12 Canary
◎ She put on a jade-white nightgown, half-leaning on the couch, staring at the bright sky outside in a trance.◎
The end of the month was the traditional day to collect salaries. Gu Ningxi took some time to visit the Ministry of Revenue. Because she was also the Crown Prince's Assistant, her monthly salary was slightly higher than that of officials of the same rank in the six ministries.
The total amount was 3,400 wen. Apart from the necessary social interactions, she wanted to save as much as possible.
Before she could allocate this month's income, when she returned to Prince Zhao's Mansion in the afternoon, the accountant of the palace actually reserved another salary for her.
Gu Ningxi was surprised. The accountant was counting on his abacus. “Master Gu is on duty at the palace. The other masters have already collected their gifts. This is for Master Gu.”
Zhao Wangfu had his own officials, who were given a separate salary in addition to the court salary.
Gu Ningxi was flattered and took the money bag. As expected of someone who owned four copper furnaces for casting coins, he had so much money that he had no place to spend it.
The sky is clear blue and the weather is fine, just like people's mood.
Gu Ningxi was going to go to the garden to take a look. Since the complete drawings were submitted, craftsmen have entered the palace in batches.
March's weather is a perfect balance of temperature. When His Majesty ordered the renovation of Prince Zhao's palace, the Ministry of Works repeatedly estimated the construction period. Due to the tight schedule, they feared it wouldn't be completed before Prince Zhao returned to the capital. Therefore, the Minister of State restructured the area, starting with the area closest to Prince Zhao's inner courtyard. Now, only the outermost training grounds and flower gardens remain, ensuring they won't disturb Prince Zhao within the vast palace.
Gu Ningxi often oversaw the construction work at Prince Zhao's mansion, handling all the mundane tasks within the Ministry of Works. After all, when her colleagues were ordered to build Prince Zhao's mansion, they often entrusted her with miscellaneous tasks. Furthermore, she had her own dedicated duty room within the mansion, making it difficult for anyone within the Ministry of Works to find her.
Although there are still many troubles and the political situation is even more unpredictable, looking at the clear and boundless sky always makes people feel a little more relaxed and free.
"Master Gu."
When he met Marquis Wu'an near the duty room, he took the initiative to greet her.
It was also a coincidence that Gu Ningxi said, "If the Marquis doesn't have any urgent matters later, I have a few things to give him."
"Oh?" Xie Qian was curious.
Gu Ningxi smiled and said, "Please come in, my Lord."
She told the servant to prepare tea, and she opened a compartment of the desk and took out a few pieces of huanghuali wood.
She handed them to Xie Qian one by one. These were carefully selected by her based on her memory of the appearance of the wooden chariot.
Gu Ningxi said, "The grain of each piece of wood varies. No matter how hard we try, it would be difficult to find an exact replica of the original." She showed Xie Qian the pattern on one side. "But if you match them well, the new wood can be surprisingly pleasant."
Just like the young master of the Xie family who grew up under his grandfather's wing, perhaps his future life wasn't as smooth as his grandfather had hoped. But the spirit of Duke Bohai in heaven would surely be pleased to see the current Marquis of Wu'an, Xie Qian.
Gu Ningxi smiled brightly, with sincerity in her eyes.
The item is not expensive, but it is made with enough care that I feel no burden in accepting it.
Xie Qian looked at the beautiful pieces of huanghuali wood and a smile appeared on his lips.
"Thank you, Lord Gu." He said sincerely.
…
There was a family dinner at the Marquis' Mansion tonight. Gu Ningxi asked for a leave at Prince Zhao's Mansion and returned to Marquis Xuanping's Mansion half an hour early.
She originally wanted to rest for a while in her own courtyard, but when she heard Yinlan say that the lady was already in the old lady's courtyard talking to her, she had no choice but to rush over early.
"Grandson pays his respects to grandmother."
She was respectful and courteous, and Madam Gu nodded slightly: "Get up."
The daughters-in-law of the third branch of the Gu family were all serving her, and two maids were massaging the old lady's legs.
Gu Ningxi bowed to several other elders before sitting aside.
"Sister."
Gu Ningwan nodded modestly in return. She was the daughter of Madam Shen and the eldest daughter of the Marquis Xuanping's family. Before she came of age, she had been learning the skills of managing the household from her mother.
After greeting each other, the two had no more words. Gu Ningwan and Gu Ningzheng, the third son of the Gu family, were born of the same mother, so from outsiders' perspective, it was natural that they would not be close to Qinlanyuan.
Madam Shen sat closest to her mother-in-law, holding a detailed list in her hand, and discussing the arrangements for the birthday banquet at the end of next month with the old lady. Madam Gu was not celebrating her birthday this time, but she always liked to be particular about the occasion, and the birthday banquet could not lose face for her as a First Rank Consort.
The second wife, Mrs. Lan, was also there, chatting and laughing from time to time.
Gu Ningxi lowered her head, adjusting her skirt. Her mother, never able to join in the conversation in such situations, could only sip her tea in silence. Her grandmother favored her second uncle's family, especially the eldest grandson from the second branch, whom she doted on like a treasure. However, this second cousin had been stationed in Pingzhou since entering the government. The Marquis's office felt that having her as one of the younger members of the Gu family was sufficient, as otherwise, they would inevitably face criticism. Her grandmother had always been indifferent to her, and since she hadn't seen her eldest grandson in years, Gu Ningxi couldn't help but feel a sense of irritation towards herself.
As for the third house, the third uncle was not my grandmother's son, and his wife, Zhao, was also just a guest in the hall.
The wives of the three wives had all arrived with their children. Old Madam Gu sat alone on the Arhat couch, facing south. Perhaps due to her age, her face had become somewhat kinder.
Gu Ningxi took the teacup. When her grandmother was young, she often bullied her daughter-in-law. Especially since her mother didn't have the support of a wealthy family, she became even more unscrupulous, constantly summoning her mother to stand in line. It wasn't until her mother gave birth to her, the "eldest son of the family," that her grandmother began to moderate a little.
Among the sisters-in-law, Madam Shen and Second Aunt had always been close friends. Third Aunt, whose background was far inferior to theirs, had always been fond of currying favor with them. Perhaps out of loyalty, Third Aunt never tired of embarrassing Mother.
Gu Ningxi disliked her third aunt the most. Sometimes she wondered how much harder her mother's life would have been if she hadn't pretended to be a boy.
Fortunately, after she entered the government, everyone in the family became more polite to her mother. For a woman in the inner house, the people she could rely on most were not herself, but her husband and son.
Madam Gu picked a lot of thorns about the birthday banquet and then said to her grandchildren, "I think your grandfather has dispersed by now. Go over and pay your respects."
"yes."
Those who went were all boys in the family. On the surface, the grandfather allowed more and treated all his grandchildren equally.
In the main hall, the old Marquis Gu first inquired about Gu Ningxi's situation in Prince Zhao's mansion. Gu Ningxi answered carefully. Grandfather had always known her identity. She was born as the legitimate son, so her father could only keep it a secret for a while. It was unknown how he had convinced Grandfather to acquiesce in this deception. Therefore, within the Marquis Xuanping's mansion, only a few people knew of her identity to this day; even Grandmother was kept in the dark.
Although initially assigned to duty at Prince Zhao's mansion was a reluctance, it was clear that if she wanted to change her dreams, she could do more there. Furthermore, after calming down, Gu Ningxi found duty much easier. At least she didn't have to constantly guess the Crown Prince's intentions or constantly be wary of the overt and covert attacks of her colleagues.
Gu Ningzheng sneered: "Second brother is really capable. He can thrive in both the Eastern Palace and Prince Zhao's Mansion."
He is Madam Shen's only son and has always been arrogant. Due to the dispute over the crown prince and the relationship between their mothers, he regards Gu Ningxi as his enemy.
But Gu Ningxi simply thought him foolish. The most taboo thing about the Xuanping Marquisate was being caught up in a factional struggle, and the Gu family wasn't originally among the Crown Prince's closest confidants, and their position within the Eastern Palace was already awkward.
He seems not to understand the principle of everyone suffering if one suffers, and he dares to say anything.
As expected, Lord Gu's expression immediately turned cold, and he scolded, "If you have the time to talk like this, you might as well go back to studying and pass the exam soon."
This was the third time Gu Ningzheng had fallen, and no one in his courtyard dared to mention the matter.
But in front of his grandfather, his face turned pale and he dared not say a word.
Old Marquis Gu still felt it was not enough: "You have achieved nothing at such a young age, which is a disgrace to the Gu family."
These words were extremely harsh, and Marquis Xuanping was embarrassed and made a few words to smooth things over.
Lord Gu even lectured his son: "Discipline your son well, don't let him bring trouble to the family, or he will be ashamed to face our ancestors in the future."
"Father, please calm down. I will teach Sanlang a lesson."
The atmosphere in the field grew considerably colder, and the flames of war were drawn towards Gu Ningxi.
Old Marquis Gu's expression softened slightly. "Even though you're in Prince Zhao's mansion, you still need to be sensible. If you're undecided about something, come back and discuss it with your family. Don't act on your own."
The Gu family stood behind the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince was still the legitimate heir, and His Majesty still favored him. Now that the Xuanping Marquisate had chosen its lord, there was no reason to turn back.
"Grandson understands." Gu Ningxi agreed.
Lord Gu raised his cane and said, "It's getting late, let's set the table."
…
Under the bright moonlight, Gu Ningxi sent her mother back to Qinlan Courtyard.
I originally wanted my mother to rest early, but my mother wanted to talk to her a few more words, so she pulled her to sit down again.
"Are you going to work at Prince Zhao's mansion again tomorrow?"
"Yeah."
Her daughter had been on duty at Prince Zhao's mansion for over a month. Even though Madam Meng knew nothing about the state of affairs in the court, she had occasionally heard some rumors these days and had taken them to heart.
"You were originally a disciple of the Crown Prince, and now you're going to Prince Zhao's mansion. Isn't that inappropriate?"
The two princes are of noble status. If they quarrel, Xier will be the one who suffers in the middle.
"Don't worry, mother. Prince Zhao and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince have already discussed it."
Madam Meng looked at her expression and felt relieved: "That's good."
Gu Ningxi's lips curved slightly. As for how the discussion unfolded, it was better not to mention it. That day at the East Palace banquet, the Crown Prince was reluctant to refuse Prince Zhao, so he threw the difficult question to her, asking her to refuse. It was Prince Zhao who spoke up for her, his words putting the Crown Prince in a difficult position. While it didn't leave her much choice, it was better than being caught in a dilemma.
…
On the way back to Leyouyuan, Gu Ningxi pondered her mother's birthday, wondering what gift to prepare for her this year. She had a maid bring bath water; her mother's birthdays fell within a few days of her grandmother's. Every year at this time, everyone in the mansion was busy preparing for her grandmother's birthday banquet, and her grandmother never liked anyone stealing her spotlight. Therefore, every year, her mother's birthday banquet was simply held at Qinlanyuan, and even for a full birthday, she didn't dare to be extravagant.
Until falling asleep, Gu Ningxi had no satisfactory thoughts in his heart.
The moonlight was bright, and the woman in the dream seemed to have the same troubles.
She wore a jade-white nightgown and half-reclined on the couch, lost in thought as she gazed at the bright sky outside. Her meticulously maintained black hair flowed freely, like the finest silk. Her dress was slightly open, revealing faint traces of yesterday's painstaking work between her delicate collarbones.
A maidservant asked respectfully from behind the heavy curtains, "Would your Majesty like to have breakfast first?"
Judging from the furnishings in the hall alone, this should be the emperor's bedroom.
The woman on the couch shook her head slightly: "No need."
The two leading maids looked at each other and heard that the queen was in a bad mood, so they led the others to serve outside and did not disturb her anymore.
The sun rises, and spots of light and shadow fall on the brocade tent.
There was silence in the hall. After an unknown amount of time, the sound of formal greetings came from outside. It was the emperor returning from court.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you. May your Majesty be blessed with long life."
Lu Jing lifted the curtain and was a little surprised when he saw her expression.
He sat beside the couch. The two of them were silent for a while. Lu Jing asked, "Do you have something to tell me?"
His tone was patient. Gu Ningxi lowered her eyes to look at the intricate embroidery on the quilt. "Can I go back home to see my mother today?"
She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.
Today is my mother's birthday.
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