In the capital, the Ministry of Works established the Mirror Division, which specialized in the manufacture and sale of mirrors. Empress Jing'an's mirrors had previously been auctioned off by clan members at high prices, with the proceeds going to a designated treasury.
The Mirror Department worked day and night, and fifteen days after the Mirror Appreciation Banquet, they released their first batch of mirrors, all of which were vanity mirrors of the same size. The production of these mirrors was thanks to the previous dynasty's Lady Liuli. If she hadn't developed the glass, it's unknown when these mirrors would have been produced.
As soon as the news of the mirror's sale spread, it was instantly sold out. If it weren't for the restriction that only one mirror could be purchased per prefecture, it's possible that the entire mirror would have been reserved by the wife of the Minister of Works, who had already received the news. Subsequently, the Ministry of Works began accepting pre-orders, and those who had booked that day were booked out for three years.
Empress Jing'an also continued her mirror-making work. Imported mirrors were far inferior to her own, and she planned to ship her mirrors overseas to earn foreign exchange. Princess Jinyi, understanding the meaning of foreign exchange, joined Empress Jing'an daily in mirror-making. When the mirrors filled half the boat, Princess Jinyi and the prefect of Quanzhou departed the capital.
By the time Princess Jinyi arrived in Quanzhou, Xu Lin had already been in office for seven days. Hearing that he was going to receive the princess, Xu Lin couldn't help but sigh. The two of them arrived in Quanzhou one after the other.
"Welcome Her Royal Highness the Princess. May Her Royal Highness live a thousand years." Everyone present, except the princess, knelt on the ground to pay their respects.
Princess Jinyi, who hadn't felt any discomfort along the way, asked everyone to stand up with a rosy face: "Everyone, please stand up."
Princess Jinyi looked around and saw Xu Lin in the crowd. She nodded to him and then got on the carriage to the inn.
There were people who were very sensitive to words and expressions. Seeing the interaction between the two, they couldn't help but have some guesses in their minds, but they didn't dare to look at them too much.
A welcoming banquet was held that night, and Xu Lin, the prefect of Quanzhou and director of the Maritime Customs, naturally attended. Because the princess was a female member of the family, all the other dignitaries came with their wives, leaving Xu Lin, alone at a table, standing out.
First, the prefect greeted Princess Jinyi, welcoming her from afar. The princess then responded, "There's no need to be formal. I'm here only to discuss the voyage. As someone whose position is ours, I'll manage the affairs of state. I won't interfere in other matters." After a pause, she added, "This is my first time in Quanzhou. I'd like to offer a toast to everyone and thank you for your hospitality."
As soon as the princess finished speaking, everyone stood up and bowed to express their gratitude, then drank the wine in their cups.
After toasting and listening to a piece of music, Princess Jinyi was the first to leave. Everyone stood up to see her off and then returned to their seats. The prefect's wife followed behind Princess Jinyi and escorted her to the carriage.
Being both in Quanzhou and involved in maritime transport, Princess Jinyi and Xu Lin inevitably interacted frequently. Sometimes Princess Jinyi would summon Xu Lin to discuss matters, and sometimes Xu Lin would proactively report on his plans to go out to sea. Twenty days later, the ship carrying Jiangning's woven fabrics and mirrors was about to depart.
After countless persuasions, Empress Jing'an sent another letter to persuade Princess Jinyi to stay at sea for the time being.
The two stood on the dock, watching the cargo ship gradually sail away. Princess Jinyi said with some regret: "It would be great if I were on the ship."
Xu Lin turned his head and lowered his gaze, then replied, "Princess, absolutely not."
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