Chapter 23: Favoring concubines and ignoring wives is hereditary! Shouantang "Hua'er has been raised by me since he was a child, and he has never seen the world. If there is anything wrong in what he did, please forgive me, Brother Hong." Old Mrs. Sheng patted Sheng Hualan's hand gently, her kind eyes full of joy. "Grandma, your words are sincere. The Sheng family is a noble family, and Hua'er is dignified, elegant, gentle and kind. There is nothing wrong with this." Old Madam Sheng nodded seemingly with a smile, but in fact she looked calmly at Sheng Hong, who was feeling somewhat uneasy, with a hint of doubt in her eyes. When she saw Sheng Hong's evasive eyes, she knew that something unpleasant might have happened before everyone came to Shou'an Hall. She immediately suppressed her doubts in her heart and planned to ask again after the arrangements for returning home were completed. "Hong is now the number one scholar in the imperial court. According to the rules, he has to serve as a scholar in the Imperial Academy for three years. He will have to go to Bianjing in a few days, right?" Old Madam Sheng calmly changed the subject and asked about his future career and official position. "Grandmother, what you said is very true. According to the rules, the top scholar will be given a sixth-rank official position and serve as a Hanlin editor for three years. After that, he will be sent to a prefecture or county to serve as a major official." Old Mrs. Sheng nodded with emotion. This is the top scholar!
You have to know that Sheng Hong, whom she raised, was also a Jinshi. He had a smooth career in the first half of his life without any obstacles. After serving as an official for decades, he was only a Tongpan of the sixth rank. Although they are both Jinshi, the difference between them is really huge. Generally, Jinshi can only reach the starting point of Zhuangyuan after struggling for decades. "Well, Brother Hong is a man who has a plan in mind. I am an old woman who lives in the back house and I am not very proficient in officialdom. I believe that Brother Hong has his own plan in mind, so I will not say more." Old Madam Sheng smiled and then talked about other things. It was a happy time. Afterwards, everyone invited the old lady to the inner hall, where men and women had a meal at separate tables. They talked and chatted, the father-in-law and son-in-law chatted, the mother and daughter talked, and the grandparents and grandchildren talked about matters in the boudoir. It was not until the sun set that Chu Hong and Sheng Hualan left with everyone seeing them off. "Your Majesty!" As soon as Chu Hong left, Old Lady Sheng called Sheng Hong to Shou'an Hall with an embarrassed look on her face. "Kneel down! When I saw your expression this morning, I knew that a lot of things must have happened before you came to Shou'an Hall. Thinking about entertaining my son-in-law and Hua'er's return, I didn't say much. Who would have thought that after asking Fang Mama, I would find out that you actually dared to let Lin Qinshuang, the concubine, receive guests, even over your wife. Tell me, is this how you act as a husband and a father?" Mama Fang was a trusted maid of Old Madam Sheng. She had followed Old Madam Sheng since she was still a girl and was highly trusted by her. Sheng Hong swallowed mouthfuls of fruit and bowed decisively, feeling extremely regretful. He originally wanted to bring Shuang'er to see the style of the number one scholar, and Shuang'er would definitely work hard to repay him at night if her wish was fulfilled. Who could have thought that things would turn out like this? "Mother, I just want Changfeng and Molan to meet their eldest brother-in-law." "Don't use the child as an excuse!" Old Madam Sheng interrupted Sheng Hong's excuse unhappily. She knew Sheng Hong too well and of course knew what was in his mind. "Brother Hong is a top scholar, he is not the kind of person who looks down on illegitimate sons. You should know that among the three sons of the Chu family, he treats his illegitimate brother Chu Su very well, and he definitely won't mind Chang Feng Molan meeting his eldest brother-in-law. Ask yourself, was Hong'er's words about his future because of Changfeng and Molan, or because of Lin Qinshuang, or because he favored his concubine over his wife?" "Mother is right." Sheng Hong did not respond to the old lady's words, looking as if he had learned something from her teaching. "Oh, you don't have to bring the officialdom into your home and speak unclearly. It doesn't matter if you speak unclearly, as long as you know the reason in your heart." "You look like someone who has been educated and accepted, but in reality, what's the difference between you and those shameless people in the market? You are considered a person of importance in Yangzhou, so your favoritism towards your concubine and your neglect of your wife will not cause any disturbance. But if you go to Bianjing, the censor will find evidence against you and file a memorial in the court. You will either be dismissed from office or exiled!" Old Madam Sheng snorted coldly. The most important thing for her Tongpan was the prosperity of the family and the official position. She didn't believe that Sheng Hong would not react.
Just as Mrs. Sheng had expected, Sheng Hong's face turned visibly red. "Humph, you also know how to be nervous? Hua'er married into a wealthy family. Lin Qinshuang did this this time. How can Hua'er cope with Hong Ge'er?" Old Madam Sheng was really angry. Hualan was the eldest child of the Sheng family. In his early years, Sheng Hong was an official in the frontier, and Sheng Hualan suffered a lot. When Sheng Hong was transferred to a wealthy place, she had to take care of her younger brothers and sisters. She was about to get through the hard times, but her father was holding her back? Really. Alas! Sheng Hong immediately lowered his head in shame. He actually knew all this in his heart, but if the old lady hadn't pushed him, he probably wouldn't have had this reaction. "Yes, mother, I will go to the Chu family tomorrow morning to explain things on Hua'er's behalf to avoid any rift between the young couple." "No need. Your favoring of concubines over wives is no secret in Yangzhou. There are many officials in the world who favor concubines over wives. Since Hong'er chose to marry Hua'er, he naturally doesn't care about your favoring of concubines over wives. After all, a woman's world is completely different after marriage, and she has less relationship with her natal family, so most people don't care that much. I'll send someone to ask Hua'er and Hong'er about their attitude in a few days, and then we'll act accordingly. "Old Madam Sheng shook her head. The news that her son favored his concubine over his wife had spread all over Yangzhou. She was angry because Sheng Hong had brought this tacit secret out into the open. Even if your son-in-law already knew about it and doesn't mind, he will be angry if you bring this matter to light. Isn't this just asking for a beating? The newlyweds had no emotional foundation to begin with. If this fake anger turned into real anger, Hua'er would have no chance to live the rest of her life. "I have said all that needs to be said. How to deal with this is your business, Judge Sheng. Your wife, Wang, is a person who is cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Although she sometimes talks back at you, the fact that she has a kind heart cannot be denied. You have to know that if some cruel people had a family background like hers, Lin Qinshuang would have been sold out countless times. The trend of favoring concubines and abandoning wives should not prevail. Don't forget how your brother died young. " Having said this, Old Lady Sheng sighed slightly, knowing that she had almost finished speaking, and waved her hand. Sheng Hong lowered his head and thought for a moment, then bowed and slowly retreated. Old Lady Sheng looked at Sheng Hong who left quietly and couldn't help feeling helpless. Why are all the people in the Sheng family favoring concubines over wives? Is there something wrong with the feng shui? Old Mrs. Sheng wasn’t quite sure, but if Chu Hong were here, he could give a clear answer. If favoring concubines and neglecting wives can be inherited, then the Sheng family probably has this trait. The custom of the Sheng family favoring concubines over wives is a long-standing one. Sheng Hong's father, Old Master Sheng, the handsome and elegant scholar who won the imperial examination in his youth, was a man who favored concubines over wives. Old Madam Sheng had stayed in the palace for a period of time in the past, and was actually very good at palace fighting. If she really competed for favor, the concubine would definitely not be his opponent. But when she saw that Old Master Sheng was a man who favored his concubine over his wife, she was extremely disappointed. However, relying on her status as the only daughter of a marquis, she felt noble and disdained to compete for favor with the concubine. As a result, the concubine became more and more arrogant, and both Sheng Hong, a bastard, and his biological mother suffered. Old Lady Sheng's only biological son was also killed by the concubine. This is the first generation of the Sheng family who favors concubines and kills wives. The second generation who favored his concubine and killed his wife was naturally Sheng Hong. Logically speaking, he was harmed by his favorite concubine in his childhood, so he should be quite sensitive about "favoring a concubine and killing his wife". But, he met Lin Qinshuang! His childhood experiences undoubtedly made Sheng Hong cautious and a little lacking in love. The misery of his childhood also made him more inclined to be dependent on others and he liked to be the strong and relied upon one. Sheng Hong's wife, Wang Ruofu, is the second daughter of old Tai Shi Wang. Although the Wang family has declined somewhat, it is still an untouchable behemoth compared to the Sheng family. Therefore, Wang Ruofu relied on her family background and was unwilling to be subservient, which made Sheng Hong lose the pleasure of being the master of the house. Lin Qinshuang is different. She knows that Sheng Hong likes her dependence on her, so she is always willing to act as if she can't live without Sheng Hong, so that Sheng Hong can get enough of the feeling of being dependent on him. Because of this, Sheng Hong slowly fell in love with Lin Qinshuang, and Lin Qinshuang became Sheng Hong's "true love".
Sheng Hong fell in love with Lin Qinshuang, so he would naturally find excuses for the wrong things she did. Even when Lin Qinshuang killed his concubine Wei Xiaoniang while she was giving birth, leaving two lives, Sheng Hong just brushed it off and did not pursue the matter. It would definitely be a lie to say that Sheng Hong had no idea about Lin Qinshuang's true character. After all, he is the magistrate of a state, specializing in judging cases, so there should be no problem with his professional ability. The real reason is of course that Sheng Hong knew everything but chose to indulge it. After all, how could Shuang'er, such a good person, kill someone? what? Really killed? Shuang'er killed the concubine because she was vying for favor. She killed Wei Xiaoniang because she cared about me! All I can say is that you can never wake up a person who is pretending to be asleep. But that being said, if you really meet a woman who is always accommodating and extremely charming, no one can guarantee that they will not end up like Sheng Hong. After all, when you think you are awake, you might actually be unconscious? The Sheng family favored concubines and neglected wives for two consecutive generations. However, in the third generation, Sheng Changbai turned out to be a gentleman and did not do such a thing. However, in the future, Sheng Changbai's descendants began to favor concubines over wives. Hmm, it’s really hereditary! I updated 6200 posts today. Do you want to praise me? (End of this chapter)