Chapter 235

Chapter 235: Green with Regret

Shang Xiu Yuan stood up after speaking.

Outside, a loud shout came with rapid hoofbeats. It made Shang Xiu Yuan even more irritated.

If they were still in the old residence, his courtyard would have been quiet and elegant. It was separated from the street by the main hall and the inner and outer gates, so there was no way he would have heard this kind of messy noise.

“Victory report! Victory report!”

“Mo Bei won a great victory!”

“Qi Shu Xian safely delivered grain to the Mo Bei army, then led the army in a night raid on Northern Di and forced them to retreat! Great victory! Great victory!”

Shang Xiu Yuan finally understood what the noise was.

His steps stopped in place.

The news of victory in Mo Bei came neither early nor late. It came exactly on the day of Shang Xing Yu’s na cai.

Ha.

Good.

Really good.

One victory report stirred up endless waves.

Emperor Chong Sheng immediately summoned Duke Qi into the palace to receive rewards.

Outside Yong Kang Street, the commoner who had been crowded there to wait for wedding cakes began talking excitedly.

One person said, “Qi Shi-zi is like a living God of War. He won as soon as he arrived in Mo Bei.”

Another replied, “When you think about it, it really was Heaven’s will-”

A third voice laughed. “Princess Qing Ning is doing na cai with Young Master Shang Er today. Back then, wasn’t there also a fine romance between Princess Qing Ning and Qi Shi-zi?”

Someone sighed. “Do you think the Princess regretted it?”

Another answered, “Wouldn’t she?”

In the crowd, someone lowered their voice and said, “She threw away a general with endless military achievements and chose a good-for-nothing playboy as her consort. If it were me, I would regret it until my guts turned green.”

“But even if she regretted it, it’s useless,” another person said. “Could she break the engagement now?”

“Stop talking, stop talking,” someone urged. “They’re about to hand out the wedding cakes!”

In Sheng Kingdom customs, during na cai and na ji, they always handed out wedding cakes. The more cakes were given out, the more blessings the couple received, and the more harmonious and happy their future would be.

And wedding cakes from the Imperial House should at least have sweet filling.

The commoner had been waiting in the cold wind early in the morning not just to watch the excitement. The most important thing was to get a few more cakes.

The Court of Imperial Clan Affairs and Ministry of Rites officials finished recording the na cai gift list and were about to distribute the wedding cakes.

Just then, a shout suddenly came from behind. “Everyone, hurry to Duke Qi’s manor to grab rewards!”

“Qi Shi-zi won a victory. His Majesty rewarded a thousand taels of gold! The Duke is generous and wants to build up blessings for Qi Shi-zi. Anyone who goes outside Duke Qi’s manor right now will get a reward!”

As soon as they heard that, the commoner’ eyes wavered.

Wedding cakes from the Princess’s manor, or silver from Duke Qi’s manor?

Someone pushed harder. “Why are you still standing there? I just passed Duke Qi’s manor and picked up more than thirty copper coins. More than thirty copper coins! Think how many wedding cakes you can buy with that. Why aren’t you going?”

“Go, go!”

“Is that true? You can really pick up copper coins?”

“If it’s not true, let lightning strike me!”

At that, the crowd surged with a rush. The commoner on Yong Kang Street almost fought each other as they squeezed out.

Madam Ye was so angry she wanted to curse.

This was her first time acting as a matchmaker. She had even patted her chest and promised her son that she would handle things beautifully for his elder brother.

And now this happened.

“That vile bastard who kept a mistress!” Madam Ye spat angrily.

She was not blind. This had to be Duke Qi, that hypocritical villain, stirring trouble behind the scenes.

They were already divorced. As an elder, he still chose to disgust the younger generation with something like this.

Madam Ye tried to send people to stop the commoner.

No matter what, they had to keep at least a few dozen behind, right?

The Court of Imperial Clan Affairs and Ministry of Rites officials also wanted to force some people to stay.

But at that moment, a figure appeared from inside the Princess’s manor.

Madam Ye’s eyes lit up when she saw her.

Sheng Zhi Wan was not dressed plainly today. Na cai and na ji did not require her to come out, but it was still a good day, so she wore a gorgeous long dress and a cloak trimmed with red fox fur.

She looked dazzling, and for a moment, even the crowd pushing outward quieted a little.

Many commoner looked over.

Sheng Zhi Wan spoke calmly and openly. “Since everyone wants silver more, then go. I also want to take some lucky money from Duke Qi’s manor, but it is not suitable for me to go out today. I hope everyone will grab more for me.”

She said it lightly, with humor. The commoner, who had been awkward because she stepped out in person, ended up laughing along.

“Princess, don’t worry. This commoner will grab more copper coins for you!”

“And me. I’ll go grab some luck for Princess too.”

“This common woman will also-”

Sheng Zhi Wan nodded, then told the Princess’s guards to organize the people to leave in an orderly way.

Soon, there was not a single person left outside on Yong Kang Street.

commoner were practical. If there was money to take, it was naturally more tempting than wedding cakes.

“Princess, what should we do with these wedding cakes?” an official from the Ministry of Rites asked, troubled.

There were two parts to the wedding cakes. One part was made in the Princess’s manor, and the other part came from the groom’s na cai gifts.

Usually it was better if there were not enough cakes.

But now, not a single one had been given out.

Before the Princess and her consort’s good marriage had even begun, there was already such a setback. It felt ominous.

As the official worried, he heard Sheng Zhi Wan give a soft laugh. “Send them to Ci Ji Orphanage and the poor district.”

In the end, it was all for an auspicious start. It did not matter whose auspicious start it was.

As for Duke Qi’s manor, with so many commoner going to demand rewards, would they have enough copper coins?

When Sheng Zhi Wan thought of that, she returned inside and had Liu Shang help spread the news.

Very quickly, the entire capital city heard it.

Qi Shi-zi won a victory in Mo Bei!

Duke Qi received rewards!

commoner could share in it too!

As long as they went outside Duke Qi’s manor, there would be a steady stream of rewarded copper coins…

So even commoner living farther and farther away heard the news. For a few dozen copper coins, they called friends and relatives and rushed toward Duke Qi’s manor.

Very soon, every bit of ground outside Duke Qi’s manor was filled.

The original vendors were shoved to the walls.

The guards of Duke Qi’s manor threw out basket after basket of copper coins, but the number of hands reaching for coins only grew.

Duke Qi kept thinking about the report he had just heard.

When he imagined that on Yong Kang Street, Sheng Zhi Wan’s na cai had not drawn a single person, he felt comfortable to the core.

His Shu Xian really was promising.

First, he earned merit in Cang Nan. Now, he had only just arrived in Mo Bei and already won a great victory.

His Majesty had said it clearly. As long as Shu Xian could beat Northern Di into submission, when Shu Xian returned, he would be made a third-rank general.

His Shu Xian was still young. His future was limitless.

And Sheng Zhi Wan?

A twice-married woman doing na cai with a useless playboy. What auspicious start could there be?

Maybe she heard Shu Xian’s victory report and was hiding in her room right now, not knowing how to regret it.

Thinking that, Duke Qi felt even better.

But then his steward quietly tugged his sleeve and whispered again, “Duke, this is bad. We’ve used up the copper coins we prepared…”

“What?” Duke Qi froze, unable to believe it. “Didn’t I tell you to exchange dozens of baskets from the money houses? You threw them all out already?”

“Yes, Duke,” the steward said, wiping sweat. “There are-there are too many people.”

Only then did Duke Qi truly look up.

Everywhere he looked, there were hands reaching toward him.

Hands that were black and cracked, dirty and ugly…

Duke Qi’s face darkened.

What kind of things were these, all trying to take Duke Qi’s manor’s reward silver?