A Good Country Wife
Chapter 528 - 522_1

Chapter 528: Chapter 522_1

Beginning from the first day of the Lunar New Year, these past few days have been bustling with guests, some coming to pay New Year visits, others inviting us over for meals. It has been unlike the quiet of past years. By the second and third day, Lin Yue had already begun to plan the gifts to be sent to the Capital City for the Lantern Festival. With the weather as it was, the snow had not stopped falling, and the journey would take longer. We had to make arrangements early and set out sooner.

Talking about it now, social interactions have increased and relationships have become more complicated. Although there was support from powerful connections, the obligations, such as gifts for the New Year and other festivals, were indispensable and needed to be given. They were matters of social etiquette and could not be neglected, especially for those few most important families. Each time gifts were sent, she had to personally take great care in preparing them.

However, this time for the Lantern Festival gifts, Lin Yue had several boxes of foreign goods brought back from the west by Zhao Erhu, which saved quite a bit of trouble. She picked out a variety of foreign trinkets, and, following past practice, prepared assorted dried goods, fruits, vegetables, and food. She also included special festival lanterns and sweet dumplings. Although the journey would take about ten days, in such snowy weather, the dumplings would remain unspoiled if frozen.

Speaking of sweet dumplings, they were not particularly precious goods. Had it been another household, Lin Yue would not have prepared these, since any well-to-do family could make them. Yet, Princess Yongle, Commandery Princess Roujia, and Jiang Ziqi all enjoyed these treats. Unable to present anything overly expensive, Lin Yue wished to satisfy their tastes in this matter. She prepared twenty varieties of sweet dumplings, half sweet and half savory, in addition to other pastries. The most novel this time were fruit puddings and cakes. Before the New Year, Lin Yue had several ancient-style ovens made at the Blacksmith’s Shop, and now the household had added bread and cakes to the variety of snacks, which went beyond the monotony of just pastries.

Having sent the gifts for the Lantern Festival to the Capital City, Lin Yue was freed from one concern. With nothing else pressing these days, Zhao Erhu took the children to visit relatives and attend banquets, while Lin Yue stayed in her room, embroidering. She taught Lan Fang, Dong Xue, and Musheng’s wife the art of double-sided embroidery. Originally, their embroidery skills and foundations were not bad, but they lacked the instruction of a good teacher. With Lin Yue’s dedicated teaching, their skills improved significantly, even surpassing those of Lun Qin, who previously had been the best among them.

These last two days, Lin Yue looked at the heavy snow falling endlessly outside and was anxious. The weather this year was unusually cold, with the snow continuing until now, close to the Lantern Festival, and seemingly without end. In previous years, the snow would have started to melt by now, and the weather would gradually warm up.

Last year, Lin Yue spent the Lantern Festival at home, and she had agreed with Zhao Erhu to go to the city to see the festival lanterns this year. She had yet to see the ancient Lantern Festival and was a bit curious, but now it seemed out of the question. Not only was the weather uncooperative, but Xin’an City was in disarray. Lin Yue’s plans had to be shelved until next year.

After the Lantern Festival, Dalang and his brothers originally planned to attend school, but with the heavy snow, the academy sent a notice to postpone the start of the term. With Zhao Anyu teaching them at home, their studies would not be delayed.

In the Imperial Palace, whenever Lin Yue sent gifts to Princess Yongle or anything of the sort, Huangfu Jing was certain to visit Yongle Palace. Princess Yongle couldn’t keep it a secret from Huangfu Jing, who as Emperor had no news in the palace hidden from him. Any whisper of wind or rustle of leaves in Yongle Palace would be reported to him, especially since Huangfu Jing precisely predicted that Lin Yue would surely send a festival gift to Princess Yongle. He timed it so his people arrived just when the gift was being brought into Yongle Palace.

Now accustomed to her brother, the shamelessly thick-faced Emperor, coming to pilfer her things, Princess Yongle simply rolled her eyes and no longer resisted as strongly. In any case, resistance was futile; whatever the Emperor took a fancy to, he would have his people carry away, whether it was meant to be taken or not.

"Oh, these are all items from the west, Yueyue sent you almost half a box in one go, such a generous gesture. These foreign curiosities seem to sell for quite a lot in the shops, it seems her husband has made a good profit from his business," said Huangfu Jing casually.

"Exactly, Yueyue’s husband not only knows how to make money, but he’s also extremely good to Yueyue. Whatever she wants to do, her husband supports her. These foreign objects are not purchased from shops in the Capital City, her husband went overseas last year to the Foreign Tribes, and these were bought back from there," said Princess Yongle without any wariness towards her own brother. Huangfu Jing asked and she did not hide anything, disclosing Zhao Erhu’s sea voyage comprehensively.

Upon hearing that Zhao Erhu had ventured overseas to the Foreign Tribes, the Emperor’s eyes darkened abruptly. "Oh? Yueyue’s husband sailed to the Foreign Tribes, quite gutsy."

Huangfu Jing was particularly sensitive about the issue of maritime expeditions. Princess Yongle was, after all, Lin Yue’s husband. Historically, the Court was always divided over the enforcement of maritime bans, with both opponents and proponents. Recently, Huangfu Jing had been contemplating this issue, yet he was inclined towards lifting the maritime bans.

Princess Yongle nodded, "Indeed, no matter how you put it, he’s Yueyue’s spouse, so naturally he can’t be too shabby."

Hearing her say this, Huangfu Jing felt an uncomfortable stir within, but he brushed it aside, continuing to pry, "I remember Yueyue’s husband is from a peasant family, later becoming a hunter. With his connections and background, it would be difficult to negotiate with the Court and maritime parties. Going to sea must mean cooperating with others, right? You regard Yueyue as your best friend; do you know about this matter?"

"Brother Emperor, why do you ask about this? It seems to have nothing to do with us," said Princess Yongle, finding it odd that Huangfu Jing was so interested in this.

"It isn’t our concern, but you and Yueyue are good friends, aren’t you? I’m just asking casually; maybe I can help them with something. After all, I have benefited from using the many things Yueyue sent, so I should reciprocate. However, as far as I know, the only influential people Yueyue knows besides you and Commandery Princess Roujia are only Ziqi. You and Roujia certainly wouldn’t involve yourselves in such businesses, and I haven’t heard anything about the Jiang Family getting into overseas trade. If Ziqi were involved, there is no way I wouldn’t have heard even a whisper about it."

These words fell on Princess Yongle’s ears quite innocently, but to anyone else, they might feel that the Emperor was beginning to suspect the Jiang Family. After all, the monarch’s heart is the most inscrutable. Even though Huangfu Jing favored Jiang Ziqi, he couldn’t allow the Jiang Family to grow to the point where they threatened imperial power. The Jiang Family’s business was thriving, and if they were to also get involved in overseas trade...