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

Chapter 13 Hua Lan!

October 23rd, noon.

The main gate of the Sheng residence was wide open.

A horse-drawn carriage drove by and slowly came to a stop.

Sheng Hong and his wife, Wang, hurriedly went to greet them.

"Oh, Brother Jiang!" Sheng Hong stroked his beard and smiled, then stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting: "It is an honor to have such a distinguished guest at our humble abode."

In recent years, Jiang Zhong has risen to the rank of fifth grade official. His official position has been promoted from sixth grade official (Censor and Judge) to fifth grade official (Supervisor of Criminal Justice), responsible for supervising officials in a certain area, handling the investigation and impeachment of officials in that area, and managing the performance evaluation of officials.

The weighting is beyond doubt!
Regardless of whether a marriage can be arranged, proper etiquette must be observed, and no offense should be taken.

"Yes, yes!" Wang Ruofu smiled.

"Haha, Brother Sheng!" Jiang Zhong returned the greeting with his hands clasped, and casually extended his sleeve: "This is my son, Jiang Zhao."

Jiang Zhong took a half step back, and Jiang Zhao stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Uncle Shengshi, Madam Wang."

Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu quickly looked him up and down.

Jiang Zhao was dressed in a white brocade robe with fine silver floral patterns, a crimson and white jade belt around his waist, and a delicate white jade pendant hanging from his waist. He was handsome, with slanted sword-like eyebrows, dignified appearance, and upright posture. Every move he made exuded the elegance of a scholar, and he also had a calm and reserved demeanor that came from years of holding a high position, making him very imposing.

So majestic!

Sheng Hong, being an official in the literati, was certainly startled, but remained completely calm on the surface.

Wang Ruofu, however, was different.

"Oh my!" Wang Ruofu practically wore the word "satisfied" on his face, beaming with joy: "Quickly, quickly, please come in."

Sheng Hong glanced at his wife subtly, then gestured and said, "Haha! Please!"

"Please." Jiang Zhong also extended his hand, and the group walked inside.

Upon entering the guest room, one sees an elderly woman with silver hair tied in a bun and piercing eyes, accompanied by a young girl in her prime and a boy of about twelve or thirteen.

Sheng Hualan, Sheng Changbai!
"Honorable guests, I am not very mobile and have failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me." As she spoke, Old Madam Sheng rose and slightly bowed.

The girl slightly bent her knees in a squatting salute, while the boy bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"You're too kind, ma'am," the three returned the greeting.

After the formalities were completed, the group took their seats.

"Haha!" At this moment, Sheng Hong pointed at the two and said, "My daughter is Hua Lan, and my son is Chang Bai."

This clearly indicates that the intention is to introduce this concept to young people.

Jiang Zhao stood up and said calmly, "Jiang Zhao, I am honored by the name bestowed upon me by my teacher, Zichuan."

As he spoke, he observed Sheng Hualan's appearance.

He had been behind his parents the whole time, and in order not to be impolite, he hadn't had a chance to look at the girl properly.

Even Jiang Zhao was taken aback upon seeing this.

The young girl had fair and delicate hands, moist red lips, and jet-black hair that cascaded down her back, tied with a ribbon. She wore a lotus-colored satin jacket embroidered with gold butterflies, and a light blue double-breasted long skirt with a soft, woven waist. A jade pendant with two fish was hanging from her waist. A hint of childishness could still be seen between her brows, but her gentle, virtuous, knowledgeable, and dignified temperament overshadowed everything else.

Knowledgeable and reasonable, dignified and poised!
To avoid being impolite, Jiang Zhao sat down naturally and stopped looking at him.

Before long, Jiang Zhong and Sheng Hong were chatting animatedly. Both were figures who had made their way in the officialdom, so they couldn't possibly let the conversation fall flat.

Hai and Wang chatted about their daily lives, their eyes occasionally glancing at Sheng Hualan and Jiang Zhao, both growing more and more satisfied with their appearance.

Lady Hai was a woman of the world; she had specifically written to her eldest son, urging him to return home for a arranged marriage, indicating that she had already arranged a meeting with Sheng Hualan long ago. A girl raised by the only daughter of the Marquis of Yongyi would be in no way inferior even among the noble ladies of Bianjing.

What's even more remarkable is that Sheng Hualan came from a humble background and had suffered hardships in her childhood. She is content and sensible, without a trace of arrogance, which is truly rare.

Wang need not say more; Jiang Zhao’s brilliance is too obvious, yet he shows no arrogance whatsoever. How could she be dissatisfied?
Jiang Zhao would occasionally chat with Sheng Changbai about reading and studying.

The group chatted amongst themselves, and the atmosphere wasn't too cold.

A moment later, seeing that the time was right, Sheng Hong stroked his beard and smiled: "Brother Jiang, I recently acquired a piece of calligraphy by a famous Tang Dynasty calligrapher. Would you like to go and take a look together?"

"Alright, alright." Jiang Zhong nodded, and the two walked towards the study.

"Oh dear! A few days ago, some fresh flowers were sent from our hometown of Youyang. Would you like to go and choose some, Madam?" Wang said.

Hai nodded repeatedly: "Then we really benefited from this!"

The two walked out.

"Changbai, help me to take my medicine." As soon as Old Madam Sheng spoke, the last two people in the hall also left.

Thus, only Jiang Zhao and Sheng Hualan remained, sitting on either side of each other.

The place suddenly became much quieter.

Sheng Hualan's ears turned red, her hands were on her lap, and she lowered her head, too nervous to speak.

Jiang Zhao was not surprised. She straightened her posture and asked calmly, "I have long heard that the Sheng family is a scholarly family. The old lady comes from the Yongyi Marquis's Mansion, and Madam Wang comes from the Grand Tutor's Mansion. May I ask what Miss Sheng studies in her spare time?"

"She has studied 'Admonitions for Women,' 'Instructions for Women,' 'The Analects,' and 'Mencius,' as well as poetry, books, the Four Arts and Ten Refined Arts. She is also skilled in weaving, embroidery, and clothing making. In her spare time, she also learns to manage farmland and shops." The girl spoke softly and gently, like a flowing stream.

As she spoke, Sheng Hualan quietly looked up, only to find that Jiang Zhao was also looking at her. She hurriedly lowered her head, her cheeks flushed.

"Won't it be boring?" Jiang Zhao asked again.

“It wasn’t boring either,” Sheng Hualan replied softly.

"Oh?" Jiang Zhao smiled gently: "I consider myself to have some talent for reading, but if I really read for a long time, it can get boring!"

Sheng Hualan was somewhat surprised: "Young Master Jiang is so accomplished, yet he finds reading uninteresting?"

"A promising talent?" Jiang Zhao smiled, looked at the dignified young woman, and said, "I am certainly promising."

In feudal society, when discussing marriage, one must not speak frivolously or improperly. Jiang Zhao could only try to liven up the atmosphere to a limited extent.

"Huh?" Sheng Hualan looked up in confusion. Wasn't this a compliment? Who would say they've accomplished something?
She looked up and saw the young man with a mocking expression.

After asking the two questions and looking up at him, Sheng Hualan realized that the young man was not difficult to get along with, and her tension eased considerably.

"Young master, you have traveled the world since you were young, and your reputation has spread throughout the two capitals and thirteen provinces. You are definitely a first-rate talent."

The woman was reserved and virtuous, but she couldn't allow the conversation to drag on for too long. Sheng Hualan carefully chose her words and asked softly, "Will you be going to the capital for the imperial examinations in February, young master?"

“Of course I will.” Jiang Zhao nodded.

Sheng Hualan lowered her head slightly: "Then this humble woman wishes you success in the imperial examination and all the best in everything."

Before he finished speaking, Wang Ruofu's personal maid stepped forward with a plate, gently placed it next to Jiang Zhao, and then respectfully withdrew.

"despair!"

The soft sound of the plate hitting the ground made the girl lower her head even further, her neck and the roots of her ears blushing even more, her fair hands reaching into her sleeves, tightly gripping her clothes.

She had calmed down a bit, but the sight of the jade hairpin and plate made her tense up again.

(End of this chapter)