Transmigration: From Farmer To Empress
Chapter 1050 - 1052: Xiang Yun’s Grand Wedding (9)

Chapter 1050: Chapter 1052: Xiang Yun’s Grand Wedding (9)

His expression remained exceedingly calm, merely folding his hands behind him, peacefully walking along, without a trace of embarrassment or rage from the humiliation, as if the one who had just been ridiculed and driven out of the Palace was not him.

Nangong Shi seemed to have been influenced by his composure; after walking for a while, he clenched his fist and said, "Fine, I will endure!"

...*...*...

Cai Wei and Chang Mei finished planting the medicine and went to brew liquor. She picked many ripe fruits and a lot of flowers that were about to wilt, preparing to brew more wine. When she went to fetch water from the Lingxi River, she unexpectedly found a white jade hairpin in the river.

The quality of the jade hairpin was translucent and as smooth as sheep’s fat, but the craftsmanship of the hairpin really left much to be desired. Holding the hairpin, she imagined which unfortunate jade artisan had wasted such a rare piece of fine jade.

Suddenly, she felt a sense of familiarity with the hairpin. After thinking carefully, she remembered that during the time they had roast duck in Qing County, Gou Dan’er had bought her a hairpin with the same design from a street stall. However, the material of that hairpin was very poor, with many impurities and cracks, barely qualifying as jade, a far cry from the one she held in her hand.

Because that rough object represented the child’s thoughtfulness, she forced herself to wear it for a few days, but later it was lost somewhere.

She examined the hairpin she found up close for a while and finally confirmed that it was indeed the one Gou Dan had bought for her. Clearly, the hairpin had accidentally fallen into the Lingxi River, undergoing evolution by the river’s water, becoming a lustrous and pure, superior jade!

The Lingxi River even had such a function!

Cai Wei was utterly amazed by the space’s omnipotent powers.

She immediately stood up and exited the space, too anxious to continue brewing wine, and promptly ordered a carriage to head straight for her own Zhenbao Pavilion!

Manager Feng saw the boss arriving and hurriedly greeted her with a big smile on his face.

"Boss, you’ve come!"

Cai Wei ’hmm’ed in response and took a stroll in front of the counter on the first floor, which catered to lower-class women. After making a round, she pointed at the impure, cheap jade and said, "Wrap all of these up for me, I’m taking them with me!"

Manager Feng was taken aback for a moment, unable to understand why the boss would want such junk, but it wasn’t his place to question the boss’s decisions. After hesitating for a short while, he quickly called a female cashier over to help the boss with packing.

Cai Wei left with the jade, planning to put these flawed stones into the Lingxi River to see if the rumor about the river’s ability to transform impure jade into superior quality was true. If it was, she would have to open another shop...

She had just left the Zhenbao Pavilion and gotten into the carriage when she heard the voice of Brother Ying eating and talking.

"Master, it’s so bustling over here! There are so many delicious things."

At that moment, it was sitting beside Nangong Yi’s table, feasting heartily, while Nangong Yi conversed with those sharing the table, attentively feeding Brother Ying bits and pieces.

Seated at the same table were the Empress Dowager Ji’s grandnephew, Young Master Ji, the legitimate eldest son of the Great General’s Mansion, Young Master Li, from Duke Li Guo’s Mansion, Mo Zijing, Mo Ziqi, the Hanlin Academy editor Han Zhicai, the Prefect of Ying Tianfu Zhao Hongwang, as well as Mu Zhongqing and Crown Prince Nangong Yi, among others...

After three rounds of wine, Han Zhicai laughed and said to Mu Zhongqing, "Zhongqing, what have you considered about the matter I mentioned to you last time?"

He was referring to offering Mu Zhongqing a position as an editor at the Hanlin Academy. Mu Zhongqing replied with difficulty, "Thank you, Lord Han, for your generous offer; I have given it thought already. Zhongqing is but a Scholar, without any scholarly honor, I fear I am unworthy of a position at the Hanlin Academy!"

"Hey, listen to Zhongqing talk!"

Master Zhao laughed and said, "Since ancient times, heroes are not asked about their origins. It is said that our Great Jin Nation’s founding prime minister originated from a carpenter who had never even passed the Scholar examination, so Brother Zhongqing, your status is certainly much higher than our founding prime minister’s!"

Lord Han glanced at the Crown Prince and then sneakily at Mo Ziqi, following up with a smile to Mu Zhongqing, "Exactly, exactly, Zhongqing, you should not decline anymore. Come to the Hanlin Academy to report tomorrow, and help your brother out!"

The Crown Prince’s elbow was propped on the table, and as if he hadn’t heard their conversation, lazily fed the parrot, which indeed had quite an appetite. A perch larger than the parrot itself was gobbled up in a few bites—where it put all that fish was anyone’s guess, and it even took to drinking wine, sticking its head into the Crown Prince’s wine cup for a sip.

However, the Crown Prince didn’t seem to mind; on the contrary, he observed the bird with an amused expression, exuding an aura of nonchalant ease.

Mu Zhongqing was persistently persuaded by Master Zhao and Lord Han, and whether it was genuine contemplation or something else, he did not refute nor agree, saying only that he would consider it upon his return.

Mo Ziqi, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up, "Master Zhao is correct, a hero doesn’t consider his origins. If even a carpenter can become prime minister, what is unseemly about an esteemed Scholar taking up a minor post as an editor at the Hanlin Academy?"

With the son-in-law speaking on behalf of his father-in-law, naturally, the elder son-in-law could not be outdone, and he promptly added, "In our mansion, there are a few stewards proficient in business. Tomorrow I will send one to manage Bafu Restaurant. My father-in-law has spent half his life in study; it would be a pity to waste it, so take up the position at the Hanlin Academy."

Not married yet, and he was already calling him father-in-law, which surprised a few people present, but both the Crown Prince and Scholar Mu were very calm, as if they had been addressing each other in this manner in private for quite some time.

Mo Zijing laughed and said, "Hehe, if uncle takes up the post at the Hanlin Academy, next month at the Crown Prince’s grand wedding, the Crown Princess would be coming from a family of an Imperial Court Official."

This statement successfully swayed Mu Zhongqing’s undecided heart.

Of course, he wanted to provide his daughter with the most respectable identity possible. Since ancient times—the hierarchy of scholar, farmer, artisan, and merchant—merchants were the most despised, the lowest layer of society. Though he himself did not mind his own status, he could not disregard the influence his status would have on his children.

The future Crown Princess, born in a merchant family, would be looked down upon and could be subjected to personal attacks by those with ulterior motives. Perhaps even women of higher status would covet her position and scheme to replace her.

Although he did not doubt Nangong Yi’s character, he did not want his daughter’s marriage to be marred by any unhappiness. Therefore, after Mo Zijing finished speaking, he decisively accepted Lord Han’s request, agreeing to report to the Hanlin Academy for the position early the next morning.