92 Mutual Love (Part 2)
◎The next moment, she was picked up by Lu Jing and taken to the bed in the inner room.◎
Two days later, at the morning court session, the emperor issued an edict reducing the land tax for all people to one-forty percent for three years. This would reduce taxes and levies, allowing the people to rest and recuperate.
At the same time, another imperial edict was issued with great force to inform the Lu clan members.
All members of the royal family who were granted the title of prince were demoted to marquis or earl depending on their circumstances. Among them, twenty-eight people who had made meritorious contributions were not demoted.
When the retired emperor founded the country, he bestowed titles upon the descendants of the Lu family. In addition to his own cousins' offspring, he also granted the title of prince to the descendants of Gaozu's cousins. This patronage of relatives not only incurred the discontent of the founding heroes but also increased the burden on the people to support the royal family.
Many of the Lu family princes had never made any achievements, and even babies in swaddling clothes could be made kings.
A single stone caused a thousand ripples. Once the decree to reduce the king's title was issued, no one in the court dared to disobey.
After the court was dismissed, Zhen Yuan, Qin Yu and Xie Qian met in the imperial study to discuss matters.
Your Majesty is ruthless towards the Lu clan members, and it is inevitable that some people in the local area will develop disloyalty.
Qin Yu glanced at the map of demotion, this matter must be dealt with quickly and decisively.
Zhen Yuan received the imperial edict, and now Huaicheng is assisting Lord Wei Fan in abolishing prefectures and counties. If any local princes rebel, he and Yan Ming will be the ones to suppress them.
However, most of the clan members were not influential, and no matter how dissatisfied they were behind the scenes, they could only thank the emperor for his grace when they received the imperial edict.
After discussing several areas where there might be unusual movements, Zhen Yuan and Qin Yurong adjusted their respective defenses.
As the sun gradually set, the atmosphere in the imperial study also relaxed.
While sipping tea, Zhen Yuan noticed a pair of new wooden carvings in the center of the treasure stand. They depicted His Majesty and Lord Gu. The carvings were exquisitely crafted, their expressions remarkably lifelike.
Zhen Yuan smiled and said, "I was so busy on Qixi Festival that I haven't been able to congratulate Your Majesty and Lord Gu yet. I wonder when Your Majesty plans to get married?"
There has been no news in the court these days, and they have not made any statement.
Apart from the status of monarch and subject, Zhen Yuan was also the emperor's cousin, so asking a question on behalf of the Zhending Palace was far from being an overstepping of the bounds.
After my aunt passed away, my grandmother was most worried about her grandson, Your Majesty.
If she knew that His Majesty had gotten married, she would be so happy.
Lu Jing gently put away the teacup: "Let's wait for two years, there's no rush for now."
Xie Qian understood the emperor's implication, which was that the three of them who knew about the matter should not betray the emperor.
But Your Majesty and Lord Gu seem to be in love with each other, and marriage is a natural thing.
As a good friend, he couldn't help but ask on Gu Ningxi's behalf, "Your Majesty can't let Lord Gu remain nameless and without status, right?"
In matters of love between men and women, women always suffer more, especially when the man on the other side is the monarch.
Lu Jing was silent for three full breaths.
"I have a plan. She is reluctant to give up her position in the previous dynasty. It will take some time to find a way to have both."
Xie Qian felt relieved after hearing this. Knowing the character of His Majesty, he would definitely not be an unfaithful man.
"Then it seems that I have to prepare for the wedding ceremony in advance?"
Xie Qian smiled and sighed, never having thought that among the four of them, His Majesty would be the first to marry. In terms of age, His Majesty was a year or two younger than all of them.
Lu Jing nodded: "Of course." He added, "If you have someone you like, I can arrange a marriage for you."
Having already achieved success, he saw that his three friends still had no hope of getting married.
The scene of the couple going out together on the night of Chinese Valentine's Day came back to his mind. Xie Qian laughed dryly twice, Zhen Yuan smiled without saying a word, and Qin Yu lowered his head to sip tea, his hands holding the porcelain cup slightly pale.
…
Gu Ningxi was on duty in the imperial study today, so she finished her afternoon duties early and took an hour off.
My aunt's fiftieth birthday is approaching, and Gu Ningxi wants to prepare a birthday gift for her.
The Meng family is now under the care of Gu Ningxi. With a small household and thrifty grandmothers and aunts, life is peaceful and enjoyable. As long as they are both healthy, everything is perfectly satisfactory.
My cousin sends two letters home every month, saying that everything is going well in Jiangnan.
Since his grandmother and aunt were not familiar with state affairs, Gu Ningxi just explained to them with a smile that his cousin would be promoted soon after he returned from Jiangnan.
Gu Ningxi ordered the carriage to stop outside Jinhua Pavilion, one of the three most prestigious treasure shops in Kyoto. Gu Ningxi thought her aunt liked jadeite, and the jade from Jinhua Pavilion was the best quality.
The shopkeeper usually dealt with high-ranking officials in Kyoto, so of course he knew the name of Xuanping Marquis Mansion.
There were not many customers in the shop at this hour, so the shopkeeper warmly welcomed Gu Ningxi and asked the shop assistants to bring him several pieces of jade ornaments.
Gu Ningxi checked a few items carefully, weighed them one by one, and finally chose a pair of jade bracelets.
My aunt doesn't like to dress up, so pearl hairpins are useless, but bracelets can be worn on the wrist for a long time.
Gu Ningxi compared them under the light and found that the water content of the jade bracelets was very good. The shopkeeper offered a price of thirty strings of cash.
It was almost her four-month salary, but fortunately she had the rent from the yard to supplement her income.
Since he had never left Beijing, he stayed in the courtyard that he had originally intended to exchange for cash and continued to rent it out to others.
My cousin didn't take a penny of the rent, so Gu Ningxi used his share for the Meng family.
Although the jade bracelet is a little expensive, Gu Ningxi can accept it.
She thought about it for a moment, and the more she looked at the bracelet, the more she felt that her aunt would like it.
My aunt is celebrating her 50th birthday, so of course the birthday gift should be more decent.
Having made up his mind, Gu Ningxi ordered the shopkeeper to wrap up the table.
The shopkeeper smiled and led her to the counter. Before Gu Ningxi could pay, a loud voice broke in from outside the shop: "Wait a minute."
Lin Yang strode into the pavilion, glanced at the jade bracelet, and looked at Gu Ningxi with a smile.
He said, "I like this bracelet too. How much is it? Name your price."
The shopkeeper hurriedly explained, "Master Lin, this bracelet already has an owner. If you want to buy a pair of jade bracelets, we still have some in the pavilion—"
"This is the only couple that catches my eye," Lin Yang interrupted rudely. "Since the bill hasn't been paid, the deal won't happen. Brother Gu, is that right?"
He looked determined to win: "No matter how much this bracelet costs, I will pay double."
The shopkeeper was in a dilemma. He had a strong backing to open such a treasure shop in Kyoto. However, business was about harmony and making money. He didn't want to offend the two people in front of him, as they both came from well-off families.
If we were to go by first come first served, the jade bracelet would definitely go to Master Gu from the Xuanping Marquis's Mansion. But this Sixth Young Master from the Ningguo Duke's Mansion was not one to give up easily.
Gu Ningxi looked at the expression on Lin Yang's face and knew that he had probably asked for some family wealth from the wife of Duke Ningguo again, and came here today just to make things difficult for her.
Not wanting to embarrass the owner of Jinhua Pavilion, she said, "It's double the price, so let's give it to Lin Liulang."
It is really not worth paying sixty strings of cash for this bracelet. Only Lin Yang, the sucker, is willing to do so.
The shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief and felt grateful to Gu Ningxi.
"I have other jade bracelets in my shop." He hurriedly asked the clerk to bring some more jewelry, as well as other jade headpieces, white jade bracelets, etc., for Gu Ningxi to choose from.
Lin Yang paid sixty strings of cash and showed no intention of leaving.
Gu Ningxi picked for a while and seemed to like a jade hairpin.
Lin Yang also bought it at double the price, looked at Gu Ningxi with a squint, and was determined not to let her get her way.
Gu Ningxi also laughed and asked the shopkeeper, "Is there anything more expensive?"
"Yes, yes."
Hope flashed in the shopkeeper's eyes, and he personally went to bring several rare treasures, which were rarely bought because of their high prices.
Gu Ningxi pressed the price from low to high, and patiently asked Lin Yang, "The highest bidder wins. Brother Lin seems to have similar tastes to mine. However, a gentleman doesn't take away what others like. Would you like to buy this one for double the price?"
Lin Yang was put on a pedestal by her, and out of face he initially agreed to one thing.
The servant behind him had sweat on his forehead. Each of these treasures was worth a lot of money. If they were to sell it for double the price, it would not be worth it, not to mention the high price.
Fortunately, his sixth son quickly regained consciousness.
Lin Yang wasn't stupid, and he had already made up his mind. Gu Ningxi was clearly trying to trick him, so why would he fall for it?
He turned the tables and said, "I'll give it all to Master Gu."
He was friends with Gu Ningzheng and knew that the Xuanping Marquis Mansion kept very strict controls on the younger generation, and there were many restrictions on money.
Gu Ningzheng had the support of the wife of the Marquis of Xuanping, and he lived a comfortable life. But what could Gu Ningxi have? How much could he save from the imperial salary alone?
Lin Yang crossed his arms, expecting Gu Ningxi to make a fool of himself, but he just smiled and said, "Then wrap them all up."
When these words were spoken, even the shopkeeper of Jinhua Pavilion couldn't believe it and repeatedly confirmed with Gu Ningxi.
Gu Ningxi smiled and said, "Since the things have been taken out, there's no reason to put them back."
She had looked at them and found that the materials used in these three treasures were all of the highest quality, so it was not a loss to buy them at the full price.
Gu Ningxi casually instructed the shopkeeper to calculate the total, which came to 193 strings of cash. For such a large order, the shopkeeper, hoping for good luck, offered to lower the price to 188 strings of cash.
He originally wanted to wait until the next day to go to the Xuanping Marquis' Mansion to withdraw the money, but Lord Gu said that today's work should be done today.
Under Lin Yang's incredulous gaze, Gu Ningxi didn't even raise his eyes, and asked the servant beside him to take people to the bank to withdraw money.
It took some time to go back and forth, so the shopkeeper opened the upper room and personally brewed the best Longjing tea.
Gu Ningxi smiled and invited Lin Yang to sit with him. He kindly said to the shopkeeper, "Please settle the bill for Brother Lin as well."
The shopkeeper was very clever and was afraid that Lin Liulang would not admit his mistake, so he had already served him the same cup of Longjing tea.
The abacus beads were flicked lightly. Although what Lin Liulang picked was not as much as what Lord Gu picked, it was double the amount of silver, so the total amount was 180 strings of cash.
The shopkeeper took a step back and said with a smile: "Why don't you give me the original price?"
Gu Ningxi was still watching the fun, and Lin Yang gritted his teeth: "Double is double."
Until this moment he was still waiting. He didn't believe that Gu Ningxi could really come up with the money. He must be bluffing.
But after two cups of tea, the two hundred strings of silver notes were delivered to Jinhua Pavilion, and the shopkeeper even gave him a change of twelve strings.
The teacup in Lin Yang's hand was almost crushed. Both the Ningguo Mansion and the Xuanping Marquis Mansion were aristocratic families, so it was definitely not difficult for them to come up with two hundred strings of cash.
The fact that Gu Ningxi could act so recklessly could only mean one thing—
The Marquis's Mansion had intended to pass on the family business to him, so he was able to easily pry open this money.
This realization made Lin Yang's blood boil. It was not because he was worried about his friend, but because he was jealous.
The Xuanping Marquisate was fighting for the position of the Crown Prince, and many aristocratic families regarded this as a joke.
But only the second legitimate son like Lin Yang knew that no matter how unfair it was, Gu Ningxi at least had a chance to compete.
However, he had two older brothers, so he was destined to have no chance of inheriting the Ningguo Mansion's wealth.
At most, he could only gain some assets thanks to the favor of his grandmother and mother. Once the family was divided, it would be difficult to maintain the current situation.
The shopkeeper was also a smart man. While Lord Gu was still present, he quickly sent the things bought by Lin Jia Liulang to the Ningguo Mansion.
He was not worried that the Duke's Mansion would default on its debts. The most important thing for a century-old family was its reputation.
Lin Yang gritted his teeth and signed the receipt, agreeing on a date for payment.
Gu Ningxi didn't bother to pay attention to the turmoil in his heart. She quickly settled the bill. The shopkeeper smiled from ear to ear until he saw Gu Ningxi off to the carriage and walked halfway down the street before reluctantly returning to Jinhua Pavilion.
Lin Yang has also left. He will definitely repay the humiliation he just suffered one day.
He took a few deep breaths and realized that he had not gained nothing today.
The Xuanping Marquisate was already a prominent family before Emperor Gaozu joined him in his uprising, and its wealth was even greater than people imagined.
It seems that the good marriage his mother planned for him was right.
…
The bright moon hangs high in the sky, and the stars dot the sky.
In the bedroom of Prince Zhao's mansion, Gu Ningxi, who had just finished bathing, leaned on his chin and looked at the three things on the table.
A jade screen, a jade ruyi inlaid with gems, and a pair of jade bracelets.
Although it is worth 188 strings of cash, it is of no use to her!
She didn't dare bring such valuable things home, for fear that her mother would find out and question her.
She couldn't tell her mother that she bought these things with money from Prince Zhao's mansion.
She sighed. Only when she was paying the bill in Jinhua Pavilion and saw Lin Yanghong's face turn pale, did she feel relaxed physically and mentally.
After returning home and carefully counting, she found that one hundred and eighty-eight strings of cash was enough for her to earn two years' salary!
Even if she was giving gifts to other families, she couldn't afford such generous gifts given her official position.
She could only stay in Prince Zhao's mansion for the time being.
When Lu Jing returned to the bedroom, he saw Yuan Le sitting in front of a small desk, staring at a jade screen in front of him.
He sat down with her, held her in his arms, and asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"
Finding someone to talk to, Gu Ningxi told him everything that happened during the day.
With the 188 strings of cash, she might as well buy a house instead of these flashy things.
Lu Jing comforted her: "It's easy. Next time, just buy the whole shop."
"You...ah...never mind."
Gu Ningxi stroked his forehead.
It's hard to explain to him.
Lu Jing lowered his eyes and kissed her, unilaterally ending the matter.
Gu Ningxi only then noticed that the jade screen was carefully carved with lotus patterns around it. He felt a little better because it was worth the money.
The next moment, she was picked up by Lu Jing and taken straight to the bed in the inner room.
The night is dark, and it is another night of romance and love.
【Author’s words】
The extra update of Eight Thousand Nutrient Solutions will be released on Tuesday!
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