Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 12: Arranging a Marriage by Inserting a Hairpin!

Yangzhou, Tongpanfu, Mucangzhai.

This is the courtyard where the only daughter of Marquis Yongyi, the old lady of the Sheng family, lives.

Inside the hall, Old Madam Sheng held a bowl of ginseng tea, her face kind and gentle. Below her sat a young girl in her prime, her hands gently resting on her lap.

Sheng Hualan, the eldest daughter of the Sheng family!
At this moment, she seemed somewhat awkward in her demeanor.

Finally, she mustered her courage and said, "Grandmother, it is said that the famous Young Master Jiang has set off from Xiangzhou, intending to return home to consider marriage prospects?"

Originally, marriage was arranged by parents, and women should remain reserved and not ask too many questions.

Ultimately, it's a matter of life and death, so who can remain calm and ignore it?

It is often said that a woman's marriage is a new beginning, and this is no exaggeration. No matter how bitter or smooth a woman's life may have been as a young girl, marriage can change everything.

If you meet the right person and experience hardship, your life will be smooth and carefree; if you meet the wrong person and experience smooth sailing, your life will turn into hardship.

Both types of conversions are commonplace.

Now that she is about to face a life-changing event, how could Sheng Hualan not care?
The girl looked at her grandmother, her face flushed with shyness, but she did not bow her head.

"Your mother told you that?" Old Mrs. Sheng put down her teacup.

"Mm." Sheng Hualan nodded.

She naturally paid close attention to this matter.

Old Madam Sheng pondered for a moment, then took the girl's hand and said, "When it comes to marriage, it's naturally best to be well-matched in terms of social standing. This way, both husband and wife will have confidence, and neither of them will have to be subservient. However, you are the eldest daughter of the main wife and the first child of the Sheng family to be involved in marriage. According to the marriage customs of our dynasty, the first child involved in marriage should ideally be placed in a higher social class."

Sheng Hualan nodded, letting outsiders know that she, as the older sister, had married into a higher social class, which would undoubtedly give her younger siblings more options for marriage in the future.

Otherwise, outsiders would see that if the eldest daughter cannot marry into a high-ranking family, it would mean that the family's children are not outstanding, and the marriage prospects of the younger siblings would be significantly narrowed.

"Originally, your father intended to marry the second son of the Earl of Zhongqin's family. The Earl of Zhongqin's family has been in decline for a long time, and the Sheng family, being a respectable family, could barely be considered a match for him," said Old Madam Sheng. "However, ever since Madam Hai mentioned Jiang Dalang's matter, your father, to show his sincerity, has already rejected the Earl's family."

"A nine-year-old scholar, a fifteen-year-old graduate, and the eldest son of the Jiang family of Huaizuo, with the blood of the Hai family of Jiangning in his veins." Old Madam Sheng sighed, "Just in terms of background and talent, he is already first-rate. If we really compare, the Sheng family is far from being able to reach his level."

"What's more, he also has a teacher who is a second-rank official." Even Old Madam Sheng couldn't help but sigh, "Such a person is one of a kind, even if you look at the whole world."

She came from the Yongyi Marquis's family and had also served in the palace, so she was definitely well-informed.

But the more this was the case, the more clearly Old Madam Sheng understood just how rare such a person was.

“Logically speaking, it would be difficult for someone like you to be chosen.” Since both grandmother and granddaughter knew this, Old Madam Sheng had no reservations and wasn't afraid to discourage her granddaughter: “The Sheng family is a scholarly family, while the Earl's mansion is a military family. You are the eldest daughter, and you could barely qualify as the second son of the Earl's mansion, but Jiang Dalang is different.”

Is there a big difference between Jiang Dalang and the second son of the Earl's family?
It's huge!
Firstly, there is a significant difference in their family backgrounds.

Military officers and nobles could inherit their titles and honors indefinitely, sharing the fate of the nation and enjoying generations of wealth and prosperity. Civil officials could do the same.

A local tyrant, a powerful figure in the region!
This refers to the hereditary and perpetual rule of civil officials, who share the fate of the nation.

A region whose ancestral home is not under the emperor's jurisdiction can be considered a local tyrant.

However, even local bullies have their differences.

Local bullies are in one tier, while those in prosperous areas are in another.

Ordinary local bullies are naturally no match for the Earl's Mansion, but the local bullies in Yangzhou are different.

The Huai River region has always been prosperous, and this can be seen from the composition of high-ranking officials in the three major families of Yangzhou throughout the ages.

When the three families were combined, the number of officials of the third rank in the capital was continuous, often consisting of one official of the third rank and two officials of the fourth rank.

Even in this generation, Jiang Zhao's grandfather, Jiang Zhi, was a figure who was firmly in the third rank.

What is this concept?
Both are powerful local families of civil officials who live and die with the nation, and they are prosperous and powerful. How can they be compared to the impoverished earl's mansion in the mere capital?

Even earls and marquises are divided into those who are down on their luck and those who are rich, but none of the local bullies are poor, nor are any of them truly down on their luck.

Or rather, the poor and down-on-their-luck have long been replaced and are no longer local bullies.

Secondly, there is the inherent difference between Jiang Dalang and the Earl's second son.

One was a renowned scholar from Huaizuo, while the other was a nobody among the noble sons of Bianjing. The difference between them was too obvious.

Furthermore, there is a difference between civil officials and military generals; civil officials are of a higher rank and are more powerful than military generals.

Furthermore, there is a difference between the eldest son and the second son. Jiang Dalang will be able to inherit the family business in the future, while the second son of the Earl's Mansion, to put it bluntly, has no right to inherit the title. At most, he will only get a small share of the family business when the family is divided.

This is why the eldest daughter of a sixth-rank official in the Sheng family was able to marry into an earl's household.

The reason is simple: the person marrying into the family is not the eldest son, but the second son, neither of whom are considered core figures in the Earl's household. This is also a common method of marrying into a family of humble origins: the core child of a lesser family marries a non-core child of a more prominent family.

The difference between the two is enormous, involving every aspect!
"Hua'er, this is a matter of fate." Old Madam Sheng said earnestly, "Originally, with Jiang Dalang's talent and family background, his first choice for marriage should have been the eldest daughter of one of the six ministers or a cabinet minister, in order to gain the support and assistance of his wife's family. However, a few years ago, when Lord Han was demoted and fell into disgrace, Jiang Dalang had the opportunity to become his apprentice, and thus a master-disciple relationship was formed."

Now that Lord Han has been reinstated, it's best not to rely on two families, and Jiang Dalang shouldn't associate with other high-ranking officials. The daughters of the Six Ministers and Cabinet ministers are actually unsuitable for him.

"Moreover, Jiang Dalang's mother was a noblewoman from the Hai family of Jiangning. The Hai family rule was that a husband could only take a concubine if he had no children by the age of forty. This meant that Hai had lived a life of pampering since marrying into the Jiang family, with a loving husband and successful children. Such a pampered person must have never suffered hardship, and would certainly be broad-minded and not the kind of mother-in-law who would make things difficult for her daughter-in-law," said Old Madam Sheng.

Sheng Hualan nodded.

Suddenly, she became quite nervous again and asked, "Then how does one assess someone?"

"This is something your father will have to decide on," said Old Madam Sheng, shaking her head. The specifics still needed to be discussed between the two families.

"Let's discuss marriage through hairpins." The speaker was a middle-aged man with a dignified appearance and an air of authority and refinement, who was walking into the hall.

“Father.” Sheng Hualan quickly stood up and bowed.

Sheng Hong stopped what he was doing and bowed to Old Madam Sheng, saying, "Mother."

"All sit down."

Sheng Hualan asked in surprise, "Father, is this a marriage proposal?"

“Exactly.” Sheng Hong nodded with a smile.

The so-called "marriage proposal by hairpin" means that the two families gather together under the guise of a meal, and the man and woman who intend to get married take the opportunity to meet, talk politely, and ask some questions, accompanied by their adults.

If the woman is satisfied, she will have someone bring a plate to the man, on which either a hairpin or a hair ornament is placed.

If the man is satisfied at this point, he will take out a hairpin or hair ornament and insert it into the woman's hair.

If one party is dissatisfied and the marriage cannot take place, consider it as a gathering, a social obligation, and it won't damage the relationship.

At least it looks presentable.

"What should my daughter do?" Sheng Hualan was very nervous.

She wasn't an ignorant person, and naturally she knew she had to set a good example for her younger siblings.

The Jiang family of Huaizuo is a prominent clan in Huainan. Marrying into their family would definitely be considered a high-status marriage.

Jiang Zhao, on the other hand, is an extraordinary person.

Such a marriage would surely bring her a life of wealth and prosperity, and she naturally wanted to seize the opportunity. However, women are expected to be reserved and virtuous, and she didn't know how to leave a good impression on others.

Grandma Sheng smiled and said, "I raised you myself. Apart from your humble origins, your manners and upbringing are no less than those of the noble ladies in the capital. You will naturally behave the same way when it comes to marriage negotiations."

Sheng Hualan nodded slowly, still nervous.

Grandma Sheng smiled peacefully, but did not offer any reassurance.

Women, this day will come eventually!

Yangzhou, riverbank.

The setting sun casts its slanting rays, and twilight gently envelops the scene.

Merchant ships docked at the shore, and people came and went.

One of them stepped forward; he was tall and had an extraordinary bearing.

Jiang Zhao looked around, his eyes filled with nostalgia: "Five years!"

"Big brother."

A joyful exclamation rang out, drawing the attention of many.

It was a seven or eight-year-old child, dressed in a brocade robe, running quickly toward the riverbank.

Behind the child was a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy in a brocade robe, also looking delighted. The two looked quite similar.