Chu Jinyao sat in the house, half-opening the window, listening to the chatter of the maids and old women in the corridor.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course I am serious. Now the news has spread everywhere. Even the little kids on the street know that the prince led a surprise attack and chased the Tatars for three thousand miles. If it weren't for the sudden heavy snow that blocked the marching route, the prince would have been able to wipe out the Tatars!" "

Wow!" The women covered their mouths and exclaimed. Chu Jinyao sewed a stitch and shook her head secretly in laughter.

In yesterday's version, the prince took advantage of the snowy night to attack and led his troops to chase for a thousand miles. Now it has become a long march of three thousand miles, and he had to return because of the heavy snow.

The Tatars are the thorn in the side of Dayan. The Tatars are a nation on horseback. The boys in the tribe can ride horses as soon as they can walk, and can drink wine as soon as they can drink water. In recent years, they often rely on fast horses and curved swords to invade the border suddenly. Once there is a military pursuit, they retreat. Under the harassment back and forth, the border defense troops are unable to defend against them, and the people are also unable to bear it.

The generals guarding the border, for various reasons, are always unwilling to take the risk of attacking the Tatars. After all, it is easier to defend than to attack. As long as the city gates are not wrong, they are meritorious ministers. If the attack on the Tatars fails, it will be a big mistake.

Therefore, for so many years, the great country of Yan Dynasty has never won a battle against the Tatars, and has always been on passive defense. This time, the Tatars, relying on the thick fat of autumn horses, actually attacked the border brazenly, trying to repeat the victory of thirteen years ago. However, this time, their eyes were not only on the wealth in Shanxi,

but also on the capital. If they could break through the Datong border, it would only take a few days to enter the capital. Perhaps, they could recreate the glory of the previous dynasty ruling the Han Dynasty!

The Tatar Khan had heard from somewhere that the prince was also at the border, which could be said to be a godsend. In the eyes of the Tatars, the prince must be a coward who was greedy and afraid of death. Once the border was lit, he would definitely be the fastest runner. The Tatar Khan was confident that they might be able to capture two emperors alive.

Unfortunately, the Tatar Khan misjudged the person. After the war broke out, the prince did not evacuate first as everyone imagined, but instead robbed three thousand elite soldiers and led his men out of the border. The general of Datong was so worried that his head was about to go bald. He looked at the summons from the inner cabinet like snowflakes, and he made up his mind to cooperate with the prince to go out of the city to fight the Tatars. Because of the presence of the prince, the morale of the soldiers at the border was greatly boosted, and they fought bravely and killed the enemy, and burst out decades of frustration.

In this way, the court's army fought and advanced, and attacked madly wherever it was lost. It was difficult to withstand the Tatar's attack. In the end, relying on supplies and geographical advantages, it slowly counterattacked and fought back into the Tatar's land. The last battle report from the interior was that there was heavy snow outside the pass, and the horses were half submerged and could not move forward. Therefore, the prince withdrew his troops back to the city to rest and recuperate.

Chu Jinyao was in Taiyuan and didn't know what was going on in the capital, but she knew that the whole city of Taiyuan was already boiling with the prince's battle report. It has been a long time since our great dynasty has had such an inspiring victory.

Now, even the servants in the deep house are excitedly discussing this victory.

Chu Jinyao sewed another stitch and finally finished sewing the sleeve. She put the sleeve and the forehead guard together, planning to wait for Wei the shopkeeper to come and let him take them to Sister Su Hui.

Chu Jinyao sent the news in August, and then there was news that the Tatars had invaded the border. The situation was turbulent and the people were in panic. No one dared to move rashly, and Su Hui did not dare to fall into the trap and go north to Taiyuan. Later, the news of the prince's participation in the war spread all over the country, and the war situation gradually became tense. The court's backup troops, money and food were transported to the border for free. The people gradually felt relieved and no longer slept in the middle of the night with their packages. They would abandon the city and flee at the slightest sign of trouble. It was during this period that Su Hui's husband, Zhang the Butcher, knocked on the side door of Changxing Marquis's Mansion, and was led by Wei Xiao, the shopkeeper, to talk to Chu Jinyao.

Now, taking advantage of the good business at the end of the year, Zhang the Butcher has brought Su Hui to Taiyuan to work in Yunzhi Embroidery Manor. Chu Jinyao said that Su Hui was skillful and capable, which was true. Although Su Hui was impetuous, she was a person with a sharp tongue but a soft heart, and she was very efficient in her work. Not long after she went to the embroidery shop, she adapted to the rhythm there and was busy all the time. These things that Chu Jinyao sewed were for Su Hui to use.

In fact, Su Hui doesn't need Chu Jinyao's help now. Her brother-in-law, butcher Zhang, continues to do his old business. Butchering is a profitable business, not as good as a businessman, but it is considered acceptable among the citizens. It is not a problem to support a family by one person, and maybe he can save some money, not to mention that Su Hui is now helping him, working in the embroidery village. Chu Jinyao couldn't help her openly, so she gave Su Hui one and a half wages. After the Chinese New Year, she and her sister discussed making spring clothes, and she could give Su Hui a little wages to make her sister's family's life better.

Su Hui and her husband earn about five taels of silver a month, which is already a very good income. However, five taels of silver is still nothing in Chu Jinyao's eyes. If Chu Jinyao didn't have the dividends from Yunzhi Embroidery Shop, she would only earn two taels of silver a month, and four sets of clothes every season, which might not be as good as Su Hui and her husband.

Fortunately, Chu Jinyao now has a family background, and she will not be short of fabrics for ten years, not to mention that Wei, the shopkeeper, will send her one to two thousand yuan of dividends every month, and also send her some fashionable fabrics. Qi, the shopkeeper, also often walks around. As a result, Chu Jinyao earns more fabrics than she uses every month, and those boxes can no longer hold them, so she can only pile up wooden boxes.

She had more and more private money, and she no longer had to spend money on daily necessities. The Yunjin that she once cherished was now just a piece of ordinary cloth in her eyes. If she was not afraid of attracting attention, she could afford to replace all her clothes with Yunjin.

However, Chu Jinyao did not dare to be so ostentatious. In normal times, she did not make many new clothes except for the clothes distributed by the mansion. On the contrary, the old lady could not bear it and often made clothes for her.

Chu Jinyao put the sleeves and earmuffs together and turned her stiff wrists. When Kikyo entered the room, she saw this scene. She hurried forward and said, "Are your hands tired? Let me knock for you."

"No need." Chu Jinyao said, "I can move around by myself."

Kikyo agreed, holding the sewing basket in her arms. Just as she was about to go out, she suddenly found that the window behind Chu Jinyao was open. She frowned, pointed at the window and asked, "Who opened this? The girl is sitting here doing needlework. What if she catches a cold if the window is open?"

"I opened it. I felt it was too stuffy with the charcoal burning in the room, so I opened the window myself. It allows some air to flow in."

Kikyo went forward to close the window. When she closed the window, she found the old woman in the corridor still sitting on the railing chatting. She couldn't help scolding, "The girl is here, and you keep talking endlessly. Aren't you afraid of disturbing the girl?"

When the maids heard that the girl was actually sitting behind this window, they immediately stood up and apologized. Chu Jinyao said to Kikyo, "They have been frightened for a whole winter. Let them relax for a while and talk. It's okay."

"They are used to being lazy. They will definitely say something bad when they are free. They don't even think about it. Even if the prince won the battle, what does it have to do with them? Now they are talking about the prince. Who knows who they will blame later."

Chu Jinyao laughed. When Nanny Gong came in and heard this, she praised him repeatedly, "That's right! Who is the prince? How can we gossip about him? Even saying one more word is disrespectful to the royal family."

Chu Jinyao was stunned, "Is it really that serious?"

Nanny Gong said with a stern face, "Of course."

Chu Jinyao had no choice but to put the topic aside. In the past, Qi Ze always spoke ill of the prince in front of her. Over time, even Chu Jinyao became familiar with the prince, as if he was someone within her reach, not some unattainable crown prince. However, she did not expect that in the eyes of others, even saying the name of the crown prince out loud was an offense.

In fact, this also shows that the prince's reputation among the people is growing day by day, far from what it used to be.

To put it bluntly, even the current emperor may not be able to compare to him.

After all, although the emperor has a great reputation, it is not a good reputation.

Chu Jinyao was sincerely happy for the prince, although she didn't know why she was so happy. Maybe it was because she chose the right person? When the war started, she blindly trusted the crown prince, and facts proved that she did not trust the wrong person.

The crown prince deserves the title of crown prince, and he also deserves the expectations of the people.

Gong Ma said: "Miss, the end of the year is approaching, and you should prepare your clothes for this year. What do you think?"

"I will do whatever my family arranges."

Gong Ma was stunned for a moment and replied: "Okay."

In fact, with Chu Jinyao's current private money, she could easily surpass all the sisters and take the lead by just pulling out a piece of cloth from the box in the west room, but she didn't do that, and always kept the same expenses as the sisters in the same mansion. Gong Ma was very moved. At the age when she loved to compare and be coquettish the most, she could be so restrained, which shows how cautious and prudent Chu Jinyao was. However, there was still some regret. Chu Jinyao just stood there, just like a hundred flowers in full bloom, and these gorgeous brocade and silk would look so beautiful on her. But Chu Jinyao had never worn them due to her status.

Gong Ma Ma couldn't explain why it was a pity, but she felt that the beauty was covered in dust, and the fifth lady should not be restricted by any restrictions and should stand higher.

It was no surprise that Nanny Gong thought of the Huailing Prince's Mansion. She advised thoughtfully, "Miss, if you find the burning charcoal in your house too boring, why not go sit with the old lady. The old lady's room has a warm room, which is warmer than burning charcoal and has no smoke."

Chu Jinyao knew that Nanny Gong had other intentions. The last time they visited the Huailing Prince's Mansion, they heard the news of the Tatar invasion. Both families were panicked and had no time to worry about other things. Now that the war situation has been decided, the matters that were put aside in the fall can be discussed again.

For example, the county lord's companion.

Chu Jinyao didn't want to be a study partner from the bottom of her heart, but her opposition would only make her situation worse and would not change anything. Over time, Chu Jinyao stopped mentioning it, but in her actions, she was not enthusiastic.

Madam Gong didn't understand why the fifth girl was always lukewarm about the matter of choosing a study partner. If no one mentioned it, she would not go, as if she was resisting passively... Madam Gong shook her head, threw away these unreasonable thoughts, and advised earnestly: "Girl, you are already fourteen years old, it's time to plan for yourself."

How could she not know? She returned to Changxing Marquis's Mansion at the end of the first month of the year, and in the blink of an eye, another year was coming to an end. After the new year, she would be fourteen years old.

Chu Jinyao finally stood up and said, "Okay, I'll go to my grandmother's place to see her."

Nanny Gong was overjoyed and quickly responded with a smile, "Okay, I'll get the cloak for you now."

Chu Jinyao put on a white fur cloak with fine fur trimmed at the collar and cuffs. She wore a pink short jacket with a front opening and a blue horse-faced skirt with a large group of precious flowers embroidered on the skirt. Chu Jinyao's gloves were covered with rabbit fur sleeves, and only a section of her pink pipa sleeves could be seen. When the people in Madam Chu's courtyard saw Chu Jinyao, they quickly opened the curtains: "Madam, the fifth lady is here!"

Linglong helped Chu Jinyao take off her cloak and sleeves. After letting go of the frosty air on her body, Chu Jinyao slowly walked towards the inner room: "Grandmother."

Madam Chu had heard the report a long time ago. She was wearing a gray fur jacket and was sitting in the warm room listening to the maids' jokes. When she heard the voice, she turned around and saw a tall girl standing under the antique shelf.

Chu Jinyao was taller than ordinary ladies, and she liked to wear short jackets and long skirts. The upper jacket was about to her waist, and the lower part was a blue horse-faced skirt with deep and dense pleats, which was slightly puffed out, making her look particularly slender and taller. The beauty has black hair like clouds, and her skin is white. She stands here quietly, as if spring has returned to the earth.

Chu Jinyao just stands there, without doing anything, and it makes people feel as if spring has come, with flowers in full bloom and the sun shining brightly.

After the old lady finished her inspection, she gently raised her hand. Chu Jinyao understood, and immediately stepped forward, took the old lady Chu's hand, and sat next to her.

Sitting closer like this, she felt that Chu Jinyao's eyebrows and eyes were breathtakingly beautiful, as if they were carefully outlined, with smooth lines. It is hard to tell what is bad or good about her eyes, but they are beautiful and natural, and you can never get tired of looking at them. The old lady Chu inspected her silently, and then retracted her gaze silently. Her granddaughter was good in every way, except that she was not very close to her family, especially her grandmother.

But this was not a big problem. Whether Chu Jinyao was born like this or had other grudges, it could not change the fact that her last name was Chu. As long as she was a girl from the Chu family and would marry out of the Changxing Marquisate in the future, that was enough.

Madam Chu said, "Fifth Miss, in a few days, the Princess of the County will hold a banquet in the Prince's Mansion and invite the young ladies of the city who are of appropriate age to enjoy the snow and plum blossoms."

Chu Jinyao was surprised for a moment: "It's almost the end of the lunar month, and the New Year will be in half a month. Why are they holding a banquet at this time?"

"The Prince's Mansion is very wealthy and spends money like water. These expenses are easy to pay. As long as the public has money, we can afford to hold a banquet on the 30th."

"What I mean is, it's almost New Year, doesn't the princess of a county need to buy New Year's goods, take care of things like ancestor worship?"

Old Madam Chu laughed when she heard this, and then said to Chu Jinyao with a hint of meaning: "She is a princess, and as long as she says something casually, there are many maids and old women who work hard for her. She is called the mistress, but in fact, marrying into the palace is to enjoy the good life. Such things that have been set in previous years, can a proper princess worry about it?"

Chu Jinyao was silent for a while, and finally said: "Grandmother, what do you think?"

"I have a piece of gold-woven makeup satin here. Although it's a bit excessive for us to wear, it's not too outrageous when we visit the palace." Old Madam Chu said, "You are very skillful, even the embroiderers in the palace can't compare to you. You can take this satin back and make your own plans. When you go to the banquet, you must not be looked down upon."

Old Madam Chu's words were almost explicit.

The news that Old Madam Chu gave Chu Jinyao a piece of gold-woven makeup satin soon spread in the palace.

Makeup satin is the high-end material in Yunjin, the most expensive among the expensive, not to mention that gold thread is added when it is woven. The cost of this piece of makeup satin is unimaginable. Chu Jinmiao sat in the room, listening to the maid's report of the news she had inquired about.

Chu Jinmiao couldn't help but wonder what the situation was like in the mansion at this time last year. Yes, there was no Chu Jinyao at that time. She was the only legitimate second daughter in the mansion. She was the first to choose the gifts from the elders and the tributes from the shops outside. No one dared to take the lead unless Chu Jinmiao said so.

But after the New Year, her nightmare began. This piece of makeup satin from Old Madam Chu should have been hers, if Chu Jinyao hadn't been there.

Chu Jinmiao finally gave up and told the maid to shut up in a bad mood. This spring, she still laughed at Chu Jinyao, saying that she was a frog in a well from a poor family, who had never seen the world and could draw silk out of the cloud brocade with her fingers. But now, Chu Jinyao already has several sets of cloud brocade clothes, and now she can afford makeup satin.

As for Chu Jinmiao, although she was secretly subsidized by the Zhao family, how could the Zhao family compare to the old lady's rich capital, the brocade and gold hairpins worth thousands of gold, and she could reward people whenever she wanted. Chu Jinmiao could not change her extravagant lifestyle, and never lowered her status to let others look down on her.

As a result, she only spent money but never earned any. Gradually, Chu Jinmiao was already struggling. Chu Jinmiao then realized what the resources in the mansion were tilted and the old lady's gifts meant. In the past, all these went into Chu Jinxian's private vault. Although Chu Jinmiao was jealous, she did not dare to say anything, even though she was the eldest sister in the family. But now, why did this person change to Chu Jinyao?

Chu Jinmiao watched with envy as Chu Jinyao became more and more gorgeous. Her every move was tinged with the wealth and calmness of a noble family. The family's rejection of Chu Jinyao gradually disappeared, and finally, she became the fifth lady praised by everyone.

Chu Jinmiao could not accept these changes. In her opinion, Chu Jinyao should be stretched to the limit and restless. She wanted to integrate into this family but couldn't. She said she didn't care about Chu Jinyao before, because Chu Jinyao still looked like a poor girl. Everyone in the family favored Chu Jinmiao. Once the balance was shaky, Chu Jinmiao was the first person to panic.

This feeling was like seeing her own things returning to Chu Jinyao one by one.

It was like a slow knife cutting flesh, and Chu Jinmiao was about to be driven crazy. She thought of the banquet in the palace a few days later, and her eyes gradually showed a desperate madness.

No matter how rich the Changxing Marquis's Mansion was, and no matter how generous the old lady was to Chu Jinyao, how could it compare to the palace, or even the Eastern Palace?

In another slightly dark room, the maid stoked the charcoal fire, covered it with a charcoal net, and could not help complaining: "Miss, you only have four sets of clothes issued by the government for the whole winter. Madam can't give you any subsidies. In order not to lose face, we can only change last year's winter clothes. But the fifth girl hasn't worn the same clothes twice this month! Even so, the old lady still awarded the makeup satin to the fifth girl. That's makeup satin! Who among the ladies in the world doesn't want a makeup dress. The old lady is so partial, I don't accept it." The sixth girl

laughed and said, "What's the use of you being dissatisfied? The old lady is not my grandmother, how can I expect her to take care of things for me?"

"But, young lady, are you going to accept it?" The little maid was still not convinced, and grumbled, "Madam is really a jerk. She has moved all the money in the room to the young master, and only cares about the young master's studies, not the young lady's life or death. Young lady, you are going to be engaged soon, how can you succeed without a few big clothes that can hold up the occasion?" "

Are you going to accept your fate?" The sixth young lady smiled, "No, never."

Chu Jinyao took Linglong back to the house. She went into the house to warm up the charcoal fire, and asked Linglong to call in the other maids. It gets dark early in winter, so you have to cut clothes quickly while it's light.

Dingxiang brought a sewing basket, and Platycodon helped Chu Jinyao cut the cloth. The maids chattered, "Miss, is this the makeup satin? It's a royal tribute that is worth a fortune on the market?"

Nanny Sun glanced at it from a distance and sighed, "Such good satin is actually only used to make clothes. This kind of guest coat can't be worn again after one wear. It's such a waste. You don't have to worry about losing your blessings by wearing it."

When Platycodon heard this, she turned around and glared at her, then pushed Nanny Sun out with a shoulder: "You'd better be quiet. It's a good day. Control your mouth!"

Nanny Sun was bumped by a maid, and she was so angry that she fell backwards. She glared at Platycodon with wide eyes, and Platycodon glared back without giving in.

At this time, Linglong said, "Madame Gong, you have to be free. I have some work to ask you."

Hearing Madame Gong's name, Mrs. Sun calmed down a little. She looked at Kikyo's triumphant smile, spat secretly, turned around, slammed the curtain and went out.

In the room, the maids surrounded Chu Jinyao, still chattering and asking questions.

Chu Jinyao had no time to reply, and Dingxiang shook her head as she watched Chu Jinyao busying herself.

She felt that the cloth was a little old and far inferior to the girl's own.

Because Dingxiang was honest and didn't talk much, she gradually gained Chu Jinyao's trust over the past year. Chu Jinyao was even willing to take Dingxiang with her to the west room to arrange the boxes sent by Eunuch Tang. Ding Xiang had seen Chu Jinyao's real private collection, and her horizons were broadened. When she looked at the piece of fabric given by Old Madam Chu, she always felt that it was old-fashioned and the pattern was not fresh enough.

In fact, Chu Jinyao felt the same way. This might have been found by Old Madam Chu from her dowry or inventory. Because it was precious, she didn't know how many years it had been kept. However, the makeup satin was still a piece of fabric. Although it would maintain its value if it was kept like this, the pattern would inevitably become outdated. This was why the old lady had underestimated Chu Jinyao's wealth. She probably didn't even dare to think that there were several large boxes of fabric in Chu Jinyao's private collection, all of which were whole pieces of Yunjin, makeup satin, and woven gold satin.

With her own things to compare, it is inevitable to distinguish the good from the bad. But this was the old lady's gift, and many people saw it along the way. No matter what, Chu Jinyao had to wear it out and give everyone an explanation. Similarly, because of the old lady's gift of cloth, Chu Jinyao felt that she was wise to hide her shortcomings and not show off her wealth. Before she had her own territory, she should not take it out to arouse suspicion. Therefore, her several boxes of makeup satin had to continue to be locked up. The

old lady's collection was inevitably tacky in color, bright red, and the pattern was also tangled flowers. Chu Jinyao cut the material into six pieces and made six horse-faced skirts. Because the color was too bright, Chu Jinyao couldn't wear a red dress when she went out, so she had to take out the white and purple-patterned Yunjin and cut a short jacket with a front opening.

When Chu Jinyao saw the white and purple-patterned Yunjin, Qin Yi was still by her side. She remembered that it was because she had sewed the Yunjin and came back with tears, which made Qin Yi unable to bear it and scared her. She also remembered that she liked this material very much at that time, and spent a lot of effort to make a horse-faced skirt, and even pinched tassels on the pleats with satin. However, things have changed now, Qin Yi is nowhere to be found, and Chu Jinyao is no longer in the mood to make clothes happily.

She doesn't want to stand out too much at the banquet in Huailing Palace, and it is more important to return safely.

On the 20th, Chu Jinyao wore a short jacket with a white background and purple cloud pattern, a red horse-faced skirt with round flowers, and a silver-gray fur-edged cloak, and slowly got on the carriage. Today, as usual, only Zhao and Yan were going out. According to the order of seniority, Chu Jinyao and the sixth girl were in the same carriage.

The sixth girl held a hand warmer and looked at Chu Jinyao without expression.

Chu Jinyao's skirt was particularly wide, and the folds of the skirt fell to the ground like a blooming camellia. Chu Jinyao sat on the seat with her knees together, her hands folded on her knees, and the sway on her head swayed gently with the carriage. Apart from that, she did not make any other movements. The skirt was originally wide, and it looked more dignified on Chu Jinyao.

It was the middle of winter, and even if there was a charcoal fire in the carriage, it was not an easy task to travel for a long time, so Chu Jinyao and the Sixth Girl did not take off their cloaks and fur collars. Chu Jinyao lowered her chin slightly, and she looked down at the ground, wondering what she was thinking. The delicate snow-white jaw just rested in front of the fluffy fur. Against this backdrop, her jaw looked as delicate as a work of art, almost like an ice sculpture.

Suddenly, there was a slight explosion in the charcoal pot in the corner. The Sixth Miss woke up from her thoughts and realized that she had been staring at Chu Jinyao for a long time.

This is really a beautiful woman who is pleasing to the eyes. As a woman, the Sixth Miss felt comfortable looking at Chu Jinyao, not to mention a man with only the lower body.

The burning charcoal made a slight crackling sound, and the green smoke dissipated in the carriage. The Sixth Miss leaned forward slightly, and her clear voice accompanied by light smoke rang out: "Fifth sister, considering that we once formed an alliance, I will give you one last piece of advice, be careful of the Fourth Sister."

Chu Jinyao blinked, quickly came back to her senses, and moved her clear eyes to the Sixth Miss in confusion. Seeing this, the Sixth Miss smiled and said, "You should know what kind of occasion today is. Almost half of the officials and daughters in Taiyuan will be present at this snow viewing banquet, and there will be many well-known figures at the table. In such an occasion, if something goes wrong, it will be all over."