Chapter 412
Academy Head Zhang watched everyone flattering Fang Zichen, thinking that in a moment Fang Zichen would surely anger them. But instead, he discovered that everyone was actually chatting happily with Fang Zichen, their eyes even reddening.
Fang Zichen's mouth was still that same mouth, and some of his words still weren't pleasant to hear. But he didn't divide people into ranks—he could chat with anyone, not missing a single person, with no airs at all, approachable and amiable.
Their official positions weren't high. Most of their lives they'd been flattering others, watching the expressions of those above them, rarely receiving anyone's direct regard. In officialdom, most people fawned on the high and trampled on the low. They had no status, and in the past people wouldn't even bother with them. Even Lord Yan—though he'd invite them to banquets like this one—every time they came, the only ones he could chat with were the deputy prefect, the assistant prefect, and a few academy heads.
Lord Yan simply had no time for them, let alone caring, concerned words like these.
But Lord Fang—what a high official he was! Now, seeing one of them with a bald spot on his head, his expression full of sorrow, Fang Zichen patted the man's shoulder: "Your look is really rough. It's hard to find a wife when you're bald! Do you have a wife?"
"I do, I do."
"Oh, then that's good, that's good." Fang Zichen said: "How old are you?"
"Thirty-three."
"Ah!!!" Fang Zichen grasped his hand: "Only thirty-three, and you look this old already! And your hair has fallen out so severely—it's simply balding in the prime of youth. Is the pressure at work too great? You need to take care of your health."
The official was deeply moved. Lord Fang was concerned about him—how could he deserve such attention from someone like him! He felt both happy and bittersweet in his heart.
Fang Zichen went around asking after each of the others too. Yan Shizheng watched with his eyelids twitching, feeling that if Fang Zichen gave the word right now, his subordinates would probably follow him to the death and run off to Hezhou with him without a second thought.
Yan Shizheng held high authority in Shangyang, so his residence was naturally spacious. Many people had brought their family members. Madam Yan wanted to let the children go play in the garden with the others, but the moment she laid eyes on Gungun and Dandan, she couldn't bear to let them out of her sight. She decided to walk them over herself, so she had a maid lead Zhao Ger and Uncle Tang to the back courtyard to sit.
The room was full of noble ladies. Zhao Ger didn't recognize anyone, but everyone knew his status, so their attitudes were extremely warm. The more forward ones even patted his hand, saying he was blessed.
Some asked what he usually did, whether it was boring in Hezhou. These words were meant to fish for information, and Zhao Ger could tell. He said he didn't do much—just that the family had built a few factories, and he'd go help out on regular days. When the time came, he'd come home and cook for the children.
Everyone was stunned.
This... wasn't this just like the life of a village farmwife?
Ladies like them would never need to do such things—those tasks were for servants. On ordinary days, they simply listened to music, did embroidery, and when bored, visited one another to chat about clothes, jewelry, or their children.
They'd heard this Fang Fulang had been abducted as a child and grew up in a village. Probably all he knew was these coarse tasks...
Immediately, their eyes toward Zhao Ger couldn't help but carry a hint of disdain.
Could someone like this really be a main fulang? Before coming to the Yan residence, their husbands had instructed them to curry favor with Lord Fang's fulang. But the person was merely a ger, and that made them somewhat uncomfortable. Now, hearing that he was inferior to them in every way, yet they were the ones who had to flatter him—it left an even worse taste in their mouths.
Zhao Ger noticed, but said nothing.
He was naturally different from these well-read noble ladies. He couldn't play the qin, couldn't paint—he only knew how to work. But as long as his husband didn't mind him, that was enough.
He didn't care, but Uncle Tang was furious. But before he could say anything, a woman walked in with a maid on each side.
Everyone in the room hurried to curtsey: "Greetings, Madam Tang."
"Rise," Madam Tang said flatly. She was the eldest daughter of the Yan family's second branch and came to the Yan residence often. Now she subconsciously headed toward her usual seat, only to see a young ger already sitting there.
In Da Xia, there was no rule that one must wear their hair up after marriage, and their clothing was no different from when they were unmarried.
Zhao Ger's face was round and chubby, well-fed, with plump cheeks and obvious baby fat. Round faces always looked young. At this moment, if no one said anything, no one would know he was already a father of three.
Madam Tang's brows immediately furrowed. The other women nearby didn't dare speak.
Who didn't know Madam Tang? She had a fierce temper and loved putting on airs. Her husband's family couldn't stand her. Twenty years ago, when the old master of the Yan family passed away, Madam Tang returned to observe mourning. For a married daughter, three months of mourning was sufficient; for unmarried sons, daughters, and gers of the main family, they couldn't marry or take exams for three years.
Lord Tang was busy with official duties and truly couldn't observe the full three months. He wanted to return to the capital early. Madam Tang felt Lord Tang was making her lose face at her natal home and was displeased. She quarreled with him, and after the three months passed, she still wouldn't return to the capital, putting on airs to make Lord Tang come fetch her personally. But after waiting and waiting, Lord Tang never came. Eventually she returned to the capital herself, only to discover Lord Tang had taken a concubine.
This was improper, and Lord Tang was naturally impeached by an imperial censor. The one he had taken in was even a ger, who had won Lord Tang's exclusive favor. During Madam Tang's half year away, Lord Tang had even handed over full authority of the Tang household to that ger.
Madam Tang was furious, but no matter how angry she got, there was nothing she could do. Making a scene was useless. The Yan family had the Qin family behind them—Lord Tang didn't dare offend them. But Madam Tang was narrow-minded and truly not a good person. There were two concubine-born sons in the Tang household. She found excuses to have servants punish them. One was beaten so badly his legs were crippled. The other was only three years old, playing in the courtyard, and accidentally bumped into her—she slapped him deaf with a single blow.
Madam Tang even tried to use her natal family to pressure him. Lord Tang could bear it no longer and personally wrote to the Yan family—not to the second branch, but to the first branch.
Take a wife for her virtue. Lord Tang listed all her "crimes," saying the Tang family could no longer keep her. Do as you wish.
The Yan family's first branch sent someone to the capital to verify the truth, then wrote back to Lord Tang saying it was up to him.
The Yan family was magnanimous. For the sake of both families' reputation, Lord Tang ultimately didn't divorce her. But Madam Tang fought with that ger and lost. In the end, she returned to the Yan family in disgrace with her son. That was seventeen years ago.
That was why she hated gers.
"Whose ger are you?"
Her voice carried disgust. Zhao Ger said firmly: "The Zhao family of the capital."
"The Zhao family?" Among the ranked Zhao officials in the capital, Madam Tang had only heard of one. She sneered, "You mean Zhao Song's family?"
"Yes."
Madam Tang narrowed her eyes and said coldly: "I am the wife of the Chief Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial. You are merely the ger of a Hanlin Academy Reader—nothing but an attendant scholar. Why do you not bow when you see me?"
[Court of State Ceremonial: the imperial office in charge of diplomacy and state ceremonies — handling foreign envoys, tribute missions, and court rituals.]
[Madam Tang believed Zhao Song was still a fourth-rank official, the same as her husband. But because she was his senior, she expected Zhao Ger to bow to her]
Zhao Song had been a Reader at the Hanlin Academy over a decade ago — a fourth-rank official.
But over a decade had passed, and now he was a third-rank official, while Lord Tang was still stuck in place!
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