25 Chapter 025
◎Heavy Snowfall (Seventh Update)◎
In the past few days, the newspapers have been abuzz with the news in the capital.
It's rare for Xie Mingzhuo to have some free time.
She read a lot of miscellaneous notes and county chronicles about Huguang and Henan. When the weather cleared up, she called Feng Caiyu and Jiang Qing and took a car to the Jiashan Princess Mansion.
Only after she had resolved the problems of the capital's defenses did she have time to inquire about the origins of the glass tea set.
Seeing Xie Kui, she didn't waste any words and got straight to the point: "Does my great-aunt's shop still have any glass tea sets?"
"Glass?" Xie Kui was stunned for a moment. "You mean water-colored glass?"
Glass is Xie Mingzhuo's habitual term. She is not sure about the origin of this word. Maybe it is a local word, or maybe it is a transliteration, but no matter what, it is just a name and harmless.
From then on, water-colored glass was called "glass".
"If my great-aunt knows a caravan that trades glass, could you introduce them?"
Xie Kui originally thought that water-colored glass was rare, but she didn't like it very much. She preferred colorful jade and agate.
Seeing Xie Mingzhuo so interested, he also became interested.
"Of course, a recommendation is fine," she said with a sly smile, "but it's not just because you like me, right?"
Xie Mingzhuo nodded: "I can't hide it from my great-aunt. I want the baking technique."
Xie Kui was a little surprised, but also somewhat expected it. Ever since Princess Rong'an participated in the court meeting, everyone else would think that whatever she did was just as she expected.
She pondered for a few breaths, then slowly said, "You are Princess Daqi, why do you need to go in person? If you trust me, I can handle this matter."
Xie Mingzhuo was pleasantly surprised: "My great aunt has helped me a lot!"
"It's nothing." Xie Kui chuckled. "I've lived alone for so many years. Although I enjoy quietness, I do get a little lonely sometimes. If you don't mind my age and nagging, please come visit me when you have time."
She doesn't like going out, but she welcomes visits from close friends.
Although she had only met Rong An a few times, she could find resonance in this young man.
A resonance that tries to break free.
She likes Rong An and wants to be closer to her.
Xie Mingzhuo said seriously, "My great-aunt is in her prime, ambitious, and constantly exploring new business opportunities. She is a role model for my generation. I wanted to ask for your advice, but I was afraid that my great-aunt would find me annoying."
She sincerely felt so.
In modern society, people in their early forties are at the peak of their careers. Princess Jiashan has taken good care of herself and looks no more than thirty years old. She can still work hard for decades.
Xie Kui was delighted to hear such nice words. He grabbed her hand and patted it, saying, "If you need anything in the future, just come to me."
"I do have one more thing I want to ask you." Xie Mingzhuo felt a little embarrassed, as he came to visit people just to ask for help.
Xie Kui was very happy. Sometimes he would get bored if he had too much free time. It was rare for him to find something to do, and he could help the younger generation at the same time. This feeling was not bad.
"you say."
"My great-aunt's businesses are spread all over the country, and her caravans travel extensively. I'd like to learn more about the local customs and practices of each region. Could you lend me some knowledgeable people to teach me?"
Xie Kui frowned, stared at her for a moment, and asked in a low voice, "Are you thinking of going out on your own?"
Who hasn’t been young once?
She once longed for the outside world and had the same idea, but the farthest she had been was Zhending Prefecture, which was still under the jurisdiction of Northern Zhili and could not be considered a long journey.
Xie Mingzhuo smiled and said, "It's just to be prepared."
It's not that she doesn't trust the other party, but she hasn't made a plan yet, and it's not convenient to talk about King Liang's rebellion openly.
Xie Kui was very perceptive and lowered his voice, saying, "Of course I can find someone who's best at it to teach you, but if you really want to go out, it's best to have someone with you. Not to mention the chaos in the world, you won't understand the slang from different places."
"My great aunt is right." Xie Mingzhuo nodded sincerely, knowing that she was truly thinking of him.
"If you're asking about the fake silver ingots," Xie Kui whispered, almost wanting to whisper so no one could overhear him. "Jiuyue is the most suitable candidate. She's originally from Anlu County, Huguang, so she's no stranger to Anlu."
Xie Kui knew without hesitation that the King of Liang was involved in the counterfeit silver ingots made with a musket.
Anlu County is the territory of King Liang. How could he tolerate a villain using a musket to make counterfeit silver?
If she can think of it, the emperor can definitely think of it too.
The purpose of Princess Rong'an's trip can be guessed.
Even if the Jinyiwei found evidence of Prince Liang's rebellion, they had no right to execute him on the spot, as this would only lead to more trouble.
But Princess Rong'an, who is also a member of the royal family and of the emperor's blood, can.
Of course, most people would think that it would be more appropriate for the prince to go there.
Xie Kui didn't think so. Rong An had the ability, and Prince Liang was suspicious by nature. The two princes looked somewhat like the emperor, and their identities would be easily exposed.
What's more, if the Huguang trip can be a complete success, it will be a great achievement, and Rong'an will be able to gain more favor from the emperor in the future.
The risk is high, but the reward is also high.
Just like in business, you will never make big money if you are content with the status quo.
Since Rong'an has made this determination, as her great-aunt, she must of course fully support her.
"You mean Shopkeeper Li?" Xie Mingzhuo's eyes curved. "My great-aunt is surrounded by talented people, and they've been of great help to me."
Xie Kui also smiled: "If you have time, come to my house these days. I will ask someone to tell you more about the customs of Anlu, and teach you some common slang. I will also pick out some key points from various places and talk about them."
"I want Caiyu and Jiang Qing to learn this too."
"Don't worry, everything will be arranged for you."
With Xie Kui's promise, Xie Mingzhuo would take Feng Caiyu and Jiang Qing to Princess Jiashan's Mansion after finishing his lessons every morning.
What was surprising was that Feng Caiyu learned very quickly, especially the local slang. In just two days, under Li Jiuyue's guidance, she had learned most of Anlu's slang and could speak it very naturally and fluently.
He doesn't look like a beginner, but more like a local who has been away from home for many years and is unfamiliar with the place.
Li Jiuyue praised repeatedly and was eager to teach him everything he knew. The same was true for the "teachers" from other places.
Xie Mingzhuo had experience in learning foreign languages and adapted better than Jiang Qing, but his progress was far behind Feng Caiyu.
April 15th is here in the blink of an eye.
On this day in the original book, heavy snow fell in Shaanxi, Shanxi, and northern Henan, destroying the crops. The national treasury had no money for disaster relief, and the world was in chaos.
On the same day, Princess Rong'an celebrated her seventeenth birthday. A grand banquet was held in the princess's mansion for her guests. The gold plates and jade cups on the table were priceless. A single dish would cost dozens or even hundreds of taels of silver.
The snowstorm brought cold and hunger, and also triggered unrest and disaster.
The extravagance and extravagance displayed at the birthday banquet also foreshadowed the last revelry of the Xie family in the capital.
After traveling through time, the five people worked together to change the predetermined trajectory of their fate. Even though the national treasury had become much richer, they did not plan to make a big fuss.
Meng Qi simply sent invitations to the Xie clan members in Beijing and the queen's mother's family.
Currently, the only royal family members in Beijing are Prince An's family. There are quite a few royal family members, but except for Princess Jiashan, the others are far away from Xie Changfeng's lineage, so no invitations were sent.
The Queen's mother's family was even simpler, consisting of only her brother's family.
His elder brother was named Meng Lun, who served as a fourth-rank official at the Imperial College. He married Zhang and had a daughter and a son.
The birthday banquet was held in the dining hall of the Qianqing Palace. Those present included Prince An, Prince An's son, Princess Jiashan, and four members of the Meng family.
The imperial kitchen had been preparing the broth since last night and had been busy until 7:15 PM today, preparing twenty exquisite dishes, which were plated in equal portions and placed on the table one by one in order.
Xie Mingzhuo got up early in the morning and, with the help of Meng Qi and the palace maids, changed into the gorgeous and complicated princess's daily clothes, striving to make her headwear and accessories perfect.
She felt it was troublesome and didn't want to dress so formally, but she couldn't persuade her mother.
Probably every mother has thought about dressing up her "own child figurine".
The royal aesthetic is not all about gold and glitter. Her headdress is not heavy. The seemingly simple and low-key hairpins are actually carved bit by bit by the most skillful hands of the country's top hairpin ladies and goldsmiths.
The fitted skirt is also made by the most skilled weavers and embroiderers. It has a vermilion base and gold thread outlines. The skirt is decorated with a colorful phoenix soaring in the clouds and spreading its wings, which is very noble.
Xie Mingzhuo is tall and straight, and after wearing it, not only does it not make him look downcast, but it makes him look more majestic.
There weren't so many rules for family dinners. When she and Meng Qi entered the hall, Xie Changfeng and his son had already taken their seats and were waiting. Xie Kui and others had also arrived early.
The Emperor and Empress sat at the top, with the King of Qi and the King of Jin on their left. They should have been seated in order of age, with Xie Mingzhuo sitting at the end on the left. However, since she was the birthday girl today, the seat at the top of the left was reserved for her.
Opposite her were Prince An, Prince An's son, Princess Jiashan, and the four members of the Meng family.
"Queen, Rong'an, please sit down quickly." Xie Changfeng smiled and waved his hand, then said, "Rong'an, I have already sent your birthday gift to your room."
As soon as these words were spoken, Prince An and others took action.
Prince An led his son to stand up first, holding a red lacquer carved brocade box in his hand. He said with a smile, "This is a small gift from me as an elder. Rong An, please don't despise it."
"Thank you, Prince An." Xie Mingzhuo gestured to Feng Caiyu to accept it.
Xie Kui then also presented a gift, also a square brocade box, which was half the size of Prince An's and much lighter.
"I hope you will be safe and happy in the future, and all your wishes will come true."
Xie Mingzhuo took it personally and said solemnly, "Thank you, great-aunt."
After Xie Kui returned to his seat, Meng Lun stood up at the right time. He was wearing an indigo robe, had a handsome appearance, and his brows revealed a bit of the integrity of a scholar.
"Your Highness..."
"Uncle, you're being too formal," Xie Mingzhuo interrupted him with a smile, "This is a family dinner. There's no need to be polite. Just call me by my name."
This name does not refer to her maiden name, but her title.
Although the Meng family is the queen's mother's family, they don't have much contact with each other on a daily basis. In view of their different social status, the younger generations have even less interactions with each other.
As far as Xie Mingzhuo could remember, he had met Meng Lun and the other three only a handful of times, and he had no impression of his cousin at all.
"Today is your birthday. Your uncle wishes you to be as luxuriant as a pine tree and as tall as a crane, and to have peace and longevity every year." Meng Lun's conversation was elegant and sincere, which made people feel very comfortable.
Zhang Wanchun also smiled reservedly and said, "May His Highness be blessed with good fortune, longevity, happiness, and prosperity every year. Fan Niang, Jian Ge'er, come and meet His Highness."
The young girl was originally standing behind her parents, and now she revealed a beautiful face. She was elegant and beautiful, with a quiet temperament. She only glanced at Xie Mingzhuo, then lowered her head and saluted meticulously.
"Fan Niang is not talented, she only knows a little needlework." Meng Fan held the box in both hands. "May Your Highness always be kind and charitable, and may this last for thousands of years, and may you be filled with joy and happiness forever."
A young man around ten years old also handed over a gift. He looked straight at Xie Mingzhuo with his bright eyes and said in a familiar manner, "My dear cousin, I don't have much money and can't afford expensive gifts, so I made a toy myself. Please don't despise it."
Meng Lun frowned and was about to scold him when he heard Xie Mingzhuo smile and say, "Fan Niang and Jian Ge'er, thank you for your thoughtful gifts. Thank you also to my uncle and aunt."
"Your Highness is too polite." Meng Lun waved his hand and led his family back to their seats.
In addition to drinking and eating, family dinners also include chatting.
Prince An, proud of his seniority, asked, "Rong'an is old enough to be seeking a prince consort. Does he have a favorite husband?"
Princess Rong'an had just abducted the top scholar not long ago, so what he said was inappropriate, but it was indeed correct.
Girls from ordinary families get married at the age of fifteen. Xie Mingzhuo is already seventeen, and if she waits any longer she will become an old maid.
Meng Qi said indifferently, "The prince is not young anymore, have you found someone yet?"
Prince An said, "Brother Ji is only nineteen, not yet of age, so there's no need to rush. But Prince Qi is twenty this year. He didn't receive enlightenment from the immortals before, but now he's mentally clear, so it's time for him to marry a wife."
Xie Mingxuan: “…”
Has the pressure for marriage reached ancient times?
He was usually a man of few words, but he made a startling statement: "When to marry a wife will be arranged by the Taoist immortals, so there is no need for Prince An to worry."
Prince An: “…”
Do you have any shame? You even took the Taoist immortal's fabricated lies seriously!
He smiled nonchalantly, then looked at Meng Lun and said, "Meng Jijiu, how old is your daughter?"
Meng Lun cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness Prince An, my daughter is eighteen."
"You're already eighteen." Prince An looked surprised. "You're still not betrothed?"
Meng Lun said calmly, "We got engaged three years ago, but unfortunately our two families are not close."
"Oh? Whose family did you get engaged to? Why is your fate so shallow?" Prince An asked.
Xie Mingzhuo was annoyed by his noise: "Prince An is so concerned, is he planning to give him a generous gift when the time comes?"
The Meng family is the queen's maternal family. How many people are watching the marriages of the Meng family's children? How could Prince An not know the reasons?
Three years ago, Meng Fan got engaged to the eldest son of the Minister of Guanglu Temple.
This fiancé had studied at the Imperial College. He was very diligent in his studies and had good talent. He passed the examination and became a scholar at a young age. Meng Jijiu admired him very much.
After the engagement, the fiancé decided to pass the imperial examination first and then hold the wedding. Naturally, the Meng family had no objection.
Unfortunately, he was unlucky enough to be assigned to a cell that was close to the toilet and had a draft. After three rounds and nine days, he was exhausted and had to be bedridden when he returned home.
When the results of the provincial examination were announced, he learned that his name was not on the list. He was so angry that he couldn't breathe and died.
Regardless of how grieved the Guanglu Temple Minister's family was, the Meng family, as prospective in-laws, could not rub salt into other people's wounds. Although the engagement between the two families was annulled, Meng Jijiu did not arrange a marriage for his daughter in the past three years.
Prince An said this on purpose to embarrass the Meng family.
After all, it is not a glorious thing to be unmarried at the age of 18. Moreover, she has been engaged once, and the other party died of illness. Many people in her family are inevitably worried.
Not getting married for three years, to put it nicely, means deep love and loyalty, but to put it bluntly, it means you can't find a suitable family.
After all, Prince An is a prince, so it is difficult for Meng Lun to refute him, and the emperor cannot take sides and criticize Prince An. The birthday boy Xie Mingzhuo is the most suitable person to take action.
Zhang Wanchun's expression softened and she gave Xie Mingzhuo a grateful smile.
The birthday party ended with a game of chess.
As Prince An was leaving, he suddenly asked, "Your Majesty once said that the Taoist priests had told you that there would be heavy snow in mid-April. I wonder when this heavy snow will fall?"
Xie Changfeng was stunned for a moment, then said impatiently, "Go ask the Taoist yourself."
“…”
Kaifeng Prefecture, Henan Province.
At the Dusi Yamen martial arts training ground, Zong Zhen and his subordinates finished practicing swordsmanship, sat down on the stone steps, and took out a crumpled newspaper from his pocket.
There were many merchants traveling between Kaifeng and the capital, and the newspaper came into his hands just a few days after the publication of the "Capital Weekly".
"Sir, you have read this newspaper dozens of times. Why are you still reading it?" The guard teased with a smile.
Zong Zhen shook the newspaper, glanced at him, and didn't answer.
"Sir," the guard lowered his voice again, "they said it would snow heavily in mid-April. Today is the 15th of April, and we've been waiting for most of the day, but haven't seen a single snowflake. However, the sky has been gloomy for several days now."
Zong Zhen: "What's the rush?"
"I'm not in a hurry, but those farmers who harvested their wheat early are probably feeling uneasy."
Zong Zhen was calm and composed: "It's a done deal, even if it doesn't snow..."
He suddenly stopped, raised his head and stretched out his left hand.
A white snowflake as pure as cotton flakes fluttered down into his palm.
There was silence for a few moments, and then there was a deafening cry.
"It's snowing! It's really snowing!"
【Author’s words】
There are so many updates at once that I can’t keep up with my saved manuscripts. The next chapter will be updated at 11pm on Sunday. Merry Christmas!
Send 100 red envelopes~
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