Ch 111: The Regent’s Farmer Husband

Jiang Ji slept for a while, and when he woke up, it was already evening.

Warm candlelight filled the room. Lu Huaizhou sat beside him reading a book.

Faint sounds of firecrackers could still be heard outside. Jiang Ji felt deeply content. Turning over, he wrapped his arms around Lu Huaizhou’s waist and rubbed against him.

“You’re awake?” Lu Huaizhou put down his book and reached over to touch Jiang Ji’s head. “Does your head hurt? Are you dizzy?”

“Mmm, not really.”

Lu Huaizhou gently massaged his temples. “Mother and the others are waiting for you to wake up so we can eat reunion dumplings together. Want to get up?”

The blanket was wonderfully warm, and Lu Huaizhou’s fingers felt incredibly soothing. Jiang Ji was reluctant to leave.

After lingering a little longer, he finally climbed out of bed.

The entire family had gathered in the hall. The heated table made everything cozy. Some people were playing chess, others were playing leaf cards, while the younger ones sat around the table playing Monopoly, which Jiang Ji had exchanged through the system. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. Everyone had been waiting for Jiang Ji to wake up before eating dumplings, and they all greeted him warmly when they saw him.

Zhao Ru busied herself instructing the kitchen to cook the dumplings. After eating the reunion dumplings, everyone stayed up to welcome the new year and set off firecrackers together.

Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei, along with the other children, had received generous New Year’s money this year. Each of them wore huge smiles on their faces.

The Great Sheng Dynasty had fairly long New Year holidays. If there were no major affairs of state, court sessions would not resume until after the Lantern Festival.

Aside from attending the palace banquet on the fourth day of the new year, Jiang Ji and Lu Huaizhou spent their days leisurely.

During major holidays like this, Jiang Ji usually held a lottery for the viewers in his livestream. The prizes varied greatly, including food, daily necessities, clothing, little dough figurines, sugar figurines, and toys like diabolos.

This Spring Festival, Jiang Ji and Lu Huaizhou personally selected ten exquisite porcelain vases. Together with some festive gifts, they sent them to ten lucky viewers.

The audience had gradually figured out Jiang Ji’s lottery habits. Knowing he would almost certainly hold a giveaway around this time, they all gathered in the livestream room early every day.

Jiang Ji had inadvertently created many millionaires and multimillionaires in the viewers’ world, helping numerous people achieve financial freedom and pursue their dreams.

From chatting with the audience, Jiang Ji also learned about what happened to some of the previous winners.

For example, the programmer who had won Jiang Yan’s calligraphy piece had quit his job and started his own gaming company. In just two years, his team had developed a hugely successful indie game that earned him a great deal of money. He frequently returned to Jiang Ji’s livestream to send gifts.

Another young woman had sold her prize, quit her job, and traveled around the world. Others had family members who urgently needed money for medical treatment, and winning the lottery had helped them overcome those difficult situations.

Jiang Ji had also given away many pieces of calligraphy as prizes. Since viewers often saw Lu Huaizhou and the others practicing calligraphy during streams, many had become captivated by the calm, composed atmosphere surrounding the practice.

Jiang Ji had once mentioned that in his previous world, many successful individuals practiced calligraphy to cultivate patience, perseverance, and inner peace.

According to the viewers, many people in their world had begun learning calligraphy, including two famous business magnates, Xiao Xuehai and Elder Mu. Because of this, Jiang Ji had specially given away many sets of the Four Treasures of the Study and calligraphy copybooks. As expected, Xiao Xuehai and the others ended up purchasing them from the lottery winners.

Jiang Ji had also given away musical instruments. Many of those instruments were bought or won by accomplished musicians. He had heard that these musicians often gathered together to practice diligently, even posting videos of their ensemble performances, which had become quite impressive. They were even planning future concerts.

Seeing these developments made Jiang Ji genuinely happy. It felt as though the two worlds were communicating with each other.

He had received tremendous help from the viewers, and being able to help them in return brought him great joy.

This particular lottery was held in the study.

Ten beautiful porcelain vases were arranged on Jiang Ji and Lu Huaizhou’s desk while Jiang Ji chatted happily with the viewers.

Lu Huaizhou sat beside him and witnessed the entire process of Jiang Ji talking with the “immortals” and conducting the lottery.

Lu Huaizhou: …

If he didn’t already know Jiang Ji’s secret, anyone else seeing this would probably think Jiang Ji had been possessed by spirits.

After transmitting all the prizes, Jiang Ji clapped his hands and bid farewell to the viewers.

Lu Huaizhou glanced at the desk, which had become completely empty in the blink of an eye. Although he had witnessed it several times before, every occurrence still felt miraculous and shocking.

These were things that completely surpassed his understanding of the world.

Jiang Ji walked over and took Lu Huaizhou’s hand with a smile.

“They’re very happy.”

“As long as they’re happy.”

Lu Huaizhou squeezed Jiang Ji’s hand as they walked toward the weaving room.

Jiang Ji and Zhao Ru continued weaving Yunjin whenever they had free time. By now, they had woven nearly two chi of fabric.

After the Lantern Festival, Lu Huaizhou returned to court, and Jiang Ji also became busy once more.

He left behind some vegetable seeds for Lu Huaizhou to arrange for wider distribution before setting out with Lu Jiu and Lu Wen toward Suzhou in the northwest.

Traveling westward, the weather remained cold and the roads difficult. It took them nearly twenty days to arrive.

The northwest region was dry and received little rainfall. Natural conditions were harsh, and resources were scarce.

Historically, crop yields there had always been lower than those of the Central Plains and Jiangnan regions, making life difficult for the common people.

Jiang Ji left behind large quantities of sweet potato, potato, corn, wheat, and cotton seeds, along with detailed planting instructions.

They also visited the border regions, using up the reward points and viewer donations Jiang Ji had specifically saved to exchange for additional seeds for the border residents.

This time, Jiang Ji did not charge for any of the seeds. They were entirely free.

In his previous life, Jiang Ji had always known that soldiers stationed at the borders endured the greatest hardships.

Moreover, Lu Huaizhou had once told him that whenever war broke out and military provisions became scarce, it was the local civilians who donated the little food they had left to support the defending soldiers.

The region was guarded by the Marquis of Zhenbei. Lu Huaizhou had once served there himself, assisting the Marquis and the border troops in securing victory.

Jiang Ji had brought a personal letter from Lu Huaizhou. The Marquis of Zhenbei had long heard of Jiang Ji’s reputation. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. He knew that the maps previously provided had come from Jiang Ji, and that many of the highly effective weapons now used at the border had also been developed by him. These contributions had been invaluable.

Now, Jiang Ji had brought numerous new crop seeds and distributed them freely to the border civilians, helping address their food shortages.

They warmly welcomed his arrival.

Jiang Ji remained there for more than half a month, teaching the border residents how to cultivate these new crops. He hoped that in the future, the people there would enjoy better lives and that the soldiers defending the borders would never have to go hungry.

By the time Jiang Ji returned to the capital, it was already early April.

The fields had become lush with greenery. Crops such as peppers and watermelons were covered in blossoms.

The moment he dismounted and entered the residence, the steward informed him that Second Aunt’s younger brother and his brother-in-law, Su Quanzhong, had already arrived in the capital and had been waiting for nearly two months.

“They’ve already arrived?” Jiang Ji asked in surprise. “Where are they now?”

“At the Han Residence.”

Jiang Ji nodded. “Alright. I’ll rest today. Uncle Zhong, please send them an invitation. Invite them to the residence tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, Duke Chang.”

After being away for more than two months, and having traveled to the northwest where she had heard the people were fierce and hardy, Zhao Ru had been worried the entire time. Now that Jiang Ji had finally returned, the weight on her heart was lifted.

She busied herself arranging for Jiang Ji and the others to wash up and eat, then asked about the journey. Jiang Ji answered each of her questions one by one.

When Lu Huaizhou received word from home that Jiang Ji had returned, he hurried to finish his work and returned to the residence early as well.

After washing up, Jiang Ji was having lunch with Lu Jiu and the others when he saw Lu Huaizhou walk in. His eyes curved into a smile as he set down his bowl and extended one hand toward him.

Lu Huaizhou strode over quickly, took his hand, and sat beside him.

“Go on and eat.”

Lu Huaizhou looked at him, studying his face for a while. He squeezed Jiang Ji’s hand before releasing it and resting his hand instead at Jiang Ji’s waist.

Jiang Ji resumed eating.

Seeing the two of them, Lu Jiu and the others couldn’t help but snicker.

Lu Huaizhou ignored the looks around them and focused entirely on Jiang Ji. Seeing that the little bit of weight Jiang Ji had regained during the New Year had disappeared again, his expression darkened slightly.

“Oh, right. The Marquis of Zhenbei wrote you a letter,” Jiang Ji suddenly remembered while eating. Turning his head, he called out, “Xiao Liu, bring the letter from the Marquis of Zhenbei from my luggage and give it to the Regent.”

“Right away!” Xiao Liu hurried off.

Lu Huaizhou asked, “Did everything go smoothly?”

“It went pretty well.” Jiang Ji sighed. “But life there is truly hard.”

Not only was the climate harsh, but food was scarce as well. This time, Jiang Ji had brought so many fruit and vegetable seeds that the local people had practically gone mad with joy.

“That region has always been bitterly cold and difficult,” Lu Huaizhou nodded before asking, “Are there crops particularly suited to growing there?”

“There are,” Jiang Ji replied. “Once they’ve solved their immediate food shortages, I’ll go back again. The climate there is ideal for growing cotton and Hami melons. They could develop cotton and Hami melon cultivation bases. I left cotton seeds for them this time too, so they can harvest more cotton in winter to make padded clothing.”

Lu Huaizhou nodded. After spending two years with Jiang Ji, he had learned a great deal about agriculture as well. Cotton required abundant sunlight, and the border regions indeed enjoyed long hours of sunshine during summer.

Thinking that the border soldiers and civilians might be able to improve their lives put Lu Huaizhou somewhat at ease.

And all of that was thanks to Jiang Ji.

The thought softened Lu Huaizhou’s gaze as he looked at Jiang Ji, and his hand resting on Jiang Ji’s waist tightened unconsciously.

Jiang Ji: “!”

The subtle kneading felt like a hint of something more. Jiang Ji turned to glance at Lu Huaizhou.

Was he… getting impatient?

Jiang Ji immediately picked up the pace of his eating.

“Eat slowly,” Lu Huaizhou said, secretly feeling distressed that Jiang Ji’s waist had become even slimmer.

“Eat more meat,” he instructed.

“Mhm, mhm.” Jiang Ji nodded while rapidly stuffing food into his mouth, thinking, You’re the impatient one, yet you’re telling me to eat slowly. Such a contradiction.

Xiao Liu brought over the Marquis of Zhenbei’s letter along with several memorials. Since Jiang Ji and the others had visited the border regions, they had also inspected the defenses there. The Marquis had taken the opportunity to write reports and letters regarding the border situation for them to bring back.

In his letter, the Marquis of Zhenbei wrote that ever since receiving more detailed maps and new weapons, they had thoroughly dominated the northern tribes the previous year. The tribes no longer dared provoke them so easily.

Lu Huaizhou was very satisfied after reading it.

Once Jiang Ji had finished eating, he returned to their courtyard with Lu Huaizhou.

“I heard Su Quanzhong has been here for quite a while?” Jiang Ji asked as they walked.

Lu Huaizhou nodded. “Almost two months. They said they departed immediately the day after receiving Second Aunt’s letter. I had Lu Shun show them around, and they were very interested, so they’ve been waiting for your return.”

“Alright. I’ll meet with them tomorrow.”

The moment they returned to their room and closed the door, Lu Huaizhou pulled Jiang Ji into his arms. A passionate kiss followed, igniting instantly.

Jiang Ji responded enthusiastically. After kissing for quite some time, he heard Lu Huaizhou ask softly,

“Are you tired?”

Jiang Ji narrowed his eyes slightly and bit Lu Huaizhou’s lips, mumbling, “Stop talking so much.”

Lu Huaizhou chuckled softly before lifting him and carrying him toward the bed.

By the time dusk settled outside, Jiang Ji had exhausted all his energy and fell asleep the moment his head touched the pillow, sleeping straight through until dawn.

When Jiang Ji woke up, he discovered Lu Huaizhou was still there. That was unusual.

“Are you off duty today?” he asked in confusion.

“No. I took half a day off.” Lu Huaizhou kissed him. “I wanted to spend some time with you.”

The sweet words pleased Jiang Ji immensely, and he lingered affectionately with Lu Huaizhou for a while longer.

By the time they finally got up, it was nearly mid-morning. Second Aunt’s younger brother and Su Quanzhong had already arrived.

Jiang Ji hurried to wash up, ate a quick breakfast, and then went to meet them. Since Lu Huaizhou had no pressing matters, he accompanied him.

Along the way, Jiang Ji realized he wasn’t sure how to address them.

“How do you address Second Aunt’s younger brother and his brother-in-law?” he asked Lu Huaizhou.

Lu Huaizhou replied, “Just follow the cousins’ lead and call them ‘Uncle.'”

“Oh, alright.”

When they arrived at the main hall, Second Aunt was there as well, while Zhao Ru was entertaining the guests.

Besides Second Aunt and Zhao Ru, three other people sat in the hall. Aside from Second Aunt’s younger brother and his brother-in-law, there was also a young man around twenty years old.

“Ah, Jiang Ji is here,” Madam Han said when she saw Jiang Ji and Lu Huaizhou enter. Her smile immediately faltered as she looked him over with concern.

“Oh dear, Jiang Ji, you’ve lost weight again. The journey must have exhausted you.”

“It wasn’t too bad. The travel itself was just tiring. Thank you for your concern, Second Aunt,” Jiang Ji replied, offering a respectful greeting appropriate for a younger family member.

“Now that you’re back, you need to nourish yourself properly.”

“Alright,” Jiang Ji agreed obediently.

Madam Han smiled before gesturing toward the people opposite them.

“Jiang Ji, you haven’t met them before, so let me introduce everyone. This is my younger brother from my maiden family, Dong Zhian. This is his brother-in-law, Su Quanzhong, head of Su Silk Merchants of Ningzhou. And this is Su Quanzhong’s eldest son, Su Lin.”

Dong Zhian, Su Quanzhong, and Su Lin quickly stood and bowed.

“Greetings, Regent. Greetings, Duke Chang.”

Lu Huaizhou gave a slight nod and returned the greeting with a cupped-fist salute.

“Uncle Dong, Uncle Su, Cousin Su Lin.”

Each addressed the others according to their respective family connections. Jiang Ji also returned the greeting.

“I’ve heard Brother Huaizhou and Second Aunt mention both of you before. I only returned yesterday and have kept you waiting for so long. I truly apologize.”

Dong Zhian and Su Quanzhong waved their hands repeatedly.

“Your Grace is too courteous,” Dong Zhian said. “I heard that you had gone to the northwest to promote new crop varieties. That is an important matter that could not be delayed. It’s been a long time since we last visited the capital anyway, so we took this opportunity to look around. It isn’t a problem at all.”

“I did make a trip there,” Jiang Ji replied with a smile. Looking at the three of them, he addressed Su Quanzhong directly.

“Uncle Su, since you’ve waited so long, why don’t we head to the weaving workshop now?”

“Very well,” Su Quanzhong nodded readily at Jiang Ji’s straightforwardness.

The group headed toward the weaving room.

“When Su Lin and I saw the Yun brocade that Zhian brought back from you, we were absolutely astonished,” Su Quanzhong said with a smile. “We set out the very next day. The fact that Your Grace could create such a loom and such exquisite brocade is truly admirable.”

“I merely built upon the experience of those who came before,” Jiang Ji replied modestly. Not bothering with excessive pleasantries, he continued, “Brother Huaizhou told me that the Su family is renowned for its silk craftsmanship and has maintained that legacy for over a century. I’ve examined your silk products, and they are all exceptional. That’s why the Su family was the first partner I considered.”

“The Regent flatters us,” Su Quanzhong said, pleased to hear that Lu Huaizhou had recommended them.

“Our family has followed our ancestral teachings for generations. From the very beginning, our ancestors placed great emphasis on quality and integrity. Those principles have been passed down through our family. They are the foundation of the Su family’s reputation and confidence.”

Jiang Ji was very satisfied with this answer.

The group entered the weaving workshop.

Three looms stood side by side, each producing a different Yun brocade pattern. Two of the pieces had already been woven to considerable lengths.

Because Jiang Ji’s absence had delayed progress, Zhao Ru’s loom had been reassigned another maid to work alongside her, causing the maidservants’ original piece of brocade to be temporarily set aside.

Seeing the three Yun brocade pieces again, Su Quanzhong and Su Lin’s eyes lit up.

The rich variety of colors resembled rosy clouds in the sky, and the weaving techniques were exceptionally sophisticated.

Their gazes then shifted to the looms themselves.

Since their family worked in this industry, they understood these machines far better than Lu Huaizhou and the others. They couldn’t help but marvel at them.

Observing their reactions, Jiang Ji said,

“Uncle Su, I’ll be direct. Second Aunt has likely already explained the type of partnership I had in mind. So let me ask plainly. You are interested in collaborating with me, correct?”

“Yes,” Su Quanzhong nodded, though he hesitated slightly.

“However… I’m not sure how Your Grace intends to divide the profits.”

The Su family truly was an established silk merchant with excellent quality products. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. They had maintained a place in Ningzhou’s silk industry for many years.

However, by Su Quanzhong’s generation, competition within the silk weaving industry had become increasingly fierce. The Su family had suffered significant setbacks and had already begun to decline.

Su Quanzhong lacked natural talent in silk design and innovation. Fortunately, he possessed strong management skills, which had allowed the family to maintain their standing in Ningzhou’s silk trade.

Still, he understood that continuing this way was unsustainable. That was why he had invested heavily in training his two sons from a young age.

Now, most of the Su family’s new silk designs were created by his eldest son, Su Lin. Su Lin possessed greater talent than he did, which was why Su Quanzhong had brought him to the capital this time to further cultivate his abilities.

Jiang Ji had already thought everything through.

“I’ll provide the looms, weaving techniques, and pattern designs. Your side will provide the workshop, workers, and management. We split the profits fifty-fifty. Does that work for you?”

Su Quanzhong froze.

Seeing his expression, Jiang Ji asked,

“Do you think that’s too little?”

“No, no! Not at all!” Su Quanzhong hurriedly waved his hands.

He had assumed that, given Duke Chang’s current status and influence, if they collaborated, the Su family would be fortunate to receive thirty percent of the profits.

He had never expected Jiang Ji to offer an equal split.

If it had been any other powerful noble, even if they offered only ten percent while demanding all the work from merchants of their lower status, they would hardly have dared object.

Exchanging a glance with Su Lin, Su Quanzhong said,

“Your Grace, are you truly willing to split the profits equally with us? We’d be satisfied with forty percent.”

Jiang Ji blinked in surprise.

This was the first time he’d encountered someone asking for a smaller share.

Su Quanzhong continued,

“To be honest, with your looms and techniques, you could easily open your own workshop and make a fortune.”

Hearing this, Jiang Ji laughed.

“I don’t have enough manpower or energy to manage everything myself. Besides, I don’t want to be separated from my family for extended periods.”

“I see,” Su Quanzhong nodded in understanding.

“That’s right,” Jiang Ji said. “So if you’re agreeable to this profit-sharing arrangement, shall we discuss the remaining details?”

“Agreed, agreed! Of course we agree.”

The two parties spent the entire day carefully negotiating, discussing every detail until everything was settled.

Two days later, Jiang Ji departed again, accompanying Su Quanzhong and his group to Ningzhou.

He inspected the Su family’s silk workshops and silk stores, while also examining the current state of the silk weaving industry throughout Ningzhou and its surrounding regions.

In the end, Jiang Ji officially confirmed the partnership with the Su family.

He drafted a contract containing every detail of their collaboration. After ensuring that nothing had been overlooked, both parties signed and sealed the agreement.

The Su family immediately began preparations for the new workshop.

Jiang Ji provided them with separate component blueprints for the looms, instructing them to commission carpenters to produce all the necessary parts.

While the looms were being built, Jiang Ji and Lu Wen secluded themselves in a guest courtyard at the Su residence, spending their days drawing various brocade pattern designs.

Once the looms were completed, Jiang Ji personally supervised their assembly at the temporary workshop. He also trained the twenty skilled weavers selected by the Su family.

By the time those weavers had fully mastered Yun brocade production techniques and learned how to troubleshoot problems, another two months had passed.

The workshop itself had not yet been completed.

After leaving behind numerous pattern designs, Jiang Ji finally returned to the capital with Lu Jiu and the others.

From the beginning of the year until now, Jiang Ji and Lu Huaizhou had spent most of the past several months apart, which had provoked severe dissatisfaction from a certain someone.

At night, Lu Huaizhou refused to let Jiang Ji go. Even when Jiang Ji’s voice grew hoarse from crying out, Lu Huaizhou showed no signs of stopping.

Jiang Ji truly couldn’t take much more.

He had never realized that Lu Huaizhou had been holding back before. Now that he had completely let loose, it was absolutely terrifying.

“Enough, enough! I won’t go anywhere else for the rest of the year, alright?”

He genuinely couldn’t endure it anymore.

Lu Huaizhou’s deep voice sounded beside Jiang Ji’s ear like the whisper of a demon.

“Let’s settle the debts from the past six months first.”

Jiang Ji: “…”

This is the end of me.

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾

Previous