Chapter 1681 How to Relieve Worries
Although she was very dissatisfied, Manbao was receiving someone else's salary after all, and it was indeed she who took Mingda and Changyu to see the handsome man, so she sighed and agreed, saying that she would write a letter to apologize.
Anyway, the memorial will not be submitted to the Censorate, so my salary will not be deducted. Just write it and think of it as trying to please the emperor.
Manbao sent Gu Zhong's apprentice away and turned to find her father.
Old Zhou was waiting in line to receive something. Seeing that the little girl looked a little dejected after she finished whispering, he couldn't help but ask with concern, "What did the eunuch say?"
Manbao hung his head and shook his head, saying, "It's okay, I just have to write a memorial when I get back."
Old Zhou said immediately, "His Majesty is letting you work because he values you. Manbao, you have grown up now. You can't just think about playing all day. Look, the emperor has given you so much salary and so much official land. You must work hard for him."
The adults in the queue in front of Old Zhou couldn't help but turn around to look at the father and daughter. They saw Zhou Man nodding with a depressed look on his face and replied, "Don't worry, Dad. I'll write the memorial first when I get home and then go out to play after I'm done."
Old Zhou was satisfied, and he reached out and touched her head and said, "Good boy~"
Turning around and meeting someone's gaze, Old Zhou saw the official uniform he was wearing and smiled embarrassedly.
The adult smiled, nodded kindly to Old Zhou, and then turned back to line up.
Zhou Man also glanced at the other person and found that she didn't know him, so she stood silently beside her father, thinking about how to write the letter of apology.
There are not many officials who will come to the imperial city in person to receive the Double Ninth Festival gifts today. Officials above the third rank are all waiting in the palace to have dinner with the emperor, so most of them are received by family members or servants.
Those below the sixth rank are not eligible, so only officials above the sixth rank and below the fourth rank will come to receive it, just to join in the fun. Today is the Double Ninth Festival, and the autumn weather is clear and cool, so it's nice to go out for a walk.
So the process was very quick, and soon it was Lao Zhoutou and Manbao's turn. Manbao stepped forward with his seal to receive the reward.
The emperor was not very generous this year because of the disasters in Shengzhou and the vicinity of Gyeonggi, and the treasury was a little thin, so there were fewer things than in previous years.
But no matter how little it is, it is still something free in Old Zhou's eyes, and he doesn't think it is too little.
There was a small bag of blessed rice and noodles, a jar of wine, two pairs of round fans, nine sachets and other small items.
Manbao and Lao Zhou took the gifts and turned to walk out. Lao Zhou held two small bags of blessed rice and noodles in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. He whispered to Manbao, "The emperor is sending us wine. That's really nice. Is the wine in the palace different from the wine outside?"
Manbao said, "It's the same, both are very bitter."
Old Zhou laughed and said, "That's because you don't know the joy of drinking yet."
After walking for a while, Zhou Silang was waiting in front with his cart. When he saw them carrying something over, he immediately ran over to take it and asked, "What did you send?"
Manbao searched among the pile of things she was holding, found a sachet, stuffed it into Zhou Silang's pocket, and said, "Here, it's for repelling insects and mosquitoes. Here it is for you."
Zhou Silang: "Don't you know how to make this?"
"I can prepare the herbs."
The sachets, purses, and money bags she used were always made by Aunt Zheng and her maids, but she didn't know how to make them.
However, the sachet produced in the palace was still quite exquisite. Zhou Silang took a look at it, thought it was very good, and put it in his arms.
He planned to take it back and give it to his wife.
The father and daughter got in the car and went home. Naturally, these things were handed over to Old Zhou to distribute. She only took a round fan and a sachet and that was it.
Mr. Zhuang was waiting for her return with a few of his disciples. As soon as she came back, he said, "Let's go climb the mountain."
Manbao: ...She had forgotten this essential Double Ninth Festival activity. Thinking of what she had promised her father, she immediately turned around and ran to find her father, "Dad, I'll write the memorial after I come back from climbing the mountain."
Old Zhou knew that they would follow Mr. Zhuang to climb the mountain every Double Ninth Festival. It was the same in the village before. They would go to Dali Village to climb the mountain where the Taoist temple was located every year, and they never took a break.
He didn't know what fun there was in climbing a mountain, but he waved her off anyway, only admonishing her, "Come back early to work in the evening, and don't forget what the emperor has instructed you to do."
Manbao responded, turned around and ran to find his master and the others.
Mr. Zhuang and the others followed behind and were very curious when they heard this. "What memorial did His Majesty ask you to write?"
Anyway, this matter could not be concealed. Manbao looked around and saw that her father was gone, so she whispered, "His Majesty asked me to write a letter to apologize. I let His Majesty know that I took Mingda and Changyu to the post station."
Mr. Zhuang smiled and shook his head, tapping her forehead and saying, "Naughty."
But I didn't scold them. It's normal for children to be naughty. They were just appreciating beautiful women. Everyone loves beauty. What's there to blame?
As usual, the four masters and apprentices went to climb the mountain, and the others also had their own activities. Manbao took a backpack from Bai Shan and went out together. He put the backpack on the carriage and helped Mr. Zhuang get on the carriage. The three of them got on their horses and followed the carriage to the outside of the city.
This time they did not climb Xuandu Temple, but went to climb the mountain outside the city.
Mr. Zhuang and Mr. Jiang and others had also made an appointment. Just like last year, they were very casual. When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, they took a quick look around and when they didn't see them, they climbed up the mountain with their hands behind their backs.
Manbao and his two companions, along with Daji, took the backpack off their backs and followed Mr. Zhuang up the mountain.
There were quite a few people climbing the mountain today, even more than last year. Manbao saw the hustle and bustle and wanted to join in, looking here and there. So although Mr. Zhuang climbed slowly, he was actually always ahead of them.
After climbing for a while, Manbao was halfway up the mountain when she was startled by a loud roar. She looked up and saw a middle-aged scholar standing on a large rock at the side, singing and crying towards the mountain below...
Manbao was so frightened that her heart was trembling, but she inexplicably wanted to be happy. However, after a while, she felt the sadness in his singing, and finally she concentrated on listening to the lyrics he sang.
Manbao was stunned on the spot, listening blankly, and turned to ask Bai Shan uncertainly, "Is he saying that his sweetheart left him?"
Bai Shan reached out and touched her forehead. "Are you stupid? He was saying that he failed the imperial examination and planned to give up on Yuanzhi and return home, never to take the exam again. He was just comparing his ambition to his beloved."
Bai Erlang on the side wiped the sweat from his forehead. It was a good thing he didn't say anything just now.
Mr. Zhuang, who was standing in front of them, sighed after a while and said, "Let's go up a little. Didn't we bring two pots of Du Kang? Give him one."
The wine was brought for Mr. Jiang and his friends, but Manbao and his friends don't drink it, so it can be given to anyone.
See you at 9pm
(End of this chapter)
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