210. Sell official, buy official

Who was monitoring me? It wasn’t Wang Gui, nor was it Liang Shi.

Training carrier pigeons in this era was not easy. It required starting with young pigeons and conducting extremely professional training, moving from simple to complex, from near to far, and from daytime to night.

To have your own carrier pigeon force, you needed a strict organization and a large amount of manpower, material resources, and financial resources. This was absolutely not something Wang Gui and Liang Shi could do.

Was Bailong monitoring me? Impossible, because this monitoring began several years ago, and at that time, Bailong simply didn’t know who I was.

Then there were only two possibilities: one was my uncle, who held a high position in the Jing Dynasty, and the other was my birth mother, whose whereabouts were unknown.

As for the person who controlled the Taotie last night…

Chen Ji stood in the room, watching Xiao Man busy herself outside. Just now, she had put the kettle on the stove, and now, taking advantage of the water boiling, she was sweeping the dust and fallen leaves in the courtyard into a pile.

Chen Ji asked in a low voice, “Wu Yun, do you think she’s like Xing Guan?”

Wu Yun meowed, “Not like… Do you believe she’s Xing Guan, or do you believe I’m an immortal?”

“That’s true,” Chen Ji said to himself, “Would a dignified Xing Guan willingly do things to serve people… Let’s try it, we’ll know after trying.”

From the room on the right, the sound of the kettle spraying steam came. Xiao Man put down the broom and ran back to the room like a gust of wind. She carried out a basin of warm water. “Young Master, it’s time to wash up! I’ll tie your hair properly in a moment. We’re going to attend Zhang Fu’s promotion banquet at noon!”

As she spoke, Xiao Man walked out of the room, swaying as she carried the water basin. Chen Ji went up to her. “Let me do it. This water basin is quite heavy.”

Xiao Man quickly said, “No need, no need!”

Chen Ji ignored what she said and took the water basin himself. As the two of them stood off, they saw the water about to spill out. Xiao Man had no choice but to reluctantly let go.

Just as Xiao Man let go, Chen Ji also let go.

The water basin fell between the two of them. Chen Ji didn’t look at the water basin, but looked at Xiao Man.

Time seemed to slow down. The water basin slowly fell to the ground. Xiao Man’s eyes widened little by little. She wanted to reach out and catch the water basin again, but it was too late.

With a bang, the water basin fell to the ground. Hot water splashed out from the edge of the basin, wetting Xiao Man’s cloth shoes.

“Ah!” Xiao Man exclaimed and jumped to the side.

Chen Ji quickly said, “Sorry, sorry, it’s my fault.”

Xiao Man also quickly said, “How is it your fault? It’s my fault.”

Chen Ji said, “Hmm?”

Xiao Man said forlornly, “It’s my fault for not having four arms.”

Chen Ji: “…”

He wondered in his heart, could the Xing Guan who controlled the Taotie really not be Xiao Man?

Xiao Man lowered her head and looked at her wet shoes, complaining aggrievedly, “You just don’t add to the mess. Let the servants do what they’re supposed to do. What are you always rushing to do the work for?”

Chen Ji looked at Xiao Man and said apologetically, “Sorry, just… aren’t you hoping to do less work yourself?”

Xiao Man was slightly startled and said in a low voice, “You don’t understand. We were sold to human traffickers from a young age, and the first thing we were taught was to be useful. If we were useful, the master would buy us and we wouldn’t be beaten by the human traffickers. If we were useful, people would like us at the master’s house, and we wouldn’t be sold to others again.”

Chen Ji was silent. “Useful” seemed to be the survival philosophy Xiao Man had learned from a young age.

He asked, “Do you still have shoes to change into?”

Xiao Man said casually, “Of course I do.”

Chen Ji thought for a moment and then said, “Then I’ll take you to eat a good meal at Zhang Fu’s today, as compensation and apology.”

Xiao Man’s mouth curved up, but she still muttered, “I’m actually not that greedy.”

Chen Ji said, “I heard there’s not only seafood, but they also specially invited a big cook from Ying Xian Lou.”

“Really?” Xiao Man’s eyes brightened, and then she said with slight worry, “Young Master, Madam won’t not let you attend Zhang Fu’s banquet, right? According to the rules, you are an illegitimate son and shouldn’t attend the main banquet.”

Chen Ji smiled, “Don’t worry, they won’t.”

On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month in the thirty-first year of Jianing, at noon.

Cui Yun Lane was decorated with lanterns and colorful ribbons. The ground was covered with red shredded paper flowers from the firecrackers, especially bright and dazzling.

The servants of Chen Fu and Zhang Fu stood at the door with baskets, giving candied sour plums to the small children and “li shi” to the passing men, women, old, and young.

The “li shi” wrapped in red paper containing copper coins were given out. The common people put the copper coins into their bosoms and casually threw away the red paper, making the whole street fly with red paper, creating a joyful atmosphere.

At noon, servants from each family rushed over with congratulatory gifts.

In front of the main gate of Zhang Fu, a servant stood in place. When someone brought a congratulatory gift, he would pick up the gift list at the door and announce, “Master Wang Changgu of the Hui Merchant Association, presents six pairs of South Sea eastern pearls, one pair of red coral, one emerald ruyi branch…”

“Master Qiao Dezhong of the Jin Merchant Association, presents twenty pieces of silver winter melons, one Maitreya golden Buddha…”

The queue of people waiting to send gifts all changed their expressions upon hearing the announcement.

A manager turned around and walked away, muttering in a low voice as he walked, “This Zhang Zhuo is really too shameless. Which official dares to receive gifts so openly?”

The apprentice beside the manager asked curiously, “Boss, aren’t we sending it?”

The manager cursed his bad luck, “How can we not send it? I’m going back to the warehouse to prepare another gift! I heard this Master Zhang has the ability to remember things. Being laughed at by peers is a small matter, but if this Vice Minister of Personnel remembers it, I’m afraid he’ll make things difficult for us every day later!”

“He’s from the Ministry of Personnel, he doesn’t manage us…”

“You know nothing!”

Compared to the liveliness of Zhang Fu, Chen Fu was slightly quieter.

The congratulatory gifts entering Chen Fu were received by Liang Shi and quietly carried into the backyard. The gift lists were also collected and would be tallied after today.

Although the banquet today was originally held to receive gifts, the Chen family considered their reputation and were unwilling to be stained with such a strong smell of copper.

Liang Shi stood in the main hall. She vaguely heard the sound of congratulatory gifts being announced from Cui Yun Lane. She lowered her head and looked at her own family’s gift list, which was obviously much shabbier.

In fact, the congratulatory gifts sent to Chen Fu were all things that ordinary common people could not earn in several lifetimes, but people were afraid of comparison. No matter how much you got, as long as you got less than others, you were not satisfied.

The maid Dong Zhi stood to the side, looked at Liang Shi’s face, and said in a low voice, “The Zhang family is too shameless. They actually accept bribes in broad daylight. Officials who come from small families are indeed short-sighted.”

Liang Shi listened to the sound of the gift list being announced outside the mansion and said distractedly, “It’s also his ability that Master Zhang has received so much money for so many years and hasn’t had any accidents.”

Dong Zhi muttered, “What ability? Doesn’t he still have Xu Ge Lao protecting him?”

Liang Shi said in a deep voice, “Don’t be rude. Now Master Zhang is an official of the Ministry of Personnel, you need to show some respect.”

As she spoke, Chen Li Qin walked out of the room wearing a crimson-purple standing collar great coat. His feet were clad in black boots, and he wore a tiled-edge black gauze hat on his head, looking utterly noble and imposing.

Liang Shi praised, “Old Master goes to the river dike every day without grooming himself. Now that you’ve tidied yourself up properly, you already have the appearance of a hall official. I think in a few years, you can definitely enter a department hall and take charge as a minister.”

Chen Li Qin smiled and said, “Madam, you must not say such things in front of outsiders. It will only invite ridicule and say that I, Chen Li Qin, am an official addict. Now as the Vice Compiler of the Hanlin Academy, I just need to wholeheartedly assist the Crown Prince.”

Liang Shi straightened his collar for him. “Old Master is like heaven and earth in my heart, and even those hall officials cannot compare. With you assisting the Crown Prince, when the Crown Prince ascends the throne, you can definitely get what you wish – to display your ambition. Didn’t the head of the family arrange this position for you precisely to pave the way for you?”

Chen Li Qin smiled broadly. “It’s also strange. Originally, the family’s arrangements for my promotion were repeatedly obstructed, and the Imperial Secretariat also made things difficult in a hundred ways. Now, I don’t know how, but the palace suddenly agreed to let me take this position. Perhaps it’s because I have merit in governing the river and it has caught His Majesty’s eye.”

Liang Shi smiled joyfully, “Old Master has now entered His Majesty’s eye, which is a joy on top of joy.”

Chen Li Qin asked, “What were you all just chatting about?”

Liang Shi’s eyes turned slightly. “I just sent Dong Zhi to call Wen Zong and Chen Ji. I plan to lead them to attend the banquet together, so that Chen Ji knows that Old Master has him in his heart.”

Chen Li Qin said with gratification, “Originally, I was still worried that you and Chen Ji would not be harmonious as mother and son. Now seeing you all reconciled as before and even able to recite Buddhist scriptures together, I can finally put my heart at ease. But today’s occasion is not suitable for bringing Chen Ji. It has been the rule of our Ning Dynasty since ancient times that concubines and illegitimate sons cannot attend the banquet. If he had an official position, it would be fine, but now that he hasn’t obtained an official position, bringing him to the banquet I fear will make outsiders think our Chen family doesn’t understand the rules.”

Liang Shi held Chen Li Qin’s arm and said hesitantly, “Old Master, are you really not bringing him? What if he thinks I, his mother, am narrow-minded?”

Chen Li Qin patted the back of her hand. “It’s not a big deal. Chen Ji has understood these rules since he was young. It’s been like this for so many years, he won’t overthink it.”

Saying that, he said to the servant, “Instruct the kitchen to add two dishes for Chen Ji today and send a pot of wine. Tell the kitchen to be careful and not neglect him.”

The servant stammered, “Old… Old Master, Third Young Master went out early this morning.”

Chen Li Qin was slightly startled. “Where did he go?”

The servant quickly said, “Miss Zhang Er came over and called him to help next door.”

At this moment.

In front of the side door of Zhang Fu, a servant led the low-key officials who had come to send congratulatory gifts into the door. The main door was for merchants, and the side door was for officials. Officials sending gifts were naturally not so high-profile.