The atmosphere in the Prajna Hall of the Xingyuan Marquis Mansion was cheerful.
Nanny Zhao was by her side, and together with old lady Hong Yingrong, she was carefully checking the gift list in her hands, making careful preparations for Xue Huichun's dowry.
"Some of the furniture and utensils in this dowry were prepared by the Marquis' Mansion when Chun'er was just born." Hong Yingrong said, her fingertips gently sliding over each item on the gift list.
The golden phoenix rising sun crown, white jade ruyi and jadeite necklace, all the jewelry to be worn on the wedding day, have also been prepared.
"The old lady is very thoughtful. For example, the Huanghuali crabapple blossom-shaped step-out bed, the camphorwood chest, and the Huanghuali cloud-patterned top chest took several years to find. If we had waited a few years to prepare them, we wouldn't have been able to get them all at once."
Madam Zhao unfolded several blueprints of furniture designs. "The sandalwood supply from the South Sea has been running low these past few years, and I heard from the Second Young Master that the palace's income is starting to run low."
"It's the old marquis who had foresight back then. Otherwise, if we were to prepare all these things with such fanfare now and the censors found out, it would cause another disturbance... By the way, for this nanmu Duobao Pavilion dressing table, you should ask the craftsmen to be extra careful and carve the patterns on it intricately." Hong Yingrong instructed.
Madam Zhao nodded and took out the pattern drawings sent by the embroidery room. "This is the embroidery pattern for the wedding day, the quilt with the auspicious pattern of Wanzi Changchun and the phoenix flying through the peony."
Hong Yingrong took the blueprint and examined it carefully, a satisfied smile on her face. "Yes, these patterns all represent auspiciousness, and the phoenix flying through the peony is a symbol of wealth and prosperity. They are very suitable."
Madam Zhao continued, "And the treasure bucket for descendants is also indispensable. Furthermore, the deeds for the properties, shops, and lands that will serve as the fourth young lady's dowry have all been prepared and will be taken to the Jiang residence on the day of her wedding."
"Well, well done." Hong Yingrong nodded approvingly, "Chun'er's dowry must be prepared perfectly. She must not suffer any injustice in her husband's family."
"Don't worry, old lady. These are what I should do. The whole mansion is looking forward to this happy event. Once the fourth lady gets married, the fifth lady will be left. When they all find their destined matches, your worries will be at ease." Nanny Zhao replied.
A trace of emotion flashed in Hong Yingrong's eyes: "Yes, seeing them grow up, get married and start their own families, I am both happy and reluctant to let them go. I will feel at ease if Chun'er can live a happy life in the Jiang Mansion."
"The eldest son of the Jiang family has such a good character and appearance that it's hard to find one in the entire capital. It must be the old marquis's blessing that he finally gave the fourth girl this great marriage."
Nanny Zhao's face was filled with joy that was beyond words. She had watched the children in the mansion grow up since they were young, and she loved the two young ladies very much. Deep down, she naturally hoped that they would have a safe and smooth life.
Hong Yingrong gently put down the gift list in her hand and said solemnly, "Dowry items are certainly important, but when Chun'er gets married, the maids around her need to be considerate and caring."
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhao quickly responded, "Don't worry, Madam. I've already taken this matter to heart. Needless to say, Jinxia is loyal and reliable. Even if the eldest son of the Jiang family were to take her in as his concubine, she would definitely not become a stumbling block for the Fourth Young Lady. As for the other candidates, I will carefully screen and select them, and will not allow those with ulterior motives or those who love to stir up trouble to sneak in."
"I've always been at ease with you. Jinxia is a reliable child. With her by Chun'er's side, I can feel more at ease."
Nanny Zhao smiled and said, "Jinxia has been with the Fourth Young Lady since she was a child. They are as close as sisters. Naturally, she will serve the Fourth Young Lady with all her heart and soul. Old Madam, please don't worry too much. Take good care of yourself and wait for the blessing of your children and grandchildren."
Hong Yingrong's biggest concern was the safety of her children. At this moment, Madam Zhao had just finished sorting out the dowry and was about to order lunch when Madam Han hurried in to announce it.
"Madam, there's a letter from the Longxi Orphanage."
Hong Yingrong took the letter, opened it and read it word by word. Zhao Ma was beside her, and she was worried about the child Guanyan. Her face showed a mixture of expectation and concern.
After reading the letter, Hong Yingrong slowly spoke, "The rice and grain have been safely delivered, and Zhao Bai and the others have begun preparing to return to Beijing. However, Guan Yan has decided to stay at the Longxi Orphanage to work."
Nanny Zhao was relieved that they arrived safely, but when she heard that Guanyan chose to stay there, she couldn't help feeling a little lost.
Among the letters delivered was one specifically addressed to Hong Yingrong by Guan Yan. He mentioned that he was now working for the director of the orphanage, and that he attended calligraphy classes for the orphans every day. He also helped to find out the whereabouts of Chen Jingong's younger brother.
At the end of the letter, Guanyan mentioned something that surprised Hong Yingrong: bandits have been rampant in Longxi area recently, and many silver shops and banknotes have been looted.
These bandits seemed to be only interested in cash and food, and the rice they were transporting was robbed twice on the way.
Fortunately, the brave guards of the accompanying Royal Guards saved the group from danger without causing any losses or casualties.
Hong Yingrong did not tell Madam Zhao about the contents of the letter, but pondered it carefully in her heart.
She recalled the robbery of millions of silver taels in Longxi in her previous life. The court said that the local refugees gathered together to form bandits and took the opportunity to cause chaos.
Yet, at that time, local officials throughout the border region never reported frequent robberies by bandits.
Now Guanyan specifically mentioned the rampant bandits in Longxi. Obviously, this situation has become well-known in the local area, causing panic among the people.
Yet, not a single word of this was spread throughout the capital. Was it that the imperial court had kept it secret? Or had the local officials deceived their superiors and concealed the truth?
Hong Yingrong thought for a moment and said to Madam Zhao, "The Marquis's Mansion has a sum of money deposited at the Longxi branch of the Yong'an Bank. It was originally intended to be used as an emergency fund for the old Marquis at the border. Can you ask the accountant to go to their main bank in the capital and ask if this money can be transferred back to the capital?"
"Okay, I'll ask the accountant to do this later."
Nanny Zhao agreed immediately, and seeing that it was getting late, she ordered the servants to carry the food boxes into the inner room and start serving the dishes.
After returning from Liquan Mountain, Jiang Lun reminded the people in the Marquis' Mansion to pay attention to food safety, so Zhao Ma also paid special attention to it and developed the habit of testing for poison with a silver needle after serving the dishes.
Today's dishes were all carefully prepared according to the taste of Old Lady Hong Yingrong. However, as soon as the dishes were laid out, Madam Zhao quickly discovered something unusual.
"Why aren't there the rice jerky and fresh clams I specifically ordered prepared for the old lady yesterday?"
Madam Zhao's sharp eyes swept over the maids in charge of serving the dishes. The old maid standing at the end hurried forward and explained with great fear and trepidation, "Madam Zhao, that dish was originally there and had been warming on the stove. But Miss Xiangqin from the prince's room suddenly came and took the dish away."
Hearing this, Aunt Zhao couldn't help but frown: "Miss Xiangqin? When did the prince arrange for a new person to enter his room?"
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