inspire-indiana Chapter 1326 Changing the Plaque
Chapter 1326 Changing the Plaque
At 3:45 PM, on Yintai Street.
A few not-so-mysterious people set up ladders outside the Shen residence.
As more and more onlookers gathered and discussions arose, the gatekeeper, hearing the commotion, slowly opened the gate a crack.
This look was terrifying!
The plaque for the mansion has been torn down!
What are you doing!
He flung open the door, stared at the "Shen Residence" plaque carelessly placed on the ground, and roared, "Who are you people! What right do you have to tear down my Shen Residence plaque! Are you taking advantage of the fact that my master is not in the capital?!"
The man who hung the plaque was taken aback. Standing on the ladder, he called out softly, "Brother, brother, why don't you look up?"
The doorman was furious, but he still instinctively raised his head.
The place where the "Shen Mansion" plaque used to hang has been replaced with a new one.
The new plaque is larger and made entirely of Phoebe zhennan wood, with the four characters "Huguo Houfu" (护国侯府) outlined in gold.
Look at the gold trim, it's... real gold!
But what good is real gold!
They're going to have no home!
The gatekeeper was both aggrieved and angry: "His Majesty... His Majesty actually bestowed the Shen family mansion upon the Marquis of Huguo?"
Overwhelmed with emotions, he completely failed to recall that the Great Zhou Dynasty did not have a marquis titled "Protector of the Nation."
"You just wait!" He stamped his foot and dashed into the mansion like the wind, shouting as he ran, "Granny Gu! Granny Gu! Something terrible has happened! Come out and see!"
The craftsmen who replaced the plaque looked at each other in bewilderment.
What does he mean by this?
"Didn't he read the notice?"
"He's guarding the door! What kind of notice would he be looking at?! Besides, the notice has only been posted for a quarter of an hour, where would he be looking at it from?!"
"The plaques were all made in a rush, but no one came to announce the good news beforehand?!"
"Didn't Eunuch Hong say he was going to give them a surprise?!"
"This is no surprise! Quick, go explain this to them!"
"No, no! Who are we to enter the Shen Marquis's residence so casually?"
"Now you're all talk about manners! But when we were getting the plaque, you weren't being reasonable at all!"
"I already said, it was Eunuch Hong's idea!"
"Oh dear... you know what a mess this is."
......
A moment later.
The gatekeeper led Granny Gu, who, along with a group of servants, stormed to the gate.
There was one more person at the door than before.
"Eunuch Hong?"
Granny Gu secretly gave the gatekeeper and the others a wink, and quickly stepped forward.
Looking at the "Shen Residence" plaque casually placed on the ground, she frowned slightly: "What is this...?"
"Oh dear, it's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding!" With a beaming smile, Eunuch Hong quickly came to Granny Gu's side and began to congratulate her without saying a word: "Congratulations, Granny Gu! From now on, you will be the head steward of the Marquis of Huguo's mansion!"
Granny Gu was suddenly stunned.
She seemed to understand what Eunuch Hong meant, but the last shred of reason made her ask, "Eunuch Hong, what... what is the Marquis of Protectorate's Mansion?"
Is it what she thinks?
Marquis Protector of the Nation?
A marquis?!
No, that can't be...
"Just as you think!" Eunuch Hong led her out of the mansion and down the stone steps, then gestured for her to look up: "Take a look at this plaque. His Majesty ordered it to be made as soon as court adjourned today! As soon as it was finished, I sent someone to deliver it first! However... it was my fault for not informing him beforehand, which almost caused a laughing stock. Please forgive me, Granny!"
Granny Gu looked up in a daze.
Under the sunlight, the four gold-bordered characters of "Huguo Hou Mansion" shone brightly.
"Eunuch Hong..." Even though she was used to the ups and downs of the palace, Granny Gu couldn't help but secretly swallow. "If... if this old servant has heard correctly, you mean... my master has been granted a marquisate?"
Is this reasonable?
Isn't the lord in Liuyang Prefecture?
How could he have been suddenly granted a noble title?
Liuyang Prefecture...
Suddenly, something occurred to her, and her eyes widened slightly: "Is it the locust plague in Yanzhou?"
"Oh, right!" Eunuch Hong said with a beaming smile, "The locust plague has been solved by Lord Shen... oh no, Marquis Shen! Marquis Shen has solved it! At today's court assembly, His Majesty was in high spirits and bestowed upon Lord Shen... no, look at my mouth! His Majesty conferred upon Marquis Shen a title! A third-rank title, Marquis Protector of the Nation!"
"A...a third-rank official?!" the gatekeeper exclaimed in surprise.
"The Marquis of Protectorate?!" The servants followed closely behind.
"Granny Gu!" Suddenly, an urgent voice came from behind the crowd of onlookers.
Pei Yu, drenched in sweat, squeezed through the crowd, hands on her hips, panting heavily, and stammered, "Our lord, our lord, she... she..."
Before she could finish speaking, the four large characters "Huguo Hou Mansion" caught her eye.
......
From the moment the plaque was changed, the Huguo Marquis's Mansion became a "hot attraction" on the entire Yintai Street.
Countless people came to watch the spectacle.
Congratulatory gifts from various officials' residences also kept arriving.
At dusk, the area outside the Marquis of Huguo's mansion was still bustling with activity, as described in the phrase "a constant flow of carriages and horses."
While going through the gift list, Granny Gu noticed something unusual: "The Marquis of Yongning's residence? The Marquis's residence? The Marquis?"
She pondered the gift list for a long time, then couldn't help but raise her hand and call out, "Peiyu, come here."
Peiyu gently placed the gift box she was holding on the ground and quickly ran over to ask, "What's wrong, Granny?"
"The Earl of Yongning, he..."
"Oh, right!" Before Granny Gu could finish speaking, Pei Yu slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "I've been so busy I forgot to tell you, the Earl has also been promoted! He's now the Marquis of Yongning!"
Granny Gu was greatly alarmed.
"You little rascal!"
She tapped Pei Yu's forehead forcefully: "The Marquis's mansion has already sent people to deliver the congratulatory gifts! And we're still here silently counting the gifts we've received! Hurry up, call Mu Qing and have him prepare a gift list for me. We must deliver the congratulatory gifts before dark!"
......
child time.
The bright moon hangs high in the sky.
After a busy afternoon and half the night, the people of the Marquis's mansion finally had a chance to catch their breath.
"That was terrifying..." Pei Yu plopped down under the eaves of the main hall, took the water Mu Qing handed her, drank it all in one gulp, and said with lingering fear, "Those people who came to deliver gifts were like they had a knife to their throats, afraid of being slower than others! My toes were stepped on at least eighty times today!"
"You still dare to talk..." Accountant Lei Pancheng pulled out a brush from his pocket. "None of these brushes belong to our household! Those people brought their own brushes so they could register first!"
Pei Yu burst out laughing: "Then you're the one who profited."
Lei Pancheng sighed.
Don't tell me, really don't tell me.
Any one of these pens in my hand could be worth ten or twenty taels of silver.
“I can’t handle this…” He put the pens back on the table one by one. “Let’s wait for Granny Gu to decide. It would be best if we could return them to them.”
Pei Yu smiled upon hearing this and turned to look at Mu Qing, who had remained silent.
"Mu Qing, what are you thinking about? Are you tired?"
"I'm not tired." Mu Qing gazed intently at the bright moon hanging high in the night sky and said softly, "Do you think... the moon in Liuyang Prefecture is just as round tonight?"
The moonlight, like unspoken longing, poured down continuously and flowed gently.