"I thought Yu Suanzi was qualified to attend the ceremony."
Yu Shu was stunned and looked sideways at Jing Chen, who had just spoken. She saw that he was reading the Taoist scripture in his hand without raising his head, as if she had heard an illusion.
Jing Chen would speak up for Yu Shu. No one present would be surprised about this except Yu Shu herself.
However, Han Wenguang's influence was greater than Yu Shu had imagined. Out of the 18 academicians, half of them did not approve of her participating in the Sacred Ancestor Sacrifice Ceremony. Even with Jing Chen's support, the situation could not be reversed.
Under Madame Lu's beautiful eyes, Academician Shangguan could only regretfully announce that Fang Zijing and the others needed to recommend another candidate as soon as possible.
"Even a fourth-class female suanzi can be scolded. The Taishi Library is really getting better and better every year!"
Madame Lu sneered and left. When she passed by Yu Shu, she did not say anything. She just raised her hand and gently stroked her shoulder, and then passed by.
Yu Shu, who felt that she had been "comforted", felt a little strange. She turned her head to look at Madam Lu's graceful back as she walked away. She wondered if she should find a time to pay a visit to this strong woman.
Madame Lu's words before she left had annoyed some of the old people in the Taishi Library. Immediately, someone shouted with dissatisfaction, "Only women and villains are difficult to support!"
Yu Shu looked back and saw a few angry old faces. She suddenly felt much better. After watching the show, she immediately raised her hand to salute Fang Zijing and asked to leave. "Academician Fang, there is nothing for me here. I will leave first."
Fang Zijing had been quietly looking at her. Seeing that she was not selected, he could still maintain a sense of propriety. His eyes flickered slightly, and he nodded. "You go."
Before Yu Shu left, she quietly looked at the two people present. One was Jing Chen, and the other was Han Wenguang.
Jing Chen's eyes never left the scripture from beginning to end. His undistracted look made Yu Shu suspect that he had said that on a whim, so she did not take it to heart.
What she noticed was that Han Wenguang did not show any emotion on his face. He did not show the slightest bit of pride because he had tripped her up. Obviously, he did not take her seriously.
Yu Shu wasn't very angry towards this because she knew her own limitations. She didn't have the qualifications to challenge such a cunning figure now, so she could only make a note of this in her heart. Sooner or later, she'd wait for an opportunity to pay him back.
Humph, it was just accompanying the emperor to worship the tomb. If he didn't want to go, then don't go. She didn't care!
Coming out of Taishi Shuyuan, the sun was already hanging high. Yu Shu calculated the time. Xue Rui went to the palace and would come back in the afternoon. So she was not in a hurry to go back to Wang Ji Tower. Instead, she asked Lao Chui to drive the carriage to find the Commercial Association of Tehen in the east of the city and go to the territory of Pei Jing.
The Da 'an Dynasty encouraged the people's livelihood and did not neglect the industry and commerce. The commerce in the capital was even more developed. Merchants from all walks of life had a head office in Anling. Among them, the Commercial Association of Tehen was not an old one, but it was a rising one in recent years.
Last year, Pei Jing was promoted to the head office in Anling as the deputy general manager. Because he was close to Zhao Hui's family, Yu Shu often heard some market information from him. She also knew that Pei Jing had a lot of authority. She could ask him about some things that couldn't be bought outside.
Before Yu Shu came, she didn't tell Pei Jing. Fortunately, it was the end of the month. Pei Jing stayed in the guild during the day. He didn't go to the shops downstairs to inspect, nor did he go to the warehouse to check the goods.
Pei Jing was upstairs managing the accounts with several accountants. When he heard the waiter come up to pass on a message, he said a few words and went downstairs. When he saw Yu Shu in the tea room, he called for the waiter to change the ordinary tea on the table with the good tea he had collected the day before and greeted her with a smile.
"Did the sun rise from the west today? I don't see you all day long. How do you have time to come here to find me?" Pei Jing teased Yu Shu. He was really surprised.
"I have something to ask of you, uncle," Yu Shu said directly. "I want to find a few things. It's not easy to buy them outside, or they're shoddy goods. Can you help me find a way to buy them?"
She didn't call him uncle for nothing. Since Zhao Hui officially recognized Yu Shu as her adopted daughter, Pei Jing also treated her as half a daughter. Because of convenience, he often brought delicious food and fun things for them. Now that Yu Shu asked, he agreed without hesitation.
"You only need to say. As long as there is a name, I can find a way to find it for you."
Yu Shu regarded Pei Jing as an elder. She didn't say any polite words to him. She immediately took out a shining crystal the size of a copper coin from her pouch and handed it to him. She asked, "Does uncle recognize this thing?"
Pei Jing took it in his hand and rubbed it. He raised his eyebrows and said, "This is carved water essence stone. There are no holes on it. It must be used for inlay."
Yu Shu was happy when she heard this. Pei Jing's guess was right. This piece of topaz was a gift from the Ninth Prince. It was from a beautiful brocade box.
The ancients loved jade. They often used jade to ward off evil spirits. It was used to nourish people and they carried it with them. However, few people recognized this crystal. They didn't know that compared to jade, crystals of various colors were also the best choice for Fengshui. Moreover, the crystal was bright and transparent. It was the best for decoration.
She had seen a lot of Fengshui tools in the "Rare Objects List", all of which were carved out of jade. A small bracelet used 18 Hetian jade beads, which was expensive to make. Yu Shu had seen the same bracelet in the Xin family's Great Exchange Store, which was carved out of fine jade. She had copied others' ideas, so she thought of making a fuss about the raw materials. If she succeeded, she would have her own way of earning money.
Pei Jing didn't know Yu Shu's plan. He weighed the topaz in his hand and smiled. He said, "This water essence looks good. Some rich people use it to decorate their jewelry. However, it is not as durable as jade. It is not very useful. Moreover, it is produced in a far away place. So, it is not circulated in the market."
Yu Shu heard his words. She was happy and worried at the same time. She was happy that no one recognized it. She was worried that it was not easy to find.
She didn't have time to be disappointed because Pei Jing's next words made her excited.
"I know a sea merchant. He seems to have this kind of water essence. He happens to be in the capital. If you want this thing, I will ask him."
"Okay, okay. Please ask him for me." Yu Shu was happy. She didn't hide her desire for Pei Jing. "It would be best if there is ready-made. I want as much as you have. Uh … as long as the price is not too outrageous."
Pei Jing waved his hand to reassure her. "Don't forget what your uncle is doing. I won't let you suffer any loss. Go back and wait for the news."
Yu Shu was happy. She handed a cup of tea to Pei Jing. She said embarrassedly, "There is one thing that is not easy to find."
"You said it."
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