Chapter 347 – The Winds of the Capital (Part Four)
The Liu Residence in the capital had its own properties and estate, and the bridal procession stopped here as the concubine Liu Huan prepared for her wedding.
Arranging the dowry, tidying the estate, organizing the servants and house boys… The tedious tasks nearly consumed all of Jiang Pengji’s time.
By the time she finally found a moment of peace, it had already been two days.
Jiang Pengji was not one to idle. Keeping her cooped up at home with books and writing all day would surely drive her restless.
Not to mention, the audience in the live stream couldn’t stand such a boring routine either, eagerly requesting a change of scenery for the broadcast.
Energized by the viewers’ suggestions, Jiang Pengji recalled her last visit here, which was two or three years ago. It had been late autumn moving into winter then, and nothing looked particularly appealing. With her tight schedule, she hadn’t had much time to wander around the capital and regretted it greatly.
Now, with some leisure time on her hands, why not take the chance to explore for a few days? It might not be this convenient in the future.
As the saying goes, better to enjoy together than alone. She decided to call on Xu Ke, who was equally bored, and the two would venture out together.
Xu Ke looked exasperated and teased, “Young Master, while you’re relaxed, I have a mountain of errands to handle. You’re free, but I still have plenty of trifles to see to. You should enjoy the outing by yourself.”
Jiang Pengji raised an eyebrow, “What’s left for you to do? I thought you finished everything that needed doing?”
Xu Ke shook his head; there were surely things she’d forget, but as her right-hand man, he had to consider every detail.
“Did you forget, Young Master? The master has several friends in the capital. Some are colleagues in the court, while others are close personal friends. Since you’re the master’s son making a rare visit, it’s only appropriate to prepare some small gifts and pay your respects.”
Though they might not meet Jiang Pengji, the etiquette couldn’t be neglected.
Jiang Pengji had no idea who Liu Zhi’s official friends were or whom he mixed with privately, not to mention the gifts exchanged during holidays… After all, those matters were typically handled by the main wife or the steward.
Though Xu Ke wasn’t a steward, since Jiang Pengji hadn’t brought anyone along this time, the task of social niceties fell to him.
After thinking it over, Jiang Pengji hesitated a bit, “Is this whole thing very troublesome?”
Xu Ke replied, “Every family has its taboos, and gifting is quite the art. You give more to closer relationships, putting in thought for the gifts, while with more distant ties, you need to scale back a bit. But you can’t let the other party see through your true feelings… You need to refer to past examples and adjust according to each family’s recent situation.”
What if one family just lost a child, and you rushed over with a gift symbolizing fertility? That would be stabbing someone right in the heart!
Or say, someone’s elderly parents had just passed; giving some longevity herbs for seniors would be like courting death.
Gifting might not draw the families closer, but a mistake could lead to lifelong enmity.
Jiang Pengji got the picture; she understood these principles.
“Father has been in office for many years. He may not know friends everywhere, but he definitely has a substantial circle. It looks like this is indeed a big project.”
Fortunately, she had brought Xu Ke along; otherwise, if this had fallen to her, she would have a headache.
Seeing Jiang Pengji’s terrified expression, Xu Ke chuckled casually, “In a couple of years, Young Master should be of marrying age. By then, if you marry a capable and virtuous mistress, these trifles will be someone else’s concern.”
Jiang Pengji fell silent, feeling a bit awkward.
Finding a capable and virtuous mistress seemed a bit too ambitious; Xu Ke would probably be disappointed.
The live stream audience erupted in laughter.
[Old Driver Alliance]: My heart aches for Xu Ke, Young Master might end up marrying a male mistress!
[Lunch Lady]: Hahaha, honestly, I wouldn’t mind if the Young Master married a perfectly normal female mistress.
[Just a Chestnut]: Am I the only one feeling bad for Xu Ke? He’s known the Young Master for so long, been sold out so many times, yet he still firmly believes the Young Master is a guy… and he’s talking about marrying a mistress! Watch out, your Young Master might get married away one day.
[Rock Sugar Lemon]: Ugh, I don’t like that. My Young Master is definitely marrying that one, firmly established as Young Master top × Mistress bottom.
Jiang Pengji ignored the flurry of comments in the live stream and sighed lightly at Xu Ke.
“Marrying and settling down is still a long way off. I’m not planning to think about that right now.” After saying this, before Xu Ke could speak, she continued, “For now, I’ll need you to continue worrying about things… You go ahead and be busy; I’ll go out for a bit.”
Not sure which remark struck Xu Ke, he surprisingly changed his tune.
“Hold on, Young Master. I’ll think this over carefully and accompany you out.”
Jiang Pengji smiled and asked, “What made you change your mind all of a sudden?”
Xu Ke maintained a straight face and said, “I suddenly remembered that you tend to act recklessly, Young Master. If I don’t keep an eye on you, who knows what kind of trouble you’ll stir up while you’re out? Then I’ll have to clean up the mess. Thinking about it like that, it’s better to go along.”
Jiang Pengji was left speechless. She had no retort for that reasoning.
She no longer dared to check the live stream for the number of mocking comments directed at her.
[Stowaway Non-Money]: Hahaha, Young Master, Xu Ke thinks you’re a troublemaker!
[Just a Chestnut]: Ugh, does Xu Ke even need to think that? The Young Master is already known as a troublemaker, a prominent one at that.
“Geez, you keep a close watch then.” Jiang Pengji replied with annoyance, “You’re talking like I’m the one who loves causing trouble.”
Xu Ke responded with a glancing look.
Jiang Pengji didn’t need to read the comments to translate; she understood the meaning behind his gaze.
He was suggesting—wasn’t that exactly the case?
Haha, Xu Ke had seen right through Jiang Pengji’s true nature—troublemaker.
Even if she didn’t actively stir up trouble, accidents always seemed to happen to her. And the scenes where she did incite trouble were nothing short of legendary.
Perhaps because the second prince consort had come from the northern border, more shops filled with exotic flair had opened around the capital.
Now, as night fell and the market bustled,
Common folks strolled out with their children, enjoying family time.
In the face of such vibrant scenes, Xu Ke began to doubt whether what he was seeing was just an illusion.
“Shall we buy some cosmetics or silk flowers or something?”
Jiang Pengji, dressed as a typical wealthy young master, stood out with her striking looks and tall figure amidst the crowd.
“Why would we buy stuff for girls?” Xu Ke instinctively questioned.
“Have you forgotten? There’s still a lonely mistress back home waiting for you. A trip out should at least earn you some gifts to please her.” Jiang Pengji replied, “Even if it’s not luxurious, it’s the thought that counts. You were just lecturing me about gifts, and now you’ve completely forgotten?”
