Chapter 145 [VIP]
bid?
Wang Xing glanced with interest in the direction Gu Yan had left, then gently tapped his palm with his folding fan.
"Talking about money is inappropriate," Xie Yingchen said with a smile. "It's vulgar."
Gu Zhizhuo: ?
I have a feeling that the young master is up to something.
She asked, "Did Prince Li win against the Ji family?"
As Xie Yingchen walked, he said to her, "Master Ji first went to see Prince Li and mentioned taking Gu Yan back to Jiangnan to raise him, changing his surname to Ji, and adopting him under the name of his deceased brother. Prince Li did not agree."
"Finally, it was agreed that Gu Yan would be handed over to Prince Li, and from then on, he would have no further connection with the Ji family."
During their conversation, Prince Li specially called Xie Yingchen over to be a witness.
In fact, according to the Ji clan chief's wishes, this was the best thing for Gu Yan. He was to be far away from the capital, change his surname to Ji, and no one would know about his past.
"The Emperor is 'seriously ill' and thinks about his youngest son every day, insisting that Prince Li must bring Gu Yan back no matter what."
"Prince Li had no other choice."
Xie Yingchen laughed and said, "Prince Li had been avoiding mentioning Gu Yan before because he wanted the Ji family to take him away and never appear in the capital again. The imperial family should also just pretend that he didn't exist."
Therefore, after the emperor was "seriously ill," he had been deliberately avoiding the issue for many days, but unexpectedly, he still couldn't escape it.
"Understood."
Gu Zhizhu clapped his hands.
She smiled happily at Xie Yingchen. No wonder people say gold and silver are vulgar. To redeem this "beloved" youngest son, the emperor was willing to spend far more than just gold and silver.
Gu Zhizhuo dared not even think about what the emperor's reaction would be when the marriage charm lost its effect and he recalled these events. It would certainly be quite a spectacle.
"etc."
Wang Xing became increasingly confused. When their conversation came to an end, he asked, "The Emperor's youngest son?"
If he remembered correctly, Gu Yan was born to his uncle's second wife.
Almost everyone in the capital knew about it, so there was no point in hiding it. Gu Zhizhuo briefly explained, leaving Wang Xing dumbfounded. It was easy to imagine the impact this had on his younger cousin, yet now she appeared calm and even smiling, as if she were talking about someone else's business.
He patted her head and sighed, "You've worked hard, Yao Yao."
Grandfather always said that after Aunt passed away, Yaoyao should be taken back to Langya. Sigh, if Grandfather knew about these ridiculous things, he would be heartbroken.
Gu Zhizhuo nodded. It was indeed quite tiring.
"Big sister, you're back."
Gu Yique waited for them for a long time in front of the ceremonial gate.
The household knew that Gu Zhizhuo would be returning to the capital today, and Gu Yique bravely came out to wait for her.
He walked briskly to greet him, cheerfully calling out, "Brother-in-law, cousin Wang."
Gu Yique was lively and had a sweet tongue. After greeting him affectionately, he took half a step back and greeted him respectfully.
"This is alkyne, it is alkyne."
Gu Zhizhuo introduced him to Wang Xing: "When you came to the capital last time, he had just learned to walk."
Oh, oh, oh.
Upon hearing this, Wang Xing understood.
Wang Xing made a gesture and walked forward, keeping a respectful distance from his attendant.
The servant was holding several gift boxes, and Wang Xing gave one to him.
"Alkyne, a little something to say when we meet."
Gu Yique thanked him and took it; inside was a telescope.
Wow!
Gu Yique's eyes lit up. He happily picked up the binoculars, looked at them from left to right, touched them again and again with great affection, and even gave them a big kiss.
Gu Zhizhuo laughed at him: "Your third uncle also has a telescope, it's not like you haven't used one before."
“That’s different!” Gu Yique said confidently. “My third uncle’s telescope is all dark and not as good-looking as this one.”
It really looks good.
The telescope was golden, with a large ruby set in it, and two rings of sparkling diamonds around the ruby, shimmering in the sunlight. Gu Zhizhuo was also captivated by it.
"your."
Wang Xing saw through her thoughts and took out a telescope.
Originally, apart from the newborn Xi-ge'er, there were only three cousins in the mansion. When preparing the gifts, the Wang family prepared three telescopes. Now that there are two cousins, there is one more telescope.
Gu Zhizhuo accepted it without ceremony and happily read it with Xie Yingchen.
Gu Yique held the telescope tightly in his hand. He led the way while keeping a close eye on Wang Xing. He liked Wang Xing's cousin's bright and stylish outfit!
He made a purple riding outfit, but his mother thought it was ugly. She said, "Look how handsome my cousin Wang Xing looks in his purple robe!" He felt that he and his cousin Wang Xing would definitely have something to talk about.
The old lady's taste was quite similar to theirs. As soon as she saw Wang Xing, she smiled broadly and happily took his hand, saying, "Good! Boys should dress brightly."
"Mmm-hmm." Gu Yique nodded frantically beside him.
As the matriarch grew older, she loved to see the younger generation dressed in their finest attire. The more she looked at Wang Xing's outfit, the happier she became.
“Xing’er, I have a pink shimmering brocade. It will definitely suit you. I’ll have someone find it for you in a bit, and you can take it back with you.”
None of the granddaughters liked the pink color, but Que Que did, though he was too childish for it.
Wang Xing is good-looking and has a great demeanor, so he can keep things under control.
"Thank you, Grandmother." Wang Xing bowed deeply, his demeanor elegant and refined. "Once the clothes are made, I will wear them for you to see."
"Excellent!" The old lady was delighted.
He then greeted Gu Baibai with a respectful greeting: "Third Uncle."
The only elders were the Dowager Madam and Gu Baibai. Madam Lu had a difficult childbirth and was injured. Gu Zhizhuo instructed her to stay in confinement for a full hundred days before going out. Madam Xu, being a widow, had always lived a secluded life.
The younger generation all came, calling out "Cousin!" with great joy.
Wang Xing brought gifts for everyone. For his great-grandmother, it was an indigo headband with a South Sea pearl the size of a pigeon's egg, and it was also inlaid with a circle of small pearls. For his cousins, he brought a box of gemstones for each of them.
"It was brought back from the West by a ship, and my cousins took it to play with."
They gave the Lu and Xu families a set of headdresses.
Even Xu Ge'er has a gold necklace with a safety lock.
"Cousin, what about the young master's?" Gu Zhizhuo asked him skillfully, asking for a gift.
Wang Xing: ?
"Young master, you've already called me 'cousin,' haven't you given me a gift yet?"
That's right!
Wang Xing had already prepared to see how the marriage proposal for Yao Yao went before deciding whether to give it to her.
He took the two heaviest wooden boxes, giving one to Gu Baibai and the other to Xie Yingchen.
"Young master, open it and take a look."
Gu Zhizhuo was incredibly curious.
When they were in Yihe County, Wang Xing said he had brought some good things and insisted on showing them to her when he returned.
Xie Yingchen held it in both hands and asked her to open it.
Inside the wooden box was a black flintlock musket and a small box of gunpowder.
"This is……"
Wang Xing: "Foreigners call it a musket."
The Great Qi also had firearms, but they were completely different from this one. The Great Qi firearms were six or seven feet long and weighed nearly ten pounds. When using them, they needed to be held with both hands.
But this one is only forearm length long, and is completely black, so it can be easily held with one hand.
Gu Zhizhuo had seen a musket before. He picked it up and played with it for a while, then asked, "Where is the matchlock?"
“It doesn’t have a matchlock. It’s used differently from the matchlock gun of Daqi.” Wang Xing pointed it out to her. “The steward who brought it back said that the foreigners call it a flintlock gun. You pull the trigger, and the flint strikes and ignites the gunpowder. It’s much simpler to use than the matchlock gun of Daqi.”
"Oh, oh, oh." Gu Zhizhuo listened, half-confused: "Young master, have you ever seen something like this before?"
"I've seen it," Xie Yingchen said with a hint of nostalgia. "My father used to have one too, it was brought by a ship, but he lost it later."
These two muskets alone are enough to demonstrate the Wang family's profound wealth and resources.
Firearms were under the control of the imperial court in Daqi, and no one was allowed to own them privately; presumably, the same applied to foreigners. With so many ships coming and going from Daqi each year, very few managed to bring back a single musket.
The Wang family could easily produce two... Xie Yingchen glanced at the box his servant was holding; perhaps there were three, including one for Can Can.
Gu Zhizhuo handed him the musket.
Xie Yingchen compared the two weapons repeatedly in his hands and laughed, "It's lighter than my father's. As for its power, we'll have to try it to find out."
“Young Master,” Gu Zhizhuo said impatiently, pointing to the locust tree outside the window, “Do you see that unpruned horizontal branch at the very top? It’s over there.”
As she spoke, she turned back and said, "Grandmother, cover your ears."
"Nonsense!" The old lady couldn't contain her curiosity and peeked out, only to find that several children had gathered around the window, and she was too far away to see anything clearly.
"Grandmother," Gu Zhijiao said as she came over, "let me help you to see."
Jiaojiao is still the best behaved. The old lady smiled and handed her her hand, then moved closer to the window as well.
Xie Yingchen had played with this kind of tunnel gun before. He skillfully filled the gunpowder, raised the gun, pressed the flint clip, and pulled the trigger.
Gu Zhijiao covered the Grand Madam's ears tightly.
"Bang!"
With a deafening crack, a tree branch fell to the ground, just in the direction Gu Zhizhuo was pointing.
The old lady peered over with great interest: "Has it been taken down yet?"
"We've taken it."
Huh? Her ears were ringing, and she couldn't hear clearly.
"This servant will go and pick it up."
Too lazy to take a detour, Qingmei simply climbed out of the window, retrieved the branch, and presented it to Gu Zhizhuo.
The broken section of the branch was pitch black, yet still wisps of white smoke were rising from it.
Xie Yingchen's expression remained unreadable: "It's far superior to the muskets of the Great Qi Dynasty."
In terms of accuracy, rate of fire, and ease of use, none of them can compare.
"This isn't even the latest model," Wang Xing laughed. "The newest one, they say, can do combos; the foreigners treasure it, and they can't get their hands on it anytime soon."
These few were stolen by a foreign merchant after the manager bribed him.
Wang Xing: "Queque, you're too young. I'll find you another one when you're a bit older."
Gu Yique nodded repeatedly, so happy he wanted to raise his hands and cheer.
Xie Yingchen touched the musket; the muzzle was still slightly hot.
My father once said that the Great Qi Dynasty should not be complacent and closed off. He suggested to his grandfather that some students from the Imperial Academy could be sent on a sea voyage overseas to see what the outside world of the Great Qi Dynasty was like now.
Unfortunately, the trip did not materialize.
Today, the Great Qi still considers itself a great celestial empire, but it is plagued by endless internal strife and infighting, while its weapons have been updated and iterated countless times.
Xie Yingchen pondered for a moment.
Gu Baibai saw through his thoughts: "Chen'er, if you want to take this apart, I don't need it as I stay in the mansion and don't go out."
He handed over the musket he was holding.
My nephew-in-law can't draw a bow or wield a sword, so this musket is perfect for him to use for self-defense.
Gu Baibai was meticulous. Xie Yingchen did indeed intend to disassemble the muskets and let the craftsmen see if they could learn from them how to improve the muskets of the Great Qi Dynasty.
Xie Yingchen did not refuse and reached out to take it, saying, "Thank you, Third Uncle."
"Keep yours," Gu Baibai instructed, afraid that one wouldn't be enough for him.
He's so weak, Yaoyao would definitely worry if he got hurt.
Gu Baibai was extremely worried. Xie Yingchen was weak, and if she dared to suggest that he practice horse stance with Que Que, Yao Yao would definitely drag her out to practice horse stance as well.
Let him carry the musket.
The old lady found it fascinating, but lost interest afterward. She then kept asking Wang Xing a barrage of questions. Wang Xing, always adept at winning over elders, quickly charmed the old lady with a few words, making her beam with delight and wishing he could stay in the mansion forever.
Unfortunately, the Wang family has a residence in the capital, so Wang Xing cannot live in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
He coaxed and accompanied the old lady until the meal was finished, and it was almost dark.
From the matriarch down to Gu Zhinan, no one in the manor wanted him to leave.
The children kept calling him "cousin" and hovering around him until Wang Xing promised to let them go out for a spring outing in a couple of days after he had settled in. Only then did they reluctantly let him go.
Gu Zhizhuo saw him off at the door, and Xie Yingchen also took his leave at the same time.
"If we're going for a spring outing, I'll invite my cousin Danling along. Let's go to Qiuxia Mountain; the scenery there is beautiful."
Wang Xing smiled and replied, his every gesture exuding elegance: "I should also go and pay my respects to my aunt."
"Seeing my aunt is a bit troublesome. The Emperor is ill."
During the emperor's "serious illness," it was quite taboo for men to enter or leave the inner palace, even for their relatives.
Xie Yingchen interjected, "Cousin, you can go and visit the Emperor."
“That’s right.” Gu Zhizhuo’s phoenix eyes lit up. “That’s good.”
My cousin can "bump into" my aunt at Hanzhang Palace.
"I'll arrange it."
Before Xie Yingchen could finish speaking, a cat meow suddenly rang out.
"Meow?"
Gu Zhizhu raised an eyebrow and immediately spotted the kitten standing on the wall. She asked happily, "Did you come to play with me?"
The cat jumped down from the wall, gave Gu Zhizhuo's skirt a perfunctory rub, and then sweetly fawned over Xie Yingchen, its unicorn tail wrapped around his leg.
Huh?
That's not right!
Gu Zhizhuo's hand, which was stroking the cat, froze in mid-air.
“These past few days, Chen Mao has been coming to see me every day.” Xie Yingchen took out the small jade pendant hanging around his neck and showed it to her, saying tactfully, “I’m wearing it now.”
Since Xie Yingchen was involved, Gu Zhizhuo's divination was usually not very accurate. But Shen Mao's unusual attitude clearly indicated something.
Young master is in for a rough time.
"Oh, a little kitten?"
Wang Xing teased the cat with the fan pendant, but the cat slapped him mercilessly, the soft paw making a crisp "smack".
After hitting him, it wasn't enough. He started yelling and screaming, which I couldn't understand, but the insults must have been pretty nasty.
This was the first time Gu Zhizhuo had ever seen Shen Mao dislike someone so much.
Wang Xing was stunned by the scolding. When he turned around, he found that the smile on Gu Zhizhuo's lips had also disappeared.
He tapped Xie Yingchen with his folding fan, raised his eyebrows, as if to ask: What's wrong?
Xie Yingchen gestured for him to be quiet. Soon, Gu Zhizhuo's gaze shifted from the cat to Wang Xing, her beautiful phoenix eyes filled with scrutiny and inquiry. Wang Xing felt uneasy under her gaze.
Gu Zhizhuo quickly calculated and made his decision: "Young Master, why don't you go and stay with your cousin for a few days?"
Xie Yingchen obediently agreed: "Okay."
Huh? Wang Xing asked, confused, "Why?"
"Because the young master is about to have some bad luck."
"so?"
“Cousin, you have great luck, help the young master ward off disaster.” Gu Zhizhuo said confidently.
Wang Xing: ?
Does his little cousin really not care whether her cousin lives or dies?
Gu Zhizhu smiled sweetly at him: "Don't worry. Cousin, if you live a peaceful and happy life to ninety-nine, and if you live a year less, just come find me."
"If I don't live to ninety-nine, will I still have the strength to come looking for you?"
The siblings argued for a while, and Wang Xing finally lost. He was so angry that he forgot his usual aristocratic demeanor and glared at her.
Gu Zhizhuo picked up the cat and placed it in Xie Yingchen's arms, saying earnestly to the cat, "To ward off bad luck."
Cat: "Meow?"
Wang Xing stroked his chin, snapped open his folding fan, and urged, "Yaoyao, I still feel like this isn't safe enough."
Gu Zhizhuo looked up at him.
Wang Xing said in a serious tone, "You should make him hang up a few more amulets for good luck."
"Do you remember when I first came to the capital, someone borrowed my lifespan? Later, my mother took me to all the Taoist temples near the capital and asked for more than a hundred peace talismans to wear on my body. And look, I'm still alive and well. I can live to be ninety-nine."
Xie Yingchen: "It doesn't have to be that complicated..."
“Cousin, you’re right!” Gu Zhizhuo clapped his hands and said, “There are too few peace charms, so the effect will definitely not be enough.”
Xie Yingchen: "..."
Wang Xing covered his face with his fan and chuckled to himself.
"Young master, please take my cousin to the pavilion ahead and wait for me."
After Gu Zhizhu finished speaking, he took off running.
She has many amulets, all given to her by her senior brother Qingping last time.
She went back and searched for them all at once.
When they returned to the pavilion, the two were having a pleasant conversation. Gu Zhizhuo vaguely heard the young master asking if it was possible to bribe a foreign merchant to bring something to Daqi.
Gu Zhizhuo opened the box to show them, and it was full of amulets, which stunned Wang Xing.
"Printed?"
Gu Zhizhuo glanced at him sideways: "It's a drawing!"
Wang Xing: "You have more than any Taoist temple."
With a snap, the cat pulled out several talismans, sniffed the cinnabar on them curiously, and then rolled around, rubbing its back against them.
"hang!"
Wang Xing enthusiastically urged, "Hang it all on him."
"Put on a green robe as well."
A note from the author:
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