A match of equal standing (Happy New Year)

"Speaking of which, the Xu Household was quite a prominent family back in the day."

For no apparent reason, the chief minister sighed.

Xu Xinnian's eyelids twitched. After a moment of silence, he asked, "How does the imperial court intend to resolve the matter in Yunzhou?"

After Emperor Yuanjing was executed, two files were classified as confidential and sealed in a secret room in the Grand Secretariat.

One of these documents was accessible only to officials of the Principal Third Rank or higher with real power, as well as Grand Secretaries.

The case file states that Xu Pingfeng, the third-ranking scholar and second-ranking official in the imperial academy, colluded with the descendants of the royal family from five hundred years ago to establish a base in Yunzhou, secretly developing his power and attempting to rebel.

The case revisited old issues such as the collusion between the former Qi faction and the Witch God Cult, which supported bandits in Yunzhou; and the smuggling of iron ore from Yuzhou to Yunzhou caused by Emperor Yuanjing's sale of official positions.

At present, Nightwatchers, censors, and the Court of Judicial Review are secretly conducting a thorough investigation of all officials in the capital to identify any potential spies.

Officials in various regions have also been subjected to secret investigations.

Another file records the truth that Emperor Yuanjing, Prince Zhenbei, and Emperor Zhende were all the same person.

This file is not made public, and very few people know about it.

The Crown Prince, or rather, Emperor Yongxing, intended to pass this secret down as Lineage secret.

"Defenses have been deployed along the borders of Qingzhou and Yongzhou. The imperial court has issued several imperial edicts to Yunzhou, requesting Yang Chuannan, the commander of Yunzhou, to return to the capital to report on his duties, but there has been no response."

Chief Minister Wang said in a deep voice:

"Yunzhou has not rebelled yet, but it's only a matter of time. The night Nightwatchers in Yunzhou are still there, and the Yunzhou army and officials have not made any moves for the time being. But the court has already lost control of them."

"Your uncle has been operating in Yunzhou for many years; his business strategy is far-reaching."

Xu Xinnian frowned. "So the court's intention is to wait and see?"

Chief Minister Wang nodded. "His Majesty plans to launch a campaign against the remnants of the royal family from five hundred years ago next autumn. But before that, Yunzhou may rise up first, and the court is already prepared."

Xu Xinnian understood. "Therefore, the national treasury doesn't have enough money or grain for disaster relief."

The chief minister remained silent.

A moment of silence fell over the spacious room.

Second sister-in-law Zhao Yurong cleared her throat and, in a tone befitting a child giving a science lesson, said:

"Miss, the charcoal in your house is different from the charcoal here. This is imperial charcoal, reserved only for use in the palace."

In fact, given the current corrupt practices in the Great Feng, there is a lot of black market trading of animal-gold charcoal. High-ranking officials and nobles all have this kind of charcoal in their homes to varying degrees, but they generally don't use it when entertaining guests.

They enjoyed it all in secret.

Only those who received such rewards, like the Wang family, could use them openly and legitimately.

Sister-in-law Li Xianghan picked up a piece of candied fruit and put it in her mouth. Looking at Xu Lingyue diagonally across from her, she smiled and said:

"We're all family. I'll have the servants pack two jin of beast-gold charcoal later; it's not exactly a rare commodity."

This statement reveals that although it was a gift from the emperor, it meant nothing to the royal family.

Even if the wealthiest families manage to slip through their fingers, they still possess things that ordinary people could never afford in their lifetime.

Madam Wang smiled and sipped her tea. She needed her two daughters-in-law to "show off" the Wang family's wealth and status, thus highlighting her daughter's privileged status.

Xu Lingyue said softly, "Thank you, sister-in-law. But we have sixty catties of animal-grade charcoal at home, which should be enough for this winter."

Her voice was soft, and her expression was sincere; she didn't seem to be showing off.

The room fell silent. The women of the Wang family looked at each other strangely. The snobbish eldest sister-in-law asked in a low voice:

"Bought on the black market? Sixty catties, how much silver would that cost?"

Madam Wang coughed lightly, using her eyes to stop her eldest daughter-in-law from asking further questions, and said calmly:

"Lingyue, the beast-gold charcoal is for imperial use. Although many wealthy families secretly buy and use it, it's best to do it but not talk about it. If word gets out, the palace will punish you. From now on, don't talk about it outside, understand?"

Madam Wang's words were not euphemistic; they were a serious admonition.

The Xu Household is far too audacious. Sixty catties of beast-gold charcoal is no small sum; how could they buy it like that? Relying on their Xu Household, they've become so arrogant. They might become a troublesome relative in the future.

My second sister-in-law's father works at the Dali Temple, so he is particularly sensitive to this matter.

In Beijing, newly rich people who become arrogant and conceited after gaining power rarely have a good ending.

Xu Lingyue shook her head and said innocently, "It was a gift from Princess Huaiqing and Princess Lin'an."

Madam Wang was visibly taken aback, but quickly regained her composure and remained silent.

The elder sister-in-law asked in surprise, "Were these a gift from the two princesses?"

The bewilderment in her and her second sister-in-law's eyes was undisguised. As wealthy ladies living deep within the compound, they were cut off from outside information. They only knew that Xu Household's Dalang was very capable, but they were not clear about the details.

For example, Xu Household Dalang was a slave to three families. One of them was the eldest daughter of the Emperor of the Great Feng Dynasty, who was Great Feng, and the other was the most favored family in Lin'an.

Xu Lingyue explained, "The two princesses have been so kind to the Xu Household because of my elder brother's reputation."

Xu Dalang

Perhaps reminded of the legend of Xu Dalang, the two sisters-in-law immediately became much more polite, and their smiles became warmer.

Madam Wang's expression turned serious. She said, "I heard from Simu that Xu Yinluo is no longer in the capital?"

"My elder brother has gone on a trip," Xu Lingyue replied.

During the ensuing casual conversation, the eldest and second sisters-in-law kept "flaunting their wealth," constantly displaying the superiority of their affluent family in order to highlight the Wang family's prominence.

The eldest sister-in-law said, "Erlang works in the Hanlin Academy, which is a prestigious position, but he doesn't have much real power. After the wedding, we'll try to send him on a mission after the New Year."

Xu Lingyue said, "My eldest brother had already made arrangements for my second brother before he left."

Second Sister-in-law said, "Erlang comes from the Cloud Deer Academy and is exceptionally talented. However, his true talent lies in navigating the complexities of officialdom, and such connections are built with money. But it's alright, Father-in-law has surely already taken care of everything."

Xu Lingyue said, "The family also has a share of the profits from the chicken essence workshop left by my eldest brother, which brings in tens of thousands of taels of silver every year."

The elder sister-in-law said, "Young lady, you're still unmarried, right? I'll introduce you to a few outstanding young men from excellent families."

Xu Lingyue said, "Thank you, sister-in-law. Half of my brother's ability is enough."

Sister-in-law. "."

After a fierce battle, the eldest and second sisters-in-law were defeated.

They suddenly realized that, in terms of wealth, connections, and Lineage prestige, the Wang family didn't seem to have much of an advantage over the Xu Household.

My sense of superiority suddenly vanished.

The fool Wang Simu secretly shook his head.

Both sisters-in-law were influenced by Xu Lingyue. Whenever they showed off their superiority, Xu Lingyue would bring up Xu Qi'an, which was clearly a comparison of the overall strength of the Wang family and the Xu Household.

The seemingly harmless Xu Lingyue was transformed into a comparison between the Wang family and Xu Qi'an.

Can it compare?

Unfortunately, the two sisters-in-law were misled by Xu Lingyue's appearance and thought they had everything under control. Their repeated lapses in speech were because the Wang family was indeed inferior to the Xu Household.

Just then, a silvery laugh came from outside.

A moment later, a pair of children ran in; it was a boy and a girl.

The boy had a chubby face and was dressed in a brocade jacket and a fox fur hat. His skin was slightly dark, and he looked to be around ten years old.

The girl was adorable with a fair complexion, a round face, and big eyes; she was clearly a beauty in the making, and was about seven years old.

"Grandmother!"

The two children stopped smiling and spoke respectfully.

"It's Brother Hao and Sister Die."

Madam Wang smiled and beckoned the two children to her side.

Taking the opportunity, Wang Simu introduced them, "These are my eldest brother's children."

Xu Lingyue nodded.

The two children sat down next to Madam Wang, the girl's dark eyes scanning the chubby child of the same age.

The boy was also scrutinizing the unfamiliar little girl.

The eldest sister-in-law's eyes lit up. "Oh dear!" she exclaimed, displeased. "Hao'er, Die'er, quickly greet your younger sister!"

The two children immediately greeted Xu Lingyin.

Xu Lingyin focused intently on eating pastries, dried fruits, and candied fruits, lost in her own world.

The two sisters-in-law secretly shook their heads, thinking he was dull-witted and greedy.

A slight smile appeared on Madam Wang's face.

The eldest sister-in-law asked with a smile, "I haven't asked yet, has Miss Lingyin started her education?"

Xu Lingyue shook her head and said softly, "Not yet. Lingyin is slow-witted; she can't even recite the Three Character Classic. Sending her to school wouldn't help."

The elder sister-in-law's smile grew even wider:

"That won't do. Although we women don't need to take the imperial examinations, we must be proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. I think we can send Sister Lingyin to our Wang family's private school."

Lady Wang nodded, her face gentle. "There are also two days each month when you can go to the palace to study with the princes and listen to the Grand Tutor's teachings."

"Cough cough."

Wang Simu choked on the tea, coughing until tears welled up in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Madam Wang asked her daughter.

"Mr. Zhang and the Grand Tutor in the family are getting on in years," Wang Simu said softly.

So, Mother, please let them go.

"OK!"

Xu Lingyue smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you, Madam Wang."

After a pause, Xu Lingyue said, "Actually, Lingyin has been practicing martial arts lately, so she's neglected her studies. I also think she should read more and learn to read."

"Practicing martial arts?"

The women in the room gave them a "this is vulgar" look. Martial arts men are vulgar to begin with, and for women to learn martial arts is the vulgarity within vulgarity.

Wang Hao, with his dark skin, suddenly brightened up, stood up, glared at Xu Lingyin, and said:

"You practice martial arts too? Let's have a spar."

The boy's suggestion was immediately rejected by his mother, who scolded him, "Stop talking nonsense! You're a good prospect, but Miss Lingyin is different from you. Aren't you bullying her?"

He then turned to Xu Lingyue and said, "Hao'er has good Root Bone. The guest elders in our household praised him as a promising talent and took him as a disciple. My father-in-law also said that practicing martial arts can strengthen the body, which is a good thing. In the future, Hao'er will be both literate and skilled in martial arts."

His tone was quite proud.

Xu Lingyue lowered her head. "My sister only has one ounce of strength."

He looked very self-conscious.

Wang Hao rarely found opponents his own age, and when he finally saw one, he said anxiously:

"Grandmother, I know what I'm doing. Please let me spar with her. If you're worried I might hurt her, you can ask the guards to watch over her."

Madam Wang still felt it wasn't quite right and was about to refuse when she heard Xu Lingyue say, "Alright."

Hmm? Madam Wang glanced at her and could only say, "That's fine too."

He immediately sent a maid to fetch a guard.

Wang Hao and Xu Lingyin then left the house and went into the courtyard.

Xu Lingyue, Wang Simu, their two sisters-in-law, and Madam Wang, all wearing cloaks, stood under the eaves watching.

The middle-aged guard, with one hand on his sword, scrutinized the two children and said, "Before the competition, let me test your strength."

He pointed to a stone bench nearby and said, "Move the bench."

For a child playing house, the concept of danger and danger doesn't apply. But to be on the safe side, it's best to test their strength first.

If the difference in skill level is too great, there's no need for a competition.

Wang Hao was the first to walk to the stone table, bend down, hug the stone bench next to the table, and with a loud shout, he picked up the bench.

His face turned bright red, veins bulging on his forehead, and he only collapsed after walking ten steps. Throughout the ordeal, Madam Wang kept calling out to him.

Slow down, walk slowly.

The second sister-in-law praised, "Hao'er is very capable."

The eldest sister-in-law smiled broadly and exclaimed, "Actually, studying is still better. Sigh, I didn't want him to learn martial arts, but Hao'er's Root Bone is just too good."

The eldest sister-in-law mastered the secrets of Versailles without any formal instruction.

The middle-aged guard exclaimed, "Young master, you have a bright future ahead of you!"

He then looked at Xu Lingyin: "Don't force yourself."

Xu Lingyin finally finished the handful of candied fruit in her hand, licked her palm, and walked towards the stone table under everyone's gaze.

She reached out and grabbed the edge of the stone table.

Just as the middle-aged guard was about to say "not this one," his eyes widened suddenly. He saw the stone table, as if it were a weightless feather, being picked up by the little girl with one hand and lifted above her head.

It was raised above their heads.

one hand

The scene fell into a deathly silence.

The eldest sister-in-law opened her eyes wide, her mouth slightly agape, her whole body stiff, as if she had suffered an unbearable shock.

Madam Wang was moved.

The young boy from the Wang family was dumbfounded.

Bang!

Xu Lingyin tossed the stone table back into place and looked at her sister with a naive expression. "Can we fight now?"

After finishing, we'll go back to eat.

"No!"

"I'm not playing anymore!"

Madam Wang and her sister-in-law screamed at the same time.

At this moment, Xu Lingyue still had that innocent, demure demeanor, and said with self-consciousness:

"Lingyin doesn't know anything, she just has a lot of strength, and even her older brother thinks she's not talented enough."

The older sister-in-law stared blankly at her, her lips moved, but she couldn't say a word.

Then, Madam Wang and her second sister-in-law fell silent.

After having lunch at the mansion, Xu Xinnian bid farewell to Chief Minister Wang and went to the backyard. There, he saw his two younger sisters waiting at the entrance of the inner hall. Servants who had come with him were carrying a large pile of gift boxes, which were gifts from the Wang family.

He did not enter the inner hall, but stood at a distance and nodded slightly, waiting for his sisters to come with their servants before the three siblings left the palace.

Once inside the carriage, the wheels rumbled. Xu Xinnian glanced at the girl and said:

How are you feeling?

Xu Lingyue smiled and said, "Not bad, Sister Simu listens to the rules."

"Follow the rules? "Xu Xinnian looked at her blankly.

Xu Lingyue smiled sweetly.

She still felt a little regretful; it would have been more interesting if Wang Simu had stepped in to fight her.

After Xu Xinnian left, Chief Minister Wang drank a cup of tea alone before going to the inner hall.

The atmosphere here was somewhat heavy. The wife, Madam Wang, her two daughters-in-law, and her daughter, Wang Simu, sat in silence.

The daughter was alright, but the wife, Madam Wang, looked grave, while the two daughters-in-law could not hide their frustration and disappointment.

The Prime Minister Wang said calmly, "Has something unpleasant happened?"

The two daughters-in-law remained silent.

Madam Wang hesitated for a moment, then said, "My lord, I just feel that the Xu Household isn't exactly climbing the social ladder by marrying into our family."

The older sister-in-law nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes."

She wanted to send Hao'er to the Xu Residence to learn martial arts.

The second sister-in-law sighed, "Simu marrying Erlang is a perfect match."

She decided to pay more attention to the Xu Household in the future, and quietly suppressed her sense of superiority.

Wang Simu suddenly said, "Father, my sister-in-law has agreed to Xu Household Miss Xu come to our house to study."

The Grand Secretary Wang countered, "What's the problem?"

There's no need to consult him about such a trivial matter.

Wang Simu said quietly, "If you've gone back on your promise to go out, let my elder brother go to the Xu Residence and say it himself. I'm not going to be the bad guy."

Chief Minister Wang waved his hand. "It's nothing."

At this point, Chief Minister Wang was still unaware of the seriousness of the situation. He was even more puzzled as to why the women in his household suddenly appeared so dejected, as if they had suffered a defeat and lost all fighting spirit.

Returning to the Xu Residence, Xu Lingyin placed her hands on her lower back, spread them out, and charged forward to find her master, Lina, to share with her the delicious food she had eaten at the palace.

Xu Lingyue went to the east wing to report to her mother.

When her aunt saw her daughter return, she immediately bombarded her with questions. "Were you bullied? Does the Prince's Mansion look down on people? Have you been wronged?"

Xu Lingyue shook her head. "No, that's not true. Madam Wang and my two sisters-in-law were very polite."

The aunt didn't believe her and poked her daughter's forehead. "You silly girl, even if you're bullied, you'll just endure it."

As he spoke, he gestured for his daughter to sit down at the table, and said earnestly:

Tell me what happened with the Wang family, and I'll analyze it for you, showing you what went wrong and how you should have dealt with it.

"You should remember this well. When you get married, use what your mother taught you to deal with your mother-in-law."

Xu Lingyue nodded obediently. "Did Mother treat Grandmother the same way back then?"

Auntie pouted. "Have you forgotten? Your grandmother passed away before I married your father."

Xu Lingyue sighed, "Mother, you're so lucky."

Xiangzhou, Chai Mansion.

The Vajra of Transcendence, standing eight feet tall and wearing a red and yellow robe, arrived outside the central gate.

"Please inform the benefactor that this humble monk is in distress."

The burly monk clasped his hands together in prayer.

At this moment, the Vajra of Salvation concealed all its aura. Apart from its towering body, it was no different from an ordinary person, and the fire ring behind its head also disappeared.

The doorman glanced at the large man in fear and said in a trembling voice, "Master, please wait a moment."

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