usatvline Chapter 1079 - 1070: Bonus Gift
Chapter 1079 - 1070: Bonus Gift
The Minister’s wife of the Ministry of Justice is the great-aunt of the Prince Zhenbei Mansion.The Old Madam was killed by the fake Old Madam, with Old Madam Duke Chong and the Empress Dowager being the masterminds behind it.
Princess Nanzhang is Duke Chong’s cousin and the Empress Dowager’s niece, naturally making her the enemy of the great-aunt.
Would the Ministry of Justice care for a concubine lacking backing and unnoticed by the Prince, and risk displeasing the Minister’s wife?
Preventing her from leaving was for the good of Princess Nanzhang and for the Prince Zhenbei Mansion’s reputation.
Princess Nanzhang insisted on going out to disgrace herself, why would the Princess Consort intervene?
As the Princess Consort expected, Princess Nanzhang took a carriage directly to the Ministry of Justice Prison, intending to visit Xie Jingchuan, but was stopped by the prison guards.
Even passing gold ingots to the guards didn’t work for Princess Nanzhang.
Money is good.
Prospects are even better.
Especially as Ministry of Justice prison guards are cushy positions, where passing messages or delivering letters can earn quite a bit.
Who would be blinded by immediate gain?
When money didn’t work, Princess Nanzhang resorted to an old trick, pressing a golden hairpin against her throat.
The guards not only refused to let her pass but mocked, "If unable to achieve your goal, you resort to forcing with death; no wonder you raised a son who betrayed the country, tainting Prince Zhenbei Mansion!"
Indeed, Prince Zhenbei was unlucky to be forced into marrying such a creature.
If not for meeting the Princess Consort of the Zhenbei Heir, Prince Zhenbei Mansion would have been completely ruined by them both.
The guard’s disdain was unconcealed; Princess Nanzhang had never endured such humiliation, with her lips turning purple from anger and her face ashen.
Mrs. Zhao snatched the golden hairpin from her hand.
The guards rolled their eyes nearly to the sky.
Threaten them?
Is her brain not kicked by a donkey a few times?
Princess Nanzhang refused to leave; Mrs. Zhao couldn’t pull her alone, so the maid stepped up to help.
Princess Nanzhang returned to the Prince Mansion full of frustration.
Having no option, she headed to the Peony Garden to find the Princess Consort, but alas, she couldn’t even get through the door.
The Princess Consort simply refused to see her.
Princess Nanzhang knelt in the courtyard.
She only wished to see her son once.
Little Princess was asleep in the Princess Consort’s arms; she handed her over to the wet nurse, gently saying, "Slowly, don’t wake her up."
Mrs. Wang stepped forward, and after the wet nurse took Little Princess away, she said, "The concubine is kneeling in the courtyard."
"If she wishes to kneel, let her kneel," the Princess Consort said indifferently.
"Pay her no mind."
She was deeply loving her son, willing to kneel just to see him.
Xie Jingchuan, for selfish reasons, conspired with Nanliang to poison the Flying Tiger Army, repeating the tragedy of sixteen years ago.
How many families were shattered then?
Feeling sorry for her, but does the Flying Tiger Army deserve their fate?!
Since learning of Xie Jingchuan’s arrest, Princess Nanzhang lost her appetite and rest, gradually growing thin, and just a short moment of kneeling left her unstable and shaky.
She knelt on the ground under the blazing sun.
The maids and wives who passed by sighed.
The once high and mighty, unequivocal Princess Nanzhang never imagined seeing such a day.
In life, truly, one shouldn’t harbor malicious intent, for no matter how glorious, there will be a day of reckoning.
On the bustling street.
Young Master Su and a few others wandered the street aimlessly.
The four little fellows were not in the best mood.
They were short of money, enough only to buy two strings of candied gourds to split among the four.
Earlier they bought too many eggs, and after throwing just a few, their eldest brother got involved.
After talking to their elder brother for a while and returning, the eggs along with the basket were gone.
No money to browse the street; isn’t this like mocking them by dangling chicken legs in front of them?
They ate the candied gourd, unwilling to spit the seeds.
The few stood in front of a sugar figurines stand, eyeing it greedily.
Young Master Su glanced at himself, then looked over Ninth Prince and the others from head to toe, though dressed in embroidered clothes, they still exuded a sense of poverty.
As he was looking, Ninth Prince and the others all glared at him.
Last time without money, Young Master Su tore his brocade robe in exchange for things.
He had plenty of clothes, but when he returned to the mansion, Mrs. Tang didn’t scold him but instead took all his brocade robes, leaving him only the set he wore.
Dirty in the day, washed clean at night, worn again the next day.
Not allowing others to lend to him, otherwise they’d be sent back to their mansion.
In those days, they certainly made Young Master Su suffer.
After several apologies, Mrs. Tang forgave him.
The sugar figurine vendor now recognized Young Master Su and the others, offering them sugar figurines.
"We have no money," Young Master Su said.
The vendor laughed, "No need for money."
Young Master Su and the others didn’t reach out.
A gentleman doesn’t eat food given as charity.
They were poor, but the vendor was poorer.
"We’ll come back for it next time," Young Master Su said.
They turned and walked away, but after few steps, a man blocked their path.
Young Master Su looked at him, then towards the servant from Dongxiang Marquis Mansion carrying items behind him.
Young Master Su questioned the man, "Why block our path?"
The man, looking around twenty-two or twenty-three, smiled, "Just now, a few young masters said they were out of money; I have a way to make money, are the young masters interested?"
The Dongxiang Marquis Mansion servant stood behind, not obstructing.
Young Master Su tilted his head thoughtfully, "Tell us first."
The man stepped aside, first introducing himself as the heir of a painting shop, then said, "Your brother, Mr. Su, is both talented and accomplished, able to wield a pen for peace and ride into battle to settle the realm; his calligraphy and painting are worth quite a lot..."
Young Master Su’s eyes lit up, "How much is it worth?"
"At least three hundred silver taels," the man smiled.
Young Master Su rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then glanced at the man, "If my brother’s calligraphy is worth three hundred taels, then how much do you think our four’s works are worth?"
The man, "..."
What would he want their works for?
No matter how clever, they were merely seven-year-old children.
The man coughed lightly, about to speak, when Young Master Su interrupted, "Don’t underestimate us. We’re small, but our status is no less than my brother’s."
"In this Capital, there must be plenty who’d want our works."
The man pondered Young Master Su’s words.
Indeed.
Not often were there many noble young masters on the street, but since those four began roaming about, even accompanying the Old Madam of the Jibei Marquis Mansion.
Young masters and old madams on strolls increased significantly.
Which noble family wouldn’t want to raise a son like Mr. Su?
Even Prince NanAn sent his sons to train at Dongxiang Marquis Mansion.
To chase Mr. Su now would undoubtedly be a long shot.
But if they obtained Young Master Su and the others’ works, selling them to noble families to serve as standards for their sons, it’s quite a promising venture.
The man nodded, "It’s actually a good idea."
The man needs paintings; Young Master Su and the others needed money, it was almost a perfect match.
Within half a year, Young Master Su and the four sold their paintings to the man for five silver taels each, but only two per person a month. Of course, if they were to paint more, each additional one would cost ten silver taels, dependent on their mood.
Young Master Su and the other three held noble identities but were young; this price was deemed fair.
The man said, "I accept the price, but the paintings must not be too unsightly."
Young Master Su promised, "If we can’t sell them, we won’t take the money, alright?"
"Truly a young master from the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, living up to his name; let’s leave it at that," the man said.
Young Master Su laughed, "Don’t worry, doing business with me, you definitely won’t lose."
"Later, if I find my father’s, grandfather’s, brother’s, and sister’s doodles, I’ll include them as bonus for you," Young Master Su said ambitiously.
Bonus...bonus?
Wouldn’t that be overpriced as a bonus?
The man’s face turned completely stiff.