jdhmnovel Chapter 157 Unprecedented Grandeur
Chapter 157 Unprecedented Grandeur
After Prince Duan took office as the commander of the Imperial Guards, he was no longer so idle, and often had to stay in the palace to handle affairs. However, no matter how busy he was, he would stay at Qin Garden for a day every five days or so. On this day, he would basically eat and drink at the General's Mansion, and even if Zisu rolled her eyes at him, he would still shamelessly stay.
Yu Shi and Shangguan Mufeng were quite welcoming to this prince who was always freeloading off them. They were both very hospitable and courteous to him. Whenever the prince visited the general's mansion, they would insist he stay for a meal, which was always lavish, consisting of eight dishes and a soup.
Of course, Prince Duan never came empty-handed; he always brought some gifts. These gifts weren't particularly valuable; they were simply fruits bestowed by the Emperor and some small trinkets for Shangguan Yi. Sometimes, he would also have Lide go to the Good Days Restaurant and order a couple of good dishes to take back to the General's Mansion.
In short, this wouldn't make Shangguan Mufeng's family feel like a burden or someone indebted to them. Furthermore, it wouldn't give the impression that Prince Duan was simply there to freeload.
As time went by, Shangguan Mufeng and Prince Duan grew increasingly close, sharing many conversations and never experiencing an awkward silence. They discussed matters concerning the Northwest military camp, Medicine King Valley, the development of Xiaoxi Village, the Ministry of War, and the Imperial Guard. They offered each other guidance, learning from each other's strengths and weaknesses; each conversation was enlightening and helpful to both.
Gradually, Zisu went from resisting Prince Duan coming to her home for meals to neither welcoming nor objecting. She gradually came to see Prince Duan as her father's friend and the older brother next door, and sometimes she would eat at the same table with him.
Although the changes were not significant, Prince Duan was quite satisfied.
It's okay, she's starting to accept him, which is a good sign.
Late May and early June is the season for ripe fruits. Peaches, plums, watermelons, bayberries, and many other wild fruits are available. Wuliping Scenic Area has even set aside a special area for visitors to pick wild fruits, dig for wild vegetables, and gather wildflowers.
With the fruits ripe, Wuliping once again experienced a peak in tourism. In just over ten days, the net profit reached a staggering 30,000 yuan. It was an unprecedented success, with crowds thronging the area.
There's been an additional horse-drawn carriage service from the capital to Wuliping, with each trip now carrying four carriages instead of three. There's also been an additional bus service from Huaishu County and Lishuxia County to Wuliping, and both are almost always full.
On this day, Zisu, Prince Duan, the Eldest Princess, and the old clan chief gathered at Xiaoshitan to discuss important matters.
Zisu suggested, "Now that the tourist park is doing so well, it's time to set aside some funds to build a large academy! This is just my suggestion; if you have different opinions, I can fund the construction myself!"
The eldest princess spoke first: "I agree to build the academy!"
Prince Duan naturally did not object: "I agree too!"
"I agree too!" The old patriarch was happier than anyone else. You see, building an academy here is a tremendous good thing for the Shangguan family!
Zisu: "That's excellent. I plan to build an academy on the small hill next to Little Stone Pool. What do you think?"
The old clan chief said, "Yes, that mountain is quite nice. There are no large wild beasts, only some rabbits and pheasants. Moreover, there is a mountain stream flowing at the foot of the mountain, making it easy to get water. The mountain is also very green, with several ancient trees that are hundreds of years old. I think it would be perfect to build an academy there!"
Prince Duan: "Yes, that's indeed good, I agree!"
Princess: "I'll listen to Zisu. I have no objection."
Zisu: "Alright, since everyone agrees, let's discuss the cost of building the academy, how much money it will cost, and what kind of academy it will be. We four also need to decide on our contributions; who will contribute how much, and who will be in charge. The one who contributes the most will be in charge!"
The old clan chief then suggested, "Let Zisu be the one in charge. She's from the Shangguan family and knows everything from astronomy to geography. Besides, she's the initiator. Zisu, what do you think?"
Zisu: "I'm the initiator, I'll take charge, no problem. Princess, Your Highness, what do you think?"
The eldest princess said, "I also think it's a good idea, and I have no objections."
Prince Duan smiled playfully and said, "All actions will be under the command of Princess Yulin!"
Zisu rolled her eyes at him and then took out a budget: "I've already made a budget for the cost of building the academy, which is about 20,000 taels of silver. How about this, I'll invest 8,000 taels of silver, and the three of you will each invest 4,000 taels, which will be exactly 20,000 taels of silver!"
Princess: "Isn't a budget of 20,000 taels too little?"
The old clan chief said, "That's plenty. We'll fire the bricks ourselves, and there's plenty of timber on the mountain. We'll hire bricklayers from the Wuliping area. I'll go and call on everyone to participate in the construction of the academy for free!"
Prince Duan: "Let's forget about giving it away for free. Let's pay them all! If 20,000 taels isn't enough, we can add more later!"
Zisu: "The labor costs are included in the budget, so don't worry, you will definitely be paid. If you work for free, people will complain in the long run, and it's impossible to guarantee the quality and quantity. If we pay you, and the progress is slow or the quality is poor, we can intervene and punish you. If we don't pay you, it's really hard to complain to them, and even if we do, they might not listen!"
The old clan chief thought for a moment and then nodded, saying, "Yes, you've thought this through. That's good too; this way, we'll hear less gossip in the future. We shareholders can make the decisions about the academy without having to involve the villagers."
Prince Duan: "The old clan chief is right. If we ask the villagers to contribute their labor for free, they might try to interfere in the affairs of the academy in the future. This would be detrimental to the management and development of the academy!"
The Eldest Princess said, "That's right. Don't be stingy with such a small amount of money. If 20,000 isn't enough, we can all contribute according to our respective shares! Right now, based on our investment, Zisu has 40%, and the three of us each have 20%! From now on, whether it's profits or expenses, we'll all share them according to our investment proportions!"
The old clan chief: "Alright! That's a good idea. I agree with the princess's opinion!"
Anyway, the family isn't short of money now; the dividends from the tourist park alone are already close to ten thousand taels. Allocating several thousand taels to build the academy would be extremely beneficial for Wuliping. Once the academy is built, the children of Wuliping will be the first to benefit.
Zisu is absolutely right. If they want the Shangguan family in Wuliping to prosper, ensuring that all the children have the opportunity to go to school is of utmost importance. Reading can enlighten them, broaden their horizons, and expand their thinking—that's what Zisu told him. Therefore, he was quite willing to invest several thousand taels in the academy.
Zisu said, "I suggest that tuition fees be reduced or waived for children in the introductory classes whose families are truly impoverished. Furthermore, scholarships should be established to reward students who excel in both academics and character. This would both motivate everyone to strive for excellence and help children from poor families who achieve outstanding academic results!"
Princess: "Hmm, your suggestion is excellent, I agree!"
Prince Duan and the old clan chief naturally did not object and both expressed their agreement.
The group spent an afternoon discussing the academy, and finally signed a contract, confirming the scale of the academy's construction, the start date, and so on.
The construction of the academy was entrusted to the old clan chief and Jiang Shichang. Nowadays, Jiang Shichang would make a trip to Wuliping every few days. This was because, in addition to being the general manager of the Good Days Restaurant, Jiang Shichang was also the chief manager of the Wuliping Scenic Area.
After arranging the specific tasks and assigning them to the relevant personnel, Zisu, the Eldest Princess, and Prince Duan returned to the capital together. The Eldest Princess and Zisu rode in the same carriage, while Prince Duan rode a tall horse, flanked by guards.
The eldest princess whispered to Zisu, "Zisu, why don't you just agree to Prince Duan's proposal? It's clear he's truly sincere towards you. These days, there aren't many men as good as him!"
Zisu: "No rush, I've only just turned fifteen, I'm still very young! I'll wait another year and see. If he's still the same towards me, I might consider it. Besides, his mother is a big problem. I don't want to get married and then have to worry every day that his mother will try to force other women on him. Just thinking about that kind of life gives me a headache, I can't stand it!"
Princess: "You're right. Consort Qin is a difficult person to deal with, but fortunately, she is genuinely in love with Prince Duan and is not a selfish mother. Compared to Jiang Chun's mother, Consort Qin is slightly better. With that in mind, you can put your mind at ease."
Zisu: "Just thinking about Jiang Chun's mother sends chills down my spine. How could there be such a person in this world? At that time, I didn't even know Jiang Chun, nor did I know that Uncle Jiang was planning to have Jiang Chun propose to me. Yet, she inexplicably took her anger out on me and humiliated me in public!"
In particular, even when she went to the small village in the Northwest, she still had the energy to cause endless trouble. At that time, the entire Jiang family had been exiled, and Jiang Chun would inevitably be exiled as well, yet she still thought that her son was still a general, and that I, an exiled person, was even less worthy of her son! I really don't understand what's going on in her head!
Princess: "You're right. Back then, she drove me almost crazy. Later, when the house was being built, didn't I insist on moving to your side? At that time, I didn't even have the courage to be her neighbor, so I decided to build the house next to yours!"
Zisu: "Sigh, the most pitiful one is the flower, seeing her like that!"
The eldest princess said, "Yes, Hua'er is still young. If her father remarries soon, Hua'er and her younger brother will suffer! There are very few good stepmothers in this world. A good stepmother is one who doesn't harm or spoil her stepdaughters and stepsons. I don't deny that there are good stepmothers, but most stepmothers are cruel."
Zisu sighed, "Yes, that's true. Perhaps some stepmothers were good at first, but unfortunately, they are treated like thieves by their stepchildren, or they are opposed by them. Over time, even the best stepmother will become disheartened and turn bad. In fact, being a stepdaughter or stepson is difficult, but being a stepmother is just as difficult. Unless the man is exceptionally good, it's best not to become someone's stepwife!"
The reason she didn't look down on Fang Heng was also because of her memories from her past life. Fang Heng's two children were very sensible and well-behaved. She also knew that Fang Heng was a loyal and devoted man who didn't have multiple wives and remained faithful to his wife. Furthermore, Fang Qiong and Zisu hit it off immediately, and Zisu also got along well with Yun Duo and Ru Feng. Otherwise, why would she have chosen Fang Heng?
To be honest, if Ying hadn't caused trouble in Wuliping, Zisu would still have chosen Fang Heng. After all, Fang Heng is indeed a rare and good man, and marrying a reliable man is the most important thing. Everything else, as long as it's not too outrageous, can actually be ignored.
Unfortunately, Fang Heng's mother was so unreliable that she crossed Zisu's bottom line. Taking a concubine was something Zisu absolutely could not accept, let alone taking a concubine before marriage; that was simply outrageous!
Having such an unreliable mother is Fang Heng's misfortune; he is destined to regret losing Zisu for the rest of his life. It's a classic case of the son paying for the mother's debts—there's no way around it.
Prince Duan was highly skilled in martial arts and had excellent hearing; he heard almost everything the two said in the carriage. Hearing Zisu's words, he couldn't help but feel very grateful to Fang Heng's mother—grateful that she was unreliable. This made it much, much less likely that Zisu would choose Fang Heng.
At the same time, he also wanted to thank his mother. Although she wasn't exactly reliable, her love for him was genuine. Now that she realized the dangers of cousins marrying, she no longer wanted him to marry his cousin. With that problem solved, his mother's unreliability was no longer a huge obstacle between him and Zisu!
He had reason to believe he could completely handle his mother, and he also had reason to believe that with Zisu's abilities and decisiveness, she could definitely manage her, and even the Lu family. He could certainly handle the Lu family, but when it came to matters concerning the inner quarters, he still had many reservations. If it were Zisu, he believed she could easily take care of the Lu family in no time.
On his way back to the capital, Prince Duan was in a cheerful, joyful, and sunny mood. The future, in his eyes, was bright.
----Continuing to ask for monthly votes! Seeing more monthly votes gives me a boost in motivation to write. Please vote, thank you so much! There will be one more update today. I hope my name on the monthly vote ranking can climb up another rank and reach eighth place.