Chapter 34 Be a Little Thicker
Shangguan Jin's idea to hold another birthday celebration for the old lady was inspired by Dongmai.
Last night, Shangguan Jin returned to her residence in a high-profile manner with the gifts from Emperor Xiao Jing and Empress Xu.
This route attracted many people to stop and watch.
This is exactly the effect Shangguan Jin wanted.
Look! You're speechless now, aren't you? The Emperor and the Empress have bestowed so many gifts upon the Duke of Dingguo's mansion!
Is there anyone else who doesn't understand?
The servants from various mansions, who were mixed in with the crowd watching the spectacle, immediately went back to report the news.
Everyone at the Duke of Dingguo's mansion was also in high spirits.
Sure enough, by holding a birthday banquet for the old lady, the status of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion has risen again.
Among all the noble families in the capital, how many of the elderly ladies and gentlemen receive so many rewards from the imperial family on their birthdays?
Oh, the old lady of the Duke of Anguo's mansion did receive a reward, but most of those were actually rewards from the Empress Dowager, weren't they?
Therefore, in everyone's eyes, the Duke of Dingguo's mansion was still the most important in the eyes of the imperial family.
Keeping her promise, Shangguan Jin gave everyone in the household an extra month's salary before heading to the old lady's room with the rewards.
"Mother, these gifts are bestowed upon you by His Majesty and the Empress to celebrate your birthday." Shangguan Jin laid out the gifts in Madam Shen's room.
Madam Shen's eyes were dazzled by the sight.
She kept looking at this and that, not knowing how to be happy.
"This is good! This is good!" Old Madam Shen stood still in front of the jade Guanyin and the golden God of Longevity statues.
Shangguan Jin and all the maids and servants in the room wanted to laugh.
The old lady still prefers jade and gold the most.
"Jin'er, when your grandfather celebrates his birthday, send this to him. He's a scholar, he'll definitely like this," said Madam Shen, pointing to the wooden crane carving.
"And this embroidery, send it to your grandmother on her birthday."
"Your grandmother has always loved embroidery. Send this to her, she'll definitely love it." Old Madam Shen then pointed to the embroidery of Magu celebrating her birthday.
Shangguan Jin smiled and agreed.
The old lady had a good memory; of all the gifts, the one that Old Master Shangguan and Old Madam Shangguan liked the most was definitely the wooden crane carving and the Magu birthday celebration.
"Oh dear, shouldn't the imperial family's rewards be able to be transferred to other families?" Old Madam Shen was a little uncertain.
"Yes, it is! The gold-inlaid jade statue of the God of Longevity that my mother sent last time was given to my grandmother's grandmother by the late Empress Dowager."
"Don't worry, Mother, it can be delivered," Shangguan Jin said.
Only then did Madam Shen feel relieved and look at the congratulatory gifts again and again.
"Well, we won't sell these. Apart from the ones we just saw, we'll keep the jade and gold ones for ourselves and give the rest away as gifts."
What a great honor bestowed by Heaven!
"That way, when you prepare congratulatory gifts for other families, this one item will be equivalent to four or five other items," Madam Shen said with a smile.
Shangguan Jin thought so too.
Let's prepare porcelain and other items as congratulatory gifts!
Winter wheat, who followed, also looked very happy.
When the young lady came back just now, I stuffed a whole bunch of silver notes into her hand!
A full ten thousand taels.
This time, Miss not only got back the Duke's three-year salary when she went to the palace, but also got back Aunt Xin's three-year living expenses.
Wow, you're amazing, miss!
To be able to recoup so much silver in one go, this must be the hand that steals silver!
However, it's a bit of a pity.
If the young lady had entered the palace earlier, the imperial family would have bestowed these gifts sooner, and the Duke of Dingguo's mansion would have suffered less injustice.
That way, we can receive more congratulatory gifts from each family.
"Sigh!" Dongmai couldn't help but sigh.
The sigh startled everyone in the room.
Dongmai, who never sleeps even when the sky is falling, is actually sighing?
"Aunt Dong, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Old Madam Shen asked quickly.
"Yes, Dongmai, what's wrong? Why are you sighing for no reason?" Shangguan Jin was also very curious.
When Dongmai saw everyone looking at him like that, he quickly waved his hand.
"I'm fine, I was just feeling a bit sentimental."
"Feeling sentimental? Why are you feeling sentimental all of a sudden!" Shangguan Jin couldn't help but laugh.
Dongmai couldn't help but sigh again.
“Miss, what I was just thinking was that if the imperial family’s gifts were sent before our birthday banquet, those families probably wouldn’t dare to look down on our family.”
"The Marquis of Wuding's mansion certainly wouldn't dare to try to fool us with those congratulatory gifts!" Dongmai whispered.
Everyone remained silent.
Only Shangguan Jin felt a little sorry for him.
Yes, if I had gone to the palace earlier to beg for alms, those families would definitely have increased their gifts.
Ah, if only I could do it all over again...
Wait a minute...
There's no going back; you can't turn back time two steps.
However, it's not impossible to redo it...
After all... that day, everyone only had a cup of tea at the Duke of Dingguo's mansion and didn't get to eat at the main banquet!
That's terrible!
After all, they've given so many gifts; it would be too much to not let people enjoy this delicious meal!
The Duke of Dingguo's family is an honest and upright family; they would never do something that would make someone go through all that trouble only to not get a single meal.
Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to hold the old lady's birthday banquet again.
As for whether those people came empty-handed...
Hehe, Shangguan Jin knew that as long as she held a birthday banquet for the old lady again, those families would definitely come.
And they won't come empty-handed...
That's why Shangguan Jin told everyone that she wanted to hold another birthday banquet.
So what if you're a little thick-skinned!
As people often say, "Those with thin skin get nothing, while those with thick skin get to eat a lot of meat!"
In addition, Shangguan Jin is also betting on something.
If you bet right, great; if you bet wrong, there's no loss.
Everyone in the Shen family, except for Dongmai, believed that Shangguan Jin was trying to establish her authority.
Except for winter wheat.
She was so pleased that she had the accountant prepare a new ledger.
Excellent, the Duke of Dingguo's mansion is going to receive gifts again.
Not only does she not need to touch her young lady's private treasury, but she can also make some more money!
Shangguan Jin still firmly believes that if you want a horse to run, you have to feed it well.
She made another promise: if everyone could hold the old lady's birthday banquet properly again, she would still give them an extra month's salary.
This really got everyone excited.
Everyone should just go about their business.
Even the gatekeepers were so eager to polish the stone lions at the entrance of the Duke's mansion that they wanted to do it three times a day.
Of course, when the noble families in the capital received the Duke's mansion's invitation again, they all had the same thought.
What is the Heavenly Family trying to express?
We have to go, otherwise what if the Shangguan family impeaches us again?
Not only did the Marquis of Wuding's family fail to see that they were fined three years' salary for ruining Old Madam Shen's birthday banquet, but they were also punished for the same reason.
The second young master of the Song family was even ordered to stay at home and reflect on his mistakes!
Alas, speaking of which, everyone can't help but feel sorry for Marquis Wuding.
He was just happily escorting grain supplies when he was suddenly fined three years' salary...
Indeed, one should not be too arrogant!
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