RPAGF Chapter 389 The Extraordinary Woman of the Si Family
Chapter 389 The Extraordinary Woman of the Si Family
When the Emperor learned that Si Xingzhi had also gone mad, he felt deeply guilty and wanted to reward him handsomely, but his younger sister insisted that he not give her any gold or silver.
Upon hearing that Si Muyan was going to take her parents to the estate to recuperate, he generously bestowed two more estates on the outskirts of the capital upon the Si family.
The Si family was clearly at the very top of the industry, yet overnight, only Si Mutong and Si Jing'an remained in the Marquis's mansion.
Everyone sighed.
"Si Xingzhi is clearly having great luck. His sons are either dead or useless, but his daughters are outstanding. His eldest daughter is filial, his second daughter is exceptionally capable and appreciated, and his youngest daughter has been promoted to the rank of imperial concubine. Her future is limitless."
"It's a pity he didn't have the fortune to enjoy it, and he actually became mentally impaired. What a pity, what a real pity."
Si Muyan didn't feel regretful. When they arrived at the manor, it seemed as if they had returned to the days they had spent in Songji Village.
No, in the past in Songji Village, they worked hard every day, striving for money.
But now they have no worries about food and clothing, and their lives on the estate are leisurely and comfortable.
Shao Qin loved this kind of life. Si Xingzhi would hold Xiaoxia'er's hand and watch her run all over the village.
In just half a month, Xiaoxia has become much stronger, but also much darker.
Yu Meng was a little anxious: "In the future, all the noble ladies will be fair and slender, but our young lady is a stout dark-skinned girl. What should we do?"
Si Muyan interrupted her, "Don't talk nonsense. Our Xiaoxia is healthy and lively, which is better than anything else. Does she have to be a weak woman who faints at the slightest touch? Giving birth is like taking your life, and you don't even know if you can survive until the birth."
Yu Meng thought about it and felt that the young lady's words made a lot of sense, so she let Xiao Xia go.
Si Muyan planted the new vegetable varieties she had researched during the winter on a large scale in the manor. After the tenants tasted them, they all praised her highly, saying that she was clearly a young lady from a wealthy family, yet she understood what farmers did.
As for the chickens and ducks, the ones Si Muyan raised grew quickly and were very healthy. She also knew how to treat their illnesses and prevent chicken plague, among other things.
Not only her estate, but also the estate managers of the neighboring estates came to seek her advice.
She generously shared her knowledge, teaching everyone how to grow vegetables and raise chickens.
They are becoming increasingly close to ordinary people.
Everyone says that this young lady from the Marquis's mansion has absolutely no airs.
As for the second sister, she had long since returned to the Dali Temple to take up her post. In addition to revising the latest laws, she was also in charge of the selection and training of female officials.
Currently, most female officials are selected from commoners, and their wages are not high, not to mention their official ranks. However, many children from ordinary families are happy to be able to earn a living and avoid being enslaved.
Of course, the selection process was very rigorous. The first requirement was that candidates must be able to recognize and write characters.
Noble ladies could read and write, but they wouldn't go out into the world to become female officials. Ordinary people who could afford to study would support their sons, but their daughters didn't need to learn. Poor families, on the other hand, might never have even seen a pen and ink in their entire lives.
Therefore, very few women were truly willing and able to become female clerks.
However, despite the extensive selection process, there were still several candidates. Therefore, the Second Sister was not the only woman chosen by the Dali Temple.
Officials had many complaints about the actions of the Court of Judicial Review. For example, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue flicked his sleeves and pointed at a principal official of the Court of Judicial Review.
"This is utterly indecent! Your Dali Temple is going against the Heavenly Gang!"
The head of the Court of Judicial Review was not angry at all. Instead, he said, "What's wrong with women? Women are diligent and meticulous in their work, and they are much more useful than those aloof men. In my opinion, Your Excellency should also recruit some female clerks. After all, the work of your Ministry of Revenue is very meticulous. Moreover, the more basic the work, the more it involves matters concerning the common people, the more suitable it is to use women when it is inconvenient for men to handle them."
The Vice Minister of Revenue was so angry that his nose was crooked.
The head of the department then looked at the head of the Imperial Medical Bureau and said, "Your Imperial Medical Bureau is even more so. All your students are men, but the empresses and concubines are women. It's inconvenient to take care of many of their illnesses. In my opinion, you should recruit more women! Not female doctors, but real women who can learn real medical skills!"
The head of the Imperial Medical Bureau was dumbfounded. What did it have to do with him? He didn't say anything.
The official in charge looked around and saw that, apart from the Ministry of War officials who stood up straight and weren't afraid of his gaze, the officials from other departments all avoided his eyes, not wanting to cause trouble for themselves.
The person in charge sneered, "You people won't listen to advice. Many women are much smarter than you!"
When the Emperor learned of this, he returned to the Zichen Palace and told his younger sister about it as a joke.
The younger sister was very happy: "This shows that everyone recognizes my second sister, and I am really happy for her. Since we were little, everyone has said that my second sister is too stubborn and I am too clever, neither of us as dignified as my eldest sister. My eldest sister always said that everyone has a different personality, and we cannot judge others by their strengths. Now that I think about it, my eldest sister is absolutely right."
The Emperor thought she was missing her elder sister, so he said, "Others say your elder sister is dignified, but I don't think so. Do you know that she has a manor outside the capital? She can travel around and have a lot of fun without having to go far from the capital. Moreover, there are options for everyone, regardless of their budget. Even ordinary people can choose affordable ways to enjoy themselves."
The younger sister exclaimed in surprise, "Your Majesty, even you know about this, which means the news has spread far and wide."
The Emperor laughed heartily: "Indeed, it can only be said that every woman in your Si family is an extraordinary woman."
He was joking, but the little sister was unhappy.
"My two elder sisters are extraordinary women. The eldest sister is both talented and beautiful, and the second sister is as beautiful as an angel and a heroine among women. I am just an ordinary person. If Your Majesty does not like me, I might as well go back to being a parasite."
The emperor was taken aback: "What is a rice weevil?"
The younger sister snorted and turned away, refusing to acknowledge him.
He loved his little sister's girlish demeanor the most; it made him feel younger. He immediately hugged and coaxed her, almost swearing that he only loved his little sister.
The younger sister then burst into laughter, wrapping her arms around the emperor's neck and acting coquettishly.
The Emperor still asked, "What is this rice weevil you mentioned?"
The younger sister chuckled, "Your Majesty didn't even think of that? Rice will get infested with worms if it's left out for too long. Rice worms never worry about food or clothing; they eat and sleep all they want, living a very happy life."
The Emperor said, "If you are a parasite, you are my parasite. You are not allowed to think about going back to the Si family!"
The two joked around for a while.
However, the Emperor was, after all, a middle-aged man, and was somewhat lacking in stamina. He felt that his younger sister was so young and tender, and always thought that it would be great if he could show off his prowess.
First, he summoned the imperial physicians to inquire, and then he thought of asking the alchemists.
When her younger sister found out, she burst into tears.
"If Your Majesty insists on this, you might as well banish me to the Cold Palace and never see me again, life or death! You know perfectly well that Wan'er only wants your lifelong companionship, so why bother with those useless pills? Don't you know that history books say that pills and the like only drain the body's lifespan to seek a moment of strength? Doesn't Your Majesty know that Wan'er only loves you as a person and doesn't want anything else?"