Do you know: I, a commoner prime minister

Chapter 26 The Father's Unresolved Issues

In Yangzhou, after a winter rain, the chill has deepened.

The backyard of the Tongpan Yamen in the south of the city was the residence of Sheng Hong's family.

During the Great Zhou Dynasty, the main local officials were all appointed through a system of visiting officials.

Officials serve three-year terms. After their term ends, they are either promoted or transferred to a later position.

This was to prevent officials from colluding with local gentry and becoming local tyrants.

Therefore, government offices were typically located in the front courtyard and back courtyard, with the back courtyard being the residence of the chief official.

To ensure that officials' families could travel, they would enter through the back door.

If one were to visit an official residing in the government office privately, one would enter through the back door.

This is also the origin of the saying "using connections" or "getting things done through back channels."

Inside Shou'an Hall, Old Madam Sheng was pale, fiddling with Buddhist prayer beads, lost in thought.

The curtain was lifted, and Sheng Hong walked in, bowing and saying, "Mother!"

Old Mrs. Sheng was angry and didn't say anything.

"My son has already reprimanded Madam, and she has agreed to take Bai'er to Youyang to attend Shulan's wedding," Sheng Hong said, forcing himself to speak.

A few days ago, the eldest son's family sent someone to deliver a sum of money, along with wedding invitations.

Sheng Hong definitely couldn't leave, so Old Madam Sheng originally planned to go there herself.

Yangzhou is not far from Youyang. After next year, whether Sheng Hong is promoted or transferred, he may not be so close.

Grandma Sheng thought she should take this opportunity to go back and visit.

Unfortunately, the temperature dropped sharply these past two days, and Grandma Sheng caught a cold.

In this situation, further travel could be fatal.

Sheng Hong then suggested that Madam Wang take Changbai with her. As the matriarch of the household, Madam Wang was not being disrespected, and Changbai was the eldest son of the legitimate wife.

When Madam Wang heard that she was to go, she immediately flew into a rage. She already looked down on the eldest son's family and was unwilling to go.

However, she knew she couldn't refuse directly, so she used Sheng Changbai as a pretext.

It is said that Sheng Changbai is of school age now, and this back and forth will delay his studies.

Old Madam Sheng could easily tell that Madam Wang was unwilling, and in her anger, she immediately had someone help her get out of bed and pack her things, as she wanted to go herself.

When Sheng Hong found out, he was quite upset. He was even planning to make some good arrangements next year to see if he could advance further.

If anything were to happen to Old Madam Sheng, he would have to observe a period of mourning.

The Great Zhou Dynasty has no shortage of officials. If someone is really in mourning, who knows how many years it will take before the court can assign him a post after the mourning period ends?

Sheng Hong couldn't care less about official business and rushed back to comfort Old Madam Sheng. Then he went and gave Madam Wang a good scolding.

"No need, she..."

Sheng Hong thought that Old Madam Sheng was still angry and insisted on going back. Before she could finish speaking, he hurriedly said, "Mother, your health can't withstand such a fuss. If it's really not possible, I'll ask for leave and go myself!"

"listen to me!"

Old Madam Sheng scolded, "Madam Sheng doesn't want to go in the first place. If you force her to go, she'll give you a sour look. Where will that leave the eldest branch of the family's reputation?"

"Mother, rest assured, your son will definitely give her a good talking-to and will never let her do whatever she wants!" Sheng Hong said quickly.

"If she really acts recklessly, the first wife will lose all face. What good will it do if you divorce her?"

Grandma Sheng waved her hand and said, "She doesn't want to go, so it's good that we don't let her go. It would be a headache for the eldest son's family to see her, so let Brother Bai go alone."

"But Brother Bo is still young, and Brother Wei and the others will inevitably overthink things," Sheng Hong said worriedly.

"Now you know the first wife's family will overthink things?"

Grandma Sheng smiled and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Although Brother Bai is young, he is steady and reliable. I feel more at ease letting him go alone."

"Then let Bai'er go," Sheng Hong said somewhat awkwardly.

"Although you and Ver are brothers of the same clan and grew up together, relationships between people are reciprocal, even among brothers."

Grandma Sheng glanced at Sheng Hong and said, "Wei'er is willing to marry down to Shulan just to find a scholar. You know what that means. You'd better think carefully. I'm tired, you can go now!"

"Yes, son takes his leave. He will come to pay his respects to Mother later!"

Sheng Hong bowed and left. As soon as he stepped out of the room, a gust of cold wind swept over him, making him shiver involuntarily.

Dongrong, who was holding a cloak, quickly draped it over him.

Sheng Hong tightened his cloak, but his mind became even clearer.

His official career has been relatively smooth over the years, and in terms of official rank, he is no lower than his brother-in-law in the Wang family.

Although this was partly due to his brother-in-law's hereditary success in entering officialdom, it was also inseparable from his shrewdness and the money Sheng Wei provided him.

Otherwise, the connections left by Grand Tutor Wang should have been used to help Grand Tutor Wang's son, not his son-in-law.

As Grandma Sheng said, relationships between people are reciprocal.

Although the Wang family also maintains their connections, they don't value it as much as he does.

Without Shengwei's financial support, he would have to risk making money to bribe officials.

However, making money this way can easily leave behind evidence and lead to endless troubles.

Sheng Hong then realized that he had taken Sheng Wei's money for granted.

After all, the stability of the eldest son's business is largely due to him.

But if Shengwei's son-in-law were to pass the imperial examination and become an official in the future, Shengwei would not be so dependent on him.

On the contrary, he was very dependent on the money that Sheng Wei gave him.

It would have been enough to support a family on a salary alone, but we wouldn't be living such a comfortable life now.

Not to mention the expenses of arranging estates and shops for his concubines to rely on.

.........

Youyang Town.

Snowflakes began to fall in the afternoon, and by evening the roads were covered in white snow.

As darkness fell and Zhou Li had not yet returned, Hao Shi couldn't help but feel worried.

She told Yue'er to warm herself by the fire inside, then took an umbrella and went out, staring into the cold wind and snow, until she reached the alley entrance and looked towards Qinghe County.

After waiting for a while, my body was almost frozen, and it was getting darker and darker, so I couldn't help but get more anxious.

Just as she was about to ask someone for help to search, she finally saw someone driving an oxcart towards her in the distance.

"Is it you, sir?"

"My dear wife, it's so cold outside, why did you come out?"

Zhou Li, wrapped in a straw raincoat and hunched over, drove the oxcart. Hearing his wife's voice, he felt a warmth in his heart, but also a deep sense of heartache.

"Why did you come so late? I was so worried!" Mrs. Hao complained.

Zhou Li drove the oxcart closer, jumped off the cart, and said, "I was a bit delayed by setting up the house over there, that's why I'm back late. You go back inside quickly, I'll take the oxcart over and then be right back!"

"Okay, I'll make you some food when I get back. Be careful on your way!"

"Okay, you can come inside now."

After giving a few instructions, Hao returned home at Zhou Li's urging.

After Zhou Li settled the oxen and returned home, Hao Shi had already heated up the food she had left for him.

"Eat quickly, and soak your feet after you finish eating, lest you catch a cold!" said Madam Hao.

"Um!"

Zhou Li picked up his bowl and started eating, while Hao Shi stood by without disturbing him.

Only after he finished eating and was soaking his feet did he inquire about the layout of his house in the city.

"There are servants over there, so I don't have to do anything. They've put a lot of thought into the arrangements," Zhou Li said.

Madam Hao scolded, "I didn't need you to do it, why are you still so late?"

"Now that my son is getting married, I feel like an outsider. I can't help but feel uneasy!" Zhou Li sighed.

He couldn't really help much, but he didn't want his son to get married, feeling like an outsider as the father.

That's why it took so long to get here.

"You know, didn't Dalang tell you not to overthink it?" Hao felt both annoyed and amused, and also a little heartbroken.