Chapter 1116
Ronggu Mansion's Idea
Chapter 1116 Ronggu Mansion's Idea
Inside Rongqing Hall of Rongguo Mansion,
It was completely quiet.
Grandmother Jia hesitated for a moment, but Jia Zheng and Jia She were already overjoyed. They rose together, faced the direction of the palace, and led the way in bowing and shouting "Long live the Emperor!"
He wanted to say something more, but was glared at by Grandmother Jia.
"It is an honor for our Rongguo Mansion to have the Emperor's concern. However, I am old and I am afraid I am not up to the task. As a woman, I am not expected to go to the inner palace to pay my respects to the Empress. The Duke of Zhenguo is still alive and should take on this task of presenting gifts."
The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is now the head of the border army. This gift-giving ceremony is usually handled by men. If Jia Zheng and Jia She were to do it, it might not be convincing to the public. Why then do they insist on involving the Rongguo mansion tomorrow?
Zhou Xianzhe took a sip of tea and gently tapped the table.
"What are you saying, Madam? You are the former noblewoman of the Duke's Mansion. In terms of seniority and prestige, who among the nobles of the capital can compare? Even today, His Majesty said that the Rongguo Mansion's tribute this time must not be lacking."
At this point, he changed the subject, lowering his voice.
"However, Madam, this is a rare opportunity to present gifts. In addition, this time it is not limited to female relatives. All the dukes' mansions are doing the same. After the princes present their gifts, there will be a grand banquet for the officials in the Qianqing Palace. It won't be long."
Even Xiao Luzi beside him nodded in agreement;
"Madam, Lord Zhou is right. We ask you to choose tomorrow because the title of nobility in Ningguo Mansion is still undecided. Nobles and nobles must present gifts, and we need to find the right balance. Of course, we are counting on you to act as the 'stabilizing force' in this matter. Also, the gift lists from various mansions have been sent in advance. Please take a look."
This was prepared by his godfather, Eunuch Li, to curry favor with the Rongguo Mansion. He took out a booklet wrapped in red silk from his sleeve and handed it over.
Grandmother Jia took the booklet and flipped through it casually, but some of the words were too small to read clearly. At this moment, Yuanyang came close to her and, by the light of the oil lamp, read it softly.
"A pair of gold and jade ruyi scepters from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, two pairs of Tianmu pearls, a pair of golden cicadas from the Duke of Liguo's mansion, and a golden branch and jade leaf ornament,"
Grandmother Jia frowned more and more as she looked at the gifts. Although they were valuable, they were all quite ordinary. If they were presented together like this, it would seem perfunctory.
"Master Zhou,"
Grandmother Jia put down the booklet and pondered for a moment;
"These gifts are nice, but they seem a bit scattered. In my opinion, it would be better if a few families took the lead, discussed it further, and added their own private gifts. This way, it would be both lively and respectable. What do you think?"
Zhou Xianzhe's eyes lit up, thinking to himself that experience truly matters. After all, the princes had all sent rare and precious items, and if the three princes and the dukes' mansions were to send ordinary gifts, it would seem disrespectful.
"Grandma's idea is good. It is said that the whole body is more important than the individual. If the gifts are rotated, they can be put together without losing face."
"only,"
Zhou Xianzhe was in a dilemma. There was only one night left. Sending the letter was easy, but where would he get a decent congratulatory gift?
"The old lady's idea is good, but at this time, choosing a grand gift that is both valuable and pleasing to the Emperor Emeritus, while also reflecting the dignity of the Duke's mansion, is not an easy task."
"Yes, Madam, it's already night. I know what you're thinking, but time is too short. I can send a message, but there's no time to find the rare item."
Eunuch Lu also looked troubled. In the palace, he had met all sorts of people. Most officials had tried their best but still couldn't find a good congratulatory gift. Only a few princes had given him many rare items from outside the Great Wu Dynasty. Most others had nothing to offer.
Unexpectedly, Grandmother Jia smiled slightly and looked at Wang Xifeng, who was standing to the side.
“Feng girl, you tell us.”
Upon hearing Grandmother Jia's inquiry, Wang Xifeng was clearly taken aback. Gifts for the presenting of the offerings had already been prepared; if they were to be discussed now, there might not have been enough time to choose. But the rare item the old lady spoke of must have something else going on. After thinking for a moment, she remembered the matter of Brother Zhen from the Ningguo Mansion practicing Taoism. Could it be something the Emperor Emeritus liked?
"In response to the questions from the old lady, Lord Zhou, and Eunuch Lu, in my opinion, since the Emperor Emeritus has always preferred refined and elegant objects, why not have each family contribute a rare treasure to create a Taoist Tai Chi diagram of 'a hundred blessings surrounding longevity'? We could use sandalwood as the base, inlaying it with the precious jade, coral, and emeralds presented by each family, and have the embroiderers sew it on overnight. It would be both luxurious and elegant, and it would also incorporate the sentiments of each family."
Zhou Xianzhe and Eunuch Lu were overjoyed at this explanation, and Eunuch Lu slapped his thigh and cheered.
"What a brilliant idea, Feng! The Emperor Emeritus is currently cultivating Taoism and nourishing his mind and body, and he enjoys these things the most. Here's what we'll do: Old Madam, get everyone in the manor moving now. I'll send someone to notify the other dukes' mansions. It might be a bit rushed."
In a hurry, Zhou Xianzhe instructed the eunuchs who had accompanied him to go and inform the other prefectures. He seemed to be handling a major matter.
“Second Madam Lian is indeed very clever. This idea is excellent. It is both proper and shows great style. However, time is tight. These embroiderers are needed tomorrow. I'm afraid there won't be enough time.”
This cannot be simply summarized as being in a hurry. How can one embroider something exquisite in just one night? How big should that Taoist Tai Chi diagram be? If it's too small, it won't look grand enough; if it's too big, it's impossible to finish. Even Eunuch Lu was somewhat hesitant. It's all such delicate skill; how could he possibly complete it?
Grandmother Jia smiled slightly, having already made her plans, and instructed Yuanyang.
"Go and take out the sandalwood carving with the auspicious and longevity symbol from the storeroom, as well as the batch of jade feather tubes sent by the Jiangnan Textile Bureau last year, the coral branches and leaves left by Jia Zhen of the East Mansion, and the Suzhou brocade Tai Chi diagram. Bring them all for the adults and the eunuch to see."
"Yes, old lady."
Before long, after Yuanyang left, a eunuch serving inside came out carrying several brocade boxes. One of the boxes was particularly long, and he held it in Yuanyang's arms, making her ample breasts appear even fuller. When the box was opened before everyone, it was dazzlingly bright.
The sandalwood base exudes a captivating fragrance, the jade feather tube is emerald green and translucent, and the coral branches are as red as burning fire, all lying quietly in the brocade box. In particular, the last piece, a Suzhou brocade Tai Chi diagram, was taken out and unfolded. It was more than half a person tall. Although it was not dazzling, the Taoist Yin and Yang seemed to come alive, clearly the work of a master.
Zhou Xian secretly praised it, noting that it was a rare find, something the Rongguo Mansion had casually produced, and exclaimed:
"The old lady is truly wealthy and powerful. These rare treasures are something ordinary people would never even see. With these things as a foundation, and the craftsmen working through the night to finish them, they will surely become a masterpiece tomorrow."
But Eunuch Lu stared intently at the sandalwood base and chuckled:
"Grandma, it would be even more perfect if a few large pearls were inlaid on the base. I remember there was a pearl the size of a pigeon's egg in the Rongguo Mansion's treasury?"
The seemingly casual remark made Grandmother Jia's heart skip a beat. The pearl was a tribute to the Ningguo Mansion and was not usually shown to others. She wondered how this Eunuch Lu knew about it.
Grandmother Jia remained expressionless and smiled:
“Eunuch Lu has a good memory. There is indeed one bead. Since it is for the Emperor Emeritus’ birthday celebration, it should naturally be taken out. Yuanyang, go and fetch it.”
"Yes, old lady."
As Yuanyang left, the expressions on the faces of those in the room varied, especially Jia Zheng and Jia She, who seemed somewhat uneasy. Jia Zheng, who was unaware of the family's wealth, was oblivious to the value of the pearl, but Jia She, a regular at antique and glass shops, certainly knew its worth.
“Eunuch Lu, Taoism emphasizes contentment with one’s lot and following the natural way. This Taoist Yin-Yang diagram is meant to symbolize tranquility and non-action. It’s already superfluous for each family to offer their treasures to adorn it. And to have the beads set into the base is another matter. Not to mention whether they can be set in overnight, if they fail, the gift-giving will not be perfect.”
A portion of the Ningguo Mansion's treasures ended up in the hands of Grandmother Jia. Although Grandmother Jia didn't mention it, many people were watching closely. This move surprised Eunuch Lu, and even Lord Zhou opened his mouth but remained silent.
"What, does Marquis Jia En think this bead shouldn't be placed there?"
Xiao Luzi's pale face held a half-smile, her thoughts unreadable. Only Grandmother Jia waved her hand.
"Oh dear, Eunuch Lu, why do you say that? It is our duty as subjects to show filial piety to the Emperor Emeritus. Feng girl, all guests are welcome. We have been sitting here for so long without even a chance to have some tea."
Grandmother Jia tapped the table with her finger. Jia She's face flushed red, but he didn't say anything more. Wang Xifeng, however, understood and quickly pulled out two silver notes from her sleeve and handed them over.
"It was the old lady who reminded me; I almost forgot. In this sweltering heat, I've troubled Lord Zhou and Eunuch Lu to make the trip, without even a cup of tea. What a sin!"
A fragrant breeze wafted by, and the two adults, both beaming, reached out and took the silver notes, instantly slipping them into their sleeves without a care in the world.
At this moment,
Yuanyang had already brought the pearl. Grandpa Lu went over, took the pearl out, and held it up to the lamp. Sure enough, it was round and full, its luster filling the room with brilliance.
Just then, footsteps came from outside. It turned out that Jia Lian lifted the curtain and came in, followed by a group of personal guards. They looked anxious and obviously rushed in. After entering the room, he saw that everyone was there, especially Lord Zhou and Eunuch Lu, whom he had met once before in front of the Meridian Gate.
He then led his personal guards to pay their respects to Zhou Xianzhe and Eunuch Lu.
"I was unaware of your presence, sir and father-in-law. I apologize for not being able to greet you properly. I was busy with official duties today and returned a little late."
Zhou Xianzhe hurriedly rose to return the greeting. He was well aware that Prince Teng was leading troops to guard the outer gate of the palace, and now that Jia Lian was registered with the Ministry of War, he couldn't afford to be impolite.
"General Lian, you are too kind. We are just following orders. The old matriarch and Second Madam Lian have just come up with a good idea and are saying that they will rush to make the congratulatory gifts overnight. Tomorrow's birthday banquet will still be headed by the old matriarch."
Jia Lian was also taken aback, recalling the rumors circulating in the palace that the Duke's mansion was to assist the three princes in presenting gifts. It was indeed true. "Then I'll follow Lord Zhou's and Eunuch Lu's arrangements. If there's anything Jia Lian can do, just let me know."
Although he said that, his eyes were fixed on Wang Xifeng and Ping'er, unable to look away. How could Wang Xifeng not understand his thoughts? Her heart trembled and her face flushed slightly. She only wanted to go back as soon as possible, but when she glanced at him, she saw Jia Lian's gaze shift to Ping'er, and her anger flared up instantly.
But Eunuch Lu laughed and said:
"Grandma, Second Master Lian is truly wise. After the southern expedition, I have heard of Second Master Lian's prowess on the battlefield. His ambush of the Taiping Rebellion's vanguard during the northern retreat was a stroke of genius."
Zhou Xianzhe also echoed this sentiment repeatedly:
"Eunuch Lu is right. After the battle in Jingnan, Master Lian's reputation has grown, and his military tactics have been appropriate."
The two men's praise pleased Grandmother Jia somewhat, and she was about to say something more when she saw Eunuch Lu put the beads back into the brocade box.
"Grandma, I also think that what Marquis Jia En said is absolutely right. As the Taoists say, one should cultivate oneself and nourish one's nature in accordance with the Tao. Therefore, this bead will not be placed here."
After speaking, he turned around and sat back down in his seat, making Grandmother Jia want to say another word of advice.
But Zhou Xianzhe, seeing that everything was arranged, did not want to stay any longer and stood up, saying:
"The old lady is truly decisive and efficient. I will be in charge of presenting the gifts tomorrow. You only need to follow behind the three princes. Of course, there are not many rules for this presentation of gifts. If the old lady wishes, she may bring people from her household to participate as well."
These are all irrelevant. Since the Duke's mansion is handling it, and the palace already knows the situation of each family, there's no need to follow any formalities.
Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia was overjoyed. It seemed things would be easier to prepare. She quickly had Yuanyang fetch two brocade boxes and handed them to Eunuch Lu and Zhou Xianzhe.
"It's just a small token of my appreciation, thank you both for your hard work."
Xiao Luzi weighed the box in his hand and beamed with joy:
"You're too kind, Madam. We'll have to accept it without hesitation. Tomorrow, please be careful. If there's anything wrong with this item, you can make two preparations. Just let Lord Zhou know and we can change the gift list."
The final piece of advice was that this item would provide convenience, so the two didn't linger and got up to take their leave.
When she saw the two off, it was already past dusk. The moonlight of the night shone through the carved window lattices of Rongqing Hall, casting dappled shadows on the blue brick floor. Grandmother Jia watched their departing figures and sighed softly.
Yuanyang helped Grandmother Jia walk back, and whispered:
"Grandma, do you think there's something fishy about what happened today? This gift-giving is all the princes' doing. Now they've specifically asked your household to take on the responsibility for two households. I wonder if the other households will send their treasures as well."
After all, such a large Tai Chi diagram, if one truly wanted to embroider a treasure, couldn't be completed in just one night.
Grandmother Jia, leaning on her cane, carefully turned back up the steps and entered the house, where she found everyone waiting inside. She shook her head.
"There's never anything unusual about royal affairs. Let them do what they want. We just need to make sure the birthday celebration is grand and respectable and that nothing goes wrong. Go tell the kitchen to prepare some good food for the craftsmen tonight, and also make some mung bean soup to cool them down. We can't let them get heatstroke and delay the work. Call all the embroiderers in the mansion over, give each of them five taels of silver, and have them embroider all night long, one person per direction. That should be enough until midnight."
These words were given to Wang Xifeng. If one person were to embroider, it would be impossible to finish even a day, let alone a whole night. If the person rests while the embroidery continues, this one night would be enough.
Just then, Zhou Rui's wife came in with several of the steward's wives to report.
"Madam, Madam, everyone has been summoned. They are all skilled embroiderers. We have all examined this Tai Chi diagram. If it is exquisitely embroidered, one night may not be enough. If it is a bit larger, it can still be completed."
They were all elders in the household, and dared not interrupt.
"Alright, if that's the case, then let's not wait any longer. Let's start embroidering now, and then we'll close them one by one once each family has sent their treasures."
"Yes, old lady."
The candlelight flickered inside the room. Jia Zheng and Jia She both had things to say, but Grandmother Jia never looked at the two brothers and finally left in a huff.
Outside the house,
After leaving the Rongguo Mansion, Lord Zhou and Eunuch Lu looked back. Under the night sky, the Rongguo Mansion appeared even more majestic and dazzling. After getting into their sedan chairs, the two bid each other farewell and hurriedly left.
As the Rongguo Mansion was brightly lit, spies were also relaying messages from the various dukes' mansions in the capital. The gates of the Zhenguo Duke's mansion opened wide, and imperial guards were the first to depart; the other mansions followed suit.
South Street Water Bridge
In the small courtyard built by the Ministry of Works, in the east room, in the compact hall, there was a table with a lone lamp lit on it. The paper windows trembled slightly in the night wind, casting Xu Changwen's shadow, which appeared to be long and short, like the candle on the table that was about to burn out.
Xu Changwen picked up his brush, ground ink in the inkstone, and casually dipped his hand in the ink. A drop of ink, fragrant and sweet, fell onto the table. Stroke by stroke, he wrote the congratulatory letter he was preparing to present.
Outside the house,
As the moonlight shone down, Xu Dong, carrying a jug of wine and a piece of beef wrapped in oiled paper, walked to the courtyard and gently knocked on the door.
Three times later, the sound of rustling footsteps came from inside the door.
"Brother Xu?"
The door opened a crack, and Xu Changwen pulled his long robe tighter. Seeing that it was Xu Dong who had arrived, his expression changed in surprise.
"It's the third watch of the night."
Xu Dong didn't speak, but squeezed through the doorway. The scenery in the courtyard was the same as always, but his heart was still unsettled.
“Brother Changwen, talking in the courtyard is not the proper way to treat a guest.”
"Brother Xu, please come inside and we'll talk."
Helpless, Xu Changwen could only close the door and gesture for them to enter. The two of them went into the room one after the other, and after closing the door, they took their seats.
Xu Dong placed the purchased food and drinks on the table: a jar of Shaoxing wine, a plate of braised beef, and another wrapped roast chicken.
Both were county magistrates in Jiangnan, and now they've been transferred to the Ministry of Revenue in the capital as principal officers. However, for the past few days, they've only been under investigation, and despite the transfer order, the Ministry of Revenue has been making excuses. So, they've been idle. Fortunately, in the end, the Ministry of Revenue accepted their visiting cards, and they're temporarily considered as employees of the Ministry.
Seeing the flame in the candlestick dwindle, Xu Dong quickly reached out and used the back of the pen to stir it, protecting the flame. Xu Changwen's only son, sitting to the side, reached for two bowls and two pairs of chopsticks, opened the seal of the yellow wine, and filled them up.
"Brother Xu, you've come at an inopportune time. It's well past dinner time, so why are you making this round?"
"Of course I came to see you. I haven't seen you go out for many days. Tomorrow is the Emperor Emeritus's birthday banquet. The Marquis has already instructed that the congratulatory letter must be delivered without delay. I came here firstly to see you, and secondly to see how your congratulatory letter is written, and to have a drink with you while I'm at it."
Although it wasn't strong liquor, yellow wine still had the word "wine" in it, and paired with the fragrant liquor from the street corner, it could be enjoyed in a small sip. However, Xu Changwen's eyes narrowed, and he let out a soft sigh.
"Brother Xu, you shouldn't have come today!"
(End of this chapter)