Chapter 736: Shun Enbo Residence
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Yin Huaixi emphasized and continued to ask, “What is it?”
Yu Youyao lowered her head again, almost not daring to look at him.
Yin Huaixi pressed her to his chest. “Listen to my heartbeat and tell me what it is. Don’t lie to me, let alone be silent and hide it from me.’
Yin Huaixi’s heart was beating as fast as hers.
Yu Youyao suddenly understood. She whispered, “Rather than worrying, my heart aches for you to be injured.”
Yin Huaixi smiled. The little girl’s face was red. She lowered her head, not daring to look at him. He stopped forcing her, and placed the curved dagger in the sheath in her palm. “Keep this dagger by your side to protect yourself. The Northern Barbarians also produce some good medicinal herbs and spices, as well as strange stones and precious jade. I’ve picked out some.”
Yu Youyao was indeed very interested. She quickly squatted in front of the big wooden box and opened the boxes of different sizes.
In addition to Desert Broomrape, there was also Pimei Ginseng and a very expensive desert ageless medicine called “Yang Seal”. It replenishes yin and yang, moistens dryness and nourishes tendons, and is warm in nature. Moreover, it’s very rare in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Therefore, it could be said to be difficult to find even if one had a thousand gold coins.
When Yin Huaixi saw this small box of “Yang Seal”, his eyes flickered. It was hard not to let his imagination run wild with the name of this medicinal herb. Its effect was also as famous as its name. It was the “women holy medicine” that men dreamed of. The most precious thing was that it did not have any side effects.
He had paid a lot of price to exchange some from Harmon. Part of it was for Yu Youyao to nourish her body, and the other part was kept by him.
It would always be useful in the future.
In addition, there were most of all kinds of gems, agate, and strange stones. The colors were pure and bright, and they were plump and bright. They were placed in boxes that shone with treasure light.
Even though Yu Youyao did not lack these, it was still an eye-opener.
Seeing that she liked it, Yin Huaixi said, “The Northern Barbarians produce all kinds of gems and agate. The quality is better than that of the Great Zhou Dynasty, which is why it is rare.”
However, in fact, the gems and agate of the Northern Barbarians were not
rare in the Di Clan.
The Di people also knew that the Great Zhou Dynasty cherished this. However, the Di Clan and the Great Zhou Dynasty did not have a trade market, so the things did not have a price.
There were also some traveling merchants who took the risk to trade with the Di people, but they were all in private. Even if there were great things, they could not be circulated if they had to be hidden.
After the first transaction ended, with a good start for each other, Harmon generously gave him a large box of gemstones.
He had also sent expensive medicinal herbs and supplements from the Great
Zhou Dynasty to help Harmon recuperate.
He had chosen the best of them.
Yu Youyao took out a pigeon blood ruby. This ruby was the size of a pigeon egg. Even though it had yet to be polished, it was already rosy and bright. It was extremely pure.
She raised the ruby high and realized that the inside of the gem seemed to be filled with red juice that was as red as blood. The sunlight penetrated and burned as pa.s.sionately as a flame, as if it had a life of its own.
She picked up another pure sapphire. Inside the sapphire was like a deep sea, exuberant with vitality.
This was the first time Yu Youyao had seen such a quality gem. She couldn’t help but exclaim, “Our Great Zhou Dynasty doesn’t have such a lively, rich, and pure gem. If one day, the Zhou and Di countries can open a mutual market, the Northern Barbarians will use the rare gems and agate of the Great Zhou Dynasty to exchange for the tea leaves, silk, salt, and food they need. Both sides will take what they want, and there won’t be a war.”
Yin Huaixi chuckled. “There’s already a good start. It might be possible in the future.’
It was impossible to establish an open market in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Back then, when the dog Emperor attacked the North and was completely wiped out, it was a great humiliation to him. He hated the Northern Barbarians to the core. How could he make peace with the Northern Barbarians and trade?!
In addition, the Northern Barbarians advocated martial strength and were very warlike to begin with. If they wanted to reach an agreement with the Northern Barbarians, they had to conquer them and beat them until they submitted.
Also, the various branches of the Northern Barbarians were separated. There were many people who hated the Han. Just b.l.o.o.d.y conquest was not enough. They had to unify the various tribes of the Northern Barbarians.
Looking at Yu Youyao’s sparkling eyes, Yin Huaixi’s eyes flashed with exuberant ambition.
Yu Youyao was distracted by the food Yin Huaixi had brought back from the
Northern Barbarians and did not see it.
On the third day after the first seven days, the Tang Residence visited.
After the case of cheating in the examination, Eldest Master Tang did not manage to return to the Hanlin Academy. With the help of the Yue family, he entered the Zhan Residence and did fewer things. He was a fourth-grade official and maintained his dignity, but he was no longer as glorious as before. Tang Yunxi was engaged and was about to get married when she reached adulthood.
She was engaged to the second son of the first wife of the Feng family, the emissary of the imperial court. It was Eldest Madam Tang who had entrusted her maiden family to arrange a marriage. She had heard that it was a good marriage. As long as the Imperial Court reopened the imperial examination and received Second Young Master’s scholarly t.i.tle, the two families would prepare to get married. It had almost been one year since the engagement.
Hence, Tang Yunxi was embroidering her dowry at home and it wasn’t appropriate for her to go out.
Tang Yunxi did not come over. Instead, she wrote a letter to Yu Youyao and asked First Madam Tang to bring it over.
Yu Youyao took the letter gratefully and bowed to Eldest Madam Tang.
First Madam Tang held her hand. “Good child, my condolences. Don’t tire yourself out.”
Yu Youyao was so tired that she fell sick and worried, but she still forced herself to stay strong and help manage the Matriarch’s funeral. Her pure filial piety made people sigh with emotion.
After leaving the mourning hall of the Tang Residence, Yu Youyao went to the side room and opened Tang Yunxi’s letter.
The letter was mostly filled with comforting words. It also mentioned that Second Young Master Feng was very concerned about the engagement and often visited her in the residence. Jewelry, food and other items were all handed over to her through her elders.
Yu Youyao was sincerely happy for her.
Tang Yunxi was pet.i.te and beautiful. In the past two years, she had also gained many virtuous reputations.
The Feng family’s ancestors had pa.s.sed down a Sichuan embroidery painting. As time pa.s.sed, one part of the embroidery painting was damaged. The Feng family had found many embroiderers who said that the needlework on it was special and couldn’t be repaired.
When Tang Yunxi was attending the small banquet held by the Feng
Residence, she had seen this embroidery painting in Matriarch Fengs house.
Seeing that the embroidery painting was damaged, she couldn’t help but ask a few more questions.
As a result, the Feng family was overjoyed and asked Tang Yunxi to repair it.
Coincidentally, at this moment, Second Young Master Feng had come over to greet her. When he saw the scene in the house, it wasn’t appropriate for him to enter rashly. Hence, he kept waiting outside and saw Tang Yunxi.
The two of them formed a relationship because of this.
No matter what happened in the future, at least for now, the two of them were interested in one another.
Not long after, a maidservant came over to report, “Someone from the Jinling
Residence is here.’
Yu Youyao was stunned for a moment before she realized which family it was.
Old Madam Yu’s surname was Jiang, and she was from the Shun Enbo Residence in Jinling. Old Madam Yu’s father was the second son of the first wife of the Shun Enbo Residence. The eldest son had inherited the t.i.tle of n.o.bility. Second Master Jiang had taken the path of the imperial examination and pa.s.sed it. As his ranking was relatively high, he had chosen a hall and entered the Hanlin Academy. After becoming a scholar, he stayed in the capital to become an official..