Shen Jing truly felt the terror of ignorant rumors for the first time.
They only resumed their journey after the Suanni Iron Cavalry had passed.
Shen Jing once again gave up riding a horse and returned to the carriage.
“This old woman truly didn’t misjudge you!”
Madam Su looked at Shen Jing approvingly, very satisfied with his performance just now.
“It’s not about steaming buns, it’s about fighting for a breath, isn’t it?”
Shen Jing smiled and then asked, “Are you very familiar with that person just now?”
“We just know each other, not too well.”
Su Yourong’s mood was not affected by Ning Ji’s attitude. “The third person I was betrothed to was the commander of the Suanni Iron Cavalry. After he fell from his horse and died, Ning Ji took over his position.”
Ning Ji’s attitude was already something she was accustomed to.
Moreover, Ning Ji’s attitude was still extremely subtle.
Some people’s attitudes were truly atrocious.
There were many who explicitly called her a jinx!
At first, she would get angry.
Over time, she became accustomed or perhaps numb to it.
So that’s how it is!
Shen Jing suddenly understood and then pouted, “According to that, this Sunzi should be thanking you! The next time I meet him, I’ll have to make him give me a thank-you fee!”
“You’re dreaming!”
Su Yourong rolled her eyes at him. “If he’s going to thank anyone, he should thank his good father!”
Afterward, they talked about the Ning Family.
The Ning Family was a family of military generals, deeply trusted by Emperor Zhou.
Ning Ji’s father was Ning Jue, the Marquis of Yongding, one of the Five Dukes and Ten Marquises. He commanded the Left Wuwei Army and held the rank of Grand General of the Left Wuwei.
Ning Ji’s cousin, Ning Kui, served as a deputy general in the Imperial Guard.
In addition, many others from the Ning Family served in the military.
Of course, many members of the Ning Family also died in battle, including Ning Ji’s eldest brother, paternal uncle, and others.
Ning Ji’s brother-in-law also died in battle many years ago.
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It was not an exaggeration to say that the Ning Family was a family of loyal martyrs.
The relationship between the Ning Family and the Su Family was neither good nor bad.
When Su Zai was still alive, he often argued with Ning Jue over differing political views, and cursing was not uncommon.
But they only had disagreements on political views, not personal grudges.
After Su Zai’s death, Ning Jue was the first to bring many members of the Ning Family to offer condolences and personally carried Su Zai’s coffin.
Shen Jing was surprised. “So, Ning Jue and Father-in-law could be considered to have admired each other?”
“You could say that!”
Su Yourong nodded slightly. “My father admired Ning Jue quite a bit during his lifetime.”
“Young Mistress, who exactly are these Five Dukes and Ten Marquises?”
At this moment, Chi Chi asked curiously.
Su Yourong smiled and replied, “They are considered the pillars of Great Zhou! Half of them have outstanding military achievements…”
Though they were called the Five Dukes and Ten Marquises, there were actually far more.
Besides them, there were many who were posthumously granted titles.
For example, Su Zai, after his death, Emperor Zhou posthumously granted him the title of Duke of Yiyang Commandery.
However, this type of Duke of Commandery was only an honorary title. Although he could enjoy the funeral rites of a Duke after death, he had no actual fiefdom, and only his family could receive the emoluments of a Duke.
The Five Dukes and Ten Marquises usually referred to those who held real power.
For example, Yao Jian, the Duke of Ju, was the Left Prime Minister.
Pei Ji, the Duke Qi, was the Minister of War.
Tang Zhi, the Duke of Xin, was the current Minister of Personnel and also the Crown Prince’s father-in-law…
For the vast majority of people, the Five Dukes and Ten Marquises were not to be provoked.
Shen Jing stroked his chin and then asked curiously, “By the way, among the Five Dukes and Ten Marquises, besides Yao Jian, who else has a grudge with our family?”
Su Yourong sighed softly and said with a wry smile, “There’s also Fu Yan, the Marquis of Rongchang, who is the current Minister of Justice, and Yang Zhongheng, the Marquis of Pingnan, who is the current Grand General of the Right Tunwei…”
Su Yourong listed several names in one breath.
However, compared to the animosity between the Yao Family and the Su Family, the grudges between the other families and the Su Family were nothing.
These people only harbored resentment against the Su Family because Su Zai had impeached them during his lifetime.
They merely didn’t get along with the Su Family; it wasn’t a deep-seated hatred.
Chi Chi was originally not too worried, but hearing Su Yourong say this, she immediately became anxious, her face filled with worry.
“Look at you, girl!”
Madam Su smiled at Chi Chi. “No matter what, You Rong’s father was an Imperial Tutor. Even that old dog Yao Jian wouldn’t dare to arbitrarily touch my Su Family! The capital is indeed a place full of whirlpools, but it’s not as terrifying as you imagine!”
She said this both to Chi Chi and to Shen Jing, so that Shen Jing wouldn’t be frightened by Su Yourong’s words.
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing!”
Shen Jing laughed heartily. “I’m not afraid, I just think the situation in the capital is too complicated…”
“Nonsense!”
Madam Su glared at Shen Jing with a smile. “Otherwise, why would this old woman have you practice on the Song Family?”
“Mm-hmm, Mother-in-law truly has foresight!” Shen Jing flattered her a little.
“Stop that!”
Madam Su snorted lightly, then said with a serious expression, “After arriving in the capital, you must use your brain when doing things! Don’t be like You Rong’s dead father, who was so straightforward about everything!”
Su Zai was a loyal and upright official.
Such a person, though admired, was destined to offend many people.
So far, she was very satisfied with Shen Jing.
But she hoped Shen Jing would be more intelligent, more cunning, and more skillful.
Shen Jing’s methods in Luochuan Prefecture were fine for dealing with the Song and Zhao families, but they were not enough against the old foxes in the capital.
Additionally, she hoped Shen Jing would temper his sharpness and learn from those old foxes, appearing amicable to everyone on the surface, but wielding ruthless knives behind their backs.
Of course, when it was time to show his sharpness, he should also show it, so that people wouldn’t think they were easy to bully!
Being bullied to the face and not resisting was not her character.
“Mother-in-law, rest assured, I will pay more attention.”
Shen Jing nodded and then joked, “Later, I’ll get a few blood packs! If I encounter someone I can’t confront directly, I’ll just spray a mouthful of old blood on their face and extort them to death!”
“Have some shame!”
Su Yourong was torn between laughter and tears. “Are you addicted to faking illness now?”
“Hey, actually, that’s a really good idea!”
Madam Su’s eyes darted around, and she said with a smile, “You Rong’s reputation as a husband-killer has long spread throughout the capital! If you really cough up a mouthful of blood, everyone will suspect you don’t have long to live! Then this old woman will go to His Majesty and cry, and everyone will be in deep trouble!”
Listening to her mother’s words, Su Yourong was even more torn between laughter and tears.
How could she be just like Shen Jing!
“Right, right!”
Shen Jing laughed heartily, secretly calculating in his mind.
Becoming the Su Family’s son-in-law would inevitably attract the targeting of the Su Family’s enemies!
After arriving in the capital, he still needed to get some good things for self-defense!
Compared to close-quarters combat, he preferred to shoot cold arrows.
Preferably the kind that would make enemies die without even knowing how they died!
And then there was military power!
If he could get military power, that would definitely be the best!
In these times, military power was king!
If he had hundreds of thousands of Suanni Iron Cavalry in his hands, all your schemes and tricks would be utter nonsense!
However, he could only think about such things.
He had never even been on a battlefield. As long as Emperor Zhou wasn’t crazy, it would be impossible for him to be given military power.
Being appointed a civil official, neither too big nor too small, would be the most he could hope for!
However, he didn’t want to be a civil official, unless it was the kind where he only received a salary, didn’t have to do anything, and didn’t have to attend court…
