Chapter 280 The Empress Dowager Takes Charge
The Empress Dowager said helplessly, "Which daughter of a prominent family in the capital isn't like this? Those whose families have some power, even if they are commoners' daughters, will spoil their daughters if their families are a little wealthy. Daughters are meant to be raised in comfort, so what's wrong with that? Once she gets married and becomes the mistress of the house, she will naturally become more composed."
Huo Ran shook his head: "It has nothing to do with that. What I don't like is her as a person, and it doesn't have much to do with anything else."
The Empress Dowager sighed with worry: "But you are of marriageable age. Your father has always been in poor health and is far away in the northern frontier. Naturally, I will have to take care of your marriage. But you don't like girls from the capital. Then I will decide for you what kind you like."
Huo Ran's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "Really? No matter what kind of girl she is, will the Empress Dowager stand up for me?"
The Empress Dowager was taken aback, not expecting that Huo Ran actually had a girl he liked. She immediately breathed a sigh of relief: "No wonder you always dislike this one and that one. I really thought you had such high standards that no girl in the world could catch your eye. Tell me, whose girl is she? I'll decide for you."
Huo Ran thought for a moment, then said cautiously, "She's not from the capital, nor does she come from a prominent family, but I just like her and only want to marry her."
The Empress Dowager was intelligent. After hearing Huo Ran's words and recalling what had just been said, she guessed what was going on.
"The girl you're talking about, could she be the Miss Jiang that Consort Jing mentioned earlier?"
Huo Ran hesitated for a moment, but still nodded. He didn't want to deceive the Empress Dowager; this was the purpose of his visit today.
"Is it really her? Her background is indeed not good, but it's not impossible for her to be your concubine or secondary wife, as long as you like it. But the main wife still has to be someone of equal social standing."
Huo Ran's eyes dimmed again: "So the Empress Dowager thinks the same way they do. I don't want my inner quarters to be filled with chaos every day, and I don't want my beloved women to be jealous and resentful over me every day. If I love someone, I will only be good to her wholeheartedly and never think of anyone else. As for social status, I have never cared about such things. Besides, the Jiang family has produced two talented men, so their social standing is not that low, is it?"
The Empress Dowager was still somewhat conflicted: "Her family background is not low. Because of her two brothers, there are probably many families in the capital who want to marry her. But your status... her background is too low. It's not that I look down on her. We have always been like this. You see, even when the Emperor marries the Empress, he has to consider her family background. Those of lowly birth can only be granted the rank of concubine at most. It is already very difficult for them to become imperial concubines."
Huo Ran knew this all too well. He simply wanted to fight for the woman he loved.
"If it really doesn't work out, then I don't want to hold other girls back. Even if I never marry, I'll accept it. Since that person won't be her, then I might as well give up on all of them."
Seeing Huo Ran's deep affection, the Empress Dowager sighed deeply: "That girl is lucky to have won your heart. But I don't know if she can live up to your feelings. This matter can't be put off yet. After all, the Emperor has his eye on the marriage. Why don't you bring that girl to the palace another day, and I'll take a look at her. If she's really good, I'll speak to the Emperor on her behalf."
Huo Ran was already very happy with this result, which was also the purpose of his visit. He immediately went outside and took the boxes from Liu Min's hands.
"What is this?" the Empress Dowager asked curiously.
Huo Ran smiled and said, "This is a soap she developed herself. I didn't say much because Consort Jing was here, but she's really clever. Few people would think of something like this, right? There are other scents in it. Do you see any you like?"
The Empress Dowager wasn't very interested: "I've already seen what that soap looks like, so you don't need to bring it over to see it again. It's just the same old thing. It smells quite nice, but I'm used to using the Liu family's soap, so I won't change it."
Huo Ran had guessed that the Empress Dowager would say these things, but he still opened the boxes: "Yes,"
"That one was indeed made by her, and so are these. She makes different soaps for different people, hoping to satisfy everyone. Each soap has a different purpose; some whiten the skin, some make it smoother, and some have therapeutic effects, like quickly clearing up red spots."
"Oh? Such an effect? That's quite rare. They look quite nice, and the scents are fresh and delicate, each with its own unique characteristics. But are their effects really as good as you say?"
Huo Ran nodded and said with a smile, "It's absolutely true. Back in their Shushan County, there was a plague. It was thanks to her making the antidote that everyone was saved. So the effect of a soap is nothing."
The Empress Dowager nodded in realization: "So that's how amazing it is. Since you know a little about medicine, it's no wonder you can make such an object. Since you've said so, I'll trust you this once and try it out to see how effective it is."
Huo Ran felt much more at ease: "Your Majesty can use it on your hands every day first. If you feel it's good, then continue using it. The key to this product is consistency. Many girls come back to buy it after using it once. And these are not the rarest ones. I heard that the shop has even better soaps, but the quantity is very small and it takes more effort, so the price will be slightly higher."
The Empress Dowager was very understanding: "That's natural. It's understandable that good things are more expensive. From what you've said, she's a very thoughtful girl. It's rare to see someone so meticulous and thorough even when doing business. I'll try it tonight. If it's really good, I'll use it from now on."
Seeing Huo Ran smiling so happily, the Empress Dowager sighed deeply: "You child, you have always been thoughtful and never liked to tell others what's on your mind. I have asked you so many times, but you just kept it to yourself. Now that you have to talk about this girl, she must be very important to you. Don't worry, as long as I think she is a good person, I will make the decision for you. You can rest assured."
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