With the issuance of the imperial decree that Emperor Kangxi would arrive in Guangdong and Guangxi, Lady Yin Genjue and Qingyan sprang into action. They prepared a list of light meals and had their subordinates make the purchases. In addition, they prepared the most luxurious courtyard in the military port, arranging it according to the habits of Emperor Kangxi and Consort Tong, in preparation for their arrival.
Dong E could only sit awkwardly in the hall, serving as a foil to her two sisters-in-law. Dong E was resentful and prepared to teach them a lesson.
"Sister-in-law, fourth sister-in-law, why don't you prepare some local specialties to present to your mother? It's said that the pearls from Guangdong and Guangxi are very famous!" Dong Eshi had always wanted to go shopping, but Yinzhi didn't like going out. In the summer, the sun in Guangdong and Guangxi was at its strongest.
The three of them were sunbathing at the same time. Qingyan's skin was the whitest. Under the scorching sun, her face would only turn red for a short while before turning very white again.
"Pearls?!" Qingyan and Yingenjueluo stopped their discussion and looked at Dong'e at the same time.
In the markets of Guangdong and Guangxi, pearls of excellent quality are extremely rare and hard to come by. Moreover, it may take a great deal of time and effort to obtain a deep-sea pearl of exceptional quality.
"Yes, Your Majesty's mother will definitely like it, my little darling, Linglong Pavilion can definitely buy it!" Dong Eshi said, ready to settle the matter.
Pfft!
Qingyan scoffed, saying that Dong Eshi had a superior mentality and didn't understand the local situation at all.
"Third sister-in-law, if you don't know the facts, don't talk nonsense here!" Yin Genjue Luo shook her head.
Since arriving at the military port in Guangdong and Guangxi, the two of them have been going out quite often, but they haven't seen any high-quality seawater pearls yet, and they even said they wanted to present them to Consort Tong.
"Wasn't it just a small favor from my fourth sister-in-law?" Dong Eshi didn't mind. Linglong Pavilion was a place that processed headwear and jewelry, so it would definitely have these raw materials.
"Third Princess Consort, if you wish to offer these as tribute, you can buy them yourself. Don't go to Linglong Pavilion; they don't have them there." Qingyan looked at Dong'e Shi. "Besides, those top-quality seawater pearls are extremely rare and hard to come by!"
Qingyan directly shut down the topic, indicating that she would not "interfere" in the matter. Linglong Pavilion, having received Qingyan's orders, was also searching for pearls, and almost a year had passed without them collecting enough for a single bracelet.
"Fine, if you don't want to offer it, I'll just buy it!" The Third Princess Consort didn't care at all, thinking that Qingyan had repeatedly backed down because she didn't want her to stand out.
"Whatever!" Qingyan uttered three words, not taking the matter to heart at all.
Three days later, a servant from Yinzhi's residence bought a necklace from a jewelry shop outside. Dong Eshi saw that the pearl necklace was of excellent quality and proudly presented it to Qingyan, intending to show it off to the two of them.
"Hmph, didn't you say you couldn't find a necklace of excellent quality? Look at this one of mine, isn't it very good?" Dong Eshi opened the sandalwood box, and on the velvet cloth was a string of golden pearls. Qingyan took a closer look and was delighted. This string of pearls was just freshwater pearls, not saltwater pearls at all.
Yin Genjue Luo looked at Qing Yan with a puzzled expression, but the latter shook his head at her, saying that this string of pearls was not from the sea.
"Is this string of pearls made of seawater?" Qingyan asked in a low voice.
Dong Eshi nodded: "Of course, it took the servants a lot of effort to buy it, how could there be anything wrong with that?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Dong E felt a pounding in her heart, worried that Qingyan would directly reject the idea.
Even Consort Rong said that Qingyan's ability to identify jewelry was better than that of the palace craftsmen. Therefore, many concubines dared not offend Qingyan, worried that their jewelry might be fake, and they were more inclined to ask Qingyan to help them take a look.
"Impossible! Such pearls can only be freshwater pearls. Seawater pearls are extremely rare, and golden ones are even rarer!" Qingyan took a pair of white gloves from her purse, put them on, and then picked up the pearl necklace, saying this.
Dong Eshi felt she had lost face in front of Qingyan, and immediately harbored resentment towards the servant who had bought the necklace.
"That's impossible! That servant is the daughter of a manager under the Dong'e family. Her family's traditional skill is identifying headdresses!" Dong'e Shi firmly denied it.
Qingyan put down the pearl necklace, shrugged, and didn't seem to care.
Dong Eshi refused to admit it, and she didn't want to be the villain.
"Third Princess Consort, if you believe it to be true, then send it to Mother." Consort Tong had quite a few pearl necklaces, and if she came across a freshwater pearl one, she would recognize it immediately.
Yin Genjue Luo Shi sat to the side and accepted the light meal brought by the servant. Many items were circled on it, which were things that Emperor Kangxi and Consort Tong used very conveniently, but could not be bought in Guangdong and Guangxi.
"Little darling, can we get into these Yuelai Inns?" Yin Genjue Luo asked.
Since receiving the imperial decree, the three of them would have breakfast and then gather in the flower hall to carry out their duties. The servants would report on matters, and the three of them would discuss matters together.
However, it was Yin Genjueluo and Qingyan who made the decisions, while Dong E would only disagree with them.
OMG!
Qingyan looked at the list and saw that there were more than a dozen items circled on it. These were basically items that only shops in the capital could sell.
There really aren't any in Guangdong and Guangxi. However, if it's shipped from Beijing to Guangdong and Guangxi by sea, it would take about 10 days.
"It might be too late!" Qingyan shook her head as well.
"Then let's transport it from the capital!" Dong Eshi interjected again, and Qingyan rolled her eyes at her.
“Third Princess Consort, even the fastest sea voyage from the capital to Guangdong and Guangxi would take 10 days. It’s already the 26th. If Father Emperor arrives on the 1st, how many days will it take?” Qingyan became annoyed.
Dong Eshi clearly issued orders and controlled the situation, completely disregarding whether her subordinates could actually accomplish the tasks.
Yin Genjue Luo frowned slightly. What should she do?
"However, let's go check south of Jiangnan, maybe we can find some!" The managers of Linglong Pavilion all share information, so they know exactly what the other party has.
"Let the shopkeeper come over first. If he has it, we won't need to try any other methods!" Madam Yin Genjue Luo had troubled Qingyan too many times, and she also felt that the method was feasible.
Dong Eshi was about to speak when Qingyan interrupted her with an order.
"Alright, we should know in about an hour whether we have it or not!" Qingyan rubbed her temples. "Sister-in-law, what should we do if we don't have it?"
"They just replaced it with our own substitutes!" Yin Genjue Luo Shi said helplessly.
In Guangdong and Guangxi, many things were imported; the Qing Dynasty produced very few of them itself.
"I'm going to get scolded again!" Qingyan muttered under her breath.
Pfft!
Yin Genjue Luo spat out her tea: "You clever little devil, your noble mother will protect you!"
"Fourth sister-in-law, your unauthorized exchange of things might threaten Father Emperor's safety!" Dong Eshi was unwilling to relax during the banquet and continued to nag.
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