47 Disguised as a Man
◎Gu Ningxi lowered his head silently and turned his face to one side.◎
There was a hint of confusion in Gu Ningxi's beautiful eyes. Why didn't she think it was a bother?
Even though His Royal Highness Prince Zhao regarded her as a friend, and His Royal Highness was always protective of her, Gu Ningxi kept in mind that there should be a limit to how good friends should behave with each other.
She can handle this matter on her own, even if it will take some more trouble, but at least she won't have to owe His Royal Highness Prince Zhao any favors.
After talking with Doctor Zhou yesterday, she was very satisfied with the current outcome.
Not to mention good friends, even between husband and wife, Gu Ningxi is unwilling to rely on the other party for everything.
Lu Jing laughed at himself and realized that he was being too sentimental.
In Yuan Le's eyes, he was just an ordinary friend of his.
But——it has to be closer than others, right?
Lu Jing caught a glimpse of the jade amulet of peace tied around Yuan Le's waist. The pattern engraved on it was the one he had first fallen in love with in Jinzhou. They had known each other for over ten years, so he had guessed that Yuan Le would like it.
"Your Highness?"
Noticing that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao was distracted, Gu Ningxi spoke in confusion.
Lu Jing didn't say much, just ordered the carriage to return to Xuanping Marquis Mansion first.
He looked at the beautiful face of the person in front of him and sighed softly.
If Yuan Le was really a girl, perhaps when his mother was still alive, she had already chosen Yuan Le as his princess.
What a pity, it’s fate.
…
Gu Ningxi waited for two days and received the imperial edict of promotion before the Wanshou Festival.
"The Emperor, by the Will of Heaven, proclaims:
I believe that the various crafts are the foundation of state governance, and the six ministries are the basis for governing the nation. The current Director of the Ministry of Works, Gu Ningxi, possesses a formidable character and a talent for effective governance. Since taking office, he has been diligent and meticulous in his planning. He oversees the craftsmanship, applying ingenuity within established rules; he oversees the projects, achieving tangible results within months.
I hereby promote you to the rank of Langzhong in the Ministry of Works, bringing you to the fifth rank. I also grant you one hundred taels of silver as a commendation. I hope you will embrace this honor, further develop your talents, and live up to my sincere wishes for your selection. I respectfully ask you.
Gu Ningxi kowtowed: "I thank the Lord for His great grace. Long live the Lord."
She took the imperial edict with both hands and was quite surprised that she had skipped the fifth-rank Yuanwailang and directly become the fifth-rank Langzhong of the Ministry of Works.
Even with the decree in her hand, she still felt a little dizzy.
Doctor Zhou received the imperial edict before her. The emperor promoted him to the rank of Junior Minister of Agriculture, fourth grade, and sent him to the countryside to innovate agricultural tools and expand the use of the curved plow.
This is a real position. After being assigned abroad for three to five years and making political achievements, Doctor Zhou will naturally be awarded the title of Vice Minister of Works.
Colleagues from the Ministry of Works gathered around to offer their congratulations. While they had vaguely sensed some undercurrents, especially knowing the curved plow was a joint effort, thanks to Doctor Zhou and Gu Ningxi's already good reputations, and their simultaneous promotion, their colleagues naturally prioritized congratulations, with no one offering any inappropriate remarks.
He Zhubu, who shared the same duty room with Gu Ningxi, congratulated his friend but felt a pang of sadness. However, the Minister had already warned him that if he completed his duties well, he would have a chance to become the Director of the Ministry of Works.
Gu Ningxi was happy for the rest of the day, thinking that he was indeed lucky to have been promoted two levels.
It happened to be the occasion of Your Majesty's long birthday, and He bestowed generous gifts upon the ministers. In addition, the main political affairs of the court had shifted from military affairs to people's livelihood. The role of the Ministry of Works was becoming increasingly important, and talents were urgently needed.
He Zhubu smiled and said, "In my opinion, Your Majesty also has some intentions for Brother Yuan Le to be a role model for the children of aristocratic families and to inspire the younger generation."
The imperial court held an imperial examination to recruit officials, giving children from humble backgrounds the opportunity to serve as officials and work diligently. However, children from aristocratic families gradually became lazy, and it was rare for a talented person to emerge, so Emperor Mingde was naturally willing to reward him.
Moreover, Gu Ningxi was impeccable in terms of his academic achievements. As a seventeen-year-old scholar who won the first place in the imperial examination, his official career would have been smoother than that of an ordinary Jinshi.
Gu Ningxi thought it through. If she worked diligently for three to five years as a Langzhong in the Ministry of Works, she would be able to be promoted to the fourth rank when she was sent out to other places. She would be considered a high-ranking official and would be able to provide for her mother and herself.
When the news reached the Marquis' residence, Marquis Xuanping praised Gu Ningxi during his dinner at Qinlan Courtyard. He also reminded her not to forget the emperor's grace, to be modest and prudent, and to serve him diligently in the future.
Gu Ningxi listened to all of this, and while Xuanping Hou was relieved, he couldn't help but feel a little regretful. If Sanlang could have half the talents of his sisters, he wouldn't have to worry about having no successors.
Along with the promotion decree, Gu Ningxi also received a hundred taels of silver from His Majesty. She had calculated that this would not only pay off the money she had previously borrowed from her sister, but would also leave more than half.
However, Gu Ningxi heard that the atmosphere in Madam Shen's courtyard was very bad tonight. After thinking about it, she decided that it would be better to go and see her sister in two days.
The moon is bright and the stars are sparse, and the candlelight in the main house of Leyouyuan is shining brightly.
Gu Ningxi smiled and said, "Mother, haven't you seen enough?"
A brand new set of official uniforms was hung on the screen. They were delivered by the imperial weaving office in the afternoon.
Whenever there was any promotion in the court, the weaving bureau would be the first to know so that they could prepare official uniforms in advance.
Madam Meng's fingers carefully brushed the satin surface and she said with a smile, "This color is really beautiful."
Civil officials of the fifth rank could wear scarlet, while those of the fourth rank wore dark red.
Although she hoped that her daughter could find a good match and marry a husband of her dreams, Mrs. Meng was still proud that her daughter was so valued by the court.
She was also worried: "Now that you've been promoted, I'm afraid more and more people in the court will be watching you. Your father is right, you must be cautious in everything you do."
"The child knows."
Gu Ningxi knew in her heart that she should be happy for only a few days and should not get too carried away.
Originally, a banquet could have been held to celebrate the promotion, but Gu Ningxi thought that if he were to entertain close friends, the first person he should invite should be His Royal Highness Prince Zhao. Unfortunately, his status wasn't quite right, but if he didn't invite His Royal Highness Prince Zhao, Gu Ningxi would feel bad.
After much deliberation, Gu Ningxi decided not to host a banquet. After all, she was already a prominent figure in the Ministry of Industry, so it would be better to keep a low profile.
She only had a private meeting with her cousin and drank a few glasses of wine to celebrate.
Her cousin also gave her a set of four treasures of the study, with an inkstone engraved with a pattern of blue clouds and auspiciousness, wishing her a smooth career.
Gu Ningxi smiled and said, "I think it would be great if everything goes as planned."
The two clinked their glasses. Seeing the happy smile on her face, Meng Ting was sincerely happy for her.
…
Your Majesty's birthday is approaching, and the court and the people will take a three-day break as usual.
This year's Wanshou Festival is being prepared with exceptional grandeur. In addition to the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven and the palace banquet in front of the Zhaoming Palace the day after tomorrow, the Ministry of Rites has also prepared many other celebratory ceremonies. Your Majesty intends to enjoy this festival together with his subjects.
The wind was gentle and pleasant, and colorful ribbons were flying in the Qingyun Racecourse, and gongs and drums were beating loudly.
Today we are not playing polo. The Ministry of Rites has specially arranged archery, and children of noble families, civil and military officials can all participate.
The prize was bestowed by His Majesty himself, and on the first day of the holiday, the Qingyun Racecourse was bustling with activity.
The polo field is filled with two rows of willow branches, and the wide space allows the contestants to gallop freely.
On the Ruiyun Terrace in the center of the stands, all three members of the Xuanjia Army were present.
"Your Highness."
"Greetings, Your Highness."
Lu Jing casually asked, "Why aren't you guys going into battle? Did you make an appointment?"
Zhen Yuan smiled and said, "Riding and archery are the core duties of the army. It always seems a bit unfair to compete with the young men in the capital."
Xie Qian also said, "I usually shoot willows in the military camp, but it's boring back in Kyoto. Besides, the prize we have prepared this time is a golden ruyi, and we can't take away someone's prize."
The Golden Ruyi, commissioned by the imperial court, differed from other lucky charms in that the winner could give it as a betrothal gift to their beloved, signifying the fulfillment of a perfect marriage. Many young men strove to obtain this precious Ruyi, hoping to enhance their prospects. Some, even more fortunate, were even granted the unparalleled honor of marriage by His Majesty.
Xie Qian decided to just watch from the sidelines, spreading his hands and saying, "Your Highness and I, the three of you, have no romantic partners. It would be useless to get the Golden Ruyi. It would be better to help them achieve their goal."
Zhen Yuan laughed, but Qin Yu beside him didn't say a word.
Lu Jing was very dissatisfied. Sun Jing came to report: "Your Highness, Master Gu has arrived."
This time, Chief Steward Sun was more cautious. He was afraid that Lord Gu would go to the wrong place again, so he ordered people to wait outside the polo field.
Lord Gu was successfully led to the Ruiyun Terrace in the center, and there was an empty seat next to His Highness.
"Long live Your Highness."
Gu Ningxi, who had just been promoted, wore a rare crimson brocade gown, specially made for her by her mother, with passionflowers embroidered on the cuffs.
It was rare for her to wear such bright colors, which made her look even more dazzling than her usual jade-like beauty. As she walked along, she caught countless people's attention.
There was a flash of surprise in Lu Jing's eyes. He looked at the person in front of him without any restraint, and there was still a seductive smile on his face.
He looked away and let Yuan Le sit beside him.
Gu Ningxi greeted Xie Qian and the other two. Although the marriage between her and Qin Yu did not take place due to the mediation of His Royal Highness Prince Zhao, fortunately their meeting was not too awkward.
Today we were shooting willows. The top one foot of the two rows of willow branches in the field had their bark peeled off, revealing the white wood as the target, while the rest of the wood retained the green bark.
The rules are also simple. The contestants shoot willows on horseback. The one who breaks the white wood part and catches the broken branch on horseback is the winner; the one who only breaks the willow branch but fails to catch it is second; the one who hits the green skin part or fails to break the willow branch loses.
The field is spacious and can accommodate more than a dozen horses running side by side.
Colorful flags were waving, horse hooves were flying, and there was cheering from the stands.
There are many young men from aristocratic families competing in this round. There are logos of their mansions on the heads of their horses. The horse on the far right belongs to the Nan'an Marquis Mansion.
Lu Jing remembered Nan'an Marquis Luo Jia. Nan'an Marquis was born in a humble family. He followed Emperor Gaozu in his campaigns and was granted the title of marquis for his military achievements.
And there is his eldest daughter, the one who fell in love with Yuan Le at first sight and refused to marry anyone else.
Gu Ningxi was originally concentrating on watching the scene, but for some reason she suddenly felt a chill beside her.
The situation on the field kept changing. Halfway through the game, the young man in red from the Nan'an Marquis Mansion took the lead and was the first to raise his bow and arrow.
The onlookers held their breath in concentration. Qin Yu asked curiously, "When did such a person appear in the Nan'an Marquis' Mansion?"
Everyone in the capital knew that the Marquis of Nan'an had a daughter when he was over thirty, but due to injuries sustained on the battlefield, he had no children. The son he adopted to inherit the family business was not outstanding and lived like an ordinary person in the capital.
Today, the Nan'an Marquis's Mansion still holds a good status in the capital, simply because the old marquis is still able to hold up the family business.
Lu Jing was also surprised. Sun Jing smiled and said, "Your Highness, you may not know this, but this young man is the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Nan'an. I heard that she wanted to compete with the other gentlemen. The Empress approved of her ambition and specifically instructed the steward to reserve a place for her, allowing her to attend dressed as a man."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people watching the game on Ruiyun Terrace became more serious.
In a corner that no one noticed, Gu Ningxi's eyebrows twitched.
On the polo field, Miss Luo, in her scarlet riding uniform, rode away from the crowd. She drew her bow and shot an arrow, which cut through the willow branch.
"Good archery!" Xie Qian praised immediately.
Miss Luo then galloped on her horse, her crotch full of wind, leaving the other men far behind, and caught the willow branch accurately.
There was a burst of applause from the stands, and Qin Yu exclaimed in admiration: "As expected, a tiger father has a dog daughter. Miss Luo has quite the demeanor of the Marquis of Nan'an."
The champion of the competition has been decided, and the next man can only compete for second place.
As the autumn wind blew, Miss Luo, dressed in red riding gear, was undoubtedly the most dazzling jewel on the field. She stopped her horse below the stands and quietly watched her defeated opponents.
If they were not familiar with each other beforehand, I am afraid no one present would know who this "young master" of Nan'an Marquis' Mansion was.
Xie Qian retracted his gaze and said with emotion, "Miss Luo is very heroic and has extraordinary skills."
She tied her hair with a jade crown and put on a brocade robe and long boots. From a distance, she looked like a heroic and spirited man.
Gu Ningxi lowered her head silently and turned her face slightly to the inside.
Zhen Yuan agreed: "She looks so good, it's really hard to tell her identity at first glance."
Gu Ningxi curled his hands under his sleeves and sighed in his heart for countless times.
Qin Yu also said: "Since ancient times, there have been women who joined the army in place of their fathers, disguising themselves as men to deceive everyone. It seems that this is not a lie."
Gu Ningxi didn't say a word, just wanting to end this dangerous topic as soon as possible.
However, she noticed a gaze falling on her face, and when she raised her eyes slightly, she met the inquiring gaze of His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.
【Author’s words】
The three members of the Xuanjia Army chatted
In a corner where no one cares, a female goose silently breaks
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