Cheng Wenzheng, in the 16th year of Emperor Xuanren's reign, won the imperial examination and the third place in the palace examination. He entered the Hanlin Academy as an editor. By chance, he was praised by Emperor Xuanren and became the "reader" of the young prince. This reader was different from the bachelor of reading. He was only responsible for reading with the prince for one hour every day. Even so, countless people were jealous.
Three years later, he was demoted to be the magistrate of a prefecture, a sixth-rank official, thus just avoiding the forced abdication and change of dynasty two years later.
Of course, the one who was usurped was not the current Emperor Xuanren, but Emperor Chongwen, an unlucky man who was overthrown by his brothers less than four years after he took the throne.
Cheng Wenzheng had been away for seventeen years, and was promoted rapidly as if by divine intervention, to the position of a second-rank provincial governor. In the fifteenth year of Tianshun, he was transferred back to the imperial city and directly promoted to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. The following year, he entered the cabinet and became a Grand Secretary of the Wenying Palace. He was also granted the title of a first-rank Tai Shi, thus reaching the peak of his life.
How old was Cheng Wenzheng at that time? Forty-five!
And Wenren Taibo is forty-four this year!
He was a typical poor man with no background or family background, but he was able to beat those people with strong background and heritage. It has to be said that he was a legend.
And this is the man who is filial to his widowed mother, loving to his children, good to his wife, and has a clean backyard. He has only one concubine daughter, but he is also loyal and righteous, willing to help his relatives, and never forgets the kindness of the past.
Come to think of it, Wen Renying was also one of the people who benefited from the favor before she was reborn.
The source of this favor is not only because Cheng Wenzheng is considered half a disciple of her father and has been helped by him, but also because her parents are Cheng Wenzheng's matchmakers.
After Cheng Wenzheng passed the imperial examination and became the third place in the imperial examination, he was "caught under the list" by the prefect of Kaiping, and sincerely asked Wenren Taibo and his wife to be matchmakers.
Wen Renying was not happy or satisfied during her life in the Marquis' Mansion. Because of Cheng Wenzheng, her wife Li deliberately tried to get closer to her. As a result, her husband treated her better, which probably caused her to die a few years later.
Why did she know so much about Cheng Wenzheng's life? It was because she was full of envy and jealousy, so she asked Li about it indirectly. Li had a successful life, which was even more enviable than Han's current life.
Wen Renying had a dark heart, but she had to greet Li with a smile.
Some things have become obstacles in Wen Renying's heart. God has given her a second chance, and Cheng Wenzheng is her biggest goal.
As for why Wen Renying didn't set her sights higher—she knew clearly who the next two emperors would be—the key was the influence of her family. The life her mother lived was what she dreamed of and longed for.
In a way, the husband she expected was modeled after her father.
No matter whether it was the unlucky Emperor Chongwen or the relatively wise Emperor Tianshun, the three palaces and six courtyards were all full. Moreover, she also had her pride and only wanted to be the principal wife and not a concubine. These two future emperors now have wives and children.
As for choosing another prince and then relying on her understanding of the future to help him ascend the throne, forget it. The current emperor will pass away next year. There is less than a year left to arrange the layout, win over forces, and overwhelm the previous prince. It is such a huge project. Wen Renying still has self-knowledge.
She originally thought that as long as she resolved her engagement, the rest would not be a problem. Even if the Kaiping prefect would soon issue a notice to arrest the culprit, she could still deal with the matter quietly. But now, her mother wanted to marry her fourth sister to Cheng Wenzheng? !
In the morning, I was still thinking about building a good relationship with these four sisters, but now I have to regard them as enemies
Of course, the matter is not that serious. It is not like the fourth sister and Cheng Wenzheng are committed to each other for life and death, and the relationship cannot be torn apart no matter what. If this is not the case, then there is room for maneuver in everything.
She couldn't panic now. Perhaps it was just her mother's wishful thinking. She needed to figure out the situation before making any plans.
Wen Renying walked in and asked, "What are mother and fourth sister talking about?" She had a bright smile, still the innocent and naive girl.
The reason why Wen Renying could disguise herself so well was not only because she put a lot of effort into it, but also because she was indeed innocent and lively at heart. That was because she was spoiled by Han. Even after getting married and wasting more than 20 years in the rear house, some things had not been worn away. Perhaps it was because her life was not going well that she would often recall the happy days in the boudoir.
After coming back, those things were released naturally.
Of course, no matter how she pretended, she was in her forties with a teenage shell, and there was still a difference between her and a real teenage girl. It was just that in the beginning, she was nervous when facing her relatives, and in order to avoid being noticed by her shrewd parents, she even pretended to be sick. After a period of time, she was only a little different in private, so the maids who served her closely knew that she was a little hypocritical, but they didn't think about anything deeper. However, how dare they interfere in the master's affairs
As time went by, the sense of incongruity about Wen Renying became less and less.
Wen Renying was already engaged, and Han didn't hide it from her, "We're talking about Cheng Huiyuan."
Wen Renying blinked and said, "That guy came to look for dad again? He was quite diligent." She seemed to be disgusted.
Although Wen Renying has a clear goal, she also wants to get married through "normal means". She will not ruin her reputation unless she has to. Even if she does, she will be pitiful, aggrieved, and unwilling. Both her parents and Cheng Wenzheng will pity her and feel sorry for her. She doesn't have to do anything, and they will make things perfect.
Han glared at her and said, "What are you talking about?"
Wen Renying smiled on the surface, but calmly turned the topic to Cheng Wenzheng, testing Han and Xiaocao's attitudes.
Xiaocao's face remained indifferent, and Han didn't seem very enthusiastic either. Wen Renying felt puzzled, thinking that something was not right.
—Since the fourth sister didn’t mean that, mother immediately gave up the idea
That’s about it. Wen Renying should take a break. If she continues, she will be suspected.
The kitchen manager came to find Han, so Han sent the two sisters away again.
Leaving the main courtyard, "Fourth sister, let's go for a walk in the garden. You seem to have been busy since you came back yesterday."
Xiaocao thought about it and it seemed to be true. But maybe that was the case. She didn't have any difficulty adapting from the dilapidated little courtyard to this luxurious mansion. Of course, the key should be the attitude of her relatives around her.
Gladly agreed.
Although the Wen family's mansion is not as good as the Duke's Mansion, it is not bad either.
Although Xiaocao does not have any hatred towards the rich, and his appreciation ability may still be a little poor, he can still feel the ingenuity in the layout - well, it is very comfortable to look at.
The two sisters strolled in front, and Wen Renying introduced the structure of the house to Xiaocao from time to time, such as which family lived in which place and what each place was used for.
But as she was walking, she came to the front yard. It was her own home and it was not a banquet day, so she was not afraid of colliding with men from outside. The function of the second door was to block the concubines in the back house and prohibit male servants from entering the backyard at will. Of course, maids were not allowed to enter and leave casually.
Wen Renying was open and honest, and Xiaocao knew something about it, so she didn't think too much about it.
Naturally, I saw everyone in the pavilion.