Jiang Shuyue said with a straight face, "I would like to ask Your Majesty to answer directly. This whole box of jewels is too hot to handle. If Your Majesty cannot give a reason, I will send the box of jewels to the palace tomorrow."
Seeing Jiang Shuyue's serious expression, Xiao Jingzhao quickly put away his teasing smile.
"Moon Lady, you don't need to be angry. Today, we are rewarding those who have contributed. The reason I knew that the Water Transport Commissioner was embezzling money was because of Sui Sui's tip. That box of rare treasures was a reward for Sui Sui to play with."
"Since it's not appropriate to announce his merits in court every year, I have no choice but to reward him in different ways."
"Isn't this... a bit too much?"
Jiang Shuyue was slightly taken aback, never expecting that Sui Sui's words would be so valuable.
These items are annual rewards, and it's inappropriate to dispose of them without permission.
Xiao Jingzhao looked down at the person in front of him, speechless. Not far away, lanterns hung high, their soft light falling on her beautiful face, making her breathtakingly beautiful and causing people to unconsciously fall into her beautiful eyes.
Feeling the burning gaze, Jiang Shuyue turned her face away. "Since it's a reward for Sui Sui, I'll keep it for him for now. The feast will begin soon, and I have no questions."
"Moon Lady, I've been busy with government affairs lately, and it's been a long time since we last met. Don't you have anything to say to me?" Xiao Jingzhao said, and as usual, he started his usual rambling.
"Your Majesty, you haven't had time to look at the accounts of Juxian Pavilion, but your share of the silver has been set aside separately. Whenever Your Majesty has time, I will have Hu Qing deliver all your dividends over."
Xiao Jingzhao sighed and said, "Yue Niang, is there nothing else between us to discuss?"
Her tone was filled with resentment, as if Jiang Shuyue had the illusion that she was a heartless man.
That was just a fleeting feeling.
Seeing her father and mother speechless, Sui Sui ran up to them and asked, "Father, are you here tonight also to bid farewell to my eldest uncle?"
Xiao Jingzhao rubbed his son's head and said gently, "Mm."
The two were very close, the faint scent of cool bamboo lingering in the air, and the tall figure exuded a unique masculine aura.
Jiang Shuyue took a step back and said, "Your Majesty, please take your seat. Ajin has to travel tomorrow morning, so she needs to rest early tonight."
Xiao Jingzhao originally wanted to talk to her about the glass paste, but thinking that it would take some time from mining to refining the ore, he swallowed his words.
During the meal, Xiao Jingzhao talked with Su Huai-ren and Su Jin about the people and events in Jiangzhou.
Jiang Shuyue overheard the gist of it at another table.
A large amount of ore was discovered in Jiangzhou. In order to avoid wasting manpower and resources, Xiao Jingzhao planned to build an official kiln on the spot to refine the materials needed for glass paste, and then send it to the capital.
After drinking a few cups of wine, Xiao Jingzhao spoke privately about things that were difficult to say in court.
They left before they had even eaten a few bites of food.
As he was leaving, he paused beside Jiang Shuyue. Just as Jiang Shuyue thought he was about to say something, he patted Sui Sui's head and said, "Go home and rest with your mother. I'll have someone pick you up for the Imperial Academy tomorrow."
"Yes, Father, don't overwork yourself. You should rest early too."
Every year, she was always polite and considerate, which warmed Xiao Jingzhao's heart.
Seeing that the Emperor would soon come out, Xiang Yang went up to him and said, "Your Majesty rarely has time, why not have a good meal?"
Xiangyang guessed that the banquet at the Su residence tonight must have been delivered by Juxian Pavilion. It would be such a pity if the master didn't enjoy it.
Xiao Jingzhao didn't need to look at Xiang Yang's expression to know what he was thinking, and said calmly, "I don't have time for that. I have a lot more things to do next."
After saying that, he headed back to the palace on his own.
The next day.
As dawn broke, a horse-drawn carriage slowly drove out of the city gate.
Bai Zhou yawned and leaned lazily against the small table in the carriage. "Su Jin, you're too impatient. The Emperor didn't order when we'd arrive in Jiangzhou. We could have slept a little longer before leaving the city."
Su Jin lifted the curtain on one side of the carriage and looked back at the city gate. He breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't see that slender figure.
"Su Jin, did you leave early because you were afraid your fiancée would come to the city gate to see you off?"
Su Jinmo's hair was tied up high, and his handsome face showed no emotion, nor any sorrow at parting.
"No, that's not true. I just went to bed early last night."
"You can believe what you say yourself." Bai Zhou said, placing the tea table on the soft couch to one side and casually grabbing a cushion to put behind his head.
He lay down with his slender body, looking quite content, and said, "The Emperor is so good to you. This carriage is much more comfortable than my own."
"That's right, the craftsmen in the palace are no pushovers, and this carriage doesn't feel very bumpy when it runs."
The reason the Emperor specially sent Su Jin this carriage was because all water transport had been suspended, and the entire journey from the capital to Jiangzhou was by land. Without a good carriage, not only would it waste time on the road, but the bumpy ride would also be unbearable.
The entire waterway was waiting for the newly appointed governor to take office.
Having acquired a fine carriage, Su Jin was not about to keep it to himself. He set off before dawn to pick up Bai Zhou at the Bai residence.
Seeing that Su Jin had a luxurious carriage with a driver and servants, Bai Zhou simply picked up a bundle and went out.
He refused the people and carriage his parents had prepared for him, thinking that the climate in Jiangzhou was warm, and didn't bring many clothes.
Newly appointed officials can live in their official residences and receive a settlement allowance. This allowance is sufficient to purchase servants and household items, rather than a house.
...
After Su Jin left, Jiang Shuyue and Madam Su began preparing for the cloth shop business.
Jiang Shuyue didn't know much about weaving, but she knew that whether a piece of fabric was eye-catching depended on its dyeing process.
For several days in a row, Gao Mu and Cang Yun drove her and Qiu Ju to visit all the dye houses in the capital.
After leaving a fairly large dye shop, Jiang Shuyue asked Gao Mu, "How far is the next dye shop?"
Gao Mu replied, "It's not far, just two streets away."
Qiuju and Jiang Shuyue got back into the carriage.
This is the third dye house we've visited today, and the more we see, the less confident Jiang Shuyue feels.
None of the dye houses were willing to try Jiang Shuyue's suggestion, and the managers even ridiculed her for being an amateur trying to instruct an expert.
The group soon arrived at another dye shop, where she was greeted by the young owner of the shop.
The young master was in his early twenties, dressed in a light blue long robe, and had a dignified appearance. Upon seeing Jiang Shuyue and her companions arrive, he warmly welcomed them into the reception room without asking their purpose.
A sample fabric hangs on one wall in the living room.
After doing her research for a few days, Jiang Shuyue was able to recognize that these fabrics were dyed using ancient methods.
Seeing Jiang Shuyue's refined demeanor, the young master introduced himself with a smile and asked, "Miss, have you come to the dye shop to place an order or do you need dyeing services?"
Seeing Jiang Shuyue's gaze fall on the sample fabric on the wall, he continued:
"Our dyeing workshop uses techniques passed down from our ancestors, including tie-dyeing, batik, and clamp-dyeing. Which one do you fancy, young lady?"
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