Chapter 47: Inheritance of the Title
Madam Shen exited through the side gate, ordered her attendants to take the wicked old woman away, and boarded her carriage.
Just as they were about to turn onto the main street, the coachman turned back and said, “Madam, the main street is packed with people. Let’s take the alleyway instead.”
Filled with anger, Madam Shen lifted the carriage curtain and saw that the main street was being cleared of idlers, with people sweeping the road. She had no choice but to instruct the coachman to take a detour, guiding the horses through a quiet alley.
Ningguo Mansion was adorned with lanterns and colorful decorations, its five vermilion-lacquered gates wide open, with the sounds of drums and music echoing through the halls.
Two new banners fluttered in the wind. One read: “Hereditary First-Rank Duke of Ningguo,” while the other read: “Imperially Appointed General of Brilliant Martial Prowess.”
Behind them were twelve pairs of mounted guards, with officers of the Imperial Guard holding the imperial edict.
Heir Ning wore a gold-lacquered crown and a crimson robe embroidered with golden pythons, riding a tall horse.
The uncles from the second and third branches of the Ning family, dressed in official robes adorned with red sashes, rode alongside him.
The procession for the first-rank duke stretched for a mile, causing a stir among the soldiers and civilians of the city, all of whom gathered to watch.
Inside Ningguo Mansion, the ancestral hall had been opened early.
When Heir Ning personally placed the imperial edict on the altar table, music played on both sides.
Old Madam Ning, Madam Ning, and others wore ceremonial robes of nobility and bowed alongside the male family members in the ancestral hall.
The four young ladies of the Ning family, dressed in crimson brocade robes and wearing golden phoenix crowns, followed in paying their respects.
Among the women, only Shen Shi was absent, still recuperating in Phoenix Ripple Courtyard and forbidden from attending the ancestral hall for incense offerings and rituals.
After the ceremony of receiving the edict concluded, Old Madam Ning was overjoyed and summoned the mansion’s stewards, ordering rewards for all the servants.
Coins were scattered at the entrance of the ancestral hall, and the young maids scrambled for them freely, disregarding rules and etiquette.
After paying respects to the ancestors in the ancestral hall, the entire family gathered in Old Madam Ning’s Crane Longevity Hall, with Heir Ning leading the way in kowtowing.
From this day forward, Heir Ning Yuanjun inherited his father’s title, and everyone no longer called him “Heir” but instead “Young Duke.”
The inheritance of the title had been delayed due to the imperial edict, causing many complications. Fortunately, Eunuch Lu from the Directorate of Ceremonial intervened.
In truth, the delay in the edict had long made Ning Yuanjun suspicious.
After two days of inquiries within the mansion, it was Jade Ink who found out that Shen Shi had asked her third brother from her maternal family to obstruct it.
Ning Yuanjun did not believe Shen Shi would dare act on her own and suspected that his father-in-law, Grand Secretary Shen, wanted to hinder his future.
Since returning to the capital to take up his post, he had been at odds with his father-in-law and was worried about lacking influence before His Majesty.
He used this as an excuse to have his deputy, General Tan, approach Eunuch Lu from the Directorate of Ceremonial.
Eunuch Lu and Grand Secretary Shen had been at odds in court for years, so he was overjoyed to form an alliance with Ningguo Mansion.
He immediately dispatched his trusted eunuch to investigate, accompanied by officers of the Imperial Guard, and discovered that the edict had been withheld by the Ministry of Rites.
Eunuch Lu, being shrewd, advised Ning Yuanjun not to make an issue of it and instead issued a new edict.
This edict bypassed the Ministry of Rites, with Eunuch Lu personally adding the vermilion endorsement, and was delivered to Ningguo Mansion by the Imperial Guard.
The ceremony for receiving the edict today had long been known to Ning Yuanjun and the rest of the Ning family.
Only Shen Shi was kept in the dark within the mansion, while Grand Secretary Shen and his family remained unaware outside.
Had Shen Shi anticipated this, she would not have caused trouble yesterday, nearly being divorced and bringing humiliation upon her mother.
Ning Yuanjun discussed with his grandmother and mother the plan to hold a grand banquet for three consecutive days.
On the first day, they would invite only Eunuch Lu and Grand Secretary Shen, with General Tan as a guest of honor.
On the second day, they would invite other civil and military officials in the capital and their families.
On the third day, they would invite the Ning family’s relatives and close friends for a day of celebration.
With three busy days ahead, the Ning family only casually enjoyed a family meal in Crane Longevity Hall.
Madam Ning personally instructed the steward to prepare the outer garden early, setting up colorful tents and tables in preparation for inviting Eunuch Lu the following day.
Ningguo Mansion was bustling with noise and clamor, everyone’s faces beaming with joy.
Only within Phoenix Ripple Courtyard was it cold and desolate, as lifeless as an ice cellar.
With Mama Hu gone from the small kitchen, the cold stove and empty pots went unnoticed.
Autumn Abundance and Huan Huan, along with the Ning family maidservants, had all run to the front to snatch fruits.
The Shen family’s accompanying servants felt ashamed and were too embarrassed to step out of the courtyard.
This was indeed a perfect opportunity to steal some free time. Pear Moon carried the salted duck eggs she had pickled and quietly went to sell them outside the side gate.
Outside the side gate was a small street with several sundry shops—some selling miscellaneous goods, others selling food.
With Ningguo Mansion lively today, the street was crowded with pedestrians, filled with vendors carrying shoulder poles selling baked cakes and steamed buns.
Pear Moon, holding the salted duck eggs, was about to hand them over to a cooked food stall for resale when she was spotted by a two-meat shop across the street.
The shopkeeper, seeing her carrying salted duck eggs, bought one for twenty coppers.
Poking open the pale green shell, red oil instantly oozed out, resembling crab roe or shrimp paste. Paired with a baked cake, it was even more fragrant than meat.
Seeing her young age and recognizing her as a Ningguo Mansion maidservant, the shopkeeper feared she might be stealing from the mansion to sell, so he couldn’t help but ask a few more questions.
Pear Moon answered clearly and fluently, pursing her lips into a smile as she said, “Uncle, there’s no need to interrogate me. These salted duck eggs were pickled by me myself. I usually eat them too—they’re certainly not stolen from inside!”
The shopkeeper, seeing her pretty appearance and clever tongue, couldn’t help but feel delighted and said, “Little miss, how many more of these salted duck eggs do you have? Bring them all, and I’ll buy them.”
This turned out to be a big buyer. Pear Moon quickly raised her fingers and exclaimed, “I pickled these for myself to eat, not to sell as a business. Since you want to buy them, I’ll spare you a few out of neighborly courtesy. But duck eggs aren’t easy for me to buy, and I’ve spent quite a bit on spices, oil, sauce, wine lees, and salt. I won’t make a profit from you—just thirty coppers each!”
The shopkeeper couldn’t help but suck in a breath and laughed, “You little miss are a natural at business, daring to ask for such an exorbitant price. Even on Imperial Street, salted duck eggs only sell for twenty coppers, yet you want thirty from me?”
Pear Moon knew he was bargaining and thought to herself: set the price high, then let him haggle it down to twenty coppers each.
Selling them all to him in one go would be better than carrying a basket around looking for someone to resell them.
Unexpectedly, the shopkeeper agreed without hesitation and told Pear Moon to go back and fetch the remaining salted duck eggs.
Pear Moon, having stumbled upon such a bargain, didn’t mind her sore arms. She returned to her small room, gathered all the pickled salted duck eggs, and without even washing off the mud, divided them into two baskets and carried them out.
The shopkeeper also returned to his shop, found a young assistant, and handed over three taels of silver. After a rough glance, without counting them carefully, he took all the eggs back.
Pear Moon, clutching the three taels of broken silver, saw the back street filled with food vendors and decided to buy a few things to take back.
Spotting Granny Tang carrying a stove on a shoulder pole, selling mutton soup and mutton cakes, she remembered eating them at the Qin family the other day and ran over to buy ten. She tasted one on the spot—though the meat was fragrant and oily, it lacked the rich, distinctive flavor and was far inferior to the Qin family’s.
“Granny, the mutton in these cakes still has a gamey smell! Why are you so reluctant to add ginger and vinegar?”
The old woman, hunched over with dry, pursed lips, saw Pear Moon’s double buns and fine cloth apron, dressed like a wealthy family’s maidservant, and couldn’t help but smile. “You’re a picky one, dressed like a young lady but with the tongue of a mistress! Since ancient times, seasoning mutton requires pepper. Pepper is a foreign thing, only officials have it—how could I possibly have any?”
Pear Moon then remembered that the Tan family’s mutton fat meat patties indeed had a peppery flavor, making them exceptionally rich and fragrant.
A candy seller nearby chimed in, “Granny, how could you be so confused? The officials in our capital receive pepper as part of their salary every spring. Those who can’t use it all sell it off, so it’s relatively cheap at this time. Why don’t you buy more? How much can you use in a year?”
Oh?
Before Granny Tang could say anything, Pear Moon’s eyes began to gleam with thought.
Pepper is cheap now?