Chapter 8 Gift List
Chu Ruyan looked at him with a smile as beautiful as a flower, her eyes full of longing for the future.
Pei Yanzhou's eyes were slightly hesitant, but he still took the gift list gently.
Although the Chu family was a little anxious, Yan'er loved him very much, so it was only right for them to take care of the etiquette first.
Before looking at the list, Pei Yanzhou thought:
Prime Minister Chu was elegant and humble, and loyal to the court. Yan'er was well-behaved and kind, and cared about the victims. The betrothal gift was probably just a formality, and couldn't possibly be higher than what the Shen family offered.
However, even so, I will treat Yan'er well.
The less the Chu family asks for, the more he will give. He will never neglect Yan'er's sincerity!
"Sixty-six thousand taels of silver, the same amount your mother, Princess Ronghe, received back then!"
Chu Ruyan smiled sweetly and brought the candlestick over, fearing that Pei Yanzhou couldn't see clearly.
Pei Yanzhou's face froze, and he asked back, "Sixty-six thousand taels?" He was a little bit unbelievable. He looked at the gift list and then at Chu Ruyan.
Chu Ruyan nodded seriously, "Yes, the betrothal gift is 66,000 taels, in addition to that there are also cloth, head ornaments, silk, sugar and wine, meat and vegetables... Brother Yanzhou, don't forget!"
She still had an innocent, romantic expression, as if she didn't understand the ways of the world.
"But there's been flooding in the south lately, and locust plagues in several western states, leaving countless people starving..."
Pei Yanzhou felt that donating the money might be more meaningful.
As for the wedding pomp, it was just a formality. Although he would not neglect Ruyan and would show due respect... sixty-six thousand taels was still a little beyond his expectations.
You should know that the maximum amount of money an ordinary official spends for marriage is usually ten thousand taels.
My mother's betrothal gift was large back then because the Empress Dowager and the Emperor gave her too much dowry, so my father had to give the corresponding amount of gifts.
However, looking at the dowry list drawn up by the Chu family - apart from a few notoriously barren plots of land and a few farms that had been making losses for years, there was nothing else.
In this situation, he didn't know how to explain it to his family, and he also felt guilty towards the victims.
You have to know that the year my mother got married, the country was peaceful and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment. No matter how grand the wedding was at that time, the people would not criticize it.
But if it were to happen now, with such a grand ceremony... not only would the people talk about it, but my parents would also be unhappy.
Pei Yanzhou was just about to discuss with Chu Ruyan about having a more frugal wedding. He thought that he would find an opportunity to compensate her after the people had settled down.
Unexpectedly, Chu Ruyan's shrill voice rang out:
"What's wrong with the flood? What's wrong with the famine? Will it affect Brother Yanzhou's affection for me?"
"I am the daughter of the Prime Minister's family. I can't lose to an ordinary official family, right?"
Pei Yanzhou looked troubled and explained patiently:
"Yan'er, wars and disasters have been frequent recently, and the imperial court has been delaying the allocation of silver to various departments. I have been using the silver from the Pei family treasury to advance the military camp's food and fodder."
"Father is a man of great righteousness. He said he wanted to donate hundreds of thousands of silver coins to the disaster victims and soldiers..."
"So you want to make our Chu family and me suffer?"
Chu Ruyan had an expression of complete incomprehension. She raised her voice and said seriously, "Since I was little, I've dreamed of marrying you. A wedding is a major event in a woman's life, and it only happens once in a lifetime. Don't tell me, Brother Yanzhou won't even give me this little dignity?"
"It's not that I don't respect you, it's just that the current situation is not good."
Pei Yanzhou advised, "When the country is in trouble, every citizen has a responsibility. Although the court is not short of treasury silver, as a minister enjoying the grace of heaven, I should set an example at this time!"
He held Chu Ruyan's hand and said gently, "Yan'er, wait a little longer. When the situation improves, I will definitely give you another one..."
"What do you mean by make up for it or not? Do you want to wait?"
Chu Ruyan interrupted him directly: "Brother Yanzhou, Yan'er is a girl and doesn't understand those major world affairs."
"I only know that if the betrothal gift is less than 66,000 taels, and doesn't match the standard my mother-in-law used when she married me off, everyone in the capital will laugh at me!"
Seeing Pei Yanzhou's bad expression, her eyes changed and her voice became gentle again:
"Brother Yanzhou, I'm doing this for your own good!"
"If you marry me with great fanfare, the court will only say that your Pei family values me, and the people will only envy the deep affection between you and me."
She pulled his sleeve and said coquettishly: "Brother Yanzhou, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event, we must not lose the big picture because of the small things."
Pei Yanzhou pursed his lips and remained silent, unable to express himself.
He didn't know why Yan'er was different from what he expected. Logically speaking, she shouldn't be the kind of person who doesn't consider the overall situation.
She is so kind and sensible, and cares so much about the victims - every day when she hears that the victims don’t have enough food, she almost cries. How come Yan'er is confused at the critical moment?
Pei Yanzhou thought, it must have been her stepmother Wang's idea?
Otherwise, Yan'er wouldn't be so unreasonable.
Chu Ruyan didn't care what Pei Yanzhou was thinking at all. She just wanted to achieve her goal.
Her slender jade fingers climbed onto Pei Yanzhou's neck, and her body kept shaking:
"By the way, Brother Yanzhou, how much did Shen Yuning want? Hmm?"
Pei Yanzhou was silent for a while, then answered truthfully: "Six thousand six hundred taels."
He spoke vaguely and did not mention the Shen family's dowry, fearing that Yan'er would feel inferior because of it.
Unexpectedly, Chu Ruyan jumped up excitedly: "Great, great!"
"Six thousand six hundred taels and sixty-six thousand taels, there is a tenfold comparison."
"On our wedding day, we'll deliberately go around the Shen family's gate—let that impoverished Shen family know what it's like to have betrothal gifts all over the street!"
“It also allows Shen Yuning to understand how different love and not love are!”
Her eyes were shining and she looked energetic, but in Pei Yanzhou's opinion, there was no beauty in her.
He opened his mouth and wanted to say a few more words, but finally swallowed his words back.
He agreed reluctantly, but in the blink of an eye, Shen Yuning's fiery and sincere eyes appeared in his mind again.
Pei Yanzhou sighed. If Pei Yan hadn't had what happened to him, if Yan'er hadn't saved his life back then...how good would everything be?
——
The night is as cool as water, in the east wing of Wu'an Marquis Mansion.
"Brother Yanzhou, hug me."
"Brother Yanzhou, don't leave me."
"Brother Yanzhou, I have learned all the etiquette of the boudoir."
"Brother Yanzhou, please take care of me, okay?"
In the dream, her eyes were red and she cried for a long time, holding his hand tightly.
Pei Yanzhou gritted his teeth and endured for a long time, and finally hugged the person in his arms.
His big palm dug into her waterfall-like black hair, and he quickly tore off her waist belt.
"ah--"
Pei Yanzhou was sweating profusely and woke up from his dream screaming.
He looked around, but there was no trace of Shen Yuning on the bed.
"Fortunately, it was just a dream!"
Pei Yanzhou said to himself: "Fortunately, I didn't do anything to let Yan'er down!"
He got up and drank a large bowl of herbal tea to calm his raging anger.
Pei Yanzhou frowned, as if he found it hard to believe that he would have such a dream.
Why does Shen Yuning always seduce herself in her dreams?
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