Chapter 350: Acting Weird

Chapter 350: Acting Weird

They say that beautiful eyes can speak.

Xianjin had a pair of beautiful eyes, and at this moment, they were speaking.

He couldn't make out the words, but they were definitely curses aimed at him.

Curses that were both emotionally charged and filthy.

Qiao Hui instinctively swallowed hard, a chill running from his spine to the top of his head, breaking out in a cold sweat. He braced himself with his hands behind him and sat up straight.

After a moment of thought, Qiao Hui swiftly crossed his legs, leaned back, and shook his leg while looking at the person with the whites of his eyes: "Tell me, little sister, what's so great about how I talk?"

Qiao Hui shook his leg harder, causing his head to bob along with it, exuding a sleazy, greasy charm with a hint of confidence.

"Is it the sound that's pleasing? Or the amusement in the words?"

Qiao Hui cleared his throat, which sounded like there was no phlegm, but it looked like he had a big mouthful of it. He turned his head and exchanged glances with the Ningyuan Marquis: "Even the pirates on the ship said I have a pleasant way of speaking. But let me tell you, having a pleasant speaking voice is just one of my many, many unremarkable qualities."

The Ningyuan Marquis was stunned, unsure how to respond.

Jiang Baoniang was equally stunned, her eyes fixed without moving, seemingly overwhelmed by Qiao Hui's overwhelming confidence and sleaze.

Or perhaps she was afraid that the phlegm in Qiao Hui's throat might spray onto her face.

Qiao Hui shook and shook, confidently returning his gaze to Jiang Baoniang’s face, pressing again: "Hey! Sister, tell me! What other advantages does brother have!"

Jiang Baoniang’s face, which had been flushed red with shyness, instantly paled, and she turned her head expressionlessly: "Pfft! So cringeworthy!"

Xianjin lowered her head, hiding the twitching corner of her mouth: Qiao Hui playing the role of an overconfident and cringey man actually had some skill. If it weren’t for his handsome, clean face, he'd be even more believable.

"Alright, alright," Qiao Fangzhi said, understandingly glancing at Qiao Hui, putting an end to the farce. He raised his hand slightly, shifting his focus back to Xianjin: "Back to the matter at hand—you need to have a clear understanding of the situation in your hands. When it comes to court affairs, you need to be proactive, and you must think ahead for your own business."

Qiao Fangzhi hinted at something: "Once the rice paper hits the market, countless people will see this opportunity. By that time, you might not be able to compete for it."

Xianjin nodded: "Your student understands."

With the serious matters mostly discussed, Qiao Fangzhi’s peripheral glance caught the third son of the Chen family zoning out while staring at the painted beams of the hall for a long time. He cleared his throat, steering the conversation back to the favorite topic of Xianjin’s adoptive father—food, clothing, housing, and transportation.

"Clothing, food, housing, and transportation, it's all here," Qiao Fangzhi’s tone brooked no argument.

"I know you have a lot of money. Whether you want to buy a mansion or invest in land is up to you, but you must live in the Qiao family." Qiao Fangzhi waved his hand, "There’s no negotiation on this."

Xianjin smiled: "I’m not going to discuss it with you! Mansions in the Capital City are so expensive! The day before yesterday, I heard Baoyuan say that a mansion in Shangmen Fang was sold for nine thousand taels last month! I can’t afford it for now, so I’m just waiting to mooch off you!"

Nine thousand taels was a significant sum.

Even if she sold Qiao Baoyuan, Xianjin couldn’t gather that much money.

Even many ranked officials in the capital rented houses. Wu Wang, a disciple of Grand Secretary Li, didn’t have a thick family fortune and rented a house in the northern suburbs! Every day, he drove a cow cart to court for an hour, which meant leaving home at four in the morning for a six o’clock court session; the inner cabinet was a long-term overtime department, often getting off work at around eight or nine at night, meaning this brother would get home at eleven at night, wash up, and go to bed at midnight, only to wake up at four in the morning again!

Such a suffocating work schedule!

No wonder that brother always looked irritable.

Without enough sleep, anyone would be irritable.

Xianjin didn’t want to suffer from lack of sleep and accelerated aging. If she could live near Tian-an Men, why would she move to Daxing?

Lord Qiao Fangzhi was very satisfied with Xianjin's thick skin: "Third Young Master will stay in the outer courtyard, and we've prepared Qiuxi Pavilion for you, with the same staff as mine; Jin Jie'er will stay in the North Court, while Baozhu stays in the South Court. You two sisters will be close to each other and it will be convenient to visit."

In fact, Lord Qiao Fangzhi generally didn't concern himself with these matters.

Without a mistress in the household, it was usually his younger sister, the Ningyuan Marquis's wife, who managed things when they entered the capital.

This time, however, Lord Qiao Fangzhi went out of his way to handle everything personally for Xianjin's arrival, not wanting to trouble his younger sister.

Since ancient times, the left and the north have been considered positions of honor. The North Court was the most prestigious courtyard in the inner compound, both in layout and design.

It even had Mirror Lake to the north and Starbright Mountain to the south, making it the most esteemed residence in the entire capital.

The gaze of someone in the hall sank.

Lord Qiao Fangzhi spoke concisely, and seeing that Xianjin and Chen Fu had no objections, he happily announced the start of the banquet. He had to admit, he had a good impression of Xianjin's adoptive father. Although the man always had slick hair—so slick that even flies would slip on it—he was clear-headed, straightforward, and never refused other people's kindness. He shamelessly followed Xianjin to eat and drink for free, a surprisingly resilient tagalong.

The banquet was grand, featuring an array of exotic dishes, from land and sea, hot and cold, all very elaborate.

After the banquet, Brother Qiao Hui took Xianjin and five younger sisters on a tour of the newly established Lord Zhongwu's residence—it was like Granny He visiting the Grand View Garden.

In truth, as someone who had visited royal gardens such as the Forbidden City and the Yong Mansion, Xianjin had a certain psychological expectation and understanding of noble estates.

But walking through the Qiao family's compound, Xianjin was utterly amazed.

This place had a lake and half a mountain.

In a capital where a house sold for 9,000 taels, this place had a lake!

"...This was the former Crown Prince's residence," Brother Qiao Hui pointed to a nearby painted wall for everyone, "The carved beams and painted walls still have engravings of four-clawed imperial dragons. These engravings can only be covered with red cloth so we can live here while the Imperial Household Department renovates it."

"Is it the former emperor?" A clear voice rose among the crowd.

It was Ningyuan Marquis's third daughter, whose personal name was Yi Wu.

Brother Qiao Hui nodded: "It is the former emperor."

Yi Wu nudged Jiang Baoniang behind her.

Jiang Baoniang shuddered as if pricked, and seeing Brother Qiao Hui's tall and heroic figure at that moment, she finally mustered the courage to ask in a pinched voice, "Why was the former emperor's residence given to Brother Baoyuan to live in?"

Hearing it was Jiang Baoniang speaking, Brother Qiao Hui immediately relaxed his hips, tapped his toes on the ground, and began to shake his legs rhythmically: "Well, naturally it’s because I’ve worked so hard and earned my title! Out of all the people who returned from Fujian, only your brother and the bearded official Hu were enfeoffed. Tell me, isn't your brother amazing! Isn't he awesome!"

Jiang Baoniang’s lips twitched and she closed her eyes in despair.

When she opened them again, she looked for help from Ningyuan Marquis's third daughter, determined not to speak again no matter how much Yi Wu nudged her!

Xianjin wanted to laugh.

A head poked out next to hers.

Qiao Baozhu's hand almost crushed the hawthorn soup, her voice hesitant: "Sister, doesn't it feel like my brother's been possessed by something... weird?"