Do you know: I should be fat and you should be thin!

"Xiao Zhu, prepare tea. Madam, have Xiao Qing bring Madam Sheng over. You go and show Fifth Sister around the mansion, and treat her well."

Yu Yanran didn't know what Madam Sheng wanted to see Zhou Ning for, so she answered and returned to the main hall. Soon after, Wang Ruofu and Liu Mama were led into the study by Xiaoqing!

"Madam Sheng, I apologize for any shortcomings in our hospitality as we meet in the study. Please have a seat! Xiao Zhu, bring tea!" Zhou Ning rose and bowed.

Wang Ruofu returned the greeting and said, "It doesn't matter where we talk, I'm just here to ask Brother Zhou some questions!"

"Please sit down. You are Changbai's mother, an elder. How can you ask questions while standing?" Zhou Ning stepped forward and urged him to sit down.

Wang Ruofu nodded in satisfaction and sat down. She glanced at Xiaozhu, who was serving tea, and Xiaoqing outside the door, and said, "You two can leave now. I'm used to being served by Aunt Liu!"

Zhou Ning understood and told the two women to leave and close the door.

With Liu's mother present, it wasn't like a man and a woman were alone together in a dark room.

"Zhou, did you say something to my Ru'er yesterday?" Wang Ruofu asked.

Zhou Ning thought to himself, "No way? The girl went back and told her mother? No wonder she came knocking on my door the next day. If Brother Changbai finds out I'm dating his sister, what will he do...?"

"I've said quite a bit. I wonder what Madam Sheng wants to ask?" Zhou Ning admitted.

Wang Ruofu asked, "You said you wanted Ru'er not to rush into marriage and to wait for you. Is that true?"

really......

"That's true!" Zhou Ning admitted.

Wang Ruofu bluntly asked, "What? You're planning to divorce your wife and marry my daughter, Ru'er?"

"How could that be? I never said that! Yanran is fine, she hasn't committed any of the seven grounds for divorce, I would never divorce her! Madam Sheng, don't slander me!" Zhou Ning said anxiously.

The Seven Grounds for Divorce:

1. Disobeying parents-in-law: This refers to a wife who is not filial to her parents-in-law and violates traditional ethics of filial piety. Even if the couple has a harmonious relationship, the husband can divorce his wife on this grounds if his parents-in-law are dissatisfied.

2. Childless: This refers to a wife who has not given birth to a son. The laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty clearly stipulate that a wife must be 50 years of age or older and childless in order to meet this condition for divorce.

3. Adultery: refers to a wife having an improper relationship with a man other than her husband, thus disrupting the bloodline of her husband's family.

4. Jealousy: This refers to a wife's jealousy of her husband taking a concubine. The Zhou Dynasty practiced a system of one husband and multiple concubines, and a wife's jealous behavior would be considered as disrupting family order and hindering the continuation of the family line.

5. Serious Illness: This refers to a wife suffering from a serious illness that may contaminate sacrificial offerings and affect the well-being of the family.

6. Gossip: This refers to a wife who is talkative, gossipy, and disruptive to family harmony.

7. Theft: refers to a wife's unauthorized use or private gifting of her husband's family property to others.

Wang Ruofu said displeasedly, "Then what do you mean? My father is worthy of being enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple! My mother-in-law is the only daughter of the Marquis of Yongyi! My father-in-law is a third-place scholar in the imperial examinations, my husband has become a Grand Master of the Palace, and my son has passed the imperial examinations and entered the Hanlin Academy! You want me, Ru'er, to be your concubine? Don't even think about it! Give up now!"

"Madam, calm down. Parents who love their children plan far ahead for them. If it were Lord Sheng who came today, I wouldn't say anything so heartfelt, since family honor is more important to him than the happiness of his wife and children. Please listen to my explanation, shall we?" Zhou Ning said.

Wang Ruofu already had some thoughts on his mind, and after learning about Zhou Ning's thoughts from Rulan last night, he was determined to get to the bottom of it today, so he listened to what Zhou Ning had to say.

Zhou Ning asked, "Madam, think about it. Sister Hualan was raised by the old lady. With such good looks and character, she still suffered daily mistreatment from her mother-in-law after marrying into the Earl's family. Even after giving birth to a son, her situation did not improve. Is this true?"

Wang Ruofu lowered her head slightly; this was her pain!

Zhou Ning continued, "Madam, think it over again. Fifth Sister's personality is most like yours. Even if she has the opportunity to marry into a wealthy family, can she endure being bossed around by her wicked mother-in-law? Even if she doesn't marry into a wealthy family and lets Lord Sheng choose a husband from among the successful candidates in the imperial examinations, to put it bluntly, you are a cautionary tale. Even if that poor scholar is successful and passes the examinations, what if he is like Lord Sheng, favoring his concubine over his wife and reversing the roles of legitimate and illegitimate children? You've suffered so much with Lin Xiaoniang; aren't you afraid Fifth Sister will suffer the same fate? Listen to me, a legitimate wife cannot guarantee marital harmony; the husband's favor is the only true measure. Lin Xiaoniang is a living example!"

Zhou Ning didn't take Wen Yanjing, this "phoenix man" (a man from a poor background who achieves success), seriously.

All I remember is that during his time in Quanzhou, he accepted at least three beautiful concubines as gifts from his superiors.

Sheng Rulan made a huge scene over this, and in the end, it was Sheng Changbai who made a special trip to Quanzhou to reprimand him, which temporarily curbed his momentum of taking more concubines.

He is indeed extremely talented, a standout in his family who rose through education, has clear life goals, and possesses the basic qualities to become a high-ranking official.

But without Sheng Rulan, the eldest daughter of the Sheng family, who had the connections and resources of the Sheng family to provide crucial support in her career and break down the resource barriers for those from humble backgrounds in the officialdom, how could she aspire to become prime minister?

Be a J8!

Even I, a time traveler, can't do that!

Everyone wants to be a "phoenix man" (a man from a poor background who achieves success), and everyone has to rely on their own abilities!

"That's enough! Stop talking about my family! She's just a concubine after all, and this concerns the reputation of both the Sheng and Wang families. I can't make that decision on my own," Wang Ruofu said.

If she were the principal wife, she could arrange a marriage for her daughter directly. But being a concubine is not a good thing; people would laugh at her, and it might even affect her son's career. She couldn't make the decision alone.

"I have my own plans for this, and I will inform you later. Let me first tell you about my situation. I am a humble young man, nearly 16 years old. Two years ago, I was fortunate enough to become the top scholar in the imperial examination and am currently holding the rank of fifth-grade official. In my generation, my parents died early, and I have no other relatives left. My eldest wife is the most gentle and modest. I can guarantee that if my fifth sister can give birth to any children for me, they can all be adopted by my eldest wife and become my legitimate children, and they can continue to be raised by my fifth sister! Although my fifth sister is a concubine, I will give her this house worth 60,000 strings of cash as part of her dowry, and it will be put into her name so that she can rely on it. In addition, there is a precedent in this dynasty. If a concubine has made special contributions to the family (such as Xiao Zou Shi relying on the favor of the late mistress), when I am in a high position of power, I will request the court to grant her a special title, making an exception for my fifth sister! I will do all of these things, and we can draw up a written agreement! If I fail to do any of these things, and my fifth sister wants to return to the Sheng family, I will definitely let her go!" Zhou Ning guaranteed.

Wang Ruofu stood up in surprise and said, "Are you telling the truth? You're not lying to me?"

"Brother Changbai has always been upright, and we are on good terms. What do you think?" Zhou Ning said.

Wang Ruofu nodded and said, "But this matter is not easy to handle. My husband may not agree." She understood Sheng Hong.

"Regarding Mo Lan, the Sheng family owes me an explanation, and Lord Sheng dares not refuse! But threatening me would damage my relationship with my brother Chang Bai. I am prepared to ask for a favor and be granted permission to take a concubine! It will take some time, but soon, at most a year and a half! I will definitely come to their door with the imperial decree! Will the Sheng family still dare to defy the imperial decree?" Zhou Ning asked.

"By imperial decree, I am taking a concubine..."

Wang Ruofu and Aunt Liu have left; they need to calm down!

That evening, Wen Yanjing visited the Sheng residence again. He arrived at the rockery where Rulan often met with him in secret, but after waiting for a long time without seeing anyone, he was greeted by magpies!

"Young Master Wen, my fifth young lady said that you should not write any more poems to her in the future. These letters are returned to you!"

Wen Yanjing accepted it with a smile, maintaining his composure, and returned home, where he punched the table to tickle it.

"Damn it! Who ruined my plans? Just you wait!"

......