Chapter 202 Exposing the Truth (Two chapters combined)
The imperial edict was issued half a month ago, and the old blacksmith and carpenter are already on their way. They should arrive in the capital soon.
Gu Jinyu was unaware that the old blacksmith and carpenter were coming to the capital. After being conferred the title of princess, she first went to Kunning Palace to pay her respects to Empress Xiao, received the golden seal and imperial edict, and then went to Consort Shu's Changchun Palace for a short visit.
All the imperial concubines sent congratulatory gifts, including Consort Zhuang and the Crown Princess.
These two women were the most powerful and influential women in the harem besides Empress Dowager Zhuang and the Empress. Their attitudes largely represented the prevailing sentiment in the harem.
It's rare that the wind direction is consistent this time.
"Auntie didn't misjudge you." Consort Shu held Gu Jinyu's hand with pride, her eyes full of praise.
This incident brought a sense of triumph not only to the emperor but also to Gu Jinyu.
Whether it was Yao's favoritism towards Gu Jiao or the neglect Gu Jinyu received at the girls' school, at this moment, all the gloom seemed to be swept away.
Gu Jinyu returned to the Marquis's residence with immense pride.
Inevitably, he received another round of praise from Lord Gu and Madam Gu.
Ever since the incident involving Aunt Ling, Old Madam Gu had been on the verge of depression. Only after hearing that Gu Jinyu was so promising and had brought great honor to the Marquis's mansion did she regain her radiance.
She held Gu Jinyu's hand affectionately: "Your grandfather is away from home. If he were here, he would definitely praise you."
grandfather……
She didn't even dare to utter that word that held such immense weight in Gu Jinyu's heart.
Will her grandfather really be proud of her?
In my memory, my grandfather was an unreachable figure, and everyone in the family was very afraid of him.
He never seemed to be satisfied with any of his children, and even though his eldest brother tried so hard, his grandfather's eyes still held a critical look.
If she could actually receive a single word of praise from her grandfather, Gu Jinyu felt she could probably brag about it for the rest of her life.
After leaving Madam Gu's courtyard, Gu Jinyu planned to go to Madam Yao's courtyard to tell her about her great achievements and the fact that she had been granted the title of Princess. She wanted her mother to know that she was the smartest daughter in the family and the most deserving of Madam Yao's respect and love.
Halfway there, she unexpectedly ran into Gu Changqing.
She smiled and stepped forward, bowing to Gu Changqing: "Brother."
Gu Changqing nodded slightly.
Gu Jinyu looked at the bundle in his hand and asked with a smile, "Brother, did you come back from outside? What did you bring?"
“A little prey,” Gu Changqing said.
Today, during a hunting trip at the military camp, he caught two small birds, which he planned to take to Biyue Hutong later for Gu Yan and Xiao Jingkong to play with.
Gu Jinyu sensed his coldness. In the past, she would have wisely left, but today she was unusually confident. She smiled and said, "I've never been hunting before. Would it be convenient for you to take me with you next time, brother?"
"Women shouldn't just enter military camps," Gu Changqing politely declined.
"Ah." Gu Jinyu was slightly disappointed, but not too disappointed. She took out a jade pendant from her purse, raised her small face, and smiled gently, "This is for my elder brother."
"What is this?" Gu Changqing asked.
Gu Jinyu said with a beaming smile, "It is a warm jade bestowed by His Majesty."
Giving her the jade pendant was secondary; the important thing was to remind her elder brother that she had become a princess.
When Gu Changqing saw the jade pendant, he finally remembered the news he had heard in the military camp: Gu Jinyu had made great contributions and was granted the title of Princess Hui, a second-rank official.
"Congratulations." Gu Changqing said calmly, without accepting the jade pendant. "Since it is His Majesty's gift, keep it safe and don't lose it."
"Hmm... alright." Gu Jinyu genuinely hoped that Gu Changqing would accept the jade pendant.
Gu Changqing returned to the courtyard.
Gu Changqing was not greatly disturbed. He had never expected to rely on Gu Jinyu to bring glory to the Marquis's mansion. Therefore, whether Gu Jinyu became a princess or made meritorious contributions was of little concern to him.
After showing off to her elder brother, Gu Jinyu couldn't wait to let others know as well, but unfortunately, Madam Yao wasn't at home.
Yao went to Bishui Hutong.
She finished making the clothes for Gu Jiao and brought them for Gu Jiao to try on, but to her dismay, the sleeves and trouser legs were too short.
Is this child only starting to grow taller now?
Mrs. Yao was both amused and exasperated, and she pulled down the gathered edges on her sleeves and trouser legs.
After altering the clothes, she took out all the family's clothes to see if any needed mending.
She had embroiderers make clothes for the other family members, and they received new clothes every month. The clothes for the old lady and Xiao Liulang were durable, mainly because the two of them were not very active. The clothes for the others were in a sorry state.
Gu Jiao used to do all the work.
When Yao saw it today, she almost laughed herself silly.
She thought her daughter was capable of anything, but it turns out she's just a simpleton.
Gu Jiao had just finished watering the vegetable garden when she came to the backyard and saw Yao Shi holding a pile of clothes, laughing so hard she was shaking.
"What's wrong?" she asked, puzzled.
"Oh my~" Yao laughed until tears streamed down her face. It took her a long time to stop laughing before she asked Gu Jiao, "Jiao Jiao, who did you learn needlework from?"
Gu Jiao thought for a moment: "Self-taught?"
The Yao family knew this.
Otherwise, who would sew it like that?
Mrs. Yao was nearly driven mad with amusement by her daughter. She patted the stool beside her, gesturing for Gu Jiao to sit down, then picked up the patch Gu Jiao had mended and said, "You don't need to tie a knot with every stitch, and don't leave any loose threads outside. Like this..."
Yao took it apart and sewed it back together for Gu Jiao to see.
"Hmm." Gu Jiao thought about it seriously, "I thought I sewed it very well."
After all, sewing clothes did improve her surgical suturing skills; she could sew faster than before.
As the mother and daughter were talking, Gu Yan and Gu Xiaoshun returned from the academy. They didn't need to go to Master Lu's place to learn their craft today.
Unaware that Gu Jiao and Yao Shi were both at home, the two of them playfully bickered and entered the courtyard, each with a chicken feather on their head.
Gu Xiaoshun had a small gang in the countryside. Back then, he was the number one local bully in the surrounding area, and the chicken feathers on his head were the symbol of his Chicken Feather Gang.
Afterwards, Gu Jiao sent him to Tianxiang Academy. He seemed to have changed, but in reality, he was still a rascal.
Gu Jiao finally caught him red-handed today.
"Uh, sis." Gu Xiaoshun quickly removed the chicken feathers from his head, his eyes darted around, and then he removed the chicken feathers from Gu Yan's head as well.
The two stood there motionless, awaiting Gu Jiao's judgment.
"Jiaojiao!"
Aunt Zhang from the alley came to my door, saying, "The wall behind my kitchen is about to collapse!"
"I'll go take a look at it for you." Gu Jiao glanced at the two firecrackers in the house, put down the water bucket for watering the flowers, and went to Aunt Zhang's house with her.
The neighbors first discovered Gu Jiao's competence when the roof of the old master next door was leaking. Gu Jiao climbed up and repaired the roof. After that, everyone in the neighborhood knew that the niece-in-law of the old lady Zhuang's family was capable.
Aunt Zhang's courtyard wall is cracked and needs to be repaired with mud.
In ancient times, there was no cement; everything was made of lime mortar and rammed earth.
Lime mortar is not stable enough and is prone to dampness on rainy days, so rammed earth is a better choice.
The raw materials for rammed earth are red clay, coarse sand, and lime blocks. My great-uncle still has lime blocks and coarse sand at home, but Xiao Jingkong has used up all the red clay. He's been obsessed with building houses with his friends lately, and he really doesn't know where to get any for the time being.
Aunt Zhang was extremely anxious: "Is it... is it impossible to fix it today? I think it won't last until tomorrow and it will collapse!"
The courtyard wall is connected to the kitchen; if it collapses, the people cooking in the kitchen will be in danger.
Gu Jiao thought for a moment and said to her, "Wait a moment."
Gu Jiao returned to her own house, went to the kitchen to find glutinous rice, cooked a pot of glutinous rice soup, and then poured the thick glutinous rice dough into the well-stirred lime mortar.
"Sister, what are you doing?" Gu Xiaoshun asked curiously.
Gu Yan squatted down and looked at her expectantly: "Why did you pour the rice water in?"
Gu Jiao handed each of them a stick, gesturing for them to stir continuously: "This is glutinous rice mortar, which is better than rammed earth. It's perfect for plastering walls."
The process of ramming soil is actually very arduous. After mixing the three raw materials together, you need to use tools to pound it repeatedly. The more times you pound it, the stronger the rammed soil will be.
Glutinous rice mortar is not that complicated, but it is much stronger. This is because cooked glutinous rice soup contains amylopectin, which is a perfect natural adhesive. To exaggerate a bit, the strength of lime mortar bonded by it is almost comparable to that of concrete in the previous life.
"Be careful, don't get it on yourselves," Gu Jiao said.
"Oh!" The two nodded in unison.
When Gu Jinyu arrived at Bishui Hutong, she saw the three siblings mixing mortar together.
Gu Jinyu frowned slightly.
In her memory, Gu Yan had always been a sickly man who would pant even when walking. She never expected that he would actually do things, especially such rough work.
Yao sat to the side, leisurely mending clothes, not noticing anything wrong with Gu Yan's work.
Gu Jinyu composed herself and walked into the courtyard, asking, "Mother, sister, brother, what are you doing?"
Gu Yan glanced at her but ignored her.
Gu Yan disliked her.
I disliked them when I didn't know their background, and I disliked them even more after I found out.
Gu Jiao ignored her and continued making her glutinous rice mortar.
She didn't speak to Gu Xiaoshun, so of course Gu Xiaoshun ignored her.
Madam Yao turned to look at her: "It's Jinyu, what brings you here?"
Gu Jinyu said softly, "I didn't see Mother at the manor, so I guessed she must have come here. I brought some things for my sister and brother."
Gu Yan rolled her eyes: "Who cares?"
The mortar was quickly prepared, and Gu Jiao found a bucket and filled it with a large amount.
"I'll do it!" Gu Xiaoshun carried the bucket to Aunt Zhang's house.
Gu Yan wanted to lift it too, but he couldn't, so he carried a small shovel instead.
The three siblings went to repair the wall at Aunt Zhang's house.
Madam Yao sighed.
Gu Jinyu frowned in disgust at the dirty mortar on the ground and the pot of unfinished glutinous rice soup. She turned to Yao Shi and said, "Mother, how can you let your brother do such rough work? He's so weak."
“It’s because he’s weak that he has to do more work. Haven’t you noticed that your brother is much more energetic than before?” If Gu Yan weren’t still taking medicine every day, Madam Yao would probably think that her son was already a normal person.
Gu Jinyu pouted: "But the imperial physicians all said that my brother shouldn't overwork himself and should rest more."
Madam Yao said, "Your sister is a doctor; she knows what's best for Yan'er!"
Gu Jinyu opened her mouth. He was just a medicine boy, how could he be a doctor?
Gu Jinyu's gaze fell on the glutinous rice soup and the mortar. It was utterly ridiculous. Glutinous rice soup was food, but Gu Jiao was using it to make mud.
That's why they say they grew up in the countryside; they have absolutely no common sense.
Gu Jinyu couldn't understand, but she held back and didn't say, "Mother."
"What's wrong?" Yao asked.
Gu Jinyu smiled and took out a gold seal and a precious book from his wide sleeves, handing them to Madam Yao.
Yao was slightly taken aback: "This is..."
"Please open it and take a look," Gu Jinyu said proudly.
Madam Yao opened the box containing the gold seal, turned it over, and saw that it was the seal of the princess.
Gu Jinyu awaited Yao's praise.
When Yao heard about the bellows incident, she didn't understand the court's rules for bestowing titles, but becoming a princess was still an honor.
Madam Yao nodded with satisfaction: "Mother's Jinyu is really amazing."
Gu Jinyu was very happy to receive Yao's approval.
A short while later, the three siblings returned, covered in dirt from pasting the wall, their hair dusty.
Aunt Zhang came in carrying a jar of pickled vegetables and said to Yao, "Ah Yao, your child is so capable! She got it all done in no time!"
Yao's eyes were brimming with joy and pride, even more so than when she saw Gu Jinyu's princess seal: "Yes, they are all quite capable."
What can you do by wallpapering a wall?
Gu Jinyu pouted.
Gu Jinyu brought many imperial gifts to show everyone the good news of her becoming a princess. However, apart from the slight praise from Madam Yao at the beginning, Gu Jiao and the other two treated Gu Jinyu and her valuables as if they were invisible.
Gu Jinyu felt no joy in showing off.
The gold and silver jewelry she brought was not even worth as much as a jar of worthless pickles.
As expected of someone from the countryside, they don't know what's good for them!
That night, Gu Jinyu returned to the Marquis's residence.
The maid told her that in the two hours she was out, many young ladies came to visit and left gifts to congratulate her on being granted the title of princess.
Gu Jinyu felt a little better.
When Lord Gu returned to his residence, Gu Jinyu told her about his trip to Biyue Alley. When Gu Jiao was mentioned wallpapering the neighbor's wall, she specifically praised her, saying, "Actually, you're quite capable, sister."
If Lord Gu had been there, he probably would have thought the three siblings were quite capable. But being singled out by Gu Jinyu, who invented the bellows, created a stark contrast.
Lord Gu scoffed, "What's so great about wallpapering? That's all she can do! She refuses to study all day! She insists on doing these disreputable things! Can't she learn from you? Study hard, play the zither properly, and be a proper young lady of the Marquis's mansion!"
Gu Jinyu said gently, "My sister's happiness is the most important thing."
Lord Gu sneered, "She's happy!"
They kidnapped his son!
They say you become like the company you keep, and I'm really worried that if Yan'er spends all his time with that girl, he'll turn into a country bumpkin too.
Gu Yan, who was worried about becoming a country bumpkin, was currently playing checkers with Xiao Jingkong, the number one child prodigy of Zhao Kingdom, and successfully lost the eighteenth game of the night.
With a dark expression, he went to the study of the number one genius boy in Zhao Kingdom to play Go with his brother-in-law for a while to find some comfort, but ended up being defeated in five games in a row.
Heartbroken, Yan Bao went to the old lady's house and played some card games with the old lady and her two card-playing friends. She was also checked on by the old master, thus completing her fulfilling (frustrated) and bitter day.
The first batch of wound medicine delivered to the military camp received a good response, and the camp quickly placed a second order.
Gu Jiao was busy making a fortune every day.
Gu Jinyu was also busy.
The invention of the bellows greatly stimulated her. She was exceptionally intelligent from a young age, and she didn't believe that anything others could come up with could be conceived by her own mind.
Besides, bellows is just a simple device.
It's ingenious, but the principle is very simple.
Isn't it just about increasing the wind to make the flames burn brighter?
What's so difficult about that?
Gu Jinyu had a sudden inspiration, took out paper and pen, and improved the ratio of the stove to the bellows.
She doubled the number of bellows, which would result in greater firepower and improved iron smelting efficiency.
Gu Jinyu took the blueprints and went to the palace, where she shared her ideas with Consort Shu: "...What could have been completed in a month can now be finished in half a month after the improvements!"
"My goodness, so fast?" Consort Shu exclaimed in surprise.
“Yes!” Gu Jinyu nodded firmly. “This is similar to the water-powered rafts that the imperial court used in the past. Because the wind power was not strong enough, the effect was not high enough.”
Consort Shu didn't know much about this, but she heard that it was even better than the current stoves, so it was naturally another great achievement.
Without saying a word, Consort Shu led Gu Jinyu to the Imperial Study to meet His Majesty.
The border has been restless lately, and His Majesty is discussing important matters with the Grand Councilors. If an ordinary person came, the eunuchs would not announce it rashly. But who can blame them when Princess Hui is now a favorite of His Majesty?
Eunuch Wei smiled and said, "Please wait a moment, Your Highness, and Princess Hui. This old servant will go and inform them."
Old slave?
In the past, Eunuch Wei referred to himself as a polymath in front of Gu Jinyu.
"Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch," said Consort Shu.
Gu Jinyu nodded in agreement.
Eunuch Wei entered the room with small, quick steps and whispered a few words to His Majesty.
His Majesty was nearly driven mad by the border problems and happened to need some uplifting news, so he dismissed the Grand Councilors and summoned Gu Jinyu and Consort Shu.
And Gu Jinyu truly did not disappoint him.
His Majesty was actually a novice in this field, but he trusted Gu Jinyu and immediately sent the blueprints to the Ministry of Works.
The supervisor of the Ministry of Works looked at Gu Jinyu's blueprints with a suspicious expression: "So many bellows, is there any problem?"
A colleague standing nearby said, "These are Miss Gu's drawings, what could be wrong with them? His Majesty personally sent them, hurry up!"
If it's His Majesty's order, then there's nothing we can do.
The supervisor immediately instructed his subordinates to modify the ratio of the furnace and bellows according to Gu Jinyu's drawings.
The results proved that efficiency did indeed improve, with one day producing almost the equivalent of two days' worth of output.
His Majesty was overjoyed and rewarded Gu Jinyu, as well as Marquis Gu and the Ministry of Works.
Gu Jinyu became the most popular person in the capital for a time.
Everyone praised her as another extraordinary woman after the Crown Princess, and even suggested that she was on par with the Crown Princess.
In the Eastern Palace, a young palace maid spoke up for the Crown Princess: "Your Majesty, how dare a country bumpkin like me compare myself to you?"
Gu Jinyu's true identity could not be hidden from the Crown Prince's palace. Now that she had become a princess, there was no need for her to hide it from the world.
The common people not only did not discriminate against her, but instead valued her even more, regarding her as a princess from the common people. She was not only unpretentious, but also demonstrated to the world that even a pheasant can become a phoenix by climbing the tree.
The Crown Princess knelt on the cushion, practicing calligraphy with a serene and calm demeanor, as if no matter how many storms she experienced, she would always remain as serene as a chrysanthemum.
"It's nothing to be famous for a short time; what's truly impressive is being famous for a lifetime."
He showed no dissatisfaction with Gu Jinyu's prominence.
The Crown Princess had seen too many people who were only famous for a short time, but who were as fleeting as shooting stars. The emperor's favorites came and went, but how many of them lasted?
She never gets jealous of women who steal her thunder, because she knows it's only temporary.
On a sunny afternoon, the old blacksmith and the carpenter finally arrived in the capital after a long journey of more than a month.
Escorted by government officials along the way, the journey wasn't too difficult, except that the old blacksmith was getting on in years and was finding it a bit too much for him.
Because it was His Majesty who summoned them, the officials dared not delay. After arriving in the capital, they took the two men to the post station to bathe and change clothes before they immediately went to the palace to meet the Emperor.
The two of them had never even been to the capital, let alone the imperial palace.
Walking on the gleaming white marble floor, neither of them dared to utter a sound.
These lowly craftsmen never dreamed they would meet the Emperor; it was truly an honor for their ancestors!
The old blacksmith was both nervous and excited, his old legs trembling as he took his steps: "To see His Majesty, I...I...I would die here for nothing!"
They were received by Eunuch Wei, who served His Majesty.
Eunuch Wei smiled and said, "This word cannot be said in the Golden Palace; it is taboo."
The old blacksmith quickly covered his mouth.
Of course, he didn't forget to glance at Eunuch Wei. He was clearly a man, so why was he speaking in such a sarcastic tone?
The carpenter was a young man in his early thirties. Young people adapt quickly, but he was also so excited that he couldn't take care of himself. After taking two steps, he stumbled and almost fell.
The eunuchs standing nearby smirked.
With a single glance from Eunuch Wei, the eunuchs all became solemn.
Eunuch Wei led the man to a side hall.
He respectfully reported from outside the door: "Your Majesty, the craftsmen from the county town have arrived."
"Come in." His Majesty was in a good mood.
The two changed their clothes at the post station, and the officials had taught them the etiquette of kowtowing on the way here. Whether they could learn it or not was another matter.
Before the two even saw the emperor, they felt their legs go weak just from hearing his majestic voice.
"Please," Eunuch Wei said with a smile.
The two of them cautiously stepped across the threshold.
The palace was grand and imposing, spotless. The two of them felt as if they had entered a celestial palace, not a royal palace.
"Kneel—" Eunuch Wei announced the ceremony.
The two of them knelt down with a thud.
They had completely forgotten all the etiquette they had learned before, and the two of them kowtowed to the emperor three times with the same intensity they would when kowtowing to their ancestors at their graves.
After they finished, the two wanted to light incense, but unfortunately there wasn't any.
His Majesty's respect for his people is a sign of his magnanimity, unlike the awe-inspiring and dignified demeanor he displays before his court officials.
"Rise," he said.
The two men exclaimed, "What? There's this too? The officers didn't mention it!"
The two looked at each other, then suddenly lay down on the ground and flattened their bodies.
His Majesty:"……"
Eunuch Wei: "..."
His Majesty nearly choked with laughter: "...Quickly help him up!"
"Yes!" Eunuch Wei also struggled to suppress his laughter and personally helped the old blacksmith and carpenter up.
They were two honest men; otherwise, they wouldn't have so generously passed on the blower technique to the imperial court and local craftsmen.
This is also why His Majesty decided to bestow honors upon them.
To His Majesty's surprise, however, they refused His Majesty's reward.
The old blacksmith said sincerely, "It wasn't us who did it. It was that young lady. If His Majesty wants to reward someone, then reward that young lady. We've already received enough benefits! My blacksmith shop is famous, and A-Cheng's shop is always busy. We've never earned so much silver in our entire lives! Now that we can see His Majesty again, we can die without regrets!"
Once they return to the county town, they'll be people who have seen the emperor, and they can boast about it for eighteen generations!
The word "death" has always been taboo in front of the emperor, but when it is spoken by a commoner with such sincere emotion, His Majesty feels happy.
When they're happy, they receive even more rewards.
His Majesty smiled and said, "If you have any other requests, please feel free to make them."
The two had discussed it on their way here.
The old blacksmith said, "We...would like to meet that girl and thank her in person."
That girl was a benefactor in their lives, and they had to express their gratitude no matter what.
His Majesty is in a good mood today and has granted their request.
Gu Jinyu was taken into the palace.
Eunuch Wei wanted to give her a surprise, so he didn't say who had come, only that they were two old friends from the county town.
Gu Jinyu was still wondering if she had any old acquaintances in the county town. Could it be the maids from the two estates? Had Yu Ru returned?
Then she saw two strange men.
Two unfamiliar men were also looking at her.
An ominous premonition welled up in Gu Jinyu's heart. She frowned, composed herself, and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty."
His Majesty raised his hand to gesture for her to rise, then looked at the carpenter and the old blacksmith beside him: "Do you still remember them?"
"Huh?" Gu Jinyu was taken aback.
Does she know these two people?
The same question flashed through the minds of the old blacksmith and the carpenter: Yes, do they know this girl?
His Majesty teased the two of them, saying, "What's wrong? It's only been half a year, and you don't recognize your little benefactor anymore? You keep saying you want to thank him in person."
Gu Jinyu's heart skipped a beat!
The old blacksmith frowned and said, "Your Majesty, you've made a mistake. She's not that girl!"
I haven't had many monthly votes lately, *stares*, can you give me a monthly vote?
(End of this chapter)
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