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

Chapter 66 Aunt Kang! (Two Chapters Combined)

Bianjing, right under the emperor's nose.

If you ask where the people with the best information are, the answer is undoubtedly the people of Bianjing (Kaifeng).

Benefiting from the wealth and status brought by power, the wives and noblewomen of officials in Bianjing (Kaifeng) paid the most attention to court affairs, and their news spread like wildfire throughout the land.

The slightest disturbance becomes common knowledge.

Lecture Hall Alley.

This place, adjacent to the Daxiangguo Temple, got its name because some teachers once opened lecture halls here.

Today, the lecture hall has long since disappeared, and only some pharmacies and cloth shops can barely maintain a certain flow of people.

Not to mention that it is far inferior to Quyuan Street, where literati and scholars often reside, it is also three points inferior to Jiying Lane on Xuanhe Street.

If there's anything noteworthy about the alley, it's probably that a family surnamed Kang lived there.

The wife of this official surnamed Kang was the eldest daughter of the late Grand Tutor Wang Youzhi, and came from a distinguished family.

Kangzhai.

"Bang!" A teacup was smashed.

"Look at you! How could I have been so blind to choose you?" Madam Kang pointed at her husband, who looked completely idle, her face full of disappointment and frustration.

“My brother-in-law, Sheng Hong, rose from a low-ranking official in the frontier all the way to Bianjing. What about you?”

Madam Kang scolded, "You spend your time hanging out with a bunch of scoundrels, and all you do is go to Guangyuntai to drink and patronize prostitutes. You're just a lowly eighth-rank official, do you have any sign of being capable of anything great?"

"Humph!"

Kang Haifeng glanced at his wife and snorted coldly, "Don't be unreasonable. I've only taken a few concubines."

Wang Ruo pointed an impatient finger and said, "If you were an ambitious person who would relieve me of worries about my children's future, I wouldn't utter a sound even if you took a thousand concubines."

You, a hypocrite, utterly useless and incompetent, yet you're eyeing my dowry. Is there any logic to that?

Kang Haifeng glanced at his wife. Even though he was an idle scoundrel, he knew that misappropriating a woman's dowry was a despicable thing.

Suddenly, his momentum weakened considerably.

Kang Haifeng turned to leave, but Wang Ruoyu persisted.

"Look at your pathetic state, what good are you?" A disdainful remark annoyed Kang Haifeng.

He slammed his teacup down and roared, "You're so capable! If you're so capable, why don't you curry favor with the young Grand Secretary and get him to promote me?"

After saying that, he strode away.

"You're hopeless!" Wang Ruoyu hissed, her eyes filled with resentment.

Compared to her younger sister Wang Ruofu, her starting point was much higher.

At that time, the parents chose two husbands for the two sisters.

One of them was Kang Haifeng. His father, Old Master Kang, was a fourth-rank official, someone who could easily wear a purple robe. Kang Haifeng himself was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), which was quite extraordinary.

They have both a powerful background and exceptional talent; they are clearly from a wealthy and promising family with a bright future.

As someone with connections, Kang Haifeng only needed to serve as an official in a local area for three years, and after going through some proper procedures, she could return to the capital. Marrying into that place wouldn't be a hardship for her at all.

One of them was Sheng Hong. His father was a third-ranked scholar in the imperial examinations, but unfortunately he died young and left no family fortune. His adoptive mother was the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Yongyi, who was quite wealthy. Sheng Hong himself was also a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).

However, compared to Kang Haifeng, Sheng Hong undoubtedly has no background.

The eldest daughter of the Marquis of Yongyi, she sounds like a noblewoman from a prestigious family.

However, what help can a woman provide in matters of officialdom?
Not to mention, she was a woman from a military family!
Once she marries Sheng Hong, who knows if she'll ever have the chance to return to the capital?

Sheng Hong was even forced to take up a post in a harsh and cold place; heaven knows how much hardship he would have to endure.
Kang Haifeng!
Sheng Hong!

The difference between the two is very clear.

As the favored daughter, Wang Ruo naturally had the right to choose first.

She chose Kang Haifeng.

Who would have thought that not long after she married into the Kang family, Old Master Kang passed away.

That’s all.

After all, Old Master Kang has been an official for many years and has a lot of connections. If Kang Haifeng knows how to make use of them, he may very well have a smooth career path.

As it turned out, Kang Haifeng was a lecherous and immoral man.

During his mourning period for his elderly father, he actually had an affair with a maid, and someone found out.

He was impeached by the censor and dismissed from office in one fell swoop.

Even if he later used connections to become an official again, he remained a low-ranking official for decades, never achieving any significant advancement in his position, showing no signs of wealth or power.

Perhaps knowing that his official career was destined to be unsuccessful, Kang Haifeng simply gave up and completely exposed his true nature, drinking and frequenting prostitutes every day.

That's bad enough, but he doesn't even make any money!
Having lost his money, Kang Haifeng even shamelessly set his sights on her dowry.

What kind of beast is this?

In contrast, Sheng Hong, who came from a humble background, worked his way up from the impoverished and cold regions to become an official in the wealthy Huaizuo area.

Today, he has even entered the capital to serve as an official.

His son-in-law was even the famous "Jiang Lang of Huaizuo" and "Little Grand Secretary"!
A few days ago, thanks to the Emperor's great favor, Jiang Zichuan served as an official for nearly a year and has already reached the rank of a fifth-grade official.

How promising is his future!
When the two sisters were choosing husbands, Wang Ruofu could only choose the ones she had left over. As a result, Sheng Hong's official career flourished. Wasn't this just a twist of fate?

"Sigh!" Wang Ruo sighed in annoyance.

Over the years, she has cultivated relationships with many prominent and wealthy women in an attempt to leverage her connections and try to improve Kang Haifeng's official position.

However, Kang Haifeng was so incompetent that he had no achievements whatsoever.

Having no relatives or friends and no political achievements, how could anyone possibly help me?

A husband's official position is basically the same as the circle of friends his wife makes.

If Kang Haifeng is not good enough, then naturally the circles she associates with will also be limited.

Occasionally, some noblewomen would associate with her, but they were all military officers' wives, like Madam Qin from the Ningyuan Marquis's mansion, and they were of no help whatsoever.

Wang Ruoyu's heart stirred slightly.

To curry favor with the young Grand Secretary?
Kang Haifeng's words served as a reminder to her.

Previously, before her younger sister went to Beijing, she couldn't easily use connections to find a "young grand secretary."

After all, her sister's daughter was not as stupid as her sister.

But that's not necessarily true now!
Perhaps it's time to try and leverage the connections of the young Grand Secretary.

They're all relatives; she's using her seniority to blackmail them, and she refuses to believe it won't have any effect.

As for Kang Haifeng's poor performance?
What kind of person is the young Grand Secretary? Even a casual spit or a few words from him can become a huge political achievement.

Just casually follow the young Grand Secretary to work on a couple of projects, and you'll have no trouble achieving political success?
Wang Ruoyu suddenly understood.

Shengfu.

A wooden cart carrying elm wood drove by.

Sheng Hualan, dressed in a light blue cross-collar ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), stepped down from the crowd, exuding a dignified and well-mannered air.

This time, she made a special trip back to her parents' home, firstly to present the imperial gift of brocade and share in the joy, and secondly to announce the good news.

She's pregnant!

Sheng Hualan moved with graceful, lotus-like steps, her skirt swaying slightly, as she hurried toward the main hall.

"Mother!"

Before she even got close, Sheng Hualan spotted Wang Shi and couldn't help but call out to her.

"Hua'er?" Wang Ruofu was surprised, but happily got up to greet him.

"Big sister." A little girl of five or six years old stood up and bowed, her round face adorned with a charming smile.

Sheng Hualan approached, bowed deeply to her mother, and then patted the little girl who had approached. This was her biological younger sister, Rulan.

Caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of her eye, Sheng Hualan couldn't help but feel a little puzzled and turned around to look.

"Hua'er, this is my older sister, your Aunt Kang," Wang Ruofu said with a warm smile as she introduced her to her daughter.

As she spoke, she looked at her older sister and said, "Sister, this is Hua'er."

Wang Ruofu felt proud that her eldest daughter had married well, and she spoke with more confidence.

Aunt Kang?
Sheng Hualan's brow furrowed slightly.

She didn't have a deep impression of Aunt Kang.

Aside from the occasional birthday celebration for her maternal grandmother, the two sides almost never meet.

When she got married last year, this aunt only sent some gifts through someone else and did not personally go to Huaizuo.

The few impressions I have are not good.

This Aunt Kang is far too snobbish.

Moreover, based on what she knew, her aunt did not have a good reputation.

"Aunt," Sheng Hualan said with a slight bow.

"Hualan".

Aunt Kang nodded slightly, displaying the demeanor of an elder.

Sheng Hualan raised her eyebrows slightly, turned around and sat down.

Aunt Kang is an elder, so it would be somewhat impolite not to return the gift, but it is not unforgivable.

"Hua'er, what brings you back?" Wang Ruofu asked, looking at her daughter.

On the one hand, she was very happy that her daughter had returned home.

On the other hand, it's not good for a woman to frequently visit her parents' home.

Previously, when Grandma He came to Beijing, her daughter made a special trip back to ask Grandma He to take her pulse in order to help her recover her health.

Now, only two months later, the daughter has returned to her parents' home again, which seems a bit too frequent.

Sheng Hualan smiled gracefully and waved.

Two maids carried some things in.

The wooden box contained some silk fabrics.

"This is a gift of silk from the Emperor to you. He feels sorry for me, so he asked me to take twenty bolts and send them over to make new clothes for my grandmother, father, mother, and my younger siblings," Sheng Hualan said with a smile.

"My goodness! A gift from the Emperor!" Sheng Rulan's little face was full of surprise. She stepped forward and took her older sister's hand in a flattering manner: "Big sister, I want to have two new clothes made. Can we not give Mo Lan's one to her?"

As the daughter of Lin Qinshuang, a favored concubine, Mo Lan's food, clothing, and daily necessities were all quite good, and there was no significant difference between the two.

Now that such rare things are available, Sheng Rulan naturally hopes to take as much as possible.

"Mo Lan is also a younger sister." Sheng Hualan affectionately patted Ru Lan and said softly, "Twenty bolts of cloth, plus some other fabrics, are enough to make ten fine dresses!"

"Ten items?"

Sheng Rulan did the math.

Grandmother, father, mother, second brother, third brother, Minglan.
That makes six items.

The father favored Mo Lan and Lin Xiao Niang, so they must both have one.

There are exactly two left!

"Mother, I want two items." Sheng Rulan pestered Wang Shi, twisting and turning.

Sheng Hualan smiled demurely.

How beautiful is the bond between a mother and her child!

This is the epitome of a woman's triumphant return home.

Unfortunately, an ill-timed remark interrupted everything.

"Oh dear!" Aunt Kang put on a fake smile, took Wang's hand, and said, "Sister, this is a gift from the Emperor. If I remember correctly, besides Hualan, your lineage has two other children, Changbai and Rulan."

"As for the children born to those concubines, in my opinion, there's no need to waste these fine things. Sister, I've never used the imperial silk before; perhaps you could spare four or five bolts so I could see it for myself."

Wang Ruofu hesitated, looking at the question.

Emotionally speaking, she has always been inferior to her older sister, and now that she has finally acquired something that her sister envies, she is bound to show it off.

Besides, the sisters are very close, so it wouldn't be unreasonable to share a few bolts of cloth.

However, Hua'er had just delivered it, and her sister asked for it in front of Hua'er, so how could she possibly agree?
On the left, Sheng Hualan's expression changed slightly.

This aunt is no pushover.

No wonder it has such a bad reputation!

“Mother, there are only twenty bolts of brocade, so we should use them sparingly. The master wants us to make new clothes, which is his good intention. But in my opinion, it would be better to save some of the cloth.”

Sheng Hualan said calmly, stroking Sheng Rulan's hair: "In the future, if my sister gets married, we still need to present the imperial brocade to make a good impression."

As a daughter, Sheng Hualan knew very well that her mother cared most about her children.

At this moment, however, he had no choice but to use this to manipulate his birth mother.

The imperial gift of brocade—this rarely seen aunt asked for four or five bolts of it right off the bat. Did she really think it was something as common as cabbage?
If it weren't for the official's successful career and the great favor he enjoyed, the Sheng family, being a small and humble household, would probably never have had the chance to even touch it in their entire lives.

Anything that is bestowed by the emperor is enough to prove its extraordinary nature.

Besides, she didn't just make things up.

She had originally intended for her mother to save the silk fabric so that it could be used to make a grand entrance when her younger siblings got married.

However, the appearance of Aunt Kang forced her to speak up immediately.

Just as Sheng Hualan had predicted.

Wang Ruofu, who had been hesitant about giving her sister the brocade, suddenly became much more determined upon hearing this.

“Sister, Hua’er is right. We should keep this brocade. When Changbai gets married or Rulan gets married in the future, we can use it to make a good impression and prevent others from looking down on us.”

When it comes to children, Wang Ruofu's "stupidity" disappears by seven-tenths.

To her, all children are precious, and parents who love their children plan far ahead for them.

She quickly packed up the cloth, except for four bolts which were sent to Shou'an Hall for the old lady and Minglan, she kept the rest.

Aunt Kang forced a smile, pretending not to care: "In the past, when Father was alive, I received many gifts from the Emperor. Since you, my sister, are so fond of a few bolts of silk, then keep them!"

I almost got my hands on the imperial gift.

pity!

Kang Wangshi looked at Sheng Hualan, her gaze shifting slightly.

This niece is no pushover either!
Wang Ruofu remained silent in response to her sister's words.

She was raised by her uncle's family from a young age, and in terms of parental affection, she was indeed not as much as her older sister.

Sheng Hualan is different.

Merely?

She glanced at her aunt indifferently, without saying anything.

As the saying goes, anything that is bestowed by the emperor becomes a rare and precious item.

Sometimes, the quality of items may not differ much.

However, the emphasis of "imperial gifts" is always on the name "imperial gift," not on the item itself.

My maternal grandfather once held a high-ranking position, but it wasn't for very long.

Aside from the possibility of receiving silk and brocade as a reward upon retirement, where would imperial gifts possibly appear out of thin air at other times?
Not to mention that since getting married, Uncle Kang has been a good-for-nothing and is not qualified to receive any rewards from the government.

(End of this chapter)