Before dinner, Li Dequan came to the villa in person and asked Yin and Qingyan to have dinner at the imperial palace. He also gave them a hint. Cao Yin and Madam Cao also went there.
"You mean the Cao family couple also went?" Yin asked directly.
Li Dequan nodded quickly. Yin rarely asked about the Cao family, but Kangxi always believed that Cao Yin should have a good relationship with Yin.
"Alright, Qingyan, hurry up and change your clothes, we're going out." Yin took a sip of tea and then asked Su Peisheng to bring some delicate pastries.
Li Dequan would only eat after Kangxi had fallen asleep, and Yin would prepare some food in advance so that he could have something to eat.
Since Qingyan married the Fourth Master, some of her little actions have given Li Dequan, Shu He, and Shu Zhu a good impression.
"Fourth Master, the women need to be tidied up before going out," Li Dequan advised.
Yin also humbly accepted Li Dequan's advice. Li Dequan followed Kangxi in the inner palace and had met many women. Every time they went out, the women would make preparations in advance.
“An Da, I understand,” Yin quickly said. “Please have some snacks first, and wait a moment.”
Half an hour later, Qingyan came out dressed in a magenta palace gown, with an outer layer of a plain white half-collar vest and three-inch flowerpot soles.
"Anda, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Yin looked at Qingyan, whose hair was styled in a double swallowtail updo, with a hibiscus flower hairpin that Yin himself designed on the top. She wore three round coral earrings on each ear, and her face was only covered with some snow cream, with eyeliner drawn with an eyeliner she made herself.
Li Dequan looked up and sighed inwardly. The Fourth Prince's wife really knew how to dress herself up. No wonder the Fourth Prince didn't even glance at the other women.
"Fourth Princess Consort, you're making this old servant feel too ashamed," Li Dequan said directly, acknowledging that he dared not accept such praise.
Yin helped Qingyan into the carriage, and Li Dequan turned to the sedan chair in front. The group left the villa directly. After hearing Xiao Sula's reminder, Fei Yanggu and his two sons stood in the corridor, staring at the doorway.
The Emperor is prepared to forgive Cao Yin and hopes to act as a peacemaker for the Cao family.
On the carriage, Qingyan ate some yellow apricots. The Yuelai Inn had specially gone to the suburbs to find a lot of fruit and delivered it to the villa.
"Fourth Brother, why did Anda say in advance that the Cao family would be dining at the imperial palace?" Qingyan was confused. Why did he say it in advance?
"Actually, Father Emperor wants to ease the tension between us. Father-in-law dislikes Cao Yin's greed, and I have always lived in the new residence. Father Emperor thinks that I will have similar views to Father-in-law, so he wants to make peace." Yin sneered.
Qingyan has already made deep inroads into the business world in the south, and has learned a great deal from the Yuelai Inn. The Cao family can no longer hide anything from him.
"It's because Yuelai Inn is well-informed. Cao Yin wants to hide it, but it won't work on me." Qingyan looked at Yin.
Yuelai Inn and Linglong Pavilion were definitely important pieces in her hands. Yin had more information than the average person. Among the princes, Kangxi was most afraid that Yin would directly cause trouble.
If Yinzhen were truly a teenager, he would definitely have said that Yinzhen is now past the age of explosive growth.
"Never mind, let's see how things go," Yin said helplessly.
He had no choice but to compromise in front of Kangxi, but when the time came, he wouldn't mind dealing with them properly.
A quarter of an hour later, the carriage entered the palace and stopped at the entrance of the courtyard, where Shu was waiting for them.
"Greetings to the Fourth Master and Fourth Princess," Shu greeted them. "The Master is waiting for you to come over."
Yin got off the carriage and turned to help Qingyan down.
"Please rise, Aunt," Qingyan said quickly.
Yin seemed not to notice, habitually leaving these tasks to Qingyan.
"His Majesty has already instructed the Imperial Kitchen to prepare dinner, which is all spicy hot pot, the Fourth Prince's favorite dish," Shu said with a secret in her eyes.
"Hehe, Auntie, you've worked hard." Qingyan and Shu have a good relationship, and Shu always gives Qingyan some pointers.
Yin and Qingyan entered the main hall. Cao Yin and Madam Cao stood up in advance. After everyone bowed, they took their seats. Madam Cao looked at Qingyan and smiled.
Besides the couple, Yin and Yin Genjueluo were also prominently listed.
"Let's have a meal together today. The Crown Prince and Yinzhi have already met with Cao Yin," Kangxi said meaningfully.
As soon as he finished speaking, Cao Yin realized he was in trouble. His interactions with the princes had been discovered by the Emperor.
When Kangxi summoned Yinzhi and Yinzhi, he probably wanted to announce to the public that Cao Yin would meet with the two princes, which was also at Kangxi's behest.
Dinner was served with a hot pot in the center, surrounded by refreshing cold dishes.
"Father, won't eating like this cause internal heat?" Yin asked directly.
As summer approaches, the Yin family will no longer need to take food. Upon seeing the bright red hot pot, they quickly said...
"No, there will be chrysanthemum tea later!" Kangxi shook his head and said directly.
Upon hearing this, Yin finally relaxed.
After dinner, Cao Yin gained a new understanding of Emperor Kangxi.
"Cao Yin, how was dinner?" Cao Yin often went to the Yuelai Inn, and this dinner was very similar to what he had there.
"It tastes excellent." Cao Yin understood that Kangxi was sounding the alarm, telling him to pay more attention to his words and actions.
As Madam Cao listened from the side, she felt increasingly uneasy. Cao Yin had worked so hard in Jiangnan, yet Kangxi was not only dissatisfied but also made even more demands.
Qingyan pricked up his ears, listening to the coded exchanges between Kangxi and Cao Yin, but he felt tired instead.
"Fourth Princess Consort, this servant would like to ask, is it true that each official's wife can only order one set of jewelry from Linglong Pavilion?" The Cao family has the means to afford it, but the Qingyan regulations have caused a lot of headaches for the officials' wives in Jiangnan.
Qingyan was taken aback. It was definitely unusual for Madam Cao to say such a thing.
“Yes, the same goes for the wives of officials in the capital.” Qingyan was not prepared to compromise.
Even with restrictions, Linglong Pavilion in the south will not see any impact on sales.
Madam Cao was anxious, and every time she needed jewelry, she would have her servants prepare jewelry in advance, thus reducing the amount of gold and silver she received.
Consort Tong, holding her teacup, observed Madam Cao and Qingyan's actions and became increasingly aware of the extravagance of the officials' wives.
"Little darling, prepare another set of jewelry for Madam Cao, and give her two sets every year," Consort Tong pleaded directly.
Qingyan considered for a moment and said, "Since my mother has pleaded for me, I can't say anything more. However, Madam Cao cannot tell anyone."
If Madam Cao were to flaunt her wealth, Linglong Pavilion would truly be unable to operate. All the officials' wives would protest, and the manager would certainly be unable to resolve the situation. This place is far from the capital, and she would be powerless to do anything about it.
"This servant is aware of it." Madam Cao is not ignorant; since Qingyan has made things convenient for her, she will naturally be mindful.
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