Liu Laosan narrowed his eyes seriously and said, "Girl, who told you these words?"
Su Tai shook her head. "No one told me. I read it by myself. I had never been to school before and didn't have any ideas. Later, I followed Mr. Tang's enlightenment and heard some stories about scholars who had great ambitions but no way to realize them. I just had some feelings.
If you ask me, the emperor should bypass the aristocratic families and do the same as Mr. Tang's test for the children. All the scholars who want to be officials should take the test. Whoever has the best grades will get the position. At least it is fairer than now, and the emperor will not be constrained by the aristocratic families. "
Liu Laosan thought Su Tai's idea was ridiculous and shook his head, "You, you don't understand! If only things were that simple!"
Su Tai shrugged. "I really don't understand. Anyway, I know that Mr. Tang's method of testing children is very good. Children who do well in the test will be rewarded, and children who do not do well will not complain about not getting any reward. After all, they are not as capable as others."
Liu Laosan did not continue the topic, but he did not know that Chen Tian beside him had already heard Su Tai's words and had some ideas.
In order to prevent others from noticing her abnormality, she suppressed her pounding heart, lowered her head, and looked as if she was drowsy.
An ordinary conversation ended, and starting from the next day, Chen Tian would go to Su Tai for tea and chat whenever she was free, telling her about things that she couldn't figure out or confused about, and listening to Su Tai's opinions.
Some of her problems were related to survival in the inner house, some involved getting along with the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and ways to make money, and only occasionally were there some issues that touched on political affairs.
Su Tai had no doubts and expressed his opinions one by one.
Chen Tian felt that Su Tai was different more and more, and she truly admired her.
In a blink of an eye, it was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
After a long journey, Su Chuan and others finally returned to Shenjiazhuang.
Chen Mu was eagerly waiting for his son to bring his daughter back, but he didn't expect that his daughter didn't come back and even his wife was lost. His face changed instantly.
Shen Dagou hurriedly explained and told the whole family that Shen Tian was given a marriage by the emperor.
The entire Shen family was shocked.
Chen Mu licked the corners of his dry mouth and pulled them dryly, "What nonsense are you talking about, kid! Don't make jokes like this!"
"Yes, my husband, we are just ordinary people, and we live in such a remote place as Lizhou. Why would the emperor suddenly grant a marriage to my second sister-in-law?" Wei Erya also felt that Shen Dagou was teasing them.
Shen Dagou wanted to cry but had no tears. He simply explained the situation and sighed repeatedly, "Sister Su Tai and mother are in the imperial capital to help prepare for the wedding. Although the queen has prepared a dowry for my sister, our family can't just give her nothing. Dad, wife, your family should work together to figure out what to do."
Shen Tian is not marrying an ordinary person, so it certainly cannot be viewed as an ordinary marriage, which is why it is difficult for him to make a decision.
Chen Mu didn't understand any of this, and immediately panicked, and hurriedly asked his mother for help, "Mom, you've eaten more salt than I've eaten grain, what do you think?"
Granny Chen trembled and stammered, "How should I know this? The highest official I know in my life is the county magistrate, and this is the emperor, empress, and prince. I, I, I, I am scared!"
This was the first time that Mrs. Chen showed her weakness, which made Chen Mu even more panicked.
Fortunately, Wei Erya reacted first, "Father-in-law, why don't we go ask Shen Yi, he has a lot of experience and maybe he can give us some advice."
"Yes! Find Chen Yi! Find Chen Yi!"
Chen Mu hurried out of the house. When he arrived at Chen Yi's house, he found that Su Chuan and the others had not left yet, so he hurriedly asked his questions.
Chen Yi scratched his head and said, "Uncle, I think we can just do what we can. We can't compare with those noble ladies."
"What do those noble ladies' dowries look like?" Chen Mu asked eagerly.
Su Chuan had no choice but to tell what he knew.
When Chenmu heard that it was furniture, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, as well as valuables worth several thousand taels, and headgear and other items, he was completely at a loss.
He really doesn't have that ability.
Shen Yi comforted him, "Since godfather has adopted Tiantian as his goddaughter, Tiantian is also my goddaughter. I will help with part of her dowry, so don't worry, uncle."
"How can this be so embarrassing!" Chen Mu's face turned red, feeling very embarrassed.
Shen Yi persuaded him a few more times before he staggered back.
The family discussed it carefully for two days, and when Shen Dagou was about to leave, Chen Mu gritted his teeth and took out one thousand taels.
"Son, don't blame dad for being partial. It's mainly because your sister married so well. We can't give her less, or people will look down on her!"
Shen Dagou was relieved when he got the 1,000 taels. "Don't worry, Dad. I'll add a little more and our family will definitely let my sister marry in style."
He had made so many caravan trips and had received more than ten thousand taels of silver. This time, he and his wife discussed giving Chen Tian five thousand taels as a deposit. Chen Mu had given one thousand taels, so they would give four thousand taels. This amount of money was not small.
The caravan set out and arrived at the imperial capital with a hundred carriages of goods.
Some of the boxes on the carriages were filled with miscellaneous items, which were specifically requested by Su Tai.
The things were delivered to the Yong'an Marquis Mansion.
Su Tai immediately had people move the items to the backyard and replaced them with two boxes of exquisite silver jewelry and some precious jade. When a three-ton piece of mutton-fat white jade was taken out, Liu Laosan was completely stunned.
Su Tai said, "If this piece of jade is carved and polished and put in the dowry, it will definitely shock the crowd. There are other jades that can be made into jade pendants, jade seals, hairpins, bracelets, etc. I'd like to trouble godfather to find a reliable craftsman for me."
Liu Laosan immediately asked the housekeeper to do it.
In addition to these, there were also items such as cotton cloth and several thousand taels of silver.
By piecing together some random stuff, they can put together a decent dowry.
Mixed in with the dowry given by the queen, Shen Tian's dowry became much richer.
The palace received the final dowry list.
The queen was very happy.
"Mother, it seems that the Shen family is not as difficult as we thought."
The jewelry and jade alone were worth tens of thousands of taels, and there was also the silver hidden in the bottom of the box. Even without the dowry she gave, these things would be enough.
The Queen Mother agreed, "I heard that Chen Tian's eldest brother is a businessman, so his family background is certainly not poor, but it's just not as good as that of aristocratic families."
She originally thought that Shen Tian was of low status, but now the more she looks at her, the more she feels that this girl comes from a good family.
On the eighth day of March, Chen Tian married in grand style from the Yong'an Marquis's Mansion.
Shen Dagou and his family of three burst into tears.
Ever since Chen Tian got married, the family of three had been distracted. It was not until Sanchao returned home and saw the Sixth Prince Murong Chen accompanying Chen Tian to the Yong'an Marquis' Mansion that they felt a little relieved.
The matter in the imperial capital has been resolved, and it is time for the family of three and Su Tai to set off back home.
Before leaving, Su Tai earnestly told Liu Laosan, "Godfather, I have left you 10,000 taels. Use it first. You don't have to live so frugally. Wait until the shop starts to make a profit."
Liu Laosan refused to take the money no matter what, but Su Tai insisted on leaving the money behind and followed the caravan away. (End of this chapter)
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