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

Jiang Zhao glanced at it twice and then waved his hand.

"Let's go try Hammer Ball together."

Hammerball, also known as the ancient "golf ball".

In this era, there aren't many games that are suitable for nearly ten men and women to play together without losing elegance and fun, and Hammerball is one of them.

Just then, thin clouds covered the sun, a gentle breeze was blowing, and it was neither too hot nor too cold, perfect for outdoor activities.

Before the words were finished, a long shout rang out.

"Zichuan!"

This long shout made everyone look over.

He was a dashing young man who walked with a confident stride, his hands bulging with muscles, clearly a man of real skill.

The boy dropped his golf club and strode over.

Beside the valiant young man was a scholar of eleven or twelve years old, who was currently saying something along with him.

"Zhonghuai is truly accomplished in both literature and martial arts," Su Shi remarked, his hands clasped behind his back.

After getting to know each other and having a good chat over the past few days, they all realized that Gu Tingye was an educated person.

At least, he wasn't a reckless brute.

Jiang Zhao beckoned: "Zhong Huai"

Chapter 51: A Glimpse into the Lives of Noble Ladies!

A gentle breeze blows, and the colorful curtains flutter.

In a pavilion more than ten feet in size, several women were chatting and laughing.

Anyone familiar with the social circles of officials' wives in Bianjing would know that these women were all highly respected and powerful ladies.

Princess Pingning of the Duke of Qi's Mansion.

Madam Qin, daughter of the Marquis of Ningyuan.

Madam Zhang of the Duke of England's Mansion.

Madam Wu of the Yongchang Earl's Mansion.

Yu Fangshi, the daughter-in-law of Grand Tutor Yu.

Madam Liu of Zhongjing Hou Mansion.

They were all at the top of the food chain in the circle of officials' wives.

Even the number of maids and servants serving them was more than thirty, which shows how grand the scale of the event was.

"what?"

Princess Pingning, holding a round fan, caught a glimpse of her only son, Qi Heng, out of the corner of her eye, and couldn't help but frown.

At this moment, Qi Heng and Gu Tingye stood together, with five young men who looked like scholars beside them.

Each of them had several arrows in their hands. About ten steps ahead, there was an iron pot about the size of a palm.

A group of people were playing the game of pitch-pot.

A dozen or so steps away, several young women were playing with a hammer.

Princess Pingning frowned slightly.

She only has one son, who has been filial since childhood and is good at studying.

Originally, she didn't want her son to have anything to do with a scoundrel like Gu Tingye, and now that she saw several scholars, her heart sank.

Heng'er rarely goes out and usually studies diligently. Where would she find the time to make friends?

Those scholars must have known that scoundrel Gu Tingye.

However, Gu Tingye often disobeyed his parents, making him a typical spoiled brat.

What kind of beneficial friends can such a person make?

There are quite a few pretentious people in Bianjing.

However, those who merely imitate the refined and cultured are unlikely to achieve great things.

How could her Heng'er associate with pretentious people? It would not only be a waste of time, but also lower her standards.

He's still a young master, after all!

Princess Pingning beckoned, and a maidservant stepped forward.

"Go and call Heng'er here."

Princess Pingning's face turned cold, and a hint of impatience flashed in her eyes.

Gu Tingye is useless; he mustn't disturb Heng'er's path to becoming useful!

"Yes." The maid knew the princess's temperament and hurriedly went outside upon hearing this.

The other wives of officials also saw Princess Pingning's actions.

When Madam Wu looked into Princess Pingning's eyes, she was startled.

"Oh! What brings you all here?"

Madam Wu was somewhat surprised. To avoid offending anyone, she had sent invitations to all the junior scholars. She never expected that they would actually be interested in playing the game.

"Excuse me for being rude, I'll just go say hello and be right back."

Madam Wu bowed slightly, called over her trusted servant, and quickly walked over.

Princess Pingning was somewhat bewildered.

The circle of powerful and influential people in Bianjing is only so big, and it's basically all familiar faces. When a few new faces suddenly appear, she naturally assumes they are just pretentious types.

Some newly arrived fifth-rank officials, in order to fit into the social circle, would desperately try to appear cultured and refined.

Given her personality, she would never look down on those people.

Unexpectedly, judging from Madam Wu's reaction, she seems to be no ordinary person.

"Who are those people?" Princess Pingning asked, looking at the others with a puzzled expression.

She genuinely didn't recognize those people.

As someone who lives in the inner quarters, her concerns are limited to what happens within the inner quarters. Apart from the occasional particularly famous event, she rarely pays attention to anything else.

Moreover, as someone who grew up by the Empress's side since childhood and was granted the title of Princess, she was always the one who was recognized by others. She had no intention of lowering herself to take the initiative to get to know others.

The noble ladies were all familiar with the princess's temperament. Seeing the princess's puzzled expression and the maid rushing towards Qi Heng's direction, they immediately guessed what was going on.

Several people looked at each other.

"Does the princess know of Jiang Zhao?" asked Madam Yu, the daughter-in-law of Grand Tutor Yu.

"Of course I know." Princess Pingning nodded repeatedly, then exclaimed in realization, "Among those people, there is actually a Junior Grand Secretary?"

“That talented young man in the light blue brocade robe is Jiang Lang from Huaizuo,” Yu Fangshi replied with a smile.

Jiang Zhao's name spread throughout Bianjing. Whether it was the title of "Jiang Lang of Huaizuo" or "Little Grand Secretary," it had already become known in the circles of the powerful and wealthy.

However, for the vast majority of officials' wives and concubines, they only knew their names but not their appearances.

They knew of Jiang Zhao, a man of great renown, but they didn't know what he looked like.

Princess Pingning was proud and aloof, so she was naturally aware of Jiang Zhao's name and could even talk about him fluently.

However, I have never seen him in person.

When she mentioned Jiang Lang of Huaizuo, her main purpose was to educate her son Qi Heng; she didn't care what Jiang Lang of Huaizuo actually looked like.

Anyway, having someone like that as a role model is enough!

To my surprise, I didn't recognize him when I saw him today.

“Besides Jiang Lang from Huaizuo, the others are the brothers Su Shi and Su Zhe, as well as the second-place scholar Zhang Heng and the junior official Zeng Bu,” Yu Fangshi added.

Bianjing is a city with many eyes and ears, and the fact that several Hanlin scholars and junior officials made friends and formed a small circle naturally attracted the attention of many interested parties.

Of course, this kind of thing is of more concern to civil officials.

Upon hearing this, Princess Pingning was startled.

Jiang Lang of Huaizuo needs no introduction; he was already famous throughout the world many years ago.

Unexpectedly, apart from him, the others were all famous figures in Bianjing!

The brothers Su Shi and Su Zhe were both appointed as probationary officials, a story that was celebrated for quite some time.

As one of the top three scholars, Zhang Heng's clan produced Zhang Dexiang, a former prime minister, and thus garnered considerable attention.

Zeng Bu was also a famous figure; his elder brother, Zeng Gong, was a disciple of Ouyang Xiu, a leading figure in the literary world.

"I see!"

Princess Pingning glanced outside, wanting to call out to the maid, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Originally, she intended to have someone call her son away, but now that she knows the identities of those people, that thought naturally disappeared, and she even wished that her son could integrate into that small circle.

Unfortunately, the maid left in such a hurry that it would have been impossible to stop her unless one shouted loudly.

Not recognizing the famous Jiang Lang of Huaizuo, and having ruined her son's chance to make friends, Princess Pingning's face darkened, and her playful mood vanished instantly. She covered her face with a round fan and said nothing more.

At the same time, Madam Qin's mood also suddenly worsened.

Looking at the group of people playing pitch-pot, Madam Qin looked at them with some surprise and doubt, and even gripped her fan harder.

How could that rebellious second son have any connection with Jiang Lang of Huaizuo?

That's a young Grand Secretary!

A man who became famous at the age of twelve, and a top scholar at the age of eighteen!

How could someone like that possibly be interested in someone like the second brother?

Madam Qin was puzzled, and her face grew increasingly pale.

It should be noted that military generals have always been disliked by scholars. Whenever they lead troops, they are often questioned and smeared behind their backs.

Didn't Marquis Di Qing of the past face constant questioning?

Therefore, once you have a civil official friend, you can easily foresee how great the benefits will be.

Moreover, it was a small circle of young intellectuals.

Madam Qin's heart sank.

The second son was already quite skilled; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to be the undisputed champion in polo in Bianjing.

In truth, it's just that its reputation is a little worse.

Now, her eldest son, Gu Tingyu, is seriously ill, and her third son, Gu Tingwei, is still young.

If Jiang Zichuan's existence leads the Marquis to intend to pass the throne to Gu Tingye, wouldn't all our efforts be in vain?

The more Madam Qin thought about it, the more agitated she became, and she couldn't sit still any longer.

"Seeing that they were having a great time talking, I brought them some pastries and drinks, at least to quench their thirst."

Madam Qin looked pleased and said in a loving motherly tone, "It's truly a wonderful thing that Tingye has made such a friend."

As she spoke, Madam Qin, being a virtuous woman, carried a plate of sliced ​​pears, while several maids brought wine and pastries, and they all went over together.

During this scene, the women who were talking together all had subtle changes in their expressions, but none of them said anything.

What Bianjing has no shortage of are masters of palace intrigue!

Some ruthless people, even if they enter the palace, are at the level of palace intrigue champions, so how could they not see some clues?

It's just that they don't say it out loud.

If we don't point it out, we can still be friends.

Chapter 52 Qi Heng Misses the Opportunity, Gu Tingye Goes to Study? (5k)

Jinming Pond, a grassland.