novelaction Chapter 199: Possible Promotion?
Chapter 199: Possible Promotion?
In the Dayong Dynasty, men could only undergo the coming-of-age ceremony at the age of twenty, signifying that they had reached adulthood, were ready to marry, have children, and establish a family.
Li Haoran, from the Zhenguo General's Mansion, is exactly twenty years old this year, and the date for his coming-of-age ceremony has finally been set.
"Mother, is this prepared for my eldest cousin?"
“Yes, it’s your eldest cousin’s coming-of-age ceremony, and our whole family will be attending. Your eldest cousin has always been close to you all. Have you all prepared gifts?” Li asked with a smile, looking at Mu Xin Nuan and her two siblings.
Mu Qingyuan was the first to speak up, "Mother, the three of us prepared a gift together, but we can't tell you now, we have to keep it a secret. My brother told us to."
Mu Qingxuan glared at him and whispered, "You knew you were supposed to keep it a secret, yet you still told me."
Mu Qingyuan was slightly embarrassed, smiled sheepishly, and scratched his head, saying, "Brother, Mother isn't an outsider. She'll keep it a secret for us. Right, Mother?"
Li smiled and nodded. "This time, it's not like you made the furniture yourself again, is it?"
"Of course not! It is..." Before Mu Qingyuan could finish speaking, Mu Qingxuan covered his mouth with one hand, and he could only blink a few times.
Mu Xin Nuan chuckled, "Alright, stop fooling around. Mother, the gifts we prepared aren't particularly expensive; they're just for good luck. My eldest cousin has had his coming-of-age ceremony, so his wedding should be coming soon, right?"
Madam Li nodded, "It will be soon. However, there were originally several families who were interested in the girls. But a few days ago, the Crown Princess went to visit, and it seems that the marriage has changed again. Let's wait and see."
"The Crown Princess? Is it because of my eldest cousin?" Mu Xin Nuan's heart tightened. Sure enough, in this life, they were still loyal to the Crown Prince's faction. So, could the outcome of the Ming Prince's successful usurpation in the previous life be reversed in this life?
Mu Xin Nuan felt it was somewhat unlikely!
It's already incredibly difficult for her to change her own and her family's fate; it's practically defying the heavens! Those who ascend to the highest positions, while not necessarily true emperors, have extremely strong backing. What can a mere woman with such meager power change?
But can we just stand by and watch? Of course not!
In my past life, my maternal grandparents' family was implicated because of me, so in this life, it's my turn to protect them! Even if I don't have much power, I will find a way to accumulate strength for myself and my loved ones!
Or perhaps? Mu Xin Nuan's eyes flickered. Perhaps she could choose to cooperate with others, just as she could have chosen to cooperate with Jin Yang to deal with Jin Hui. Her own power was limited, but when certain people and certain events involved the interests of others, then the power she could draw upon was far greater!
Having figured this out, Mu Xin Nuan already had a plan in mind.
"Mother, let's find an opportunity another day to invite General Chu and Madam Chu to our residence."
Madam Li was taken aback. She remembered how Chu Moli had previously pointed her finger at her and berated her, and that made her uncomfortable. Because of this, the marriage between the two families naturally fell through. However, she heard from her husband that General Chu had again asked someone to mediate, genuinely hoping that A-Nuan would marry into the family.
Now that Ah Nuan has suddenly brought them up, could it be that she also has feelings for Chu Rong and doesn't want their marriage to be called off?
After sending the two brothers away, only the mother and daughter remained in the house.
"Anuan, why did you invite them here for no reason? Is it because Chu's Arong came to see you again?" When Li said this, she couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart. She always felt that she and her husband were thinking about her happiness. If Anuan insisted on marrying him, she would always feel uncomfortable.
"Mother, what are you thinking about?"
Mu Xin Nuan could tell from her mother's worried expression that her mother had misunderstood.
“Mother, what I mean is that although my marriage to Chu Rong is not going to happen, our two families should not let this cause any rift between us. After all, we are still young. Besides, Father and General Chu had a very good relationship, and before your marriage, you and Madam Chu were very close. Why ruin our harmony over such a small matter?”
Madam Li frowned slightly, somewhat displeased, and said, "Although our Mu family isn't a military family, we're not afraid of the Chu family. Their Chu family's daughter has bullied you like this; are we supposed to rush over and speak well of her?"
“Mother, what I mean is that some things, once they're over, are over. Chu Moli is, after all, just a child. Besides, I heard that she was severely punished after returning to the manor, so why do you keep holding onto this? If you damage the harmony between our two families, the resentment will only grow stronger in the future, and we might even become enemies. Wouldn't that be too much to ask?”
Mu Xin Nuan saw that Li Shi's expression had softened somewhat. "Father has been in the position of Minister of Works for several years now, and I have been visiting his study frequently recently. I have noticed that some of the duties Father is currently handling do not actually belong to the Ministry of Works. Yet the Emperor has entrusted these to Father. Why is that?"
Li's heart skipped a beat. "Anuan, do you mean that your father is very likely to be transferred soon?"
"Yes! Father is an honest man. Although he figured out the Emperor's intentions, he didn't dare to reveal them at all. Father is now a high-ranking official of the third rank, and he has never made a mistake in the past few years. It seems that the possibility of promotion is extremely high! Father was promoted step by step from the Ministry of Works. Everyone thinks that it is already quite good for Father to have become Minister! But Mother, others may have forgotten, but you should not have forgotten, Father also spent three years in the Ministry of War."
Madam Li nodded, her expression becoming slightly serious. "That's right. Your father did indeed serve in the Ministry of War ten years ago. So it seems that the possibility of your father being promoted is indeed very high."
"Exactly. At such a critical moment, it's best not to make any more enemies for Father."
Li's expression froze slightly. Chu Qinghe was a military general, so it was highly likely that her husband would be transferred to the Ministry of War.
"Although Father once served in the Ministry of War, he was ultimately a civil official. Therefore, it was impossible for him to be appointed as the Grand General of the State. However, among civil officials, the positions of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and Minister of the Grand Secretariat were possible. In fact, if Father could gain the Emperor's trust, he might even be granted a title directly."
Li was extremely shocked by what Mu Xin Nuan said calmly!
She looked at her daughter with some disbelief. She was only fourteen years old, yet she could see things so clearly and thoroughly. No wonder the master always allowed her to come and go freely in the study.