Ch. 269 Giving His Wife a Present
Chu Lian sat up in his embrace. He Sanlang continued holding her with one arm, just in case she slipped and fell from the bed.
The wooden box was finely made and there was a hidden lock on its side. If one were to gently push at it, the lock would release.
With a clatter, the box sprung open, revealing the velvet indigo lining inside. A lovely pure white jade amulet was nestled within, completely white and flawless. The amulet wasn't very big. It was only about the size of Chu Lian's thumb, and it had been carved into a very life-like handsome steed.
Every hair on the horse's body was distinct. The detailed carving indicated that this amulet was definitely very valuable. Near the top was a hole threaded through by a red string mixed with gold thread, long enough to be worn as a necklace.
Chu Lian's zodiac was the horse, just like the original 'Chu Lian' in the story.
Her wide eyes glowed with happiness. It was clear that she really liked the very first present He Changdi had ever given her.
She took the exquisite jade amulet into her hands and showed it off to He Sanlang. With a sweet smile and an even sweeter tone, she asked, "When did you buy this?"
He Sanlang's expression had been frozen stiff. He had been observing her face the whole time- when he saw that her smile seemed genuine, he let out a sigh of relief. Only the heavens knew how nervous he had been when he had given her the present. Even now, his heart was still hovering in his throat. He had run through at least a thousand different possible reactions leading up to this moment- what if she didn't like it? What if she thought that the jade amulet was too cheap? But when he saw how happy she was with his gift, all his uncertainty had disappeared into thin air.
However, He Changdi had always been awkward at expressing his feelings. His reply to Chu Lian's question was just a simple, "I bought it in passing when I went to Su City."
Of course, the part about buying it 'in passing' was an absolute lie. This fellow had lain in bed thinking about what to give her for many days. It wasn't until the twenty-seventh that he had finally sent Laiyue off to Su City to pick out something very carefully. Laiyue almost died from how hard he had to rush for the trip.
He Sanlang had used up most of the savings he had on him to buy this small piece of white jade. He originally wanted to buy something even better, but this was all he was able to afford at the moment.
Chu Lian could sense the white lie he was telling, so she giggled and moved closer to He Sanlang. "My dear husband is so lucky. A jade amulet that you randomly purchased just so happened to be horse-shaped, just like my zodiac. It's even made of high quality white jade. If there's a next time, why don't you buy a few more so I can give them away as presents to my friends in the capital?"
He Sanlang's temples throbbed. Buy a few more? He would have to sell himself to get that much money.
Chu Lian presented the jade amulet to him on her palm.
The white jade amulet sat prettily on her fair and soft hand, dazzling He Changdi's eyes. He raised an eyebrow in question, wordlessly asking her what she was doing.
Chu Lian pressed her forehead into her hand and puffed up her cheeks. A little speechless from her slow-witted husband, she said, "Help me put it on! Didn't you buy this for me to wear?"
It was only then that He Sanlang took the jade amulet from her with a poker face. He lifted up the hair covering her back, revealing a fair and smooth neck. Then, he helped her put on the horse-shaped jade amulet with gentle hands.
The gold and red string stood out against her porcelain white skin. It wandered down her neck and ran parallel to the curve of her chin, placing the amulet right in front of her chest.
The jade amulet sat there above her bust like a beautiful accent to her natural charm, leaving his mark on her.
Chu Lian pushed away the arms that He Sanlang had wrapped around her and turned around. She looked up at him with a lovely smile and asked, "Does it look nice?"
He Sanlang's ice block of a face had long since melted. He reached out to touch the jade amulet resting against her chest and nodded cheerfully.
"Beautiful," he murmured in a low and husky voice.
Chu Lian was taken off guard by his sudden passion. She quickly stuffed the amulet into her clothes and got off the bed in one swift movement. Then, she walked over to her desk and said, "Go ahead and rest first. I'm not done with opening my red packets, so I'll sleep right after that."
Although He Changdi seemed a little embarrassed, he didn't stop Chu Lian this time.
He had already made it into his wife's bed anyway. Now that he had achieved his goal, he wasn't too bothered by other minor details.
After experiencing that heart-pounding moment, Chu Lian actually didn't have the mood to continue opening her New Year's gifts. She was only using them as an excuse to avoid him because she was too shy to face him right now.
In an absent-minded daze, she opened up the purse that Sima Hui had given her.
The ties keeping the purse close had already been undone earlier. Chu Lian simply upended the purse onto her palm, causing whatever was inside to slide out.
Something cool fell onto her palm, surprising her. Jolted out of her daze, Chu Lian looked down at it. Her first reaction was a stunned silence. Then, she quickly closed her fingers around the item and snuck a look behind her at He Changdi, who was lounging against the headboard of the bed. She smiled at him a little stiffly.
He Sanlang caught sight of her gaze and frowned. He asked suspiciously, "What's wrong? What's in that purse?"
Chu Lian quickly explained, "It's nothing, it's just some banknotes. I'll go and get Wenlan to bring some hot water in!"
After saying so, she quickly left the bedroom.
He Changdi watched as his wife practically sprinted out of the room. His eyes darkened.
Why would she have to go out of the room to get the servants to bring some hot water in? The side room where the servants rested was placed right next to this one. Most master bedrooms had a rope connected to a bell in the side room so they could call the maidservants in with just a simple tug.
Chu Lian patted her chest once she was out of the bedroom. A whoosh of air signified her relief from the awkward situation. She swiftly hid the item in her hand. If that lunatic He Sanlang saw this, it would surely leave a blow on his heart.
Luckily she had been sitting with her back facing him.
Chu Lian sighed and called out to Wenlan before returning to the bedroom.
When Chu Lian returned, He Sanlang didn't say anything and acted as if he hadn't noticed anything strange about what had just happened. Once Chu Lian had finished washing up for the night, he went to sleep with his arms around her.
The next day, on the dawn of the first day of the year, the sound of firecrackers could be heard all over the normally desolate Liangzhou City.
Even though they were out here in the north, there were still customs they had to follow. Chu Lian woke up bright and early to prepare New Year gifts for General Qian and the others.
When Chu Lian woke up, He Sanlang was still sleeping. She carefully tucked the blankets back around him without waking him up and quietly got off the bed to put on her clothes.
Once Chu Lian had left the bedroom, He Sanlang opened his eyes. He stared at the ceiling for a while before finally moving the covers aside and rising out of bed. He took the cloak that was still hanging on the screen and headed outside.
Wenqing was on duty in the outer room. He Sanlang's sudden appearance gave Wenqing a fright, as he was hobbling and favouring one leg.
"Third Young Master, this..."
He Changdi sent her a cold glare and ordered, "Go and guard the door. Don't let anyone in."
Wenqing looked back at him in surprise, but unfortunately, she couldn't withstand He Changdi's ice-cold gaze for long. She gave in to the threatening aura surrounding her young master and obediently guarded the door, despite the uncertainty in her heart.
Once Wenqing had left and shut the door, He Changdi started opening all the cabinets and chests in the outer room.
After training in the army, He Changdi had gotten pretty skilled at tracking. He found the traces left by Chu Lian and quickly found what he was looking for.
In just a few moments, as he was digging under the pillow on the hearth bed, he felt something icy cold and pulled it out. When he got a good look at it, He Changdi instantly froze.
It was a jade amulet carved in the shape of a horse. Although it was also made of white jade, both the craftsmanship and quality of the jade were better than the one he had given her.
He Sanlang had grown up in a noble house, so he had a discerning eye for quality. This jade seemed quite old; it was probably something from the previous dynasty. It might have even come from the imperial palace- in that case, it would be a priceless artifact.
His gift couldn't even compare to this jade horse.
However, Chu Lian had quietly hidden this piece away.
A warm feeling suffused He Sanlang's heart. He understood why Chu Lian had done so.
After a momentary daze, He Changdi carefully hid the jade back where he had found it and called Wenqing back in.
He leaned against the headboard of the hearth bed with a cool, neutral expression. The threatening air around him, honed by his time in the army, made Wenqing lower her head in deference.
She and Wenlan had grown up under Senior Servant Zhong's guidance. They hadn't seen Third Young Master much when they were young. Now that she had finally met her master again in the north, she always felt pressured whenever she was around him. She didn't even dare to lift her head before him now.
Wenqing gulped anxiously and asked, "Third Young Master, do you have any orders for this servant?"
He Sanlang's voice was practically dripping icicles. "Who gave your Third Young Madam that purse yesterday?"
Wenqing hadn't expected her master to ask something like that. She was worried that the purse might have caused some sort of misunderstanding between him and Third Young Madam, so she quickly explained, "The red purse with embroidered patterns that Third Young Madam received yesterday was from General Sima. This servant witnessed it personally!"
Please don't mistake it as Third Young Madam receiving a present from some stranger!
He Changdi's eyes narrowed into slits. Sima Hui. It was that Sima Hui again!
Chu Lian was his wife! Who was she trying to make a move on? That damned butch!
Wenqing felt like her head was still in the clouds even after she was dismissed. She couldn't wrap her head around why Third Young Master had only asked her a single question about the purse before letting her go.
Left alone in the room, He Sanlang leaned against the headboard in deep thought.
He hadn't bothered much about material items before. As long as he had enough silver to buy what he needed, he had felt perfectly fine. Furthermore, there usually wasn't much that he needed to spend on in the army. However, it looked like it wouldn't do if he continued like this. He had to start earning some money!
At the very least, he had to be able to afford better presents for his wife so that he wouldn't get outshined again.
Chu Lian spent the whole afternoon busying herself with the New Year gifts before ordering Mo Chenggui to send them to the army camp, along with some of the family soldiers.
Just as she finished that task, Manager Qin came into the main room, beaming from ear to ear.
During this period of time, he had been busy with what Chu Lian had ordered him to do. Compared to his physique back in the capital, his whole figure had slimmed down, and his face had become sharper.
As the saying went, every chubby man was an unpolished jewel. Once he had slimmed down, Manager Qin was a rather good-looking man himself.
The way he smiled before saying anything made him look like a wolf in sheep's clothing. He was looking more and more like a proper steward as time passed.
Chu Lian was sitting on the hearth bed in the main room, drinking some red bean and lotus porridge. When she saw how radiant Manager Qin seemed to be, she smiled back. "Did you bring some good news?"
Manager Qin never forgot his manners in front of Chu Lian. He bowed respectfully to her first and spoke some customary words of New Year's blessings before moving on to report his tasks.
"Where there's a will, there's a way. This servant has finally fulfilled Third Young Madam's order."
Chu Lian's almond-shaped eyes lit up. The speed at which Manager Qin had accomplished her request was out of her expectations.
She set down the porcelain bowl in her hands to ask, "When can we start operating?"
"The day after tomorrow at the latest. The barbarians don't celebrate the New Year. This period is when there's great demand for material goods. This servant has already inquired about the location. There are eighteen places in total. We'll send the goods over in the next two days. As long as we have enough manpower, we'll be able to start operating immediately."
Chu Lian was generous with her praise. "You've done well for this task. Remember what I said to you last time. Offer whatever goods we manage to get to the northern border troops first. Move whatever they don't want according to the plans I've given you. Also, give the northern border troops forty percent of the profits we make from this. We'll keep the other sixty percent."
Ch. 270 Princess Wei's Birthday Banquet
Having the best ideas in the world alone is not enough. One needs to have the resolution to give up something in order to make ideas a long-term reality.
Manager Qin admired his mistress a lot for this quality of hers. If he had been the one to come up with this idea, he wouldn't have the generosity to give away forty percent of the profits just like that.
Manager Qin noted down all of Chu Lian's instructions for him.
"Also, I want to be there for the opening day."
Manager Qin was happy about that, of course. It was going to be a very important day; the culmination of all of his efforts over the past few days. If he were to get Chu Lian's approval from this, that would make him even prouder and even more satisfied compared to getting ten percent of the profits.
Before all these events, there had been something else important happening in the capital: Princess Wei's birthday. It was on the day right before the eve of the New Year.
Although Prince Wei's Estate had always been favoured by the Emperor, both Prince and Princess Wei remained as low-key and humble as possible. It was also precisely because they didn't go around flaunting or boasting of their favour that they were able to remain in the good graces of the Emperor.
Princess Wei usually kept it quiet for her birthday and would only hold a small family banquet in their estate. Her birthday was so close to the end of the year anyway, so she didn't want to disrupt the New Year celebrations of the other noble houses. However, this year was different, because it was Princess Wei's fortieth birthday.
Even before her birthday had come, the Empress Dowager- let alone her own husband, Prince Wei- had instructed her to host a large celebration this year.
Royal Princess Duanjia was in her mother's room right now, writing invitations together with her.
"Mother, Chu Liu isn't around now. What are you doing, inviting those people from House Jing'an!" Royal Princess Duanjia pouted, showing her displeasure on her face. She didn't like a single person from that house except for Chu Liu and He Erlang.
Princess Wei petted her daughter's hair helplessly. "You're already fifteen. If not for your father and I wanting to keep you with us for two more years, you'd be married by now. How are you still so rash when it comes to these social matters?"
Royal Princess Duanjia continued pouting. "Mother, you're still nagging at me! It's not that I don't understand what you mean, but I just can't see eye to eye with that Madam Jing'an! Did you forget what happened at the mid-autumn banquet?"
"Alright, that's enough. We're just inviting them for a meal. Even if you don't like them, they're Jinyi's in-laws. Since you like Jinyi so much, you'll have to get along with House Jing'an if you want to keep associating with her."
Royal Princess Duanjia rolled her eyes. "Fine! Mother knows best!"
Thus, House Jing'an received an invite from Prince Wei's Estate the next day.
Even though Princess Wei was hosting a large celebration this year, it was still very low-key compared to other members of the imperial clan. There were only ten or so noble houses who received invites, so these invitations were extremely precious. They were a mark of association with Prince Wei's Estate.
House Jing'an wouldn't receive an invite normally, since their house didn't have any connections with Prince Wei's Estate. However, thanks to Chu Lian, Princess Wei had sent one to House Jing'an.
Those who didn't know about Princess Wei's connection with Chu Lian would think that it was House Jing'an's prestige that had earned them an invite. He Ying was one of them.
Matriarch He was extremely happy about receiving an invite and took it very seriously. She immediately ordered Senior Servant Liu to prepare the gifts. He Ying pleaded with her mother for half a day before the matriarch finally agreed to bring her and her daughter to Princess Wei's birthday banquet.
Her daughter-inlaw was still bedridden and her granddaughters-in-law weren't present. If not for the lack of other female family members to accompany her, Matriarch He wouldn't have agreed to bringing He Ying and Miss Pan so easily.
On the morning of Princess Wei's birthday, He Ying and her daughter got up early to prepare.
The two of them were staying in a side room in Qingxi Hall. Matriarch He had given them some of her maidservants to serve them, and all of the maidservants had been trained well. Their standard of living was much better than before.
Eldest Madam and her daughter, Miss Pan, had brought a maidservant each back from Siyang. The one serving He Ying was called Qiuyun and the other serving Miss Pan was called Pinglu.
Pinglu was older than Qiuyan by a year and was already sixteen this year. She was small and frail-looking. Apparently, she had been trained as a female escort before entering the estate as a maidservant.
Once mother and daughter were both dressed up, they went to Matriarch He's bedroom in Qingxi Hall together. Matriarch He inspected their dressing and accessories personally and made sure that there was nothing offensive about them before leading them to the carriage that would take them to Prince Wei's Estate.
The entrance of Prince Wei's Estate was currently filled with arriving guests. The young royal princes were standing at the door to welcome their guests, along with Princess Wei's trusted senior servant and court ladies.
It was Pan Nianzhen's first time attending such a grand banquet, so she was a little timid. Once she was helped out of the carriage by a maidservant, she kept her head low and followed right behind her mother and grandmother, imitating their every step.
When Princess Wei's trusted senior servant, Senior Servant Lan, noticed that House Jing'an's matriarch had arrived, she walked towards their party with a welcoming smile.
"This old servant greets the matriarch. It's already the end of the year, but our house has troubled Matriarch He to make the trip all the way here. Princess Wei was still telling this old servant last night that she feels guilty for it!"
Senior Servant Lan had a rank as a court lady in the palace, as she acted as Princess Wei's subordinate. With her rank, she didn't actually have to bow towards the madams of the various noble houses. She was treating House Jing'an's party with respect purely due to Princess Wei's affection for Chu Lian.
Matriarch He had been living in the capital for so long that she understood all the nuances of the etiquette in play here. Her face was kindly, making her look approachable despite her age.
"There's no need for you to greet me. It is my honour to be invited to Princess Wei's birthday banquet. I will have to trouble Senior Servant Lan to pass on my blessings to Princess Wei."
He Ying was standing to one side. When she saw how courteous her mother was acting towards a servant, she looked upon the scene with disdain.
This person wasn't even the princess herself; she was only a servant! Did her mother really need to fawn over a mere servant like this, with her title as a first-ranked noble wife? Could it possibly be her age getting to her?
Senior Servant Lan was sharp-eyed, as befitted her position. She had caught He Ying's small movements.
"You're too courteous, Matriarch. This old servant will pass on your words to Princess Wei later on. It'll be the eve of the new year tomorrow. Has there been any news from Honoured Lady Jinyi in the north?"
Senior Servant Lan had mentioned Chu Lian in front of Matriarch He at this time on purpose. A smart person would instantly realise what she meant.
Matriarch He had never been a slow-witted person as the de-facto leader of her family.
Senior Servant Lan wasn't really asking about news of Chu Lian. Princess Wei had sent two of her bodyguards to accompany Chu Lian during her time in the north. If there was really any news, Prince Wei's Estate might even find out earlier than they did.
Right now, she was using the mention of Chu Lian to remind her that the only reason they had received the invite and why they were now able to mingle with Prince Wei's Estate, was purely due to Chu Lian's efforts.
When you drink water, think of the person who dug the well.
Matriarch He sighed. "I have not received any news of her. I've always been thinking of Lian'er; please pass on my gratitude to Princess Wei for remembering Lian'er. If there's any news, I'll definitely send a message to the princess immediately."
When Senior Servant Lan saw that the matriarch had understood her reminder, she ended the topic. Courteously, she said, "Look at this, this old servant has completely forgotten the time while chatting. Apologies for keeping Matriarch here out in the cold wind. This old servant has failed in my duties. Matriarch, it's getting late. This old servant will guide you to the inner court."
He Ying had already lost her patience waiting some time ago.
It wasn't until the three ladies had gotten onto the sedan arranged by the prince's estate to take them to the inner court that Matriarch He finally got the chance to give a stern warning to her daughter.
"Miss Ying, what kind of look was that just now?" Matriarch He intoned.
He Ying was too stubborn to accept the scolding and snapped back, "Mother, what were you doing talking so nicely to her? Even if she's dressed lavishly, she's still just an old servant. We'll lose our dignity if we lower ourselves in front of a servant!"
Matrairch He harrumphed, annoyed with her daughter's tone. "What do you know?! That servant you're talking about is a highly ranked court lady! Her rank is even higher than yours!"
He Ying was frozen stiff in shock. "That old woman is a court lady?"
Matriarch He suppressed her rage, not wanting to have it out with her daughter at this time. However, her tone turned colder as she said, "Put away that haughtiness of yours! This birthday banquet is extremely important, and so are all the guests here. If you offend a respected personage and make enemies for me, I'll send you right back to Siyang."
He Ying shrunk back. It was only after the matriarch had pulled out that threat that she really felt fear.
Back when she had still been a young miss in House Jing'an, the house hadn't been as illustrious as it was now. They didn't even have a noble title back then. Old Count Jing'an had earned that title by risking his life on the battlefield.
Thus, she had never interacted much with the nobles in the capital. It was normal that she wouldn't realise an unassuming senior servant would be a formally titled and ranked court lady.
The court ladies' ranks in the Great Wu Dynasty were equal to ranked noble madams. Senior Servant Lan was a seventh-ranked title at the very least. That was much higher than He Ying's own rank. Furthermore, court ladies had always been looked up to.
After this small commotion, He Ying decided to give up all of her airs and remain low-key for the remainder of the day.
The timid Pan Nianzhen had also been properly frightened from all this. The capital was really teeming with all sorts of noble ranks. If a stone randomly fell from the sky, it would likely hit someone with a noble title.
Princess Wei was waiting in the main hall of the inner court for her guests.
There were many esteemed madams and misses here today. Some of them were the noble wives of the ministers of the cabinet. There were even some high-ranked imperial clan members around.
Even Matriarch He wasn't able to lift her head high in front of all these people.
She hurriedly gave her greetings to Princess Wei before retreating from the circle with He Ying and Miss Pan.
Old Duchess Zheng and a few other senior members of noble houses were gathered in one area, naturally forming a social circle.
Matriarch He entered the circle and sat down. Old Duchess Zheng greeted her with a smile. "It's just us old ladies left in this circle."
After saying so, she glanced over at He Ying, who was behind Matriarch He.
Old Duchess Zheng was close with Matriarch He and knew all about the events that had happened in their estate a few decades ago. She frowned slightly before continuing to say, "When did Miss Ying return to the capital?"
Matriarch He set aside the ill feelings in her heart and returned the smile. "She came back just a few days ago. After so many years, I just couldn't rest easy with her raising her child in Siyang. The young ones in my estate aren't around much so I get lonely easily. Thus, I thought of bringing Miss Ying back."
While Old Duchess Zheng didn't approve of the matriarch's decision, she kept it to herself and didn't make any mention of it in front of He Ying. Instead, she nodded and said,, "It's good that you've brought her back. Now that we're old, all we want is to see our children happy by our side!"
Following that, Old Duchess Zheng turned to Pan Nianzhen, whose head was still pointed at the ground. "This is..."
House Jing'an didn't have any young misses around this age. She had seen Chu Lian a few times before, so she would have recognised her.
Matriarch He smiled. "This is my granddaughter. She came back from Siyang along with her mother."