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

He was like a teacher and a father to me!

The key point is that the young Grand Secretary is also capable, seemingly poised to "surpass his master."

The master and disciple were destined to be together!

Upon realizing this, many high-ranking officials looked towards Sheng Hong at the end.

That old guy, he's really lucky!

Chapter 202 The Feast for Noble Ladies!

On the Laba Festival, people worship gods, pray for a good harvest, and celebrate universally.

All officials who were qualified to attend court were allowed to participate in the gathering at Jinming Pond.

However, in addition to the civil and military officials, the women in the inner quarters also had to celebrate the festival.

As a paragon of "feminine virtue," the Empress, as the mother of the nation, naturally took it upon herself to host the "Banquet for Noble Ladies" on behalf of the Emperor, entertaining the female relatives of the powerful and wealthy.

Compared to the Imperial Banquet at Jinmingchi, the Banquet for Noble Ladies was much smaller in scale.

Only wives of officials who were granted a pardon and titles, as well as wives of high-ranking officials, were qualified to enter the palace to attend the gathering.

Occasionally, princesses and imperial concubines would also be seated, highlighting the high level of etiquette and protocol.

A rough estimate suggests that only thirty or forty people are qualified to take a seat.

Fushou Palace.

The wives of high-ranking officials and noblewomen gathered here one by one.

The Empress Dowager sat at the head of the table, while Empress Gao sat at the left.

The remaining wives of high-ranking officials and their husbands took their seats in an orderly fashion, according to their titles and their husbands' official ranks.

One person, one seat, stretching for several meters.

Centered around the Empress Dowager and the Empress, the wives of noble ladies and high-ranking officials each had their own small circles, where they would chat from time to time.

At the head of the table, the Empress Dowager took a sip of tea, her gaze shifting slightly as she looked down at a gentle woman below.

"I've heard that Madam Sheng burns incense and prays to the gods every day?"

The banquet for noblewomen was attended by the wives of powerful and influential officials.

There are essentially two purposes behind banquets held in the imperial court:

Firstly, to celebrate the festival.

Secondly, it was to cultivate relationships with the wives of powerful officials and dignitaries, thereby better consolidating power within the court.

As a minister in charge of 300,000 border troops and overseeing all military and political affairs in Xihe and Shaanxi, Jiang Zhao was undoubtedly a first-rate high-ranking official.

In terms of power, he is absolutely number one after the cabinet!

As Jiang Zhao's first wife, Sheng Hualan was undoubtedly a titled lady who received special attention from the Empress Dowager and the Empress.

"What Your Majesty says is very true."

Sheng Hualan solemnly replied, "My lord serves the frontier and shares the burdens of the court. I, your humble servant, can only offer incense and prayers, praying for the safety of the soldiers and victory in the war."

"Gentle, kind, frugal, knowledgeable, and reasonable, she is truly a virtuous wife." The Empress Dowager nodded, lavishing praise upon her.

Not long after the old emperor's death, she lost her mind and even had the desire to rule from behind the curtain.

If it weren't for Jiang Zhao's meticulous planning, she and the new emperor would definitely have fallen out, resulting in more harm than good.

"Young Madam Sheng, are you also burning incense and praying for blessings?" The Empress Dowager looked at a seventeen or eighteen-year-old bride at the end of the table and smiled.

The banquet for noblewomen did not include all women who held official titles.

Occasionally, the wives of high-ranking officials who did not hold official titles would also receive invitations from the imperial court.

As the principal wife of Marquis Ningyuan, Gu Tingye, Sheng Minglan did not have an official title, but she was still entitled to be seated at the banquet.

Two women surnamed Sheng suddenly appeared in the top elite circles, and they were even sisters.

To make them easier to distinguish, Sheng Hualan was referred to as "Madam Sheng," while Sheng Minglan was referred to as "Little Madam Sheng."

Many of the noble ladies glanced at Sheng Hualan and Sheng Minglan.

In the past year or two, the Sheng sisters, Sheng Hualan and Sheng Minglan, have become the focus of attention in the circle of noblewomen and wives of officials.

If you ask why, it's because they're both incredibly lucky!

In this world, it's not uncommon for women to marry up, marry at the same level, or marry down.

Marrying up is a gamble for wealth and status, marrying into a powerful family that is not considered "core" to bring honor to one's maternal clan.

Marrying someone of equal social standing is considered a good match.

Marrying down is a way to gain control over the husband's family, avoid being bullied by a wicked mother-in-law, and live a comfortable life.

Among them, marrying at the same level and marrying down are both conventional marriage methods.

Marrying into a higher social class is the most complicated affair.

Everything comes at a price. A woman who marries into a wealthy family is almost destined to be subservient to her husband and subject to the scolding and guidance of her mother-in-law.

Unfortunately, both Sheng Hualan and Sheng Minglan were incredibly lucky.

She married someone truly fortunate.

Not only do they not have to suffer from their mother-in-law's lectures, but they can also hold great power and live a comfortable life.

Countless noble ladies secretly envied and were jealous of him.

"My wife is terrified."

Sheng Minglan bowed and replied, "My lord has received the Emperor's favor, and it is his duty to serve the country. I have no ability to serve in the army, so I can only burn incense and pray to the gods that the royal army will defeat the invaders and secure the borders, and that the soldiers will return safely in triumph."

"The Sheng family is full of virtuous wives. Doctor Sheng is truly adept at raising his daughters!"

The Empress Dowager nodded with pleasure and waved her hand, saying, "Recently, I received a gold hairpin and a jade hairpin, which I will present to my virtuous wife."

Before they could finish speaking, a palace maid approached and presented the two women with a sandalwood box.

The Empress Dowager continued, "In the future, assisting your husband well will be the best way to serve the court."

Sheng Hualan and Sheng Minglan bowed in unison: "Your humble servants thank Your Majesty."

"Ah."

The Empress Dowager nodded with satisfaction and gestured to the two of them, indicating that they did not need to go through the complicated formalities.

Many of the noble ladies exchanged glances, their faces showing sudden realization.

Gold hairpins and jade hairpins were presented to the Empress Dowager almost immediately upon her request.

Judging from the reaction time, they must have been preparing to bestow the reward long ago.

In other words, no matter what Sheng Hualan and Sheng Minglan say, they will receive the favor of a gold hairpin and a jade hairpin.

Of course, this is not surprising.

Firstly, the social circle of noblewomen consists almost entirely of women in their forties and fifties, with very few newcomers.

It's not surprising that the Empress Dowager intended to show favor to the newlyweds at the banquet for noblewomen and to get to know them a little better.

Secondly, both of their husbands were important ministers of the state.

If nothing unexpected happens, the title "Jiang Zhao, the young Grand Secretary," will definitely be removed.

Judging from the official's words and actions, he was highly relied upon and trusted.

If Jiang Zhao had not submitted a memorial to the late emperor and presented the secret method for establishing an heir, the emperor would never have been able to ascend the throne.

Jiang Zhao was the one who led the discussions on "good grandson" matters, the training in Xihe, and the lessons in the palace.

Rather than saying that Grand Chancellor Han Zhang and several Grand Secretaries were regents, it would be more accurate to say that Jiang Zhao was the true regent.

To put it bluntly, it was only natural that Jiang Zhao would enter the cabinet and even assume the position of Grand Chancellor.

It would be truly strange if he were merely admitted to the cabinet without being promoted to Grand Chancellor.

In other words, Sheng Hualan's husband is almost certain to become a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, or even the Grand Chancellor!

These cannot be simply summarized by the term "important minister".

Marquis Ningyuan, Gu Tingye, was one of the three top military leaders.

During the Hee-ha period, each of the five members of the royal family had a "superior".

Coincidentally, Gu Tingye was the emperor's superior, so the two must have spent a lot of time together.

He possessed the merit of expanding territories, was a military general promoted by the Grand Secretary, and had the Emperor's trust.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Gu Tingye could even contend for the title of the top military general.

The Junior Grand Secretary and the Marquis of Ningyuan were both trusted and important ministers of the new emperor.

It is only natural for the Empress Dowager to show favor to the wives of both of them.

The two women accepted the reward respectfully, drawing envy from many noblewomen.

Such a young lady of high rank, she is truly living a life of unparalleled glory!

Empress Dowager Cao smiled, glanced at Empress Gao, and a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes.

Empress, why don't you take this opportunity to bestow gold and silver jewelry upon her?

Although the matter of recommending relatives of the empress to enter the border region has not yet come to a conclusion, a result has already been reached.

The emperor withstood the pressure, which meant that the attempt to bring relatives of the empress into the border region was doomed to fail.

Fortunately, as the Empress Dowager, she did not express her opinion or offer any advice due to concerns about the relationship between grandmother and grandson.

On the contrary, the empress's advice was very proactive, and she even lacked the demeanor of an empress, which caused the emperor to stop favoring her.

If the emperor and empress are at odds, then they must be mediated quickly.

The way to make amends was nothing more than currying favor with the officials and demonstrating the demeanor of an empress.

Taking advantage of the Laba Festival, winning over the wives of important officials on the frontier is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate the maternal virtue of the nation.

The Empress Dowager glanced at her granddaughter-in-law, Gao, for a full two breaths, but Gao did not react in any way, so she frowned inwardly.

No wonder she's from a poor, small town; how could she possibly have the demeanor of an empress?

With this level of reaction, they're definitely not good at palace intrigue.

Without skill in palace intrigue and the demeanor of a mother of the nation, it would be difficult to remain in the position of empress for long!

However, what does it matter to me who the Empress is?

The Empress Dowager simply looked away, raised her glass with a calm expression, and said, "Ladies, let us drink to the triumphant return of the royal army."

"Homage to the Great Madam!"

Dozens of noble ladies raised their cups together.

Empress Gao witnessed everything and frowned inwardly.

As the empress, who was the mother of the nation, she was reminded by her nanny to bestow some gold and silver jewelry upon her.

However, she refused.

As the empress, she was even prevented from allowing the emperor's brother-in-law to enter the border, which greatly troubled her.

Sending the emperor's brother-in-law to the border was intended to make him compete for merit with important officials on the frontier.

Junior Grand Secretary, Marquis of Ningyuan, Marquis of Zhongjing, Duke of Yingguo's Mansion.

As a result, the emperor did not grant his permission.

At this point, the advice and remonstrances from the border have not yet yielded any results, yet the gift of jewelry is already being presented. This inevitably carries the implication of currying favor with the minister.

At least, that's how Gao saw it.

She absolutely could not agree to that!

As for not winning over the wives of important border officials such as Sheng Hualan and Sheng Minglan, is it possible that this will affect the empress's status as a model for the nation?

Gao disagreed.

Is it so difficult to win over a noblewoman?