Chapter 511 - 505_1
Separated by thousands of miles, Lin Yue was unaware of the harsh words Zhao Erhu had uttered, nor was she aware of Haishi’s thoughts. At that moment, she was receiving the New Year’s gifts from the Capital City. Judging by the timing, these gifts and those sent by her family were dispatched around the same period. However, what surprised her was that she received not only the New Year’s gifts from the Jiang Family and Lady Roujia but also a gift from Princess Yongle. It was known that Princess Yongle, still unmarried and living in the palace, relied on the Imperial Household Department for all her expenses and naturally did not need to prepare New Year’s gifts. Lin Yue’s decision to send a gift was due to Princess Yongle’s status and the goodwill between them.
However, Princess Yongle, being the most favored princess, sent the finest of the fine. This lady was generous and, by estimation, sent much more than both the Jiang Family and Lady Roujia. Lin Yue suspected that Princess Yongle might have chosen directly from the Imperial Household Department without spending her own money, and therefore did not feel the pinch.
Yet, Princess Yongle indeed possessed such an attitude; not to mention using the Imperial Household Department’s resources, she would not care even if it were her own possessions. After all, a princess who grew up with every luxury and affection showered upon her cared little for material wealth, unlike commoners like Lin Yue, who pondered daily on how to earn silver.
The New Year’s gift from Princess Yongle was the most abundant and precious of all. Among the items were even rare gems and jade artifacts from the palace. Although the gifts from Lady Roujia and the Jiang Family were not as lavish as those from Princess Yongle, they were undeniably generous and of the highest quality. Only the Chen Family’s New Year’s gift was miserably modest, comprised merely of some ordinary fabric and dried fruits—inferior even to Lin Yue’s household usage. She wondered if their total value even reached two hundred taels of silver, leaving Lin Yue quite taken aback.
Although the New Year’s gift Lin Yue had arranged for the Chen Mansion was not as personally selected and carefully prepared as those for the others in the Capital City, they were still quality goods. After all, Chen Dalang had become a Fourth-rank official, and the gifts could not be too humble, lest they seem disrespectful. Moreover, although Lin Yue was not keen on interacting with the Chen Family due to her relationship with Chen Dalang’s wife and daughter, she still recognized Chen Dalang’s kindness.
Speaking of which, Chen Dalang could be considered a righteous official, neither greedy for wealth nor corrupted by lust. His support was significant to her family during his tenure in Xin’an City. Even though Chen Dalang had his motives—to curry favor with the Jiang Family—the benefits were received, and Lin Yue was not one to shirk them. Therefore, the gift sent to the Chen Mansion was only half less than what was sent to the others, certainly ample. One should note that Chen Dalang’s status could not compare with the Jiang Family or Lady Roujia, let alone Princess Yongle.