Chapter 17 The Princess's Day Trip to the Palace Was Intercepted by Her Mother
The gate of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is very grand.
Since the establishment of the dynasty, Xiao Yao has been granted the title of Princess Anping and, as the first female Duke of Zhenguo in history, has been in charge of the Ministry of Works.
The two plaques above the gate were both written by the emperor himself, with the Princess Anping residence below and the Duke of Zhenguo residence above.
At this moment, Jiang Yuzhi was standing alone at the street corner not far from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, without a visiting card in hand, hesitating whether to listen to Bai Yan's advice and just go in directly.
Rewind to a day earlier. Bai Yan hadn't visited for several days, and she was worried that the power to maintain the operation of the Sheji Map would be insufficient. She asked A Zhao, who came to make his presence known every day, what his young master was doing.
Ah Zhao was incredibly open and honest, as if she was just waiting for Jiang Yuzhi to ask her questions.
His master has gone quite far on his inspection tour of the estate, and is already in Zuohuai. Currently, all the affairs of the Kyoto Cloth Shop are being handled by the young master. Everything else is fine, but the young master's health is a bit unbearable. His health was just starting to improve, but it has deteriorated again.
After saying that, he let out a long sigh, but his eyes secretly glanced at Jiang Yuzhi.
Seeing that Manager Jiang had no reaction, she continued to embellish the story, saying, "Young Master didn't want me to bring it up, for fear that you would worry about him or dislike him."
Jiang Yuzhi could see through this little trick at a glance, but whether she would take the bait was another matter entirely.
She actually falls for that.
As the embodiment of the Map of the State, Bai Yan's health was a matter of great importance to the peace and stability of the world, Jiang Yuzhi convinced herself of this.
According to A-Zhao's message, Bai Yan is currently living in the princess's residence. If she wants to visit her, she doesn't need to announce her arrival; someone will take her in.
Just then, Fan Wujiu rushed back to the underworld, and Di Ting was ordered to investigate the coverage area of the Sheji Map, so Jiang Yuzhi had to go to the princess's residence alone.
Hesitation is not her style, but for some reason today.
There were no servants guarding the gate, but Jiang Yuzhi still knocked on the door in the end.
Unlike the servants of other wealthy families, the servants of the princess's mansion opened the door quickly, dressed simply in linen clothes with a little mud on their trouser legs.
He was a middle-aged man whose fine wrinkles deepened as he spoke with a smile. “Manager Jiang? Our Prince has been eagerly awaiting your arrival. Young Master may not say it, but knowing you were coming today, he ate an extra bowl of rice at lunch. Come in quickly, I’ll take you to find them.”
Jiang Yuzhi wasn't used to his enthusiasm. As if she had caught the shyness of Zhong Yuxiu, she blankly agreed and followed the man nervously.
The interior and the main gate are two completely different styles.
The grand entrance was actually decorated like a farmhouse courtyard, no, a large courtyard.
Climbing vines entwine the corridors and pillars, climbing up the brick-red walls.
When encountering servants, one should bow to them and then continue with one's work, pruning branches, watering, weeding, and observing the condition of the plants.
They were all dressed in clothes suitable for doing farm work, and there was no flattery or humility in their eyes, only focus and caution.
The princess's residence was indeed very large. About a quarter of an hour later, Jiang Yuzhi finally saw the most extravagant space she had seen so far—the glass-roofed house.
The location was originally a small garden, but now it is not planted with any precious flowers or plants; instead, different kinds of vegetables are neatly arranged.
The glass shed is only one and a half people tall, but even so, if you just break off a piece and take it outside, it will be fought over by millions of people, and it is not uncommon for it to sell for tens of thousands of gold.
The previous dynasty had long mastered the method of firing glass, but the raw material was a very rare type of sand, and the output was very small. Each piece was exceptionally beautiful, with different colors, and each was unique. The only thing they had in common was that they all shone brightly in the sunlight.
"Your Highness is inside, so I won't go in." After bringing Jiang Yuzhi there, the middle-aged man couldn't wait to leave, clearly finding the work in the fields more appealing than entertaining guests.
Through the colorful glass, you can see a figure bent over and busy at work; it must be Xiao Yao.
Jiang Yuzhi no longer hesitated, lifted her foot and pushed open the door, which was also made of glass. She dared not use force, and the wooden door frame made a soft "creak" sound.
The hunched figure straightened up.
Upon seeing who it was, Xiao Yao wiped her hands on a piece of cloth around her waist, strode forward, hugged Jiang Yuzhi tightly, took a step back, supported her shoulders, and looked her up and down.
"Look at you, you haven't come to visit your auntie at all these days. You promised to come and play at your auntie's place."
"I've been busy with things at the shop and at home these past few days." Jiang Yuzhi blushed slightly and smiled shyly, feeling that she would be letting Xiao Yao down if she didn't come.
"You need to balance work and rest. Look how tired you are. Your aunt has already asked the kitchen to prepare food. It will probably take a while. Would you like to take a tour of this mansion?"
"good!"
Xiao Yao led Jiang Yuzhi, just like when they first met in the shop.
Jiang Yuzhi then learned that the magnificent shed was a remnant of a princess from the previous dynasty. It was originally the princess's collection, and Xiao Yao was immediately amazed when she moved in.
By then, greenhouse cultivation had already been developed, with fire pits or heated walls lit inside the greenhouses to provide suitable temperatures for crops during the winter.
However, crops grown this way never perform as well as those grown in the sun. Most of them are wilted, small, and don't taste fresh. Needless to say, the yield is also much lower, considering how small the house is.
Xiao Yao collected the glass pieces, ranging in size from the smallest palm to the largest half a person, and gathered the craftsmen from the Ministry of Works. Using mortise and tenon joints, they tightly fitted the glass pieces together with wood, barely managing to build a greenhouse about half a person's height. They then covered the top with a thick layer of black cloth, which was taken down during the day and lowered at night to keep it warm.
The cost is too high; this Princess's Mansion is the only one, and it's still in the experimental stage.
Jiang Yuzhi was even more amazed, thinking that as expected of Her Highness, only someone like her could break through the encirclement amidst so many difficulties.
Xiao Yao looked at her wide-open mouth with amusement. Compared to the pampered young lady who showed disgust when she saw the vegetable field, she naturally preferred this cute young lady in front of her.
On the way to the kitchen, Xiao Yao introduced the people in the mansion to Jiang Yuzhi.
The steward who brought Jiang Yuzhi in was Steward Wu, who had been the steward of the Xiao family when they were on the northwestern border. The other servants had also come all the way from the border.
Most of them were native farmers who, in order to have enough to eat, signed a life-or-death contract and resolutely followed Xiao Yao to study farming.
The Xiao family did not treat them as ordinary servants, but as craftsmen registered with the Ministry of Works, who were occasionally assigned to other places to guide farmers in farming.
...
The first person you encounter in the kitchen isn't the cook, but Bai Yan, who can't contain himself.
He waited anxiously for a long time, and finally sent Ah Zhao to find out that his wife had been intercepted by his mother.
He had no choice but to rush to the kitchen, hoping to see his wife as soon as possible.
Bai Yan was greeted by his mother's mocking words, "Oh, didn't you say you were busy with official business and didn't have time to eat with your mother? What are you doing in the kitchen?"
"I heard Yu Zhi is coming. I'm at home, how could I not come out to greet her?" Bai Yan used a pre-prepared excuse to fob off Xiao Yao.
The way the mother and son interacted was nothing out of the ordinary for everyone in the household. They sat close together at the table in the kitchen cubicle, one on Jiang Yuzhi's left and the other on her right.
Princess's residence has never had the custom of not speaking while eating; on the contrary, they are very enthusiastic about chatting about interesting things while dining.
For example, right now, Xiao Yao is serving food to Jiang Yuzhi while simultaneously criticizing Bai Yan's father, Bai Wulan, the president of the Imperial Merchants Association.
"He clearly wanted to go to Zuo Huai to see his lover, but he insisted on making up a lame excuse about accidentally wandering off while inspecting the estate. Who would believe that?"
Bai Yan still wanted his father to leave a good impression on his wife, but he couldn't explain it directly. "Yu Zhi, don't misunderstand. The lover my mother mentioned isn't a lover in the conventional sense. Hmm... you'll understand when you meet him."
Not a lover in the conventional sense? Or is he not even human? Jiang Yuzhi was even more puzzled.
"I want to go to Zuo Huai to find my father." Actually, that wasn't the case. Bai Yan just wanted to go to Zuo Huai with Jiang Yuzhi, so he brought it up casually.
"Since you're almost fully recovered, it wouldn't hurt to go out for a walk. You could also take a look at your father's businesses in Zuohuai." Xiao Yao had no reason to object; at her age, she had already traveled all over the Northwest.
Now that her son can eat and run around, Xiao Yao is overjoyed that he wants to go out for a walk.
Jiang Yuzhi, who was the least likely to object in their eyes, almost slammed her hand on the table and shouted that it was unacceptable.
If Bai Yan leaves Kyoto, the last peaceful land may very well cease to exist. The people's faith will crumble when natural disasters sweep through Kyoto, and their hard-won stable life will be destroyed in an instant.
People in other places who are still suffering have hope of a return to stability. Jiang Yuzhi is more willing to work hard to piece together a complete map of the nation and truly give the people peace of mind, rather than robbing Peter to pay Paul and sending Bai Yan wherever there is suffering.
Preserving a clean environment is what sustains suffering people in their ability to survive during years of disaster.
Bai Yan cannot go anywhere until the results of the investigation are available.
She admitted that this was unfair to Bai Yan, but Jiang Yuzhi had no choice but to keep Bai Yan in Kyoto.
Unless, a different turning point occurs.
Forcing herself to calm down, Jiang Yuzhi considered the situation carefully, "No, how about we wait for my second brother to come back and take a look before deciding?"
"But didn't you also plan to go to Zuohuai? Isn't Brother Jiang going too?"
"I won't go anywhere until I've confirmed your situation." Zuo Huai put aside his own arrangements and focused on calming Bai Yan down first.
Bai Yan was unaware of Jiang Yuzhi's intentions. He only thought that his wife cared about him and that although she said she didn't like him, she still had feelings for him.
Her upturned lips couldn't be suppressed, and her words were filled with a cheerful smile: "Okay, I'll listen to Yuzhi."
Seeing her son looking so worthless, Xiao Yao couldn't help but laugh. It's true that every creature has its nemesis. Yu Zhi's few words had made her usually shrewd son laugh like a fool, just like his father.
I just don't know when Mingze will be able to marry Yuzhi.
Not long ago, Bai Yan asked Xiao Yao to prepare for the marriage proposal, but soon he told him dejectedly that it was not necessary for the time being.
It's probably because Tamaki rejected him. It's good to let this kid suffer a setback. Why would he cherish something that he got so easily?
Besides, he has never experienced any setbacks since childhood. Apart from his poor health, Yu Zhi would be perfect for tempering his temperament.
Jiang Yuzhi left the princess's residence with a heavy heart; it was already dusk.
She firmly refused Bai Yan's offer to give her the gift.
My mind was filled with questions about the situation on the other side of Diting, and I wished I could fly back to the shop.
Di Ting returned a while later and brought Jiang Yuzhi some good news.
A note from the author:
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Minor repairs, bug fixing
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