She Became A Downfall Noble Lady
Chapter 672 - 670: You Know What I Mean

Chapter 672: Chapter 670: You Know What I Mean

Jiang Yifan did not stand out much in his daily affairs at the Ministry of Revenue, and his superiors did not assign him many important tasks. In daily affairs, Jiang Yifan was mostly on the periphery.

As such, over half a year, many officials from vital departments had already become quite indifferent to Jiang Yifan’s presence.

The end-of-year custom for colleagues to gather for a drink had a long history, so Jiang Yifan and about a dozen colleagues headed to a pre-arranged restaurant in the southern part of the city.

Although Jiang Yifan’s rank was not as high as an official in charge, it was higher than that of a scribe tasked with practical duties. Even though he was marginalized in the Ministry’s affairs, he got along fairly well with the officials.

In the restaurant, about a dozen people split into two tables, sitting in order according to their respective ranks. Sitting above Jiang Yifan was an official of equal rank, and at the lower end was a scribe responsible for tributes and taxes, named Li Zheng.

Adhering to the principle of only engaging in leisurely chats and not discussing official business, the group drank and chatted—about friendships, talents, romantic encounters, and even gossiped about family and personal matters.

Then, inevitably, the conversation turned to the marriage of Miss Ye of Duke An’s family.

"Lord Jiang, how are the marriage negotiations with Miss Ye of the Ye Family?" an official in charge asked, putting down his wine cup.

Jiang Yifan smiled and replied, "It has been settled."

"That’s great, I heard from my wife that the story of your match with Miss Ye has been widely circulated in the capital, being regarded as a delightful tale. Congratulations, Lord Jiang."

Those at the table raised their cups in unison, congratulating him continuously.

Amid the laughter and joking of the crowd, Jiang Yifan drank a cup with each of his colleagues and then three more on his own. The atmosphere around the table grew lively.

Wine is a fascinating thing, and so is drinking. People often say that one’s wine manners reflect their character. After a round of hearty toasts with his colleagues, Jiang Yifan felt their relations had grown much closer.

Li Zheng, sitting below Jiang Yifan, was over forty years old and was also an Imperial Scholar. Having served in the Ministry of Revenue for almost ten years, he had only risen to the position of a scribe of the Seventh Rank.

Before, he only had a nodding acquaintance with Jiang Yifan, but now that they sat together, having shared several drinks, he felt much closer to Jiang Yifan.

Amidst the noise and excitement, he congratulated Jiang Yifan once more. Then, glancing at the others engaged in spirited discussions, he leaned towards Jiang Yifan and said in a low voice, "That’s right, your previous approach was a bit too headstrong."

The "right" was presumably about his proposal to the Duke An’s Mansion. Of course, he agreed that it was the right move. But he didn’t want to acknowledge being headstrong.

So, Jiang Yifan simply smiled noncommittally and did not say much else.

Li Zheng continued from where he left off, "Don’t dismiss my words. There are plenty of difficult wives in this world, yet some men can manage them. You, as an Imperial Top Scholar, are known to have a methodical approach to official duties. If you apply just a little effort, can’t you handle one woman?"

After Li Zheng finished speaking, Jiang Yifan quickly picked up his wine cup and clinked it with his: "Thank you, Brother Li, you’re looking out for my best interest, Yuanfan will take the lesson to heart."

Li Zheng took a big sip of wine, sighing with a sense of emotion, "The year you left the capital, many of us debated the matter. If one talks about backbone, you indeed had it, yet it’s a pity, too."

Jiang Yifan raised an eyebrow, "Regrettable, what?"

Li Zheng smiled and said, "At your young age, you’ve become an Imperial Scholar, something countless scholars can only dream of, and to meet in-laws who can offer support is an opportunity to achieve great things. Lord Jiang, isn’t that something to be regretted?"

Jiang Yifan lifted his cup and clinked it against Li Zheng’s again, saying, "Brother Li speaks the truth, one always needs to experience certain things to understand what is most important."

Li Zheng slapped the table with a smack, startling himself. Turning to look at the others, he saw that everyone was joyfully drinking and chatting, the private room was very noisy, and one couldn’t hear clearly unless they spoke close to the ear.

It was then that Li Zheng continued to speak to Jiang Yifan, "Lord Jiang is right, not everyone can be a youthful talent. Like me, I only became an Imperial Scholar in my thirties; where would I get the chance to marry a daughter from a prestigious family to aid me? Other than ingratiating myself with my superiors and slowly enduring, I must also..."

Although Li Zheng was red-faced and tipsy, at this point, as if suddenly becoming cautious, he immediately stopped talking.

Jiang Yifan seemed oblivious and just lifted his cup towards him, took a big gulp, picked up some food to eat, and while chewing said, "Brother Li is also not bad. I’ve been working in the Ministry of Revenue for nearly a year, and it’s plain to see that Brother Li is valued by the superiors. Your work is very stable and you’ll likely be promoted soon."

Li Zheng was momentarily stunned, then aimlessly stirred the plate of bean sprouts salad in front of him, gave a noncommittal smile, and said, "Thanks for the kind words from Lord Jiang, but at my age, even if things go smoothly, I can only hope to reach Fifth Rank at best; that would already be extremely fortunate."

With that lament, thinking back on how Jiang Yifan, at such a young age, had spent three years in a small county and had been promoted and transferred back to the capital for employment, he felt incredibly envious.

Li Zheng took the initiative to raise his cup in respect to Jiang Yifan, "Lord Jiang has attained the position of Deputy Director in the capital at such a young age, and now with the backing of in-laws, your future is boundless. Allow me to toast to Lord Jiang first."

"Many thanks for the kind words, Brother Li." Jiang Yifan quickly picked up his cup in response, whispering, "Without hiding it from Brother Li, I too wish to rise in rank quickly. But the Ministry of Revenue is mostly staffed with experienced elders, and it’s not easy for a newcomer like myself to stand out. I’m just hoping to endure a year or two to gain the trust of the superiors, and I think there’ll be opportunities then."

By now, the conversation among the diners at the table had grown loud and boisterous. Many of them appeared mildly intoxicated, and as Li Zheng and Jiang Yifan continued to clink their cups, they seemed to find great rapport.

Influenced by Jiang Yifan’s soft-spoken manner, Li Zheng also lowered his voice as he said, "As your elder brother by a few years, I’ll take the liberty of giving you a piece of advice."

He looked around, confirmed that no one was paying attention to them, then leaned closer to Jiang Yifan’s ear, "You’re going to be someone with a foundation in the near future, so it might be better to rely on the connections of your Yue Family and leave the Ministry of Revenue. Actually, going to the Ministry of Military Affairs wouldn’t be bad. If Duke An could speak to the officials there on your behalf, with Lord Jiang’s abilities, you would have to refuse promotions deliberately not to get them."

Jiang Yifan then spoke with even more hushed tones, "I don’t want to hide from Brother Li that I’d prefer to continue in the Ministry of Revenue; the positions in the Ministry of Military Affairs are ultimately not as good."

Then, Jiang Yifan gave Li Zheng a knowing look, with an intimate expression that said "you understand."

Li Zheng caught this look but shook his head repeatedly, despite being flushed with drink, and though he opened his mouth several times, he still didn’t speak his thoughts.

Not pressing the matter, Jiang Yifan continued to drink and engaged in light banter, discussing many personal matters and grievances. Just before the nighttime curfew, everyone reluctantly ended the gathering.

Having drunk together, many of them slightly tipsy, they were naturally all good brothers and buddies.

Li Zheng had forgotten that Jiang Yifan was an outsider, and had also forgotten that Jiang Yifan held a higher official position than him, but only affectionately slung an arm around Jiang Yifan’s shoulder as they walked out.