After drinking all night, Zhang Yue returned to the bedroom.
But he saw Seventeenth Mother reading a book by a candle. When she saw Zhang Yue coming back, she slightly curled her lips and immediately ordered the female envoy to bring a bowl of hangover soup simmering on the small stove to Zhang Yue.
After giving the instructions, Seventeenth Mother continued to read.
Zhang Yue didn't drink much, so he didn't need to drink this hangover soup, but on second thought he picked it up, drank it, and said with a smile, "My lady is so considerate!"
The Seventeenth Mother heard this and raised her eyebrows, without putting down the book, she asked seemingly casually: "Is Huang Silang begging you for something else?"
Zhang Yue said: "Huang Si drank a lot every time he drank. He only had a few drinks before he got drunk. I saw him leave like this without saying anything."
Seventeen Niang said while reading: "The quality of wine is like the quality of a person, it has nothing to do with the amount of alcohol consumed."
Hearing this, Zhang Yue sighed with emotion: "Talking to my wife, it's like I'm trying to figure out mysteries all day long."
The Seventeenth Mother said: "So when an official is tired and wants to take a concubine, there is nothing wrong with that."
Zhang Yue chuckled when he heard this. He understood what it means to die if you try. Ever since the two got married, Zhang Yue knew that economics determines the superstructure, unless he has the ability to eat soft rice and eat hard.
But honestly speaking, wasn’t there any utilitarian element in his marriage to Qi Niang?
Otherwise, if he really married a woman from the Han family, not to mention how he would survive the daily necessities of life when he first became an official, how many more years would it take him to reach where he is today in his official career.
Fifty years old? Or sixty years old?
From ancient times to the present, there have been many people who think this way in the officialdom. Isn’t Wang Kui one of them? In later generations, there is a saying that “the first sword to land is to kill the person you want first”.
But then again, can such a marriage be happy?
Many people cannot see the risks involved and rush into it head-first or wishful thinking. In all cases, they are unhappy in the end.
Several sons-in-law of the Wu family are all sons of the prime minister. You are a prince. If you don’t compare yourself with your wife, others will.
Zhang Yue was deeply entangled with this issue at the beginning and was undecided. However, he later remembered that he had read a question and answer before traveling through time.
Can you be happy if you marry a rich man?
The answer is yes, but you have to understand whether you like rich people's people or rich people's money.
Zhang Yue suddenly realized that that's why he chose the good-looking one...
We have been husband and wife for twenty years now, and they can be said to be harmonious. Of course, we are able to do this because we have worked hard in the future and have been on the rise all the way.
Zhang Yue thought about this and couldn't help but look at Qi Niang, who was reclining and reading a book under the light, looking lazy. She was still as beautiful as ever, and her grace was not diminished.
Seventeen Niang was tired of reading and glanced at Zhang Yue from the corner of her eye, only to see him staring at her.
Seventeenth Mother narrowed her slender eyes and said, "Is the official drunk?"
Zhang Yue said with a smile: "Looking at the beauty under the lamp makes me drunk."
"Then have you seen enough?" Seventeenth Mother turned around, as if she was letting you take your pick.
After saying this, Zhang Yue sat next to Qi Niang. Just as he was about to reach out his hand, Qi Niang knocked down the scroll. Zhang Yue pinched his forehead and sighed: "Marrying a wife, taking a good concubine, and having sex, the ancients will not deceive me."
Seventeenth Mother smiled and said: "What dirty words are said in the courtyard, and they are said to be the words of the ancients."
Zhang Yue immediately waved away the serving maids on the left and right, and held Qi Niang in his arms with restless hands.
…
"Huh, smells like alcohol!"
Seventeen Niang covered her white body with a sheet and said angrily to Zhang Yue.
Zhang Yue lay on the bed and thought to himself that his physical strength was indeed not as good as before. "Back then, I peed three feet against the wind, but now I wet my shoes with the wind."
After years of pampering, my physical strength has really faded away. Now I can only hold on for half...half an hour, which is really embarrassing.
Zhang Yue said to Seventeenth Niang: "Senior Brother's coming here today reminds me of many things that happened back then."
The seventeenth mother's hair was wet. She looked at Zhang Yue on the pillow, but she also thought of many things.
For an official family like the Wu family, choosing a son-in-law is even more stringent than choosing a daughter-in-law. There are advantages and disadvantages in choosing a son-in-law from an official family and choosing a son-in-law from a poor family.
The Seventeenth Mother knew that she was ambitious and visionary, and would never allow her future husband to be mediocre. Therefore, between selecting talents and selecting family background, her parents chose her son-in-law from a poor family.
Men take the imperial examination as a shortcut to becoming an official. Women also have a way, and that is to get married! If you want to get married, you must know how to love people.
When Zhang Yue was first selected, relatives at home would inevitably be critical of Zhang Yue's background, and they would inevitably point fingers.
Some people say that Zhang Yue has low self-esteem, while others say that the five-year agreement shows that Zhang Yue is self-aware.
But Qi Niang never doubted her own vision. Instead, she was afraid that some willfulness in her temperament would offend the other party, and she was even more afraid that gossip would fall into Zhang Yue's ears.
Fortunately, Wu Chong secretly reassured Seventeenth Mother. If Zhang Yue failed to pass the Jinshi examination within five years, he would get married first, and he could take the Jinshi examination again slowly.
Only then did the Seventeenth Mother realize that Wu Chong had already read through Zhang Yue's articles and coursework when he was at Imperial College. Officials like this had already gone through extremely detailed background studies when choosing a son-in-law.
Of course, this should be hidden from Zhang Yue first.
This was concealed for twenty years.
In the past twenty years, she has grown from a concubine in her family to the prime minister's wife. Those relatives who had ridiculed her at first could only admire Wu Chong's vision, and now they are vying to be recommended to Zhang Yue by herself. Are relatives snobbish? Don't you think it's reached this point?
Anyone who is not snobbish is either a saint or a fool.
Zhang Yue said: "Madam, I heard that Senior Brother Guo has a daughter!"
After hearing this, Seventeenth Mother understood what Zhang Yue meant, okay, no wonder... no wonder he is so attentive today.
In the past, Seventeenth Mother would have been annoyed, but she knew how important Guo Lin was in Zhang Yue's heart. Born in a wealthy family, she looked down upon favors, because too many favors were mixed with interests. But Zhang Yue was different.
He told himself that he was born in a humble family, and when he was poor and lowly, he received a little kindness from others, and even a little kindness could be remembered in his heart for a lifetime.
In particular, Zhang Yue is still a person who misses old friendships very much. Therefore, Qi Niang, who has always had a scornful temperament, is actually very considerate and warm to Zhang Yue's relatives and friends, which is commendable.
Because she knew that this was what Zhang Yue cared about most in his heart.
Seventeen Niang thought to herself that Guo Lin was Sima Guang's favorite disciple. He was not a Jinshi and was only a lowly official now. But after he completed the Zizhi Tongjian, the officials would promote him as usual.
The new party cannot always have the upper hand. If Sima Guang makes a comeback, there is no chance that he will be activated based on his reputation. Are the officials trying to win over the old party?
Besides, she could see that Guo Xuan was outstanding both in terms of character and knowledge, and if he was well cultivated, he would not be a thing in the pool in the future. Therefore, the Guo family seemed a little cold now, but he would never be so in the future.
Seventeenth Mother thought of so much in one moment, and maybe there were some things she hadn't thought of. Seventeenth Mother said: "Needless to say, Senior Brother Guo's character is comparable to that of Yan Hui. But Erlang's marriage has not been done yet, you
But I am interested in Sanlang."
Zhang Yue said: "I am thinking of Mr. Fu Zheng. Except for Feng Jing, his other two sons-in-law are virgins. They are all his friends when he was poor."
"I have already sent people to inquire about the Guo family's daughter. She is well-educated, not arrogant, and can manage the family."
Seventeenth Mother smiled slightly and said: "Mr. Fu Zheng chose a son-in-law, not a daughter-in-law, but the officials have already made up their minds, why do you come to ask me? You don't even ask me, do you also choose other families?"
"
Zhang Yue said: "You don't like me if you have an ordinary family background. I'm afraid you won't be able to control me if I have a similar family background! So I made the decision for you."
Seventeen Niang knew that Zhang Yue reminded her that she was not dealing with Zhang Zhi's wife, Lu.
The relationship between sisters-in-law is the most complicated. A huge disparity in strength is not good, and an equal match is even worse. The Seventeenth Mother has never seen sisters-in-law who live together get along well. But when she meets someone who understands the truth,
, at least it’s passable on the surface.
She was very satisfied with Huang Lu's daughter. If she followed Zhang Yue's words, the family would be harmonious in the future.
The Seventeenth Mother said: "It depends on whether she cares about our Sanlang or not. What does it have to do with me?"
Zhang Yue said at this time: "Those in the officialdom who are in power and are bent on pursuing their own interests, even though they hold high positions when they are in office, their descendants often fail or take the wrong path."
"But those who are ostracized because of their uprightness and uprightness may not have a satisfactory career, but their descendants are often outstanding and at least have good character. I have seen too many such things."
"Madam, there are not many people I admire in my life, but my senior brother is one of them."
The Seventeenth Mother saw Zhang Yue and said, "Let's make up the eight characters first and then talk."
Zhang Yue was overjoyed when he heard this.
Seventeen Niang said: "Talk matters, Sanlang must not be informed before the provincial examination. That's right, how is Sanlang's studies?"
Zhang Yue heard this and said: "I have really made progress in studying literature with Guo Xuan recently, but my writing still lacks enthusiasm."
The Seventeenth Mother said displeased: "How could you belittle Sanlang like this?"
Zhang Yue smiled bitterly upon hearing this.
…
The Spring Examination in the fifth year of Yuanfeng.
Zhang Cheng and Guo Xuan both participated.
After the provincial examination, the results were released, and the Zhang government arranged for a wine shop closest to the place where the results were released. Qi Niang and Guo Lin's family were all waiting here.
As for Zhang Yue, he was busy with government affairs and had no time to spare.
Finally, when the moment came for the announcement of the list, the scholars in front of the list were vying to see the list, and there were businessmen on the side who were rushing to catch the son-in-law of the person below the list.
Zhang Cheng was fine, but Qi Niang was a little anxious. About ten servants of Zhang's house had already squeezed in to look at the rankings.
Soon someone from the Zhang family came to report: "Congratulations to Uncle Guo for graduating from high school!"
As soon as these words came out, Guo Lin burst into tears of joy on the spot. Although he had always been unhappy, his son helped make this dream come true. Guo Xuan, on the other hand, calmly responded to the congratulations from the store and others.
Seventeenth Mother asked: "Is my Sanlang on the list?"
The servant said: "Reporting to Madam, I haven't finished reading yet."
Another person said: "Haven't seen it for a while!"
Seeing several servants saying this, Shi Qi Niang couldn't help but said, "I'll go and see it myself."
Immediately, more than a dozen female envoys surrounded the Seventeenth Niang and headed down the list. Zhang Cheng first congratulated Guo Xuan heartlessly, and then scratched his head in embarrassment when he saw the Seventeenth Niang like this.
Zhang Cheng looked at the ecstatic new nobles in front of the list, as well as the frustrated scholars, and finally his mother with a disappointed look on her face.
A feeling of sadness suddenly welled up in my heart, and then I cried bitterly in front of everyone.
This was also the first time that he felt extremely sad when he was young and had no worries.
Thinking of his father and brother, Zhang Cheng felt that he was probably the most useless and ineffective person in the Zhang family.
Zhang Cheng returned to the mansion with a sad look on his face, and fell asleep without eating.
In sleep.
He seemed to be in heaven and earth, as if he were in a fairyland. He suddenly saw a five-color pen spinning in front of his eyes!
