Chapter 6 Young Master
"Be patient~" Pu Qiongzhi looked at the two maids who were on the verge of tears but still muttering.
Yan'er and Chunjing were both children of the old shopkeeper, and had been with her for some years. Not only did they take care of her, they were also good at making money and keeping accounts!
"If we want to open up trade routes in the capital, this is a stepping stone!" Pu Qiongzhi then explained the whole story.
The first 800,000 taels were in exchange for her marrying Earl Gongning, allowing her to enter and leave the rear quarters of these princes and nobles.
The Pu family was once wealthy and powerful in the south of the Yangtze River, but after coming to Beijing they were ranked at the lowest level among scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans. Now they have changed their ways, otherwise how could they make their mark in this place full of nobles?
The second 800,000 taels was exchanged for an eighth-rank imperial decree and the emperor's praise. The benefits of rising status are far more than just the surface, and also include the endless conveniences that come with it.
This time, not only did she gain a reputation for being kind, but she also got in touch with Princess Duanhui. The eight hundred thousand taels was really worth it!
Pu Qiongzhi raised the corner of her mouth and said, "Chun Jing, have you memorized the poems of those noble ladies at the banquet?"
"I have copied it quietly." Chunjing handed over the thin letter in her hand.
Pu Qiongzhi took it and opened it to take a look, her eyebrows curved, "This is it!"
"Madam! By the way! A few days ago, you asked Manager Qiao to find someone to draw those hair accessories..." Yan'er's eyes widened as he suddenly remembered.
Pu Qiongzhi nodded and said, "Have Shopkeeper Qiao write the poem below according to the flower type, without signing your name. If a lady comes to the shop to claim her poem, be sure to prepare a gift."
"Will this work..." Chun Jing tilted his head and couldn't help but ask.
Pu Qiongzhi chuckled, "Those attending the flower viewing banquet today are all noble ladies from the families of the imperial court and nobles, the wives of officials without connections, and the daughters of wealthy families who are sought after and admired."
"Now that they have this opportunity, allowing them to buy the same style of hair accessories and makeup, they will naturally follow suit!"
"But you can't dress up as a phoenix even if you put on chicken feathers. If they want to imitate the clothes of these noble ladies, they should choose expensive and luxurious ones. Will these silk and velvet flowers be counterproductive?" Yan'er didn't understand.
Pu Qiongzhi reassured her, "If you don't have talent, then you have moral character. Princess Duanhui was the first to wear this velvet flower to promote frugality and set an example for her children."
"There are pearls and jade before them, and velvet and silk flowers don't cost much money. With the smallest cost, they can be ranked with the noble ladies. Even if it's just for reputation, they won't miss the opportunity!"
"So that's how it is! Madam, should we set up a donation box to collect donations?" Yan'er came up with an idea.
Pu Qiongzhi shook her head helplessly, "That won't do. At this time, it's good enough for us to make a little money."
"Madam has just donated her dowry, and now we are trying to raise money. Others will doubt our intentions. If we want to do good things, we must do them to the end." Chunjing also disagreed with this.
Seeing Yan'er's face full of disappointment, Pu Qiongzhi smiled and said, "Don't worry. Today I asked those noble ladies to donate their jewelry. With Miss Pei's article praising it, it will definitely encourage some people to donate."
"Well! Her Royal Highness the Princess will not sit idly by." Yan'er figured it out and smiled happily again.
Pu Qiongzhi looked at the booklet in her hand and said seriously, "Be careful these days. The more famous you are, the more you can't make any mistakes."
…
It was almost dusk when we returned to Earl Gongning's Mansion.
Uncle Yang, the housekeeper, had been waiting at the door for a long time. When he saw her carriage, he hurried forward to salute her.
"Madam, you are finally back! The young master skipped school today, and the teacher sent someone to look for him! Now he is nowhere to be found! This old servant is almost dying of worry!"
Pu Qiongzhi was stunned for a moment, then asked, "Where is the uncle? Did you go to Kaifeng Prefecture to report to the authorities? Did you send anyone to look for him?"
"To answer Madam, the uncle said he had something to do early in the morning and left earlier than you. He hasn't come back since! The young master is missing, and there's no one in charge of the house. Fortunately, you're back!"
"I have already reported it to the authorities, and the officers are searching for him now, but there is still no news." Uncle Yang was so anxious that he burst into tears. It was obvious that he was really worried to death.
"I've searched the house and outside, but I can't find him anywhere!"
"Uncle Yang, is there a portrait of the young master in the mansion?" Pu Qiongzhi thought for a while and asked.
Uncle Yang nodded and called a servant beside him to fetch it. "Yes! Madam, please wait a moment! Go get it quickly. It's in the uncle's study!"
"Uncle Yang, have the guards in the mansion take some copper coins and scatter them around the crowd. Tell them that whoever finds the child in the portrait will be rewarded with a thousand taels!"
Upon hearing this, Uncle Yang clapped his hands and hurried to call for help. "This is a very good move! A big reward will surely attract brave men! I will do it right away!"
"Remember to arrange two people to observe nearby to see if there are any suspicious people." Pu Qiongzhi gave the order and turned back to the carriage. "Yan'er, come with me to visit the master in the library."
Since the child is skipping school, there must be a reason. I have to go to the library in person to find out the reason.
Chun Jing took out some cakes from a box beside her and poured her a cup of tea. "Madam, you haven't had a single drop of water all day. Please eat some tea first."
"Hmm." Pu Qiongzhi tasted a piece and found the taste just right, not too sweet.
She still had to eat, and she would be able to eat later. She was also very tired after sitting in the carriage all day.
She had just been married into the Earl's house for three days, and she was worried about the child being lost, but she had no emotional foundation with the child, so she was not so upset that she couldn't eat.
Earl Gongning had three brothers and two sisters.
Pu Qiongzhi had carefully investigated these matters before getting married and was aware of them all.
The eldest brother Nangong Feng died in the battlefield, and his eldest sister-in-law Zhou followed him. The young master Nangong Jiayu was the orphan left behind.
When she married the Earl of Gongning, she also took into consideration that the Earl's family already had descendants and there was no need for her to carry on the family line.
To put it bluntly, her marriage to Earl Gong Ning was actually a deal signed on paper.
The third brother of Duke Gongning committed a crime and was sent to jail. He had to pay 800,000 taels to get his money back. It just so happened that the Pu family wanted to go to Beijing to do business.
So she took advantage of this marriage to gain some convenience in entering and leaving the residences of high-ranking officials.
Although their marriage seemed hasty, she had considered every aspect... Even if the marriage didn't work out in the end, she could still get away with it.
The carriage sped all the way to Qinglan Academy where Nangong Jiayu was studying.
I heard from the maid in the mansion that the young master started studying in this library a year ago.
The child has been disliked studying ever since he went to the academy. I heard that his grades in every small test are not good enough.
If you count carefully, it was almost a year ago when the former Marquis Gongning and his wife had an accident.
After suffering such a great setback, the child was probably sent to the academy by his unreliable uncle before he could recover.
She has never taken care of a child, but her husband seems unreliable.
Thinking of this, Pu Qiongzhi felt a little headache.
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