Chapter 27: Curbing This Trend

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Empress, you may not know this, but I was forced into this situation!"

In fact, based on the income of the Duke's mansion, it would be barely enough to maintain the expenses that I just mentioned.

But over the course of the year, the real bulk of the expenses came from dealings with other prefectures!

Let me give you an example!

Should we go and congratulate the young lady of the Duke of Anguo's family on her coming-of-age ceremony?

Should we also go and congratulate the old master of the Qi State Duke's Mansion on his seventieth birthday?

And what about the Wuding Marquis's Mansion, the Changsheng Marquis's Mansion, the Zhenbei Marquis's Mansion, the Yong'an Earl's Mansion...? Which of these families doesn't have some kind of event every year?

There must be something related to weddings and funerals!

These are all normal exchanges, just reciprocal courtesy, and no one can say anything wrong about them!

"Since you've gone to offer your congratulations, a gift is a must!" Shangguan Jin said, enunciating each word clearly.

Emperor Xiao Jing and Empress Xu both nodded involuntarily.

Yes, that seems to be an expense as well.

Not to mention the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, even in their own palace, the annual gifts given to their officials are quite substantial!

"But what is it that makes me feel most frustrated?"

Marquis Wuding invited his concubine's wife five times in one year.

Not only does the old lady of the house celebrate her birthday, but also the birthdays of her cousins, the coming-of-age ceremonies of her cousins, and so on. This humble woman has never heard of or even seen anyone before, but her family has to hold a celebration for them all.

I would like to go empty-handed, but wouldn't that be like offering myself up for humiliation?

Originally, I didn't want to have anything to do with their family.

But…” Shangguan Jin fell silent.

What else could Emperor Xiao Jing and Empress Xu not understand?

When the Empress Dowager arranged the marriage, the Duke of Dingguo was so angry that he grabbed a spear and was about to storm the palace!

If Emperor Xiao Jing hadn't sent people to stop them in time, the Duke of Dingguo's mansion would probably have been punished for serious disrespect.

"The Marquis of Wuding's family has gone a bit too far," Empress Xu said.

"Your Majesty, this is more than just excessive!"

How many congratulatory gifts has the Marquis of Wuding's mansion received in the past year?

Each time, the lady-in-waiting had to grit her teeth and deliver it.

To be honest, Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress, I had already worn two sets of my most treasured jewelry last time in order to send gifts to the Marquis of Wuding's family.

Even so, the Lady of Wuding Marquis still complained that the congratulatory gift I sent was not respectable enough!

At that time, I was so angry that I thought, why don't I also hold a banquet? No matter how much, at least I can receive some congratulatory gifts.

That way, next time someone needs to send a gift, things will be easier for me...

"I know this way of accumulating wealth is wrong, but if we don't find a way, we won't be able to make a living..."

As Shangguan Jin spoke, her voice grew softer and softer.

In the end, it's just like a mosquito buzzing.

When Emperor Xiao Jing and Empress Xu saw this, they understood that the Duchess of Dingguo was going all out!

If the Duke of Dingguo were alive, who would dare to give this Duchess a hard time?

Even if you go empty-handed, every family will be happy to welcome you in!

It seems that the Duke of Dingguo's mansion has really suffered a lot of injustice over the past three years!

Thinking of this, Emperor Xiao Jing sighed again.

The events of that year happened too suddenly. First, Consort Xian suddenly passed away, and then the Duke of Dingguo disappeared.

At that time, the court was unstable, and it seemed that the Empress Dowager and the Duke of Anguo were plotting something.

He could only handle the matter of the Duke of Dingguo with a cold shoulder.

I never expected this...

"Then you must spend a lot of money to hold a birthday banquet. Just the ingredients alone can cost a fortune."

You won't make any money from this!"

Empress Xu, as expected of the head of the harem, quickly calculated the accounts in her mind.

"Your Majesty is right. If we were to follow the same lavish style as the Marquis of Wuding's residence, I would definitely be at a disadvantage here."

But I, your subject, have already abandoned all pretense of decorum, and what I have done is a bit out of line.

When the Duke was alive, he often talked to me about things related to the border.

He said that when he was at the border, he was lucky to have a hot meal.

When there was a celebration, such as winning a battle, the happiest thing for everyone was that the cooks would stew meat for everyone.

People used to think that eating meat and drinking alcohol to their heart's content was the life of gods.

I think, who could be more noble than those soldiers who defend their country and protect the safety of the people of Chongqing!

If they can eat it, why can't we?

Therefore, I did not have the servants in the household prepare those delicacies.

Instead, they went to farmhouses to buy chicken, duck, fish, and meat.

"I know this is wrong; it has disgraced the Duke's mansion."

After Shangguan Jin finished speaking, she quickly got up from the embroidered stool and knelt down decisively.

"What's wrong with that? I think the Duchess of Dingguo did a very good job."

Get up quickly. I already told you, you're exempt from kneeling, so there's no need for so much formality. Sit down.

I've wanted to say these things for a long time.

They feasted on delicacies and drank fine wines, having long forgotten the soldiers who fought bloody battles on the frontier!

Why can't they eat the food that our soldiers in Da Yu can eat?

If they were taken to the north and starved for a few days, they would be able to eat even bran!

I have long felt that the atmosphere in the capital is not right.

No matter which family is preparing to host a banquet, they have to start purchasing supplies a year in advance.

Brocade was laid on the ground, and silk was wrapped around the trees; it seemed as if everything that flew in the sky and ran on the ground was served at the banquet.

But do they really like eating these things?

Haha, every time, they only taste one bite of a dish before serving it away, and even a whole banquet is just served up as a formality.

A bunch of good-for-nothings.

If this continues, I'm afraid that in a few years, the Great Yu will become just like the previous dynasty!

As Emperor Xiao Jing angrily threw down the blue-and-white porcelain teacup beside him, everyone, including the Empress, knelt down.

Even Shangguan Jin, who had just gotten up and was about to sit down, quickly knelt down again.

"Your Majesty, please calm down!" Empress Xu quickly said.

"Your Majesty, please calm down!" Shangguan Jin and the palace maids and eunuchs hurriedly said.

Emperor Xiao Jing was also furious.

After calming himself down, he waved his hand upon seeing the people kneeling in the palace.

"This is none of your business, all of you get up!"

Lady of the Duke of Dingguo, you have done very well.

The Duke of Dingguo was a master at training troops because he shared weal and woe with his soldiers, which is why they trusted him.

Similarly, you also care about the soldiers.

On behalf of the soldiers of Dayu, I thank you for this.

From now on, your Duke of Dingguo's mansion shall hold banquets according to this standard. If anyone dares to find fault, you shall say that this was decided by me.

If you can't understand and sympathize with your soldiers, why should you be protected by them?

This competitive spirit needs to be stopped.

"Is this the reason why you said the front lines are in dire straits while the rear is in dire straits?" Emperor Xiao Jing asked.

"Your Majesty is foolish and ignorant. These were just some words that the Duke said to me by chance when he was still alive."

"I didn't know how to refute Lady Wuding for a moment, so I just used it," Shangguan Jin said hurriedly, bowing her head.

Emperor Xiao Jing nodded and said nothing more.

Empress Xu, however, changed her mind.

"That's why you had a conflict with the Lady of Wuding Marquis?"

I heard from my sister that you were so angry that you kicked Lady Wuding out!

"In my opinion, the Lady of Wuding Marquis is a boorish woman who doesn't know any manners. You should just keep your distance from her in the future," Empress Xu asked with a smile.

Shangguan Jin had nothing more to understand. It seemed that Empress Xu wanted to kick the Marquis of Wuding's mansion again!