Chapter 267: Naughty

Bianjing

Outside the southernmost city gate, Nanxun Gate, to the south is Yujin Garden, which is the Southern Imperial Garden.

Previously, Xu Zaijing and the Fourth Young Master of the Zhang family accompanied the Northern Liao envoys to shoot arrows here,

and there had been some tacit understanding between the two great nations.

In the northeast corner of Yujin Garden, there was a large courtyard,

with a plaque hanging at the gate that read "Elephant Breeding Institute."

In the Elephant Breeding Institute, which was rarely visited on weekdays, a group of noble young masters riding horses and dressed luxuriously arrived at this time.

After entering the main gate of the Elephant Breeding Institute,

Qin Chi Han skillfully greeted the soldiers in the Elephant Breeding Institute. Several Kunlun slaves with dark faces and deep features were kneeling on both sides of the main gate.

The scions of families like the Prince Yong's heir, the Duke of Ling, the Duke of Han, and the Marquis Zhongshan behind him looked at the surrounding environment with some curiosity.

The roof of the tall shed had blue smoke from burning coal drifting out, making this tall shed somewhat warm.

In the courtyard not far away,

there were occasional cries of elephants.

Qin Chi Han dismounted and bowed:

"Your Highness, brothers, let's leave the horses here; it's easy to get frightened inside."

Everyone followed suit, dismounted, and after bringing a group of servants, carried two things covered with cloth into the courtyard.

After entering the courtyard,

everyone went up to a wooden building in the courtyard. 【267

On the wooden tower, one could see a deep pit about one and a half people deep in the middle of the courtyard.

"Heir, this elephant is strong and powerful; it has a name called Xu Wu. It should be to your liking, right?"

The Heir of Prince Yong nodded and said:

"Powerful? Xu Wu?"

"Good! A good name! It is just to my liking!"

Upon receiving the reply from the Heir of Prince Yong, Qin Chi Han lifted his chin toward the manager of the elephant-keeping facility.

Soon, a large elephant with very wrinkled ears was ridden out by a dark-faced rider. When they reached the edge of the deep pit, the rider dismounted from the elephant.

Qin Chi Han, who was to the side, said: "Heir, there are 'elephant shoes' inside this deep pit, which can keep this elephant fixed in the pit."

Seeing the puzzled look of the Heir of Prince Yong, someone brought the items over. Looking at the sharp iron spikes on them, the elephant would certainly be in too much pain to move once it stepped on them.

The Heir of Prince Yong nodded with satisfaction.

In the courtyard, that elderly elephant was driven into the deep pit. It was fine when it walked halfway, but when it had walked entirely inside,

this elderly elephant let out a sharp, mournful cry.

Subsequently, the entrance to the deep pit was sealed shut by a fence covered with sharp iron spikes.

At this moment, the cloth covering the item brought up to the wooden tower by the servants was removed; it turned out to be a divine arm crossbow from the Great Zhou military.

After the accompanying attendants finished stringing the divine arm crossbow, Qin Chi Han reached out to signal the Heir of Prince Yong to shoot.

The Heir of Prince Yong smiled, nodded, and took the crossbow bolt. Under the guidance of the attendants, he pulled the trigger under the crossbow arm,

"Boom!"

An exceptionally sharp crossbow bolt shot into the body of the elephant in the deep pit.

"Moo~~~~"

The elderly elephant began to scream and shriek in agony.

"You're powerful, right! You're good at hitting people, right! I'll shoot you to death!"

"."

Muttering profanities, the Heir of Prince Yong handed the crossbow to an attendant, and another divine arm crossbow had already been loaded.

While they were shooting the elephant here, a descendant of the Sha family on the other side said: "Brother Han, is it okay to shoot this elephant to death?"

Qin Chi Han said: "It's fine. This elephant has already given birth to six calves and can no longer reproduce. It's also reached its age, so the elephant-keeping facility was going to put it down anyway."

"Oh~ so that's how it is!"

The Heir of Prince Yong, who had shot seven or eight times, was also a bit tired and handed the divine arm crossbow in his hand to someone else.

Amidst the muttering of Han Chengyun, Sha Bo, the Heir of the Zhongshan Marquis Sha family, took the crossbow.

He aimed the sharp bolt of the crossbow at Han Chengyun, Lu Sanlang, and the others, scaring them into dodging and begging for mercy. Only then did Sha Bo raise the crossbow and take aim.

"Boom"

The elephant shrieked.

This group of noble descendants had brought quite a few crossbow bolts, and they didn't continue shooting one person with two crossbows like the Heir of Prince Yong had just done, but rather continued shooting with each person playing with one crossbow.

When Sha Bo shot the elephant, he laughed especially heartily, as if some person were tied up there.

I don't know how much time passed, but the elephant's body had been stabbed several more times by long spears.

These few people also moved closer and shot a few more arrows.

Finally, the nose of the dying elephant was hooked out by a hook spear and laid flat in front of the deep pit.

The Heir of Prince Yong raised a long-handled broadsword and swung it down with force.

Killing a giant beast with blades and arrows made the Heir of Prince Yong and the others feel satisfied.

Laughing loudly, they rode their horses and galloped away.

After the crowd left, the manager at the entrance of the elephant-keeping facility took a bag of silver in his hand, clicked his tongue contentedly a few times, and looked at the few people beside him, saying: "Let's go, let's go have fun in the city!"

"Manager, will these few still come?"

"If they come, don't we still have a few elderly elephants?"

"The manager is right. It's still that Qin family boy who has a flexible mind to be able to find such a profitable job."

"Tsk tsk, beautiful."

Soon, the elephant-keeping facility fell into darkness, and from time to time, the mournful cries of a few elephants came from within, as if they were calling out for something.

Outside Bianjing City

In the southeast direction

After exiting Chenzhou Gate, less than five miles away is the Xiaoyu Manor.

Sitting in the courtyard, one could vaguely hear the faint, noisy sounds coming from Bianjing City.

Listening carefully, however, one could not distinguish whether it was the sound of peddling, the sound of work chants, or the shrieking of animals.

The tenant farmers and commoners on the manor had just paid their respects to the Old Madam.

At this time in the courtyard, Manager Cui, the head of Xiaoyu Manor, was talking to Cui Mama, Cui Ruan. Both of them were surnamed Cui, but they were husband and wife. Cui Mama, Cui Ruan, had been a child bride in Manager Cui's family when she was young.

The two grew up as childhood sweethearts, but later the village suffered a disaster, and the two were separated.

When they knew they saw each other again, one was already in the Marquis Yongyi's mansion, and the other was in a scholar-official's family.

At that time, the Sheng Old Madam, upon learning of this, also spent a great deal of effort to get Cui Mama, Cui Ruan, to the Xu family, bringing about the marriage of these two.

Additionally, Xu Zaijing's wet nurse, Sister-in-law Cui, was also from the same branch as Manager Cui.

On the other side, the Old Madam was accompanied by Hearing Fang Mama and the three Lan girls of the Sheng family.

Looking at the spacious wheat field surrounded by earthen walls, the three Lan girls' eyes were full of surprise.

Manager Cui, who had finished talking to the Lady, also walked over and said:

"Old Madam, knowing that you like to ride horses for fun, I specially moved the few stacks in the middle of the wheat field to one side. Does it look spacious enough to you?"

"You have a heart. Are the things prepared?"

Manager Cui said: "They are prepared and are currently in the stable! Please wait a moment."

After a while, in the pleasantly surprised eyes of the three Lan girls, three cute little donkeys were led over.

There were even saddles on the backs of the little donkeys.

"Go and try them out!"

Subsequently, the three Lan girls approached the little donkeys and climbed onto them one after another.

The happy laughter of the three young ladies came from the courtyard.

In the afternoon,

Mo Lan and Hearing Rulan even changed into new skirts and rode the little donkeys around the courtyard.

As for Ming Lan, she was still wearing her old clothes, holding the polo mallet with the anti-slip rope tied on earlier, and practicing swinging the mallet on the back of the little donkey.

Ming Lan, who was riding an animal for the first time, naturally could not avoid having an unstable center of gravity and fell to the ground. Fortunately, there were a few older maids by the Old Madam's side protecting her, so it was nothing.

But when Mo Lan and Hearing Rulan joined in practicing the polo swing, it didn't go well.

The two fell off the donkey's back one after another, and amidst the stumbling, their skirts were covered in mud.

Hearing Rulan frowned and complained: "Ah! It's so dirty, and this is my favorite skirt!"

Xique, who was to the side, said: "Young Lady, it's fine. If it's dirty, it's dirty. Try swinging the mallet again."

Hearing Rulan: "Hmph! So annoying!"

Saying this, she stood up and wanted to throw the polo mallet on the ground, but inadvertently saw the Old Madam's gaze by the window in the room, so she could only give up sheepishly.

Subsequently, she climbed onto the little donkey's back again and practiced the movements listlessly.

On the other side, Mo Lan was about the same. With the help of Luzhong and Yunzai, she could barely sit on the little donkey's back.

As a result, the little donkey rushed forward for some reason, and Mo Lan fell backward directly. Luzhong and Yunzai ran a few steps quickly, but still failed to catch her.

Mo Lan fell heavily to the ground, and her whole person was dirtied by the mud.

Hearing Rulan's ruthless mockery came from the side:

"Hahahaha, Fourth Sister, what happened to you!!! Hahaha"

"Ah! It's so dirty! What are you two doing!"

Mo Lan frowned and scolded while lying on the ground. Luzhong and Yunzai hurriedly helped Mo Lan up.

Mo Lan stood up and only then saw that not far away, Ming Lan was holding a pear and feeding her little donkey. Mo Lan's mount had been lured away by that pear!

Little Xiaotao pushed Mo Lan's little donkey beside Ming Lan and said: "Go, go, go, go find your own young lady!"

Hearing Fang Mama, who was holding a stack of account books from the manor and walking toward the room, watched this scene with a smile.

Before the sun set, the three Lan girls were tossing about in the courtyard.

In the following few days, Mo Lan and Hearing Rulan came to the courtyard much less.

One stayed in the room practicing calligraphy, and the other lay at the table reading leisure books.

Only Ming Lan herself rode the little donkey and swung the polo mallet on the wheat field.

Although they were at the manor, all the items from their home in Jiying Lane had been brought along.

On this morning,

When the crowd at Xiaoyu Manor was eating breakfast, the Old Madam sat at the dining table and looked at the missing Lan girl:

"Where is the Fourth girl?"

"Old Madam, the Fourth Young Lady said she went to the mountain behind to see the autumn scenery."

The Old Madam nodded while holding a spoon.

Hearing Rulan at the dining table curled her lips in disdain and rolled her eyes, while Ming Lan was eating heartily. After she was full, she said:

"Grandmother, I'm going to practice polo!"

The Old Madam frowned and said:

"Stop! Why practice right after eating? Rest for a while."

"Oh"

When the two Lan girls were eating, Mo Lan, wearing a brocade cloak,

was already standing on the small hill accompanied by a maid and two strong women.

Under the fruit tree that had lost its leaves,

the maid Luzhong held a tray, and Mo Lan was writing something on the paper on the tray with a brush.

After writing, Mo Lan nodded quite self-satisfiedly and looked toward the distance again, saying:

"Why is that piece of land different from the land here?"

A strong woman in Xiaoyu Manor nearby poked her head to look and said:

"Replying to the Fourth Young Lady, that is a paddy field. It's not in our manor either. It's different because no one is taking care of it."

Another strong woman said:

"I met the tenant farmer of that paddy field in the spring. I heard that the master of the family is very absurd, treats people meanly, and doesn't know how to manage!"

"In the second half of the year, the tenant farmer went to another family, and that piece of land became desolate."

The strong woman who spoke just now said: "That is a piece of excellent paddy field. It's a pity."

Mo Lan was startled and said: "Do you know whose family it is?"

"I heard the surname is Chi. They are wealthy people in the city."

Mo Lan nodded.

Returning to Xiaoyu Manor,

Mo Lan cautiously handed the paper in her hand to the Old Madam.

The Old Madam smiled, took it, read it once, and then recited softly:

"The fields are all autumn colors, the trees are all morning glow."

"A good line, a good line! Very good indeed."

Hearing the praise, Mo Lan's eyes lit up, and she looked smilingly at the Old Madam who was nodding in praise.

She happily bowed and said:

"Thank you, Grandmother, for the praise."

"Don't go without eating breakfast in the future. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Grandmother."

"Eat something."

Mo Lan sat at the dining table to the side and ate very elegantly.

Hearing Rulan was already nowhere to be seen, while Ming Lan was sitting by the heated kang, leaning against the cotton mattress spread on the edge of the kang.

Cui Mama, who was to the side, was holding an account book and talking about the affairs of the manor.

After reporting for a while, Cui Mama continued:

"Old Madam, this year the ten qing of cotton in the manor yielded 11,640 jin of seed cotton. After drying and removing the seeds, we got 3,720 jin of lint cotton."

The Old Madam nodded while listening to Cui Mama's words.

"Is the manor still ninety-seven households now?"

"Yes."

"Notify your family, take a round number of three thousand, and use the remaining cotton to make a cotton-padded jacket for every household in the manor."

Cui Mama lowered her head in gratitude and said yes.

Mo Lan, who was eating with her back to the Old Madam, heard these words, her eyes noncommittal. She curled her lips and then stood up, saying:

"Grandmother, this granddaughter is full."

"Go."

Mo Lan left this place.

But Ming Lan, who was beside the Old Madam, did not follow her out. Her big eyes rolled around, and then she looked at the Old Madam with some realization.

"What's wrong, Ming'er?"

"Grandmother, this granddaughter knows this is bestowing favor, but more than seven hundred jin... Grandmother, don't you feel heartache?"

Hearing this, the Old Madam smiled and exchanged a glance with Hearing Fang Mama beside her, and Hearing Fang Mama explained:

"Sixth Young Lady, do you know the cotton output of other manors?"

Ming Lan looked at Hearing Fang Mama and shook her head.

Hearing Fang Mama said: "Previously, the Old Madam of the Yu family came to our house and said that the Yu family's manor also planted fifteen qing of cotton, yielding 13,000 jin of seed cotton."

Hearing this number, Ming Lan looked at the Old Madam in surprise.

"Does Ming'er know why our manor can have such a yield?"

Looking at Ming Lan's puzzled look, Hearing Fang Mama saw the Old Madam's signal and said:

"Sixth Young Lady, it is Manager Cui who led the tenant farmers to work diligently day and night to catch insects, weed, fertilize, and water, and only then did we have such a yield."

The Old Madam looked at Ming Lan and said:

"Ming'er, merit must be rewarded, and mistakes must be punished. Only by being clear about rewards and punishments is it the right principle."

"This is just like sending troops to war. If the soldiers who have merit cannot get rewards, who will fight for their lives for you?"

Seeing that Ming Lan understood, the Old Madam smiled and nodded, saying: "Go play."

Before Ming Lan walked to the door and lifted the curtain to go out, she looked back at the Old Madam with a smile, seemingly happy because she had learned a new principle.

Hearing Fang Mama looked at the Old Madam's smile, and her heart was also touched.

Including that child who died early, the Sixth Young Lady was the sixth child raised by the Old Madam.

Starting from the Sheng family's eldest daughter, Hualan, every child raised at the Old Madam's knees was very good.

As for that Lin Xiao Niang, whose family had fallen and who always showed herself to be weak, and who had learned some schemes in front of the Old Madam, there was nothing to say.

Now the Marquis Yongyi's mansion was gradually having the look of the mansion back then.

Although the Old Madam herself wanted to be low-key and hidden, her strength did not allow it.

Hearing Fang Mama sometimes saw the way the Master, Sheng Hong, looked at the Old Madam, which was quite similar to before he had passed the imperial examination.

Ming Lan went out of the Old Madam's room.

When she arrived in the courtyard,

Hearing Rulan was holding a mallet and hitting the ball, frowning with a very stifled expression. After seeing Ming Lan, Hearing Rulan said:

"Little Six, was Fourth Sister's poem really praised by Grandmother just now?"

Ming Lan smoothed her sleeves and said:

"Yes, Grandmother said Fourth Sister's poetry is very good."

"Ah? Really?"

Hearing Rulan sighed with some dejection.

After Ming Lan took the polo mallet from Xiaotao's hand, she said:

"However, I think this line of poetry is a bit like 'The trees are all autumn colors, the mountains are only falling glow' from the previous dynasty."

Hearing Rulan's face lit up with joy when she heard this, and she said:

"So that's it!"

The setting sun shone obliquely.

When the Old Madam's motorcade returned to Jiying Lane,

Xu Zaijing and his elder brother had just finished school.

They ran into the Old Madam's motorcade at the entrance of the lane.

Seeing the Xu family's sons, the Old Madam's carriage stopped slowly.

Xu Zaijing, wearing a large cloak, leaned over the horse's neck, and only then was he level with the window of the Old Madam's carriage.

Looking smilingly at the Old Madam in the carriage, Xu Zaijing said:

"Grand-aunt, you should enter the courtyard quickly. There is a great piece of good news waiting for you!"

"Fifth Cousin, what kind of good news is it?"

Hearing Rulan asked, and Ming Lan and Mo Lan also curiously poked their heads to look at Xu Zaijing outside the carriage.

"Hmm... it's a... it's a..."

Watching Xu Zaijing's thoughtful look, the three Lan girls widened their eyes and listened.

"Good news that I don't want to tell you."

"Hahahaha"

Watching the three Lan girls' annoyed look, Xu Zaijing laughed.

The Old Madam in the carriage said with a smile: "Naughty!"

Xu Zaijing chuckled.

After the Old Madam finished speaking, she looked at Xu Zaijing's side at Xu Zaizhang, who was smiling with a silly look, and there was a look of happiness and realization in her eyes.

Subsequently, the Old Madam gave a few more instructions.

Two large bundles of red dates were hung on the horses of the two by the Sheng family servants.

It was said that they were produced at the manor outside the city and tasted very sweet.

After the Old Madam entered Shou'an Hall,

the floor heating in the hall had long been burned warm.

Many maids and nannies were putting things in order.

Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu came to pay their respects to the Old Madam. When the three Lan girls paid their respects to Wang Ruofu, Wang Ruofu nodded with a face full of smiles.

After taking their seats,

although she already had a guess in her heart, when she heard what Wang Ruofu said, that Hualan was pregnant, the Old Madam still sighed with full joy:

"Good! Good!"

Wang Ruofu said: "This girl is really something. She had to wait until the two-month fetus was stable before telling her maiden family! Really!"

She was saying annoyed words, but her face was full of pride.

Sheng Hong, who was to the side, was smiling so much that he couldn't close his mouth.

(End of chapter)