No matter what kind of changes Jiang Pengji had brought to this era, such changes needed time to ferment and spread.
As time went by, new ideas could slowly replace the old ones that people were used to.
It would take decades or even decades for it to break out. At present, the old ways of thinking were still dominant.
In people's old ways of thinking, men were in charge of external affairs, making money and socializing, while women were in charge of maintaining the family, taking care of children, and supporting parents.
It seemed that the division of labor was clear, but in fact, it limited women's activities and horizons, making the idea that "men were superior to women" even more deeply rooted.
Even the noble ladies of prominent families couldn't live without the inner chamber, their husbands, elders, and children.
In addition to these projects, there was also the so-called "wife diplomacy." The noble ladies had to help their husbands expand and consolidate their connections in foreign activities.
Before the rise of Wanzhou, there were not many ministers under Jiang Pengji's command. Half of them were single people and the Dinke clan.
After the rise of Wanzhou, the Jinling Court recruited a large number of middle-level talents for Jiang Pengji. Most of them were married.
When their husbands were sent to fight or manage the local economy, the wives stayed in Wanzhou.
As time went by, they also felt a little irritated and gradually began to interact with each other.
The size of these wives' bosom circle depended on the status and relationship of their husbands in the officialdom. Their husbands had a good relationship.
The wives had a good relationship. If their husbands had a high status, the wives' bosom circle would be larger.
Even if they weren't on good terms before, they would still interact more. Eventually, they would become familiar with each other.
Before Jiang Pengji attacked Huang Song, the wives had begun to interact with each other. When she returned from the war, all the tea parties were in full bloom.
The tea parties were a battlefield for the wives to display their "diplomatic skills." They all knew who to build a good relationship with and who to alienate. Han Yu's wife was the noblewoman with the highest status among them. Naturally, she had the best way of winning over the wives.
Although she looked down on these poor women and despised them for being vulgar and stupid, she didn't show it on the surface.
Her tea parties were also the best and most thoughtful in the circle of the noble ladies in Wanzhou. Which madam wouldn't envy her?
Outsiders didn't know that the relationship between her and Han Yu was at its lowest point. Looking at her exquisite and elegant life, they naturally envied the deep love between the husband and wife. Madam Han enjoyed the feeling of being surrounded by stars. It made her feel like she had returned to the past.
Back when she was in Zhe County, her tea party was also "unattended". Madams of low status and humble birth were not even qualified to receive an invitation from her. But now, she had to put up with a group of uncultured and uncultured women attending her tea party.
Not only that, but this group of coarse women who only knew how to drink like a pig also liked to complain about their husbands at tea parties and talk about their sufferings.
As Jiang Pengji climbed higher and higher, their bitterness increased.
Her husband's career was prosperous, and his status rose. Almost every household had one or two beautiful concubines.
Beautiful concubines threatened their status as legal wives, and some of them were pregnant, almost standing on their heads to piss and defecate.
All the madams seemed to have found a common topic and chatted endlessly. Madam Han was disgusted.
Such a vulgar woman, it was no wonder that her husband disliked her because of her old age. Which man would like such a shameless woman?
"Last night, that little bitch kept saying that she had a stomachache. It was obvious that she was greedy and ate the wrong food, but she urged others to accuse me of wanting to hurt her child. What was the point of doing that? She was just a concubine who was not worthy to be seen in public. She really thought she was someone important. "
She said that she did not care, but the handkerchief in her hand was almost broken by her, and her eyes were red.
"This is not bad. The one who lives in Chang 'an Lane is really miserable." Another madam sighed and said, "Her mother-in-law doesn't like her, and her husband doesn't like her either. It seems that they want to help the concubine get promoted and demote her to a concubine and give up her position. She refused, and I heard that she was slapped by her mother-in-law in front of all the servants in the mansion. Her face was swollen. Last night was too noisy, and I am afraid that it has spread … "
These madams lived a boring life. To relieve their loneliness, tea parties were naturally a good way to kill time. They were all regular customers of tea parties, so they were familiar with each other. They knew who the madam in Chang 'an Lane was as soon as they heard it. They could not help but sigh and say that she was pitiful.
Madam Han Yu was even more annoyed when she heard the gossip.
Didn't these stupid women know that one should not wash one's dirty linen in public?
They casually talked about the scandals of the Inner Mansion everywhere. They deserved to be disliked by their husbands.
Madam Han was about to drink a cup of tea to calm down when she heard the voice of a strange woman.
The woman's voice was not as clear as an oriole's. Instead, it was a little rough and hoarse like a man. How could it be a woman?
She said, "Such a man, it is better to abandon him."
The madams who heard the voice looked in the direction of the voice and saw a woman who was dressed very plainly in the corner. Her clothes were not bright either.
If she was not sitting in the middle of the table, others would think that she was a wet nurse who served people.
"How can you say that?"
The woman said, "Did I say something wrong? A man who has a change of heart not only spoils his concubine but also lets her do whatever she wants, filling the house with evil. What can such a man do in this life? It is better to abandon him early and find a smart man. "
The madams blushed when they heard that.
Although they complained, they had never thought of divorcing.
Besides, that was their husband. It was not the turn of a minor official's wife to criticize them.
Someone said, "What an impudent shrew."
"I just saw that this woman's right foot is sick." Another madam who was sitting next to the woman said coldly, "One of the seven diseases of a woman is a bad disease. Madam, instead of talking nonsense here and disturbing the peace of other people's houses, it is better to think of a way to avoid becoming a lowly wife."
This was a relatively polite way of saying it. Some people even questioned the woman's identity.
She really did not look like a noble lady. Even if she was someone's wife, she would be a minor official.
How could a minor official's wife be qualified to attend a tea party of this level?
Although Han Yu's wife was a bit pretentious, her memory and ability were still outstanding among the noble ladies.
Even if there were more than a hundred guests, she could accurately call out their identities and chat warmly with them.
She was the one who ordered people to prepare the invitations for the tea party. Naturally, she would not invite an unknown minor official's wife.
She looked at the woman carefully, trying to match her with the invitation she had sent out.
Madam Han's tea party was the most famous in the circle of noble ladies in Wanzhou. She was also Han Yu's wife. Of course, the womenfolk of Feng Jin and the others couldn't be omitted from the invitation. However, many of the womenfolk declined. The only woman who replied was Lieutenant Dian Yan's wife … Could it be …
Before Madam Han could speak to smooth things over, Dian Yan's wife was not angry. Instead, she laughed and said clearly, "You don't have to worry about this. There has never been a lowly wife in the family, only a lowly husband. If he does anything disloyal, he will naturally report to the lord and order a divorce. "
The madams still wanted to laugh.
What lowly husband? What kind of phrase was that?
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