"Zhai Yanlin?" Cheng Yujin raised her eyebrows in surprise and asked, "Why is Ninth Uncle asking about him?"
Cheng Yuanjing looked at the tea leaves slowly unfurling in the teacup. His tone was flat, as if he didn't care at all, "I was just casually asking."
Cheng Yujin also didn't know why Cheng Yuanjing suddenly asked about Zhai Yanlin. She followed the principle of being careful with her words and actions and worded her words according to the rules, "The Duke Of Cai is brave and good at war. He is good at managing his troops. He is a rare talent. It is a blessing for us common people to have such a good general like the Duke Of Cai serving the country. "
Cheng Yujin secretly thought that Cheng Yuanjing had never mentioned Zhai Yanlin before. After talking with Zhai Yanlin alone for a while, he came over to ask her about her opinion of Zhai Yanlin. Looking at the situation, it was very likely that Zhai Yanlin's manner of speaking had attracted Cheng Yuanjing's attention. Cheng Yuanjing had the intention to put him in an important position, so he came to ask her about her opinion of Zhai Yanlin.
Whether it was in the future or now, Cheng Yuanjing needed to recruit people and recruit talents. Since it was someone that the crown prince valued, how could Cheng Yujin say that the other party was not good? Even if it was only five points good, Cheng Yujin would say that it was eight points good and leave two points for her to change the situation.
Cheng Yujin thought that her guess was very accurate. However, the strange thing was that after she finished speaking, Cheng Yuanjing's expression became even colder. Cheng Yujin felt that it was strange. What was going on? Could it be that Cheng Yuanjing was afraid of forming cliques for personal gain and didn't want her to say good things about the other party?
Cheng Yujin really couldn't guess Cheng Yuanjing's thoughts, so she didn't dare to express her opinion. Instead, she probed, "I don't know much about military affairs. I heard all this from my elders. Why is Ninth Uncle asking this? "
Cheng Yuanjing stroked the celadon porcelain cup, his eyes slightly vacant. He realized that he was becoming more and more narrow-minded. He could resolutely tell Zhai Yanlin not to disturb Cheng Yujin, but as soon as he turned around, he began to worry about personal gains and losses. No matter what he said to Zhai Yanlin, it would not change the fact that the Duke House of Cai was indeed very attractive to the Cheng Family.
Although she was the second wife, she was still the Duke's wife. What did Cheng Yujin think about this? She had a clear and ambitious goal for her future. Would she not care about becoming a second wife at all? Instead, she would prefer the nobler and more powerful platform of the Duke House of Cai?
Cheng Yuanjing didn't know, so when he was halfway there, he mysteriously turned back and asked Cheng Yujin in a roundabout way, "What do you think of Zhai Yanlin?"
Before Cheng Yujin spoke, he already had the answer he was looking forward to in his heart. Unfortunately, Cheng Yujin's words were far from what he expected. Cheng Yuanjing was a little disappointed. If this disappointment hadn't come so quickly and strongly, he wouldn't have known that he was looking forward to Cheng Yujin's rejection so much.
Cheng Yuanjing himself wondered what was wrong with him. Obviously, he already had the answer, but he still had the self-deceiving hope that maybe Cheng Yujin just didn't understand his question. This had never happened in Cheng Yuanjing's past life. When Cheng Yuanjing was very young, he understood that the road ahead would not show him any mercy. He had long since removed the feelings of weakness and luck from his body.
But at this moment, Cheng Yuanjing paused and asked again, "What if we don't care about his merits and title, and only talk about him as a person?"
Cheng Yujin thought that as expected, His Highness the Crown Prince intended to put the Duke House of Cai in an important position. She sighed in her heart. His Highness the Crown Prince valued Lin Qingyuan, so Cheng Yujin had nothing to say. But wasn't it a bit unworthy to value Zhai Yanlin?
She truly felt that the Duke House of Cai was not much different from the Cheng Family. Look at the heirs they raised. Zhai Qing and Cheng Enbao were both prodigal playthings. The Duke House of Cai was not even as good as the Marquis of Yichun. His Highness the Crown Prince promoted the Duke House of Cai. Why didn't he think of mentioning the Marquis of Yichun?
Cheng Yujin sighed in her heart, but on the surface, she still had to force a smile and praise the choice of the superior. "Ninth Uncle's eyes are like torches. Of course, the people you choose are all dragons and phoenixes among men."
Cheng Yuanjing had been paying attention to the changes in Cheng Yujin's expression. He noticed the slight reluctance on Cheng Yujin's face and immediately asked, "If you have something to say, just say it. I don't like people lying to me."
Cheng Yujin sighed and said, "Alright. Ninth Uncle, if I say something unpleasant, of course the Duke House of Cai has made outstanding contributions and is extraordinarily brave. But when it comes to the heir of the Duke House of Cai, it's really... hard to cover up. "
Cheng Yuanjing thought of Zhai Qing and felt the same way. A person's ability to manage both inside and outside the family was interconnected. If outside the family, one had a high position and a generous salary, and acted swiftly and decisively, but inside the family, one couldn't distinguish between right and wrong, one couldn't distinguish between right and wrong, and one couldn't even discipline one's son well, then there must be a problem with this person's character and ability. Zhai Qing was raised like that because of his mother's early death and his grandmother's indulgence. But the root cause was Zhai Yanlin's incompetence as a father.
Although Zhai Qing couldn't be disciplined because his grandmother spoiled him, Old Lady Zhai was Zhai Qing's grandmother. Wasn't she also Zhai Yanlin's mother? Old Lady Zhai couldn't distinguish between right and wrong, so how could Zhai Yanlin be any better? Old people were old and emotionally fragile. They couldn't bear to reprimand children. Could it be that Zhai Yanlin couldn't bear to do it? Old Lady Zhai's current state was inseparable from Zhai Yanlin.
From his upbringing, it could be seen that Zhai Yanlin was actually a very arrogant and headstrong person.
Cheng Yujin saw that Cheng Yuanjing didn't have any intention of refuting, so she boldly continued, "Children can be said to be immature. But for an adult to allow a child to develop in this direction, there is no way to excuse it. The last time I saw the Duke Of Cai, I found that although the Duke Of Cai strictly disciplined the Heir Apparent on the surface, he only knew how to scold and beat him. He didn't have any patience at all. He even pushed his son's upbringing to the Inner Residence. The Duke Of Cai's wife passed away last year, so there was only Old Lady Zhai in the Inner Residence. That was why the Duke Of Cai didn't say anything. If the Duke Of Cai was still alive and the Heir Apparent became like this, wouldn't it be the fault of the Duke Of Cai? "
Cheng Yujin said these words to test the waters. As she spoke, she observed Cheng Yuanjing's expression. She planned to change her words as soon as she felt that something was wrong. She didn't expect that after she finished speaking, Cheng Yuanjing didn't stop her. On the contrary... Cheng Yujin felt that the Crown Prince was actually a little happy.
What was there to be happy about? Cheng Yujin was completely confused. The Crown Prince wanted to put an important position in an important position. She didn't know how to read the situation and spoke ill of the other party. Why was the Crown Prince so happy?
Cheng Yujin was incredulous. She even began to doubt her own worldview. Cheng Yuanjing finally heard the answer he liked. The gloominess in his eyes was swept away. He even had a smile on his face, "It seems that you feel pity for the Duke Of Cai's wife?"
"It's not really a pity. I don't even know the Duke Of Cai's wife." Cheng Yujin pursed her lips and smiled. In reality, she was a very vulgar person. If it didn't have anything to do with her, Cheng Yujin wouldn't care about the life or death of others. But once it involved her own interests, Cheng Yujin was determined to not tolerate it. Cheng Yujin's low opinion of Zhai Yanlin wasn't because of the direction of the imperial court or the country. It was only because Old Lady Cheng wanted her to be the second wife of the Duke Of Cai.
Cheng Yujin had heard how Madame Zhai pointed at her and made a lot of requests for the future second wife. She was guarded against before she even entered the door. Who would be willing to serve this group of arrogant idiots?
Thinking of this matter, Cheng Yujin's mood also fell. She sighed and said, "The grand Duke of Cai, no matter what, will never lack a wife. There will always be young and beautiful ladies from official families who are willing to marry him. I'm not as good as them, but I'm here worrying about the future wife of the Duke. It's ridiculous. "
Cheng Yuanjing put down the teacup. When the bottom of the teacup fell on the table, it made a clear sound. He frowned and looked at her seriously, "Don't belittle yourself."
"I know." Cheng Yujin took a deep breath and smiled quickly, "Ninth Uncle, on the seventh day of Lunar New Year, I met the second wife of the Zhai family when I paid my respects to my grandmother. The second wife of the Zhai family talked about the selection of the second wife. The heir of the Duke Cai family had already been decided and would not be changed. Therefore, the future wife had to do her best to raise the heir of the Duke Cai family. She could not have any thoughts of fighting for the family property. In addition, she has to be young and beautiful, virtuous and filial, and have the ability to manage the household. She also has to have the virtue of a virtuous woman. In short, the requirements are very high. "
Cheng Yuanjing was curious and asked, "What do you think?"
"Me?" Cheng Yujin looked at Cheng Yuanjing and gradually became alert, "Ninth Uncle, if I say it directly, you won't feel offended, right?"
"No, I have to go through this step sooner or later. It's good to hear your opinion in advance."
Cheng Yuanjing's words were straightforward and deliberate. However, Cheng Yujin thought that Cheng Yuanjing was referring to the fact that he would also marry the crown prince's wife in the future and wanted to understand the woman's views on the position of heir, family property, and other matters in advance. Since it was the crown prince who asked, Cheng Yujin had no scruples and said directly, "I think they are too optimistic. They have a lot of requirements for the second wife. Why don't they think about what the Duke House can provide for the second wife? Men all want their wives to be gentle, respectful, and thrifty, not arrogant or jealous. But men pursue fame and wealth, and women also have to have requirements. Women work hard to manage the family property, take concubines for their husbands, and raise children. Isn't it all to enjoy the good fortune of being the matriarch when they are old? If they know there is no return from the beginning, who would be willing to endure? "
This was the first time Cheng Yuanjing heard a woman's opinion on marriage. In his previous studies, the grand tutor had only arranged for him to learn how to govern the country and how to be a ruler. No one had ever told him how to manage the harem in the future. It was as if everyone thought that this was the Crown Princess's duty. As the crown prince, Cheng Yuanjing only needed to manage the court. The palace was the Crown Princess's duty.
Then why did the Crown Princess have to fulfill her duty? No one seemed to have mentioned it.
Of course, Cheng Yuanjing didn't think that after marrying a wife, he could throw the entire harem to her. The court was where he worked, and the inner residence was where he lived. Cheng Yuanjing naturally felt that everything should be in his own hands. However, Cheng Yujin's words still shocked him.
Cheng Yujin lived too clearly and understood too well. Cheng Yuanjing asked, "Then what do you want?"
"Of course I want my own benefits." Cheng Yujin raised her eyebrows and smiled, "Didn't we talk about the Duke House of Cai? Why are you suddenly talking about this?"
Cheng Yuanjing already understood, "So you want the power to manage the household. Even if you don't have it now, the right to speak must be yours in the future. Most importantly, you have to ensure that the final successor of power is your son. "
Cheng Yujin did think this way, so she excluded the Duke House of Cai from the beginning. If the Duke House of Cai didn't have a son, she might consider it. However, the Duke House of Cai already had an heir, and the entire family business was bound to be Zhai Qing's. Why would she do such a thing when there was no return?
Smart people only did things with a high probability of return, and marriage was the most important investment in Cheng Yujin's life. Marrying Zhai Yanlin was obviously not the best solution.
Cheng Yujin saw that Cheng Yuanjing was deep in thought. She thought about it and remembered Cheng Yuanjing's identity. The topic of the heir of the royal family was sensitive and had a great influence. Cheng Yujin didn't want to get involved. She didn't know the future Crown Princess, and she didn't want Cheng Yuanjing to think that she was hinting at the heir of the royal family. Cheng Yujin didn't have a reason to pave the way for the Crown Princess and get herself into trouble.
Cheng Yujin said tactfully, "Of course, this is just my own opinion. A small family is different from a large courtyard. No matter if it's a scholarly family or a noble family, the family business is accumulated from generation to generation. The most important thing is stability. They don't ask for future generations to bring glory to their ancestors. As long as they can protect the family business, it's enough. Therefore, when choosing an heir, they want stability and legitimacy. Therefore, the eldest son is the most suitable. But if it's a higher status … my knowledge is limited and I don't understand. "
Cheng Yujin tactfully drew a clear line. No matter which son Cheng Yuanjing chose as his heir, she wouldn't comment. Cheng Yujin didn't want to meddle, and didn't dare to meddle. Cheng Yujin didn't know if Cheng Yuanjing heard her, so she carefully observed his expression. In the end, Cheng Yuanjing nodded and said, "I understand."
Cheng Yujin was shocked. What did he understand? She didn't mean it that way!
After Cheng Yuanjing heard Cheng Yujin's complete criteria for choosing a spouse, he already had an idea in his heart. He was the eldest son of the first wife. Although the position of the crown prince was in danger, if he wanted to take a step forward, the most powerful method was to adhere to the traditional etiquette and insist that the eldest son inherit. In other words, his future eldest son must come from the first wife and be hinted that he was the heir at birth. This would strengthen Cheng Yuanjing's own competitiveness.
Cheng Yuanjing felt that his and Cheng Yujin's core interests were completely the same, so they were very suitable to be husband and wife. He was very satisfied with this result and stood up in satisfaction, saying, "You can rest at ease. Don't worry about the outside matters. I'll leave first. "
Cheng Yujin could only send Cheng Yuanjing out the door. She wanted to say something several times, but she hesitated. She wanted to ask Cheng Yuanjing what he understood her words to mean, but she didn't know how to start. In the end, Cheng Yujin looked at Cheng Yuanjing's back and sighed faintly.
Lian Qiao followed at the side and watched as her eldest daughter looked at the back of the Ninth Masters without moving for a long time. She secretly frowned and quietly asked, "Eldest Miss?"
Cheng Yujin came back to her senses and said without turning her head, "I'm fine. Let's go back first."
Cheng Yumo could be considered marrying into a higher position. Not only did she marry into the Marquis Household as the second daughter of the next branch of the Marquis Household, but the person she married was also the new noble Marquis Jingyong who had been personally taken care of by the Emperor. No matter how one looked at it, Cheng Yumo's marriage was a great deal.
The wedding was very lively in the Huo family. The seats were filled with distinguished friends and guests. Many high-ranking officials and nobles came to the wedding in person because of Huo Changyuan. However, just because the Huo family's place was lively, it didn't mean that the Cheng Family's place was also lively.
Cheng Yumo's wedding was in mourning. Although it was said that it was in accordance with the wishes of the elders, many people felt it was a taboo. Those who were close to the Huo family were in mourning and didn't want to attend. Those who were more noble could go to the Huo family's banquet. There was no need to tarnish the reputation of a mourning wedding. Therefore, on the day of Cheng Yumo's wedding, there were very few people who came to the Cheng Family to send her off.
Many of her close friends didn't want to come. They all found excuses that it was inconvenient for them to travel and only sent congratulatory gifts. It wasn't a big deal if one person didn't come, but it was very bleak when a group of people did the same.
On the day of the wedding, there weren't any important female guests. Cheng Yujin said that she was in mourning and didn't come out to entertain the guests, so the wedding banquet became even more deserted. Cheng Yumo had been looking forward to this wedding for two lifetimes. She had fulfilled her wish of becoming Huo Zhangyuan's first wife, but when she got married, the scene was not as grand as it had been in her previous life.
Cheng Yumo couldn't help feeling a little disappointed, but as she sat in the sedan and listened to the loud music outside, she quickly suppressed her disappointment. Cheng Yumo couldn't help thinking that everything would be different. She and Zhang Yuan would grow old together, and there would no longer be another person standing between them. Just thinking about her life in Marquis Jingyong's residence made people look forward to it, it was bright.
After Cheng Yumo arrived at Marquis Jingyong, big and small things happened one after another. In the Cheng Family, everyone was also busy. After the guests left, they had to clean up the banquet, tidy up the cups, check the gift list, and store it in the warehouse. In short, there was no end to their busy schedule.
Amidst the chaos, the day of the three days of the return soon arrived.
Early in the morning, Cheng Yujin was sitting in front of her dressing table when she heard the sound of greetings coming from outside. Cheng Yujin glanced outside and asked, "Who is it?"
"It's the Second Madam's maidservant, reminding Young Lady to go out early today as the Second Young Lady will be back soon."
Dugeaux heard this and nudged Lian Qiao, "Still calling her Second Young Lady? It's time to call her Second Young Madam. "
Lian Qiao suddenly understood and quickly corrected herself. Cheng Yujin didn't express her opinion. Looking at herself in the mirror, she suddenly said, "Change a set of hair ornaments, don't wear this red one."
Lian Qiao was startled, "But, today is the Second Young Madam's grand return. If Young Lady wears plain clothes, won't her hair ornaments be more festive?"
"She is a newly married woman, so her clothes are naturally red and purple. If I wear red, won't I be suppressed by her? If I wear plain clothes and can't beat her in terms of colour, I'll avoid her completely and change to another venue. "
Lian Qiao understood a little and quickly cooperated with the Dugeaux to remove Cheng Yujin's hair ornaments and choose a new hairpin. After a while, Cheng Yujin looked at her new appearance and was satisfied. Where she, Cheng Yujin, was present, no one else would be able to take first place. No matter where she was, she wanted to be the most dazzling person in the audience.
Miss Cheng's desire to win was so strong.
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