Chapter 336 - 337: Speculation
Chapter 336: Chapter 337: Speculation
Ancient Wen Heng offered no comment. Though he was a man, he still couldn’t fathom how some people thought.
’How could a Madam raised in an aristocratic family lose out to a concubine who started as a mere maid?’
’In the end, it really comes down to men’s base instincts. A maid from a humble background knows how to swallow her pride and please a man.’
’Meanwhile, the daughters of aristocratic families are taught the Three Obediences and Four Virtues from childhood, sometimes even receiving the upbringing of a future Patriarch’s wife. Naturally, they have their pride.’
"What are you thinking about?" Jin Qianqian asked, her chin resting in her hand. Ancient Wen Heng had been uncharacteristically lost in thought.
Ancient Wen Heng replied, "I was just thinking that all of Old Madam Bai’s earlier efforts might have been for nothing."
"..."
Still, the old saying, "the older the ginger, the spicier the flavor," has been around for millennia for a reason.
Bai Jinglie stared at the thick stack of documents in his hand, then looked quietly at Old Madam Bai. "Grandmother, this isn’t right."
"There’s nothing wrong with it. I haven’t touched a thing that belongs to the estate, have I? This is all from my own dowry. I decided to divide it up while I’m still clear-headed.
You are the eldest grandson of the main line, the future Marquis Wu’an. This is what you’re owed."
Bai Jinglie, however, felt something was off about the inventory. Many of the items on it were clearly not from his grandmother’s dowry, yet they were now listed as such.
Old Madam Bai’s eyes narrowed into a smile. "I learned this little trick from your father’s new wife. Your grandfather is long gone, anyway. If I say this is my dowry, then it’s my dowry. And if they dare object, what about all the income my dowry has generated over the years? Are you telling me an old woman like me can’t buy a few things for herself?"
She had been in this estate for decades. So what if they knew she was lying? ’Let them try to find proof.’
"Don’t you worry. I’ve already moved everything to my dowry estate in the suburb. Find some trustworthy people to take possession before you depart. This is the deed to the estate; take it with you and give it to Mei’e. She’s just been married and already has to travel all over with you. This is a small gift from me, as her new grandmother, to show I care."
Just like when he was a child, Bai Jinglie leaned his head on his grandmother’s shoulder. "Grandmother, why don’t you come with me to my new post? It would be a perfect chance to experience the bustling life in the south."
Old Madam Bai patted his head. "There you go, talking nonsense again. That Ms. Kuang may be shameless, but she wouldn’t dare mistreat me. If she did, I’d risk these old bones to have her cast out of the family.
Sometimes, I think it’s not even worth the trouble. Her mind is vicious, true, but she comes from a petty family. She only knows a handful of tricks, and she just uses them over and over.
If we had to deal with someone truly calculating, I’m afraid this old woman really wouldn’t be able to protect you."
Bai Jinglie was speechless. ’So, the very background Ms. Kuang finds so shameful is actually her greatest protection.’
"Just focus on taking care of yourselves while you’re away..."
After leaving Old Madam Bai’s place, Bai Jinglie went directly to his own courtyard.
"The Princely Heir has returned." Someone greeted him the moment he stepped through the door. Bai Jinglie handed her the red contract.
"..."
Seeing Deng Meimei looking at him with confusion, Bai Jinglie then said, "This is from Grandmother. Put it away for now."
Deng Meimei turned and handed it to a maid without asking any questions. Her mother had always told her to simply accept gifts from her elders, especially one that had passed through the Young Master’s hands.
"Is everything packed?"
"Most of it is packed," Deng Meimei said, looking at him with a troubled expression. "But there’s still so much of my dowry that isn’t organized. It’ll be hard to travel with all of this."
But she knew the current situation in the estate. ’I really can’t rest easy leaving the dowry my family so carefully prepared for me here.’
Bai Jinglie glanced at her. "Bring the valuables. Leave anything that’s too bulky in the storeroom, and assign a few of your own people to guard it."
This had been Deng Meimei’s plan all along, but now that the words came from Bai Jinglie himself, no one in the estate could use it against her later.
Seeing his new bride happily go off to give orders, Bai Jinglie simply turned and left the estate.
The next thing he knew, he was in Ancient Wen Heng’s study.
"What brings the Young Master to my door today?"
"I came to congratulate Mr. Gu. May you continue to rise through the ranks!"
Ancient Wen Heng replied, "The same to you. The Princely Heir is also about to assume his post. I wish you a safe journey."
"Let’s skip the formalities," Bai Jinglie said, gulping down some water. "I’m just feeling restless and came to talk.
I wandered the streets for a while and realized I don’t have a single friend or relative I can truly talk to. You were the only one who came to mind."
Ancient Wen Heng was silent. ’Great. You could have just... not thought of me.’
Bai Jinglie looked at the teacup with disdain. "Can’t you bring out some alcohol? This tea is too weak."
Ancient Wen Heng replied, "If the Young Master is interested, I’ll have the steward arrange it right away."
"Forget it," Bai Jinglie said, pulling him to his feet. "It’s on me. Let’s go out. We’re not coming back until we’re good and drunk."
Ancient Wen Heng hesitated. "...It’ll be a bit lonely with just the two of us. Should we send for Shan Ke’an to join?"
’He knew Bai Jinglie was loaded right now, but he had no desire to deal with a drunkard all by himself. Better to find someone to share the load.’
Bai Jinglie paused. "...Suddenly, I don’t feel like drinking anymore." ’If Shan Ke’an comes, I’ll be the one stuck taking care of a drunk. That’s a bad deal. It would cost me both money and energy.’
Ancient Wen Heng personally refilled his cup. "Tea is good. It’ll clear your head."
"Have you ever thought about getting a post outside the capital?" Bai Jinglie asked out of the blue.
Ancient Wen Heng replied, "It’s not my decision to make. Does the Young Master have some insight on the matter?"
"This time, you jumped three ranks at once. A lot of people are secretly green with envy. They’re just not showing it to save face.
If you can, you should get a post in the provinces for a few years and build a solid record of achievements. That’s the path to long-term success."
How could Ancient Wen Heng not understand this? But he had only just been promoted to doctor; he hadn’t even warmed his seat yet. How could he possibly think about anything else?
"I’ve been wondering about that myself. What I did before shouldn’t have warranted such a big promotion. Has the Young Master heard any rumors?" Since Bai Jinglie had brought it up, Ancient Wen Heng pressed the issue.
"I honestly don’t know. It’s a good thing, so I didn’t pry. Why? Do you think something’s wrong?" Bai Jinglie sat up straighter and lowered his voice. "I just assumed the Holy Emperor was finding a roundabout way to reward you for the glass and mirror formulas."
Ancient Wen Heng shook his head. "I don’t think so. Do you really think the current Holy Emperor is that impulsive?"
Bai Jinglie couldn’t figure it out either. Logically, it seemed unlikely. The Holy Emperor might own the world, but he certainly wasn’t known for his generosity.
"Well, maybe he’s just lumping all your achievements together. After all, it was your discovery that refilled the National Treasury. A contribution like that solved a huge problem for him," Bai Jinglie mused, figuring that was the most likely explanation.