The spring scenery was still exceptionally warm. After spending a long time with Chenghuan in the palace, Mingxiu handed Chenghuan over to Consort Hui and then boarded the carriage with Luzhu and Yulan. Mingxiu sat in the carriage, happily looking at the scenery outside.
This trip was a grand affair, with even the Empress Dowager accompanying them. There were so many people that the carriages stretched as far as the eye could see.
Cement floors are truly a great invention.
Mingxiu ate watermelon and looked at the scenery outside with some emotion. When she accompanied Emperor Kangxi on his inspection tour of Jiangnan, cement roads were not yet widespread, so she felt nauseous from the bumpy, dilapidated roads.
After several years, cement roads are now almost ubiquitous. In the few days she's been walking on them, they're all cement roads, and they're very well maintained. The roads are very smooth, with no bumps at all.
Knowing she was going out, Mingxiu had discussed with Kangxi beforehand which carriages she wanted and then began preparations.
First, she had Xiao Xizi measure the carriage windows, and then she had the glassmaking company, Liuli Si, make several small pieces of glass for her to install on the carriage. Each carriage had two pieces of glass, one on each side, and the glass was made to slide, just like when she rode in a car in modern times. This way, she could see the scenery outside without worrying about the wind and sand squinting her eyes.
Mingxiu originally thought it was impossible, but she didn't expect the people in the Manufacturing Department to be so amazing. She just gave a simple explanation and they manufactured it directly.
I don't know how it was installed, but it was very convenient and smooth to push and pull. Mingxiu installed small white curtains and a layer of gauze curtains on it. The carriage was also very comfortable. There was a large beanbag chair and a few small cushions. It didn't hurt my bottom when I sat on it. When I got tired, I could pull out the beanbag chair and it would become a warm little bed.
Next to it was a small sliding table with food and drinks on it, and a trash bag next to it. Although the weather was still a little cool, it was only slightly cool, so a blanket was enough for most people. Mingxiu Wine did not have a stove.
She also sent Green Bamboo and Yu Lan to the carriage at the back, so that she could sit inside and watch TV, eat snacks, and when she got tired of watching, look at the scenery outside to soothe her eyes. She could also call them or Yinreng in to chat. If she needed to use the restroom, she could go directly into her space to use the restroom instead of going outside. She could just pretend to take a short walk around when the group took a break. It was incredibly wonderful.
But now Mingxiu glared angrily at the people inside the carriage, sitting dejectedly on the cushion beside her.
"Your Majesty, why are you coming to my carriage instead of enjoying yourself in your luxurious carriage?" She's so crowded there's nowhere for her to sit.
Inside the carriage were just the two of them, with no outsiders around, so they didn't need to worry about their image at all. Kangxi leaned lazily against Mingxiu's beanbag chair, taking a sip of his drink with relish.
Mingxiu likes to drink tea, but she doesn't like to drink hot tea on the road, so she usually drinks iced tea or tea made with various fruit juices.
She's drinking plum juice now. It's sweet and sour, and it's very refreshing to drink it after it's been left out to cool down a bit. Because the ride is less bumpy and the windows have been open for ventilation, her motion sickness isn't too bad, but she's still a little uncomfortable and can't drink anything else. At this time, drinking some cool plum juice is very comforting.
The cup was also a large glass that she specially commissioned from a glassmaker for this trip. It even has a lid, so it won't spill when she leaves it in the car when she's not drinking from it.
Kangxi glanced at Mingxiu and said, "My dear consort, this carriage is more comfortable than mine. Would you like me to lie down for a while?"
Mingxiu pouted. She was unwilling. On the carriage, she couldn't eat properly, watch TV, or even use the toilet in her spatial dimension. But could she say anything?
Mingxiu could only smile obsequiously at Kangxi, "No, no, of course I welcome you. I was just thinking that my carriage is small and might make Your Majesty uncomfortable. Besides, I have something here that your carriage doesn't."
That scoundrel! When she was tidying up the carriage, Emperor Kangxi saw her and thought it was quite good, so he arranged for his own carriage to be the same as Mingxiu's.
Moreover, it wasn't just him. If it were just him making the arrangements, that would be one thing, since it wasn't her who did it. But he also made a set for the Empress Dowager.
This really infuriated her. Although Mingxiu didn't have any evidence yet that the Empress Dowager had harmed her, she was on Mingxiu's list of prime suspects.
Now they're actually using her things to take care of people on her suspect list, which really makes Mingxiu uncomfortable, but she can't say anything. If the Emperor takes a liking to someone, it's just a matter of a word. No one will offend the Emperor because of her.
Mingxiu grew angrier the more she thought about it. Looking at the person sitting in her beanbag chair reading a book, she couldn't help but grind her teeth. Luckily, she had been careful and hadn't had anyone else make her sofa. It was made by her palace maids, Lvzhu and Yulan. When Kangxi asked, she simply said that there was time and refused.
Otherwise, Mingxiu felt like she could be beaten to death by herself.
Kangxi noticed Mingxiu's changing gaze and wondered where her thoughts had wandered off to. He shook his head and ignored her.
He was leisurely sitting on the sofa reading his book. Actually, his carriage was quite comfortable, but for some reason, he felt like something was missing. He asked Mingxiu to come and accompany him and talk to him, but Mingxiu made excuses and insisted that his carriage was not as comfortable as hers.
Since she wasn't going, he had no choice but to come himself. But this girl really didn't have a shred of cunning; she even asked him why he had come, saying that her carriage was very comfortable.
snort!
The carriage journey took about ten days. Mingxiu went from being excited at the beginning to being completely indifferent in just six days, and then she lost all interest in the scenery outside.
He focused on watching his television in the carriage, occasionally feeding the children who had come with Yinreng to the carriage with him.
On the way, only one of their carriages broke down, which delayed them for half a day. Apart from resting, they spent most of their time traveling. After several days, they finally arrived at the manor in Shengjing when the weather was no longer cold.
Mingxiu looked at the courtyard in Shengjing with some curiosity. She had never been to Shengjing before. Even the imperial palace was a place she had visited in her previous life when she went on a trip because it was so famous. But Shengjing was too far away for Mingxiu. It would be a waste to only visit Shengjing.
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