Chapter 458 (1/2)

Chapter 458 – Standing by your side (1)

It was clear that Liu Hanyun's own hands had hastened her death. Although she was plagued by an old illness, she shouldn't have died so early. Ji Man teared up a bit when she found out. However, she had recently lost Haohao, so she wasn't in the mood to think about anything else. When Ning Yuxuan came over to ask what should be done with Xi-er, Ji Man sighed and said, “He's my lord's legitimate son. Your blood and flesh, so he naturally can't be treated poorly. My lord, what are your plans for him?”

Ning Yuxuan said, “Let's give him to Qing-er to care for then. She's worked for me for so long, and her courtyard is quite desolate.”

“Okay.” Ji Man didn't have any objections. She quietly stood up and put away Haohao's things to avoid having these reminders in plain sight.

—

After the recent events, Marquis Moyu's estate became quite cheerless Ji Man hadn't officially married into the household, but everyone treated her as the matriarch of the family. Seven days after Liu Hanyun's funeral, all of the servants switched to addressing Ji Man as Madam.

Mu Shuiqing liked Xi-er a lot. She spent all of her time playing with him and would bring him over at a fixed time each evening to pay respects. If she wasn't bringing him to the garden to play, then she was taking him outside the estate to stroll around.

Although the estate had become quite gloomy, Ning Yuxuan thought there was a lot less to worry about. He no longer had to worry that the situation would blow up in his inner court. Thus, he had more free time to deal with matters in the imperial court.

Many officials wanted to stuff new women into the Marquis Moyu's estate, but he tactfully refused all of them by saying that his health was poor, and he wouldn't want to waste these women's lives.

Ji Man was very touched. Ning Yuxuan had already used such high-level words to slander himself. What more could she say?

However, since ancient times, marrying and getting in-laws were an essential way for establish relations.h.i.+ps. Right now, Ning Yuxuan needed to win over the loyalties of the other officials. How could she let herself become a stumbling block?

Thus, Ji Man created a “Hundred Flowers a.s.sociation”. First, she invited Luo Qianqian, Errong, and Zhu Yurun. Then, one after the other, she invited the madams of other n.o.ble families. The standard for members.h.i.+p into a Hundred Flowers a.s.sociation was lengthy. A woman had to be capable, virtuous, and mult.i.talented in zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting as well as have an attractive appearance.

Although Ji Man was simply plagiarizing the idea behind Tonghua Poetry a.s.sociation, her marketing of this new a.s.sociation was a success. Not only could the members of a Hundred Flower a.s.sociation enjoy benefits like mastering the art of skincare, they also had access to the latest products in skin whitening, makeup, jewelry, and clothing. When unmarried women were admitted to a Hundred Flowers a.s.sociation, matchmakers would efficiently guarantee in finding them a good marriage.

As a result, the madams and young ladies in high-ranking officials' families, who were bored of staying at home every day, all liked to visit Marquis Moyu's estate. Ji Man made a clear distinction of what type of people could and couldn't enter a Hundred Flowers a.s.sociation in coordinating with Marquis Moyu's plans. If he wanted to draw someone to his side, that person's wife and daughters would absolutely be on a Hundred Flowers a.s.sociation's invitation list. If he was in conflict with that person, Ji Man would personally appear, challenge the other parties to a poetry contest, win by plagiarizing famous poems, and reject the other parties' request to enter the a.s.sociation under this excuse.

It took less than a month for a Hundred Flowers a.s.sociation's reputation to skyrocket. It was because Zhu Yurun, who had previously been unskilled in poetry, went to Luoyan PaG.o.da and wrote Heavenly Pure Sand: Autumn Thoughts.

An old tree, dried vines entwined, by ev'ning crows come roosting;

O'er a small bridge, by a running stream, homes of people nestling.

On an old road, in the autumn wind, a scrawny horse keeps trudging.

The sun, slanting, to the west, setting —