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  Ding Ruo followed closely behind the footsteps of Tai Furen, and when she got off the carriage just now, she took a sneak peek at the surrounding carriages. She had a good idea of their styles and rules in her mind. The highest specification was the wife of the second-grade official, Er Pin Da Yuan's wife. Today, there were many noble people coming to the residence of Zhou Da Ren, the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Justice. Even the wives of the second-grade officials had arrived. In the Great Qin Dynasty, promotion in official positions was not easy. Although there were seven people in the cabinet, only those ranked in the top three were considered first-class officials, and the rest of the cabinet members were secondary first-class officials.

  I don't know what the couple who traveled through time thought, but Emperor Taizu was extremely strict with official positions or titles of nobility, far from being as casual as those portrayed in later TV shows. Apart from the three cabinet ministers, the Governor-General of Jiangnan, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, and the Governor-General of Zhili were all first-class officials, which means that among the tens of thousands of officials in the Great Qin Empire, there were only six people who held the position of first-class official, and only their wives could be granted the title of First-Class Imperial Decree.

  The lady of the Xun Gui's family, for example, Lanling Hou's wife Ding Yi, is only a third-class noblewoman. The consort of the King of Xinyang and the consort of the King of Chuling are barely considered first-class noblewomen. The wives of the princes do not have real power, and they cannot receive the same treatment as the first-class noblewomen. Of course, these first-class noblewomen will also be polite in front of the consorts and will generally use equal courtesy. As for the concubines in the palace, there are other rules for promotion.

  The policies set by Emperor Taizu were aimed at suppressing the nobles who had contributed to the founding of the dynasty, and also made the wives of these nobles not dare to be arrogant and overbearing. The officials under the emperor would not be humble and servile in front of the nobles, although they did not have noble titles, their official positions were much higher than those of the nobles. The only exception was the old lady of Xinyang Prefecture, who was granted the title of Lady of An Country by Empress Taizu before she married King Xinyang, and she was the only one with a transcendent rank among the ladies with imperial edicts.

  As for the princes and princesses of the current emperor, some were appointed as kings, while others were made into dukes. Due to the empress having no children, most of the princesses' titles were second-grade. Even their husbands would only receive a second-grade idle post as a son-in-law. Marrying a princess in Great Qin was not a good thing. Many ambitious scholars politely declined, saying they had already arranged marriages before the imperial examination to avoid being bestowed with an imperial marriage. A phrase circulated among scholars: "It's better to marry a teacher's daughter than a princess."

  Due to the chaos caused by Emperor Yin, Empress Taizu issued an iron decree: the imperial family of Great Qin would not intermarry with noble families. The princes were still manageable; most of them married daughters of court officials. There's a saying that suits the princesses of Great Qin perfectly - even the emperor's daughters have trouble finding husbands. Ding Rou's tactless speculation was whether Empress Taizu didn't have any daughters, which is why she issued this decree? The current emperor has several princesses, and it's said that choosing their husbands required some careful consideration.

  Ding Ruo raised her eyes and listened to what the Empress Dowager had said. There was a rumor that the old princess of Xinyang was actually the illegitimate daughter of the Taizu Emperor's wife. If that were true, wouldn't the Taizu Emperor's wife have been born out of wedlock? Ding Ruo didn't believe that the Taizu Emperor's wife would seek revenge against her husband like that. She was a strong and lively woman; perhaps she wasn't seeking revenge. The Taizu Emperor could be unfaithful and heartless, disappointing her, so why couldn't she fall in love with someone else? Ding Ruo felt some regret that this passage wasn't recorded in the letter, neither in simplified Chinese characters nor in pinyin.

  Xinyang Wang's old lady, formerly known as the wife of Anguo, has a mysterious identity. It is said that she followed the empress dowager since childhood and addressed each other as master and apprentice. Ding Ruxue smiled lightly, how did she think of going to Xinyang Wangfu again? She was curious about the old lady, regardless of whether or not she was the illegitimate daughter of the empress dowager. The old lady was taught by a transmigrator and was just like the empress dowager, a heroic woman who in some ways was even more ruthless and decisive than the empress dowager. In modern times, she would definitely be called the Iron Lady.

  Unfortunately, she stood too high and was too far away from Ding Rou, and even if she wanted to see her, she couldn't. Hearing the servant's greeting, Ding Rou found that they had already passed through the corridor and entered the main house. The mansion of the Minister of Rites, Zhou, was more luxurious than the Ding Mansion, but it was still far inferior to the wealth and nobility of the Lanling Marquis' estate.

  As she entered the courtyard, the main house with its five bright and two dark windows came into view, accompanied by side rooms, ear rooms, and a small kitchen. The stone path in the yard was swept clean, as it was winter and snowing outside, to prevent the ladies' shoes from getting wet. Poor little maid, she had to sweep the path every time someone came in. Under the corridor stood a small maid in a thick cotton-padded jacket with a red hat and ear protectors, but her face was still frozen red. She was warmly dressed, but even under the corridor, which blocked the wind and snow, standing outside on a winter's day would be cold. Ding Xiang felt a little lucky that she hadn't been born into a maid's life. Was Ding Min frozen stiff in front of the Ci'an Temple?

  Ding Rou admitted that she was not thick-skinned, the curtain opened and a warm air with a faint fragrance rushed in. As soon as she entered the door, a maid came forward to offer her tea and a warm handkerchief. This was Ding Rou's first time out with Madame, and also her first time receiving such treatment. She secretly glanced at Madame's actions, imitating her by handing over the handkerchief to a little maid standing beside her who had two braids, first using the hot handkerchief to warm her hands, then taking a sip of tea to warm her stomach. Although Ding Rou was surprised, she performed the series of actions without appearing awkward or stiff, as if she were used to such treatment.

  The old lady curled up the corner of her mouth, she intentionally didn't tell Ding Ruo, nor was it intentional to test her. In the mansion, it's okay to test Ding Ruo, but outside, if Ding Ruo makes a fool of herself, it would be a loss of face for the entire Ding family. Although the old lady didn't show it on her face, she had been thinking about the encounter with Xinyang Wang and Yin Jia Si Gongzi all along the way, guessing who Ding Min was waiting for at Ci'an Temple. Having been with Ding Ruo for a long time, the old lady trusted Ding Ruo and believed that she would not be flustered in times of crisis, so she forgot to tell her about the rules of the Zhou Mansion.

  Old Lady Tai said softly: "Sixth Sister, remember that the old lady of the Zhou family is surnamed Meng."

  "Hmm." Ding Rou nodded, somewhat reassured by the luxurious decorations in the house. The Meng family, one of the four great families of Jiangnan, was known for their wealth and influence. It was said that they had once provided military funds to the Taizu Emperor. Although the Meng family wasn't the wealthiest, their daughters were renowned for being well-read and intelligent. The fourth prince's official wife was also a daughter of the Meng family.

  "It's about time you arrived."

  The warm, familiar and slightly playful tone belonged to none other than Old Lady Meng. The old lady patted her body, "The carriage broke down on the way, so we were delayed."

  "The carriage is broken? This doesn't seem like your usual self, you're usually so composed and organized."

  It wasn't the Mrs. Meng who had just spoken, Ding Rou suppressed her curiosity and kept her eyes cast down in a respectful manner. From the moment she followed the madam into the house, there were several gazes fixed on her. Ding Rou didn't dare to move rashly or lift her head, maintaining a calm and respectful demeanor. Judging from the commotion in the house earlier and the number of carriages outside, at least five or six high-ranking ladies had come to visit the Zhou residence, plus Mrs. Meng's daughter-in-law. The room was not short of people, but this little attention was enough to make Ding Rou feel fearful and timid?

  Underestimating Ting Ruo too much, the more people there are, the calmer Ting Ruo becomes. Mrs. Taifei pretended to be surprised and said: "Actually also went out? It's still because of Mrs. Meng's great face."

  "It's just that when I get to this point, I simply don't feel like moving anymore."

  Old Lady smiled and said: "Today, the Zhou family can invite people to move, tomorrow I will send out invitations, and they will also arrive."

  "Xiao Rou, pay your respects to them."

  "Yes."

  Ding Ruo curtsied and listened to Mrs. Ta's introduction, Mrs. Meng wore a blue satin robe with a pearl hairpin, her face still showed that she was a gentle and elegant Jiangnan lady in her youth. Next to her sat an old woman with a square face, big eyes and thick lips, dressed simply, "I've met Mrs. Li."

  She was the second-rank lady of the imperial edict, her son was the Minister of Rites, after Ding Rouxian finished paying respects, she stood behind Madame Li, a faint smile appeared on the edge of her cherry lips, and Madame Li said: "This time, the granddaughter you brought out seems to be one who understands etiquette."

  “She is the sixth daughter of my family - Ding Rou.”

  Ding Rou smiled again, and Old Lady Meng was slightly stunned before laughing: "Look at her, she's so clean and quiet, being watched by us old folks yet still composed, it's really rare. The young ladies from the Ding household are all well-raised."

  Madam smiled slightly with a hint of pride, chatting and laughing with old friends. Ting Rou secretly let out a sigh of relief, finally getting through it. When they entered, they would glance at her out of curiosity, exchange polite words with Madam, praise her a few times, and then forget about her. Today, Madam's outing was not to formally introduce Ting Rou, but rather to deliberately bring the Ding family into the Jiangzhe faction's circle.

  They sound like southerners, so it should be a gathering of the Jiangsu-Zhejiang faction. That Mrs. Li seems to have a higher status than the hostess, Mrs. Meng. In their conversation, they mostly flatter Mrs. Li because her son is a heavyweight figure in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang faction?

  Ding Rou quietly observed the young girls brought by Mrs. Meng, each with their own unique characteristics, some were elegant, some were bright and beautiful, others were refined and elegant. Among them, there was one who stood out, a 14 or 15-year-old girl with an exceptional temperament, like a white orchid in full bloom. Her eyes shone brightly, her smile was gentle and elegant, and she smiled at Ding Rou, who returned the smile. She stood beside Mrs. Meng, but had just been introduced as not being one of Mrs. Meng's granddaughters, her surname was Meng...

  "The Empress Dowager of Xinyang mentioned to me two days ago that she had killed too many people in her early years, which reduced her good fortune. She envied me for having a husband and children, with grandchildren and granddaughters playing around my knees. The vast Xinyang Wangfu only has a few masters."

  Mrs. Li sighed: "The wealth and nobility that splashed the sky are not as good as a harmonious family reunion. She lost her husband in her early years, and later lost her son and daughter. The life of the imperial concubine is bitter enough."

  The people around her were amazed, and Ding Rou finally understood why Mrs. Li had such a high status. She must be a good friend of the Princess of Xinyang, closer to the princess than any other lady present. Ding Rou suddenly thought of the young ladies who came today, all of whom seemed to be around 14 or 15 years old, except for her who was not yet married. Were they all here because of Prince Xinyang? Could it be that Mrs. Li also worked as a matchmaker? No wonder Mrs. Meng hesitated when she heard Ding Rou's name - she was the illegitimate daughter of the Ding family and was not worthy of marrying Prince Xinyang Qihe. She must have thought that Mrs. Li would bring her own daughter, Ding Xi.

  Later, the conversation turned to the young ladies' talents. Miss Meng played a wonderful guqin, and after listening, Ding Ruo couldn't help but praise her, at least five stars, it's not possible to produce such skill without hard work. Mrs. Li also praised her for a few sentences, asking: "Miss Ding Liu, can you also play a piece?"

  Ding Rou's face was covered in cold sweat. She didn't know how to play the guzheng or the guqin. What she knew wasn't here, violin and piano were considered talents, right? Mrs. Li, with so many young ladies, why are you paying attention to what I'm doing?

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