Chapter 78: Come, Yingbao, This Is the Dowry( Fog)

Politics is something that is both complicated and simple.

The intrigues and scheming in the court are certainly exhausting, and in order to control the court, those in power often need to expend a great deal of their energy.

But in certain circumstances, it is not impossible to use some seemingly alternative means to solve the problems in the court outside the court.

There, it is the battlefield for women.

As a queen who legally holds the same status and power as the emperor, the phrase "mother of the country" is not just a casual remark.

In this era when there is only one Empress in the emperor's harem and no other concubines, the Empress, who does not have to waste her energy on palace fighting, naturally has more time to fulfill the responsibilities she should have assumed.

That is to maintain the relationship with the backyards of various nobles and court officials.

But don't underestimate the mistresses of many noble families. These women who are in charge of household chores often have the final say on many family affairs, and in many aspects, even the men in charge are not allowed to interfere.

People are always accustomed to thinking that women had a low status in the traditional Huxia culture, but if you really look into it carefully, most of those women with low status were just maids and concubines.

The power of a true mistress of the house should never be underestimated. Look at Lady Jia in Dream of the Red Chamber. No one in the huge Rong and Ning mansions dared to act presumptuously towards anyone she wanted to deal with in the Jia family.

Most of those who are able to become the mistress of the house are women who have received elite education and various housekeeping training since childhood. They may not be very talented in writing, but it is absolutely impossible for them to be illiterate and have no talent.

For these people, if you really ignore their existence, they will definitely teach you a lesson.

Ning Qingxuan's mother, the current Queen Wen Guxi, was happy to see the prince being favored by so many girls, but if she really had to say who she had her eyes on as the crown princess, it would have to be the general.

Who made the two of them, with one soul and two bodies, so in tune with each other that in the eyes of others they looked like a loving couple?

What's more, Wen Guxi had heard that Ning Qingxuan had already handed over a considerable portion of government affairs to this "Miss Shadow" to handle as appropriate.

Initially, an extra copy of the report reviewed by the general would be sent to Ning Junkang.

The emperor would look at it carefully and was surprised to find that the work was handled as well as that of his proud son.

If no one else had told him, Junkang would have thought that this was the approval made by Ning Qingxuan himself.

His methods are as sophisticated as those of the crown prince.

This is how the scene today happened, where Wen Guxi dragged the general to attend the birthday party without any explanation.

It stands to reason that no matter how high a woman's status is, she is not qualified to have the queen come out of the palace to congratulate her in person, but today's birthday girl is no ordinary one.

That was the mother of Duke Anguo.

This old lady of Anguo had one son and two daughters, and her eldest daughter was the mother of the current emperor Ning Junkang, the grandmother of Ning Qingxuan, and the late queen mother!

In other words, Madam Anguo is the great-grandmother of Crown Prince Ning Qingxuan.

Even if Emperor Ning Junkang met her privately in an informal setting, he had to show respect and observe the etiquette of a junior.

The old lady is over a hundred years old, but she is still sharp-eyed and able to move around easily. Although she no longer cares about household affairs and has handed over the power of household management to her daughter-in-law, her position is still as stable as a rock and cannot be shaken.

Wen Guxi directly took the general to attend the old lady's birthday party, which to some extent was sending a political signal to the outside world.

The Crown Princess has been chosen.

.......

The residence of Duke Anguo covers a very large area. When you enter through the gate, you will first see the Qiongshu Garden, which is divided into the pomegranate garden, pear garden, crabapple garden, etc. It is a sea of ​​flowers and trees, which is a breathtaking beauty.

Walking along the long corridor and passing through the moon gate, you will reach the main hall of the courtyard. The view is suddenly broadened, with pavilions, towers, carved beams and painted buildings, and piles of gold and jade stones, presenting a magnificent and luxurious scene.

The backyard where flowers bloomed was where the birthday party was held.

The old lady is very old and she likes this place full of flowers the most.

In the center of the garden, there is a jade-paved pond and a white stone bridge, which complement each other. Koi of various colors are playing freely in the jade pond, lotus flowers are in full bloom, and lotus leaves are covered with dew, looking delicate and beautiful.

The white jade corridor was bustling with the fragrance of clothes and the sounds of people.

The maids carried gilded bowls and plates and flower-decorated cakes in an orderly manner, walked through the winding corridor, passed through the moon door, and came to the center of the banquet.

The old lady naturally sat at the head of the table. She was dressed in gorgeous clothes and looked elegant and graceful. Even though she was old, one could tell from her bone structure that she must have been a beauty when she was young.

There were sounds of music all around, and all the guests coming and going were dressed in silk and satin, showing their wealth and luxury.

The one accompanying the old lady was naturally Wen Guxi.

She had a rather lazy posture, her eyes were full of smiles, and she seemed to be taking care of the women in the courtiers and nobles' backyards around her. In her words, she actually took care of everyone present, allowing everyone to join in the conversation without making anyone feel strange.

Because of the old lady, all the elderly mistresses, grandmothers, and old ladies are here. Even though many of them are juniors of Old Lady Anguo, if the general is not counted, Queen Wen Guxi would be the youngest person.

But she deservedly became the center of attention like Old Madam Anguo.

Naturally, as the truly "smallest" general, he became the object of everyone's jokes.

"This is truly a symbol of beauty. I was originally wondering if our girl would have a chance to enter the Eastern Palace, but now that I see Ah Ying, I'm afraid there's no hope for that girl."

"I've heard that your highness has a beautiful girl hidden in the East Palace, but I don't know who she is and I've never seen her. Your Majesty, you are really good at hiding it. Why didn't you bring Miss Aying out for us to see earlier?"

Everyone was talking at once, and the topic was all about the general. As she was experiencing this kind of environment for the first time, she could only remain silent. However, she gave people the impression that she was a rather shy and introverted child.

At this time, Old Lady Anguo waved to the general and pulled her in front of her, with a face full of love as if she was looking at her own young daughter.

"Aying, right? Seeing you reminds me of when I was young. Come and take this. This is my dowry when I got married. I was thinking of adding it to the gifts when His Highness gets married in the future. Now that I see you, I might as well give it to you directly as a meeting gift."

The old lady took off the jade bracelet on her hand and put it into the general's soft little hands.

General:

Marry, marry, marry, marry, dowry————!?

Pursing his lips, the general slightly declined, and whispered: "Today is the old lady's birthday. Ying is a junior, so he should send a gift. How can he accept the old lady's gift? Besides, this gift is too valuable and inappropriate."

After these words were spoken, the old lady looked at the general with more satisfaction, and secretly sighed in her heart that such a well-educated and well-mannered child, her own generation, might not have any chance at all.

PS. Hiss... Why does it smell like a girl's novel? Is it because I've read too many female-oriented romance novels recently?

PS. There are two more chapters to come.