Chapter 159 The Elopement Scene from a Previous Life
Yu Qingci nodded gently.
After careful consideration, the Earl of Nanping finally felt relieved.
“In that case, selling the land is indeed a good idea. Once those people get the recipe, how much they can earn will depend on their individual abilities. But if we're going to sell the land, how much silver do you think each family should contribute?”
"This daughter doesn't quite understand, so I'd like to ask her father for advice."
The Earl of Nanping frowned, thought for a moment, and then held up three fingers.
Yu Qingci: "Thirty thousand? That's fine. I thought Father would have set it higher."
"How about this: each daughter will only need 30,000 taels. If Father can negotiate a higher price, the extra money will be given to Father, and we, father and daughters, will earn the money together."
The Earl of Nanping laughed heartily: "You're sending your father money, aren't you? You're such a good daughter. But there's no need. Once the business in Youyang is up and running, will I be afraid of not having enough money? I'll send you all the money after I sell the prescription."
With a century-old foundation, the Nanping Marquis's family naturally had many channels for making money. The Marquis of Nanping himself was not short of money in his own treasury. However, he was still very happy that his daughter said so.
Yu Qingci: "I know that my father has plenty of money and he feels sorry for me, but there is no such thing as a free lunch, not even for my father."
So Father, don't refuse your offer. As the saying goes, "A thousand sons or ten thousand sons are not as good as having money in your own hands." Are you worried about having too much money that will be stuck with you?
Uncle Nanping: "Hahaha, you silly girl, then I won't stand on ceremony with you."
However, I assure you, this money will be used for your younger brother Qingbai. Raising a son is not easy, and there will be many expenses for his education and marriage in the future. I had already planned to hand over all the properties in Youyang to him when he grows up.”
Yu Qingci had been waiting for this promise from her father, and upon hearing it, she had no more reservations.
She didn't want this lucrative business to benefit the people in the Earl's Mansion, so she suggested that her father build the winery in their old home of Youyang, just to get her father to say that he would leave all of this to his younger brother in the future.
Sure enough, the father had already begun to plan for his younger brother's future.
An agreement was quickly reached, and the father and daughter began to discuss the details of selling the child.
Just two days later, the Earl of Nanping came to deliver silver again.
Just as they expected, the three companies were very straightforward about the price and did not haggle at all, and the deal was done.
Then the Earl of Nanping invited the Marquis of Zhenbei and the Duke of Li to drink together. After they sat down and talked about the matter, the Marquis of Zhenbei and the Duke of Li were naturally happy to accept such a good thing as it had fallen from the sky, and they immediately took out their money.
Earl of Nanping: "Hehehe, I've brought all the silver notes, so just accept them all. I don't lack money here. Besides, I also got a copy of the recipe, and I've already sent Changfeng to Youyang to make arrangements. Once the business is up and running, I won't have to worry about not having money."
Seeing that her father readily agreed, Yu Qingci no longer refused and accepted the silver notes.
Nanping Bole chuckled as he told her about the incredulous expressions on the faces of those people after receiving the prescription.
The Earl of Nanping himself immediately ordered several jars of yellow wine to be brought over and began experimenting with the recipe.
Only after witnessing firsthand how a handful of lime was sprinkled in, and the murky yellow wine in the jar eventually became clear as water, did the crowd finally have to believe it and start shouting excitedly.
It's no wonder people reacted this way. What everyone had painstakingly pondered for so long turned out to be just a handful of lime. Anyone who knew the truth would want to beat their chest in despair.
Soon, news spread from the Nanping Earl's Mansion that Yu Qingyan was engaged to Li Chen, the youngest son of the Cheng'an Prince's Mansion.
Upon hearing this, Yu Qingci was taken aback, and then a meaningful smile appeared on her lips.
Despite being relatives of the emperor, the Prince Cheng'an's family had a poor reputation in the capital.
Li Chen was born to Consort Min, a concubine of Prince Cheng'an. Although Consort Min was only a concubine, she was deeply loved by Prince Cheng'an, and gossip about the wives and concubines vying for his favor often circulated in Prince Cheng'an's mansion.
As the saying goes, "love me, love my dog," and with a favored mother, Li Chen lived a more glamorous life in the Prince's mansion than the heir of Prince Cheng'an. Despite his young age, he was arrogant and domineering, spending his days in brothels, gambling dens, and taverns, a typical playboy.
After carefully selecting from a group of candidates, the Qiao family chose this particular son-in-law. The reason for this is not hard to guess.
Although Li Chen was a playboy, he was the most beloved son of Prince Cheng'an. After the current emperor ascended the throne, he always treated Prince Cheng'an, his uncle, well. So even though Prince Cheng'an's reputation was not good, his status and position were still there, and many nobles in the city still tried to curry favor with him.
To put it bluntly, given the status that Consort Min and her son hold in Prince Cheng'an's heart, the entire palace might belong to them in the future.
Compared to the Prince Cheng'an's Mansion, the Nanping Earl's Mansion was naturally several levels lower in social standing, so Yu Qingyan was considered to have climbed the social ladder by marrying into the mansion.
However, the man who eloped with Yu Qingyan in her previous life was Consort Min's nephew.
If Yu Qingyan marries Li Chen in this life, she will probably have to meet her lover from her previous life. I wonder if they will elope like they did in her previous life.
She's really looking forward to it.
In late February, Yu Qingbai was formally accepted as Li Daru's last disciple and underwent the apprenticeship ceremony.
When the news spread, students all over the capital were stunned and began to inquire about who Yu Qingbai was.
When they learned that the youngest son of the Marquis of Nanping had just been recognized by his family a few months ago and was only nine years old, many people could hardly believe their ears.
I've never heard of any rumors about the young master of the Earl's mansion being exceptionally talented. How could such an unknown boy surpass so many well-read scholars in the capital and be accepted as the last disciple by the great scholar Li? This is unacceptable to many self-proclaimed learned scholars.
For a time, many people turned their attention back to the Marquis of Nanping's residence, sending invitations to pay their respects, and many more invited Yu Qingbai to participate in various spring poetry gatherings.
The Earl of Nanping remained remarkably calm in the face of this situation and refused all offers on behalf of his son, giving readily available reasons: "My son is currently studying diligently with a great Confucian scholar at Taijue Temple and can only return home occasionally, so he is truly unable to keep his appointment."
The students were filled with regret once again.
In fact, according to Li Daru, this matter should have been completed after the New Year. Unfortunately, Yu Qingbai was injured in the leg and had to stay in bed for more than two months before he could slowly get out of bed and walk, which is why it was postponed until now.
Upon hearing this good news, Yu Qingci finally felt relieved. Ever since her younger brother's accident, she had been worried that his apprenticeship would encounter further complications. Now that everything was settled, she could finally relax.
She ordered someone to retrieve the several sets of spring clothes she had made for her younger brother and Mr. Li from Jinxiufang. They were complete from head to toe, and she packed them into trunks and ordered them to be sent to Jiyun Mountain.
She carefully selected all the fabrics, fearing that the elderly might be picky and dislike them. The fabrics she chose were not expensive and were comfortable to wear, and the styles were mostly casual, short outfits for home.
She knew that the old man liked to tend to his small plot of land in his spare time, and that a scholar's robe was not appropriate for him. Besides, she had seen the old man before wearing simple everyday clothes.
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