Cai Ping nodded hurriedly: "Master, don't worry, I will definitely take care of it for you!"
Caiping had not satisfied her master with her previous work, so she secretly made up her mind to do it well this time.
Never let the master down!
...
The Mansion of Marquis Zhennan.
As soon as Shangguan Xuan stepped into the gate of the Marquis' Mansion, he was invited to Shou'an Hall by the nanny beside the old lady.
In Shou'an Hall, an old lady with gray hair was lying on the hospital bed with a worried look on her face.
"Xuan'er, is Sun back?" the old lady asked hurriedly.
Shangguan Xuan dismissed the servants around him, sat by the bed, and shook his head helplessly: "Sun has left Yanjing, and no one knows where she went. Princess Zhaoyang is on good terms with her and wants to get back the remaining dowry money for Sun."
The old lady was so angry that she kept coughing. She drank two mouthfuls of ginseng soup to moisten her throat and said angrily, "I was right at the beginning. Sun Qingmei is really a selfish woman! The Sun family is in decline, and my mansion is willing to let her marry in. She is so ungrateful that she even brought family affairs to the emperor! She has a lot of dowry money, so what's wrong with using it for mansion expenses?"
Without Sun Qingmei to take charge, the old lady's 60th birthday party was turned into a mess.
The old lady thought of the empty storehouse in the mansion again, and frowned: "Zhao Qing is a country girl, she is not as good as Sun Qingmei. Sun Qingmei at least has a fortune, but Zhao Qing has nothing, and only has the empty title of county lady."
The old lady was quite unhappy that a noble man married a girl from the countryside. The best solution is to have a co-wife.
Marrying Sun Qingmei would bring wealth to the mansion, while marrying Zhao Qing would bring fame to the mansion.
Who knew that Sun Qingmei was so ignorant and ruined the original plan.
"Mother, although Ah Qing comes from a humble background, she is extremely intelligent. His Majesty and the Crown Prince both think highly of her." Shangguan Xuan couldn't bear to hear his mother slandering Zhao Qing. In his heart, Zhao Qing was a very good woman.
The old lady rubbed her brows and said, "Well, marrying Zhao Qing will also benefit the Marquisate, but where will the money for the wedding come from?"
There are many servants in the Marquis' Mansion, and the second and third wives spend money like water, so the Marquis' Mansion has already been in deficit. After Sun Qingmei left, the temporary servants in the Marquis' Mansion scattered like birds and beasts, leaving the Mansion short-staffed.
Where does the money come from to plan a wedding banquet?
Shangguan Xuan had a plan. He told the old lady, "Don't you still have five thousand taels of silver in your house? This is your dowry money. Why not give it to the child and use it as wedding money?"
When the old lady married into the Marquis's Mansion, she had a generous dowry.
After these decades, there is still 5,000 taels of dowry left. Spending five thousand taels of silver to hold a wedding banquet is not too shabby.
"That's my survival money!" The old lady never expected that Shangguan Xuan would actually set his sights on the old lady's private money.
Shangguan Xuan said patiently, "After you pass away, this money will belong to your children. I am now highly valued by His Majesty and I shoulder the future of the Marquisate. The Marquisate will soon be glorious again. What is a mere five thousand taels?"
The old lady's face turned pale.
She could never use the money she had saved in her later years to give to Shangguan Xuan as wedding money. If a woman has no money, she has no place in the mansion.
"Don't even think about it!" The old lady refused coldly.
Shangguan Xuan still didn't give up: "What's the use of a woman having so much money? It would be good for everyone if we use it to subsidize the household expenses of the Marquis' Mansion--"
Shangguan Xuan was about to give some more advice when he heard lively footsteps outside the house. Shangguan Xuan's sister Shangguan Qian ran into the house and said happily, "Brother, the housekeeper of Prince Heng's Mansion is here! You should go there quickly!"
Shangguan Xuan frowned. The housekeeper of Prince Heng’s Mansion?
Since the decline of the Zhennan Marquisate, the nobles of Yanjing have kept their distance from it, and almost no prince is willing to make friends with it. Shangguan Xuan suppressed his doubts, left Shou'an Hall, and planned to receive the steward of Prince Heng's Mansion in the main house of the Marquis' Mansion.
Shangguan Qian also followed.
"Little sister, why are you following me?" Shangguan Xuan turned around and found that Shangguan Xuan was following him closely.
Shangguan Qian coquettishly stuck out her tongue, her cheeks flushed, and she pulled Shangguan Xuan's sleeve and acted coquettishly: "Brother, don't worry about it, I just want to go and take a look."
Prince Heng is a famous handsome man in Yanjing, with noble status and romantic appearance. Although Prince Heng has many concubines, he has not yet married a wife.
In the past, when the Marquis's Mansion was in decline, Shangguan Qian did not dare to covet the position of Prince Heng's principal wife. Now that the Marquisate has regained its glory, she, the legitimate daughter of the Marquisate, is naturally worthy of the handsome Prince Heng.
The two came to the main house.
The housekeeper of Prince Heng's mansion hurried forward and bowed respectfully to Shangguan Xuan: "My Lord, my Lord heard that you are about to marry the Princess of Pingyang. A golden boy and a jade girl, a match made in heaven. My Lord sent this old servant to the mansion to present the wedding gift in advance."
The butler handed over an exquisitely crafted box.
Shangguan Xuan raised his eyebrows and said a few polite words before taking the box: "The wedding is not yet here, Your Highness Prince Heng is too polite."
He opened the box and saw a stack of banknotes inside.
Shangguan Xuan looked stunned, while Shangguan Qian, who was watching the fun nearby, had shining eyes.
Ten thousand taels! What a grand gesture, worthy of being King Heng!
Shangguan Qian's affection for Prince Heng grew even stronger, and she couldn't help but imagine in her mind that if she could become the princess of Prince Heng's palace, she would be surrounded by wealth and glory for the rest of her life.
The butler said tactfully and considerately, "My prince is deeply trusted by His Majesty and is in charge of river transportation, so he is naturally not short of money. The Marquis has made great military achievements and defended the country, so please accept this little money."
Ten thousand taels of silver can solve the urgent needs of the Marquis' Mansion.
Shangguan Xuan was not stupid either, so he naturally knew that King Heng wanted to win him over. Shangguan Xuan didn't want to get involved in the game between the princes, but the ten thousand taels in the box would allow him to marry Zhao Qing home in style.
After some inner struggle, Shangguan Xuan finally accepted the money and said politely, "Thank you, Your Highness Prince Heng, for your kindness."
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