Chapter 649 - 636: Adding Makeup
Chapter 649: Chapter 636: Adding Makeup
He had planned to cherish Zhuang Qingning for a lifetime, how could he possibly bully her?
But truth be told, he did feel a modicum of fear.
He feared that Zhuang Qingning would not tease him…
Soon enough, the imperial edict granting their marital union reached Enji Village.
Following the precedent set by Feng Ning and the Lord of Ninghe County, the villagers weren’t altogether astounded by the presence of the nobles from the capital city, and no longer exhibited excessive astonishment.
However, this time due to it being an imperial marriage, the blessings from the Empress, the Emperor, and Concubine Hui and many others, the overall extravagance surpassed tenfold the grandeur of the previous county lord’s ceremony.
The gifts were delivered like a flowing stream to Zhuang Qingning’s home, all tied with thick red flowers. The festive vibe was extraordinary, and given the sheer quantity of the presents, the term “ten-mile wedding procession” was no exaggeration.
Zhuang Qingning’s courtyard in Enji Village was simply too small to accommodate so many gifts, so she had to open the doors to the Lord of Ninghe County’s mansion and move all gifts there.
Before all the gifts could be properly stored, Zhuang Qingning started receiving more.
The villagers of Enji Village thought that since Zhuang Qingning’s wedding was confirmed, they should add to her dowry as her kin. Naturally, the dowry could no longer merely consist of foodstuffs; it ought to be something of value.
Thus, every household contributed as best as they could. One household bought a couple of bolts of satin, another made silver jewelry. Some thought that Zhuang Qingning did not lack for opulence, simply offering a peace-lock pendant or a silver bowl for her future children with Chu Jinnian.
Zhuang Qingning, “…”
She suddenly felt overwhelmed by pressure.
The feeling of being forced to have kids, even before she got married?
Chu Jinnian, on the other hand, was grinning ear to ear, immensely gratified within his heart.
In view of the villagers’ goodwill and generosity, Zhuang Qingning initially intended to decline many of the gifts considering their financial circumstances.
“Miss Ning, if it were any other time, it wouldn’t matter if you didn’t want to accept these things, but this is a joyous occasion. These presents are tokens of everyone’s good wishes. To reject them at your once-in-a-lifetime event, especially when it’s contributing to the dowry, would leave people disappointed,” Mrs. Wen advised from the side. “Your workshop business will continue to grow and prosper, reaping plentiful benefits for everyone. There’s no need to fuss over this.”
“Absolutely.” Zhou Daya also chimed in, “These gifts bear everyone’s good wishes – they would like to share in your joy. Please don’t refuse.”
Having listened to their advice, Zhuang Qingning accepted all their blessings and gifts. She instructed Xiangqiao and others to keep a record and store all in the warehouse for now. It could be used for gifting back during their family’s future occasions.
Before they could finish receiving gifts from the village, people from Miao Village and Shijiazhuang started to arrive one after the other.
Then came villagers from nearby settlements who had worked in the workshop, or benefited from purchasing wheat or bean seeds from Enji Village. Led by the village chief, they came in droves to offer their congratulations.
Just as everything was about to get finalized, Cheng Ruize came to visit.
Eight large boxes filled to the brim with items made Zhuang Qingning’s small courtyard look rather congested.
Cloth, medicinal herbs, head ornaments and jewelry, various spices, and even two deeds of houses and lands.
One of them was the county house that Cheng Ruize had spoken of earlier, and the other was an estate in the main city.
The considerable amount of gifts Cheng Ruize presented could not be belittled in terms of value.
That wasn’t all, when the grand patriarch of the Qiao family in Yangzhou heard the news, he too dispatched a person.
This individual was sent with double objectives – extend an invitation to Chu Jinnian and Zhuang Qingning to visit their maternal family if they were free, and secondly, to deliver congratulatory gifts.
As one of the prestigious families and second only to the royal family, the Qiao family held immeasurable wealth. To mark the joyous occasion of their favorite grandson’s wedding and considering Zhuang Qingning’s modest estate, they were extraordinarily generous, sending box upon box of gifts.
…
Thus, Zhuang Qingning felt like she could barely accomplish anything else during this period except receiving and organizing gifts!
Especially when seeing the courtyard’s stored items finally getting sorted out, and feeling as though the task was almost complete, as victory was in sight, wave upon wave of new gifts arrived and extinguished her glimpse of hope.
Zhuang Qingning, feeling helpless, could only vent her frustration on Chu Jinnian, the mastermind behind her predicament.
—-
Just when the news of Zhuang Qingning’s imperial marriage and generous rewards were still a hot topic, another piece of news arrived that set the entire county buzzing once again.
Zhuang Qisheng, the magistrate of Ningming, was dismissed from office due to dereliction of duty, corruption, and the abuse of law. His entire family property was seized.
The new magistrate was none other than Xu Zhengping.
Ding Gaochang took over Xu Zhengping’s position as county governor.
Both were officials who sought to benefit the common people and were approachable. The people of the county were elated about their promotions. As Xu Zhengping left the county town to assume his position in the main city, the people lined up to bid him farewell—all bustling with excitement.
Zhuang Qisheng, who was passing by, witnessed this scene clearly.
Contrastingly, during his dismissal, the people in the main city cheered and clapped. They would have thrown rotten vegetables and stinky eggs into his yard if they had the chance.
Then, he saw how admirably Xu Zhengping was loved by the people. Zhuang Qisheng felt his heart sour.
Both men had attained their positions through examination. He too had once been enthused to serve the country and benefit the people. But he gradually lost himself amidst the struggle for power and the allure of hefty silver, going further astray on the path of corruption and power. He had completely forgotten his initial passion and ambitions.
Now, seeing this scene, Zhuang Qisheng couldn’t help but feel nostalgic. He sighed upon considering his current predicament.
There were countless paths to choose, and he chose this one. Blinded by wealth and power before, he enjoyed much prosperity. Having ended up in this current predicament, all he could say was that he asked for it.
Notwithstanding, his life is spared.
Chu Jinnian kept his promise, for which Zhuang Qisheng was utterly grateful.
However, traveling with him in the bullock cart and similarly clad in coarse cloth, Zhuang Lianghong and Zhuang Qinglan were not in high spirits.
Zhuang Qinglan, particularly, watching the awe-inspiring and majestic Ninghe County Mansion, felt a sourness well up in her, which brought tears to her eyes, “This Lord of Ninghe County is really lucky. Not only was she granted a county lord’s title for no reason, she is also bestowed marriage by the Empress herself. I heard, her future husband is the Prince Qi.”