Chapter 316 - 316: You Are Suited to Be a Monk

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Before she left, Qiao Mai prepared six hundred-year-old ginseng roots and reishi mushrooms.

Her space was filled with a variety of herbs, including thousand-year-old ones. Since people need a diverse diet to stay healthy, ginseng and reishi are excellent medicinal ingredients that can’t be found easily in pharmacies. They can also be used as a valuable asset; in times of urgent need for money, they can be exchanged for silver. This gift was precious.

When the recipients saw these gifts upon returning home, they were astonished.

They quickly sealed the ginseng, storing it safely in cabinets. These were precious items that couldn’t be acquired easily with money.

This gift has touched the depths of their hearts.

Qiao Mai stayed in Tianshui Town until the 25th before returning to the capital. This time, she didn’t bring any gifts because most of the staff from Qiao’s Small Eatery and the chef had moved to the capital.

So, preparing these New Year goods upon returning home is not too late.

The Duke and General West Gate no longer had any connection with the Qiao family. She only needed to prepare a gift for the emperor.

The old emperor eagerly awaited, being on the bride’s side; it was customary for the groom’s side to present gifts. Whether the emperor reciprocated or not depended on his mood. He was not an ordinary in-law; he was the kingdom’s ruler.

Yuan Jiaqi, who would only have a break later, was especially happy that Qiao Mai returned early.

The two leaned on each other, chatting about family matters.

“Wife, what should we give the emperor for the New Year?”

“I’ve asked Shopkeeper Niu to prepare two baskets of intestines, boneless chicken feet, canned meat, fruits, ten jars of wine, and ten pounds of top-quality tea. Will that be enough?”

“It’s a lot. He can’t finish all that alone.

“That’s his problem. If we give too little, he’ll ask for more. Before, he might be embarrassed, but with this relationship, he’ll surely take full advantage of it.”

“He keeps so many women in the palace. Let him take care of them; we shouldn’t use our family’s goods to fill their mouths.”

“Pfft.’

Qiao Mai burst into laughter. “With a thousand beauties in the palace, he only likes a few.”

“I don’t want to enter the palace. I get a headache just thinking about a group of women.”

“You’re more suitable to be a monk; they stay away from the female charm.”

“I’m only close to one woman.”

“You and your silver tongue!”

“I’m letting my wife experience my smooth talking.”

Instantly, the two were playing around, and soon, the lights in the room went out.

The next day, the emperor received the New Year’s gift. Having just finished the morning court and with a year of peace and prosperity without wars, the Ming Dynasty became stronger. He was happy.

Seeing what he had been yearning for, he was even more delighted.

Having this in-law was great; not only did they have money, but they could also prepare top-notch delicacies. The emperor asked Yubao with his head tilted.

“How’s the steel from the Ministry of Works?”

“It has been produced. We are currently forging weapons such as steel knives and spears.”

The emperor’s mood was even better. Thinking of his promise to Qiao Mai, he reached for a fruit he loved to eat, returned to the desk, and wrote three imperial edicts.

The first awarded Yuan Jiaqi the title of Duke of Blessings in recognition of his contributions to presenting his knowledge to the court.

The second, feeling that Madam Qiao had not been conferred any title even though she was the mother-in-law of his daughter and had provided stainless steel, a valuable resource, he conferred the title of a First-Rank Noble Consort.

In the third, considering that the princess’s husband being a sixth-rank official was unbecoming of his status, he promoted Yuan Haichuan to third rank, jumping three levels.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Yuan Jiaqi had just returned home after getting off work. He received three imperial edicts, accompanied by his son and daughter.

He thanked the emperor for the edict related to Qiao Mai, saying that she had not yet returned home, and bowed to express his gratitude.

The eunuch who delivered the imperial edict did not say much while he received a generous tip, leaving happily.

As long as the money was in place, no one dared to say anything. As Qiao Mai mentioned, anything that could be made resounding with money should not be taken lightly.

The day after the imperial edicts were issued, the court was abuzz with discussions.

“I can’t believe Mr. Yuan is so lucky. He has such an important formula.”

“Humph, what a ridiculous formula. It’s just a ploy by the emperor. When the princess marries, he wants to elevate his in-law’s official rank. Otherwise, why would Mr. Yuan, Madam Yuan, and their son all get promoted?”

“Exactly. The Ministry of Works has already produced something called steel. The emperor has been keeping it a secret, and he’s tirelessly forging weapons. Iron weapons are fragile compared to steel; they break with a single touch.”

“If that’s true, conferring the title of a Duke to Mr. Yuan is deserved. This is a great achievement.”

When they saw Yuan Jiaqi, they bowed respectfully, “Duke!”

“Good morning.”

“Good morning to you.”

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

Seeing him acting as usual without any airs, everyone sincerely admired him. Indeed, the man chosen by the emperor possessed excellent character, manners, and an extraordinary demeanor that others couldn’t compare to.

The Duke of Zhenguo and General West Gate watched from the side, not knowing how to strike up a conversation.

Their son-in-law’s actions made them lose face. The previous passion they shared with Yuan Jiaqi was now replaced by awkwardness.

Accustomed to the food and lifestyle of the Qiao family, they had none of it this year. When they sent someone to buy from Qiao’s Small Eatery, they were shocked by the high prices of the food they usually consumed.

It was distressing; they cursed Jiang Yunpeng in their hearts.

At the same time, Jiang Yunpeng was also uncomfortable. Used to the Qiao family’s lifestyle, especially riding the horses gifted by Qiao Mai, they received envious looks from their colleagues. Their hearts felt uneasy at the moment.

Yunsheng had no face to ride the horse, so he returned it to the Qiao residence. However, Yunpeng was reluctant to part with the horse.

But seeing Yunsheng send it back, he couldn’t bear to ride it anymore. Reluctantly, he sent someone to return the horse to the Qiao family.

Because Miss Mu and Miss Xiao had used their dowries to offset the debt owed to Qiao Mai, the two brothers gave them all the money they had.

This also served as compensation for the pain in the hearts of the two women. They were reluctant to leave the Qiao family. Back then, they had chosen the brothers because of the Qiao family. Now, it seemed like they had traded one for another.

Fortunately, there were the harvests from the fields and the shop that came with them. Otherwise, life would be tough, the complete opposite when they were with the Qiao family.

When the two chatted, they often mentioned the Qiao family, and tears would fall together.

Hearing that they had sent back two Arabian horses, Qiao Mai sneered.

“At least they still have some conscience.”

She brought the horses into the space, where she could take better care of them than outside.

The affairs of the Qiao family were discussed daily in the capital. The departure of the two brothers was discussed for several months until it was temporarily suppressed by the news of Yuan Jiaqi’s Duke title.

However, someone would bring up the topic of the two brothers again.

This year, the Qiao family was likely to become the hottest topic.

“Do you think those two brothers regret leaving the Qiao family?”

“Definitely. They had a good life there but chose to leave like ungrateful brats.” “I heard it was Madam Qiao who asked them to leave.”

“If it were me, I would have asked them to leave. Who wants someone who betrays their benefactors? It’s better to have someone loyal.”

“That’s right! Madam Qiao has been extremely good to the two of them. Just consider their marriages—each spent nearly five hundred thousand taels. Once they’ve made something of themselves, they want to reclaim their ancestry. Who wouldn’t feel upset about it?”

“It’s not entirely true. They are their biological parents; how can they forget that? It’s a matter of paying respects at the ancestral grave. You guys are making it too serious.”

“Greater gratitude should be shown for raising someone than for giving birth.” “How could she raise them if they aren’t born?”

“If Madam Qiao hadn’t saved them, they would have been buried long ago..

How could they even visit the grave?”