concubine for Yun'er from a decent family. She's my niece's daughter, timid and gentle, and not prone to jealousy. I'll take her home first, and when she gets pregnant, I'll make her a concubine. What do you think?"

It seemed like these words were meant for Li Jiao, but Li Jiao knew that this old woman knew that in the first three years of a marriage, if the wife of the host family had no legitimate children, she would not take a concubine. She did not dare to take the person into the house openly, so she tried to save the situation in this roundabout way and wanted to take the person into the house.

Li Jiao naturally wouldn't let her have her way. She pretended to be conflicted and said, "I'm naturally happy to share my husband's worries. But I can't bring new people into the mansion to serve my husband for the first three years. This is the rule of every family. I'm afraid I can't do what my mother said."

What Cui hated most was Li Jiao's delicate appearance. She acted like a sensible young lady from an official family, but she was just an unruly old country woman. New and old grudges surged in her heart, and Cui couldn't help but curse, "You can't give birth to a son, and you've left our Shen family without descendants. Is this the rule you learned from the Gu family?!"

Li Jiao was taken aback by her scolding. She had never expected that Cui, who had always assumed she was a well-educated and well-mannered wife of an official in Kyoto, would become so angry and yell like a country shrew when she was offended by her words. No matter how unreasonable Cui was, Li Jiao could only endure it. After all, she was her mother-in-law.

But Cui had let that woman into the Shen family to have children. If the illegitimate son was born before the legitimate son, would she abort the child or not? If that really happened, wouldn't she become a laughing stock in the Kyoto circle?

But it was a fact that she couldn't have children. There was no point in delving into it further, and it would only make Cui dislike her. She obediently withdrew and spoke about the matter with Shen Yun that night.

Shen Yun was feeling frustrated and had returned home hoping to find some warmth and tenderness. Seeing Li Jiao nagging about Cui, his expression changed, no longer trying to comfort her like usual: "She's your mother after all, how can you speak like that? What elder doesn't want children and grandchildren around them? I'm not being mean to you, so why are you being so petty?"

Shen Yun didn't dare to say a single harsh word outside. He was a little jealous of Xie Junling, who still called him "Brother Xie" in front of him, not daring to let him see any clues. Now he could only act arrogantly in front of Li Jiao, flaunting his masculinity. This was the downside of marrying far away. If Li Jiao's father and brother were both in Kyoto, Shen Yun's gentleness and consideration could probably have lasted a few more years. Now she was being bullied by someone with no one to support her. Even the Gu family seemed to have forgotten her and didn't even promote Shen Yun's official career, which made Shen Yun resent her even more.

In fact, Shen Yun was not motivated. If he had done better in the exam, Lord Gu would have had the confidence to give him a push. However, he did not do well in the exam, so how could he be promoted? If he was given a chance, he had to work hard to get it!

Li Jiao panicked at Shen Yun's response. Her freshly painted peony-red nails dug into her palms, and she thought of Lu Bao'er. She had also been married for so many years without children, so why didn't the Xie family see such chaos? Xie Junling, on the other hand, was so ambitious, rising so quickly that she and the others couldn't even reach him. Was it because the Xie family had no elders around that they could live such a carefree life? Li Jiao envied Lu Bao'er even more.

In fact, if Xie Junling was a sentimental person and there was no elder to supervise him, his wife's life would be the most difficult. It was thanks to Xie Junling's infatuation that Lu Baoer was so happy.

Cui was so anxious that after half a month, she brought her cousin's daughter, Cui Yuan, into the mansion. Shen Yun and Li Jiao were at loggerheads, and he, feeling annoyed, went into Cui Yuan's yard. Cui Yuan was a foodie, and she came to the Shen family simply to take advantage of their wealth and wealth, and she was bound to enjoy a good meal.

As Shen Yun entered the room, he smelled chili peppers. Seeing Cui Yuan adding chili peppers to her pork rib soup, he couldn't help but laugh, "Do you like spicy food?"

Cui Yuan blushed at the sight of such a handsome and elegant husband and nodded, "The chili here is delicious."

Shen Yun murmured: "Then you eat, I'll watch from the side."

"You...don't want to eat?"

"You, you, you really have no manners." Shen Yun threatened her, and Cui Yuan immediately shrank her head again.

Timid girls are always lovable. For Cui Yuan, someone like Shen Yun is the best of the best, and there is no one better.

What man doesn't like to be admired? Shen Yun was so attracted by Cui Yuan that he stayed in her courtyard every day, leaving Li Jiao's room deserted for several days.

Li Jiao couldn't contain her anxiety. She was afraid that Shen Yun had been bewitched by Cui Yuan. The old nanny beside her said worriedly, "Look at that demon in the yard. I'm afraid she's not going to be easy to deal with! If she gets her wish first and gives birth to a son out of wedlock, I'm afraid the old lady will keep both mother and child."

"Of course I know!" Li Jiao clutched her handkerchief tightly, "But what can I do?"

"I'm not sure if I should say this, but since you're the mistress of the house, you're the one who makes the decisions about the backyard. If you're worried her child might be a childless and bring chaos to the family, then what if she's harmed by drinking a bowl of safflower? You can just pick a few good-looking ones from our house and send them to me, my Lord. What do you think?"

Li Jiao naturally knew that Shen Yun treated Cui Yuan differently, as if he was deeply in love with her. She wasn't afraid of his amorous feelings, but she was afraid of his undivided love. If a person who was spoiled by undivided love had no children, it would be fine. But if he did, she was afraid that Li Jiao would have no place in the Shen family in the future!
Thinking this way, she took advantage of the fact that the old lady and Shen Yun were not at home, and angrily brought a group of people to force Cui Yuan to drink a bowl of safflower! She used a strong dosage, which hurt Cui Yuan's body but did not kill her.

When Cui arrived, she only blandly scolded Li Jiao for her cruelty, and then she gave up. She wanted a grandson, and now that Cui Yuan couldn't have children, she was naturally of no use to her. She didn't even mention the idea of taking a concubine.

Only Shen Yun had seen this incident before. It was like a bolt from the blue in broad daylight. He stood there in a daze. He never expected that the usually gentle and lovely Li Jiao would look like this!
Shen Yun could tell which was the principal wife and which was the plaything. He respected Li Jiao, and going to Cui Yuan was just to relax for a few days. Li Jiao had actually hurt Cui Yuan out of jealousy! She couldn't have children, and she wouldn't let anyone else have them. Wasn't that just jealousy?
Shen Yun was utterly disappointed and went to visit Cui Yuan. She was sweating profusely from the pain, but she still said weakly, "Master, please don't blame Madam. It was all my wishful thinking. I just wanted to be with you, Master. I never expected anything else."

Shen Yun, heartbroken, went to Cui Shi that night, insisting on taking Cui Yuan as his concubine. His thinking was sound: this way, he would repay Cui Yuan's kindness and demonstrate his loyalty. And if Cui Yuan were unable to bear children, Li Jiao wouldn't have much to say, right? Shen Yun, believing he had the best of both worlds, angered Li Jiao but played into Cui Yuan's hands.

Cui Yuan knew that even if she had a son, he would only be a bastard's son. What she wanted was Shen Yun's favor and his deep love for her. In this way, Cui Yuan could gain a foothold in the Shen family's backyard, and Li Jiao would no longer be able to control her, unless Li Jiao intended to completely lose her husband's heart.

&&&
The Shen family was in chaos, but the Xie family was as peaceful and close as usual.

When Lu Baoer learned about Xie Junling's promotion, she hurriedly asked the cook to add a few more dishes. She was not happy about Xie Junling's promotion, but she knew that Xie Junling's career was going smoothly and was simply happy for him.

As Xie Junling stepped out of the sedan chair, he saw Lu Baoer running towards him, lantern in hand. Worried that Lu Baoer might slip and fall, he scolded her, "Why are you so impatient?"

She's already in the right age, but she's still so childish. I wonder if the old nanny has taught her any manners.

Seeing Xie Junling's slightly furrowed brows, Lu Bao'er said with some dissatisfaction, "I'm happy to see my husband, but you're not satisfied with me coming to greet you with a lantern like this? If I were sitting in the main room with my legs crossed, eating melon seeds, and not bothering to pay attention to you, would you be happy?"

Xie Junling smiled when he heard this: "You still want to sit in the main room with your legs crossed and eat melon seeds? You speak so fluently, it's obvious that you do it a lot on a daily basis."

"No, I don't eat melon seeds on weekdays." Lu Baoer touched the tip of her nose and smiled awkwardly, "I eat pine nuts."

"..." Xie Junling sighed softly. Is there a big difference between the two?

He took Lu Baoer's hand and walked into the room. After everyone was seated, the maids brought a copper basin filled with warm water and handed it to Xie Junling to wash his hands and face.

During the meal, Lu Baoer diligently picked up a chicken leg for Xie Junling: "Husband, have this."

Xie Junling couldn't help laughing: "Why? I just got a promotion, and you're so virtuous as to give your favorite chicken leg to me? If I'm appreciated and promoted in the future, how will you reward me?"

Lu Baoer thought about it seriously and said, "If my husband has great fortune in the future, I will give you whatever you want."

"Oh? I don't know if you can afford it, yet you dare to speak so arrogantly."

"What is it that I can't afford?"

This sentence really stumped Xie Junling. He pondered for a long time but couldn't come up with an answer. The main reason was that Lu Baoer was too poor. She relied entirely on him to support her. It was as if she had nothing to give. No matter how much he gave her, wouldn't she still be Xie Junling's property?
But he was unwilling to be blocked by Lu Baoer in this way. Seeing that there was no one around, Xie Junling coughed lightly, and with a teasing thought, he said slowly: "Since you are going to give, why don't you give some benefits within your ability, Madam?"

"for example?"

"If Madam can't help herself, I will allow you to kiss her." Xie Junling said this shamelessly. His voice was very soft, but it had a seductive tone.

Lu Baoer was stunned. Was he asking her to kiss him?
Ah, she had previously thought that Xie Junling's lack of closeness to her meant he wasn't very good. Could it be that she had misunderstood? Xie Junling, very good?
　The comments section has been a bit discordant lately, which is a bit frustrating... Deng Deng worked really hard to write this book, as he couldn't even make ten yuan a day.

　　Moreover, it is clearly marked as fictional, yet some people still argue that this and that cannot be done in this era. We don’t even know which era it is, so how can we know that this and that cannot be done?
　　Don't be stingy with your monthly tickets and recommendation tickets, support Deng Deng as much as you can QAQ
　　
　
(End of this chapter)