In reality, the people here are much wealthier than those in Daming. While there's plenty of silver, prices in Daming City are also high. Daming City is newly established, after all. Basic necessities are scarce and must be transported from other places, contributing to the high cost of living. However, precisely because people here are generally well-off, many high-end goods are brought here by merchants. When it comes to luxurious goods, Daming City isn't much worse than Nanjing.
"Yes, Princess. These are just ordinary things. So many people came today, so naturally, we don't have all the goodies to entertain so many people. If you like them, I'll have someone prepare some for you tomorrow." Er couldn't help but pinch Princess Chang'e's cheek. There wasn't much between her and Princess Chang'e. The little princess was adorable in her own right. Er felt a sense of accomplishment pinching her cheek. Princess, you don't get the chance to pinch a real princess's face just by chance.
Princess Chang was a little embarrassed to have her face pinched in front of everyone. Her face flushed. But she was used to being pinched so often by them. After slightly dodging her hand, she asked, "Sister, isn't this place from the wild? I heard it used to be very poor. How come it's so prosperous now?"
"Yes. This thing was naturally looted. When my uncle brought everyone here, there was nothing here. It was truly destitute, little sister, you have no idea. People back then were so poor they didn't even have a piece of clothing. Many were naked. They had absolutely no shame. Later, after the First World War, my uncle led his men on a colonial campaign and was able to rob a lot of money from the colonies. Hehe, little sister, see? Many of the women at this banquet were looted. There are even princesses among them," Er said with a smile. She helped the eldest princess pick up some food. However, what she said seemed natural to Er. But it scared the eldest princess.
"Robbed...robbed. That... Is that prince really so barbaric?" Princess Changli asked fearfully.
"Hehe. Sister, don't hurt my uncle, he won't rob you. My uncle and his men won't rob Han people. You are our Han people.
He naturally wouldn't let his men hurt you. "The child took the opportunity to pinch the master's face again, saying comfortingly. Although she enjoyed the life of a princess, she was not a princess in name only. She felt very satisfied with being able to pinch this real little princess whenever she wanted.
Princess Changyi was pinched on the face by her son a few more times. She felt quite helpless. But at the same time, she also enjoyed the feeling of being cared for by her elder sister. Li Xiangjun beside her also comforted Princess Changyi, saying, "Yes, our little princess, don't worry. The prince is a good man. He won't do anything to your Zhu family. The prince once said that your emperor is a rare good emperor. Your mother is also a rare good queen. It's just that you are unlucky. Few of the ministers you met are good people. They are all guys who disregard the life and death of the country and the nation for their own interests. It is those ministers that the prince wants to eliminate, not your emperor. Don't worry, my sister."
Li Xiangjun spoke these words with a deep sense of pride. Being a Princess of the Great Ming was supposed to be such a high and mighty figure. Now, she was calling herself a younger sister to a man who was supposed to be the head of the Great Ming. Such a grand occasion was surely a source of pride. But within the heart of the eldest princess, there was bitterness. Though young, the eldest princess had already tasted the helplessness and bitterness of life's ups and downs. At this moment, she understood even more the pain her father felt.
Princess Changli smiled. That forced, helpless smile on her tender face evoked a deep loneliness. Buildings rise and fall. Flowers bloom and fade. The desolate feeling after life's prosperity was something a child of Princess Changli's age shouldn't experience. At this moment, the extravagant and bustling atmosphere of the banquet only served to accentuate Princess Changli's desolate and helpless feelings.
Er saw the sudden change of lonely expression on the eldest princess's face. She was slightly stunned. It seems that Er had lived a happy life with Tang Yitong. She had never had any troubles. Although she couldn't understand why the princess suddenly had such an expression, Er was a smart person. She knew that the previous situation must have made the eldest princess feel sad. Er grabbed the eldest princess's hand and said with pity: "Okay, sister, don't worry. My uncle really won't make things difficult for you. No matter what, you will always be a princess."
These words of comfort, spoken from a position of power, were not understood by the child. They only served to make the princess feel even more distressed. As a princess born into a royal family, she naturally felt the pride of being a princess. This was a pride ingrained in her bones. How could she be willing to accept such consolation, which seemed like charity? Li Xiangjun and Dong Xiaowan were all very smart women. They were naturally well aware of the princess's mood swings. Li Xiangjun also knew that her words, spoken from a position of power, had hurt the little princess's feelings. Although unintentional, she still felt a sense of apology.
Suddenly, everyone knew how to comfort the little princess of the Ming Dynasty. Everyone still liked this little princess very much. Fortunately, a song and dance performance began at the banquet. The performers invited to perform at a banquet of this level were certainly not those of theatrical troupes. Instead, they were actors from the Tang Family Opera House. Although people of this era looked down on actors, the actors of the Tang Family Opera House had a higher status in the Tang family. Not only did they receive a higher monthly salary, but because they were directly owned by the Tang family, not many people dared to provoke them when they walked around.
The performances of the Tang Family Opera House not only caught the attention of Princess Changli, but also gave the Ming Dynasty's ministers a refreshing experience. The Tang Family Opera House had recruited many talented Ming Dynasty singers and musicians. While these talents cost Tang Tong considerable money, they played a significant role in promoting the cause. Many of them unknowingly accepted the ideas Tang Tong sought to promote through these performances.
The banquet lasted three full days before disbanding. Tang Tong hadn't participated in the day's negotiations. Neither had the eldest princess. Such matters were pure wrangling. Tang Tong wasn't interested. The eldest princess, a little girl, couldn't stand such frivolous activities. As the master of Daming City, Tang Tong, after sorting out the backlog of matters, kindly took the eldest princess and her children on an outing. Tang Tong wasn't a workaholic, so he could only admire Emperor Chongzhen's work ethic.
Tang Tong took the eldest princess out for a trip. He wasn't being too kind. Sometimes, when things can't be negotiated directly, they have to be approached from other angles. Taking the eldest princess out for a trip would, on the one hand, help her let down her guard, and on the other, allow this young Ming princess to witness the formidable strength of his own subordinates. Tang Tong was confident that upon her return, the eldest princess would tell Emperor Chongzhen everything she had seen.
The emperor was incredibly busy all day long. Meanwhile, this Prince Tang seemed to be doing nothing. They were both leaders of the same faction, yet their attitudes towards life were as different as heaven and earth. The life of this Prince Tang, in the words of the emperor, was simply that of a tyrant. Princess Chang followed Tang Tong, watching the idle Prince Tang. She couldn't help but wonder.
The first place Tang Tong took the princess on a tour was his own cigarette factory. It had become a massive operation, supplying nearly 60% of the world's market. It was Tang's primary source of revenue. Because of this, the factory was heavily guarded. Seeing such a large factory, the princess was astonished. There were so many workers working there. What she didn't know was that most of these workers were slaves captured from places like India.
Princess Wei knew about tobacco, as it was also smoked in the Ming Dynasty. However, the cigarettes Tang Tong supplied to the Ming Dynasty were different from those supplied to Europe. The ones supplied to the Ming Dynasty were pure tobacco leaves, while the ones supplied to Europe were laced with opium. In that era, not many people knew about opium.
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