After sending Chen Bo and the others away, Wei Changtian went back to his room to study the map of Shuzhou, and then checked on Ah Chun’s cultivation progress.
Liang Qin had already arrived, bringing a message that Liang Zhen would take him to meet a prince in the afternoon.
Unlike the ancient warlords who would start a rebellion at the drop of a hat, the princes in Daining, although of high status and enjoying luxurious living conditions, were actually quite miserable.
From noble mtl dot come
Not only did they have no power or territory, but they couldn’t even enter the capital city, and could only scatter around the country to live out their days. Even after death, they couldn’t be buried in the imperial mausoleum.
It was as if the current emperor had set them up to showcase his own “magnanimity”.
Ning Yongnian had originally had fourteen brothers, half of whom died during the struggle for the throne, leaving seven.
Later, he successfully ascended to the throne, but two of his brothers refused to accept it and attempted to rebel, ultimately failing and joining their father ahead of time.
So, there were now four princes in Daining, and the one in Shuzhou was titled “Shun”, or Prince Shun.
Although he had no real power, it was still worth getting familiar with him, and since Liang Zhen was taking him to meet the prince, Wei Changtian wouldn’t object.
“I’ll come to pick you up at noon, I’m going back now.”
In the courtyard, Liang Qin was still visibly upset about yesterday’s incident, saying she wanted to leave, but her body remained motionless, clearly seeking comfort.
Wei Changtian reckoned that if he said “you can go” now, this woman would only get angrier, so he could only reluctantly persuade her to stay:
“Why don’t you stay for lunch? Yesterday was Liu Shi’s fault, and I’ve already criticized her.”
“…”
Liang Qin couldn’t help but curl up the corners of her mouth, and the grievances she had accumulated overnight instantly dissipated by half: “Then, then is my room tidy?”
“It’s tidy, and I’ll have Yuan’er take you to see it.”
“Really? Then I’ll go first!”
Liang Qin clapped her hands in excitement, and then happily dragged Yuan’er to go see her room.
In her eyes, this was not just an ordinary room, but proof that she had a place in Wei Changtian’s heart.
Looking at the two girls disappearing into the backyard, Wei Changtian couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions.
Were all women in this era so easy to please?
But it wasn’t necessarily so – if he encountered someone like Lin Daiyu, who could be troublesome, it would be a headache.
Even Jia Baoyu loved her to death, but ultimately, it was all about looks…
A beautiful woman’s “acting out” was called cute, while an ugly woman’s “acting out” was called being annoying.
It was the same throughout history!
Wei Changtian suddenly began to indulge in frivolous thoughts again, until a servant suddenly ran over.
“Your Highness, Lady Li from next door is seeking an audience, accompanied by her son.”
“Lady Li?”
Wei Changtian was taken aback.
Wasn’t this the widow? What did she want?
“Please let her in.”
After nodding, Wei Changtian thought for a moment before suddenly shouting to the side:
“Zhang San!”
…
Finding a wife for Zhang San wasn’t urgent, after all, it depended on whether Lady Li was willing or not.
Of course, if Zhang San didn’t want to “become a father”, then it wouldn’t work out.
But from the current situation, Lady Li, apart from being married and having a child, seemed quite decent in other aspects.
“……Young Master, from now on, I will make sure to discipline my son properly. Please forgive him for this one mistake.”
After a moment, Mrs. Li had humbly explained her intentions, and finally, she pulled her son along to bow to Wei Chang Tian.
Wei Chang Tian was truly surprised that she would go to such lengths to apologize for such a small matter, and for a moment, he felt quite moved.
“Mrs. Li, you don’t have to do this. This small matter hasn’t been on my mind.”
“It’s actually me who should be apologizing for my lack of etiquette. Since moving to this new residence, I haven’t even paid a visit… So, if you need any help in the future, feel free to come find me, and I’ll do my best to assist you.”
“Thank you, Young Master.”
Mrs. Li bowed again, then somewhat embarrassingly pulled out a small silver ingot from her sleeve and gently placed it on the table.
“Please, Young Master, take this five-tael silver ingot.”
She had originally prepared a basket of eggs to apologize, but after seeing Chen Bo and the others’ attitudes towards Wei Chang Tian, she felt it was too little, so she gritted her teeth and took out the silver ingot instead.
The family’s savings were limited, and five taels was already the maximum they could afford.
And although Wei Chang Tian didn’t know about Mrs. Li’s financial situation, he definitely wouldn’t want this paltry “compensation” of five taels.
“Mrs. Li, I’ve already said that I didn’t put this matter to heart. How could I take your silver?”
“If you don’t take it, I won’t be at ease,” Mrs. Li shook her head, her expression somewhat stubborn.
“Hahaha, you’re being too cautious, Mrs. Li.”
Wei Chang Tian laughed: “If you must have peace of mind, I have a suggestion… If I may be so bold, do you have a steady income, Mrs. Li?”
“Uh… I occasionally do some sewing for the fabric shop, but it’s not a stable income,” Mrs. Li replied, lowering her head.
“That’s not a problem.”
Wei Chang Tian smiled, glancing at Zhang San standing beside him, and then turned to Mrs. Li:
“I’m not hiding it from you, Mrs. Li, but as a newcomer to Shu Prefecture, I still haven’t had time to find reliable people to take care of my household chores.”
“Other things are fine, but my daily life as a bodyguard is still lacking someone to take care of a few things.”
“If you’re willing, why not come here every day to help with laundry, cleaning, and other tasks? I’ll give you five taels of silver every month.”
“But the first month, I won’t give it to you. Let’s consider it as me having already received the five taels you gave me. What do you think?”
“……”
Upon hearing this, Zhang San felt a strange sensation in his heart.
However, due to his strong “professional integrity,” he didn’t say a word, just standing there motionless.
As for Mrs. Li, she was both moved and conflicted.
She knew that this was Wei Chang Tian’s way of showing sympathy for their lonely mother-and-son situation and trying to help them out.
Five taels a month was a price that could hire ten skilled maids.
Although she used to be on the receiving end of being served, now that she had to serve others, there was a psychological gap.
But what could she do? Her husband had died early.
A woman’s nature was gentle, but as a mother, she had to be strong.
Glancing at her confused son, Mrs. Li quickly abandoned her other thoughts and was about to kneel.
However, Wei Chang Tian didn’t let her, quickly supporting her arm and simultaneously speaking in a low voice:
“Mrs. Li, you’re not a servant, no need to kneel.”
“Besides, your son is still watching.”
“……”
Mrs. Li was taken aback for a moment, then trembled with gratitude:
“Th-thank you, Young Master……”
“No need to thank me, Mrs. Li. You help me with my work, and I’ll give you silver. It’s a fair deal.”
Wei Chang Tian smiled, releasing his grip: “By the way, I still don’t know your name, Mrs. Li.”
“Return to the young master, I… my daughter’s name is Su Yue.”
Li Su Yue…
Wei Changtian nodded and asked, “What’s your son’s name?”
“My son’s surname is Wang, and his name is Ran…”
After a moment of hesitation, Li Su Yue voluntarily added, “Ran had a serious illness when he was young, which damaged his vocal cords.”
“Ah, poor him, he’s still so young.”
Wei Changtian let out a soft sigh: “Has he ever received education or martial arts training?”
Li Su Yue replied softly, “He studied for half a year, but since he couldn’t speak, the teacher said it was pointless, so he didn’t continue.”
“As for martial arts…”
Just like a fan hearing the phrase “salary payment” in their previous life, the moment Li Su Yue uttered the words “martial arts,” the little boy’s big eyes lit up instantly.