Chapter 177: The Wealth of the Marquis’s Mansion

Chapter 177: The Wealth of the Marquis's Mansion

Cheng Qi scolded his younger sister harshly. His expression was dark and stormy as he strode forward.

"Hey, bro, what's up?"

"Brother, slow down, wait for me."

Lu Lingyun observed them with a raised eyebrow, silently noting everything.

The matter of Qin Shaojing participating in the imperial court selection had caused quite a stir.

That same day, after Qin Shaojing had taken her people back to the east courtyard, Lady Qin called for Lu Lingyun to discuss the matter thoroughly.

"Qin Shaojing's participation in the selection is a big deal. Have the steward bring out all the jewelry and fabric boxes from the mansion, and commission a new batch of top-quality materials for you to select for her."

"Yes."

"Buy whatever is missing; we shouldn't skimp on this."

"Yes."

"Everything should prioritize Qin Shaojing's selection. If she can join the royal family, it will be the greatest blessing for our Marquis's Mansion!"

"Yes."

Lu Lingyun nodded, agreeing to everything.

Seeing how reasonable she was, Lady Qin's gaze softened. She called Lu Lingyun over, took her hand, and said, "Lingyun, I saw what you prepared for Shaojing. You've been an amazing sister-in-law."

"Rest assured, Mother will not mistreat you. You should handle all the preparations for Shaojing's selection. Anything extra will be yours to keep. You've been doing so much for the Marquis's Mansion."

Hearing this, Lu Lingyun understood clearly.

Lady Qin was telling her that handling Shaojing's selection wasn't just about putting in the effort. It was also about receiving rewards.

The Marquis's Mansion was pulling out all the stops from their storerooms, spending lavishly. Anything extra would go to Lu Lingyun!

It was well known that the official accounts of the Marquis's Mansion were strictly managed. Even though there were few masters in the mansion, the public funds couldn't be easily diverted.

As the person managing the accounts, Lu Lingyun recorded every transaction. Of course, she could skim a little here and there, but those were small gains, and it wouldn't go unnoticed in the long run.

Lady Qin was putting Lu Lingyun in charge of the entire operation, making sure she was generously rewarded for her hard work.

By giving her this authority, anything extra purchased would be Lu Lingyun's to keep.

Lady Qin always rewarded her people well if they worked hard and did a good job. She knew how to take care of her team.

This kind of mother-in-law was exactly what Lu Lingyun liked!

"Mother, rest assured, I will handle this matter well."

That evening, Lu Lingyun gathered all the household stewards to discuss the next steps.

Have them bring out everything from the Marquisate’s inventory, from needles and thread to jade and precious treasures.

Then, get the latest and best jewelry materials from the external stores of the Marquisate and have them delivered to the estate.

Finally, conduct a city-wide procurement in the capital.

Procure all the latest and most fashionable items and have them delivered to the estate.

This time, Lu Lingyun truly felt the opulence of the Marquisate firsthand.

In less than three days, ten boxes of jewelry and jade were brought to Lu Lingyun's courtyard.

The items were meticulously categorized by style and material: one box of pearl hairpins and hair ornaments, one box of gold and silver headpieces, one box each of red, yellow, and blue common gemstone hairpins and headpieces, one box of rare colored gemstone hairpins and headpieces, one box of jade hairpins and headpieces, one box of regular jade jewelry, and one box of high-quality jade jewelry.

Lady Qin separately sent a box of rare headpieces.

In addition, various fine silks such as blue cloud gauze, soft smoke silk, patterned satin, flowing light satin, cloud brocade, Song brocade, Zhuang brocade, and Shu brocade were presented to Lu Lingyun in batches according to their texture and color.

This time, the Marquisate spared no expense for Qin Shaojing, but these items still didn’t hurt the core of the Marquisate’s wealth.

The Ningyang Marquisate had accumulated wealth over three generations and had a deep foundation. Especially after Lady Qin took over the household, she brought a dowry worth hundreds of thousands of taels from the Duke’s estate when she married into the family. Lady Qin was good at managing, and the family's assets were quite substantial. However, she was a young miss from the Duke’s estate during its prosperous period and preferred not to flaunt their wealth. The old Marquis was also a down-to-earth and low-key person, advocating frugality in daily life.

Only on major occasions did they display their immense resources.

Lu Lingyun had been married into the Marquisate for over a year and hadn't thought much of it when reviewing the accounts. But this time, with Lady Qin’s actions, she truly felt the difference between noble families and ordinary households—the solid family assets.

With everything prepared, she invited Qin Shaojing to come and select what she wanted.

When Qin Shaojing saw the dazzling array of items, her eyes widened.

She too felt the depth of the Marquisate’s assets.

She didn’t expect her aunt’s family to be so wealthy.

If it were the prosperous period of the Duke’s estate, she wouldn’t have thought much of it. But she was born as the Duke’s estate was declining, and it became poorer as she grew older. The first time she came to the Marquisate, she thought it was slightly better than her own home. Now, seeing these dazzling items before her, she had to reassess her perception of the Ningyang Marquisate.

The Ningyang Marquisate was far more powerful than she had imagined!

No wonder the Ningyang Marquisate allowed Cheng Yunshuo to indulge in his spending habits without pressuring him to be more ambitious.

“Shaojing, your selection for the imperial inspection is a major event. I’ve already had the tailors start making clothes with the materials from last time. Let’s pick some more and expedite the preparations,” said Lu Lingyun.

“Thank you, sister-in-law,” Qin Shaojing said with a warm smile, then began carefully selecting from the array of hairpins and jewelry before her.

In the afternoon, she selected three boxes of headpieces and about twenty bolts of fabric. Since Qin Shaojing was known for her pickiness, despite wanting more, she had to maintain her reputation and couldn’t ask for them.

Thus, the rest were all Lu Lingyun’s.

Lu Lingyun sent the selected fabrics to the embroiderers to work overtime and complete them before the imperial inspection.

The two women chatted and laughed, and Qin Shaojing’s usual subtle schemes seemed to vanish.

In the evening, Qin Shaojing stayed for dinner at the Marquisate. During the meal, praises for Lu Lingyun were spoken.

Hearing the praises, Lady Qin smiled and nodded in agreement.

She had given this task to Lu Lingyun to foster a good relationship between them. Lady Qin was an understanding person and knew that Lu Lingyun was the future of the Marquisate. As a mother-in-law, she would grow old one day, and her son wasn’t capable. At that time, Lu Lingyun would have to take charge of the household.

She intentionally wanted Lu Lingyun and Shaojing to form a good relationship, which would be beneficial for both the Qin family and the Cheng family in the future.

She had the future of two families in mind, and the long-lasting prosperity of the family was her lifelong pursuit.

While the banquet was filled with laughter and cheerful conversation, in the back courtyard,

"Master hasn't been here for days," said Du Ruo, frowning in frustration as she paced back and forth in Xiaohe Courtyard.

Since their last argument, Cheng Yunshuo had not come to her courtyard for several days.

The longer she waited, the more anxious she got, and finally, she couldn’t wait any longer. "Xiaoqin, go tell the prince I’m not feeling well today. I need some time alone."