Chapter 9
I ran out of the yard and went straight to my brother.
My brother saw me laughing happily and couldn't help wondering, "Where are you from? Why are you laughing like that?"
I sat down and gulped down a cup of tea my brother had poured. "I just came from my father's place."
"You come here at this time and you don't even get a meal." My brother couldn't help laughing.
I kept him in suspense. "Well, brother, guess why?" My brother rolled his eyes at me. "You came straight to me after leaving home. It must be something to do with me. You're so happy. Could it be that you're talking about my marriage?"
I said proudly, "You are worthy of being my brother."
My brother laughed and said, "You are such a brainless brother."
I told my brother the whole story, and he said softly, "Our parents are both good parents."
I nodded in agreement.
"I'll think about it carefully. No matter what, I won't consider it for the next two years. I'm too young and it feels illegal." My brother said, and he couldn't help laughing. After thinking about it, I couldn't help but laugh too.
Before my father could contact his younger brother who had gone to the south to take up his post with his wife, my grandfather, who had been in poor health since the beginning of winter, passed away.
It was early one morning, and there was a noise mixed with the sound of hurried footsteps outside.
I woke up involuntarily and looked out the window at the dawn. I called Zhixia in and asked, "Zhixia, what happened outside?" Zhixia came in with people and had already prepared water and clothes.
"Master, we have to get up quickly. The old marquis has just been found to have gone out at night." Zhixia said as she put the things away.
I quickly got up and asked, "Grandpa is gone? Wasn't he fine yesterday?"
I quickly dressed. My clothes were white, covered with mourning clothes. This meant he was definitely dead. Tears welled up in my eyes. Normally, my grandparents had always been very caring and loving to me.
I had lunch there yesterday afternoon, and my grandfather seemed to be in good spirits.
I quickly went out. White banners were hung everywhere in the mansion. I couldn't help but cry again.
I was walking fast on the road and happened to meet my brother who was also on the road. "Brother~" I cried out in a crying voice.
My brother just touched my head and didn't say anything.
When we arrived, my grandmother was sitting in the hall with a gloomy look on her face, and my mother, father and others were already there.
Grandfather's body had already been laid to rest. We knelt on the ground and kowtowed several times, weeping. The steward next to us said, "Old Marquis, Marquis, the mourning hall is ready."
Grandmother waved her hand and said, "Go ahead." After that, the maids and guards lifted the body onto the bier, and we followed behind crying.
I looked at my grandfather carefully, and his face looked like he had suffered a stroke. I felt very sad, and couldn't help but think of my brother in my previous life. I wondered if he had been properly taken care of.
I cried and stole a glance at my brother. He was also sobbing softly, with no other expression on his face. And so, no matter what I thought of, it was nothing but sadness.
When we arrived at the mourning hall, everyone quickly set up their positions. My mother and I knelt on either side, while my father, brother, and others sat on the other side.
As the sun rose higher, close relatives who had heard the news arrived one after another, and the mourning hall was filled with crying.
Over the past five days, my brother and I have cried ourselves hoarse, and our mother and father look listless. During this time, uncles from other places have also rushed over, and the emperor's aunt has sent the crown princess and the third princess to come.
Today, the coffin was taken up for funeral and burial. I watched my mother being supported by others and going through the rituals over and over again, and I also staggered and followed the instructions to do what I needed to do.
My mother was the only legitimate daughter, and as the eldest granddaughter, I had a lot of chores to do. My younger sister was too young, so she was held and shown for a short while before being taken back.
On the way to the funeral, my mother already needed someone to support her, and the same went for my father, who felt like he could lie down as soon as he was let go.
My brother and I used sticks for support and marched forward in a mighty procession. The road was already clear, but every time we got in front of them, people would still give way.
After everything was settled, my mother was carried back home, and I was also helped back home by Zhixia and the others. The mansion suddenly became unusually quiet. The door was closed, and according to custom, the whole family began to observe mourning.
After two days of rest, I finally felt my body recover. I woke up and went to visit my father. He was sitting on the couch, embroidering. When he saw me, he said "hush." I didn't say hello, but quietly asked, "Is Mom okay?"
"I had a slight fever yesterday morning, and it got quite severe in the afternoon. I've already seen the imperial physician, and after taking some medicine, the fever has subsided this morning. Let's see him again today, and if he doesn't have a fever anymore, he should be fine. You don't have to worry. You've had enough rest, and if you feel any discomfort, you must see a doctor in time. You're young and can't delay." My father touched my hand.
I also took my father's hand and said, "I'm fine. How about you? Are you okay?"
My father pulled his hand away and patted me. "I'm fine, just tired. I'll get over it slowly." As he was speaking, my brother came over. My father smiled and said, "You two really have a good understanding of each other."
The elder brother sat down next to his father and expressed his concern. His father also asked his elder brother, "Your foot just healed recently. Are you okay walking for so long?"
The brother pursed his lips and replied to his father, "It's okay, Lanlan told me a long time ago. Kongqing, Yuzhu and the others took turns supporting me. They didn't use much force."
"That's good, but you can't leave any chronic illness behind, otherwise you will suffer when you get old. Alas, your grandfather was over seventy years old and was considered a long-lived man. It is a blessing that he passed away so suddenly. It is good that he doesn't have to suffer from illness." My father sighed.
We sat with my father for a while, and chatted with my mother for a few more minutes after she woke up. Seeing that she still looked listless, my brother and I took our leave.
I followed my brother to his yard. After entering, I asked Zhixia and the others to leave and then closed the door.
I took off my outer robe and lay down shapelessly on my brother's bed. My brother sat down and patted me, "You are not a child anymore. How can you let others see you entering my yard and lying on my bed every day? What's wrong with you?"
I kicked off my shoes and rolled into the bed. "No matter what they say, we are legitimate siblings. At most, they will say I'm unruly, and they will even praise our good relationship."
My brother laughed and pushed me. I moved inwards to make room for him. The bed in this house is very big, and it is no problem for three people to sleep on it.
We lay on our backs in bed for a long time before I spoke: "Grandpa's passing solved a big problem for us. Grandpa really loved us!"
"Hmm." My brother also said gloomily. In private, my brother and I are still used to calling each other by the name we used in our past lives.
My brother turned to me and asked, "What are you going to do about the imperial examination?"
I was stunned for a moment and said, "Then let's put it off a little longer. After all, I'm still young. If I take the exam again in four years, I'll get a better score and I'll be the youngest Jinshi."
Here, the mourning period for a legitimate daughter is generally three years, and for a legitimate granddaughter it is two or three years. However, due to the family's activities, the mourning period is only two and a half years.
The imperial examinations here were also held every three years, and there was a special rule: people were automatically retired at the age of 68. I was quite surprised by the retirement system at the time.
I just don’t know if it’s the same for the emperor. After all, no emperor has lived past that age so far. It shows that being an emperor is not an easy job.
My brother joked, "You'll have studied for ten years by then, which is one year longer than the nine years of compulsory education. If you don't get top marks in the exam, you'll be unworthy of your reputation as a 985 or 211 graduate."
I couldn't help but reach out and pinch my brother, and he cried out in pain, "Is it just based on the poem your sister and I cobbled together?"
"You are standing on the shoulders of giants. We have read so many poems." My brother blinked.
I was very unconvinced. "Well, come on, recite a few poems for me. You're not going to recite Goose, Goose, Goose, are you?"
It’s been nearly 20 years, and I don’t believe my brother can still remember much.
"If plagiarism were allowed, I could write a few more songs. But as your sister, I have a very high sense of morals, and I really can't have the nerve to say that I wrote them myself." I scratched my face, feeling helpless.
My brother smiled and patted me on the shoulder. "Okay, okay, I was just kidding. It's amazing to pass the exam. A champion is the number one in the country, right? Why would they expect such high standards from you? Really, I think anyone who passes is incredibly talented."
I stretched and agreed, "I think so too. Hehe." Anyway, I really didn't think I could become the top scorer in the imperial examination. I understand that there is always someone better than you.
Ever since our family began observing mourning, time has slowed down. Plus, it's winter now, and everyone's staying indoors. My brother and I have been playing cards and mahjong, but it's not a good time, after all, entertainment is still prohibited.
At that time, these two kinds of entertainment quickly became popular throughout the country. The emperor's aunt looked at the silver coming in like water and she couldn't stop smiling.
Of course, the palace didn't get only 10% of this income. We created a trademark, the Ministry of Industry hired someone to produce it, and the Ministry of Revenue assigned people to run it. My brother and I only took 20% of the profits, and the remaining 80% went to the national treasury.
Even this is very hot in our hands, but the Emperor's aunt said that it was originally ours, and our mother selflessly handed it over to the court, so we cannot let our efforts go to waste.
I think the Emperor's aunt wants to play the long game and catch the big fish, so that my brother and I can generate more income for the country.
As for the outside world, few knew we were the ones who made it. We were just trying to entertain our father, but after a few playdates, my mother, with her sharp business sense, quickly spotted a business opportunity, and it was brought to the palace. This also made my father furious, but in the end, my mother calmed him down with a better material.
Of course, there were still people who knew about it, but since the Emperor Auntie didn't mention it, they kept the news to themselves and didn't spread it.
This is also one of the important reasons why I didn’t get into trouble at home when I got into trouble outside. After all, the Emperor’s aunt remembers our family’s kindness.
This is probably why the Emperor's aunt wants my brother to be married to a member of the royal family, and why many discerning families, despite being very fond of my brother, haven't come forward to propose marriage. I suspect that if my brother's marriage doesn't work out, my own will inevitably be interfered with as well.
As for the trademark, it is a special trademark for Royal products. It was also my brother and I's idea.
First, to create a brand effect. The same product, when made by the Royal brand, sounds stylish and prestigious.
Second, reduce counterfeiting and maximize monopoly. If you imitate something royal, you're risking your life. It's like playing cards and mahjong—who can't copy them? It's just that the upper echelons of business are harder to snatch.
Therefore, our income is naturally higher than before. The Emperor's aunt also praised my brother and I for our good brains.
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