Chapter 115 Entering the Palace to Express Gratitude My garden is so big...
I met five people in just two hours this morning, so the afternoon schedule was very tight.
Lin Daiyu changed her clothes again, even combed her hair again, and stood as far away from Mu Chuan as possible. She didn't dare to smile at all and spoke to Mu Chuan in a very serious manner.
“Before the wedding, you said that many people in the manor are your brothers who have gone through thick and thin with you, and even Madam Shen and the others came back from Pingnan Town with you. In that case, why don’t you meet them in the main courtyard? Although there is a main hall in the inner courtyard, it is too informal.”
Mu Chuan naturally nodded in agreement, but the front courtyard, main hall, front hall, and back hall were all his territory. If she felt that once they were in the front courtyard, there were certain things he wouldn't dare to do—
All Mu Chuan could say was: Madam, you are too naive.
The two walked together to the front yard. Mu Chuan turned around and smiled, "I—" There are many people in my family, so I'm sorry to trouble you to spend money.
But then he saw Lin Daiyu glaring at him.
Caught red-handed, Mu Chuan immediately changed his tune: "Did I offend you?"
Staring at people isn't scary, but being caught is both embarrassing and infuriating. Besides, how could he possibly reveal the person he offended?
Anyway, it's all Third Brother's fault.
Lin Daiyu tilted her head and brazenly spouted nonsense: "My eyes are sore, I need to move them around."
Mu Chuan chuckled twice: "In our home—"
"I only just realized that." When Lin Daiyu heard the words "our family," she suddenly understood. "You didn't have good intentions from the beginning. You often talked about our family before."
"You just realized?" Mu Chuan readily admitted, "I told you when we got married that I wanted to marry you the moment I saw you. My dear wife, haven't you heard the saying? If the benefactor who saved your life is handsome, you will repay him with your body; if he is not handsome, you will repay him by being his slave in the next life."
Lin Daiyu was amused by him: "Who saved you?"
"There's a saying, which you've probably heard before: 'The son pays for the father's debts.'"
"Pah!" Lin Daiyu glared at him this time, unafraid of being caught. She moved closer, placed her hand in Mu Chuan's palm, and let him lead her. "What were you going to say just now?"
“There are many people in our family, and the household is roughly divided into three types. The first type is those with official positions, like the Jinyiwei commander who taught Jia Baoyu martial arts last time.”
Although there was no evidence, Lin Daiyu felt that his next sentence was going to put down Jia Baoyu, so she preemptively said, "It's a pity that he has neither good fortune nor good judgment."
Mu Chuan choked for a moment.
Lin Daiyu smiled and accused, "Good Third Brother, why are you glaring at me?"
Mu Chuan squeezed the hand in his palm tightly: "The next one looks like Mother Shen, you've met her before, these are long-term labor contracts."
Lin Daiyu nodded and hummed in agreement. Mu Chuan then said, "Finally, there are some who have signed contracts of servitude, mostly maids and servants."
Lin Daiyu thought about it and could roughly tell that since it was her first time there, the people who were able to get close to the front yard and pretend to sweep the floor must have all returned from Pingnan Town.
She chuckled, and Mu Chuan asked, "What are you laughing at?"
"I'm happy."
Mu Chuan squeezed her hand again: "I'm happy too. Our family has some connections with a royal merchant named Dou Changzong. If you want anything good and the manor doesn't have it, just go to him. If you want to sell or buy anything from your fields or shops, you can also go to him."
"Yes, my Lin family used to have a few familiar imperial merchants." Lin Daiyu wasn't surprised at all. It's a common practice in officialdom. Although it's not officially allowed for officials to engage in business, which official doesn't hold a lot of shares in the business?
Besides, he has so many tax-exempt fields and exemptions from corvée labor under his name. Are they just going to leave them lying around?
“There’s also a small team of people from our family at the Chongwenmen Customs. But I usually don’t let them do anything underhanded. Sometimes I’ll give them some commission so they can stay in their positions.”
Lin Daiyu chuckled: "Third Brother, is this a case of raising an army for a thousand days to use it for one?"
Mu Chuan cleared his throat: "Ahem, there are some goods that need to be handled carefully, so it's not appropriate to ask others to check them."
"Let me think," Mu Chuan said again. "We also have our people in the government office, including constables and clerks. Some of them came from Pingnan Town, and some are from Linjia Village."
Lin Daiyu nodded: "That's right. Officials appointed by the court are selected by the Ministry of Personnel and appointed by the court. Otherwise, why would they be called officials appointed by the court? Local officials are the foundation of the local area. When my father was the Salt Commissioner, the first few months were not very smooth. Later, he took the opportunity to arrange some miscellaneous servants in the area, and then he was able to do his job."
Mu Chuan originally called his father-in-law "father-in-law" partly out of affection and partly out of teasing, but after hearing these words, he was genuinely moved, realizing that his father-in-law had died too young.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Lin Daiyu said with a smile. "I said earlier that the Jia family said my father raised me as a boy since I was a child because he wanted a son and regretted having a daughter like me. You comforted me then, saying that it was actually my father who raised me as his eldest son."
"Third Brother." Lin Daiyu stopped and looked at Mu Chuan, asking, "What do you think the eldest son of the legitimate wife will learn? My family has held noble titles for four generations. My father was a third-rank scholar in the imperial examination, a high-ranking official who was in charge of the salt tax in Lianghuai. What will he teach me?"
Mu Chuan sighed deeply: "I wish I could see my father-in-law again."
Lin Daiyu chuckled: "Now you think my father is better than me?"
Mu Chuan laughed and said, "You're the best. I have to thank my father-in-law for giving me such a wonderful wife."
The two walked hand in hand to the front yard, and Mu Chuan continued, "There are quite a few people in Wanping County as well, some from Pingnan Town and Linjia Village. My younger brother is also in Wanping County. But today we are meeting people from the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion. We'll meet these people later."
Lin Daiyu nodded and said, "I'll do whatever Third Brother says."
Since things had come to this point, Mu Chuan added a few more words: "Lord Li of the Three Auxiliary Regions was originally the Minister of Personnel, and we have a good relationship. His student, Ke Yuanqing, was originally the magistrate of Wanping County and is now the prefect of Pinggu Prefecture. We met through him."
If they can say that, they must be close friends. Lin Daiyu listened carefully, nodding as she listened to show that she had taken it to heart.
"If you enter the palace, you can go to Eunuch Bai Zhong if you encounter any problems. He serves His Majesty closely and has some power."
This time, Lin Daiyu was genuinely surprised, while Mu Chuan was pleased: "My father-in-law doesn't even have two familiar eunuchs?"
Lin Daiyu chuckled, "Your father-in-law certainly didn't have such a good opportunity. Not everyone can go to the Inner Study Hall, and besides..." Lin Daiyu hesitated for a moment, "This is what I overheard; my father didn't say it explicitly. I think he might have been a bit aloof back then."
Mu Chuan chuckled twice: "Also... if there's anything really important in the palace, you can go to Eunuch Zhong Jun."
These words sounded hesitant, and it was precisely because of this hesitation that they seemed all the more solemn.
"Eunuch Zhong?"
Mu Chuan nodded: "He is currently supervising the army in my camp. He also accompanied Prince Teng on military expeditions before. He has been in my camp for no more than a year. Even if he is to go out to supervise the army again, he will have to return to the palace to serve for a period of time first."
This must be His Majesty's most trusted confidant. Lin Daiyu was even more surprised. Mu Chuan then said, "That's why I said, don't go to him unless it's something really important."
Lin Daiyu nodded solemnly: "Third Brother, don't worry, I will be fine."
"I'm here for you." Mu Chuan let out another long sigh of relief, and his speech quickened a bit. "I really have to thank the entire Jia family, thank the old lady of the Jia family for not announcing your engagement, and thank Jia Baoyu for being useless, timid, clueless, and blind. Otherwise, how could such a good wife have fallen into my hands?"
Her father-in-law taught her so much, and with the Lin family's wealth, if she were in charge, she might actually be able to keep the Jia family in check.
Thank you, Jia family, for not recognizing its value; thank you, Jia family, for being so worthless.
Mu Chuan laughed and said, "Later, I will go through all the shops, land, and business transactions under the name of the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion with you, and see how we can integrate them. From now on, the whole household will be in your care, Madam."
Lin Daiyu knew he was joking. Even without her, he managed his vast fortune perfectly well. He didn't let any of the officials he could win over slip by.
"Then what will you do?" Lin Daiyu asked in return.
"I... I'll massage your back, and I can also warm your hands."
"Get lost." Lin Daiyu turned her head away, not letting him see the smile on her face.
They met some important servants that afternoon, but Mu Chuan was also there, with a serious face, which made it difficult for Madam Shen and the others to curry favor with him.
However, it wasn't a big problem. As soon as Shen's mother came out, she thought that the general's wedding leave was only half a month anyway, and then they would be accompanying the lady.
After dinner, the two went out for a walk to digest their food.
Lin Daiyu held Mu Chuan's hand and asked softly, "Third Brother, your legs are so long, aren't you uncomfortable walking so slowly with me?"
Mu Chuan thought about it seriously for a moment: "I also feel that I don't get enough exercise. I should do some exercise before bed."
"Pah!" Lin Daiyu blushed and spat at him. "You still have the nerve to say you have a deficiency in kidney essence?"
"It wasn't me who said it, it was the doctor." Mu Chuan nitpicked the words. His wife, who was as beautiful as a fairy, was concerned about his health. Her expression of both resistance and inability to resist was really too touching.
That's what fun is all about.
"I'm just saying that it might affect my ability to have children, but my back is strong and healthy," Mu Chuan said shamelessly. "You always have back pain, I'll teach you how to train your back tonight."
Lin Daiyu glanced at him, her eyes red: You'd better really mean your waist. But then she thought, tomorrow we're going to the palace to express our gratitude, how many times can he practice tonight? And how many times would he dare to practice tonight?
Thinking about it, Lin Daiyu reached out and pinched his waist, smiling as she said, "Third Brother's waist is indeed sturdy."
Mu Chuan felt this was a provocation, so when the two of them woke up the next day, it was already past 7 AM.
Before he even lifted the covers, Lin Daiyu kicked him in anger, though it wasn't very hard.
Mu Chuan held the person in his arms and comforted him: "Don't worry, we can go into the palace before 9:00 AM. His Majesty is still handling state affairs right now. This must be a bad habit that has been subtly instilled in us by the Rongguo Mansion. His Majesty is a good emperor who cares about his subjects and never makes me wait. We'll go in at 9:00 AM, talk with His Majesty and the Empress, have lunch, and then go to the Daming Palace to talk with the Emperor Emeritus before we leave the palace."
"Would His Majesty or the Emperor Emeritus allow you to make arrangements?"
Mu Chuan hesitated for a moment. It had been almost a year since he returned to the capital last year. At first, he was scrambling to get involved. This time, he would accompany His Majesty first, but next time, the Emperor Emeritus would definitely send someone to intercept him.
Later, the two saints also reached a tacit understanding, and this process has never changed since.
However, Lin Daiyu clearly didn't want to ask that. She then said, "You would also criticize the Rongguo Mansion for something like this?" But she laughed as soon as she finished speaking.
It's obvious that the Third Brother is a favored minister, and it's obvious that the Rongguo Mansion is indeed the kind of family that has to meet the emperor at Shenshi (3-5 PM), leave at Chenshi (7-9 AM), wait all day, and still feel honored and proud.
"Does it hurt?" Lin Daiyu couldn't reach it with her hand, so she stretched out her foot and rubbed it against the spot where she had just kicked it.
Mu Chuan gasped, "You're the one who's criticizing me? It's clearly you who didn't want to go to the palace."
Early in the morning, chaos reigned at the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence, and equally chaos ensued at the Rongguo residence.
Grandmother Jia was sick, but of course she was faking it.
She had been thinking about it these past two days. Although the third day after the wedding was supposed to be the day to return to her parents' home, judging from the current situation, Lin Daiyu probably wouldn't return to the Rongguo Mansion. She simply didn't consider this place her parents' home.
However, Grandmother Jia didn't care much. After all, countless women without maternal families have suffered greatly throughout history.
Besides, there are so many maids who will eventually have to come back with their heads down and obediently admit their mistakes.
But the days of returning to one's parents' home still have to be passed by in a vague manner.
However, the masters and servants of the Rongguo Mansion were all adept at playing dumb.
Not only did they not mention the homecoming, but they also didn't ask if they should prepare any banquet or gifts, let alone send someone to tidy up the room where Lin Daiyu used to live.
In short, everyone, from masters to servants, simply pretended that she didn't exist.
So, to maintain appearances, Grandmother Jia began to feign illness early in the morning.
"I have a headache and feel nauseous. I feel dizzy as soon as I open my eyes. Tell them to go about their business and not to come here for meals or to pay their respects. I'm going to lie down for a bit longer."
Yuanyang saw through it, but she still had to play along.
Not only Yuanyang, but all the other masters of the family came. After all, the Rongguo Mansion no longer held any official positions and had little property left, so they couldn't even find a proper reason to go out.
The conversation dragged on until the end of Chenshi (7-9 AM), and under the strong insistence of her dutiful son and daughter-in-law, Grandmother Jia finally relented and agreed to hire a doctor.
The commotion continued until noon. Grandmother Jia decided it was time to let the matter of the three-day homecoming ceremony pass. Both Madam Xing and Madam Wang, feeling they could use this as an excuse to show their concern for the old lady, forgot it was the day of the homecoming. Finally, the whole family settled down.
However, Grandmother Jia was full of worries, but she couldn't find anyone to confide in.
Her son couldn't say these things. She had never liked her eldest daughter-in-law, and as for her second daughter-in-law... although she didn't like Lin Yatou, saying that she would be a good candidate was too stupid.
Just like Grandmother Jia, she believed that a woman without a maternal family could not live a good life, which was based on facts.
But if it were her second daughter-in-law, she would directly curse: "That short-lived wretch deserves a terrible death."
This is hardly the style of conversation in a noble household. They don't even know how to be sarcastic.
So Grandmother Jia could only say a few words to Yuanyang in a veiled way: "Lin'er is marrying into a military family, and her mother-in-law is a village woman. Who knows how she'll be tormented? The only rule we have in our family is to give her mother-in-law a couple more bites of food. She might even have to do the laundry over there. How can she possibly do any work?"
Yuanyang replied, "There are no parents who are wrong. Only when Miss Lin becomes a mother, or when the Marquis of Zhongyong's concubine has a child, will she know how good the old lady is. At that time, she will have to come back crying and begging the old lady."
Grandmother Jia smiled and sighed, "What can I do? She is Min'er's only child, so naturally I have to forgive her."
At the same time, the Empress also asked, "Would it be alright to give you the Grand View Garden?"
Lin Daiyu paused. Putting everything else aside, the Grand View Garden, besides the main gate, also has two side gates on the east and west sides and a back gate facing north.
The East Gate was originally located in Ningguo Mansion. Later, Ningguo Mansion was divided into two residences, and a small alley was built in front of the East Gate. Now, the East Gate is located directly in the alley.
But the other three gates are all located inside the Rongguo Mansion.
How could the Empress possibly bestow someone else's garden upon her?
Lin Daiyu's heart pounded; the Rongguo Mansion was doomed.
But the Grand View Garden... although it was the place where she lived the longest, she wasn't actually very happy there.
In truth, that place was Jia Baoyu's paradise, not hers.
Lin Daiyu shook her head and looked at Mu Chuan with affection: "I'm living quite well with my third brother. That garden wasn't actually built like a normal residence; it can be used as a garden or a villa, but it's not suitable for long-term living."
Seeing the two of them like this, the emperor and empress couldn't help but smile at each other. The emperor coughed lightly twice: "It's like this when you're newly married."
The Empress then said, "In that case, why not renovate it into a separate courtyard? In the future, when princesses and other noblewomen who have married out of the capital return, they will have another place to live. It will be close to the palace and convenient."
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