Chapter 16 The Earl of Zhongyong's attitude was amiable, not like he was harboring any ill intentions. "My family..."
"What are you congratulating me on?" Shi Xiangyun's voice came from outside: "Who got what benefit?"
Ying'er quickly lifted the curtain and invited Shi Xiangyun in.
Shi Xiangyun said sweetly, "Going back to Hengwu Garden is too far. If I go again, I'm afraid I'll starve to death on the way."
"Just come. We're the best of friends, and you've always been very protective of me. It's only right that you come. If you don't come, I'll blame you."
Aunt Xue quickly offered her a seat and called a maid to bring tea and snacks: "If you're hungry, have a snack first, but don't eat too much, we're about to have a meal. Look at your sister Lin, she eats snacks all day and doesn't eat regular meals, that's why she's so weak."
Despite two interruptions, Xue Baochai's curiosity remained unquenched. When she asked again, Xue Baochai offered an explanation.
"I just heard from the maid that the Marquis of Zhongyong wants to recognize Pinya as his younger sister, so I said I wanted to congratulate her."
Shi Xiangyun looked dejected and said self-pityingly, "What is there to congratulate her on? I lost my parents when I was an infant, while she at least met them. After she came, the old lady stopped caring for me, and even my beloved brother ignored me. I—"
Xue Baochai held her hand anxiously and said, "You can only say these things to me. You must not let anyone else hear them. She is a bit temperamental to begin with. If this gets out, the old lady will say that you are being unreasonable."
Shi Xiangyun huffed several times in anger, and said, "What kind of 'recognizing a sister' is this? There was no banquet, no ancestral hall, and it wasn't even recorded in the family genealogy. It's just playing with children."
Xue Baochai liked to hear this, but she put on a serious face and scolded, "Listen to this, is this the kind of thing a well-mannered and knowledgeable young lady should say? We are all sisters, we should be magnanimous."
“I’m not as kind as you,” Shi Xiangyun retorted. “She’s always been sarcastic towards you, so I can’t pretend I didn’t hear her.”
Shi Xiangyun threw a tantrum, but finally calmed down. While she was getting ready to wash up, Xue Baochai whispered, "We need to find a reason to spread the word about the Earl of Zhongyong recognizing his sister. Shi Xiangyun can't keep her mouth shut, and she might start a fight at any time. We need to exclude our family from this."
In Grandmother Jia's courtyard, several young ladies went out, and Jia Lian also caught up with Yuanyang, who led him into Grandmother Jia's room.
Although Jia Lian's description wasn't as detailed as Yuanyang's, hearing "the Earl of Zhongyong was kind and amiable, never putting on airs, chatting and laughing, not like he was up to anything" again still pleased Grandmother Jia.
She smiled and lectured Jia Lian: "Go back and live a good life with your wife. Don't always quarrel. She's busy enough managing the household day and night, and she also has to take care of the two in your room—neither of them are easy to deal with."
After saying this, Grandmother Jia added, "I won't say much about the maid your master gave you, but since the You family's daughter is a concubine, she can only consummate the marriage after the mourning period."
Jia Lian listened to each of them and repeatedly agreed.
When he came out and returned to his own courtyard, he saw Wang Xifeng washing up and changing clothes, with a piece of ginseng in her mouth.
"Prepare some fragrant soup so I can rinse my mouth later. Don't let them smell the ginseng in my breath."
Ping'er smiled and said, "It was prepared a long time ago and has already cooled down."
Jia Lian knew that Wang Xifeng was strong-willed and would never let anyone see her sickly unless she was bedridden. So he said, "You should rest for a couple of days. I've never seen you serve the old lady so attentively before. Why bother?"
"What do you know?" Wang Xifeng retorted. As for an explanation, there was none. Perhaps she could have said something before, but now she absolutely could not show weakness to Jia Lian.
There's a vixen in the courtyard waiting for her to die so she can become the new second mistress.
She used to be at the height of her career, managing the household well and winning people's hearts. But now?
Now the Jia family's profits are declining year by year, and she has been a housekeeper for three years, which even the cats and dogs dislike.
If she doesn't flatter the old lady every day, and no one supports her, how can she continue to manage things?
After tidying up, Wang Xifeng went to Grandmother Jia's room.
At this moment, the old woman from the outer courtyard was giving a reply in Grandmother Jia's room.
"The two servants of the Marquis of Zhongyong are like silent gourds, they didn't find out any information. They only know that the head steward of the Mu family is called Miao Zhenchuan, the head of the guards is called Tang Songbai, and the head of the accounting clerk is called Zhao Jingcheng."
Grandmother Jia frowned. Did she really need someone to ask her about this?
When the Marquis of Zhongyong's family wants to socialize in the capital, those who have connections with the outside world don't need to ask around; they just have to introduce themselves right away, just like everyone knows that the head steward of the Jia family is Lai Da.
"Since she was brought back by the army, perhaps she'll keep her mouth shut." Grandmother Jia wasn't very happy, but she still remembered not to mistreat the servants: "Give her two taels of silver and send her out."
Yuanyang led the people out and happened to run into the wives and young ladies who had come to have dinner with Grandmother Jia.
If the Jia family doesn't make things clear, rumors will be circulating by tomorrow morning. Besides, she's being followed by a rough-looking old woman who would never come to the inner courtyard.
Yuanyang smiled and said to Jia Baoyu, "Grandma knows you like that horse, so she specially called the old woman from the outer courtyard to ask about it. It's a pity that the Earl of Zhongyong even brought two grooms with him, and didn't let anyone else get close to his horse."
Horse? What horse?
Jia Baoyu realized what was happening. Oh, it was an excuse he'd made up. But Jia Baoyu always prided himself on being considerate, so he blurted out, "Thank you for your trouble, Sister Yuanyang. Riding a horse like that would probably make Grandmother and Madam worry."
When Madam Wang heard that the topic could be linked to filial piety, her face immediately lit up with a smile: "Baoyu is the most filial son. He always has the old lady and me in his heart. It's no wonder we love him so much."
There's no other way. He'll be eighteen after the New Year. Saying he's neither good at academics nor martial arts is an understatement. And if he's unfilial... you can't exactly praise a boy who's about to turn eighteen for being good-looking, can you?
As everyone went inside, Wang Xifeng said with a smile, "Since the old lady has prepared such a delicious meal, why didn't you tell someone to call me?"
"You greedy little monkey!" Grandmother Jia laughed. "Don't you have legs? You wouldn't come if I didn't call you?"
Mu Chuan's gift was sent at this time.
Grandmother Jia looked much more relaxed, and the timing was just right.
Upon seeing the basket of charcoal placed in the center of the room, Xue Baochai subconsciously glanced at Lin Daiyu. Why was there only one basket? Was it just for show?
But the old woman continued, "The Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion sent ten baskets of charcoal, but carrying them all would pollute the old ancestral home, so the remaining nine baskets will be sent to Miss Lin's room first."
Xue Baochai quickly turned her head away and whispered to Shi Xiangyun, seemingly not caring about this at all.
"Ten baskets of charcoal—" Grandmother Jia paused deliberately until everyone quieted down before continuing, "That's enough to burn for a month."
She was implying to the Xue family that they shouldn't be so greedy and shouldn't always be eyeing other people's things.
Aunt Xue showed no embarrassment whatsoever; instead, she laughed and said, "I see that the basket still has the yellow signature. This Uncle Zhongyong is indeed at the height of his fame. Lin girl is very lucky."
Lin Daiyu's expression darkened slightly. Her maternal grandmother... even though she was good to her, she was still bullied and gossiped about quite a bit. Her grandmother only spoke up for her afterward, but what about beforehand?
Is it absolutely necessary for her to suffer this injustice?
Why was that? She didn't dare to think about it any further.
“Grandmother is right,” Tan Chun replied. “The last time they divided it, it was quite unruly. It was just two pieces of charcoal, and who was so short-sighted?”
She wanted to continue, but the thought of Xue Baochai filled her with anger.
It was one thing for Xue Baochai to always belittle Lin Daiyu—after all, she wasn't part of their family. But Xue Baochai even belittled the girls of the Jia family! She always pretended to be magnanimous, considerate, and sensible while putting them down, causing so much trouble. Who could tolerate this?
Unfortunately, Madam Wang coughed, and Tan Chun swallowed the rest of her sentence.
"Let's see what the Marquis of Zhongyong sent you?" Madam Wang smiled warmly. "I heard he came from a farming background and suddenly became rich. I wonder if what he sent is appropriate."
Lin Daiyu always felt that these words were directed at her, but upon closer examination, the malice was deeply hidden, as if it were testing her bottom line step by step.
However, Mu Chuan's indulgence in the afternoon did give her courage... he was one of his own.
"My second aunt is right. If it's not suitable, then let's send it back."
Grandmother Jia's eyelids twitched. Sending it back would be a slap in the face. It would be too lenient to cut off all ties with it. If the Marquis of Zhongyong said a few bad things about the Jia family in front of the Emperor Emeritus, not only would the Jia family outside be affected, but even the empress in the palace who shared a bed with the emperor would be unable to withstand it.
"I'm an old woman, and I'm keeping you company while you go hungry. Hurry up and look at it," Grandmother Jia said with a laugh, trying to brush it off.
Jia Baoyu went to get the invitation and read it to Grandmother Jia.
“These are the Four Treasures of the Study,” Jia Baoyu said. “I’ll also give Lin Daiyu a pocket watch.”
"Oh, a pocket watch is a fine thing." It has only been in circulation for less than twenty years, and even Grandmother Jia doesn't have one.
“The Dowager Princess of Nan’an also had one; I’ve seen it before,” Shi Xiangyun said, then leaned over to look at the pocket watch the maid was giving to Lin Daiyu: “Your one doesn’t seem as big as the Dowager Princess of Nan’an’s.”
Lin Daiyu wound the spring twice before saying, "All that time you spent visiting so many noble families and befriending so many powerful people, you don't even know that the smaller the thing, the harder it is to make, and the more exquisite it is?"
"I don't have that," Shi Xiangyun replied. "Or do you have it?"
She did have it originally, but unfortunately... Lin Daiyu glanced at Wang Xifeng out of the corner of her eye. Her father had passed away from a serious illness, and many things in the house were nowhere to be found.
On that day, Lian's second brother also offered an explanation, saying that it's hard to guard against thieves within the family, and that the steward and servants had run away with the belongings.
She had no choice but to believe.
Jia Baoyu subconsciously didn't want Lin Daiyu to focus her attention on others, especially men, so he smiled and said, "The Marquis of Zhongyong certainly knows how to give gifts; the writing implements are all the same. Lin Daiyu, let me see what you received."
With Jia Baoyu taking the lead, the girls who had received the gifts all opened their oil paper packages.
The set included a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. The brushes were a set of four fine wolf-hair brushes; the ink was bound with red paper twine and inlaid with gold leaf; and the paper was—
Jia Baoyu frowned: "Why are there only five sheets of paper for each person? This doesn't look like Xuan paper either; it's neither raw nor sized. But it's quite exquisite, and it seems to have wax on it, making it slippery."
"Let me see it." Lin Daiyu beckoned: "This is ice-patterned plum blossom jade paper, which is the imperial paper used by the court. When I was a child, I heard that less than two hundred sheets could be made a year. I wonder how many can be made now."
"Oh my!" Wang Xifeng said with a smile, "The Marquis of Zhongyong's family has quite a lot of good things. Let me count, our three daughters, Lin Daiyu, the two daughters of the Xue family, and Shi Daiyu, a total of thirty-five. Perhaps, apart from the palace, our family has the most."
With this paper, there's not much left to see in the jade inkstone.
Lin Daiyu held the note in her hand, waving it gently, and smiled at Xue Baochai.
Officially employed. Twice in a row, officially employed.
She then realized that she wasn't actually indifferent or numb; she was just enduring it all because no one was on her side.
"This ink is precious, and it even has gold leaf."
"It's lampblack ink, suitable for meticulous brushwork and freehand brushwork."
Xue Baochai and Xichun's voices rang out at the same time, and Lin Daiyu smiled again: "No one is as sharp-eyed as Sister Bao; not a single person noticed the gold foil."
When the loyal and brave Earl arrived, she was startled.
Madam Wang said, "Those who have touched the ink should hurry up and wash their hands. Not to mention the old lady, I'm getting a little hungry myself."
The Jia family started eating, and Mu Chuan started eating around the same time.
The banquet in front of us must have been arranged by inquiring at General Li's house.
There was his favorite beef and lamb leg, as well as shredded raw cabbage heart.
There were only two jugs of wine, which were being warmed in hot water.
That makes people feel very comfortable.
Mu Chuan said politely, "General Li is getting on in years and isn't feeling well in the winter. He asked me to apologize to you all for not being able to come. This is General Li's grandson, who came with him today."
It would be good enough to invite even one person, let alone the fact that General Li's grandson came, which is quite a show of respect.
Besides, General Li is indeed getting old, and the affairs of the Dingnan Marquis's mansion are now being handled by his son and a few stewards.
The prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, Lord Meng, raised his wine cup and said with a smile, "This is just a welcome feast for the Earl of Zhongyong. If we really want to drink, no one can outdrink the Earl of Zhongyong. It's just a couple of cups of wine, just a token gesture."
Everyone downed the first glass.
Although it was getting dark and the winter evening was chilly, the room was still warm and cozy. The dishes on the table were carefully prepared, and there was a heater under the table, so even the meat dishes wouldn't get cold or greasy.
After several rounds of drinks, the three local officials from the capital praised Mu Chuan's bravery and commended Li Chengwu as a son of a tiger father, promising a bright future.
Mu Chuan wasn't the kind of person who lacked emotional intelligence. A year and a half ago, Li Chengwu was still a playboy, and in short, he never said anything that actually happened.
After the meal, the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely. The three local officials saw Mu Chuan and Li Chengwu off, said their goodbyes, and left in different directions.
The Wanping County government office is about 70 or 80 li away from the capital. At this time, even riding a horse wouldn't get you back.
Lord Ke, who was in the carriage, was wondering whether to stay at an inn for the night or go for another drink when someone suddenly knocked on the carriage. The voice sounded quite familiar.
It was none other than the loyal and brave Earl Mu Chuan, who had just been drinking.
"Lord Ke?"
I hadn't even had two drinks to begin with, but this sudden stimulation caused all that alcohol to turn into sweat.
The coachman stopped the horse and was pulled aside by the accompanying servants to talk. Mu Chuan got into the carriage and said, "Lord Ke, I have a problem and would like to ask for your help."
The moment Mu Chuan got into the carriage, the carriage slumped slightly. Ke Yuanqing's eyelids twitched as he recalled the rumors circulating in the officialdom of the capital.
His carriage isn't even as sturdy as the Ministry of Revenue's gate.
"General, please speak." Ke Yuanqing cupped his hands in greeting and listened attentively.
“I have several men who have fought alongside me for many years, but they are now of age and have to retire. I also have several men in my family who cannot endure the hardship of farming. I wonder if the Wanping County government needs any odd jobs? They would be excellent at tasks such as constables, grain collection, or apprehending criminals.”
This is considered an important step in Mu Chuan's plan to get promoted, make money, and support his family.
Although servants were not officials, let alone clerks or scholars, they were even considered to be of low social status, and their families had been barred from taking the imperial examinations for three generations.
But being a constable is a position that can be passed down through generations, especially in the capital. Every year, one can have enough to eat and drink, support a large family, and still have some left over.
Local officials would serve for three years and then leave, but it was actually the lower-level clerks and runners who kept the county government running.
As for the fact that their families cannot take the imperial examinations for three generations, that's easy too. Just send them to Pingnan Town, and their identities will be cleared in one trip.
Moreover, Mu Chuan had also considered that his family lacked the environment for education; it would take three to five generations to achieve it. Since that was the case, he might as well try to do both: start from the bottom and occupy a key position in the county government, which would allow him to influence the county magistrate.
On the contrary, it is more sustainable and more likely to cultivate a large family than studying for a degree or becoming an official.
At that time, there will be both handymen who know how to keep the county government running and scholars who can pass the imperial examinations. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?
Having just drunk some wine, and knowing that Mu Chuan spoke very directly, coupled with his serious yet trustworthy face, Ke Yuanqing said, "Wanping County governs half of the capital, and the population of the capital alone is no less than a million. Adding the surrounding villages, we are always short-handed. Since you have spoken, sir, then one head constable and five constables will make a perfect team. Once you have chosen your men, sir, tell them to go find my advisor, Qiao Ji."
Ke Yuanqing agreed very readily.
The reason is simple: in the future, all the land in Linjia Village will be registered under the name of the Earl of Zhongyong. At that time, if this first-class earl doesn't speak up, the county magistrate won't be able to collect a single bushel of grain.
Since that's the case, why not give him a few official positions as yamen runners? Just for the sake of these few people, the Marquis of Zhongyong should at least give him a little something in return, otherwise where will the yamen runners' monthly salary come from?
but……
Ke Yuanqing added, "The term of office for the magistrates of Wanping and Daxing counties is only one year. I will step down after the Dragon Boat Festival next year, and I cannot guarantee what will happen in the future."
Mu Chuan smiled and said, "My lord, there's no need to worry. Next year... would you like the Umbrella of Ten Thousand People?"
Who wouldn't want this?
Ke Yuanqing hesitated with difficulty: "That's a bit too much. Just ask some villagers to send some food and livestock to the county government."
"Don't worry, I'll have them carry up signs for the upright and just official and pass by the Censorate. They'll be beating drums and gongs, making a big fuss."
Ke Yuanqing, who was only forty years old, had a face full of wrinkles from smiling.
However, when he came out of his satisfied mood, he saw that Mu Chuan had no intention of leaving. After all, they had just made a deal, and it was not appropriate to send him away. Ke Yuanqing was just about to ask if he should invite Zhongyongbo to listen to the music when he heard him say something else.
"There is one more thing I need to ask Lord Ke."
Ke Yuanqing held his breath and said, "General, please speak."
"More than ten years ago, my family owned a piece of land, which was taken over by someone else."
A note from the author:
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