Do You Know?: Rule the World

She rubbed her hands and said crisply, "Sister Xiaodie, did you get the charcoal? Did the maids find you when you left the house?"

"Don't worry, young lady. I will never make any mistakes when I do things."

Xiaodie smiled and carefully lifted the coarse cloth covering the bamboo basket.

Minglan stood on tiptoe to take a look and couldn't help but exclaimed, "Where did all this charcoal come from?"

Xiaodie made a gesture to keep quiet, led Minglan into the house, and lit the charcoal fire in the stove.

She came to Wei Xiaoniang and took out the remaining silver from her sleeve.

Wei Xiaoniang frowned, "Xiaodie, where did you get this silver?"

After Xiaodie explained what happened, she hurriedly stood up and took out her dowry bracelet.

"No merit, no reward. Tomorrow you will pawn the bracelet and return the silver to Master Zhao."

Wei Xiaoniang was originally from a noble family, but because her family fell into poverty, she had to sell herself to become a concubine in the Sheng Mansion in order to pay for her mother's medical treatment.

She was of aloof and aloof disposition, and was most reluctant to owe favors to anyone, especially to a young man she had never met before.

"My dear, this is your only dowry. You can't sell it!"

As she spoke, Minglan's eyes reddened as she snatched the bracelet away and held it against her chest.

Xiaodie knelt down in front of Wei Xiaoniang with a thud.

"My dear, it's only the beginning of winter, and the kitchen maids are already skimping on charcoal."

"If we return the silver in a while and it gets freezing cold, we won't have any charcoal to burn. What will we do if Miss Lin and Xiao Tao get frozen? Will Miss Lin call a doctor?"

"Besides, I'm pregnant now. It's one thing for me to not have enough to eat on a normal day, but what if I catch a cold?"

Minglan felt a pang of sadness in her heart. She stepped forward and hugged Wei Xiaoniang, crying, "We'll just have to wait until we have the money to return it to Master Zhao. Xiaoniang, I'm not afraid of the cold, I'm just afraid of freezing you and the little brother in your belly."

Wei Xiaoniang raised her hand and stroked her bulging belly, staring at young Minglan and Xiaotao.

After thinking for a while, she let out a breath.

"Well, Xiaodie, you keep the silver for now. We will return it to Master Zhao in the future no matter what."

Xiaodie nodded repeatedly: "I understand."

Minglan wiped away her tears, raised her eyes and asked, "Mother, why don't we go and ask Daddy for help? If Daddy knew, he would definitely make the decision for us."

Wei Xiaoniang's face changed slightly. She knew very well that it was Lin Qinshuang who caused her to be in this situation.

But Sheng Hong doted on Lin Qinshuang very much. Even if he knew about this, he would only give her a few simple reprimands, lift her up high and then put her down gently.

There is no guarantee that Lin Qinshuang will not make things even more difficult for them in the future.

Right now she just wants to live a peaceful life behind closed doors.

"Your father is busy with official duties and can't take care of the affairs of the harem. If you feel wronged, go to the old lady."

"I heard that they use silver bone charcoal over there, and they provide three meals a day."

Old Madam Sheng had a serious illness not long ago and nearly lost her life. The doctor suggested that Sheng Hong find a well-behaved and obedient child to raise with Old Madam Sheng. This would help her relieve her loneliness and provide her with spiritual comfort, which would naturally help her recover faster.

After Wei Xiaoniang learned about this, she wanted Minglan to serve Old Madam Sheng. She knew very well that she was just an unfavored concubine, and Minglan could only have a good future if she went there.

"No, I'm not going!"

Minglan refused loudly. She had never thought of leaving Wei Xiaoniang.

"If you don't want to go, then don't stir up trouble."

Minglan lowered her head, and listlessly pulled Xiaotao out of the house and sat on the steps under the corridor.

Xiaodie looked at Wei Xiaoniang and sighed softly, "She just feels sorry for me."

"If I can have a boy this time, he may not be inferior to Miss Lin in the future."

In terms of appearance and talent, Wei Xiaoniang far surpasses Lin Qinshuang.

Wei Xiaoniang shook her head. "What brothers and sisters? If the master had us in his heart, he would have come a long time ago."

"Right now I just hope this baby can be born safely."

Xiaodie said with a firm look in her eyes: "With this servant protecting me, I will definitely be able to do it."

Wei Xiaoniang took Xiaodie's hand and smiled gently.

On the other side, Lin Qinshuang's residence.

The candlelight flickered, the gauze curtains hung low, the newly added silver bone charcoal in the copper stove crackled, and a screen with eight-treasure peony branches separated the inside and outside.

Lin Qinshuang sat upright in front of the bronze mirror, wearing a peach-pink embroidered brocade skirt, her hair loosely tied behind her head, with a few delicate and small hairpins inserted diagonally. She had slender eyebrows and a beautiful face, and her eyes were gentle and calculating.

Zhou Xueniang, the personal maid, stepped into the inner room and said with her head lowered, "Just as I expected, they really can't hold on any longer."

"Lin Xiaodie just sneaked out of the corner gate carrying the stove charcoal. I sent someone to investigate in her courtyard and they said there was charcoal burning in the stove."

Lin Qinshuang raised her lips when she heard this, and said softly, "Now I have something on her."

"It won't be easy to take action against Wei Shuyi if we don't get rid of that bitch Liu Xiaodie."

Zhou Xuenniang nodded in agreement, "What I said is right. Liu Xiaodie is someone who refuses to suffer any loss."

"Today, she even went to the Madam's room to make a scene over charcoal. Fortunately, I got there in time, otherwise Madam Guan would have been unable to do anything to her."

Lin Qinshuang's eyes turned cold, and she snorted, "Let her run wild for a few more days."

She raised her hand and knitted her brows, then continued, "It's just that Wei's belly is really struggling. The doctor has said every time he takes her pulse that the fetus is stable. It looks like the due date is only two months away. We must come up with a way to save both lives with one body."

Zhou Xuenniang nodded in agreement, "You are right, my dear. I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse."

"I know your loyalty, and you will definitely get the benefits after the success."

"My lord didn't come so late, it seems he is staying in the lady's room tonight."

Lin Qinshuang turned her head to look at the sky outside the house. A hint of loneliness flashed across her eyes. She thought to herself that after getting rid of Wei Xiaoniang, she could compete with Wang Ruofu.

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Chapter 5: Catching a son-in-law

At this time, Sheng Hong had not yet been promoted to a Beijing official, and the Sheng Mansion in Yangzhou was only a three-courtyard residence.

In the east wing of the main hall, Sheng Hong was half-lying on the soft couch with his knees bent, holding a book in his hands, and occasionally picking up the teacup beside him, looking leisurely and contented.

Wang Ruofu took off her hairpins and rings with the help of Madam Liu, and wiped her face with a warm towel. She glanced at Sheng Hong and asked, "Master, are you not going to Lin's house?"

In the past six months, Sheng Hong has stayed in Lin Qinshuang's house for nearly twenty days a month.

Wang Ruofu was dissatisfied, but she was unwilling to lower her status as a lady to compete for favor with Lin Qinshuang.

Of course, she could never learn Lin Qinshuang's delicate and charming methods.

Sheng Hong closed the book and half-closed his eyes.

"Let me talk to you about Hua'er's marriage. You also met Zhao Han today. Are you satisfied?"

Wang Ruofu snorted.

"Brother Zhao is a handsome man, humble and polite. After meeting him today, I really can't find anything wrong with him."

"If Hua'er stood with him, they would look like a perfect match."

Wang Ruofu was not considered beautiful, but Hualan's appearance was exactly like Sheng Hong's, bright and charming, with a natural and smart appearance. If you look closely, you can see a bit of heroic spirit between her eyebrows.

Sheng Hong nodded in agreement. "I briefly probed Zhao Han, and he said he plans to discuss marriage after the imperial examination."

Wang Ruofu frowned and let Mother Liu take off her coat.

After a moment's silence, she said, "Sir, what do you think the chances are that Zhao's son will pass the imperial examination?"

"I asked Zhuang Xuejiu, and he said at least 90%."

Last year, Sheng Hong rescued an old lady named Lao An from being wrongfully imprisoned in Yangzhou. Coincidentally, her son was the highly respected and renowned scholar Zhuang in Bian Jing. Many noble families were willing to spend a large sum of money to hire him to preside over their clan schools.

In order to repay the kindness of saving his mother, and with Sheng Hong's three visits to his cottage, Zhuang Xuejiu showed his sincerity. He is currently teaching at the Sheng Mansion Academy.

Wang Ruofu was a little surprised. She pushed Mother Liu away and walked to Sheng Hong's side.

"Official!"

"Even Scholar Lian Zhuang is so optimistic about Zhao's son. We can't wait until after the imperial examination to discuss marriage with him!"

"If we were to catch a son-in-law from the popular list in Bianjing, and he gets snatched away by some noble family, wouldn't we all be left with nothing?!"

The Great Zhou Dynasty valued civil officials over military officials. If officials and wealthy gentry who came from military backgrounds wanted to quickly improve their family status, the best way was to establish connections with the civil officials.

Every time the results of the imperial examination were announced, they would rush to the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall to choose husbands for their daughters from among the newly-appointed Jinshi.

These people don't care about the parents' orders or the matchmaker's words, don't ask about the other party's family background, and don't even ask about their birth date.

Once they find someone they like, they will tie him up and bring him home, forcing him to marry their daughter.

Sheng Hong slapped his head, looked up at Wang Ruofu, and wondered how he could have forgotten about the matter of finding a son-in-law from the list.

"You have a point. Since we both like Zhao Han, I will tell him about this matter after I am done with this."

"As the year draws to a close, I'm not sure if I can get an excellent rating in this year's performance review."

Having said this, Sheng Hong looked up to the sky and sighed deeply.

This year marks his third year as the magistrate of Yangzhou.

Civil officials in the Great Zhou Dynasty were evaluated every three years, and military officials every five years. The evaluation criteria for local officials were "Four Virtues and Three Bests".

Four virtues: being virtuous and righteous, being clear and prudent, being fair and just, and being diligent and conscientious.

The three mosts: no unjust lawsuits and no tax disturbances are the most important in governing; farming, reclamation and water conservancy projects are the most important in encouraging education; eliminating evil and thieves and providing relief to the poor are the most important in supporting the people.

Those who perform well in the assessment can have their service years reduced or be granted preferential rank with a reduced service year.

Sheng Hong started out as a ninth-rank deputy governor, and nearly twenty years have passed in a flash.

During his three years in Yangzhou, he made friends with officials and gentry extensively and acted with caution.

If the assessment goes well, there is a high probability that he will be transferred to a Beijing official next year.

"Sir, you are diligent and responsible. Your hard work over the past few years will not be in vain. Besides, we have already taken care of the Ministry of Personnel."

"If you can successfully enter the Ministry of Revenue or the Ministry of Personnel this time, I can also hold my head high in front of my sister."