Chapter 135
During the metropolitan examination, Cui Lanyin also made a handsome profit.
Fang Dai really knew how to work a connection. Once he arrived in Yangzhou, no one knew what he had said, but the very next day a salt merchant came to Jinyi Ward. He claimed to have found the place through Fang Dai’s connections and wanted to purchase something from Her Majesty the Empress’s private treasury.
After that salt merchant hauled away a large gilt screen depicting a carp leaping through the Dragon Gate, more and more salt merchants began coming.
Within a few days, word had spread through Yangzhou that salt merchants no longer showed off their wealth by other means. What mattered now was whether one’s home contained an item from the Empress’s private treasury.
After hearing Fang Dai’s report, Song Zhang and Jiang Shi established a ranking system for the salt merchants.
Those who purchased at least thirty thousand taels’ worth were ranked third class; those who purchased fifty thousand taels’ worth were ranked second class; and those who purchased one hundred thousand taels or more were ranked first class. Each would receive a ranking certificate bearing the seal of the Imperial Household Department.
No one knew what use the certificate would actually be, but the mere presence of the Imperial Household seal was enough for the salt merchants to take it out and boast about.
With that arrangement in place, the salt merchants came flocking in as though attending a market fair. They bought anything and everything, often ordering furniture and decorative pieces by the dozen.
That finally made the military households anxious. They had not been in any hurry before, but now they too came to Jinyi Ward seeking goods. Military families could not compete with the salt merchants, so they asked for smaller ornaments, fabrics, and the like.
Once everything from Cui Lanyin’s private treasury had been sold, she summoned Empress Dowager Xu, Consort Dowager Shu, and Dowager Concubine Wan and asked whether they had any items they no longer wished to keep. She could help sell them and exchange them for silver.
During festivals and birthdays, the palace consorts received no shortage of gifts. Yet not every gift suited their tastes. Over the years, they had accumulated many things that seemed wasteful to discard but useless to keep.
When Cui Lanyin made the offer, all three women dug out a great many items and sent them over. They all said the same thing: whatever silver was obtained should be kept for her spending money.
Cui Lanyin, however, refused to take advantage of them. She had Qi An check the accounts carefully and sent every tael back to their respective palaces.
When Empress Dowager Xu and the other two women saw the amount written on the banknotes, they were all startled. They had never imagined that the useless objects in their storerooms could be exchanged for such a fortune.
Empress Dowager Xu took the lead, and the three women went to Funing Palace to see Grand Empress Dowager Chen. They pulled her into the conversation, saying that Cui Lanyin had helped them make a huge sum of money, and they wanted to use it to prepare some things for Little Fish.
They had only recently learned that the Emperor had given the little princess the childhood name “Little Fish.” At first, Grand Empress Dowager Chen also thought it sounded unpleasant. But after hearing Cui Lanyin’s explanation—and listening to her say “Little Fish” this and “Little Fish” that—Grand Empress Dowager Chen gradually found the name pleasing to the ear.
Within a few days, whenever the little princess was mentioned in Yanhuadian, Funing Palace, Luanju Palace, or Xuanwei Palace, everyone was calling her “Little Fish.”
By then, both inside and outside the palace, nearly everyone knew that the little princess had already been given a childhood name before she was even born.
After hearing the three women explain why they had come, Grand Empress Dowager Chen refused. “Little Fish has me, her great-grandmother, to prepare things for her. Why would she need anything from you?”
At present, Grand Empress Dowager Chen guarded the child as though she were a treasure. Empress Dowager Xu and the other two could not very well compete with her, so they had no choice but to keep the silver and wait for another opportunity.
In only a few days, Jinyi Ward had become famous, and its reputation had spread all the way to Yangzhou.
On the day it opened, after the Dong family’s relatives and friends had left, Princess Yongjia, Princess Consort Duan, Princess Consort An, Princess Consort Jing, Princess Tong’an, Minister Gu’s wife and Gu Ying, Madam Shen and her granddaughter, and many others who felt they had a close enough relationship with the Cui family all came over.
They had not all come merely to lend their support. Ever since they had attended banquets at the Cui residence, they had noticed the clothing worn by the Cui women. Now that they had the opportunity, of course they could not let it pass.
Princess Yongjia alone ordered more than a dozen outfits, while Li Yijin ordered eight. Everyone else ordered at least three.
The ward was so busy with custom orders from the wives and daughters of scholar-official families that they could hardly keep up. Then the women of the salt merchants’ households began coming to Jinyi Ward in groups. These women were even more lavish spenders. The palace-made fabrics put on display that day were sold down to the very last bolt.
As a result, custom-made clothing at Jinyi Ward was booked three months in advance.
With Jiang-shi there, they never lacked clothing designs. What they lacked were skilled seamstresses. Even after employing every capable needlewoman from both the Cui and Jiang families, there still were not enough hands.
The fact that palace goods were being sold outside could not be concealed for long.
The matters of moving the capital and sending troops to the northern frontier could not be revealed. Cui Lanyin had already planned to release a group of palace servants, and she used this opportunity to send them out. That way, she could claim that the silver earned had all been used to provide them with severance payments and rewards.
The palace maids skilled in needlework were then recruited by Jinyi Ward, solving the shortage of workers.
Cui Lanyin herself had noticed the change. It had been only a little over ten days since she began going to the western study to review memorials, yet she had already made remarkable progress.
When matters were placed before her, she could not only sort through them quickly, but also see several steps ahead. After resolving one issue, she could often take care of another at the same time and then lay the groundwork for a third.
When she returned to the inner chambers, she said to the Emperor, “They say that those who stay close to vermilion are stained red, and those who stay close to ink are stained black. Spending time with my uncle has made me sharper and more perceptive. Chief Secretary Song has been giving me a sidelong look every now and then these past two days. He must think my wits have grown too quickly.”
“You don’t like being this way?”
“Who wouldn’t like being cleverer?”
“Now that Second Miss Cui has grown so sharp, she’ll be unstoppable.”
After all these days, Cui Lanyin finally understood what he meant. She asked, “When will Uncle be leaving for the northern frontier?”
“After the successful candidates are selected, I’ll depart.” The Emperor opened his arms and drew her into them, one hand stroking her belly. “At a time like this, I won’t be able to stay with you. Instead, I’m leaving you to shoulder the affairs of state. Do you blame me?”
Cui Lanyin buried her face against his chest. “I don’t know. I know you must go for the sake of the empire’s future, but now that we’re actually talking about it, I feel so empty inside.”
She had never spoken so frankly before. The Emperor moved to lift her face and look at her, but Cui Lanyin only buried herself more deeply in his embrace…
***
After three rounds over nine days, even though the southern region did not suffer the late-spring chill of the north, the persistent drizzle had brought a clammy, mold-laden dampness that was hard enough to endure. By the time the examinees were released, they looked like pickled vegetables—haggard and carrying quite a smell.
Among the exhausted candidates, Hong Ji stood out, still walking with his head held high and his chest puffed out.
Having learned from his experience in the provincial examination, his entire family had made thorough preparations this time.
Jiang-shi had prepared a wool blanket, Cui Sheng had made dried meat and pastries, Cui Lanyin had brought him an old ginseng root, and two months earlier Cui Su had taught him a method of regulating his breathing and gathering his qi. Thanks to all this, Hong Ji had endured the metropolitan examination far more easily than the others.
It happened to be a day of recess, and there were no fewer people waiting outside the examination compound to receive the candidates than there had been on the day they entered. Once again, the crowd was packed shoulder to shoulder, and anyone without considerable strength could not push their way through.
Cui Su and a group of brothers still charged to the very front. Before Hong Ji could even get a clear look at them, the examination basket in his hand and the rolled bedding on his back had already been taken away, and Cui Su had hoisted him onto his back.
“I’m perfectly fine this time. I can walk on my own. You don’t need to carry me.” Hong Ji tried to climb down.
Jiang Shi laughed and pressed him back. “Just let him carry you in peace.” He pointed to the side. “There are two others here who wanted to carry you but didn’t get the chance.”
Only then did Hong Ji notice that, besides the brothers-in-law from the Cui and Jiang families, Xu Gu and Xu Yi had come as well.
He was thoroughly embarrassed. “You’ve all gone to so much trouble for me. If I still fail this time, I’ll have let you down.”
But the older and younger brothers-in-law were brimming with confidence in him.
“Big Brother (Cousin), you’re sure to pass.”
Hong Ji hurriedly cut them off. “Keep your voices down…”
They had indeed taken it to heart, yet all nodded in unison. “Keep our heads down and make a fortune—we know.”
Hong Ji raised a hand to his forehead. “Next time, I’ll have to tell my wife to sew your mouths shut before letting you out.”
Xu Gu and Xu Yi followed him out, laughing all the way. The more time they spent together, the more they enjoyed visiting the Cui and Jiang households.
When they arrived at the Cui residence, the elders fussed over him with questions about his health. After he bathed and changed, Cui Lanzhi had already set up a small table beside the bed. A pot of chicken porridge that had been simmering for two hours sat on it, steaming fragrantly. Hong Ji ate two full bowls, then set them down, wrapped himself in the quilt, and promptly fell asleep.
By the next morning, he had recovered completely.
The examination results were usually posted after twenty-odd days, but this time they came faster than usual. Early on the fifth day of the fourth month, notices were posted everywhere announcing that the results would be released at the hour of Chen on the sixth.
In order to be among the first to see the list, many families had already sent servants to wait outside the examination compound on the night of the fifth.
Cui Su had to go to the office, so he entrusted Geng Dayou with the task of checking the results.
After the metropolitan examination, Tan Shixian had come to ask whether Hong Ji wanted to recite his essay from memory so that he could have several former examiners look it over.
Hong Ji politely declined, saying that he did not want to unsettle his state of mind beforehand and would simply wait for the results.
Tan Shixian regarded him with even greater respect. With a sigh, he said, “In terms of composure, Zixun is far inferior to you,” and then left.
When the results were actually about to be posted, no one in the household could sit still—not even Hong Ji.
Everyone who had to leave for work said the same thing: “Whether he passes or not, send someone to let us know.”
They had only just finished breakfast when Madam Gu arrived with Dong Xiang and Jiang Xian. Lady Chang, Lady Ding, Cui Lanting, Cui Fu, and several others soon followed. They opened all the windows and gathered in the main room of Jiang Shi’s quarters to wait.
When the hour of Chen arrived, everyone in the room held their breath. Afterward, time seemed to crawl. They all felt that ages had passed, only to glance at the water clock and discover that barely a quarter of an hour had gone by.
Half an hour later, a sudden burst of cheers came from the eastern gate, followed by the thudding of running feet. Everyone held their breath once more and stared out the window, their hands clenched tightly.
Cui Jian, Jiang Xian, and the others had forgotten that they could simply run out and ask, until they saw Geng Dayou rushing inside with joy written all over his face. Only then did Cui Jian and Jiang Xian remember, leaping to their feet and running out.
Before anyone could ask, Geng Dayou shouted, “He passed! Master Ji passed—sixth place! The messengers delivering the good news will be here shortly!”
Ever since Hong Ji had asked them to call him “Big Brother” on the day they saw him off for the examination, Cui Su and the others had changed the way they addressed him. The household servants no longer called him “son-in-law,” either, and had begun calling him “Master Ji.” Cui Su and Cui Jian had consequently become “Second Master Su” and “Third Master Jian.”
Cui Lanzhi forgot herself and seized Hong Ji’s hand. “You passed.”
Thinking of how hard he had studied over the past year, and how he had endured the betrayal of the Hong family along the way, she knew that without his broad-mindedness and steadfast nature, he would never have achieved this success.
As she spoke, tears began to fall uncontrollably from Cui Lanzhi’s eyes.
Hong Ji clasped her hand in return. “Without you and the family, I would never have achieved this today.”
Nearby, Jiang Shi and Madam Gu had already thrown their arms around each other. Lady Ding went over, and Jiang Shi embraced her as well. The three women cried and laughed together, sighing, “Our eldest boy passed! He really passed!”
Seeing Lady Chang standing there in a daze, Cui Lanting knew that the words “our eldest boy” had probably reminded her of Cui Chang once more.
She did not ask. Hearing Little Fen wake up and whimper, she went into the inner room and took him from his wet nurse. With a smile, she chided the others, “Look at you all. How could such wonderful news leave out our Little Fen?”
Before long, the messengers bearing the good news arrived as well. Jiang Shi generously rewarded them with fifty taels of silver.
After the men left in high spirits, the maids, matrons, and servants all came to offer their congratulations. Jiang Shi then announced that every servant in the household would receive an extra month’s wages. The entire courtyard rang with thanks for the rewards and congratulations, and was even livelier than it was during the New Year.
Soon afterward, Cui Lanyin sent Bu Yu from the palace with a pair of ruyi ornaments for Hong Ji.
No one thought much of it at the time, assuming that Cui Lanyin was merely wishing him success in the palace examination.
I’ve reached the burnout stage. The outline is already very detailed, but I can barely manage to type out a few words even after half a day of work. [Crying hysterically]
