My Husband is a Drama King [Book Transmigration] 77p1

Chapter 77 p1: Buying a House

The Fan family had provided a grand dowry and ceremony for their daughter’s wedding, and the Pei family had also shown their respect. Xu Zhizhou watched as the wedding sedan was carried over with the sound of gongs and drums. He stared at the dowry being carried behind.

Pei Shengrong was wearing his wedding clothes today, looking every bit the dashing young man. He took the red silk ribbon and received the bride. The two of them went to the main hall together to pay their respects to the elders.

As expected of an aristocratic family, the grandeur of a daughter’s wedding was different.

He remembered that when he and his husband had gotten married in the village, it was already good enough to have a new quilt and bedding, a new chest, and a few decent sets of clothes.

Yue Bai watched them finish their bows and be sent to the bridal chamber, his cheeks turning red. He had met Cheng Maoxue during a match-making meeting. They had mostly talked through a screen, and then they had met once in the garden at the request of their elders. That time, they had also just glanced at each other from a distance.

Cheng Maoxue was even better-looking than in his portrait, elegant and a second-class Jinshi. His family was satisfied, and he was also a little interested.

After watching the bride be sent to the bridal chamber, they took their seats and prepared for the feast.

Xu Zhizhou loved to go to feasts.

Yue Bai sat down demurely. Xu Zhizhou saw that the pastries on the table were about to be cleared away and immediately took one to eat first.

He had been so busy talking before and had forgotten to eat. He suddenly felt that he had lost out.

Xie Cang said, “Now that Elder Brother Cheng is engaged, only Elder Brother and Elder Brother Luo are not. The family has been urging Elder Brother, but he is not in a hurry at all.”

Yue Bai said, “Perhaps Sir Xie wants to wait a little longer. After all, he is still young.”

Hearing this, Xu Zhizhou found Xie Feng in the crowd. He was talking to Song Changxu. He didn’t know what they were talking about, but a few of them were laughing.

He then looked at Luo Shuang. Luo Shuang and Xie Feng were very close and were inseparable.

Cheng Maoxue would just drink whenever he had a wine cup and would put his arm on Song Changxu’s shoulder. He said that he was going to help Pei Shengrong block the wine, and the four of them were talking in a corner.

“Xie Cang, are your elder brother and Elder Brother Luo very close?”

Xie Cang: “We’ve known each other since we were children, so our relationship is naturally extraordinary. Elder Brother Luo’s family are merchants. Although they are rich, there are always people who want to bully him. Elder Brother will stand up for him. The relationship between our two families has also gotten better and better because of them.”

Cheng Maoxue had met the two of them at the county school, and their relationship had also gradually improved.

The four of them talked for a while and then went to help Pei Shengrong block the wine. Shen Liang was also helping.

After Xu Zhizhou had had some delicious food, Song Changxu came over and ate with him.

It was not good to drink all the time. He had to eat some food to fill his stomach. Besides, he also wanted to try the Pei family’s cooking.

Xu Zhizhou held a chicken leg and looked at Song Changxu. Both of them were very satisfied.

The Pei family’s cooking was not bad.

Now, Song Changxu had more motivation to drink. The Pei family had many relatives. He had blocked the wine a few times and then had secretly left to eat with Xu Zhizhou.

Finally, a plate of apples was served. After they had finished, the meal was over.

After a few words with his colleagues at the feast, Song Changxu and Xu Zhizhou left.

“In the future, our family will also have to hire a good cook. We’ll have the best of everything in terms of food, clothing, housing, and transportation.”

Song Changxu expressed his agreement.

“Husband, I still want to drink some plum juice. Can you buy some for me?” Xu Zhizhou said, pulling on Song Changxu’s sleeve.

Song Changxu blurted out, “You’ve already eaten so much. Can you still drink?”

Hearing this, Xu Zhizhou was annoyed and nudged Song Changxu with his elbow. “Are you buying it or not?”

Song Changxu: “I’ll buy it.”

Song Changxu went to buy a bowl of plum juice.

Xu Zhizhou was in a much better mood after he had finished. He pulled on Song Changxu to go for a walk outside to aid digestion.

“You pinch my waist. Can you pinch any fat? I’m so thin. What’s wrong with eating a little more? You really don’t know how to talk.”

Song Changxu: “Alright, I won’t say it in the future.”

Xu Zhizhou’s tail went up with pride. Then he thought of something, and it drooped again.

“Brother Yue’s family is so rich.”

Song Changxu said nonchalantly, “Their family is the richest in Jiangzhou. Of course they’re rich. But my husband is not bad either. He started from scratch and is now going to buy a house.”

Xu Zhizhou immediately became happy again. He reached out and held Song Changxu’s arm, the corners of his mouth unable to stop turning up.

The two of them walked along the river. Xu Zhizhou was in the mood and took Song Changxu to see the residence he had taken a liking to. They only looked at it from the outside.

“It’s a Juren’s residence, priced at a thousand and five hundred taels. I’ve looked at several residences, and only his is the most to my liking. This courtyard is also inward-facing, not on Chang’an Street, and it’s quiet at night.”

Song Changxu also thought it was good. The residence was a standard courtyard house, and the courtyard was very large. Such a courtyard would cost five hundred taels of silver in Jinhe County. In the capital, it was three times as expensive. He might have to ask the broker to bargain more.

“Good things come to those who wait. If you really like it, it’s good to take it,” Song Changxu said.

Xu Zhizhou: “Alright, I think so too. I’m also afraid that someone else will snatch it. The furniture inside is also good, but it looks a bit old. I want to replace it with new ones.”

Song Changxu nodded. “We’ll replace everything we use with new ones.”

He told Song Changxu about his plans for the house. His husband listened very seriously. Xu Zhizhou said a little more, and he was so moved by his own words that he wished he could move in immediately.

Song Changxu: “If you want to book the house, I’ll go with you. Don’t show that you’re too satisfied, or it will be easy for you to be taken advantage of.”

Xu Zhizhou nodded. He said in a low voice, “It hurts so much to give someone more than a thousand taels of silver.”

“We’ll give it this time, and we’ll earn it back in the future,” Song Changxu said, putting his arm around his shoulder to comfort him.

“Alright. You should give more advice to His Majesty, husband. If you gain his favor, he will reward you with more things,” Xu Zhizhou said with anticipation.

Song Changxu: “That might be a bit difficult. I’m working in the Ministry of Personnel, and I’m still a minor official. It’s not easy to be in front of His Majesty. I can only do it through writing memorials.”

“Then write memorials.”

Now it was a matter of the national treasury and the maternal relatives. In the original novel, after Emperor Pingjing had overthrown the Xiao family, he had cleared out more than half of the officials from the court, which had almost caused the court’s order to collapse. He could only choose more people from the new Jinshi to fill the official positions.

This time, he hoped that His Majesty would proceed step by step. As for the Xiao family’s matter, he couldn’t say much. It was both a matter of state and a family matter, which was the most difficult to get involved in.

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Emperor Pingjing had finished reviewing the memorials and had read Song Changxu’s suggestion again. The Minister of Works was Liu Wangsheng’s contemporary, but the two of them did not get along. The expenses of the Ministry of Works had also been large these past few years. His mother had first built two temporary palaces, which had cost a huge amount. She only stayed there for a month or two a year. There were clearly enough royal gardens.

The Ministry of Works had made a lot of profit from it. Emperor Pingjing knew that when the water is too clear, there are no fish, but if they took too much, he couldn’t just close both of his eyes.

The Ministry of Revenue was in Xie Yiyuan’s hands. He had already ordered him to improve the salt and iron monopoly under the ministry, to recruit more private merchants, and also to work with the Minister of War and the Minister of Justice to crack down on private salt smuggling. They had almost driven the private salt smugglers to death and had caught several of them.

With the mining tax and the half of the mines contributed by the Xiao family, the national treasury had increased by two hundred thousand taels of silver in the first month.

By that calculation, it would be an extra one million two hundred thousand taels a year. Emperor Pingjing regretted in his heart. He should have levied the taxes earlier.

The crackdown on private salt smuggling was still ongoing. Emperor Pingjing had also sent trusted people to the border to see if anyone was selling ironware to foreign countries. Such an act was hateful. Once discovered, their family would be confiscated. This was not only profiteering, but also treason.

Emperor Pingjing wanted to get these few things done first. The most important thing for him after he had ascended the throne was to hold the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Personnel firmly in his hands. With these two departments in his hands, it would be easier for him to handle other matters.

Now it seemed that he had to plant some more people in the other departments, but he had too few talented people at the moment.

Emperor Pingjing sighed.

Laifu took a step forward. “Your Majesty, you should rest.”

Emperor Pingjing answered and went to the Fengyang Palace. Xiao Yurong had been waiting for him. He had had the imperial kitchen make him some bird’s nest.

“You’ve worked hard on the affairs of the state, Your Majesty. Your health is the most important thing.”

Xiao Yurong waved his hand to dismiss the palace attendants and personally fed Emperor Pingjing the bird’s nest.

“I’ll do it myself,” Emperor Pingjing said.

Xiao Yurong’s eyes flashed, and he nodded with a smile.

“Mother said that it will be winter soon. She wants to go to the royal villa to spend the winter. I was thinking of accompanying her. What do you think, Your Majesty?”

Emperor Pingjing nodded. “Since Mother wants to go, you can go with her.”

It was just right that he wouldn’t be in the palace. Otherwise, some of the court ministers would want to go to the harem to find the empress dowager to make a decision. With filial piety on his head, he would have to listen to his mother’s nagging.

It was just right to go to the outskirts.

“After I’ve gone, Your Majesty, don’t suddenly have a few younger brothers or sisters,” Xiao Yurong said quickly, seeing that Emperor Pingjing’s tone had softened.

“How would I have the time? I have to guard the country first. The rest is secondary,” Emperor Pingjing couldn’t help but find it amusing.

If he wanted to favor someone else, Xiao Yurong couldn’t control it. Even his mother had no right to question it, but his mind was not on it.

Xiao Yurong clung to Emperor Pingjing. He so wished to have a child. It was a pity that he had been married to Emperor Pingjing for more than a year, and his stomach was still empty. He had been taking the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician to regulate his body.

There was nothing wrong with His Majesty’s body, as the imperial physician was there. Could it be that it was really not fated?

Then he would go to the villa with his mother and pray to the Goddess of Childbirth.

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