Palace Fighting: Naive Concubines' Ascent to Power-Chapter 505: Spending a Lot of Money to Hit the Child
Chapter 505: Chapter 505: Spending a Lot of Money to Hit the Child
Zhang Qing secretly heaved a sigh of relief, those two girls, following behind a man and peering at him, their behavior was far too brazen, lacking any of the modesty expected of ladies, sneaking around behind him, no wonder His Majesty thought they were thieves. If Zhang Qing hadn’t been so experienced, he would surely have misunderstood as well.
Fortunately, His Majesty listened and took it in stride, otherwise those two girls would have had to pay a bold price for their daring, a price they would never forget for as long as they lived.
Therefore, ah, there’s a risk in following good-looking men on the streets, and the love for beauty must have its limits.
This scene naturally did not escape the watchful eyes of the approaching Hu Miaomiao.
He chuckled softly to himself, thinking about the immense pressure Zhang Qing must be under serving an Emperor like this, even their pressure as Shadow Guards was tremendous. His Majesty was too eye-catching and they could not relax for a moment, always vigilant for those with ill intentions.
He lifted his hand and threw a small stone beneath the feet of the two girls. One of them, not looking where she was going, slipped and nearly fell, disturbing a basket of eggs carried by an old lady passing by, who immediately started a quarrel, demanding compensation.
Hu Miaomiao then stepped forward, joining the old lady in haranguing the two girls, not allowing them to leave.
The Emperor, of course, paid no heed to Hu Miaomiao’s antics.
As he was about to leave, his eyes briefly glanced over a basket of rattan, which made him look back.
He had seen this item before, his Little Concubine had one, wielding it with a fierce air in her hand, often using it to intimidate the Young Eunuchs in her courtyard.
He walked over, picked up a piece of rattan to look at it; the freshly made rattan still had a lively green color with a well-finished handle bound in string at the end, it felt good in hand and the craftsmanship was quite meticulous.
He looked around and noticed that this stall had no vendor, it was unattended.
The vendor selling Autumn Pear Paste next door had noticed this Noble Young Master early on, but had not dared to approach him.
Finally mustering the courage, he cautiously spoke up, "Young Master, would you like to make a purchase?"
"Mhm," the Emperor replied, continuing to examine the well-made rattan closely.
He thought, so they sell such things at the market; he should buy one for his Little Concubine, she would surely like it, and this one was better than the one she had.
The vendor was struck dumb, astonished that there was actually someone in the world who would go to the trouble of buying rattan to use for disciplining children at home, spending Silver on something meant for punishment seemed excessive.
However, this Noble Young Master did not seem to be short on money, it’s just that his taste was indeed quite unique.
Zhang Qing asked how much it cost, but the vendor did not react, prompting Zhang Qing to wave his hand in front of the vendor to bring him back to reality.
Zhang Qing repeated his question, "How much for one?"
The vendor shook his head honestly, "This isn’t mine, the young man who was here before left, he didn’t tell me anything. I just noticed he was gone when I was done with my own business, perhaps he had to leave for an urgent matter, I don’t know when he’ll be back."
The Emperor, holding the piece of rattan in his hand, made a few gestures with it, feeling somewhat disappointed. He could already picture the joy on his Little Concubine’s face when she would receive the rattan, but with the owner absent, it didn’t seem right to take it.
Seeing this, the vendor felt sympathy and said kindly, "Honored guest, why don’t you just offer what you think it’s worth? When the young man returns, I will let him know."
He meant well, not wanting the distinguished guest before him to be disappointed, and also not wishing for the young man’s efforts to have been in vain. It had been a great day for business on this street, his own goods had almost sold out, while the young man hadn’t made a single sale. His whole supply of rattan sticks and vines had gone unsold, and his capital was lost. He really couldn’t bear to see it.
The Emperor nodded in assent, and, taking the rattan in his hand, handed it backward, and Zhang Qing quickly received it.
He took one last look at the rattan canes in the basket before he departed.
After Zhang Qing took care of the aftermath, he hurriedly laid down a large silver ingot and left a few words, "This silver ingot should be enough, please tell the vendor on my behalf, I thank him here."
He then hurriedly followed the Emperor.
The merchant’s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the heavy silver ingot in his hand, worth more than what he could sell in a whole month!
He felt dizzy with astonishment, realizing that some people really bought such things, and that the young man conducted the business of the wealthy—without even opening his shop, he earned more than what the merchant made in a month!
It’s often said that wealthy households place great importance on their children’s upbringing, and today he experienced it firsthand—they were willing to spend so much silver on a cane for disciplining a child, not to mention other things...
The Emperor had seen enough and didn’t linger any longer, striding towards the Imperial Academy.
At the other end of the same street, Guo Neng’s carriage made its way through the traffic, progressing ever more slowly as the crowd ahead thickened, eventually moving slower than a walking pace.
Guo Neng felt irritable; he had no interest in the people’s discussions about whether the exam candidate would pass or not, nor did he care for the worthless trinkets peddled by street vendors, all he wanted was to catch a glimpse of the candidate to confirm if it was the person he was looking for, but he seemed to be getting nowhere.
In a fit of impatience, he flung open the carriage curtain, "On a day without festival or holiday, this street used to be without markets, spacious and clear. Why are there so many vendors today?"
This street, connecting to the residences of the dignitaries and adjacent to the Imperial Academy, was devoid of the cluttered markets, with shops on both sides instead. However, today’s vendors took up a part of the road, and the additional foot traffic made it even busier.
The coachman, careful not to startle the horse, jumped at the outburst, explaining cautiously, "Young master, I just heard from passersby that because of the examination outside the Imperial Academy, small vendors set up early to profit. They didn’t block the shop fronts, which attracted more people and improved the shops’ business. Both benefit from each other, so the shopkeepers don’t chase them away. Seeing the crowd grow today, many more vendors have come, making it busier than an ordinary market."
Some citizens, after watching the excitement, wandered the market out of idle curiosity, and the spectacle gradually turned into a major event. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
"A bunch of petty, trouble-making commoners!" Guo Neng sneered disdainfully, then impatiently asked, "How much longer?"
The coachman, grinning apologetically and in a rush, replied, "Almost there, just need to take a turn at the big intersection ahead."
Seeing Guo Neng’s displeased face, the coachman ventured, "Young master, shall I use the whip to clear the way and speed up the horse?"
Guo Neng almost laughed out of anger, slapping the coachman hard across the face, "Fool, do you want to get me killed?!"
Charging through a crowded market on horseback, as if he was in a hurry to die!
If this were ten years ago, or even seven or eight years ago, it might have been fine. Now, even his beloved uncle—Xue Ping, that old scoundrel—wouldn’t dare, let alone Guo Neng in the Capital.
Moreover, Xue Ping was no longer willing to cover for the Guo family as before—such an idiot, beyond foolish!
The coachman bore the pain and apologized profusely.
"Just drive your carriage properly," said Guo Neng, dropping the curtain with a snap to vent his frustration, and sat back down in the carriage.
Just as he had settled in, a series of unforeseen events unfolded.
