CHAPTER 740: CHAPTER 724: THE CLUMSY CONCUBINE: IS SPEAKING THE TRUTH A MISTAKE?

The news of the imperial draft spread, and Quan Jing and Du Mian, these two source of profit, had left. Having made enough incense money off these two, Qin Liuxi found herself in a rare state of leisurely laziness. Aside from teaching her disciples, she took on no major tasks and just ran back and forth between the Daoist Temple of Feichang Dao and her home, listening to street gossips and the Eight Diagram news. Life couldn’t be more comfortable.

It was said that the eligibility for the draft had been relaxed; any official’s daughter above fourteen years of age who was not yet betrothed, with an unblemished appearance and a healthy body, from a family with at least a Sixth-rank official, must be sent for selection. A few spots were also given to the daughters of Imperial Merchants and some of the top-ranking rich families.

Rumors amongst the low-level routes had it that by relaxing the conditions, the Palace intended to take this opportunity to select concubines for the Princes.

Qin Liuxi felt a deep disgust upon learning about these requirements. Such a massive draft seemed to be an attempt to pull all the good girls from the Dafeng Official to the Imperial Family, not even sparing the daughters of merchants. Could it be that the national treasury is so impoverished that even mice are nesting inside?

Such a lack of decorum.

Drafting for selection, naturally, would make some rejoice and others grieve.

Upon hearing the news, the Old Lady of the Qin family and Mrs. Xie were downhearted. If their family hadn’t fallen, they could have also sent daughters for selection, couldn’t they?

Mrs. Wang, on the other hand, felt relieved. There were few eligible girls in her family, and even if they hadn’t fallen into ruin, they couldn’t have sent many for selection. Now in ruins, they were no longer concerned.

"Once you enter the palace gate, it’s as deep as the sea," she thought, having no desire to send her daughters into that devouring place.

"Fortunately, you’ve become a monk, so even if there is a draft, it won’t be your turn." Mrs. Wang looked at Qin Liuxi’s face, chilly but not lacking in beauty, and sighed to herself. Such a face, surely many girls would like it.

Qin Liuxi scoffed: "Even if I were eligible for selection, let them dare to choose me?"

Mrs. Wang choked a little; alright, this child’s temperament isn’t the type to suffer in silence.

"You’d rather worry about Qin Yuyan and the others; don’t leave them under the care of the Song family. Fortunately, that Mr. Song died timely, and even with the draft, it wouldn’t be their turn, but as for other men, who can say?" Qin Liuxi huffed.

Mrs. Wang was stunned: "They’ve already joined the female house of your great aunt, the Song family wouldn’t dare to act recklessly, would they?"

The day Qin Liuxi predicted the death of Yuyan’s father, her words turned prophetic. When the Song family indeed came with the news of mourning, asking them to return for the funeral rites, Qin Meiniang worried for them and followed them to Shangjing.

Mrs. Wang, fearing they would be treated unfairly, also arranged for Li Cheng to accompany them to Shangjing, and spent a great deal of money at the escort agency for a skilled and mobile helper, just in case.

Qin Liuxi lowered her eyes: "Human selfishness knows no bounds; by rights, they should not have returned to the capital."

Mrs. Wang sighed deeply: "After all, he was their birth father. If they did not return to observe mourning, the reputation of being unfilial would oppress them too heavily to stand straight."

Although Qin Liuxi somewhat disagreed, thinking of their sisters sharing that man’s blood, now that he had become a revered ghost, it was appropriate to burn some incense as an offering and some large notes, to show filial piety.

After all, what’s burned is not real currency; exchanging it for reputation is no loss!

"Let’s not talk about this; your great aunt has sent a letter, she’s given birth to a girl. I’m preparing some gifts. Your grandmother wants you, a Heavenly Master, to draw a peace charm or something of the sort, to send over as a gesture of goodwill, no matter the size." Mrs. Wang said, smiling.

Ever since the representative from the Song family came, the Old Lady and others had developed a profound belief and awe in Qin Liuxi’s abilities. Indeed, they now wanted her to provide a talisman for protection.

Qin Liuxi thought to herself, she was not bashful about it, not realizing how precious her talisman was.

Qin Liuxi took off a Jade Talisman from her person and handed it over: "No need to draw a peace charm, this Jade Talisman has also been nourished by me, it wards off evil and ensures safety, a gift for my little cousin."

"That’ll do, jade settles the body and wards off shock." Seeing that the quality of the Jade Talisman wasn’t bad, Mrs. Wang took it and tucked it into a wallet.

Aunt Wan, who had been pretending to be a quail, said, "Should I make another two sets of little clothes?" It doesn’t seem enough to just make the inner wear, and this is helping Mrs. Wang, equating to the main branch’s sincerity.

Mrs. Wang said, "No need, a little token of care is enough, the Cui family is not lacking these two sets of clothes."

Aunt Wan acknowledged with an "Oh."

Qin Liuxi glanced at the two of them, just about to chip in with something, when suddenly feeling something, stood up, and said, "I’ll be heading back."

Mrs. Wang waved with a smile, sighed, and said, "Although Xixi has joined the Mystic Sect and marriage is not easy, this is the age she should be engaged and having a family. Yet she remains alone, which must feel unsatisfying. Do you think if she had been raised by our side since childhood, she might already be married by now, and we might even be grandmothers?"

"How could that be?" Aunt Wan blurted out without thinking, "With things as you say, she would be either calling off an engagement or being rejected right now. ’Dream of having a family and children,’ how beautiful that sounds!"

Mrs. Wang: "..."

This blockhead!

Under the death stare of the madam, Aunt Wan fearlessly countered: "I’m not wrong, am I? Even the auntie has been sent back home, not to mention those who have already been betrothed."

Mrs. Wang argued weakly, "There are those who honor feelings. We wouldn’t arrange her with some terrible scoundrels."

Aunt Wan, with an expression that implied ’how could you, a clever person, be less clear-headed than this blockhead,’ said, "Hard to say. People always follow their interests. Seeing our family in decline, they’ll surely look to withdraw and seek better prospects. The auntie serves as a warning from the past."

Ha, this illiterate can even quote idioms.

Mrs. Wang, holding back her anger: "Xixi is attractive and excellent; who could bear to break off the engagement with her?"

Aunt Wan burst out laughing, "She isn’t even as delicately handsome as her brother, and her temperament isn’t gentle. If I were a man, I’d choose a demure and graceful girl."

Mrs. Wang was furious, pointing at her: "And you call yourself a mother?"

Aunt Wan shrank her neck and muttered, "Is it wrong for me to speak the truth?"

Mrs. Wang, with eyes shut and face dark, said, "Now that the Qin family is in decline, why don’t you follow your interests and find a new suitor? With your looks, finding another wealthy man shouldn’t be impossible."

"That’s because the master hasn’t given me a divorce letter; I can’t just run off."

Mrs. Wang: "!"

She felt a twinge of sorrow for Qin Bohong, far away in the northwest.

She looked at Aunt Wan and sighed, "I thought you had at least some affection for him, after all, you’ve had two children together."

"That was all accidental. When he came to sleep with me, I couldn’t very well abort the pregnancy, could I? Besides, I didn’t even have to raise them. Just bear the pain of childbirth, and as for upbringing and expenses, isn’t there you, the madam? As for affection, Lady, men who take concubines are heartless towards their legitimate wives; how much affection can they have for concubines? They only have affection because I am fresh and beautiful."

Mrs. Wang couldn’t help but reach out and poke her forehead, "With that attitude of yours in another family’s inner court, you would have been worn down to death by the other madams."

Then again, it’s incorrect. To expend energy on such a witless and naive fool would lower one’s own status.

Mrs. Wang suddenly found it both sad and amusing. Looking at her fair and delicate face, she felt somewhat envious. Being simple and carefree might make for a longer life, and even if one’s fate takes a sudden turn for the worse, at least one would die a contented soul.