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

Chapter 55 Sheng Hong Benefits from the Opportunity!

Huai Zuo is a famous city, and Zhu Xi is a beautiful place.

Prefectural Office, Mu Cang Zhai.

Grandma Sheng held a bowl of ginseng tea and blew on it. There was a little girl of about six years old under her knees. She had her hair in two buns with plain hair ties, and wore a short jacket with narrow sleeves. She looked relatively simple and elegant, and her manners were clever and well-behaved.

"Tomorrow, I've had some mutton prepared. Eat more of it later to nourish your body." Old Mrs. Sheng put down her teacup, her eyes filled with love and tenderness as she looked at the little girl.

A six or seven-year-old girl, who should be innocent and carefree, unfortunately lost her mother. Although she is clever and quick-witted, her every move also carries a subtle sense of careful flattery.

That's so pitiful!
"Thank you, Grandmother." Sheng Minglan bowed respectfully, her obedient demeanor heartbreaking.

Grandma Sheng sighed, about to say something, when a figure walked into the hall—it was Sheng Hong.

At this moment, Sheng Hong walked in with a look of joy on his face, stroking his beard and holding his head high, his every move revealing a sense of high spirits.

"A letter has arrived from Bianjing?" Old Madam Sheng raised Sheng Hong and knew that he was cautious by nature and rarely had such a spirited demeanor.

If nothing unexpected happens, it's probably because he's been promoted and his career is going smoothly.

"Mother has such discerning eyes." Sheng Hong stroked his beard and smiled, then approached, adjusted his robes, and bowed.

"Zhao Ge'er was a top scholar in the imperial examination and followed the orthodox path of the Hanlin Academy. Last year, a political struggle in the imperial court involved changes in the position of Grand Secretary, and even some minor details were reported to Yangzhou, which shows how dangerous it was."

Old Madam Sheng's usually cloudy eyes became unusually clear as she slowly said, "After this political struggle, she became famous throughout the officialdom and even earned the title of 'Little Grand Secretary'."

"In less than a year, he was promoted twice and is now wearing the red robe, which shows that he is favored by the emperor and is favored by the emperor. He is also the disciple of Prime Minister Han, which makes him even more extraordinary."

Grandma Sheng glanced at Sheng Hong and raised her eyelids: "Putting aside the affairs of the inner quarters, you are certainly not a problem in your official career. As a father-in-law, you are quite competent. Zhao-ge'er will naturally not mind helping you."

"Mother is absolutely right." Sheng Hong was pleased and automatically ignored the messy things implied by the sentence "Let's not talk about the affairs of the inner quarters for now."

He was well aware of his own actions of favoring his concubine over his wife.

However, the greatest difficulty for people is recognizing their own mistakes, and Sheng Hong was no exception, choosing to ignore them on his own.

"Zhao'er started as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, and later became a compiler in the Hanlin Academy and a secretary to the Crown Prince. Now, she holds the fifth rank and serves as a reader in the Hanlin Academy, standing by the Emperor's side to explain the classics and offer advice. Her future is truly limitless."

"As the father-in-law, it's understandable that I might benefit a little from this."

Sheng Hong was filled with joy and relief.

Ultimately, it would have been very difficult to arrange Hua'er's marriage if he hadn't been running around doing all the legwork.

"What position will you be holding in Beijing this time?" Old Madam Sheng asked.

As a woman, even though she came from the Yongyi Marquis's family, she was not particularly knowledgeable about politics.

However, having come from a noble family, she has a much broader perspective and a higher level of understanding. She has even been to the palace and knows some of the common rules in officialdom, which does not prevent her from occasionally giving Sheng Hong some advice.

"According to the established practice of the official career path, local officials who are transferred to the capital should be either demoted or transferred to the same level."

Sheng Hong pondered for a moment and said, "Zhao'er means that I should first enter the capital as a sixth-rank official and serve as a Chengzhilang or Shangshutai, both of which are sixth-rank positions. After serving for a period of time, I will be transferred to the fifth-rank position of Libu Yuanwailang."

"Hmm." Old Madam Sheng nodded and praised, "Zhao-ge'er is always the most reliable and dependable when it comes to handling things."

"Master Han once served as Minister of Rites, and there are probably some of his former subordinates in the Ministry of Rites. If you go there, you can avoid the treacherous struggles in Bianjing."

The news that the emperor had been childless for eight years and that a prince in Bianjing was willing to take a chance had already spread throughout the land.

If it weren't for Jiang Zhao's connection, Sheng Hong would probably have had to pull strings in the relatively quiet Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Justice.

The Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Revenue—these three ministries wielded immense power and influence, making them highly sought-after by princes. Those without connections, seeking to avoid disaster and infighting and remain uninvolved in the struggle for the throne, were left with only less important, sinecure positions. However, with Jiang Zhao, the "Young Grand Secretary," as his son-in-law, everything changed dramatically.

"I understand," Sheng Hong replied respectfully.

As the saying goes, "Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure."

Sheng Hong always selectively listened to and considered the old lady's words.

Since it concerned the inner quarters of the household, it was naturally glossed over.

When it comes to official positions, one must listen to every word and take it seriously.

"Since you're going to the capital, you'd better handle things properly in the inner quarters." Old Madam Sheng patted Sheng Minglan's head and reminded her, "Bianjing is not like Yangzhou. In Yangzhou, you were a sub-prefect, the third most powerful person in the area, and because you had good connections, no one reported you."

“But Bianjing is different. The people in the Censorate and the Remonstrance Bureau are eager for political achievements, but they are also watching the private morality of officials. If there are any more disturbances in the inner quarters, you may not be able to keep your official position.”

It is not uncommon for women to fight for their lord's favor within the inner quarters.

However, it's rare to see a domestic feud that results in a life-or-death struggle.

Because Sheng Minglan was still a child, the old lady of the house stopped there.

Regarding official positions, she believed that Sheng Hong could clearly understand her meaning.

As expected, when the topic of official positions came up, Sheng Hong immediately became serious, and the joy on his face faded, replaced by a more solemn expression.

"Don't worry, Mother."

"Hmm." Old Mrs. Sheng nodded and said nothing more.

Sheng Hong stood up, about to bow and leave, when he remembered something.

"Mother, Hua'er and Zhao'er have been married for almost a year, but there's still no sign of pregnancy."

Sheng Hong looked troubled.

A newlywed couple who have been childless for almost a year is not a good thing.

Generally speaking, society has a period of tolerance for newlywed wives, allowing them not to become pregnant and preventing their husbands from taking concubines.

This period generally lasts about a year and a half.

For about a year and a half, the main purpose was to ensure that the eldest son was the eldest son.

The eldest son is divided into legitimate eldest son and illegitimate eldest son. The first son of the ruler is the eldest son.

If the eldest son is an illegitimate son, the legitimate eldest son who will inherit the family business will inevitably lag behind the illegitimate eldest son in terms of height and knowledge for a considerable period of time, making it difficult for him to establish the authority of the future head of the family.

Now, Jiang Zhao and Sheng Hualan have been married for almost a year, but Sheng Hualan is still not pregnant. How can people not be anxious?
Grandma Sheng pondered for a moment.

“I have an old sister who married into the He family in Baishitan. The He family has been physicians for generations, and my old sister is a gynecologist.”

Grandma Sheng said, "Once you arrive in the capital, I will ask her to come over under the pretext of being ill, and then let Hua'er go home to visit her so that we can see what the problem is."

Sheng Hong felt relieved and turned to leave.

Even though his son-in-law was already there to back him up, he still had to bribe officials at all levels when it came to promotions.

At the very least, one should be sensible in terms of being a decent human being.

(End of this chapter)