Volume 4: Gathering of Sages Chapter 684 Dowry, Letter
Born to be loved by her family and well-fed, Zhu Ying never thought about fairness or unfairness. She would pity the old and the poor, and punish the strong and help the weak, but she would never think about what would happen if she was not the daughter of the Duke of Zhao. Since she was born as a daughter of the Zhu family, she was the eldest daughter of the Zhu family. Why would she think about what would happen if she was not!
So, after returning home from a fulfilling day, she went to Qing'an Hall as usual and chattered to her grandmother about everything she had seen and heard that day. She even mentioned the way Mrs. Hong tried to stop Mr. Hong from writing a letter to stop him from talking nonsense. In the end, she snuggled up in her grandmother's arms with a smile on her face.
"I sent people to watch the gate of Yashe. I heard that the old servant of Chief Hong never came out. Maybe Madam Hong's method worked, and the old stubborn man finally gave up."
Without any hesitation, she labeled Hong Shanchang an old stubborn person, and continued, "Mrs. Hong said today that Hong Shanchang didn't want to stay in Beijing because Yuzhang Academy couldn't do without him as the headmaster. Before he came out this time, the old headmaster and several elders from the academy specifically told him that Hong Shanchang's personality was definitely not suitable for being a prince's teacher, and that it would be enough for him to just perform in front of the emperor."
The old lady had been keeping the matter of the Second Prince in her mind, but as Zhu Ying smiled and spoke in a clear voice, her gloomy mood unconsciously improved. She listened to her with great interest while examining her granddaughter's increasingly radiant face.
"So, whether it was writing letters or speaking, Master Hong was unscrupulous before, because he didn't ask for anything anyway. But later, when the third prince was canonized as the crown prince, he was obviously tempted. Because no matter how well he taught the princes, at best they would be wise kings, but it was different for the crown prince's teacher, because if he was a good teacher, his own ideas on governing the country could be passed on to the crown prince."
"So Principal Hong spared no effort to show off himself, whether it was squeezing out A Shou at the imperial lecture or planning to write a letter to express his opinion this time."
Seeing that Zhu Ying had no grudge against Mrs. Hong, and that although she was full of sarcasm when she talked about Mrs. Hong, she did not despise her or even hate her, the lady thought that this attitude was not bad, and immediately said with a smile: "It seems that you have a good impression of Mrs. Hong. I remember that she even wrote a letter to me, and her words were elegant and humble. She is indeed a very good girl."
She paused and sighed, "What a pity. Most men in the world value beauty more than talent and virtue. Even with the talent and virtue of Zuo Madam Xie Daoyun, she still has the wrong person to entrust her. It's great that Hong can think of another way. You are still interested in it. When you told me before that Ye was willing to teach martial arts, I was relieved. I was really afraid that you would teach this!"
"Grandma, what are you talking about? Can't I teach others martial arts?"
Seeing Zhu Ying's angry outburst, the old lady smiled until her eyes narrowed. "Yes, of course I can! But I'm afraid that you will teach other female warriors who are as good at fighting as you. How will they get married then? You know, there may only be one man like Zhang Shou in the world. Others are not as lucky as you!"
Without waiting for Zhu Ying to agree or disagree, she quickly changed the subject and said, "Well, your eldest brother's wedding is coming up soon, and it will be your turn in a few days. Don't focus all your attention on girls' studies, and get ready for marriage! Also, although your parents, brothers and I and your father don't mind you and Zhang Shou going in and out together, you shouldn't go to Zhang Garden these days. Here, take a good look at this."
Zhu Ying was about to protest when the lady stuffed a thick stack of documents into her hand. She was stunned for a moment. But when she heard the lady's next words, she almost jumped up.
"This is the dowry list your mother and I prepared for you. Take a good look at it and tell me what you want to add! "
Zhu Ying jumped up but was immediately suppressed by the lady's eyes and sat down. However, when the announcement came from outside that Zhang Shou wanted to see her, she jumped up again, threw away the dowry list worth a million gold, and rushed out like a whirlwind.
Facing such an impetuous granddaughter, the old lady could only rub her temples, smile bitterly and shake her head, until she saw the pair of perfect couples coming in from the door. She smiled and waved her hand to signal Zhang Shou not to be polite, and after motioning him to sit down, she asked, "Why do you have time to come here at this time? It's not like you to leave your mother alone at home during dinner."
"I just stopped by to say a few words and then leave." Zhang Shou was used to such teasing. He smiled freely and said directly, "When I went to Ciqing Palace to give a lecture today, I told His Royal Highness the Crown Prince that I planned to change the lectures from every two days to every three days."
He briefly mentioned the general reasons, then coughed and said, "Besides, my wedding is coming soon. Even if my mother is running around, and you and Auntie Nine have sent people to Zhang Garden to help with the arrangements, I still have to take some time off to prepare myself. Even after the wedding, if I am busy all day and Yingying is busy with her own things, then we will be too pitiful."
Zhu Ying's eyes widened for a moment, and she couldn't help but burst out laughing. But when Zhang Shou gave her a resentful look, she immediately became serious again, and nodded repeatedly under the gaze of the lady, "Grandma, Ah Shou is right. We should change the lesson to once every three days. Otherwise, Ah Shou is too busy!"
"What should I say about you? Are you a good follower of your husband, or are you not making progress?"
The lady pointed at Zhu Ying with her hand, feeling both angry and amused. Seeing that she showed no remorse at all, and instead suddenly grabbed the dowry list that she had just not even glanced at, and sat down next to Zhang Shou, and showed him the list without any hesitation, she felt even more helpless.
Of course, she only half believed Zhang Shou's reason. After all, others talked every five days, but he talked every other day. Perhaps Zhang Shou also wanted to eliminate the impact of the huge difference. Naturally, he said to the outside world that Jiuzhangtang was too busy, and he could also use the approaching wedding date as an excuse. But Zhu Ying was too unpretentious. How could an unmarried girl show the dowry list to the man in person?
But she only saw Zhang Shou glance at it casually for a few times, and then stuffed it back to Zhu Ying: "Anyway, you will keep it in the future, so you can decide. Mother is satisfied with everything anyway, let alone me."
Zhu Ying was very dissatisfied with Zhang Shou's answer. She snorted and said unhappily, "I know you won't think my dowry is too little. I just want you to help me see if my dowry is too much. Otherwise, my eldest and second brothers will have no money to marry!"
The lady almost choked to death at Zhu Ying's words. Before she could laugh or scold, she heard Zhang Shou suddenly say, "That makes sense. If your dowry is too much, your elder brother and second brother will have less! Well, let me take a closer look!"
Seeing Zhang Shou really pointing and commenting , he then said to Zhu Ying in a serious manner that this shop has great potential and should be left to the eldest brother Zhu, and that farm has good harvests and should be left to the second brother Zhu... The lady finally couldn't bear it anymore, and gently hit the armrest to stop the comments: "You two have done enough! The Zhu family is not so poor that they can't afford to marry off their daughter. This little dowry can still be taken out!"
"Grandma! If you really pack up all of your and my mother's dowry and give it to me, it will be too unfair to my eldest and second brothers!" Zhu Ying took the dowry list from Zhang Shou and stepped forward to put it in the lady's hand.
"I don't lack money. Ah Shou said before that when I get married, I will be in charge of the workshop and other things. The same goes for Zhang Yuan. He won't take care of the family affairs!"
Seeing Zhu Ying saying the word "marry" without any shyness, the old lady was both angry and amused. But when Zhang Shou really expressed his intention to hand over all the most profitable and core things of Zhang Garden to Zhu Ying, she couldn't help but sigh for the trust between them.
So, she had no choice but to say with a straight face: "Raise your daughter in wealth and your son in poverty. When the Zhu family comes back, your eldest brother and second brother will each get half. It will be much more than the dowry you have now! You should subsidize your second brother, and you can subsidize him later. Don't spoil him now!"
Zhang Shou couldn't help but shed tears of sympathy for Zhu Er, but immediately afterwards, Zhu Ying took another approach and made a fuss about the dowries of the future eldest and second sisters-in-law, claiming that she could not let others compare the amount of dowries. As a result, she was directly blocked by the lady.
"I will have the furniture and furnishings sent to Zhang Garden in advance. As for these things, I will only select a portion of them and put them in the dowry to show off. Don't forget that the emperor mentioned your background in public. If you marry in a shabby way, you will also lose face for him. I calculated that if you add the things that the palace and other relatives and friends will give you as dowry, it will be about 128 loads."
"Just keep the rest quietly."
Zhang Shou broke out in a sweat when he heard his future grandmother-in-law say this. One hundred and twenty-eight loads... or about right? If every family spent all they had to marry off their daughter, how many families in the capital would go bankrupt?
It must be said that if the clocks had not been sold in large quantities in advance and the deposits had not been generous, and if the emperor had not instructed , he would not have been able to afford to marry a wife with his family background. He really could not afford to marry...
Zhang Shou never mentioned the incident that he had just learned from the Fourth Prince that the Second Prince had died in a shipwreck, and the Madam and Zhu Ying also tacitly forgot about it. It was not until Zhu Ying saw Zhang Shou off that she could not help but whispered, "Ah Shou, do you think the Second Prince is really dead?"
"He is better dead than alive."
Zhang Shou gave a straightforward answer. Seeing that Zhu Ying did not ask any more questions, but smiled and tightened his cloak for him, he squeezed the young lady's hand, then turned around and went out to get on the car.
This is a simple answer that does not require much thought. If the second prince died, the emperor would not pardon his crime, but at least he would not be treated unfairly in terms of posthumous title, funeral ceremony (even if it was just a cenotaph), etc. But if he was not dead... unless he was rescued and sent back to the capital, he would either be kidnapped or leave voluntarily. In any case, he would only be a valuable commodity.
Protagonists who make the most of rare goods never have a good ending, even if they are successful - just look at the origin of this four-character idiom and the King Zhuangxiang, who was actually very capable but died of a sudden illness in just four years, and you will know!
Knowing that her father's old servant had not gone out, Hong did not go back to visit her father, but returned to the palace with Princess Yongping. When she arrived at the Youyi Studio behind Kunning Palace, she continued to organize her collection of essays - more precisely, the textbooks for future girls' studies. However, at night, she suddenly caught a scream that was too shrill to describe, and she shuddered suddenly.
The palace was filled with gloomy air after nightfall, and Hong had felt it since the first day she entered the palace. However, she did not think it was because too many people died in the palace - in the history of China, people had died everywhere - but because there were many buildings in the palace, and they were all very tall, so many places had no sunlight early, so it naturally seemed gloomy.
However, the current emperor is not a licentious monarch with countless concubines, and there are no treacherous or poisonous concubines in the harem, so she has been in the palace for so long and has hardly heard any messy noises. This is the first time she has heard such a sound.
Hong tried to listen carefully, but she didn't hear the second sound, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She was an anomaly in the palace because she was not a concubine or princess, so she didn't intend to meddle in other people's affairs. However, she never expected that if she didn't meddle in other people's affairs, other people's affairs would come to her on their own initiative.
Just as she sorted out the manuscript, washed up, dismissed the palace servants, and was about to go to bed, she heard a strange rustling noise. Even though she was always brave, she was still startled when she found someone pushing the window.
She subconsciously picked up a skirt knife beside her pillow for self-defense, took a deep breath, and came to the window, shouting, "Who is it ?"
However, her shouting did not get any response, so she pretended to move the window latch, but after a slow movement, she suddenly raised the window. The next moment, she saw a figure suddenly stand up, throw something in from the window, and then run away at a very fast speed.
Hong subconsciously wanted to ask someone to chase after him, but when she saw a letter in front of her, her heart tightened immediately. She was suspicious and a little frightened. How could someone send a letter to her? How could someone want to target someone as insignificant as her in the palace? Did they think she could still influence some noble person?
Although she knew that her wisest choice was to make a noise to wake everyone up, then have someone try to hunt down the guy who wrote to her with ulterior motives, and then hand the letter to the emperor intact, but after taking a look at the letter that was not sealed at all and thinking that her low shout just now did not attract anyone to check, she gave up the idea.
It doesn't matter whether you read the letter or not. Instead of appearing to be open and honest, it is better to first find out what the other party intends to do.
She opened the envelope and took out the letter. She quickly glanced at it and laughed. She didn't call anyone. Instead, she lowered the window and bolted it. She knew that although her father was stubborn, he shouldn't be so easy to be fooled. The only things that could tempt him were the so-called right and wrong and the righteousness of human relations!
At this point, we can only fight against the enemy with our troops and block the water with earth!
