Chapter 346 Imperial Merchant
Just looking at it makes one feel at ease.
"Is this the child? So young. Come forward and let me see him."
Jiang Mi took a few steps forward, and the Empress Dowager then asked her to come closer. She walked up to the Empress Dowager, knelt down, and performed a grand salute: "Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace."
The voice was very clear and crisp, which pleased the Empress Dowager. She said to the nanny, "Nanny Zhao, quickly help her up. I want to take a good look at this child. She is so clever and bright. I wonder what she looks like."
As Zhao Mama helped Jiang Mi up, she said, "Your Majesty, look! Not only does Miss Jiang have skillful hands, but she is also as beautiful as a fairy descended from heaven. You really can't find another woman as beautiful as her."
When the Empress Dowager saw Jiang Mi's face, her eyes lit up immediately. She exclaimed, "This girl is so beautiful! I'm at a loss for words. I don't know how to describe her. Even the most beautiful words like 'the moon hides its face and the flowers blush' are not enough to describe her. How can there be such a beautiful person in the world?"
Granny Zhao looked proud, as if she were praising her own daughter: "Yes, when this old servant saw her just now, I was also amazed by her beauty, and I thought I must bring this girl to the Empress Dowager to take a look."
The Empress Dowager nodded in satisfaction: "No wonder that brat Huo Ran always had his eye on it; it would be hard for anyone not to be tempted."
Upon hearing Huo Ran's name, Jiang Mi's ears turned red instantly. She didn't know what Huo Ran had said to the Empress Dowager, and she was at a loss for words.
Granny Zhao also said, "Yes, a person like the young master is not worthy of his attention. Those who can catch his eye are indeed extraordinary."
The Empress Dowager laughed: "Yes, even Chongyang doesn't think much of her. But I think this child is really good. She really surpasses our Chongyang. If it were me, I would also choose this girl."
Jiang Mi listened with her head down, her face flushed, making her look even more pitiful.
"Good child, don't stand, sit down quickly." The Empress Dowager offered Jiang Mi a seat, but Jiang Mi only sat on one side and didn't sit down completely. It was better to be cautious on the first occasion; she couldn't really treat this place as her home.
"You look about the same age as Chongyang. Did you make all these soaps by yourself?"
Jiang Mi glanced at the soap. Of course, Mo Hua and Si Qin also deserve credit for it, but she couldn't say it out loud, otherwise she didn't know what the Empress Dowager would think that her soap was made by a maid.
"Your Majesty, these soaps were indeed made by me. It's just a hobby of mine. It's my honor to be able to contribute my humble efforts to Your Majesty."
The Empress Dowager nodded, quite satisfied with Jiang Mi's words: "You are talented. Can you tell me how you came up with the idea of making soap? Even people who have been making soap for so many years haven't thought of researching this. You are a thoughtful person."
Jiang Mi casually made up an excuse to explain: "I am a girl, and girls like fragrant things, so I thought it would be better if there was something fragrant to wash with. So I started to research and develop it when I had nothing else to do, and I didn't expect it to actually succeed."
The Empress Dowager's eyes were full of admiration: "Good child, it shows that you have a talent in this area. By the way, I heard that you brewed those peach blossom wines and plum blossom wines. You can brew wine too?"
Jiang Mi smiled and casually said, "Yes, my father loved to drink when I was a child, but my family was too poor to afford alcohol, so I tried brewing my own. I didn't expect it to taste so good. Many people thought it was delicious, so I thought maybe I could do business with it. I didn't expect everyone to be so supportive."
The Empress Dowager nodded: "It sounds simple, but it's not that simple to do, is it? There must be many difficulties involved. As a girl, it must be even more difficult for you to do these things. You are a sensible and good child."
Jiang Mi didn't say anything. Her silence made the Empress Dowager feel even more sorry for her, realizing how difficult things had been for her.
"Is your business doing alright?"
Jiang Mi took the opportunity to bring up the matter of Manager Liu, but she said it very vaguely: "He's usually doing quite well. I just want to earn some money to supplement the family income. I don't want my parents to have to work so hard at their age, so even if it has been affected, I will continue to do it."
The Empress Dowager, puzzled, asked, "Impact? What impact?"
Granny Zhao had heard about Steward Liu's troublemaking, so she told the Empress Dowager the whole story: "That Steward Liu, he just relies on his backing. Whenever someone's business is better than his, he goes over and makes a scene. He has absolutely no respect for the law."
"Manager Liu?" The Empress Dowager thought for a moment, then realized, "Surname Liu? Could he be one of that person's confidants?"
Granny Zhao nodded: "He is said to be a distant relative of Consort Jing, but no one knows how distant. Anyway, he is arrogant and lawless because of his slight connection. Many families in the capital have been oppressed by him, but because of the people behind him, everyone has to swallow their bitterness and no one dares to say a word."
The Empress Dowager snorted coldly: "Is that so? That person is always so domineering in the palace. Even a distant relative can be so arrogant and domineering. It shows how arrogant she is usually. It's true that if the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked too. I don't believe she hasn't heard about such things. If she heard about them but didn't care, it shows that she doesn't respect the common people either. Does the Emperor know about this?"
Granny Zhao shook her head: "This servant does not know if His Majesty is aware of this, but His Majesty has always doted on Consort Jing, and I haven't heard of any quarrels between the two recently, so he probably doesn't know, right?"
The Empress Dowager sneered: "Perhaps he knows but doesn't take it seriously. It seems I need to give the Emperor a heads-up."
Zhao Mama glanced at Jiang Mi and said, "Miss Jiang came to the palace and you mentioned this to the Emperor. Anyone who didn't know better would think that Miss Jiang had complained to you."
The Empress Dowager then realized what was happening and could only swallow her anger for now: "Forget it, I won't settle this matter with the Emperor for now, we'll talk about it later."
Jiang Mi breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't want to offend the Emperor and Consort Jing right away. Although the Empress Dowager was of a higher position than them, she would not outlive the Emperor and Consort Jing.
The Empress Dowager looked at Jiang Mi for a while and said, "It's a real pity that someone as talented as you is being wasted. I'll talk to the Emperor about it later, and we might as well make you a royal merchant."
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