Since entering the palace, Meng Si has been concentrating on embroidering in her room and rarely goes out unless necessary. That day, Li Min called her over as usual and asked about the progress of the dress making. She took out the embroidered part and said, "Your Highness, the dragon robe is already done, and the phoenix robe is almost done. Please take a look first. If there is anything you don't like, I will change it immediately."
Li Min held the golden phoenix robe in her hands and sighed, "It is indeed a masterpiece of exquisite craftsmanship! Xiudian is right. When it comes to embroidery skills, you are much better than those embroiderers in the palace!"
Her chief maid echoed, "Suzhou and Hangzhou are the hometowns of mulberry and silkworms, and they gather the best embroiderers in the world. Although the embroiderers in the palace are not bad, if you want to find the real masters, you have to go to Suzhou and Hangzhou to have a look."
Meng Si waved her hands modestly: "Your Majesty, you are too kind. Aunt, you are too kind. When it comes to embroidery skills, Suzhou embroidery, Sichuan embroidery, Hunan embroidery, and Guangdong embroidery all have their own strengths, and there is no difference between high and low. I was lucky to learn some skills, and I still need to practice hard in the future."
"It's already like this, and you still want to practice? It really is a life-long learning." Li Min was very satisfied with the embroidery of the dragon robe and the phoenix robe, and naturally found Meng Si pleasing to the eye. She pursed her lips and smiled, and said in a gentle voice: "I heard that Du Fange's phoenix robe is not bright yellow, and she also found the embroiderer herself from outside?"
The head maid nodded and said, "Yes, Madam. The maids from Qiwu Palace went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to get some red cloth, saying that they were going to make phoenix robes. The embroiderer there was found by Empress Dowager Dong's nephew Du Rushong from Lin'an Prefecture. Her surname is Lin. Her family runs an embroidery shop, but she is a descendant of horse thieves. She started learning embroidery at the age of fifteen, and has only learned it for more than two years. I don't know how good her embroidery skills are."
Naturally, the news that the head maid had found out was covered up by Empress Dowager Du. While Li Min was still fighting fiercely with other concubines and princes for the position of crown prince, Empress Dowager Du had already infiltrated her power into every corner of the palace and even the entire imperial city. Before she was deposed, she was the person who controlled the six palaces and had the power to cover the sky with one hand, let alone now? If there is something she doesn't want others to know, then even if that person has super hearing and super vision, he won't be able to find out.
Li Min shook her head and smiled contemptuously: "I wear bright yellow, so Du Fange will never do the same as me; she will never use the embroiderer I invited. She is the most noble and stupid person." After she finished speaking, her expression changed and she said coldly: "I don't know who pierced the scar on her forehead into a blooming flower, making her already damaged appearance more beautiful than before. If not for this, why would the late emperor bring her back? When I find that person, I will tear him into pieces!"
"Your Majesty, please calm down. It won't be too late to investigate everything after the coronation ceremony." The head palace maid advised hurriedly. Until now, they have not realized that as long as they stay in the palace, they will be like birds in a cage and turtles in a jar, and will only be squeezed and squeezed by Empress Dowager Du.
"You are right. The most important thing now is my son's coronation ceremony. Everything else has to take second place. My son should be done with school. You can go outside and take a look." Li Min waved her hand.
The head palace maid went out, and after a while she brought in the five-year-old emperor and placed him in Li Min's arms. The mother and son had a very deep affection for each other. They hugged each other and talked affectionately, completely unaware of Meng Si's frightened expression and slightly trembling hands. She never expected that Lin Dan could enter the palace. Yes, Lin Dan and Du Ruyan are close friends. With Du Ruyan’s help, it is very likely that Empress Dowager Du will choose her to embroider the phoenix robe.
Thinking of Lin Dan's miraculous embroidery skills and vivid painting skills, Meng Si felt an unspeakable fear in his heart. She folded the two dresses with shaking hands and asked to leave in a hoarse voice.
Li Min didn't even look at her, just waved her hand and let her leave. She walked out of the palace and when she was illuminated by the sunlight outside, she actually had the thought that "it would be nice to just turn into smoke and disappear." After many battles, she was completely afraid of Lin Dan. If the dress she embroidered could not surpass Lin Dan's, and could not let Li Min and the little emperor overshadow Empress Dowager Du, she didn't know what would be waiting for her.
Originally thought to be a good job that would bring both fame and fortune, but because of Lin Dan's intervention it turned into a trap with unpredictable consequences. Meng Si was now very flustered and helpless. He staggered a few times when going down the stairs and almost fell. Several palace maids following behind her hurriedly tried to grab the package in her hand, but they didn't care about her life or death at all. It can be seen that the dress is the top priority, and she is just a tool.
The palace maid's attitude had already foreshadowed her fate of losing to Lin Dan again.
After returning to the embroidery workshop, Meng Si quickly delivered the message to her brother and Li Xiudian, asking them to think of a solution. Li Xiudian bribed the palace servants to destroy Lin Dan's hands, but Empress Dowager Du had made the Qiwu Palace like an iron barrel, where not even a fly could fly in, let alone the nails sent from other palaces? Li Xiudian could never find an opportunity to take action, and time just passed day by day.
A month later, the coronation ceremony was held as scheduled, with a red carpet extending from the Temple of Heaven to the Golden Throne Hall. After offering sacrifices to the heaven, the little emperor and the two empresses dowager would walk slowly along the red carpet, pass by the civil and military officials, climb up the high steps, and step into the pinnacle of power.
Civil and military officials stood on both sides of the steps waiting patiently. Li Min held the little emperor's hand and slowly walked out of Fengzao Palace, while Empress Dowager Du had to start from Qiwu Palace and walked alone.
This is the difference between a biological mother and a stepmother. Although a stepmother is noble, she can never compare to the blood ties of a biological mother. In the little emperor's heart, the person who is closest to him and whom he relies on the most is only his biological mother. Even if someone else occupies the position of his legal mother, what does it matter? Thinking of this, the smile on Li Min's face became more sincere, and after a while he lowered his head slightly to hide his resentful look. After a few years, when the Li family has won over enough court officials and gained enough power, she will definitely make sure Du Fangge is killed without a burial place!
While I was daydreaming, the Golden Palace was right before my eyes, and a golden and red figure appeared at the other end of the corridor. As the two got closer, Li Min's smug expression was replaced by shock and embarrassment. She opened her eyes wide and stared at the phoenix robe on Empress Dowager Du. There was a raging fire burning in her pupils, as if she wanted to burn two big holes in her body, because the phoenix robe on Empress Dowager Du was too beautiful, so beautiful that it was beyond her imagination.
Two phoenixes were embroidered on the fiery red silk cloth with shades of golden thread. One was hovering over Empress Dowager Du's shoulder, singing with its head held high; the other was chasing after her from behind, spreading its wings and flying high. Its flaming tail feathers covered the entire hem of the cloth and dragged on the ground. Empress Dowager Du walked slowly across the red carpet, and her shining tail feathers swept lightly across the ground and were deeply seen by all the ministers.
They stared in amazement at these extremely gorgeous and lifelike tail feathers, almost thinking that the person walking before them was not an ordinary person, but a goddess transformed from a phoenix. They raised their heads and caught a glimpse of the beautiful yet cold face of Empress Dowager Du, and then of the Lycoris radiata slightly embellished with gold powder, and suddenly felt their souls being strongly shocked.
What kind of beauty is this? No one could explain it clearly. All they knew was that the place where Empress Dowager Du walked seemed to have been burned by the scorching sun. The temperature suddenly rose, making people sweat profusely. The air was suddenly drawn away, making people almost suffocate. The bright and gorgeous phoenix robe she was wearing seemed to be made of real phoenix feathers, revealing an ultimate grace and luxury.
Li Min originally thought that the bright yellow phoenix robe on her body was eye-catching enough, but now, she wanted to take it off immediately and throw it into the brazier to burn it to ashes! This robe also has a phoenix embroidered on it, but because Meng Si's painting skills are not good, the pattern looks very rigid. The phoenix's tail feathers are embroidered with real peacock feathers that have been dyed. They look lifelike and as if very lively, but because the texture of the feathers is too rough, they lack some luster. The hem of the dress just covered the ankles, and was neither too long nor too short, just the right length. However, compared with the hem of Empress Dowager Du's dress, which was a foot long and embroidered with phoenix tail feathers, it could only be described as "mediocre".
Wherever Empress Dowager Du passed, people knelt down one after another, but the court officials standing on both sides of Li Min did not even react at all. This showed that she had already lost, completely!
It is said that clothes make the man and saddles make the horse. Empress Dowager Du was already extremely imposing, and against the backdrop of this exquisitely crafted phoenix robe, she looked even more like a phoenix rising from the flames, about to spread her wings and fly into the sky. If she wasn't there, Li Min's dress would be considered noble, but now, as she slowly merged with Empress Dowager Du and stood together, she was like a phoenix with its feathers plucked, and she looked pale in comparison.
The little emperor's dragon robe was also of the most common style, and could not be compared at all with the golden and red phoenix robe. But on such a grand occasion, Empress Dowager Du, as the legitimate mother and the Empress Dowager Dong who was in charge of the government, did not wear a bright yellow dress. Instead, she took a step back and chose bright red. Therefore, no one could accuse her of stealing the show and deliberately suppressing the Empress Dowager Cixi.
Li Min was so angry that her hands were shaking, but she still had to put on a calm expression. After this incident, her image in the minds of court officials has been fixed. Whenever they think of today, they will feel that Empress Dowager Du is more majestic and more imposing than her, and is the most noble woman in this imperial city. She was only suitable to stay in the deep palace and take care of the little emperor's food and daily life. She should not take care of other important matters, nor could she manage them well. There is still a difference between a real phoenix and a fake phoenix.
Li Min had no idea how he survived the coronation ceremony. Today should have been her proudest and most glorious moment, but it was ruined because of a poor quality phoenix robe. She raised the vase and smashed it against the wall, shouting angrily, "Call Li Ran and Li Xiudian here. I want to ask them how they do things! I want the best embroiderer in the world, and what the hell did they send me?!"
She threw the embarrassing phoenix robe to the ground fiercely, saying in a resentful tone: "My good life has been ruined by them! Where is Meng Xiu Niang? Call her over here too. Since she can't do the job well, her hands don't matter!"
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