After Zhulan's daughter left, she pondered over what her daughter had said. If the Duke's wife really passed away and Mrs. Du really took control of the Duke's Mansion, it would not be good for the Ning family. A harmonious family is the key to success. If Mrs. Du did something bad in the future, no one could stop her because filial piety was the most important thing.
Zhulan thought that when Song's child was born, the old lady made the decision for the future of the Ning family.
Chang Yi came in and said, "Mom, Ba Hu has been in the capital for a few days. He plans to go back. Mom, I want to go back with him."
Zhulan had seen Bahu once before, except for the time when her son brought him back. Although Bahu lived in Zhou's house, he was very low-key. Zhou Shuren had seen him once, "You don't have to rush to go abroad."
Chang Yi was stunned. "Mom, I told Qiu Niang that I will be gone for another year. Once everything is settled there, I will leave it to someone I trust to take care of it. I will not leave again in the future."
Zhulan thought about it and realized that Changyi would not change his mind if she didn't hint more. "Your father meant it. Mom also heard a few words from him. It seems that your father has plans for you."
Chang Yi was thinking about what his father could do for him. His heart couldn't help but beat fast, especially when he recalled some of the things his father had said to him. He was very smart, and his father's plan for him must be very complicated. He suppressed his excitement and said, "Mom, I will go to the Xu family to make arrangements. I won't leave for now."
"Um."
In the Ministry of Rites, Wang Ju suddenly became idle and was a little uncomfortable. He felt that he was a loser. He used to be busy to death and kept complaining about Zhou Shuren. In fact, he quite liked being busy. Being busy was fulfilling and he could learn a lot from it.
Although he didn't want to admit it, Zhou Shuren did have a lot for him to learn. It was boring to stay there, so he sighed.
When Wu Ming came in, Wang Ju perked up, "Come in and sit down."
Wu Ming had met Lord Wang after the New Year. His godfather took him to the Wang Mansion to pay respect to Old Master Wang, "Lord."
Wang Ju knew that Zhou Shuren valued Wu Ming very much, otherwise, Zhou Shuren would not bring Wu Ming to the Wang Mansion without his son. Last year during the Chinese New Year, Zhou Shuren did not visit the Wang Mansion. "Sit down, your godfather and I are friends, and you are also my junior, so please sit down."
Wu Ming was not being polite. He had seen his godfather and Lord Wang quarrel with each other. Only true friends would do that. "Yes."
Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Shuren handed the task over to Doctor Lei. Even without Wang Ju, he still had a capable assistant. Moreover, this time he successfully sent away some officials who were not doing well in the Ministry of Revenue. He was in a better mood and was much more efficient now. It would be even better if he could continue to clean up some more, but it was a pity that it was just a thought.
Zhou Shuren was happy, but Doctor Lei was stiff. Although he was promoted twice in the Ministry of Revenue, his workload became heavier. He finally understood why the doctor in the same room looked at him with sympathy.
Doctor Lei went out with the booklet in his arms and happened to meet Zhang Jinghong. His eyes deepened. This was the fake fifth prince. It was the first time he had seen Zhang Jinghong since the real and fake princes. He thought Zhang Jinghong, who was frustrated, was actually full of energy and had a happy smile on his face.
How could Zhang Jinghong not be happy? In a few months, his child would be born. Whether it was a son or a daughter, they were all his children. Moreover, Lord Zhou recommended him to the prince. He had proved his ability through his own efforts. Now the prince took much better care of him, and his life became much better. Naturally, he would not be dull anymore, and his life became more and more hopeful.
The next day, Zhulan arrived at the Duke's Mansion later than her daughter. She first met the Duke's wife and then went to see Mrs. Song.
This is the second day after the birth. Because the baby is too weak and it is a cold winter, the third day bath was cancelled for the sake of the baby's health. Many people came to visit the Song family today.
Zhulan came late. No one came at this hour. Song's complexion was still okay. She handed the gift to Song and said, "You are right. You must take good care of yourself and take good care of the children."
Song had suffered a lot of grievances over the years, and she was very good at adjusting her mentality after venting. "I had a good appetite this morning and ate a lot of millet porridge. The imperial physician also checked the child. He will get well if you take good care of him."
Zhulan mentioned her own example, "My daughter Yudie was born prematurely, but now she is taking good care of herself. She runs around in winter without getting sick."
Song knew this, and after hearing this, she became more confident about her younger son's health.
As they were talking, Mrs. Du came. Mrs. Du didn't expect that there would be an outsider, and it was Mrs. Yang.
Mrs. Du came in to take a look at the child and said, "If I hadn't come here, I wouldn't have known that Yang Shuren was here."
Zhulan thought, do I have to go see you in person? Although he is the Prince of Ningguo Mansion, sorry, Prince Ning only holds an official position, and it is a sinecure. "I went to see the old lady first, so I came directly."
Mrs. Du looked a little unnatural. Her mother-in-law didn't let her go to the main courtyard. She said dryly, "I have something else to do, so I'll go back first."
Song was used to her mother-in-law not paying attention to her. She was full of resentment towards her mother-in-law anyway and wished she wouldn't come. However, her mother-in-law's attitude just now made her blush.
Because Song wanted to rest, Zhulan sat for a while and then returned to the main courtyard, then left with her daughter.
Duke Ningguo returned to the main courtyard and saw that his wife was angry again, "Xue Han came to accompany you, but you are not happy?"
"I was very happy at first, but after hearing what Du did, I got very angry."
As she spoke, she learned from what Mrs. Du and Mrs. Yang had said, and she could no longer suppress her anger.
Duke Ningguo knew that the child was born weak and Song had had several bad deliveries. His wife had many concerns before, but now they were gone.
Madam Guogong, "Don't be soft-hearted."
Duke Ningguo, "I still don't agree."
The Duke's wife's face darkened, "This concerns the descendants of the Ning family."
Duke Ningguo had his own plans. "Don't worry. I don't agree to give the eldest son the child. If we do this, where will the second son be? The second son has made contributions and worked hard over the years. If we give the eldest grandson to the eldest son, it will chill the second son's heart. The second son can only rely on the eldest grandson. We as parents cannot do this. Every son is a son."
The Duke's wife sighed, "You are right."
The palms and backs of the hands are all made of flesh, but the eldest son passed away at the best time of his life, which became a knot in their hearts, but the second and third sons are also sons.
Hanlin Academy, Chang Lian is doing the handover in Hanlin Academy. The list of names for the Maritime Branch at the beginning of the year has come out. He is the person in charge, and the handover is almost done today. He has a month and a half to go to Xuzhou.
There are three people on the list of Hanlin Academy. The runner-up in his term is also on the list as the chief official, and the other one is a Shujishi, the sixth rank.
Lu Liang was jealous of those who were on the list, especially Zhao Ji, who was appointed as an official in advance without saying a word. The Maritime Affairs Bureau was not only a good place to go, but it would also be easier to return to Beijing in the future. It was so enviable.
Lu Liang sneered, "Some people think they have it all figured out, but they end up getting slapped in the face. So what if they try to curry favor with others? They are still not from a merchant family."
Shi Qing didn't take it seriously. He was used to it anyway. Some people didn't dare to say it out loud, but their eyes could tell everything.
Chang Lian couldn't stand it anymore. "I have no ability, and I spend all day thinking about others with evil thoughts. I have time to be jealous and make myself ugly. It's better to work harder on myself."
Lu Liang blushed and didn't dare to retort, so he could only sit down dejectedly.