Chapter 155: Ancient沉 Wood

It wasn’t that they had forgotten; it seemed that Princess Ningyuan had no intention of marrying off. Of course, Xue Yun wouldn’t bring up such a topic. “Lan, cousin, what exactly did you receive?”

Everyone watched as Jiang Lan’s maid brought over a large box. It didn’t look like...

Jade? Impossible. Such a large item, even the maid couldn’t carry it easily.

A famous painting? That was unlikely as well. The young master from the Wei State’s official residence seemed careless in gift-giving, yet he chose precious items. Upon closer inspection, one could discern the subtleties within.

In the past, other young masters from various branches often brought gifts, which sometimes caused disputes and unhappiness among the sisters. But today, everyone was pleased, having chosen items they truly liked and were satisfied with.

The same went for the gifts given to the various ladies.

Madam Gu smiled, looking at the graceful young man in the center, thinking, “It’s only been a little over a month, but he’s changed quite a bit.”

The matriarch, Lady Wang, didn’t care much for expensive gifts; any token of affection from the younger generation was precious, even a handkerchief. Her greatest concern was her eldest son, the current Duke Xue Zuo. The one she doted on most of all was, of course, the mother of Jiang Lan.

Jiang Lan received the gift box from Xichi’s hands, half-crouched to present it before the old lady, smiling, “Please open it yourself.”

Lady Wang chuckled happily, “Alright, alright, I’ll open it. No need to be so mysterious.”

She looked at her daughters-in-law and said, “He’s the one with all the tricks.”

“That’s because Lan is so filial,” Madam Gu chimed in. Nearby, Madam Zhou, Madam Wu, Madam Zheng, and even the usually aloof Madam Zhao all spoke well of Jiang Lan.

The matriarch reached out and opened the box. Inside was a simple wooden staff, rough in craftsmanship and unremarkable in appearance.

Madam Zhao from the fifth branch immediately scoffed, “What kind of gift is this? Lan, are you trying to pull a trick? Are you going to transform this into something better?”

Jiang Lan shook her head, “Fifth aunt, why not take a closer look?”

Madam Zhao suddenly remembered Madame Gu hadn’t spoken yet. Could this really be some treasure?

---

Madam Zhao examined it more carefully.

The first to exclaim was Xue Mingrui, who approached, squatting and holding the staff gently. “Mine! Jiang Lan, you really damaged this precious thing. Did you ruin this ancient agarwood?”

Before Jiang Lan could respond, Xue Mingrui was nearly weeping into the staff.

Hearing him say “ancient agarwood,” those who hadn’t understood before now caught on.

“If you didn’t want to use it, you shouldn’t have touched it. Hiring a craftsman wouldn’t have cost much; I could have covered it. How could you treat such a treasure so carelessly? This is outright vandalism...”

Madam Gu glanced at her obsessed second son and quickly coughed twice to remind him to restrain himself.

But Xue Mingrui was full of grievance. “Mother, you don’t understand how rare this ancient agarwood is. Honestly, I’ve never seen such a large piece of this quality. And now this precious agarwood has been so badly damaged, I...”

Watching him beat his chest in despair, Jiang Lan suddenly wondered if she had taken things too far.

The wood was something she had deliberately taken from the Divine Satchel space, letting Chifeng randomly select an aged piece, thinking that carrying it around would bring longevity and health benefits.

Unexpectedly, to avoid drawing attention, she chose a type with more subtle effects, precisely what Fanrao liked.

“Second brother, is this wood really that valuable?” Xue Yun, who had never seen such wood, asked.

Other sisters from the various branches also looked over.

Xue Mingrui explained, “Ancient agarwood, called Wumu by the Shu people, combines the wood’s ancient elegance with the stone’s mystique. Its texture is solid and heavy, with a luxurious black color. The cut surface is smooth and delicate, the wood oily, moisture-resistant, fragrant, imperishable over millennia, and immune to insect damage. It is naturally whole. Since ancient times, agarwood has been considered precious lumber, a rare commodity symbolizing nobility and status. Strictly speaking, fifth sister, agarwood transcends ordinary wood and should be classified as a ‘treasure.’”

“Isn’t that extremely valuable?”

Xue Mingrui nodded. “In the previous dynasty, agarwood was reserved exclusively for the royal family; commoners were forbidden from using it, making it even rarer. There’s a saying: ‘Agarwood is rare in the world, comparable to pearls and jade in the capital.’ But nowadays, it surpasses even pearls and jade.”

Xue Mingrui stepped beside Jiang Lan, took her hand, and pleaded, “Dear cousin, this staff is clearly handmade by you. Since you can craft so well, it seems you have more wood. How about giving your brother some?”

Jiang Lan quickly pulled away. “I only knew it was valuable, never imagined this much. This is the last piece I have. If I get more next time, I’ll definitely invite you.”

---

Xue Mingrui stopped beating his chest but thought that if Jiang Lan had one piece, she certainly could get another. After all, he had an influential aunt behind the scenes.

“All right, all right.”

Lady Wang, though from a noble family and accustomed to fine things, had never seen such an item. Even from afar she could smell a strange fragrance, refreshing and invigorating, clearing the mind.

Though her eyesight had dimmed with age, she looked at the staff more clearly.

“Amazing. I can even clearly see the character for longevity carved here.”

Her words made everyone else regard the wood as even more extraordinary.

Lady Wang carefully stroked the staff. Although the carving was rough, knowing it was made by her grandson’s own hands brought her great joy.

“Lan, you have a kind heart. Your grandmother is very pleased. Bring over what I stored earlier; today I shall test your intentions.”

“Yes, grandmother.”

Lady Wang took Jiang Lan’s hand, intending to chat, but then noticed obvious marks on the staff. “What happened here? Did you get hurt making this?”

The old lady was deeply concerned, repeatedly calling out, “My dear grandchild, my heart! Why would you harm yourself like this? You could have just picked something else, why hurt yourself?”

Jiang Lan looked down. Though she had cut her hand during the making, it was hardly serious. But the old lady was clearly alarmed by the two long scars.

“Uh, uh, this was from when I was ambushed after leaving prison. I tore the reins and got these wounds. They’ve scabbed over and are no big deal, grandmother. I’m skilled with my hands; I didn’t injure myself making the staff.”

Hearing “ambushed,” Lady Wang was stunned. “When did this happen? Why didn’t I know? Why haven’t you told me anything?”

Jiang Lan parted her lips slightly, glanced at Madam Gu, and shook her head to show she hadn’t intended to hide it. She truly thought the old lady knew. They had just refrained from telling her, fearing her age and frailty.