Mo Sang – CH 267

Chapter 267. The Hospitality of a Host

As evening fell, Qing-Feng jogged into Qingning Palace.

“What is it?” Gu Jin asked, putting down the memorial in his hand as Qing-Feng entered.

The one who had summoned Qing-Feng was Lu Hepeng of Shunfeng Express.

“Master Lu said that a woman named Shi Acai just went to Shunfeng’s main branch.”

Gu Jin’s eyebrows furrowed slightly upon hearing the name Shi Acai.

“Shi Acai said she is the wife of Yang Zhili, the current chieftain of Jiuxi Shidong. She came to Jianle City with her two younger brothers, a son, and a daughter, hoping to pay homage to the Emperor.

“Master Lu said that Shi Acai asked him if she could pay homage to the Emperor and how she should do so,” Qing-Feng replied with a smile.

“Go and invite several ministers over, as well as the Minister of Rites, Zong.” “Gu Jin smiled and gave the order.

Qing-Feng agreed, bowed his head, and stepped forward, selecting several eunuchs to fetch them.

The ministers were still in the capital, except for Minister Zong, who had been intercepted on the way back.

The group hurried into Qingning Palace, where Gu Jin was slowly eating a bowl of lotus seed and white fungus soup. Smiling, he instructed, “Serve each of the ministers and Minister Zong a bowl, and give each of them a plate of mutton buns to tide them over.”

Seeing Gu Jin’s constant smile, Minister Wu and the others knew this urgent invitation was probably for good news and relaxed. They each ate their buns and drank a bowl of lotus seed and white fungus soup.

“Yang Zhili’s wife and children from Jiuxi Shidong, along with his two younger brothers, have just arrived in Jianle City,” Gu Jin said, looking at everyone with a smile.

“This is a joyous occasion! Congratulations, Your Majesty!” Minister Wu hurriedly stood up to offer his congratulations.

The others followed suit.

“This is a joyous occasion for both the Emperor and his subjects. Please sit down,” Gu Jin gestured to the others.

“The Yang family rose to prominence in Jiuxi Shidong, originating from their great-grandfather, Yang Xilin.

Yang Xilin came from a poor family and married the daughter of a pig butcher in the county, surnamed Zhang. This great-grandmother Zhang, it is said, could single-handedly slaughter a pig weighing over a hundred jin while still at her maternal home; she was extremely fierce.

Yang Xilin was extremely timid and bookish. His ability to establish himself in Jiuxi Shidong was said to be entirely due to Zhang; she was skilled in fighting and killing, cunning, and reportedly had an exceptional capacity for alcohol.

Yang Xilin and Zhang had four sons and two daughters. Their journey to Longbiao City was arduous, and upon arrival, they suffered from acclimatization problems. Only their young son survived, and he was sickly from childhood. So, Yang Xilin and his wife chose a capable and courageous wife for their only son, just like Zhang.

From then on, the Yang family’s rule was to prioritize talent when choosing a wife. Ideally, she should be able to govern the Jiuxi Shidong or lead troops in battle.

This Shi Acai was chosen by the old lady Wu. She said she had been fighting alongside her father and brothers since she was six or seven years old.

According to the Yang family’s rules, if anything happens to the chieftain, the first person to assume the chieftain’s responsibilities is not the chieftain’s son but the chieftain’s wife.

The Yang family didn’t send Shi Acai here just as a female relative, showing a lack of sincerity. Shi Acai’s position in Jiuxi Shidong is second only to Yang Zhili.

Yang Zhili is currently serving in Wen Shunzhi’s army.”

Gu Jin, seeing everyone listening intently, continued with a smile, “Shi Acai went to Shunfeng Headquarters to ask Lu Hepeng if she could have an audience and how she should do so.”

Upon hearing that she had gone to Shunfeng Headquarters, Privy Councilor Pang’s eyes widened. “The Boss?”

“The Yang family has nothing to do with the Boss.” Gu Jin glanced at Privy Councilor Pang. “Shi Acai went to Shunfeng Headquarters because the Ye family, known as the number one medicine merchant in the world, has some connections with the Boss.

The Ye family has been trading medicinal herbs in Jiuxi Shidong for generations, and they have a very close relationship with the Yang family. Yang Zhili’s younger sister, Yang Nanxing, married Ye Ningjiang, the eldest son of the Ye family.

Those idle words just now also came from the Ye family.

When Shi Acai set off from Jiuxi Shidong, she sent a message to the Ye family. Upon receiving the message, the Ye family found their head steward and entrusted him with Shi Acai’s matter.

When Shi Acai arrived in Jianle City, it was only natural that she first went to the Shunfeng headquarters.” Gu Jin explained slowly.

Minister Wu, sitting opposite Privy Councilor Pang, glared fiercely at Privy Councilor Pang.

Privy Councilor Pang smiled obsequiously.

The Boss went to Jiuxi Shidong, and the old lady of the Yang family, Concubine Wu, and her son, Yang Zhensheng, died suddenly from illness. The Emperor knew, Minister Wu knew, and he knew—there was no way a fourth person could know!

His cultivation was deteriorating rapidly!

“Let’s discuss it,” Gu Jin said with a smile, gesturing to everyone.

“Shouldn’t this be considered a vassal king’s visit to court?” Seeing everyone looking at him, the Minister of Rites looked at Minister Wu and probed.

“Shi Acai sent a message via Shunfeng, perhaps wanting to meet them first? To discuss it first?” Minister Wu looked at Gu Jin and said vaguely.

Whether the Yang family counted as a vassal king is still uncertain; it depended on the Emperor’s opinion and the Yang family’s opinion.

“Hmm.” Gu Jin pondered for a moment, then hummed in agreement.

“Where are Shi Acai and her party staying now? I’m afraid they’re not staying at the post station; otherwise, I would have received the news,” Minister Du bowed and said.

The post station was under his jurisdiction.

“They said they’re staying at the inn opposite the Shunfeng headquarters.” Gu Jin paused. “Since she found Shunfeng first, Shunfeng should be the one to entertain her.”

“Hmm, I’ll send Ninghe and Ah Fei there first; let them fulfill their duties as hosts on behalf of the Boss.”

As he spoke, Gu Jin looked at Minister Pan and smiled, “You sent Little Seventh away; otherwise, it would be most appropriate for him to make the trip.”

Minister Pan chuckled.

“An audience is inevitable. Minister Zong, please prepare all the necessary formalities.

After the audience, a residence must be granted. Minister Du, keep an eye out for a suitable place, following the precedent for princes.” Gu Jin then gave his instructions.

Minister Zong and Prime Minister Du bowed in agreement.

“As for any other minor matters, Prime Minister Wu, please keep an eye on them. That’s all for now,” Gu Jin said with a smile.

Everyone quickly rose to take their leave.

………………………………

Princess Ninghe, dressed in an indigo long robe, and Gu Fei, in navy blue, both with jade belts, each carrying a gold-flecked folding fan, entered the inn across from Shunfeng.

Over the past year or two, they had become quite experienced in wearing men’s clothing, increasingly finding pale yellow and willow green unattractive; indigo, deep black, and sepia were truly beautiful.

Qian-Shan consulted the innkeeper and, leading Princess Ninghe and Gu Fei, headed straight for the three interconnected courtyards that Shi Acai and her group had booked.

The three sizable courtyards were arranged in a triangular shape, occupying most of the inn’s space. Three or four guards sat at the entrances of the three courtyards, exchanging casual conversation.

Seeing Princess Ninghe and her entourage heading straight for them, the guard sitting at the entrance of the middle courtyard stood up.

“This is our Princess Ninghe, and this is Young Lady Ning’an, the eldest daughter of King Rui’s household, who has come to pay her respects to Lady Shi.” Qian-Shan quickly stepped forward, bowing and smiling.

The guard was startled and quickly bowed deeply to Ninghe and Gu Fei. “I was rude! I’ll report immediately. Your Highness and Young Lady, please come in.”

As he spoke, the guard backed away, tripped on the threshold, spun around, and hurried inside to report.

What surprised him so much that he almost lost his composure wasn’t seeing the princess, but that they had only just settled in, and the princess and the county princess had already come to pay their respects—it was too fast!

Shi Acai and Yang Nanxing were eating when they heard the report and hurriedly came out to greet them.

When Shi Acai and Yang Nanxing rushed out, Princess Ninghe and Gu Fei were standing at the courtyard gate, looking up at the tree full of bright red pomegranates, muttering about whether to pick one and taste it.

Shi Acai and Yang Nanxing hurriedly came out to greet them, and as soon as they stepped over the threshold, they knelt.

“Oh! No!”

Princess Ninghe and Gu Fei rushed forward, each pulling one of them up. “We shouldn’t have come under the guise of being princesses, but Ah Fei and I don’t know you two at all. It’s so late, and we’ve come so abruptly. If we didn’t come under the princess’s name, you might not see us,” Princess Ninghe hurriedly explained.

“We’re here to fulfill our duty as hosts on behalf of the Boss,” Gu Fei seamlessly replied.

“You are guests who arrived by chance, but the Boss isn’t in Jianle City right now, and neither is the Seventh Master. It’s just Ah Fei and me, so we rushed over.”

“Let’s not talk about princesses or anything like that. Otherwise, Ah Fei and I wouldn’t be helping the Boss; we’d be causing her trouble,” Princess Ninghe continued with a smile.

She didn’t know who the person before her was. Her Elder Brother had only told her that the Boss had a distinguished guest in Jianle City and asked her to bring Ah Fei over to show him hospitality.

“That’s right; if you’re too polite, what are we supposed to say to the Boss when she returns? Are we supposed to say, ‘We’re acting like princesses, showing her hospitality’?” Gu Fei chimed in with a laugh.

Yang Nanxing laughed upon hearing this.

Shi Acai curtsied twice, smiling as she stepped aside to let the two in. “Which of you is the Shi family sister? My Elder Brother just said there’s a Shi family sister.” Once inside the courtyard, Princess Ninghe looked between Shi Acai and Yang Nanxing before finally asking.

“My surname is Shi, and she’s my younger sister. We’re aunt and sister-in-law. Her surname is Yang, Yang Nanxing,” Shi Acai quickly replied with a smile.

“Nanxing, that’s a lovely name. Does she have a given name?” Gu Fei stood next to Yang Nanxing and asked with a smile.

“No.” Yang Nanxing smiled respectfully, her gaze cautiously scrutinizing Gu Fei.

These two, one a princess, the Emperor’s only sister, the other a county princess, the general’s only sister, were both said to be extremely favored.

“Then you have to choose one!” Gu Fei clapped her hands cheerfully. “From now on, when we’re learning literature, how can we not have a courtesy name? We’ll all address each other by our courtesy names, no ‘wife’ or anything like that. You’d better choose a pseudonym too!”

Yang Nanxing laughed.

“Who is the Seventh Master?” Shi Acai asked with a hint of unease, looking at Princess Ninghe.

Just now she said, “The Boss isn’t in Jianle City, and the Seventh Master isn’t here either, so it had to be the two of them.” Who was this Seventh Master to the Boss?

“He’s the Seventh Master of the Pan family. The Seventh Master is a friend of the Boss.

He’s gone to Jiangnan to deliver military supplies. When he returns, he’ll host another welcome-back feast for you!” Princess Ninghe said with a smile.

“He has no money!” Gu Fei immediately replied cheerfully.

“Is the Pan family so poor?” Shi Acai was a little confused.

So poor they could not even afford a welcome-back feast?

“It’s not that the Pan family is poor; the Pan family is quite wealthy. It’s the Seventh Master who’s poor; he only gets two taels of silver a month!” Gu Fei said, laughing.

Shi Acai and Yang Nanxing exchanged glances.

Never mind, do not ask too much. They’d have someone inquire about it tomorrow.

The courtyard wasn’t large. In just a few words, the four of them entered the main room.

A-Zuo and A-You, one carrying Ale and the other pulling Ayan, knelt to pay their respects.

“Get up! Is this your child? You have a child? I can’t believe it! She’s so cute!” Princess Ninghe looked at Ale’s bright, dark eyes, stepped forward, and squatted down in front of him. “Let me hug you, alright?”

“She’s my sister!” Ayan forcefully shook off A-You and rushed forward to protect Ale.

“Your sister is so cute; let me hug her, alright?” Princess Ninghe pleaded with Ayan.

“You’re too small; you can’t carry her.” Ayan, holding his sister, tried to turn around but tripped and fell headfirst into Princess Ninghe’s arms.

Princess Ninghe opened her arms and hugged Ayan, laughing heartily.

“Let me hug you!” Gu Fei squeezed through.

Shi Acai and Yang Nanxing exchanged a glance and smiled together.

This princess and this county princess were innocent and carefree, completely without guile.

The Emperor had sent them to entertain guests on behalf of the Boss; clearly, this was a gesture of sincerity and goodwill.

Shi Acai watched Gu Fei snatch Ayan from Princess Ninghe’s arms, her mood gradually lightening. She squatted down and smiled at Gu Fei. “Ayan’s so naughty. Ayan, did you call her auntie? Did you greet her?”

“She’s not an auntie, no, no!” Ayan struggled, looking at Yang Nanxing.

“If I’m not an auntie, then what am I?” Gu Fei clung to him tightly.

“Sister! No, no, no, no!” Ayan waved at Yang Nanxing.

“Let your auntie hold you, and later you’ll have to share half of your cheese with her!” Yang Nanxing bent down to negotiate.

“No, no!” Ayan immediately withdrew his hand.

“If you let me hold you, I’ll give you two bowls of Su Luo!” Gu Fei quickly tempted him.

Ayan blinked, pointing his chubby finger at his younger sister. “And my sister too.”

“Two bowls for your sister, too!” Gu Fei was incredibly generous.

“My sister is too small, I’ll eat for her.” Ayan stopped moving, looking up at Gu Fei, and said in a childish voice.

Gu Fei raised an eyebrow, laughed heartily, and kissed Ayan on the cheek as she laughed. “You’re so clever!”

Princess Ninghe and Gu Fei’s visit, acting as hosts on behalf of the Boss, was limited to the time before they stepped into the main house. After that, the two of them spent time with the two children until Ale, tired of laughing, started yawning. Only then did Princess Ninghe and Gu Fei reluctantly take their leave.

Watching Princess Ninghe and Gu Fei walk away, Shi Acai let out a long sigh.

“Those two are really nice,” Yang Nanxing said with a smile, linking arms with Shi Acai as they walked back into the courtyard.

“The best part is that the Emperor sent them to act as hosts on behalf of the Boss,” Shi Acai said in a low voice, her tone tinged with amusement.

At the courtyard gate, Yang Zhian and Yang Zhining stood side by side under the pomegranate tree, waiting for the two.

“They said the princess has arrived?” Seeing Shi Acai and Yang Nanxing approach, Yang Zhining quickly stepped forward and asked.

“Yes, Princess Ninghe, and the princess from King Rui’s mansion, the general’s sister,” Shi Acai said with a smile.

“Seeing my sister-in-law like this, it’s good news, not bad,” Yang Zhining breathed, and let out a sigh of relief.

“Did the Emperor send them?” Yang Zhian also stepped forward and asked with a smile.

“Yes, he said it was to show hospitality on behalf of the Boss, as the Boss has some connections with the Ye family,” Yang Nanxing added.

“The Ye family has truly been a great help.” Yang Zhian escorted Shi Acai and Yang Nanxing to the courtyard gate, then stood with Yang Zhining, watching them enter before turning back to their own courtyard.

Princess Ninghe and Gu Fei got into their carriage, only then realizing that they had spent the entire trip playing with the two children—what about their hospitality?

“Never mind, let’s come again tomorrow,” Princess Ninghe said, looking annoyed.

“It’s alright, it’s alright. There’s a literary gathering the day after tomorrow; let’s invite them along! It’ll be a welcome feast!” Gu Fei replied, waving her hand.