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

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.

Chapter 67 Conflict!

"Hualan".

Aunt Kang smiled, adopting the demeanor of an elder, and said earnestly, "Just now, I had a long talk with your mother. In my opinion, since we are all relatives, we should still help and support each other."

"In the future, when Changbai enters officialdom, the Sheng, Wang, and Kang families will be closely connected and must support each other so that their families can flourish together. Don't you agree?"

Simple words, full of elders' instructions. What a load of rubbish!

Don't you have any idea what level the Kang family is at?

In the past, Father Sheng Hong must have helped Uncle Kang quite a bit, right?

Is that the kind of person who can be helped up?

Not only is Uncle Kang no good, but his son is no good either.

If two generations in a row fail, how can the family name possibly flourish?

Sheng Hualan shook her head inwardly.

She wasn't stupid; she naturally understood the meaning behind Aunt Kang's words.

I hope you will give my uncle Kang a helping hand.

“Sister, don’t you think so?” Madam Kang pulled Wang Ruofu, showing their deep sisterly affection.

"Ah! Yes," Sheng Hualan couldn't help but interject before Wang Ruofu could finish speaking, "Aunt, my husband is an upright man. If he encounters someone capable, he will naturally help them out. I am just a woman, and I can't possibly ask my husband to help anyone."

As his wife, she knew that her husband was good at recommending talented people.

Since her husband had no intention of helping Uncle Kang, she would never bring it up herself, lest she ruin their relationship.

Upon hearing this, Madam Kang's expression froze.

What a waste of time!

“Hualan, your aunt knows you’re in a difficult position. But we are family, and we share the same fate. If your Uncle Kang could get a position in a lucrative department, your husband would have more help, wouldn’t he?” Madam Kang said earnestly.

Sheng Hualan remained silent.

“Hua Lan, your Uncle Kang is still your elder no matter what. Now that your husband has influence in the court, it shouldn’t be difficult for him to help out his relatives, right?” Madam Kang was anxious and simply played the family card.

“When Changbai enters officialdom in the future, won’t he also need the help of his own family? If the Kang family rises, it will only benefit the Sheng family!” Madam Kang added, “Hua Lan, your mother raised you with great difficulty, so you should know how to be grateful and repay her.”

"I will repay my parents' kindness, so there's no need for my aunt to remind me," Sheng Hualan said calmly.

Her aunt is no easy person to deal with.

Madam Kang stepped forward and grabbed Sheng Hualan, about to say something, but Sheng Hualan lowered her eyes and withdrew her hand: "If Uncle has any political achievements, the gentleman will recommend him."

When Sheng Hualan politely declined, Madam Kang couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

Ultimately, she married into a wealthy family, so she naturally looked down on her poor relatives.

“Sister, with Jiang Zhao’s official position, it shouldn’t be difficult for him to secure a sixth or seventh rank for your brother-in-law, right?” Madam Kang looked at Madam Wang with a bitter expression.

Wang Ruofu hesitated and said, "I dare not agree to Zhao Ge'er's matter! Besides, what if it affects the relationship between Hua'er and Zhao Ge'er?"

Before Madam Kang could speak, Sheng Hualan interrupted, "Mother, I am pregnant. My husband told me to come back and share the good news."

Sheng Hualan glanced at her aunt, then looked away: "I'm going to go and have a chat with my grandmother."

"ah!"

"Hua'er, are you pregnant?" Wang Ruofu was quite worried because her daughter had not conceived after a year of marriage.

Now that she knows her daughter is pregnant, she can't help but feel relieved.

Sheng Hualan smiled, nodded, and then went out to walk towards Shou'an Hall.

As soon as Sheng Hualan left, Wang Ruoyu pulled her younger sister Wang Ruofu aside and advised, "Sister, we're family, so let's stick to our principles. By the way, have you thought about this loan sharking business?"

So, you go and lend money at exorbitant interest rates, and you split the profits 80/20. You get 80% and I get 20%, which can be considered a way to support our mother.”

Linqi Pavilion.

Lin Qinshuang wore a rose-red long gown with a front opening, and two strands of hair fell from her bun, giving her a slightly charming look. She held a round fan and gently fanned herself.

"Little Mother!" came a cry, mixed with sobs.

Lin Qinshuang turned her head and looked over, just as her daughter Molan ran in.

Sheng Molan's eyes were moist and slightly red, looking like she had been bullied.

"Mo'er?" Lin Qinshuang was startled and quickly went over to look him up and down.

Seeing that his daughter was unharmed, he was relieved.

"Mo'er, what's wrong?" Lin Qinshuang asked, puzzled.

Could it be that Rulan bullied you?

That’s not right either!

Mo'er is clever and quick-witted, and her master favors her, so Ru Lan is always the one who gets bullied.

"Mother, my eldest sister sent some imperial brocade, saying that everyone would receive a share to make new clothes for our younger siblings. But Madam kept them all. Rulan deliberately showed me a piece of cloth, intending to show it off." As she spoke, Sheng Molan burst into tears again.

Compared to Rulan, she had always been more favored. Even when it came to comparing precious items, she had never lost. Unexpectedly, this time she was outdone by Rulan.

Once the words "Imperial Gift" were uttered, everything she said, no matter what gold or silver jewelry she produced, seemed utterly pale and powerless.

Sheng Rulan kept shouting "It's a gift from the Emperor," which was clearly meant to provoke her.

"Imperial gift of brocade?" Lin Qinshuang exclaimed in surprise.

The young lady actually brought back imperial brocade?

If we could take a few of these, they would be treasures to keep as valuable heirlooms when Mo'er gets married and Changfeng takes his own wife!

Although a bolt of brocade is only worth a few taels of silver, once it is labeled with the words "Imperial Gift," its meaning is naturally different.

There wouldn't be any fools claiming to be selling imperial gifts of brocade.

"Mo'er, don't worry. When your father returns, we will receive every single bolt of the imperial brocade that is due to us," Lin Qinshuang gently comforted her daughter.

Of course, as a favored concubine, she had this confidence.

Even if the young lady hadn't said "everyone gets a share," she was confident she could still get one or two.

Seeing that her mistress had made a promise, Sheng Molan stopped crying.

After all, the young lady was indeed almost "omnipotent".

Whatever the young lady wanted, her father would find a way to get it for her.

Seeing that her daughter had stopped crying, Lin Qinshuang couldn't help but smile and asked, "Mo'er, is your older sister amazing?"

"Amazing!" Sheng Molan answered truthfully.

This is a gift from the Emperor; I'd never even heard of it before. I never imagined my older sister could get her hands on it.

"Then guess why eldest sister received imperial brocade?" Lin Qinshuang asked again.

Sheng Molan thought for a moment and replied, "Because my brother-in-law is amazing."

She had met her brother-in-law when her older sister got married last time.

Her brother-in-law was very generous; the gold and silver jewelry he gave her was of top quality, even among all the gold and silver jewelry she had ever received.

My sister-in-law has mentioned my brother-in-law's prowess more than once, saying that he is famous throughout the world and has the greatest talent of his generation.

Even though she was young, Sheng Molan knew some things.

Nowadays, only the eldest brother-in-law is favored by the emperor and can receive gifts from him.

"By the way!" Lin Xiaoniang prompted, "Does Mo'er want to become as capable as her elder sister, so that she can receive imperial gifts of silk in the future?"

"Yes!" Sheng Molan replied with unwavering determination.

Only today did she realize how powerful an imperial gift truly was.

It was given by the emperor!

Lin Xiaoniang said, "Then Mo'er must learn to be well-mannered and knowledgeable so that she can marry a good husband."

Sheng Molan nodded: "Little Mother, I will marry into a good family."

……

Chapter 68. The reputation of the Kang Wang clan is utterly infamous!

July 5th.

Lady Kang visited the Jiang residence.

Out of consideration for their relationship, Sheng Hualan did not refuse, and the two talked for the duration of two incense sticks burning.

The sixth day of the seventh lunar month.

Lady Kang visited the Jiang residence again.

Out of consideration for their relationship, Sheng Hualan allowed the two to talk for the duration of an incense stick burning.

The seventh day of July.

When Madam Kang visited, Sheng Hualan had important business to attend to, and the two did not meet.

The eighth day of the seventh lunar month.

Kang Wangshi visited Jiangfu three times.

Sheng Hualan, seated in the main seat, glanced at it.

"aunt!"

Sheng Hualan sighed and looked at Madam Kang: "I am a daughter who has married another man. You come to see me every day. How am I supposed to explain this to my husband?"

“In this world, what kind of aunt would look for her niece every day?” Sheng Hualan said with a helpless expression.

Let alone an aunt, even a biological mother would not frequently visit her daughter who is already married.

Furthermore, this "frequent" is measured in months, not days.

It should be noted that even when she wanted to have Old Madam He take her pulse, Sheng Hualan used the excuse that her grandmother was ill.

Since her father went to Beijing, she has visited her parents' home twice in two months, which is already very frequent and has worried her mother, Wang.

When a daughter returns to her parents' home, it's the same; when her relatives visit her, it's the same.

As a result, Aunt Kang came four times in four days. What kind of behavior is this?

If she were to encounter an unreasonable husband, she might very well fall out of favor.

What kind of maternal relatives are like this?

“Hua Lan, your uncle is a minor official of the eighth rank. If only you would ask.” Madam Kang was full of eagerness, completely unaware of how impolite it was to “visit four times in four days.”

Perhaps she realized she was being rude, but she didn't care.

Anyway, it's not his own daughter who's fallen out of favor!

"I have some things to attend to, Aunt, please go back!" Before Madam Kang could finish speaking, Sheng Hualan waved her hand, and a maid stepped forward to see her off.

"Madam Kang, please."