Chapter 217

For Gui Zhong, he was merely the son of a minor noble. He never imagined he would become a respected scholar or have the opportunity to study and serve the emperor. If it weren’t for the former emperor, who never cared about one’s origins, family, or power, he would have remained in his own corner of the world.

The fact that the Wang gave such a gift was not really for his daughter but rather as a way to show and indirectly remind Gui Zhong.

While he was very interested in Mu Heng’s ideas, he couldn’t deny his own prejudice against the other party due to their origins from the Du Region. Since his birth, the Du Region and the Bai Region had always been rivals.

Although both Regions were subordinate to the Hu Region, this didn’t mean they were friends. In fact, the competition between them was fierce, and they constantly sought to seize each other’s territories. The Hu Region didn’t concern itself with these minor details as long as tributes were paid on time.

Thus, it was difficult for Gui Zhong to fully open up to Mu Heng. His thoughts were often tainted with sentiments like, “He succeeded because the Du Region is weak,” or he frequently compared their actions with those of the Du Region.

His apparent interest in the other party was actually because he wanted to understand the context of the Du Region better. Getting information directly from someone from the Du Region was certainly more effective than sending spies.

In other words, he still harbored significant prejudice against Mu Heng. However, he hadn’t expected the Wang to see through him so easily, and his actions were also considered a strong move!

If Gui Zhong continued to hold prejudice against Mu Heng because of his origins in the Du Region, how was he any different from the nobles who clung to their titles and ranks? As long as he himself received the emperor’s trust, shouldn’t Mu Heng be deserving of that same trust as well?

However, it seemed that throughout the entire Region, only the Wang had truly opened his heart to the couple. Others might have merely followed the Wang’s decisions, as even the Second Prince hadn’t sent anyone to look after them. Instead, he allowed the soldiers of the manor to detain them. Wasn’t this a blatant insult?

Of course, it wasn’t just Gui Zhong who sensed this intention. The Second Prince understood it as well. The history of his grandfather was well-known. Everyone knew him as a broad-minded and wise man, adept at recognizing and utilizing talent effectively.

He was one of the key figures who managed to unite over ten tribes into the Bai Region, significantly expanding its territory.

He also foresaw the need to join forces with the Hu Region rather than fight against them. At that time, many people opposed the idea, claiming that their independence was paramount. However, no one could challenge the emperor’s decision. Ultimately, their decision to join forces proved highly beneficial. The Regions that resisted ended up with their people either dying in battle or becoming slaves.

The ruthlessness and might of the Hu Region instilled fear in everyone. Their emperor was exceptionally cruel, commanding an army hundreds of times larger. Therefore, wherever they marched, they secured victory.

Initially, no one expected the Hu Region to go to such lengths. They thought there would be a way to survive, being just a small Region. No one imagined that the Hu Region would invest so much in suppressing a small Region with nothing to offer.

However, the decisiveness of the Hu Region’s emperor, ensuring no one who opposed him could live well, sent chills down people’s spines. No one wanted to think about what might have happened if they had allowed the Hu Region to handle them instead of surrendering; perhaps they would have ended up as labor slaves somewhere.

The Second Prince felt a bit uneasy. At first, his father-in-law scolded him for letting guests be stopped by his soldiers at the manor’s entrance. He wondered if his uncle had thought about this too, thus reprimanding him by giving his wife the grandfather’s brush.

Just by presenting this gift, the two prominent figures were almost unable to sit still. Only the Wang and his consort continued to laugh and chat happily.

As for the Wang, he gave a gift, believing the other party understood his intentions. However, the consort, who was happy, had no idea that this was a gift given with a rebuke. Despite being the daughter of Gui Zhong, a formidable scholar, her intelligence did not seem to match her father’s.

Yueqian didn’t fully understand their history, but she noticed the unease between the Second Prince and Gui Zhong, who were sitting nearby. This indicated that there was something unusual about the gift, although she couldn’t discern the details. She was sure it concerned her husband.

“This gift is very precious. I will take good care of it. Thank you, Your Highness,” the consort bowed down and thanked the other party.

“May you be happy, uphold the virtues of a lady, and support your husband,” the Wang waved of his hand.

The gift was given, and blessings were bestowed, so all that was left was to drink wine until intoxicated. The Wang didn’t concern himself further, downing a cup of wine in one go. Seeing this, everyone else raised their cups as well.

“Cheers!” After that, the people’s laughter rang out. Following this, the Second Prince and others began presenting their gifts to the consort.

Many of the gifts were quite valuable. Lower-ranking officials didn’t need to present their gifts in person, including Mu Heng, who had his gift passed to the attending court lady.

The gift-giving seemed to be wrapping up, but the Wang wasn’t ready to end it just yet. Seeing that no one else was coming forward and the performances were about to begin, he spoke up playfully.

“Governor Mu, where is the gift you brought?” The Wang said. Although his tone was friendly, he looked at the other party expectantly.

“Um, I handed it to the court lady, Your Highness.”

“Oh, how could that be! I want to see the gift you and your wife brought for my niece-in-law. Come, come, let the court lady bring it out for everyone to see.” The noble said this, although the consort was not entirely pleased, she had to instruct the court lady to bring back the gift from Governor Mu and open it in front of everyone.

Yueqian furrowed her brow slightly. She didn’t understand what the Wang was planning, and her heart started to beat a little faster. In truth, the gift she brought was rather ordinary. However, this was just the view of an ordinary person.

Originally, she hadn’t expected the consort to actually wear the bracelet she had given. Although it appeared to be of little value externally, it was important to remember that it was a modern piece of jewelry.

As long as they had the ability, they would surely notice the intricate details hidden within. Modern jewelry benefited from various tools that aided in its creation.

Whether it was molding, cutting, decorating, welding, and more, as long as there was electricity or coal available, it was easy to produce fine, detailed jewelry—not just easily but in large quantities as well.

This 10,000-coin piece of jewelry wasn’t overly expensive or too cheap. From the perspective of a middle-class person in her previous world, it would be seen as a valuable gift. From the viewpoint of the poor, it would seem very expensive, but from the perspective of the wealthy, it would be considered a cheap item, not worth mentioning.

However, in this era, where there weren’t as many tools as when she had come from, such perceptions were different.

Originally, if the consort were to throw it aside without interest, it might take another 100 or 200 years for someone to recognize its fine craftsmanship and true value.

By then, she and her husband would have long left this world, their names well-known. Her husband would likely be remembered as a former great general, and she might be regarded as a first-ranking lady. By that time, people wouldn’t be surprised to learn why she possessed such a special gift.

Though she was displeased with the Wang for exposing her, she didn’t show much outward reaction. It wasn’t that Yueqian didn’t understand the Wang’s intentions; it was just that her thoughts did not align with his.

She needed more time and a stable position, whereas the Wang wanted to push them into the spotlight and make them known as quickly as possible.

It was good that the Wang was demonstrating that Governor Mu and his furen were not weak. With her true background, at least many people in the Bai Region would show some respect, instead of seeing them as mere poor villagers who moved to Bai for power and wealth.

Even so, there was a risk. Being brought out into the open like this would make them a clearer target for enemies. As long as someone wanted to deal with the Second Prince, Governor Mu would be a significant obstacle that needed to be eliminated.

“Consort, here is a gift from Governor Mu,” one of the court ladies handed a small gift box to the birthday celebrant.

Consort Gui received the gift with a not-so-enthusiastic expression. Her slender hands opened the gift box amidst the gaze of the crowd, and as soon as she saw the gift, she almost sighed.

The gift was nothing special, not valuable enough to warrant opening it. However, considering it was from Governor Mu, it was reasonable.

She even took out the bracelet from the box and tried it on to show the Wang that she held no prejudice against Governor Mu, understanding how much respect the Wang had for him. Although Consort Gui didn’t place much importance on this piece of jewelry, Wei Mudan felt differently.

Upon seeing the simple yet charming jade bracelet, she was quite pleased. The beautiful woman’s eyes glanced at Governor Mu, who remained calm and composed. She couldn’t help but admire his cool and strong demeanor.

His handsome face could easily win the hearts of many women. If not for the fact that the women at the event were ambitious and interested in power than in a man they fancied, they might all have fallen for Governor Mu by now.

Wei Mudan shifted slightly. From now on, she needed to investigate this Governor of Red Earth City further and deal with the annoying obstacle that was Furen Mu.