Chapter 393: 201 Witness Testimony (Updated)_3
Xu Zhuzhu and Qin Chuyu actually didn’t know each other. Qin Chuyu and Little Monk were in the same class – a class for average students. His father introduced them, and he couldn’t disobey him.
Little Monk doesn’t like Qin Chuyu. One reason being, Qin Chuyu is spoiled and unreasonable; the second reason is that whenever he’s with Qin Chuyu, no one pays attention to what he’s saying. Little Monk doesn’t understand what this feeling is, but he instinctively feels uncomfortable.
Xu Zhuzhu has no particular feelings towards Qin Chuyu.
However, he could sense that his friends were not welcoming towards Qin Chuyu.
Feeling like he did something wrong, he said apologetically, “I’m sorry, I won’t bring him next time.”
“It’s okay. For your sake, I can play with him.” Little Monk is a generous child. As long as Qin Chuyu doesn’t try to steal Jiaojiao from him, he could negotiate everything else.
“What are you guys playing?” Qin Chuyu asked.
Xu Zhuzhu said, “We are building houses.”
With his arrogant tone, Qin Chuyu said, “What’s the point of building such small houses? If you’re going to build, build the Imperial Palace!”
“What’s the Imperial Palace?” Little Monk, a curious boy, asked.
“The Imperial Palace is where my fath… eh-um, where the emperor lives!” Qin Chuyu almost slipped, breaking out into a nervous sweat.
Luckily, the two children didn’t catch on.
Little Monk asked again, “What is an emperor?”
He grew up in a temple, never exposed to such information, and in his current home, his family never mentioned anything about an emperor.
Xu Zhuzhu, coming from a bureaucratic family, knew the answer and explained to Little Monk, “He is the lord of Zhan Country, the most powerful person in the entire world!”
“Oh.” Little Monk seemed to understand, but not quite. He didn’t really want to understand either. He was only interested in their little house, “I’ve never seen the Imperial Palace, so I don’t know how to build it.”
Xu Zhuzhu shrugged, “Me neither.”
They haven’t even seen the Imperial Palace. What a pair of country bumpkins!
Still, Qin Chuyu remembered his father’s teachings not to reveal his identity as a prince.
But secretly in his heart, he made a note. Next time he had a holiday, he would ask his sister-in-law, the princess, for a favor and take his two friends to visit the Imperial Palace.
The next day, His Majesty personally summoned Marquis Gu to verify the information about the bellows.
The Noble Consort was also present.
The smile never left the Noble Consort’s face.
His Majesty was quite cautious and asked another question, “I heard that Official Gu has another daughter in his family.”
The Noble Consort already mentioned Gu Jinyu’s background to the Emperor. Before that, His Majesty had agreed to give her the title of a County Owner and didn’t go back on his promise because she was not the Marquis’ birth child.
It didn’t matter if she was just a Countess without any food or territory.
But the matter of the bellows was significant.
Marquis Gu bowed and said, “Replying to Your Majesty, my eldest daughter grew up in the countryside and has never read any books.”
The meaning of his words was very clear—she was completely illiterate. How could she have invented such an extraordinary tool?
The Marquis didn’t seem to be lying, and the Emperor didn’t think he had any reason to lie. Who would let their own daughter take credit for their adopted daughter’s achievements?
The Emperor drafted a decree, conferring Gu Jinyu with the second-rank title of Wise State Lady.
She is the first state lady in the dynasty who is not of royal birth.
Typically, only the legitimate daughters of princes have the right to be granted the title of state lady. The daughters of the family of a prince are second-rank state ladies, while those from the Crown Prince’s family are first-rank state ladies.
Gu Jinyu is the first state lady who isn’t of royal birth in the dynasty. Her rank is slightly lower than the royal state ladies, but it is only half a rank lower. She also enjoys the support of five hundred households.
Although the support of these households did not mean much money, the symbolic meaning was enormous.
From today, she is a person genuinely recognized by the royal family.
Her status is now suitable enough for a prince.
Of course, the Emperor did not forget about the carpenter who invented the bellows and the first old blacksmith who promoted the bellows among the people.
He decided to call the two to Capital City and grant them rewards.