Chapter 384 - Intimate Chatter
Chapter 384 Intimate Chatter
After she shared her deepest secret with Tian Ning, the relationship between them seemed to be closer.
What made her even more surprised was that Tian Ning had his own unique views on both national affairs and household affairs.
It was no wonder that master had always praised Tian Ning for his great talent when he studied with her elder brother.
However, since Ms. Tian was kicked out of the mansion, Tian Ning was forced to suspend his education. It was such a pity.
“The court is now turbulent because of the pursuit of power among political parties. If the situation continues, the peace of the Jin State will be replaced by war sooner or later. At that time, the people will be deprived of their means of survival. If some other countries cast covetous eyes on the Jin State, I’m afraid that the people will be plunged into an abyss of misery. Although General Lin is both intelligent and courageous, the Lin family, who stands alone, might not be capable of saving the country at that time.”
Tian Ning said with a trace of frustration caused by caring for the country and the people.
Every fine man around the world wanted to make a career.
However, constrained by his identity, Tian Ning could only be a bystander silently.
Lin Mengya noticed all of these.
“Brother Tian Ning, with such great ambitions, why don’t you consider stepping into the official career?”
She asked tentatively, but saw the pain suppressed in Tian Ning’s eyes.
She remembered that when Ms. Tian entered the Lin’s Mansion that year, she had signed an irrevocable contract. Therefore, Tian Ning was a slave of the Lin family in status.
The laws of the Jin State stipulated that the descendants of peasants, merchants and slaves were prohibited from taking the imperial examination.
Therefore, most of the members of the imperial court, both senior officials and rising officials, had their own family power behind them.
Even someone as talented as Baili Wuchen had to serve as Long Tianyu’s private official at the beginning. Even after joining the Crown Prince’s side, he just got a position in the imperial guard troop.
As a scholar, he naturally wanted to be an official with great literary talents arguing heatedly with a group of learned men. At this point, Baili Wuchen and Tian Ning had similar distress.
“Do you think that you are constrained by your identity? It’s not a problem. Don’t forget that my brother and I are no longer as weak as we used to be. When the time comes, I’ll tell my brother to take out the irrevocable contracts of your mother and you and go to the government office to report it.”
Lin Mengya casually said. It was now a piece of cake for her to change their identities.
However, Tian Ning looked towards her blankly, because slaves should be reported to the imperial court as family property every three years.
If he wanted to regain his identity as a civilian, what she should do was more than taking out the contract.
Before the next investigation of personal property, the master’s family should make application with a written certificate and then find the salve’s native place for household registration. After that, it should be reported to higher governments by the county government of the slave’s native place level by level.
In this way, he could get the identity allowing him to enter himself for the imperial examination.
This was also the reason why numerous domestic slaves mostly just ran away but couldn’t get their identities all their lives.
“Just… forget it. It’s too much trouble. My mother and I have owed master and young master a lot. So we should spend the whole life serving them with all our hearts. I’m very glad to know that you’ve considered it for me. If my mother knows it, she would consider me ungrateful. Besides, I’m just a rash man growing up in the countryside and unqualified to intervene in the affairs of the imperial court.”
Tian Ning secretly sighed with a sense of self-mockery, but said in a very firm tone, seeming not to be double-faced as Lin Mengya had usually seen.
Lin Mengya sighed secretly in her heart. In ancient times where people’s careers were determined by their family background, no one knew how many talents like Tian Ning had never gotten the chance to display their talents.
If these feudal customs and class prejudices could really be abolished, perhaps this world would be greatly different!
“By the way, I heard that you are going to the Nation of Lintian this time. Are you prepared for this? Unlike in the capital city, you can meet accidents on your way at any time.”
Only these people around Lin Mengya knew that she was going to the Nation of Lintian.
Although Tian Ning had a lot of confidence in her, he inevitably felt worried. After all, no one could predict what would happen during this long journey in advance.
Nevertheless, with her current intelligence, she must have prepared for it.
“Of course. I will go with the caravan. Besides, my father’s old subordinate is among them, and he will take care of me on the way. So you don’t have to worry about me.”
Lin Mengya also persuaded Ms. Tian to let her go with this excuse.
Anyway, her father’s old subordinates were all over the world, so it was not worth doubting that one of them became a businessman.
But in fact, most of this group of businessmen were the elites of Sanjue Hall.
Of course, none of them knew that the lady traveling with them was the legendary mysterious Hall Master with formidable connections.
Deputy Hall Master Yunzhu claimed that she was just the daughter of a wealthy merchant and went out for a tour. Because her family was worried about her safety, they paid Sanjue Hall a large sum of money for taking care of her in secret.
With her capability, Yunzhu would definitely select some capable people. Moreover, Yunzhu had told them that they didn’t have to be respectful to her but should ensure her safety.
Under the order of Yunzhu, the deputy Hall Master, who dared to disobey?
What was more, the members of the Sanjue Hall were not all ruffians, because Lin Mengya had set the selection system based on capability rather than family background. It actually attracted some recluses in the martial arts circle.
In the Sanjue Hall, large numbers of outstanding people came forward now. Even the title Sanjue Master had gradually gained fame. She heard from Yunzhu that in recent months, the Sanjue Master had changed once a month.
If it continued developing like this, it wouldn’t take long for the Sanjue Hall to be a famous information force in the martial arts circle.
Of course, she would definitely encounter a lot of resistance. But now, working on development was still the most important thing.
“Given all this, I’m relieved. It was no wonder that my mother readily agreed before I strove to persuade her. When are you going to leave? The prince cares about you a lot. It would probably not be easy for you to go out.”
Even the honest man Tian Ning started to make fun of her.
Lin Mengya gnashed her teeth in hatred at the moment and thought, “Humph, he thinks that only a few strong men whose muscles are even better-developed than their brains could block my way? He must be out of his mind.”
“I’ve got the countermeasures. I’ve just been paralyzing them these days. It may be the day after tomorrow. I should at least set out three days later. It will take more than a month for me to go there and return. I’ll try my best to come back before Long Tianyu comes back. After I leave, please take care of Ms. Tian and others for me.”
She heard Baizhi calling her in the room.
Lin Mengya got up and patted her butt. The worry on her face had gone and been replaced by a confident smile, and her eyes shone brighter than the stars in the sky.
“Well, rest assured. I will definitely try every effort to protect everyone in this yard.”
His serious attitude amused Lin Mengya again.
She patted Tian Ning’s back with her little hand and talked in a mature manner.
“Young man, don’t be so rigid. Surrounded by several girls as pretty as flowers in the yard, you should notice that your spring has come!”
With a playful blink, Lin Mengya bounded back to the room like a bunny.
Tian Ning was left there in a daze.
What did Lin Mengya mean by saying that?
In the room, the two maids and Ms. Tian were telling Baishao about Lin Mengya’s living habits. Seeing Baishao forcing herself to listen to them with a bitter face, Lin Mengya felt a bit grateful.
Fortunately, Baishao shared all of these with her, otherwise she would be bored to death by these three housekeepers!
“This is the tonic that Master usually takes. You must take it with you and never put it away for a while. Besides, you must check Master’s personal clothing to see whether someone has done anything to them before putting them on Master.”
Baiji told Baishao detailedly, because they had suffered a few losses in such matters.
If it weren’t for Master’s alertness, they would have probably been trapped by those people of intention.
Although the people they met on the way this time might not be as vicious as those they had met before, it was hard to take precautions against others’ intentions. No one knew what kind of people they would meet.
“Okay, I know, I know. Rest assured. Although you’ve handled all these before, I’ve seen you do that. I ensure that Master will return safe and sound.”
Baishao now certainly promised it with hands up. The reason why Master chose her to go with her was not Master’s partiality for her but that Baiji and Baizhi usually worked in the mansion.
Although they were cautious, they had grown up in a simple environment after all, which made them less sophisticated than her, who had experienced a lot in the marketplace since she was a child. She knew about things outside more or less.
If she went on the tour with Master, she could remind Master of something at any time.
Unexpectedly, she became the target on which everyone concentrated fire because of this.
Alas, it was a difficult job indeed.
She looked towards her Master, seeking help, but unexpectedly saw her Master gloating at it.
She mourned for herself secretly. Her Master was so conscienceless.
“Okay, stop disturbing Baishao. She will know how to handle these naturally. Although we go out, we can do whatever we want. Ms. Tian, I trust you with these two girls and this yard. If someone deliberately messes with you, bear it for a period, and I’ll handle it after coming back.”
Someone referred to the master in Art Courtyard.
Now Long Tianyu and she were not in the mansion. Of course, the one in the Art Courtyard would certainly not behave herself.
However, now she was under the watchful eyes of the guards. The two girls refused to go to Old Uncle Bai’s place to stay away from trouble temporarily, because they didn’t want to trouble her.
However, her disappearance would be found sooner or later. When the time came, Steward Deng would naturally take care of the people in her yard.