Wan Jian returns to his clan!

Chapter 212 An astonishing birthday gift, one after another.
"Yu Lian has arrived."

The old lady, who was sitting in the main hall surrounded by her daughters-in-law and maids who were saying auspicious words, looked unwell and tired. But as soon as she heard the welcoming voices, she immediately sat up straight.

"Quickly, let him in and take a look. This girl hasn't been to the capital for years. I wonder how she's doing? And my little grandson, is he fully recovered? Everyone says the Lu family's Huichuntang clinic has miraculous medical skills, yet they couldn't even take good care of my perfectly healthy grandson. It's really..."

Two women in their forties or fifties, dressed in gorgeous robes, looked displeased upon hearing this. They thought to themselves that the old lady had always doted on her youngest daughter, praising her for being sensible, obedient, and filial, and considered her a blessed person.

She looked down on her two eldest daughters, and sometimes, when she got really angry, she would even berate them for being mean-spirited and petty. She worried that even if they got married, they wouldn't get a good life in their husbands' families.

As it turns out, the old lady's judgment was quite sharp in some respects. Her eldest and second daughters indeed had little status in their husbands' families and couldn't control their husbands. They took concubines one after another, and their own families didn't benefit from their husbands' families at all.

But then again, they still married into families of court officials and nobles. Even a disgraced first wife is still a first wife. Whether she lives a good or bad life is not for others to see, but as long as she has something to show for herself, that's enough.

The old lady's favorite youngest daughter, regardless of whether she was doing well or not, married a wooden man who only knew how to practice medicine; calling him a merchant's wife would be an understatement.

Every time she came to Beijing, let alone her outward appearance of glamour, the wealthy and noble ladies of the capital didn't even want to exchange a single word with her.

Even her two older sisters would sometimes scold her, feeling disappointed and ashamed to be associated with their younger sister.

"So what if she's here? She didn't even say she'd come sooner. I think this girl doesn't care about her mother at all."

"Yes, after all, the Lu family isn't doing too well. I heard from someone recently that their Huichuntang clinic went out of business and they've fled to Mingyang City, where they're basically living under someone else's roof. They might not even be able to afford the travel expenses, so there's no need to blame her."

The two sisters, Chen Jinlian and Chen Baolian, sang in harmony, which made the old lady's face darken slightly and her expression become even more indifferent.

Sitting beside her, the eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Zhao, with her sharp eyes and stern expression, now the wife of the Marquis of Changxin, shook her head and said in a deep voice, "Today is the old lady's birthday, a joyous occasion. Eldest sister and second sister, please refrain from saying too much. Do not lose your manners in front of our distinguished guests and make yourselves a laughingstock."

"Uh……"

The two sisters, looking embarrassed, didn't dare to say anything more.

He knew that his sister-in-law was now in charge of the household and valued her reputation above all else.

Although the younger brother inherited the title, three hundred years had passed since the founding of the dynasty, and the title bestowed upon him back then was nothing special.

Without military power or real authority, the young men in the manor are neither good at literature nor martial arts; they just loaf around and wait to die, and none of them are any good.

Aside from swallowing his pride and running some businesses to support the household expenses, he even carefully considered every social obligation.

Despite being called a marquis's mansion, aside from that title, even a mere seventh-rank official in the imperial court wouldn't take them seriously.

When asking someone for a favor, one doesn't have as much influence as a powerful prison warden in the Chaotian Prefecture.

These days, those with power and money are kings. Without power and money, even a prince, let alone a marquis, will live in fear and be bullied by his servants.

Of course, there are no princes in Li Dynasty now.

"Yes, yes, sister-in-law is right. No matter what, we have to save face."

"Tongguang is currently an official in the Ministry of Rites, and frequently socializes with high-ranking court officials. He must not give the impression of family discord; some things should be kept from being overheard."

The second daughter-in-law, Madam Wei, also chimed in softly.

Immediately, Madam Zhao fell silent.

Feeling extremely frustrated, he turned to look at his second son's wife and thought to himself, "As expected, this woman is the most cunning."

Everything he said implied that the second son held an official position in the family, and the whole family depended on his connections to make a living. They would use his connections to send notes and pull strings.

Others might not give face to a mere figurehead marquis, but the face of a current fifth-rank official in the capital, even if he's just a figurehead with little real power, must still be given.

Several elderly women surrounded the old matriarch, arguing heatedly, while the men and some younger members of the family seemed not to hear a thing.

While welcoming guests and inviting them into the grand hall, they ran and played happily.

The brother and sister kept calling out to each other.

It's like celebrating the Chinese New Year.

No, it's even more lively than Chinese New Year.

Although the old lady is getting old, the friendships among the older generation have gradually faded due to less interaction.

However, on his seventieth birthday, even officials and nobles who had not been in contact with him for a long time had to come and pay their respects as juniors, just to show that they had not forgotten their old friendship.

Therefore, at this time, the most distinguished guests come to the house, and the young masters and ladies they bring are of the highest status.

Many of the children of high-ranking generals and powerful officials, who are usually not part of the same social circle, also came over.

At this time, getting to know one or two people might just lead to securing an official position.

"Where is the master of ceremonies? Why didn't he announce the greetings after welcoming the guests? Did he forget to drink water and get a sore throat?"

Just as the official announced the arrival of the Third Young Lady of the Marquis's Mansion, all was quiet outside the door, except for occasional extremely suppressed and strange low moans.

It was like seeing something incredible.

"The master of ceremonies is bowing and has no time to announce the ceremony."

A little boy dressed in a short red silk outfit and with his hair tied in a high ponytail ran over in a flash, glanced at the scene, and then came back to report.

This left everyone even more confused.

"This is outrageous! What kind of worship is this?"

Chen Tongguang, an official in the Ministry of Rites, was a man of great propriety and valued his mother's birthday gifts the most. At this moment, his face darkened, feeling that he had done something wrong and had chosen the wrong person.

Is this all the old butler, who was cautious and shrewd his whole life, was capable of?

If the Marquis of Changxin's family doesn't handle things well, they'll lose face in the entire capital.

Fortunately, the old housekeeper Zhang Xinggui was reliable after all.

Although her voice trembled slightly, she still took it.

"Third son-in-law Lu Changfeng and third daughter-in-law Chen Yulian, along with Lu Wubing, have come to offer their birthday wishes, presenting a golden statue of the God of Longevity, a jade Guanyin statue, a blood jade coral, and a thousand bolts of cloud brocade..."

Zhang Xinggui's voice was old and high-pitched, but for some reason, it was trembling and stuttering.

The reason for the stuttering was now clear to everyone in the hall.

Looking up, everyone was stunned. Everyone fell silent, even the little children who were running and playing stopped in their tracks and stopped making noise.

A group of burly men entered through the main gate, eight in front and eight behind, a total of sixteen. Divided into two lines by a cross bar, they marched in orderly steps, like centipedes, their footsteps causing the ground to tremble slightly, as they entered the hall.

What were they carrying?

It is a bright, shiny golden statue of the God of Longevity with kind eyes and a smiling face.

The statue, about two meters tall, stands atop a wooden palanquin, like a deity descending to earth. A single glance at it instantly soothes the soul and uplifts the spirit.

One glance brings joy, two glances bring good fortune, and three glances bring longevity.

After just a few glances, everyone knew it was a treasure, and that praying to it more often wouldn't hurt.

Watching it for a long time can also make you feel good and healthy.

Why do you think that way?

Because, at this moment, the old lady's face was radiant.

The previous mental fatigue vanished instantly, and in the blink of an eye, I felt as if I had become ten or five years younger. I took a deep breath and actually stood up.

The birthday celebrant has arrived; will she dare to sit down?
No one in the hall dared to remain seated any longer.

Some people were so shocked that they even knelt down.

Master carvers infuse their emotions into their carving, conveying the image from the heart—this is the highest level of artistry.

Of course, there were always some who didn't believe in gods, but at this moment they discovered something strange about it...

A slightly overweight middle-aged man on the left side of the lobby exclaimed, "Even sixteen strong men carrying it with all their might were swaying as they walked. Each person could support nearly three hundred pounds. This statue of the God of Longevity must weigh a full five thousand pounds! Good heavens!"

It is indeed pure gold, two or three times heavier than iron; this is a treasure of the town!

What does 5,000 jin of gold mean?

That's 80,000 taels.

Don't be fooled by the royal rewards for ministers, which often amount to thousands or even tens of thousands of taels of gold. Local rewards also typically include thousands or tens of thousands of taels, but these mostly refer to pure gold, which is copper, or white gold, which is silver. Sometimes, they even refer to copper coins. To actually reward ministers with gold ingots or gold notes would be incredibly wasteful.

For an ordinary family of three, monthly expenses would be less than one or two taels of silver.

A family that could afford to eat and live for a year would only need to spend one or two taels of gold, so they wouldn't be considered poor.

You can imagine how much that 5,000 jin of gold actually is.

Even if we bought the entire Marquis's mansion, we might still have money left over.

"How could he?"

"How dare he?"

The slightly overweight middle-aged man murmured to himself, almost incoherently.

If someone else had shouted like that, the servants in the Marquis's mansion would have thought that person was ignorant and a country bumpkin.

However, no one present dared to think that way.

Because this person was Zeng Jichang, a fifth-rank official in the capital with real power, who was also a third or fourth-rank official in the provinces.

With his keen eye, he clearly wouldn't be mistaken about the gold content of this pure gold statue.

Moreover, some people understood it.

Not to mention the preciousness of gold itself, the craftsmanship and the spirit of the carving are worth far more than the material itself.

It can imbue objects made of metal and stone with natural blessings and influence people's hearts, without needing to compare itself to anyone else. As long as it is placed there, countless temples and pavilions will want to take it as their treasured possession.

The worshippers have to line up from the top of the mountain to the bottom to offer incense.

In an instant, everyone in the hall had a radiant smile, while the old lady was so delighted that her eyebrows practically jumped up.

Before those kneeling men and women, who were obsessed with the blessings, could get up, soon, a large number of hundreds of people in the hall knelt down again.

Even the old lady felt her knees go slightly weak this time, and she was filled with excitement.

The statue of the God of Longevity was moved to one side, revealing a similarly two-meter-tall statue carried by four people.

This time, however, it was made of white jade, surrounded by clouds and mist.

Clouds and smoke rose, like ethereal fairy mist, and within them appeared a Bodhisattva.

The Bodhisattva holds a jade vase in his left hand and a willow branch in his right, sprinkling sweet dew to save all sentient beings.

Compared to the previous Golden God of Longevity, the Jade Guanyin at this moment is more like a deity who has come to life.

Just one glance was enough to shock everyone; those who didn't kneel were truly of iron will.

Of course, whether kneeling or standing, one's heart is serene and peaceful, feeling no worldly troubles that trouble the mind. All kinds of hardships are dissolved.

Treat illnesses if you are sick, and relieve worries if you are not sick.

Bowing to Guanyin brings peace and tranquility to the world.

That's how amazing it is.

The old lady stood there, staring blankly at the Guanyin statue. It seemed as if the wrinkles on her face had quietly smoothed out, and she felt that she had a long and blessed life with no regrets.

"This is a snow-capped mountain cliff, a piece of Cloud and Mist Jade? An ordinary person could obtain even a small piece and find peace and tranquility, treasuring it like a precious gem. Yet here there is something like this, something like this..."

At this point, Zeng Jichang, the secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, was at a loss for words.

So much so that the mountain of blood jade coral behind him, and the thousands of exquisitely beautiful cloud-like fabrics, were almost too much for him to take in.

"A huge move, an absolutely huge move! Did they raid the home of some powerful and wealthy family?"

It has to be said that the fat man was actually right.

Aside from Lu Wubing's superb carving skills, these things were indeed confiscated from his home.

The Blood Jade Coral and Cloud Jade were confiscated from the East Sea Prefect's treasury. It's unknown how many years the direct descendants of the Cui family had been embezzling to accumulate such wealth.

This golden statue of the God of Longevity was also part of the confiscation of property, specifically the wealth accumulated by Ming Yutang.

Although Cheng Liangyu didn't say anything, she was filled with regret. She regretted not recommending to her parents earlier that all the gold and silver be distributed to recruit soldiers and horses, or even just to support her own sect and cultivate experts.

There are always multiple people to look after them.

Sometimes, if you play the fool for too long, you become the fool yourself, and then you get killed.

Of course, the next generation, not being in that position, can't say much about the grudges and grievances of the previous generation of the Tianxing Sect.
It can only be said that everyone has their own ideas and their own choices.

Ultimately, whatever the outcome, no one can blame them.

Lu Wubing swept through Donghai County, not only wiping out the wealth Mingyutang had accumulated over many years, but also destroying the family fortune of Prefect Cui.

We still had some free time along the way, so we went to the Zhu family's house and looted a bunch of fat animals—they were so fat it was almost unbearable to look at.

To others, these possessions were indeed extraordinary, but to Lu Wubing, who held real control of three prefectures, they were merely external things.

To say it's just a drop in the ocean would be an exaggeration, but it's only a tiny bit peeking out from between the fingers.

Those who haven't personally swept through wealthy families can never imagine how shrewd some people are at making money and finding treasures.

Therefore, Lu Wubing didn't feel any pain at all when he got his hands on it and used it himself.

If it can make my parents feel proud and make my loving grandmother happy, then it's all worth it.

His senses were extremely sharp; even from a distance outside the mansion, he clearly heard the old lady's deep love for her child, and felt a warmth in his heart.

He remained silent, simply observing the changing expressions on the faces of everyone in the hall, feeling quite pleased with himself.

"Mother, your daughter is late. Hurry up, Wubing, come and wish your grandmother a happy birthday."

Upon seeing her old master, Chen Yulian burst into tears of joy and hurriedly pulled Lu Wubing forward.

"It's not too late, my dear, you're getting old too."

The old lady held Chen Yulian's hand, overwhelmed with emotion, her eyes welling up with tears.

After the mother and daughter exchanged a few words amidst tears and laughter, Lu Wubing finally found an opportunity to step forward and offer his birthday greetings.

The old lady held his hand and praised him profusely.

What nonsense about being handsome and talented? My grandson needs to be at least a princess to be worthy of him.

However, today is the old lady's big day, and no one will take her words seriously.

This also shows how much the old man loves his grandson.

Once you start holding on, you don't want to let go.

The younger generation around them were all so envious they could hardly contain their jealousy.

"Lord Cui Wenhu, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, has come to offer birthday greetings...and presents..."

The welcoming voices rang out again.

The people in the hall were slightly taken aback.

This was the first Vice Minister to arrive in person. He was a third-rank official in the capital, considered a high-ranking official in the court.

Why would they come to celebrate the birthday of the old lady of the Marquis of Changxin's mansion? Could it be that the court intends to reinstate the idle Marquis, giving the Marquis of Changxin an opportunity to lead troops?
Others haven't done anything yet.

Marquis Changxin, Chen Tongxi, almost lost his balance. He swayed and suddenly stood up, his face flushed.

The Marquis's mansion had been stagnant for over two hundred years, just loafing around and waiting to die, getting worse year by year.

Is it possible?
"Please, please."

……

(End of this chapter)