Peasant Woman's Decreed Life as a Wife

Chapter 1025: Chapter 1022: The Study of Thick-Face, Black-Heart

“The matters between adults, Dad and Mother will solve, you just need to make sure not to be taken advantage of, and also not to be scolded by everyone,”

Having gone through the incident at County Magistrate Sun’s family, Ye Muyu had long sensed the delicate relationships within the official circle of Yuzhou, and she didn’t mind stirring the waters further, for it’s in muddy waters that one can catch fish.

Could the parents of these children really be unaware of their doings?

She didn’t think so, but this was simply because they didn’t take Chu Heng seriously, and they also wanted to help the Lin family suppress her, the legitimate lady.

If she didn’t want to be disadvantaged, then it would be better for others to be disadvantaged.

Ye Muyu then told him some darker tales in detail, to guard him. She didn’t regret teaching these lessons.

There was still the capital later on, if her son was too naive, too easily used by others.

It wasn’t long before the maidservants brought over hot water, and Su Mei also brought his clothes.

After Chu Jin had bathed and changed, his mood had improved a lot.

Ye Muyu also gave him a copy of “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu—just as military strategies can be applied on the battlefield, they could similarly be used in the official circle.

She even gave Chu Jin a handbook on doing business, which was an autobiography Ye Muyu had bought from the old merchants.

The art of doing business was looked down upon by ancient scholars, who only focused on reading the classical works of sages, not knowing that the same business principles could be applied to the official circle.

“Mother, I will read them carefully,” Chu Jin said earnestly.

Ye Muyu reached out and touched his head, “Lil’ Jin, Mother is teaching you these things to protect yourself, not to harm others, understand? We must have principles as people, or we will despise ourselves.”

“Mother, rest assured, I understand what you mean,” Chu Jin nodded solemnly.

Ye Muyu patted his head and had Su Mei escort him back to the front courtyard to rest. He certainly wouldn’t need to go to school today.

The main reason was that Chu Jin was still too young, at only seven years old, and the school in Yuzhou was comparable to a miniature official circle.

Now that he couldn’t return, he could only adapt well.

That very day, Ye Muyu cut down the expenses of the Spring Breeze Courtyard. Everything was managed according to the rules of a concubine in an ordinary seventh-rank official’s family. At the same time, inside and outside the residence, the timing of the closing of gates was regulated more strictly, and everyone needed to write down the hour and their names, among other detailed and trivial information, when coming and going.

The next morning,

Ye Muyu made some egg cakes and let Chu Jin take them to school to share with his good friends.

As Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, after receiving Chu Heng’s reply, Ye Muyu sent out gifts to each household in advance, each with subtle differences.

One after another.

She also received quite a few return gifts.

In Yuzhou, besides the Prefect, other officials included a Tongzhi, a magistrate, a Salt Transport Envoy, and so on. In addition, there were two prominent families, the Yan family of Yu State and Elder Master Zhao of the Ministry of Revenue who had just resigned and returned from the capital.

The Yan family, which had developed in Yuzhou, was even given face by the magistrate of Yuzhou.

The Zhao family still had the legitimate child of Zhao working as an official in the capital, and they were not families that ordinary households could afford to offend.

Ye Muyu first checked the gifts returned by the Zhao family and the Yan family.

The gift from the Yan family was no different from the others’, apparently showing no intention of forging good ties with the Chu family.

However, to her surprise, the gifts from the Zhao family, while also very common, mostly consisted of products from their manor, instead of the usual items presented openly to other families.

Did this mean the Zhao family was willing to form a good relationship with the Chu family?

Ye Muyu thought that it might be worth trying to establish a relationship with the Zhao family to see what they had in mind.

Being officials in the court, there was always a need to make good connections.

After that was the magistrate of Yuzhou, and the gift from the Lin residence was very interesting indeed.