Preparing to Enter the Palace

Proofreader/Editor: Nene Yashiro

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As a top scholar assigned to the Ministry of War, Tang Jiwei is likely the first in history to take on such a role. And it’s fair to say that Han Zhen’s decision to appoint him is equally unique.

Although the members of the Ministry of War have some bias against this “delicate” top scholar, they still try to maintain a facade of peace and goodwill. For some of the questions raised by Tang Jiwei, they either responded directly or simply tossed the case files to him. It was fortunate that they didn’t set any traps for him; Tang Jiwei didn’t expect to be treated with special respect right away, but the upright demeanor of the Ministry officials was enough to reflect the governing ability of the Minister of War.

There were no objections to Tang Jiwei’s appointment to the Ministry of War. In his previous life, he regretted not having the chance to fight in battle. Although his rebirth didn’t bring the same fame and fortune as before, he still put effort into doing things he had never experienced before, even if his motives were not entirely pure.

After leaving the court, Tang Jiwei returned to his residence. The servants bought by the old lady Tang were quite nimble, and although the rest were relatively young except for the doorman, they didn’t gossip. The occasionally lively maid could even amuse the old lady, so Tang Jiwei chose to turn a blind eye to it.

“Sir, you’re back! Auntie is here and is talking with the old lady in the flower hall!” said Tang Xin, hurrying over.

Tang Xin was not originally named Tang Xin; she was called Gu Xin. The old lady Tang had picked her up from the street when she was on the brink of death. Tang Jiwei had to go find a barefoot doctor to save her life.

The old lady Tang intended for her to go back to her relatives, but Gu Xin said that her family had perished and she had nowhere to go. Tang Jiwei felt pity for her and didn’t dare to tell the old lady not to keep her, aware of the potential risks involved. However, he decided to keep her because being abandoned was a terrible feeling, and if he could help her in any way, it would be good.

Gu Xin insisted on being a servant for the Tang family. Seeing her extraordinary beauty, Tang Jiwei guessed she must come from a good family. He felt reluctant to let her be a maid, but Gu Xin didn’t want to be a burden and stubbornly insisted on staying. So, he allowed her to take care of the old lady, thinking that it would be good for her to have someone to talk to.

“Why did Auntie suddenly come by? Is there something going on?” Tang Jiwei asked.

Gu Xin hurriedly followed Tang Jiwei, her posture respectful but disheveled, and said, “I think it’s about Tang Mi, but I didn’t catch all the details!”

Tang Jiwei frowned. Although Tang Mi was beautiful, she was by no means stunningly gorgeous. It was becoming a bit exhausting to deal with ongoing issues surrounding her.

“Oh, Jiwei is back!” His Second Auntie exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she got up when she saw Tang Jiwei enter the flower hall.

Tang Jiwei smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries with his Second Auntie. She was quite pleased that he had not forgotten his roots after achieving success and was willing to chat with him.

“Auntie, stay for dinner! The new cook in the house has good skills and leans toward spicy dishes, which should suit your taste!” Tang Jiwei suggested.

His Second Auntie smiled widely and said, “Of course! If I don’t enjoy a meal at my nephew’s house before going back, people will say I’ve forgotten my roots since you’ve become successful!”

Although the Madam Xiao frowned, she couldn’t refute this. She had anticipated such things; it’s human nature to never be satisfied.

Tang Jiwei sipped the green tea that Gu Xin brought him and said, “What Auntie says is not true. If there’s anything I can help with, just let me know, and I will certainly assist!”

His Second Auntie hesitated, glancing at Madam Xiao and then studying Tang Jiwei’s expression. She felt it wouldn’t be too abrupt to speak up and finally said, “Mi’er is grown up now, and as you know, our family isn’t in a good situation. If it weren’t for Tang De’s inn still bringing in some income, we wouldn’t be able to support her dowry when it’s time for her to marry. I was thinking of borrowing some silver from you to prepare a bit of a dowry for her so it’ll be easier to find a match!”

Madam Xiao leaned forward in her chair and said, “How can you talk about a dowry when a match hasn’t even been found? Mi’er is only fourteen, so there’s no rush!”

His Second Auntie immediately turned to say, “You don’t understand, older sister. Who doesn’t know that our Tang family has a top scholar now? If Mi’er’s dowry is too low, it’ll embarrass her and also reflect poorly on Jiwei!”

Madam Xiao’s expression darkened immediately. Tang Jiwei had never seen her look so displeased and quickly spoke up, “How much silver are we talking about?”

His Second Auntie smiled brightly, “Not much, just twenty taels will do!”

“Twenty taels?” Madam couldn’t sit still anymore and jumped up, shouting, “Jiwei’s salary is only two taels a month! How can we need twenty taels?”

Seeing that Madam Xiao’s expression was not good, Second Auntie immediately dropped her smile and said, “The girl next door got married with a dowry of more than twenty taels. If Mi’er has less than that, it would be quite embarrassing! Jiwei is now an official; it’s only natural that he wouldn’t look down on us. But Mi’er is his sister—shouldn’t he act like a brother?”

Tang Jiwei noticed Second Auntie’s increasingly absurd claims and saw Madam Xiao’s face turn red. She wanted to scold her but couldn’t afford to break the relationship. It was clear she was the one without shoes and therefore not afraid of those who did; the Madam Xiao was filled with indignation.

Tang Jiwei adjusted his robes, saying, “Auntie, you know I took thirty taels from Tang De for the inn last time, and now I don’t have any extra silver left.”

Second Auntie felt a bit intimidated by Tang Jiwei’s calm demeanor but smiled, “A distinguished top scholar not being able to come up with twenty taels is a joke, isn’t it? Jiwei, don’t jest with your aunt!”

Tang Jiwei replied seriously, “Unless you’re a corrupt official, no newly appointed official has that amount. Auntie, please don’t slander me. The emperor is currently cracking down on corrupt officials, and I can’t afford to take risks!”

Second Auntie was stunned into silence and had to lower her demands, “Then surely you can lend me fifteen taels?”

“Ten taels; anything more than that I simply cannot afford!” Tang Jiwei insisted firmly.

Second Auntie thought that getting something was better than nothing, so she didn’t push further. She observed Tang Jiwei’s expression; if she insisted on asking for more, she might end up with nothing. She didn’t want to have made the trip for nothing and immediately agreed.

“Fine, I’ll make a decision for Mi’er. She can’t help that she wasn’t born into a good family, and if the dowry is inadequate, there’s nothing we can do about it. She won’t be able to blame me later.” Second Auntie immediately sighed, glancing at Tang Jiwei’s face.

“Gu Xin, go get the silver for Auntie!” Tang Jiwei instructed.

Second Auntie raised the corners of her mouth and sighed, “Now that sounds reasonable!”

Tang Jiwei naturally wouldn’t back down, smiling as he said, “Whether it sounds reasonable or not, I’m the one providing the money. However, Auntie, I’m a court official, and this is all I have saved up. There’s no more beyond this. Mi’er is my sister, so I should contribute something, but be careful when stepping into my residence from now on. If others see, they might start gossiping!”

Second Auntie’s expression changed drastically, “What’s there to say? What gossip?”

Madam Xiao huffed, “They’ll say you’re too greedy! What else could they say?”

“Sister, it’s not like that! Isn’t Jiwei where he is today thanks to his uncle’s assistance? To be ungrateful is always to be criticized!” Second Auntie huffed. Just then, Gu Xin arrived with the silver, and Second Auntie snatched it from her and tucked it away in her bosom.

Madam Xiao said, “Let me make myself clear. The thirty taels Jiwei gave for Tang De’s inn were earned through hard work, day and night. Now, adding Mi’er’s ten taels, any favor has been repaid. I don’t want to tear our family ties over this; just try to visit my residence less in the future!”

Second Auntie laughed, “I won’t be coming. One day, things will change in this world. The Tang family is not just about Tang Jiwei; it will be different in the future. Who knows who will be asking whom for favors then! I’m off; don’t see me off!”

Second Auntie left with the silver, satisfied, while Madam Xiao stomped her foot angrily, complaining about Tang Jiwei giving money to such a despicable person.

“Didn’t we just say Auntie was kind? How she treated us back then?” Tang Jiwei sat down and laughed.

Madam Xiao spat angrily, sitting down with a sigh, “People can’t get too prosperous, especially the poor. Look at this! Just a few days after moving in, trouble comes knocking! When we had no money and no fame, we all lived harmoniously in hard times, but now that one has become successful, the ugly side immediately shows. Auntie was such a good person, but now she speaks sharply, and her every word is about your reputation. She’s basically threatening you!”

Tang Jiwei comforted her, saying, “What more can they squeeze from me? I’m left with just ten taels after being drained dry, nothing more, so you can relax!”

“Do you think I’ll empty my pockets for her? Jiwei, you are my child; I won’t be fooled so easily!” Madam Xiao huffed.

Tang Jiwei smiled, “Yes, Mother, you have good judgment. There are always expenses in the household, but leaving ten taels should suffice; seeing this, she won’t come back again!”

“You don’t really think that way, do you? You’re smarter than me and see through things better. If people’s hearts were so easily satisfied, would we say they’re hard to gauge? She’d better not open her mouth again. I’ll let her have it once for the sake of your second brother, but next time, I’ll definitely throw her out! Why should she pick on the weak? Why doesn’t she go to your little aunt’s house to cause trouble? So what if you’re a top scholar? Aren’t you still human? Can’t you still cause a scene? Next time, I want her to see my ferocity!” Madam Xiao was so furious that she slammed her teacup, making it rattle loudly, her domineering aura evident.

Tang Jiwei held his teacup over his mouth and nose, secretly laughing, while Gu Xin silently turned away to sip tea from the pot.

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Tang Mi stood to the side, twisting her skirt’s hem, hesitating as she said, “Mother, is it really that good to enter the palace as a maid?”

Second Auntie weighed the twenty taels of silver in her hand, smiling with delight, “What your little aunt said can’t be false. Besides, I asked Granny Zhang; it’s the right time to choose palace maids. The emperor isn’t selecting girls from the common folk this year, so your path to being a candidate is gone. I think this is also a good opportunity. With your talent, you won’t fear the emperor’s favor! Don’t worry, Mother wouldn’t harm you!”

Tang Mi frowned, her willow-like brows knitted, “Didn’t Granny Zhang say that five taels is enough to enter the palace? Why did you take ten taels from Big Brother?”

“If it weren’t for your brother being so cunning, I could have brought home twenty taels! I’ve given him too much of an advantage!” Second Auntie said proudly.

Tang Mi felt uneasy about this but, seeing her mother’s determination and thinking about life in the palace, she thought if she could earn the emperor’s favor, she could repay her brother later. The thought of gaining the emperor’s affection made Tang Mi shyly cover her face.

Seeing that the winds were favorable,  Second Auntie quickly tucked away five taels and left to find Granny Zhang.

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Author’s Note: Not bookmarking this novel will lead to pregnancy! 【Twists and turns~】