Grandma Li laughed when she heard this, "Fu Niu is only a little over a year old, why are so many people thinking about saving up a dowry for her? Madam Cui also wanted to give Fu Niu a farm as a dowry before, but I didn't want it."
Young Master Ye, however, was unusually firm in his stance: "Auntie, this bonus must go to Fu Niu. You know I'm currently leading troops against the barbarians, living on the edge of a knife, and I might not be able to return anyday. This bonus is useless to me; I'll only be happy if I leave it to Fu Niu."
"Pah, pah, pah! The bad doesn't work, the good does; the bad doesn't work, the good does!"
Grandma Li quickly turned around and spat out a few mouthfuls, then glared at Young Master Ye reproachfully, "Stop saying such discouraging things, or God might take it seriously. Our Fu Niu is the luckiest, you should hug her more, she'll definitely be safe and sound, and live a life of wealth and honor until old age."
Young Master Ye couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, I'll listen to you, Auntie. I have a mansion in Xinduli, but I live alone, it's too lonely. When you build your house, Auntie, please give me an extra room, I'll come and stay often."
“Good, good, that’s how it should be. It’s more lively when the whole family lives together.” Old Mrs. Li happily agreed, and then instructed her third son, “Don’t say these things out loud.”
"I understand, Mother, don't worry," Li Laosan quickly replied.
Nothing happened that night. The next morning, Young Master Ye left fifty of his personal guards to help the villagers clear the wasteland before heading to Xindu to hand over his duties and also to visit Mr. Wen and Li Laosi.
Before he could leave, Mr. Wen and his group returned.
The villagers dropped what they were doing and swarmed around him. Seeing that Mr. Wen, the village chief, and Li Laosi, Li Laoer, and others were all present, everyone was relieved.
The village chief, unaware of what good fortune had befallen him, was so excited that his face glowed with excitement.
He gathered the villagers together, drank two large bowls of warm water in one go, and then spoke.
"Don't worry, everyone. The outcome of our trip to the city to file a complaint was fantastic! We actually met the Emperor! The Emperor was incredibly reasonable. He not only dismissed that magistrate but also rewarded us with two thousand catties of grain. Moreover, the Emperor said that the Broken Gold Beach is ours to take, and no one can take it from us!"
"Really? Really?"
"His Majesty is such a good person!"
"Uncle Village Chief, what does the Emperor look like? The storyteller says that the Emperor is nine feet tall, with a face like jade, and eyes brighter than gemstones. Is that true?"
The entire village was incredibly excited. At this point, no one cared about the unfortunate magistrate anymore; they all envied the village chief for meeting the emperor. They wished they had gone to the new capital with him.
Both Li Laosi and Li Laoer were surrounded, especially Li Laosi, who had two naughty boys, Jia An and Jia Xi, strapped to his arms. He was jumping up and down in a panic.
Grandma Li was also curious, so she pulled her eldest grandson Jiaren aside and kept asking him questions.
Jiaren was extremely excited when he recalled yesterday, and immediately began to speak.
"Grandma, the teacher is simply amazing! He debated with all the scholars in the court, leaving so many high-ranking officials speechless. The Emperor immediately appointed the teacher as an Imperial Censor, an official who will be in charge of reporting wrongdoings. The teacher can submit a memorial to the Emperor about anyone who has done something wrong!"
"Wow, Mr. Wen is so amazing!" The old lady, Tao Hongying, Zhao Yuru and the others were all surprised and happy for Jiaren, who had really met a good teacher.
Madam Cui listened from the side, but her feelings were complicated.
My senior brother disliked fighting and was always indifferent to fame and fortune; otherwise, he would not have been content to work as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy for more than a decade.
Now that my senior brother has willingly jumped into the arena of fame and fortune, and into the vortex of court intrigue, it can't be said that it's all because of her, but it's definitely inextricably linked to her...
On the other side, outside the crowd, Young Master Ye held Jiayin in his arms and sat with Mr. Wen.
The two had almost never crossed paths before, but because of Qingshui Village, because of the Li family, and because of the group of people who had also saved them from danger, they had the opportunity to sit together like this.
Young Master Ye took a stick and pulled out a sweet potato from the fire for Jiayin, then looked at Mr. Wen and said, "Lord Wen, this time we have completely ignited the struggle in the court, and I'm afraid it will cause a lot of trouble in the future."
Mr. Wen nodded, "I understand what you're worried about, Lord Marquis. I won't come here often in the future. Firstly, to avoid suspicion, and secondly, I don't want to cause trouble for the village."
Young Master Ye shook his head. "That's not what I meant. I talked to Aunt Li last night and we agreed that I would take most of the money for building the hot spring resort. We'll say it's my property to deter troublemakers. In reality, it still belongs to the Li family and the village."
Mr. Wen was also surprised, not expecting that Young Master Ye, a marquis, could do so much for the Li family and the village, but he was also happy for the village and the Li family.
"That would be best. The Marquis's reputation is not one that ordinary people dare to offend."
Young Master Ye waved his hand, "It's just that I have to make you feel bad, sir. I'm afraid some people will say that you planted the tree but I picked the peaches."
Mr. Wen laughed upon hearing this, "If I were afraid of what outsiders would say, I wouldn't have stepped forward to come to the capital yesterday."
With just a few words, the two reached a tacit understanding and consensus.
From now on, one will operate in the open and the other in the shadows, one as a sharp sword and the other as a mouthpiece, working together to protect the Broken Gold Beach and these kind and strong farmers.
Jiayin, who was listening in the middle, felt warm and grateful. She took a roasted sweet potato and gave some to this person and a piece to that person as a token of her gratitude.
With these two protectors, the village will no longer be afraid of being bullied, and she can feel free to do her little tricks.
By the time everyone had satisfied their curiosity, an hour had passed. The village chief and Li Lao Er were hoarse from talking, while Young Master Ye had already left with his men.
Madam Cui also needs to return to Xindu, as her dowry properties still need to be sorted out and cannot be completely abandoned to her sworn brother without any further involvement.
Mr. Wen wanted to stay another day, so he only saw Mrs. Cui off to the crossroads.
In the afternoon, Lord Zhou came again.
His eyes were bloodshot, clearly showing that he hadn't slept all night because of the Broken Gold Beach project.
The entire Broken Gold Beach was presented in its entirety on a large sheet of paper under his brush.
From the pool beneath the waterfall to the course of the waterway, where to build a courtyard, where to build a simple wooden house, where to build a pavilion, and where to build a connecting corridor.
Even in the villages outside the valley, the layout of each family's yard, where trees were planted, and where flowers were planted were all clearly drawn.
Everyone standing in front of the painting held their breath and remained silent for a long time.
Will this desolate pebble beach really transform into such a beautiful fairyland in just one month?
Finally, the village chief shouted, "It's worth it! This thousand taels is totally worth it!"
Everyone clapped enthusiastically and thanked them loudly with excitement.
"Thank you so much, Lord Zhou! It's absolutely gorgeous!"
"Are we going to live in a fairyland from now on? Waaah, that's so wonderful!"
"It feels like a dream."
Lord Zhou, however, was a little embarrassed by the praise. He coughed twice and said, "I had the craftsmen calculate the materials carefully yesterday, and it will probably cost around 1,200 taels. That's the minimum; we can't cut it any further."
Everyone seemed to have been doused with cold water, and immediately sobered up.
Last night, they searched every household's purse. Even if they had fought back against the bandits in the mountains, they could only produce a little over two hundred taels of silver...
Now, this amount of silver is only a tiny fraction of what it amounts to.
Today's third update is here on time! The book is almost at 1000 reviews (just 50 more to go!), so this is the last extra update for a while. After the fourth update reaches 1000 reviews, I'll temporarily return to a three-update-a-day schedule to take a break. I'll also be organizing the outline to ensure you all get more exciting content! Please don't overfeed me, everyone! Come back every now and then to check your comments, give me a five-star review, and let me know you're still reading!
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