By a twist of fate, the illegitimate son of the Marquis's family marries the county princess.

Chapter 127 Seeing Through the Worldly Affairs?

Xinya Garden

Because they now have a dedicated meeting place for mahjong club members, they no longer set a time for their gatherings. With so many members, anyone looking for mahjong partners can simply arrange a time to meet.

Therefore, there are people here almost every day.

Zuo Mingxuan and Pei Rujing played a few rounds of games, then sat down together in the back room to drink tea.

Zuo Mingxuan sized up Pei Rujing: "Why do I feel that the county princess has become even more beautiful since her birthday?"

Instead, she possessed an indescribable charm.

In other words, those familiar with Pei Rujing could vaguely sense it.

Pei Rujing paused in her tea-drinking, suppressing the scenes flashing through her mind, and said, "This county princess is naturally beautiful, and has always been... What do you think of the marriage proposal?"

Zuo Mingxuan nodded: "It's alright, there are no problems so far."

Pei Rujing looked at her expression: "Why don't you seem shy at all?"

Zuo Mingxuan touched her cheek: "Why should I be shy?"

"If it really works out, this person will be your future husband."

Zuo Mingxuan casually picked up a piece of fruit and put it in her mouth: "Husband and wife, brothers and sisters, parents and children, these are just kinds of relationships between people."

Pei Rujing was stunned: "You're going to become a nun?"

Hearing this, I get a sense of detachment.

Zuo Mingxuan rolled her eyes: "With so many delicious foods in this world, what would I have to be thinking to become a nun?"

Pei Rujing said, "Then why do you look like you've seen through the world?"

Zuo Mingxuan sighed, "I just feel it's meaningless. My mother has gone to great lengths to arrange my marriage. No matter what the reason, I will have to get married sooner or later."

Pei Rujing frowned: "Madam Zuo has always doted on you. If you really don't want to, can she force you?"

"But I didn't refuse."

"and you……"

"None of them were willing."

Pei Rujing was a little confused: "You think it's okay whether we get married or not?"

Zuo Mingxuan shook her head: "I think this person is not bad, and he should be suitable as a husband. This is a rational judgment, not because I like him."

She didn't actually have any intention of not getting married; she was just annoyed by the frequent matchmaking attempts.

Pei Rujing was speechless: "Isn't this normal? What couple knows they love each other before they even get married?"

She and Wen Zongji also went through a long period of adjustment after getting married before they reached where they are today.

Zuo Mingxuan lay on the table: "The stories in the novels really don't exist in reality."

Pei Rujing snorted coldly: "I told you long ago not to read so many romance novels, they'll ruin your brain."

Zuo Mingxuan didn't want to continue the topic: "Isn't today a day off? Didn't Lord Wen accompany the County Princess?"

Upon hearing this, Pei Rujing pouted and said, "He's busy with something."

Zuo Mingxuan teased her, "Your Highness looks a bit resentful. It's just one day off; is it really that big of a deal?"

Pei Rujing glared at her: "This is none of your business!"

Zuo Mingxuan laughed: "Your Highness is truly blessed but doesn't know it. There are so many people in our society, you can go and ask around, which young master would spend every day off with them? The young masters are busy with official duties, busy making friends, busy currying favor with their superiors, they just don't have time to spend with their wives at home. Lord Wen is a rare find in this world."

Sometimes she felt that Heaven truly favored Pei Rujing too much. Giving her a stunningly beautiful appearance and a family background showered with love and affection wasn't enough; it also gave her a husband who was so gentle and considerate that he seemed unreal.

That's truly enviable.

Pei Rujing glanced at her: "What does it matter to me how other people's husbands are?"

The county princess would never lower her standards for Wen Zongji just because other people's husbands were so bad.

Zuo Mingxuan shrugged: "It's just to let the county princess know how good her husband is, and that she should cherish him."

"My husband is naturally the best, why do you need to tell me!"

In Pei Rujing's heart, no one could compare to Wen Zongji.

……

Ruijintang

The reason Wen Zongji didn't have time to accompany Pei Rujing was because he had to meet with the owners of various bookstores at Ruijintang.

Because of the storytelling competition he organized before, Mao Zheng has maintained contact with the owners of various bookstores and their relationships have remained good.

Upon learning that Wen Zongji wanted to see them, they all came to Ruijin Hall, and everyone gave them face.

At this moment, each shopkeeper held a copy of the Beijing Gazette.

Wen Zongji asked, "Do you all think the common people are willing to spend three copper coins to buy such a copy of the Beijing Gazette?"

"My lord, this book contains important matters of the court, as well as the exquisite articles written by Lord Jiang of the Hanlin Academy, and legal cases from Shuntian Prefecture. Any scholar would be willing to buy a copy."

"That's right. Although the content in the Beijing Daily is short, it is all the essence. I believe that many people will develop the habit of buying the Beijing Daily in the future."

They all owned bookstores, and no one knew better than them whether the Beijing Daily had a market or not.

Wen Zongji nodded: "Very good. Then, according to the size of the bookstore, each bookstore will purchase a certain amount of the Beijing Gazette from the Beijing Gazette Office to sell."

None of the bookstore owners had any objections to this.

But someone asked, "Sir, is this three copper coins the price we pay to the common people, or the price the Imperial Gazette Bureau charges us?"

"Naturally, it's the price we sell to the common people. I must make this clear from the outset: anyone who buys newspapers from the Beijing Gazette Office and resells them to bookstores must set the price at three coins; price increases are not permitted."

"As for the price you get from the Beijing News Bureau, there will be a discount based on the quantity you purchase, and you will definitely not suffer losses."

Upon hearing Wen Zongji say that prices were not allowed to be raised, the shopkeepers looked at each other in bewilderment.

So how much more can they earn?

Mao Zheng then stepped forward and said, "Gentlemen, you are all intelligent people and should be able to see the potential of this Beijing Daily. When the Beijing Daily becomes popular in the capital, its sales will definitely be high. We are among the first to sell the Beijing Daily, and I believe the magistrate will not treat us unfairly."

Wen Zongji nodded: "The Capital Gazette Bureau is controlled by the Crown Prince. The Capital Gazette is an official gazette, so naturally not just any bookstore is qualified to sell it."

Upon hearing this, the hesitant person immediately became resolute.

What a joke! If they don't stand firm now, Wen Zongji might just exclude them from the list of people allowed to sell the Beijing Daily.

They are all merchants; they cannot do things that are not worth the loss.