10 Exploration
◎King Zhao had no intention of ordering her to leave.◎
After working for two or three days with his colleagues from the Ministry of Works, Gu Ningxi finished compiling the blueprints of the flower garden and parade ground of Prince Zhao's Palace before the holiday.
The day after tomorrow, she would go to the palace on duty and present the blueprint to King Zhao. If there were any deficiencies, she could make additions and revisions.
Gu Ningxi checked the drawings for the last time, and the two colleagues in charge of this matter were also watching.
Logically speaking, this job, which required them to appear before His Royal Highness Prince Zhao, was something they would have preferred. However, Lord Gu held the highest rank, and they couldn't get past him. Furthermore, the renovation of Prince Zhao's mansion had been delayed until now, and it was unclear whether these drawings were a credit or a demerit. Since Lord Gu was taking the responsibility, they could be considered to have fulfilled their duties with a clear conscience.
The other officials from the Ministry of Works returned home one after another. Gu Ningxi put the drawings in a box and said goodbye to his two colleagues.
"I'll go ahead."
"Master Gu, take care."
It would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous about taking on a task on my own for the first time, but since I'd done my best, I could take a good day off.
Gu Ningxi informed his mother in advance and, using official business as an excuse, did not return to the Marquis' Mansion in the evening, but went to the small courtyard in Xingningfang.
Some time ago, she discussed the purchase of a house with her cousin. After she wrote down her general requirements to the company, the company had already picked out several nice houses.
His cousin was still in the Xishan military camp, so Gu Ningxi planned to go and see him during his free day off.
The two nearest courtyards were not far from Xingningfang and could be reached on foot. Gu Ningxi brought her trusted servant and followed the address given by the merchant. She rarely walked in this direction, so the streetscape on both sides seemed unfamiliar.
Fortunately, he didn't take too many detours, but at the door of a wood shop, Gu Ningxi met a person he was not very familiar with.
Wu'an Hou Xie Qian was just a few steps away, and Gu Ningxi hesitated whether to go up and say hello.
But Marquis Wu'an was so focused on talking to the shopkeeper of Muhang that he didn't notice her, so it was not impossible for her to just quietly leave.
"...Sir, you have a good eye. This is new wood, and it's only been in the shop for half a day. If you really want it, take the whole piece and give me ten strings of cash."
"Ten strings of cash?"
Looking at the handsome young man who had just appeared, the shopkeeper smiled unchanged: "Young Master, you don't know, this is the best Huanghuali wood, which can only be obtained after two or three hundred years. Of course, it is much more valuable than other woods."
Gu Ningxi took a quick look and found that the wood was indeed Huanghuali, but its color, texture and fragrance were not outstanding.
She calmly gestured for Xie Qian to put away his purse, and said with a half-smile, "You said this wood is two hundred years old?"
The two gentlemen before him were both well-dressed. Seeing that the young man in green seemed knowledgeable, the shopkeeper didn't dare to lie openly. He said vaguely, "It must have taken at least a hundred years. Huanghuali wood is extremely difficult to grow, and it is even more difficult to transport it to Kyoto smoothly."
Gu Ningxi laughed. Given the thickness of this piece of wood, it couldn't even be made into a chair. "If this piece of wood is a hundred years old," she pointed at the Huanghuali Eight Immortals Table in the center of the shop, "then the wood used to make that table must be nearly a thousand years old, right?"
"this……"
"In my opinion, the wood grain is not clear enough and the color is dull. There was a clear flaw in this area, and it looks like it was forcibly cut away."
With every word she spoke, the shopkeeper's smile became more awkward, and even Xie Qian understood something.
After all, he was a man who had fought on the battlefield. When his expression darkened a little, his aura became a little intimidating.
Gu Ningxi was amazed at his understanding. The shopkeeper wiped the sweat from his forehead, knowing he had met an expert. He said cautiously, "Then what's the price you two can give?"
Xie Qian went to look at Gu Ningxi, who held up three fingers: "Three strings of cash."
Three strings of cash was almost her monthly salary, so the Marquis of Wu'an, who had just won a victory on the battlefield, could buy the entire piece of wood without blinking an eye.
Now that the matter was resolved, Gu Ningxi didn't stay any longer. However, before she had gone far, Wu'an Hou Xie Qian caught up with her.
"Master Gu, please stay," he said politely. "I have something. Could you please help me take a look?"
Around lunchtime, Gu Ningxi sat down in the restaurant in a daze. She'd encountered the Marquis of Wu'an today purely out of concern for justice; the owner's asking price was rather unscrupulous. She'd originally thought this would be an opportunity to slowly connect with Xie Qian, perhaps yielding more clues about her dream, but he'd unexpectedly approached her.
After carefully examining the wooden chariot contained within the brocade box, Gu Ningxi's eyes were filled with admiration. The chariot was the size of two palms, its structure exquisite and its carvings delicate, a rare sight among woodcarvers. It was a pity that so much of it was damaged, a sight even for an outsider like her felt regretful.
She nodded: "It is indeed Huanghuali."
This item was obviously of great significance to Marquis Wu'an. Not only was he willing to buy the wood at a high price, he was even willing to seek advice from her, a princeling.
Gu Ningxi said, "If you want to find suitable wood, my lord, you might want to go to the Ministry of Works' Construction Department."
Repairing the wooden chariot required little wood, and the Ministry of Works had a vast stockpile of the finest timber from all over the land. After each repair, much unused scrap remained, never returned to the warehouse. Anyone willing could obtain it. Furthermore, King Zhao was the Minister of the Chancellery, so a trip to the Ministry of Works was a piece of cake for Marquis Wu'an.
"Thank you, Lord Gu." Xie Qian offered Gu Ningxi a glass of wine.
…
The two courtyards we looked at yesterday were not satisfactory. After weighing the pros and cons, Gu Ningxi was undecided and asked the company to recommend some new courtyards.
The freshly cooked red date and papaya porridge is steaming hot, and paired with a few plates of exquisite snacks, it is particularly suitable for the quiet morning.
Gu Ningxi had lunch with his mother and then went to the Ministry of Works to work later.
There was no one in the room to serve. Gu Ningxi stirred the silver spoon and chatted with his mother. He said casually, "I heard that when mother was pregnant with me, the Marquis' Mansion invited a Taoist priest to come and see her?"
She had been thinking a lot during this period, from dreams to reality, and she had not missed any related details.
Mrs. Meng still remembered some of the things that happened during her pregnancy. The Marquis had no children back then, so after she became pregnant, he invited two or three famous Taoist priests to come to his house to predict the future.
"What did the Taoists say?" Gu Ningxi asked.
Madam Meng nodded her head and said, "Drink the porridge first."
Papaya and red date porridge had to be cooked several times a month. Gu Ningxi drank it so often that she really got tired of it.
But she was worried that her mother would shut up, so she could only obediently scoop up the silver spoon.
Madam Meng's eyes were filled with kindness. Seeing her eat carefully, she said, "The Taoist priests naturally chose some auspicious words, and they were almost the same. They said that the child of the Marquis and I has an extremely noble destiny and a promising future."
As a new mother, Madam Meng was delighted to hear these words. Furthermore, Xi'er was born in the Marquis's mansion, and she had the Empress's kindness and support. By giving Xi'er the status of a legitimate child, she wouldn't be far behind others.
The Marquis's Mansion attached great importance to her pregnancy, and the Marquis even hired two doctors to take care of her diet and daily life.
"But..." Madam Meng sighed softly. Seeing that no one was around, she felt relieved and said, "A wandering Taoist priest also said that your marriage in your previous life was regretful, and your marriage in this life may be bumpy."
The Taoist priest had white hair and beard, giving him a certain celestial air. His predictions were accurate: Xi'er had been masquerading as a man since childhood, and even at nineteen, she hadn't regained her identity. How could she possibly have a good marriage?
Seeing her daughter looking thoughtful, Mrs. Meng asked curiously, "Why are you suddenly asking about these old things?"
Gu Ningxi replied vaguely, "I had a dream last night, I was just asking."
Mrs. Meng laughed. "You're so old, yet you still believe in dreams." She scooped some egg custard for her daughter. "Come to think of it, I had dreams a lot when I was pregnant with you, too. One time, I even dreamed of a golden dragon flying straight into my arms."
"Golden Dragon?"
"Yes." Seeing her daughter's interest, Mrs. Meng unconsciously said more. "When I woke up the next day, the dream was still clear, so I told your father."
At that time, the Marquis often came to accompany her. Upon hearing this, he immediately dismissed the servants from outside, not even keeping his confidants.
The Marquis asked her in detail about everything in her dream and repeatedly warned her that this matter must not be known to any third person.
At that time, Your Majesty had not yet become emperor, so how could the true dragon emperor appear in the Gu family?
Only then did she realize the seriousness of the situation and was so frightened that she couldn't speak for a moment, fearing that her words would bring disaster to the baby in her womb.
The Marquis had strictly forbidden her to mention it again, and by the time her daughter was born, she had long forgotten the matter. If Xi'er hadn't accidentally asked her today, she wouldn't have thought of this old incident.
Mrs. Meng was somewhat melancholy. No golden dragon could be trusted. She was only worried about her daughter's marriage.
"It's been three years. How long will you hold this position?"
When a girl reaches the age of fifteen, even though she is reluctant to let her daughter get married, she hopes that her daughter will have someone to shelter her from the wind and rain for the rest of her life.
Gu Ningxi finished the porridge in just a few mouthfuls, following the old conversation between mother and daughter.
"It's getting late. I have to go to Prince Zhao's mansion."
She winked at her mother and quickly left the house.
As he got into the carriage, Gu Ningxi was still thinking about the Taoist's words.
Is it the cause and effect of the previous life?
…
It was a rare opportunity for His Royal Highness Prince Zhao to have some free time this morning, so Gu Ningxi came to the study room with the blueprints in hand to ask for a meeting.
"Long live Your Highness."
His Royal Highness Prince Zhao was reviewing the blueprints, while Gu Ningxi sat quietly below. Following her gaze, he could see the tri-colored, decal-decorated Pisces vase standing exactly where it had been, its position unchanged.
The blueprint was drawn very carefully, and Lu Jing only circled two places that needed slight modifications, both located in the training ground.
The changes are not difficult. With the approval of His Royal Highness Prince Zhao, the subsequent construction work will go much more smoothly.
The Construction and Repair Department can already begin preparations, and the responsibilities within the Ministry of Works are clearly defined.
The white porcelain teacup in front of her was half full of tea, and King Zhao hadn't yet told her to leave. He then asked about the affairs of the six ministries.
In the previous chapter, the Ministry of Personnel was explained, and the renovation work of Prince Zhao's palace was borrowed. Gu Ningxi also happened to talk to Prince Zhao about the changes in the Ministry of Works.
Gu Ningxi naturally came up with this paragraph more easily, without having to think too much.
The Ministry of Works oversaw palace repairs, water conservancy dredging, and the manufacture of artifacts. While its responsibilities were significant, it held a relatively low position among the six ministries, ranking last. Gu Ningxi had served in the Ministry for over three years and was familiar with its systems. However, her familiarity made her wary of elaborating on insignificant matters. So, Gu Ningxi paused, awaiting the Prince Zhao's questions.
Lu Jing looked at him and realized that among the six ministries, the emperor valued the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue the most. Given Yuan Le's circumstances when he entered the court, his background as a "Tanhua Lang" (a scholar in the imperial examination) and the recommendation of the Crown Prince, he should have had more options.
He asked, "Why did you go to the Ministry of Works?"
【Author’s words】
Xiao Lu still doesn't know the identity of the goose girl~
He grew up with the goose girl and is quite protective of her. He has always been protective of the goose girl since she was a child.
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