nycdaug Chapter 204 Negotiation
Chapter 204 Negotiation
Zisu said, "Lancao, why don't you take them for a walk?"
Led by Lan Cao, Shangguan Yi and Yu Han left happily, accompanied by their pageboys Niba and Duanwu.
After sending the two children away, Madam Yu asked Zisu, "Did that imperial concubine make things difficult for you?"
Zisu: "Just yesterday, she told the prince in front of me that if I didn't get pregnant in another six months, she would arrange for the prince to take a concubine!"
Madam Yu was furious: "What? That old hag, she still won't give up! If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have been so good to her! That old hag has had too many good days and has forgotten the loneliness and hardship she endured. Now she's starting to cause trouble again!"
Zisu: "So, from now on, I will never eat with her again! I will also stop chatting with her to relieve her boredom whenever I have nothing to do. In the future, I will try my best to decline any banquets that she wants to attend."
Madam Yu: "That's right, that's excellent! Let's see who will stand up for her when she gets bullied by outsiders again! She's been a princess for decades, but she hasn't made many friends, and very few people are willing to help her!"
Madam Yu asked worriedly, "Now that you're pregnant, she shouldn't cause any trouble, right? Also, now that you're pregnant, will she arrange for Prince Duan to take a concubine?"
Zisu: "Mother, don't worry. The key to this matter is the Prince. If the Prince has no such intention, even if a concubine enters the mansion, the Prince will not give her a second glance. Of course, if the Prince also has the idea of taking a concubine, no one can stop him."
Madam Yu's brow remained furrowed: "What if the Prince himself wants to take a concubine?"
Zisu: "Then I will resolutely file for divorce and leave the palace with the child!"
Madam Yu grew anxious and scolded in a low voice, "Look at you, how can you keep talking about divorce? Now that you have children, if you divorce the Prince, it will be difficult to find someone else in the future! Besides, the Prince's children are the young Prince and the young Princess. It is absolutely impossible for you to take them away from the Prince!"
Zisu: "If it really comes to that, I will find a way to take the child away, so Mother, don't worry! Besides, this is just a hypothetical situation. I will do my best to maintain my relationship with the Prince and will not easily let another woman succeed!"
Madam Yu nodded in agreement: "Yes, that's more like it. It's not good to threaten divorce at the drop of a hat! There aren't many men in this world who don't make mistakes. If every little mistake leads to divorce, how will a woman ever get married? There's no way around it; women have it harder than men. Sometimes you have to grit your teeth and endure it. Or, you could just act like the matriarch of the household and keep your husband in check!"
Zisu shook her head helplessly: "Grandma, the Prince is not going to take a concubine. I can guarantee that he will not take a concubine within at least ten years!" In fact, Zisu was very confident in herself. She felt that as long as she kept to her principles, did not do anything evil, and was not too cold to Consort Qin, the Prince would not take a concubine.
You see, she has a blessed garden space. Every day when she takes a bath, she adds water from the stream in her space, as well as rose petals from within. Her skin becomes increasingly beautiful, and her body emits a faint, pleasant fragrance that is truly delightful.
She believed that, given Prince Duan's feelings for her and his character, as long as she didn't make a serious mistake, he wouldn't despise or abandon her. Because, regardless of whether he kept a mistress or took a concubine, she would divorce him. Therefore, in order to keep her, Prince Duan shouldn't let her down.
She trusted him without any reason; it was just an intuition.
"That's good, then Grandma can rest assured!" Old Madam Yu couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Ten years... Ten years later, Zisu would be almost thirty years old. In aristocratic families, a woman of thirty would generally not be touched by her husband.
Ten years later, even if Prince Duan takes a concubine, Zisu won't be so pitiful. Moreover, ten years later, Zisu's child will be almost ten years old, nearly old enough to support the family! As long as she raises her son well, Zisu will have hope for the future and won't be so pitiful.
Zisu had no idea what her grandmother was thinking; if she did, she would have been both amused and exasperated.
A thirty-year-old woman whose husband won't touch her? This is unimaginable in a future world a thousand years from now. Because in that future world, many thirty-year-old women will still be unmarried!
Apart from cornfields and vegetable gardens, the entire west courtyard of the Prince's Mansion was transformed into orchards. There were peach orchards, plum orchards, cherry orchards, pear orchards, apricot orchards, orange orchards, plum orchards, as well as banana orchards, bayberry orchards, and jujube orchards.
It was March, and the peach and plum blossoms were in full bloom. A breeze blew by, and the white plum blossoms and pink peach blossoms drifted away in the wind, landing on Shangguan Yi and Yu Han.
The paths in the peach grove were covered with beautiful petals, so beautiful that one hesitated to step on them.
Shangguan Yi raised his little head, looked at the beautiful flowers all over the tree, and couldn't help but giggle: "In a few months, we can come and pick peaches and plums! With so many flowers, how many peaches and plums can we get!"
Yu Han couldn't help but shake her head: "You little glutton, the flowers are in full bloom, and there's not even a glimpse of fruit yet, and you're already thinking about eating them!"
Shangguan Yi retorted defiantly, "Don't you want to come and pick the peaches and plums when they ripen?"
Yu Han couldn't help but laugh, saying longingly, "I want to too! I really look forward to seeing a tree full of peaches and plums. That sight must be so beautiful!"
The blossoms on the tree were beautiful, but they paled in comparison to a tree laden with fruit. Especially the sight of the branches bent low with the weight of the fruit—just thinking about it filled Yu Han with anticipation. A radiant smile crept onto her lips.
Shangguan Yi: "Yes, it is very beautiful! When the plums are ripe, the bayberries should be ripe too. Let's pick the fruit together then!"
Yu Han hesitated, "Isn't this inappropriate? This orchard was supposedly planted by the prince himself. Is it alright for us to come here to pick fruit?"
Shangguan Yi waved his hand vigorously: "Cousin, you're just too timid. This Prince's Mansion is my eldest sister's home, and isn't the Prince our brother-in-law? What's there to worry about when we come to pick fruit at our brother-in-law's house? Come and pick as you please, the Prince certainly won't stop us!"
"Alright, let's come together then!" Yu Han thought for a moment. Wasn't the prince her brother-in-law? With that thought, her anxiety lessened considerably.
Duanwu suggested, "Young masters, you'll be studying in Wuliping, so you can pick the bayberries there. We can leave the bayberries here for the princess and the two young masters to pick!"
Muddy nodded vigorously: "Yes, if you want to eat bayberries, I can go up the mountain and pick more."
Shangguan Yi: "Yes, you're right. Go pick the bayberries on the mountain! My eldest sister likes dried bayberries and also likes to drink tea made with dried bayberries. Pick as many as you can and dry them at Xiaoshitan. Make sure you remember this, so you don't forget!"
Duanwu: "I know, I'll write it down in my memo!" With that, he took out a small notebook and a charcoal pencil from his backpack and wrote carefully in the notebook: When the bayberries are ripe, we should pick more bayberries and dry them.
The memo pad was the first thing Zisu used; it was a small notebook she made herself, specifically for jotting down things big and small so she wouldn't forget them. The charcoal pencil was simply finely shaved charcoal with a bamboo tube attached to one end, used for writing in emergencies. When traveling, it was inconvenient to carry an inkstone and ink sticks, so she used the charcoal pencil instead.
Charcoal pencils are also a masterpiece of Zisu.
People from the Shangguan and Yu families arrived. Consort Qin felt very guilty, worried that Zisu would expose what she had done yesterday, so she lied and said she was not feeling well, avoiding seeing the people from the Shangguan and Yu families.
This is exactly what Madam Yu and Old Madam Yu wanted.
Although both women wanted to curse Consort Qin, she was, after all, the mother of Prince Duan, a dignified Consort Qin. Madam Yu and Old Madam Yu had no right to curse her; otherwise, it would be insubordination, a grave offense. Now that Consort Qin was feigning illness and staying home, the two women were naturally pleased.
If you can't curse, then just avoid meeting them altogether to prevent feeling stifled.
Zisu didn't take it seriously: "Mother, Grandmother, let's all eat at the Prince's Mansion for lunch and dinner! I've come up with a new and delicious dish, and Hongcha has even learned how to make it. Let Hongcha and a few maids prepare it properly. Father, Uncle, and the Prince can eat in the outer courtyard, while we'll eat in Rongrui Hall."
Madam Yu readily agreed, "Alright, since we've come all this way, let's all have a good look around the Prince's Mansion! I heard they have quite a few fruit trees, so let's go take a look! Also, I want to see your vegetable garden too, to see what's the secret behind it, and why your vegetables taste so good!"
Zisu's heart skipped a beat. Would her grandmother really be so insistent on getting to the bottom of things? Just as she was worrying, Madam Yu said, "Mother, what are you talking about? There's no secret to it. It's just that the soil and water in the Prince's mansion are better than other places."
Madam Yu glared at her daughter with exasperation: "Have you forgotten that Zisu was enlightened by a fairy? Her boiled salted peanuts taste much better than anyone else's!"
Zisu secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "Mother, the reason my vegetables taste so good is because I used a method that a deity instructed me on when planting them. I can't reveal this method to you, as revealing heavenly secrets is punishable. If anyone asks, please don't say that the soil and water in the Prince's mansion are good, as that would be a grave taboo!"
If it weren't for the fear that the new emperor would become suspicious of Prince Duan after the death of the retired emperor and try to harm him, Zisu would never have offered her vegetables as tribute to the palace. Given the retired emperor's level of trust in Prince Duan, the longer the retired emperor lived, the safer Prince Duan would be, and the safer the Shangguan and Yu families would also be.
If the retired emperor can live for another five or six years, the possibility of Prince Duan and Zisu's father being suspected by the new emperor will be minimized. In the next few years, Prince Duan and Zisu's father will try to minimize his presence, withdraw from the court, and avoid close contact with other officials and generals, so that he will not suffer any disaster.
In the reception room of the front courtyard, Prince Duan, Yu Zhe, and Shangguan Mufeng were discussing resigning from their official posts.
Prince Duan: "Zisu and I have already discussed this. This spring, I will resign from my position as commander of the Imperial Guards and become a leisurely prince. Especially now that she is pregnant, I need to spend more time with Zisu. In a couple of days, I will submit my resignation to the Emperor. Zisu hopes that her father will also resign from his official post and spend more time with her mother. When Rui'er and Zhi'er grow up, her father can personally give them their early education!"
Shangguan Mufeng: "Yes, Zisu also mentioned this to me. I've thought about it for a long time and I also think it's time to retire! The position of Minister of War is too sensitive, and you are the Prince of Duan, so let's both resign. If we resign, the Emperor will have no reason to suspect us, which will minimize the risk!"
Yu Zhe said, "Since you're all resigning, I might as well resign too!"
Prince Duan waved his hand: "Lord Yu, you don't need to be in such a hurry for now. You can serve as Minister of Personnel for another three years. As long as you don't form cliques, engage in corruption, or accept bribes during your tenure, there shouldn't be any problems."
Shangguan Mufeng added, "That's right. There's no need for us all to resign together. Besides, if the three of us resign together, the Emperor probably won't agree. How about this: the Prince and I will resign first, and you can resign in a year or two! If the Emperor agrees, it means he also has reservations about you, so you might as well just resign."
If the Emperor doesn't agree, you should serve your full three-year term, and then resign. After that, you can become a teacher at Wuliping Academy. The monthly salary there is quite good, no less than your salary as Minister of Personnel! That way, you can also mentor Yi-ge and Han-ge.”
Yu Zhe finally smiled: "Hmm, going to Wuliping Academy to be a teacher is a great suggestion!" Being a teacher is much easier than being the Minister of Personnel. It wouldn't be a bad thing to marry a girl from a farming family.
Prince Duan said, “Father-in-law, I will resign the day after tomorrow. You can resign after I do, in two or three months. If you resign first, I think it will be very difficult for me to resign from my position as commander of the Imperial Guards!”
Shangguan Mufeng: "Very well, your position involves the Emperor's safety, which is much more sensitive than mine! You should resign first, and I will resign after the newly appointed commander of the Imperial Guards has fully adapted to his new post. At that time, the Emperor should not object and should agree to my resignation!"
Yu Zhe: "Actually, I could be transferred from my current position to become the Minister of Works or the Minister of Rites. Neither of these positions is that sensitive, and even if I stay for a few more years, it shouldn't matter."
The Minister of Personnel was in charge of selecting and examining officials; the Minister of Revenue was in charge of population and finance; the Minister of Justice was in charge of judicial administration; the Minister of Works was in charge of construction projects and logistics; and the Minister of Rites was responsible for rites, sacrifices, and education. Among the six ministries, the Minister of Rites was the least important and the least noticeable.
Prince Duan nodded: "Lord Yu is right. In one month, you will have completed your three-year term as Minister of Personnel. If you are willing, I will help you arrange to transfer you to the position of Minister of Rites!"
Yu Zhe: "Okay, let's do it that way, thank you, Your Highness!" Working in another department for a few years will broaden my experience and knowledge, and give me more to talk about when I'm guiding my son's studies in the future.
Lunch was very lavish, consisting of ten dishes and a soup.
Shangguan Yi's eyes sparkled: "Wow, so many dishes! I haven't eaten so many dishes in so long!" In Wuliping, it's always four dishes and a soup, and it's the same at the General's Mansion.
Zisu smiled and said, "Ten dishes and one soup is the standard for Consort Qin. Today, when we are entertaining guests, we have prepared ten dishes and one soup. Usually, when my elder sister and the prince eat at Rongrui Hall, they also have four dishes and one soup."
"Oh, I see." Shangguan Yi nodded repeatedly, like a chicken pecking at rice, while eating large mouthfuls of meat.
Madam Yu: "In our family, we also have four dishes and one soup. Only when Han'er comes back will we increase the quantity a bit. Actually, four dishes and one soup is quite good. Think about how hard we were living on the road to exile. Compared to the past, our life now is like that of a god!"
Shangguan Yi: "Grandma, I understand. My eldest sister always says, 'No pain, no gain!' Besides, four dishes and a soup, including two meat dishes, is almost like celebrating the New Year compared to the poor families in Wuliping!" The poor families in Wuliping only get to eat meat during festivals like the New Year.
Madam Li learned that the Yu family had all gone to Prince Duan's residence, leaving only a few maids, servants, and Zhen'er behind. This was a perfect opportunity; perhaps she could snatch Zhen'er away and manipulate Yu Zhe to force him to agree to marry Yun Ge.
The mother and daughter, accompanied by a group of maids and servants, arrived at the Yu residence in a grand procession. Unfortunately, they didn't even get close to the gate before the Yu family's guards chased them away with sticks: "Get out of here right now! This is not a place for you!"
Madam Li quickly presented a one-hundred-tael silver note: "Young man, this is just a small token of my appreciation. Please take it and have some tea! I am Zhen'er's maternal grandmother, not a bad person. Please let me see the bloodline left by my daughter, okay?"
The guard, however, was unmoved and raised his wooden stick high: "Put away your money-collecting tricks right now, I'm not buying it!"