Before the auspicious hour arrived, several of Xin Liu's sisters each took out their personal gifts and showed up. The young lady of Master Zhao of Honglu Temple presented a paper-thin shell made of conch shell, saying that it was a foreign item. The daughter of Grand Scholar Ning of Wuying Hall presented a box of rare Snow Pear Incense. Qiu Yueling's gift was much more appropriate, a set of tri-colored rhinoceros horn combs with auspicious meaning.
Xin Liu's dressing table was also piled with many gifts. Some were given by her family, and some were just received. They were all valuable. She beamed with joy as she fiddled with them. Her eyes turned to Yu Shu. She stretched out her hand and said: "What about you? Don't try to fool me. I remember you said you would give me something good last time. What can I do if I don't give it now?"
Yu Shu patted her palm. Without waiting for Xin Liu to pout, she took out an old sandalwood box from her waist pocket and put it back in her hand.
Xin Liu couldn't wait to open it. When she saw a ball of white light, she was stunned. She immediately exclaimed.
The girls who were standing on both sides came closer. They thought it was something good. They were surprised to see Xin Liu carefully pick up a string of water beads. It was so dazzling. They blinked a few times and looked at it again. It was not water beads. It was obviously a kind of unknown gemstone. It was polished to a smooth and attractive surface. It was really better than jade.
For a moment, the girls couldn't move their eyes away. They could only see Xin Liu happily put the white crystal bracelet on her wrist. Her originally white skin seemed to be shining.
"Ah, what kind of jade is this?" Qiu Yueling asked curiously. They were all daughters of official families. Their families were wealthy. They could see any gemstone or jade. But they couldn't tell the origin of this bracelet.
Yu Shu saw that Xin Liu was also looking at her eagerly, so she explained with a smile, "This is a crystal stone. A few days ago, I got a few pieces, so I tried to make them look like it. I also used Feng Shui to raise it for a few days. It's not only beautiful to wear, but also useful. The one Feifei is wearing is a white crystal, which can calm the nerves and nourish the brain, and help you sleep. Here, I have a string of topaz in my hand."
As she spoke, she pulled up her sleeves and revealed the string of topaz she wore on her wrist, causing a few more gasps of surprise. Immediately, her wrist was grabbed by the fearless people and they all started to appraise it.
"This is great. This crystal feels cool to the touch, as if it had just been taken out of the water."
"Older Sister Yu, did you also use feng shui to raise this topaz?"
.....
Although they were envious of Yu Shu for gifting Xin Liu a crystal bracelet, none of them asked about it.
Yu Shu didn't talk about the benefits of the crystal. She only told them that this thing was made by her, and now only two people got it. One was in her hand, and the other was given to Xin Liu.
Xin Liu was naturally very satisfied, and the way he looked at Yu Shu became much more affectionate. If it weren't for the fact that there were people around, he would have probably hugged Yu Shu's neck and kissed her. Later, when Mrs. Xin came to see her little daughter with her maid, Xin Liu held her hand and acted like a spoiled child —
"Mother, look, the bracelet given to me by the lotus mother. Isn't it beautiful? I will wear it when I bow later, okay?"
Mrs. Xin also saw the crystal beads in her hand. She was surprised, but she didn't lose her composure at all. She didn't ask questions like a little girl, but thanked Yu Shu on her behalf. Then she touched Xin Liu's head and agreed. Originally, before the hairpin ceremony, people must wear no makeup, so they couldn't wear any hairpin or ring. Bracelets and beads were not a big deal.
When the auspicious time was coming, Mrs. Xin invited Yu Shu and other young ladies to the hall, leaving Mrs. Xin and her daughter to talk to each other.
.....
Among the four branches of the Xin family, except for an old man who retired and lived in seclusion, the head of the family was Xin Liu's grandfather, Xin Yan. He was the Left Judge of the Celestial Commissioner, a fourth rank official. Among the four sons of Xin Yan, only the second master was born by the wife of the main wife. As the daughter of the second branch, Xin Liu ranked sixth among all the sisters, but she was the most delicate girl of her generation.
The hairpin ceremony was very grand. The hall was full of 200 people. Most of the guests were famous madams and madams. There were even two Commandery Princesses who came to join in the fun and sat at the VIP table.
Yu Shu was arranged to sit at the side of relatives and friends. She sat with Mrs. Xin and Qiu Yueling to watch the ceremony. She glanced around and saw many familiar people. For example, Commandery Princess Xi Wen who was sitting at the VIP table and laughing with others.
Yu Shu's eyes stayed for a moment and then moved away. But no one knew what she was thinking.
When the auspicious time came, there was a sound of playing in the music hall. Xin Liu was helped out by an older woman of the family. She wore a plain long dress and her black hair draped over her back. Her back was straight and she was a little nervous.
The Xin family invited the secretary of the Ministry of Rites. All the etiquette was done. When it was time to comb her hair and put on her clothes, she inadvertently raised her hand to show her wrist. The crystal clear bracelet was particularly eye-catching.
Almost all of the women present noticed this.
Seeing this, Yu Shu snickered in her heart. Xin Liu had unintentionally done her a great favor.
Now she just needed to wait quietly. Wait for Xin Liu to discover the benefits of this white crystal bracelet. Wait for these women to inquire about it. She was not afraid of not being able to bid for it.
After the ceremony, there was a banquet. Yu Shu didn't wait for people to leave and left first. Seeing that Yu Shu was leaving, Qiu Yueling followed.
"Sister Yu."
Yu Shu was called by Qiu Yueling in a corner of the garden. She turned her head and saw her running in front of her.
"Thank you for helping me hide it." Qiu Yueling blushed and twisted the corner of her clothes. She was very grateful to Yu Shu for helping her avoid that unhappy marriage.
Yu Shu was more careful than her. She looked left and right to make sure no one was passing by. Then she said softly, "I said you don't need to thank me. Your father loves you wholeheartedly. I will let go of what happened last time, but don't do stupid things again."
Qiu Yueling was ashamed but also glad. Although she lied to her parents, it was a blessing in disguise. Her family didn't force her to get married anymore.
"Mother wants to invite sister to our house for tea. When are you free?"
Yu Shu thought for a moment, "How about the morning after tomorrow."
Qiu Yueling said happily, "That's good. I will go back and tell mother to wait for sister to come."
Yu Shu agreed and said goodbye to her. She went out on foot to find Liu Zhong on the street. Then she got on the car and went to the north of the city to find a fan shop.
However, she spent the whole afternoon in vain.
The next day, Fang Zijing's magic class was held every seven days. Yu Shu came early today. As soon as she entered Xushui Tang, she was pulled out by Situ Qinglan.
"What's wrong?"
"What do you mean?" Situ Qinglan stamped her feet and said, "I told you the day before yesterday that the position of the Seventh Grade Zan Ji of the Celestial Commissioner was taken by Miss Zhan!"
Yu Shu was stunned, "You mean Zhan Xueyuan?"
"Isn't it her? Yesterday, the Imperial Astronomer sent someone to deliver the letter. You weren't around, so you didn't see the scene. There were a few other outstanding female students who heard the news and their mouths were twisted in anger. I thought that this opportunity should have been yours. No matter who, it shouldn't have been her."
Situ Qinglan was not convinced, but it was reasonable. Among the female students in the Taishi Library, in terms of level, there was Yu Shu, a female fortune-teller who rarely appeared in ten years. In terms of family background, there were 12 aristocratic families in the capital. But Zhan Xueyuan was just a Ninth Grade Master Yi, and she was from a foreign aristocratic family. Who would have thought that she would be taken advantage of?
Yu Shu frowned and said, "Who knows there is something strange about it."
Zhan Xueyuan became a female official, which was not good news for her.
"What do you think this Zan Ji is in charge of?" She only knew who the senior officer of the Celestial Commissioner was, and there were five senior officers.
"Let's talk over there."
Situ Qinglan and Yu Shu sat on the horizontal railing by the pond.
"I think you are not very clear about the internal structure of the Celestial Commissioner, so I will tell you. The Celestial Commissioner has three departments and two bureaus. The three departments are the Department of Clan Affairs, the Department of Taicheng, and the Department of Accounting. You have participated in the Dayan, so you should know about the Department of Taicheng. It handles all the matters of the Dayan test. All masters of Yi below the Fifth Grade are recorded and printed by the Department of Yi. The Department of Yi is also in charge of the names of the descendants of the various aristocratic families of Yi. "
"The Department of Clan Affairs is even more impressive. It is in charge of the entry and exit of the royal family, the rewards and punishments of nobility, and the time and month of worship. The Department of Accounting is easy to manage. All the trading houses, no matter big or small, have to pay taxes every year. As for my property and salary, it is also distributed by the Department of Accounting. "
Yu Shu listened and took notes at the same time. She asked, "What about the Kunling Bureau? What is it in charge of?"
Situ Qinglan's eyes flashed and she said slowly, "The Kunling Bureau is specially set up for women. It is in charge of the bedroom of the concubines and checks the fate of the nobles. Its power is not great, but it is not trivial. Let's not talk about the Forbidden Palace for now. Think about it — it is better to be a daughter of a noble family than to marry. Sometimes, if the fate is good, it is said that it will bring prosperity to the husband and the family, and the person will be more valuable. Sometimes, if the fate is bad, it is said that it is not good for the family, and the person will be lower. When talking about marriage, which family does not carefully flatter the Kunling Bureau? "
Yu Shu was shocked. Only now did she realize that the power of the Celestial Commissioner was so vast.
As for the Kunling Bureau, the fate was really a vital point of the noble families. This reminded her of the time when Zhao Hui was approved by the Ji family's trading house to be a widow. Her family's wealth was stolen and she was reduced to the streets.
Yu Shu's emotions fluctuated. She asked again, "What do you think the seventh-grade Zan Ji is in charge of?"
Situ Qinglan's expression was a little strange, "It is the subordinate of the Taicheng Bureau. The so-called Zan Ji is somewhat similar to the Registrar. It is more popular than other places because it is in charge of collecting the residence cards of the big and small Masters of Yi in the court."
What was a residence card? It was a private file that recorded a person's birth date, birthplace, clan, relatives and other important things about him.
In other words, this Zan Ji could check the personal information of a Master of Yi at will.
Yu Shu had a slight headache. She could imagine that after Zhan Xueyuan took office, he would definitely pull out her residence card and check it. Maybe he would hand it to someone else. Although she did not do anything shameful, it would be uncomfortable to be exposed.
"Thank you for telling me this," Yu Shu stood up and patted the wrinkles of her skirt. She said to Situ Qinglan, "No wonder so many people want to become an official in the Celestial Commissioner. I understand now."
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
