Chapter 338 Dowry
“I only care about whether my wife is happy. It’s not just this swing. When you go into the room later, you will see many things you like. They are all here. Even this bedroom, I have slightly modified it according to the style you like in the Prince Anshun’s mansion. There is too much time, so you may not be able to see it yet, but it doesn’t matter. There is plenty of time. I will slowly transform this place into the style you are most satisfied with.”
It's actually quite obvious; she likes several kinds of flowers and plants, and the trees are trimmed neatly and orderly.
Wen Zhiming has only been in the palace for a few days, yet he still managed to renovate his bedroom like this amidst his busy official duties; he truly put a lot of thought into it.
Meng Lingge leaned against Wen Zhiming, gently jumped off the swing, and couldn't wait to go inside.
The first thing you see is a carved phoenix chair, a dressing table made of golden nanmu wood, a uniquely shaped screen, and a treasure chest with a hidden compartment...
“When I first moved these things out, I put them in an empty room in my third brother’s residence. When I missed you, I would stay there for hours at a time. After I saved Father and Mother, I guessed that the former emperor would take back that residence, so I moved these things to a safe place first. After returning to the capital this time, I originally planned to transport them back to the Prince of Anshun’s residence, but thinking that my wife would soon become the empress, I simply had them sent here.”
Wen Zhiming's bright eyes seemed to be tinged with starlight as he looked at Meng Lingge with a gentle smile.
"The palace is so dull. These old things will surely cheer you up."
Meng Lingge felt a mix of emotions, and fearing she might choke up, she joked.
"Your Majesty is the ruler of the country, yet you are so frugal. It is truly a blessing for the people. I use all old items here, so there is no need to add a single new item to the harem. This can be considered as saving Your Majesty's expenses."
Upon hearing this, Wen Zhiming panicked and immediately led Meng Lingge to the treasure chest, opened the first layer, and took out a gold seal.
“I was only thinking about my wife’s usual habits and didn’t think of this place. Then leave all of these here and I will get a new batch. Anyway, this place is spacious and should be able to hold them all. This is the Empress’s golden seal. In the future, you can use the golden seal to have your subordinates carry out your orders or arrangements.”
Meng Lingge accepted the gold seal, unable to bear teasing him any longer, and said directly, "There's no need to buy a new one. I'll just give the order when I need it. These things can only play a small role in my mood. The most important thing is who I'm with. Wherever you are, that's my home, and home is naturally a happy place."
Upon hearing this, Wen Zhiming's bright eyes narrowed into slits with a smile.
“It’s a small thing, but it’s very important. I can’t bear to see my wife even a little bit unhappy. My wife, now push open this door and take a look.”
As he spoke, he led Meng Lingge outside to a building next to the main bedroom. He stood at a half-open door, eagerly waiting for Meng Lingge to open it, like a child waiting for praise.
Meng Lingge's curiosity was piqued, and upon hearing this, she gently pushed and went in first.
The room was filled with red boxes, stacked layer upon layer, completely filling the entire room.
Looking at the familiar boxes, Meng Lingge couldn't help but touch each one, saying uncertainly, "Is this my dowry? I can't believe I managed to find so many."
Wen Zhiming nodded and said, "I have checked the list, and nothing is missing. I originally thought that some of the items that were seized would be lost, but perhaps the former emperor knew that these things would eventually be returned to their rightful owners, so they were all placed in the national treasury and not a single one was given away."
The reason the former emperor didn't touch these items was mainly because the confiscation had only lasted for half a year, and one troublesome thing after another had happened. He simply didn't have the time to look at these festive items.
He figured that once the money reached the national treasury, it would already be his. He would wait until he had dealt with his current affairs before deciding how to dispose of the assets.
As a result, he died with resentment before he even had a chance to look at them, and these things returned to Wen Zhiming and Meng Ling, the singers.
Meng Lingge looked at the things her parents had painstakingly prepared for her, touching this and looking at that, loving each and every one of them.
Wen Zhiming followed behind her and continued, "These things are kept in the Treasure Pavilion, and the key is also in your care. But I think that since your parents are outside the palace, it would be more convenient for you to use and keep the dowry as close to you as possible. What do you think of my arrangement?"
"His Majesty's arrangements are excellent."
Meng Lingge's smile never faded after she entered Fengyi Palace.
These dowry items represent her parents' love for their daughter, and placing them in her palace will give her the feeling that her parents are always by her side.
Wen Zhiming followed behind her. After Meng Lingge looked at the items and put them back in their original places, he closed the box for her, like a dutiful subordinate.
Soon the two reached the innermost part, where Meng Lingge saw several exquisitely crafted small boxes. Upon opening them, she found them filled with gold, silver, and jade artifacts, as well as a thick stack of silver notes.
"Isn't this the one we buried together in the yard? I told you to use it for military expenses, why didn't you touch a single bit?"
After she and her cousin Du Yuanhua found Wen Zhiming on the northern frontier battlefield, most of the expenses of the military camp came from Du Yuanhua's financial assistance. However, before their arrival, the Tiger Soaring Army had been traveling for more than a month. At that time, the military camp was extremely short of supplies and the soldiers' food was also very poor. She thought that her mother and the part of the wealth she had hidden had all been used up.
Wen Zhiming lowered his head and said, "Unless absolutely necessary, how can we use your dowry? But if you hadn't arrived in time with my cousin, we really wouldn't have been able to keep it. Although we can buy you new things, they are different for you."
He pulled out a small box made of nanmu wood from the very back of the boxes, opened it, and handed it to Meng Lingge.
Inside were some valuable ornaments, which looked quite old.
"I first used the valuables left to us by my mother. There were originally four boxes, but only this half box was left that I didn't exchange for silver notes. This was also something left to us by my mother, and now I'm giving it all to you."
Meng Lingge gently rummaged through the box a few times and saw that what remained were all women's accessories. Presumably, Wen Zhiming had pawned the valuable men's jewelry and some other items that were not suitable for her first, leaving only these things that she could use.
It seems that his father, mother, and even his own belongings were all lost. These things that were very important to them were not preserved, but he managed to leave her with some tokens of his affection.
This man is really...
But it doesn't matter. She has power, influence, and money now, so she can buy better things for Wen Zhiming, her father, and her mother.
The fact that these remaining items were preserved is largely thanks to my cousin; otherwise, even if we used them all, we might not have been able to support the Tiger Army's attack on the capital.
"Speaking of my eldest cousin, when we stormed the capital, he was still raising money in shops all over the country. Now that you've ascended the throne, he should have received the news. Why hasn't he come to the capital to find us yet?"
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