Chapter 82 Wanqing
"Hahaha, utterly speechless, isn't that exactly what it means..."
Gao Xiyue was overjoyed when she returned to Yikun Palace. Ruyi really was providing her with new laughs every day.
Xingxuan and Moxin exchanged a helpless glance. Fortunately, there was no one else in the hall, otherwise the Empress's image would have been ruined.
"Your Majesty, Assistant Instructor Bai requests an audience."
Shuangxi walked in and reported softly.
“Rui Ji is here,” Gao Xiyue sat up straight and, with Xingxuan and Moxin’s help, straightened her clothes. “It seems there’s something going on at the girls’ school. Let her sit in the hall first. I’ll be there soon.”
"Greetings to Your Majesty."
"No need for formalities," Gao Xiyue helped Bai Ruiji up and asked with a smile, "What brings you here today? Did something happen at the girls' school?"
The charming Bai Ruiji stood affectionately beside Gao Xiyue, smiling wryly, "Your Majesty, Princess Ningchuke broke another pipa today."
Gao Xiyue's lips twitched, "Ning Chuke..."
Thinking of Prince Dun's eldest daughter, who had little talent for musical instruments, Gao Xiyue felt a headache coming on. She was a complete problem student in pipa lessons, playing the pipa with the force of an arrow, and had probably broken countless strings. But she showed great enthusiasm for it, so Gao Xiyue didn't want to discourage her.
"Being a teacher is so hard, but luckily I have Ruiji to help me."
Looking at Gao Xiyue, who was holding her hand and expressing her sincere feelings, Bai Ruiji smiled sweetly, "Ruiji is also very fortunate to have met Your Majesty."
Inside Yikun Palace, the two were harmoniously discussing how to persuade Ning Chuke to switch to archery without hurting her young heart. Meanwhile, inside the girls' school, Hailan, who had just received news that Ruyi had been demoted to Noble Lady Nara because of her clothing, was overjoyed but accidentally pricked her own hand.
"hiss--"
Hailan looked at the beads of blood on her fingers. Although she felt some pain, she was filled with more joy at getting revenge.
Your mind is not at peace.
"Consort Yi".
Hailan was somewhat surprised and flustered as she stood up and bowed.
An Lingrong looked at the plum blossom painting on her embroidery frame and smiled slightly. "Get up. His Majesty said that in the girls' school, only academic knowledge matters, regardless of social status."
"Thank you, Master. It was Hailan who lost her composure." Hailan immediately changed her words, feeling somewhat uneasy, but appearing very docile on the surface.
"You're good at understanding people's hearts, but your methods are a bit crude."
An Lingrong spoke calmly, but Hailan's heart skipped a beat, and she couldn't help but look up at her, "Teacher, I..."
"I'll take care of the cleanup for the Imperial Household Department."
Meeting Hailan's puzzled gaze, An Lingrong gently curled the corners of her lips: "You are my teaching assistant, so naturally you can't be bullied like that. If anything happens in the future, feel free to tell me."
"Thank you, Master."
Hailan bowed gratefully to An Lingrong, and this time An Lingrong did not avoid her.
An Lingrong asked with a smile, "Are you satisfied with just a demotion?"
Hailan frowned. With the skills she had built up over the years in the sewing room, she barely managed to present the dress embroidered with peonies to Ruyi.
Just as An Lingrong said, she was guessing people's hearts and gambling on Ruyi's ability to dress well. Although she succeeded, it must be said that the process was still very uncertain.
She has no other means to retaliate against Ruyi now.
An Lingrong's hand landed on the plum blossom petals scattered on the embroidered cloth. "Fallen plum blossoms, fallen plum blossoms, how can just falling to the ground be enough? They should at least be trampled into the mud, right? I heard that Consort Shen, who serves Consort Nara, is quite restless."
Meeting An Lingrong's gaze, Hailan's heart stirred, and she instantly understood. Just as she had discerned Ruyi's character in only two brief encounters, she naturally wouldn't overlook A'Ruo's shallow yet straightforward ambition.
"Thank you, Master. I understand now."
An Lingrong nodded. People like Ruyi and her servants, who displease the Emperor, should be taught a lesson!
...
Time flew by, and soon Consort Chun, Su Luyun, gave birth to the Third Prince, Yongzhang. Then, the exhausted Empress conscripted her to take care of all the imperial heirs in the palace.
From then on, apart from Ruyi, who was under house arrest, and A'ruo, who lived in the same palace as Ruyi but was essentially under house arrest, every woman in the harem had something to do.
Yanxi Palace is not a cold palace, but it is even worse than a cold palace.
The time for mourning passed quickly, and a year and a half had gone by in the blink of an eye.
On this day, several princes were invited by Hongli to the training ground.
On the way, Yun Tang's smugness almost blinded the others. Literally blinding, because Yun Tang was wearing a gold ring on every single finger, and she would show it off every now and then.
"Ninth Brother, I know you're rich, but you don't have to show it off like this, do you?"
It's hard to explain. Why does Ninth Brother's taste get worse as he gets older?
He was completely oblivious to the shakes and sighs of his other brothers. Sure enough, everyone deliberately ignored Ninth Brother's boasting, and only Tenth Brother dared to speak up.
"Tsk," Yun Tang's lips curled up high, "What do you know? It's not that I want to wear it, but I can't let Wan Qing down. I can't help it, Wan Qing has earned a lot recently, and she's showing filial piety to her father, how could I refuse?"
The men's lips twitched. Here we go again. Does Old Nine really have to brag about his daughter every day?
Who would have thought that Wanqing, who seemed the most shy and reserved in the Ninth Prince's family, would be the most daring? After attending the girls' school for half a year, she dared to petition the Emperor, saying that she could use the existing resources of the girls' school to make money for the Emperor and fill the national treasury.
The emperor actually believed the bold words of a fourteen-year-old girl. He even gave her his support, allowing her to go ahead and do it without worry.
She really did manage to do some great things!
Using the skills and talents of women's schools, Wanqing produced and sold household items such as spices, embroidery, and rouge, and made a fortune.
Twenty percent of the profits went to the girls' school, thirty percent was shared by Wanqing, the leader and technology provider, and fifty percent went to the national treasury. In less than a year, Wanqing's bold statement of filling the national treasury was truly realized.
Wanqing was thus granted the title of "Beile," with the honorific "Feng," making her the first female Beile in Qing Dynasty history. Although the title was not high, it was clear that the Emperor had placed Wanqing, along with the ministers and members of the imperial family, on an equal footing with men.
Such an unprecedented honor is naturally an immense glory.
From that moment on, Yun Tang pioneered a new track to compete with his brothers—showing off his baby!
Yunli, who was not yet married, was eliminated at the beginning. The remaining few were caught and boasted about by Yuntang until his face turned black. He couldn't stand the sight of his own children anymore.
Wanqing has officially become the representative of "someone else's child".
Seeing Yun Tang's smug look, Yun Si curled the corners of his lips: "Wan Qing is indeed capable. I've heard that Wan Qing's latest goal is to replace Ninth Brother and become the true God of Wealth of the Qing Dynasty—"
"That's ambitious!"
Yunxiang laughed and patted Yuntang's shoulder hard. "Ninth Brother, are you happy?"
"Happy? Of course I'm happy!" As someone who was about to be swept away by her own daughter, Yun Tang gave a forced smile.
Jealousy, blatant jealousy. At least her daughter can cause trouble, but what about you? What about your sons and daughters?
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