Chapter 469 Sharing the Same Misfortune
Although Jinxiu Street is not the most bustling street in the capital, it is the place most favored by high-ranking officials and nobles. It is home to the best jewelry shops, fabric stores, and teahouses in the capital, catering to the tastes of the wealthy and powerful.
Before the sun even rises in the early morning, Jinxiu Street is already bustling with life. Shopkeepers yawn as they open their doors, sweeping the dust in front of their shops. If they bump into a fellow shopkeeper from a neighboring shop, they'll chat for a bit while they work.
Xiao Hu, a shop assistant at the tea shop "Luyatang," gripped a broom and looked at Brother Zhang from the jewelry shop next door, asking with a smile, "Brother Zhang, will Miss Yan be coming to your shop again today?"
Upon hearing this, Brother Zhang stopped what he was doing: "She's here. The jewelry Miss Yan ordered a couple of days ago has been made, and she's here today to pick it up."
Xiao Hu said with envy, "Miss Yueyan must have spent a lot of money at your shop, right? Brother Zhang is about to strike it rich!"
Brother Zhang chuckled, unable to hide his delight. Miss Yan had bought quite a bit of jewelry, so his commission would be substantial.
Seeing his expression, Xiao Hu felt a pang of jealousy. He gripped the broom and approached Brother Zhang, his tone ingratiating: "Brother Zhang, when Miss Yan comes today, could you mention our Luyatang for her?"
Brother Zhang looked troubled: "Little Hu, it's not that I don't want to help you. Miss Yan is rushing to buy things in preparation for her wedding, afraid that she won't be able to buy good things after leaving the capital. But your family sells tea. If you buy too much and store it for too long, it will become stale tea. A noble person like Miss Yan would never drink stale tea."
"Brother Zhang, as you know, our Luyatang shops are practically all over Dagan!" Xiao Hu quickly said with a smile, "As long as Miss Yan buys enough tea from us to reach one hundred taels of silver, she can get the best quality tea at any of our branches afterward. Please help me out, and I'll treat you to drinks if it works out!"
"Alright, I'll just mention it briefly, but I can't guarantee it will work out." Brother Zhang relented.
"Thank you, Brother Zhang! You're like a real brother to me!" Xiao Hu said a few flattering words before happily returning to his shop, hoping that Miss Yan would come to Luyatang to buy some tea today.
Time flew by in the midst of their busy work, and before they knew it, the sun was high in the sky. Brother Zhang and a young shop assistant took turns looking out the door, waiting for Miss Yan to arrive, but they ended up waiting for an hour.
Just as the two were about to think that Miss Yan wouldn't be coming today, a small blue sedan chair stopped in front of the shop. Zhang Ge and the shop assistant's eyes lit up, and they hurriedly ran to the sedan chair, bowing and waiting. The curtain was lifted, and Yan Fengxi, dressed in a scarlet brocade robe, stepped out.
"Greetings, Miss Yan!"
"Greetings, Miss Yan!"
The two men hurriedly greeted her respectfully, but Yan Fengxi didn't even glance at them and walked straight inside. Brother Zhang and the waiter didn't mind, bowing as they led her upstairs, first serving her fine tea and snacks before bringing out the prepared jewelry.
Just as Brother Zhang was bending down to explain the benefits of the headdress, a young waiter knocked on the door and came in. He first bowed to Yan Fengxi and said apologetically, "Miss Yan, the princess of the Lingnan Prince's Mansion has also come to our shop. She heard that you are here and said she wanted to come and say hello to you."
Yan Fengxi was taken aback. She didn't know Zhu Junning, but she knew about the situation of the Lingnan Prince's Mansion. Just as she was about to refuse, a clear female voice came in: "Miss Yan, I apologize for disturbing you. I hope you will forgive me."
As soon as she finished speaking, a figure in dark green appeared at the door. Yan Fengxi frowned slightly, but still stood up and gave a casual bow, smiling as she said, "Your Highness is too kind. Please come in."
Zhu Junning walked in with a smile, glanced at the jewelry on the table, and said to Yan Fengxi, "Sister, you have excellent taste. These jewelry pieces make you look even more elegant. You will definitely look radiant wearing them."
As she spoke, she took out a stack of silver notes from her bag and handed them to the shop assistant. Then she turned to Yan Fengxi and said softly, "It's fate that we met you here today. Let me treat you to this order of noodles. Consider it a small gift from me to you. Please don't be so formal."
Zhu Junning spoke eloquently and was very generous, so Yan Fengxi was less wary of her and declined with a smile, saying, "How can I let the princess spend money?"
"My sister and I hit it off immediately, this little bit of money is nothing to me." Zhu Junning waved his hand casually.
Yan Fengxi's eyes flickered slightly, and she said, "Then thank you very much, Princess. Please have a seat."
After Zhu Junning sat down, the waiter quickly brought hot tea and then quietly left, leaving only the two of them in the room. Yan Fengxi was not familiar with Zhu Junning and was also mindful of the relationship between the Lingnan Prince's Mansion and the imperial court. Although she had lowered her guard somewhat, she did not take the initiative to speak and simply sat quietly drinking tea.
Zhu Junning glanced at her, then looked at the headdress on the table and asked, "I heard that my sister is getting married far away from the capital?"
These words made Yan Fengxi's face darken, and her tone was somewhat displeased: "The princess is indeed well-informed."
Zhu Junning didn't pay attention to her tone, and a bitter look appeared on her face: "It's my fault for not knowing how to speak, please don't mind me, sister. I just felt that we were in the same boat, and since we met today, I thought I would come over to get together with you and have a chat."
Yan Fengxi glanced at her questioningly, but remained silent. Then Zhu Junning sighed, wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, and said, "Sister, you must have heard about the Lingnan Prince's Mansion affair, right?"
Yan Fengxi nodded slightly, and Zhu Junning sighed again: "I am just a woman from the inner quarters and don't understand the affairs of my elders. I didn't dare to ask too much. Back in Lingnan, I was just like you, a noble lady from the capital. I did needlework, read books, and practiced calligraphy in the backyard of the Prince's mansion, waiting to marry someone of equal social standing and then live my life properly."
As she finished speaking, Zhu Junning shed tears. This sight made Yan Fengxi lower her guard somewhat.
Zhu Junning seemed to realize that she had been impolite, so she quickly wiped away her tears with a handkerchief and looked apologetically at Yan Fengxi: "Sister, please forgive me, I lost my composure."
Yan Fengxi shook her head, indicating that she didn't mind. Zhu Junning smiled and said, "My sister is going to marry far away from the capital, and as for me, I will also marry into the capital for the sake of the family, and I will be someone's second wife."
These words shocked Yan Fengxi so much that her eyes almost popped out of their sockets: "This... how is this possible?"
She didn't say the rest of her words. When she thought about the current situation of the Lingnan Prince's Mansion, she also felt that it was not impossible for the Lingnan Prince to marry Zhu Junning to an older man as a second wife in order to resolve the current crisis.
Thinking about her own marriage, she suddenly realized that she and Zhu Junning were actually somewhat in the same boat.
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