The Jiangnan Textile Bureau was located in the most prosperous center of Hangzhou, and its mansion was built to the specifications of a first-rank official's residence in the capital. Apart from Cao Yin, the remaining Jiangnan textile manufacturers were not of a higher rank than first-rank officials, so this was considered an extra reward.
The women's carriages were all parked at the second gate, and many women and servants from the Jiangnan Textile Bureau came to greet them.
Lady Cao, along with her ladies-in-waiting, knelt on either side of the three carriages. Qingyan and Lady Yingenjueluo were the first to alight from the carriages, attended by their personal maids.
Qingyan glanced at the officials' wives present, all of whom were dressed in heavy court robes, and none of them dared to look up.
"Mother, we've arrived!" Qingyan respectfully reported as he approached Consort Tong's phoenix carriage.
Consort Tong, dressed in a golden imperial concubine's robe, stepped down from the carriage step by step on her flowerpot-soled shoes. Madam Cao, along with the officials' wives, bowed and greeted her.
At this moment, Qingyan finally had the opportunity to observe the appearance of the court ladies. These women were of high rank, while the wives of county magistrates and others were not qualified to come and pay their respects.
Kneeling beside Madam Cao was a charming young woman of sixteen or seventeen. Consort Tong glanced at her and frowned, without telling anyone to get up.
"Come inside. It's so hot, it's my fault for making you kneel on the ground and wait!" Consort Tong smiled coldly as she saw that the woman's face was not good, and helped Lady Yin Genjue Luo and Qing Yan into the main hall.
Lady Cao glanced at the court lady beside her and sneered. Li Xu was sure to be in trouble this time. His Majesty disliked such skinny women the most, and now Li Xu had sent such a woman to attract attention.
"You'd better behave yourself, this master is not to be trifled with!" Consort Tong held a very high position in Kangxi's heart. Li Xu had not made many achievements in recent years, but instead kept a lot of "lean horses" (ladies' wives), which were all gifts for the superiors. This made many court officials speak well of Li Xu.
As Qingyan entered the hall, he was taken aback by the furnishings. Jiangnan manufacturing was indeed a lucrative business. The treasures displayed on the multi-treasure pavilion were mostly rare jade carvings, and the arrangement was quite similar to that of Chengqian Palace.
“Mother, this place… is similar to Chenggan Palace!” Yin Genjue Luo Shi had noticed it long ago, but didn’t say a word. Qing Yan, however, looked displeased.
"Madam Cao has been to the palace many times, and her memory is very strong. She can detect even the slightest change in Chengqian Palace." Consort Tong admired Madam Cao's dedication and how much she had sacrificed for Cao Yin. As the principal wife, she was the most outstanding first wife.
Qingyan flattened his mouth. "This guy is really something!"
No wonder she was able to control Cao Yin, wait!
Could the character of Jia Shi, as portrayed by Cao Xueqin, be based on Madam Cao? When this thought crossed her mind, she wanted to take a closer look at Madam Cao.
"Your Highness, this is Li Xu's wife." Madam Cao quickly introduced the newly arrived stepmother as Consort Tong took her seat.
"Wait a minute, it's so hot, everyone change into your heavy clothes first, lest a few of you get heatstroke. If you gentlemen come to demand people from me, I can't afford to pay for it!" Consort Tong stopped them. There were many people in the room, and the ice block was not enough. With these ladies of the court coming in, the room became noticeably warmer.
"Yes!" Consort Tong led the two princes' wives into the inner chamber first, and Madam Li smiled awkwardly.
Consort Tong didn't even spare a glance. Qingyan looked her over and thought that this lady didn't seem like the legitimate wife, but rather a concubine who had been promoted to the position of legitimate wife.
"Mother," Qingyan quickly washed up and changed into a light blue undergarment with pomegranate flowers embroidered in gold thread on the cuffs, and a three-quarter sleeve overgarment, "That Madam Li doesn't seem to come from a respectable family!"
Pfft!
Yin Genjue Luo spat out her tea; this girl dares to say anything.
"Little darling, how did you figure that out?" Consort Tong was somewhat surprised, as Qingyan's personal maid hadn't arrived yet!
Ugh!
Qingyan, was what she said a bit too much?
"Sister-in-law, I didn't even notice it." Yin Genjue Luo Shi didn't want to admit that she had no discernment.
“Sister-in-law, it’s because you don’t go out often. In ordinary people’s homes, there are many women who have reformed and remarried. Before they reformed, they would undergo very strict training. Their every move would resemble that of women from relatively wealthy families. In fact, even if they changed, some traces of their former prostitution would still be left behind,” Qingyan said with a smile.
"Little darling's observation is very keen, but you're wrong. Li Xu's stepmother is not some woman of the night; she's a prostitute he raised himself." Consort Tong praised Qingyan's observation skills but pointed out some areas for improvement.
Ugh!
Both Yin Genjue Luo Shi and Qing Yan were stunned. Had they actually said something wrong?
"Mother... can a skinny horse really look like this?" Qingyan blinked, her face full of disbelief!
"You'll have to observe that!" Consort Tong smiled and led Shu out. Lady Yin Genjue and Qing Yan exchanged glances and could only follow.
"Sister-in-law, let's share our experiences after we meet." Qingyan pouted, determined to make an effort.
“Good!” Lady Yin Genjue also agreed. In the capital, they didn’t have many opportunities to see the various aspects of human life.
Outside the palace, the ladies-in-waiting had all changed into light and comfortable clothes, the vast majority of them wearing Hanfu (traditional Han Chinese clothing).
Qingyan noticed that Madam Cao and Madam Li's qipao was quite different from theirs, and seemed to incorporate features of Hanfu.
"Your Highness, this is Li Xu's stepmother!" Madam Cao stood up and quickly introduced her to Consort Tong.
Lady Li was still young, but her beauty was the best among all the wives of the officials. It was obvious that Li Xu should pay more attention to his wife's appearance.
“Previously, Lady Li was dignified and elegant, but Li Xu’s eyesight was poor. Why didn’t Cao Yin check on him?” Cao Yin grew up with Emperor Kangxi and had also spent a long time with Consort Tong.
"Master said that Lord Li is now the pillar of the family, so there's no need to keep an eye on everything. It's just that my sister-in-law is unlucky; since Lord Li became an official, her health has deteriorated!" Madam Cao felt resentful. She had been investigating the cause of Madam Li's early death and believed that this stepmother was behind it all.
The stepmother looked unwell, her large skirt concealing her bound feet.
"How could Li Xu be so irresponsible? He's forgotten all the rules!" Qingyan kept staring at Madam Li's skirt, where the pointed toes of her shoes were visible. Anyone with eyes could tell that the characters on those shoes indicated bound feet.
Lady Li was terrified and quickly knelt on the ground. When they got married, her mother had told her that the principal wife of a court official could not have bound feet. However, if the official was of Han Chinese descent and not a bannerman, it would be allowed.
Madam Cao was sweating profusely. Even though Li Xu had no kinship ties with her family, he was deeply involved with Cao Yin, and she still had to sell her services to help him.
"Your Majesty, Li Xu is not with the Han army, so..." Lady Cao quickly said. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
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