Reborn: Revenge of the Concubine's Daughter

Chapter 325 A mercenary childe

Peng Shi immediately realized that He Danggui must have misunderstood his relationship with Chai Yutu, so he raised his head and said, “This is the second time I have seen her. I’m not familiar with her, and my beloved is not her.”

He Danggui still misunderstood him, and asked, “You are not familiar with Cousin Chai? Fine...I understand.” Just flirting with Miss Chai, he was truly a scumbag and a villain!

Peng Shi stared at her. What did she understand? Then he asked, “What benefit could you bring to me if I tell you that matter?”

He Danggui turned her eyeballs twice, thinking when he became so mercenary. What benefits could the Childe who was from an official family get from her? She was only a little merchant who made a living by selling medicine. Was it possible that he came to Yangzhou City from distance just because of some travel expenses? He Danggui persuaded herself to pay for it in that her curiosity was aroused by him.

“200 liang!” He Danggui presented two fingers in front of Peng Shi.

“Huh?” Peng Shi was puzzled at first, and then he was irritated and became angry after figuring out what did she mean. He rebuked, “I don’t want your money from selling that kind of medicine, which makes me feel dirty.”

“...”

Fine. He Danggui felt that she had nothing to say to him. She turned around and walked towards the rockery. Chai Yutu was still yelling behind the rock. Peng Shi ignored her and let her go to take a look.

They hadn’t seen each other for a long time, and He Danggui thought Peng Shi was still as annoying as she remembered. She couldn’t figure out that how this person could have a place in officialdom. Was he also have a clear distinction between black and white in front of those officials? Definitely not. He must have been tufthunting when he was the reading attendant of Zhu Yunwen. He was only pleasant to someone who deserved it.

Noticing He Danggui’s annoyance, Peng Shi shouted at her, but she didn’t turn back at all. Then he realized that she was irritated, and he said, “Hey, I have something you are interested in. You will not regret to see it!”

He Danggui glanced back at him. What the hell was Peng Shi doing? He generally knew that her acupuncture therapy was proficient and magical. Could it be that his purpose was similar to that of Bai Yangbai—learning her Yunqi Acupuncture? What secret did he bring to Yangzhou City and allow him to bargain with her so confidently?He Danggui was walking while thinking and ignoring Peng Shi, thinking this person was calculating and complex. She hated to get on with such a person. Since his younger brother Peng Jian also knew what he was about to say, she could send a letter to Peng’s Mansion in the capital and ask Peng Jian as well.

Peng Shi caught up to her, lowered his voice, and said, “I’m going to see you tonight, and you prepare the dinner with wine...” His voice turned lower, “Wait for me.”

He Danggui avoided his approach, wondering what secret made him speak in such an ambiguous tone.

Drinking? Of course not. Her future husband, Meng Xuan, who suspected every man around her, was still lying lazily on her bed, and she was busy looking for ways to cure Meng Xuan’s sword wounds. Maybe she had to go out to ask Gao Jue about the solution to the cold poison. In short, she had no time to have dinner with Peng Shi, so she bypassed him and told him, “Sorry, now I’m not interested in it. Elder Cousin, you should go to other places to have dinner.”

Peng Shi thought she was still angry, and he didn’t go after her right now, planning to find a suitable occasion to accost her in another day. A woman turning her face was faster than turning a book. He thought He Danggui was so narrow-minded that she was offended only by a word. There was no way for him to apologize for the words he just blurted out, but… Peng Shi raised his head and saw a line of egrets, thinking that they haven’t seen each other for a long time and she grew up into a beautiful young lady. And she must be more interesting than before.

In fact, Peng Shi came to Yangzhou City for official business this time. He took two secret letters from Eldest Legitimate Grandson and informed Yangzhou City Senior Governor Han Fei of attending Wulin Assembly on the 15th day of the first lunar month after ten days. And then he would go to Northern Zhili Area to implement an important task. Last time in Yangzhou City, he was entangled with Luo Baiqiong in East Yard. Therefore, this time, he didn’t intend to have any contact with Luo’s Family.

But before he left, his grandfather Luo Dusong told him that he had received a letter from Yangzhou City a few days ago, saying that Madam Xiong in West Yard had passed away. The whole family was mourning, particularly his brother Luo Duheng. Grandfather said that he should have gone personally to express his condolences, but recently the Emperor was in poor health, and the Imperial Hospital strictly ordered that no one was allowed to leave the capital without Imperial Edict, and be absent for no reason. Thus, he had no chance to go. Besides, the last time he took Peng Shi to East Yard to enhance their relationship. However, the relationship was worse than ever due to the entanglement between his grandson and Second Miss of East Yard.

Therefore, Luo Dusong specially asked him to live in East Yard for a few days in addition to paying his condolences in East Yard. Relatives of the same clan were more reliable than any in-laws or certified friendships, so they couldn’t estrange from Luo’s Mansion.

Peng Shi received the assignment from his grandfather. When he was upset and ready to leave, his little brother Peng Jian came to him. Instead of seeing his elder brother off, Peng Jian asked him to bring a variety of snacks in the capital to Third Miss of East Yard He Danggui.

In addition, Peng Jian said that he heard the news from Eastern Palace that ladies from northern noble families were not allowed to participate in this year’s Xiunv audition. It was said that all the Xiunv would be picked from the southern region, mainly from Huai’an City, Yangzhou City, Suzhou City, Songjiang City, Changzhou City, Zhenjiang City, and other places.

The reason was that since last winter, there had been a large-scale outbreak of the seasonal epidemic cold disease near the Northern Zhili Area. Until now, no case had been cured. This cold disease spread slowly with mild symptoms, which wouldn’t pose a threat to one’s life but couldn’t be radically cured. It would accompany the patients for a lifetime. A month ago, the Emperor personally asked the Imperial doctors to think about countermeasures, but they had no plan to treat the disease until now.

This incurable disease should not spread to Yingtian Prefecture in Southern Zhili of the capital. Although the disease wasn’t spreading in all northern areas, and it couldn’t be spread to Misses in a secluded boudoir, for the sake of the Emperor’s health and the safety of the capital, the Xiunv at least for this year wouldn’t be selected from the northern ladies.

Apart from small-scale auditions, private recommendation, and folk selection by Dongchang Organization, the official audition was held every three years, and the number of candidates for each audition fluctuated from 50 to 80, lasting about 20 days, from the local screening, selection, choiceness, to the primary selection, second selection, and plum blossom selection in the capital.

In addition to enriching the Emperor’s harem by rounds of selection, the women selected in the second selection and plum blossom selection were the cream of the crop. Most of the time, they could marry Princes. While the ladies who were passed in the capital’s primary selection had to try their luck to decide whether to stay or leave. Some went back home, while some went to the palace to be a maid, and some were lucky enough to marry officials in the capital. All of the above cases were decided by relevant operation staff.

The audition was both a blessing and a curse for different people. For example, Luo Baiqiong’s mother always wanted her daughter to participate in the audition to become the Emperor’s Concubine or Consort. However, since the Emperor was in poor health and grew older day by day, it was unreliable to be his Concubines or Consorts. Besides, although the Emperor was old enough, who knew how long he would live before he died. Many nobles who were like Sun Meiniang wanted their daughters to attend the audition after Zhu Yuanzhang passed away and the new Emperor ascended the throne, but no one knew for sure when the day would come. They dared not to tell others, only expecting the old Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang died as quickly as possible. They had no choice but to wait, but they were afraid of their daughter becoming older.

Moreover, the places of running for the audition were determined per the official position of men in the family, not the family status. After all, no matter how high the family status in the local areas, it was small fry in front of the imperial family.

Judging by the number and grades of the males who were officials in Imperial Court, the Luo’s Family in Yangzhou City had no opportunity to get the place. Even the Luo’s Family in the capital had only two places, while East Yard and West Yard in Yangzhou City could obtain no place according to the strict division. If applying nepotism, Luo’s Family in Yangzhou City would probably get a place, which was targeted by Sun Meiniang. If they weren’t lucky enough, there was another way—finding Luo’s Family in the capital, or Sun Meiniang’s natal family Sun’s Mansion, or even a distant relative, Luo Shuisheng’s Branches, to get a place for free.

It was easier to do than to say because some people were willing to give this opportunity to others in that most parents were reluctant to send their daughters to the audition. Some of them considered for their daughters themselves, while most people were afraid that their daughters were too lucky to be the Emperor’s Concubines or Consorts. If they lost forces and fell from the high position, the one who bore the brunt of it must be their natal family.

The reason why selecting Xiunv was considered to be a curse was because the places wouldn’t be decreased. That was to say, the local rich families could spend money buying places, but for official families, like Yangzhou City Senior Governor Han’s Family, Sun’s Family in Yangzhou City, where several males were officials with low grades in the capital, and Liao’s Family in the capital where Liao Qing’er had Time Travel to, all had places. And they had to “turn in” the ladies according to the number of places.

Taking Liao’s Family as an example, both the father and the elder brother of Liao Qing’er were officials with high grades in Imperial Court, and they had three places. But they only had one daughter. In addition to “turning in” Liao Qing’er, they had to select two legitimate daughters from the same clan, preferably from relatives of the same surname.

Creating their daughters an unknown future, and most likely the blind alley, was as difficult as forcing those officials to eat arsenic. At this time, if any relatives come to ask for a place, both of them would be so delighted. Therefore, it was not difficult to find a place for the audition as long as there was a distant relative or in-law of an official family.

As to Meng Xuan’s family, who had ten places at one time, there were not enough daughters in his family, and even the Meng clan had no ten Misses. Then they had to write a memorial to the throne, followed by the approval of the Ministry of Rites. After the investigation by the relevant officials, the places could be reduced as appropriate. All in all, sending Xiunv to run for the audition was a must for those who were officials in Imperial Court and enjoying the official’s salary.

This regulation was implemented before the 14th year of Hongwu Period. Later, many official families complained about the heavy burden of the places and wrote a memorial to the throne, asking for revising the regulation. This kind of rigid requirement implemented every three years. Some ladies reaching their marriageable age had to wait for the audition, and some worried about how to fulfill the places. In fact, no family had enough daughters to participate in the audition held every three years.

As a result, a new regulation, known as the “Evenly Adjusting Method”, was issued in the 19th year of Hongwu Period. Xiunv would be selected according to a specific area that shall be determined a year in advance. The number of candidates outside the area was halved or even reduced to zero. Ladies from the official families over the age of 16 could marry without having to wait for the next audition after three years. In this way, it not only reduced the burden on officials, but also distributed the “welfare” of sending Xiunv to attend the audition evenly to more wealthy families who regarded auditions as glory.

The “Evenly Adjusting Method” was not a rigid regulation. Instead, it was changing every year based on the population and marriage statistics collected by the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Households. Therefore, this year, the 31th year of Hongwu Period, Huai’an City, Yangzhou City, Suzhou City, Songjiang City, Changzhou City, and Zhenjiang City were the key regions for the audition. Such rich families as Luo’s Mansion had obtained more places, and even the rule, “No daughters of concubines”, had been lifted.

Two months ago, the audition for the coming year had been designed as a national audition, so East Yard of Luo’s Mansion had no chance to run for the audition. Even Meng Xuan didn’t expect that one day He Danggui with a humble identity would be lucky enough to get a place.

According to the “Evenly Adjusting Method”, Luo’s Mansion in Yangzhou City had plenty of places, Including Luo Baishao, whose hand was burnt, Luo’s Family still lacked one daughter to be Xiunv. Besides, Luo Shuisheng had got more places, and he didn’t have any extra daughter to help Luo’s Family. Miss Chai was not close enough to East Yard in terms of the blood relationship, and her identity was no better than He Danggui. Moreover, Luo Shiyan, the daughter of Luo Baiqian, was only four years old and wasn’t qualified to be Xiunv. Taking the above into consideration, He Danggui had to attend the audition.