When Song Liyun realized that Xu Mama was the nanny that the Duke of Anguo had obtained from the Empress Dowager and was to give to Lady Wuya, she was both amused and exasperated.
Fearing that Lady Wuya would not accept it, Zhao Yanjiao took a roundabout way and delivered it to her, claiming that it was a gift from the garrison commander's wife.
Lin Luyin was a shrewd and resourceful person. She brought along Granny Xu and didn't forget to cultivate a relationship with Song Liyun.
"In addition, the garrison commander's wife also has some dowry to send over."
She's worried you won't be well taken care of here, so she's keeping you in Hecheng for now, and will send you directly to the Mida River Valley later.
"What kind of dowry is it? Why would the garrison commander's wife prepare a dowry for me? That doesn't make sense!"
Song Liyun was puzzled. Why would the garrison commander's wife prepare a dowry for herself? It was probably for the Duke of Anguo to pass on!
“Xiaoyun, the garrison commander’s wife is the kindest and most approachable person. She only found out about the grievances you suffered in Hecheng last time after returning from the capital, and she has already sent Aunt Li away from the mansion.”
"You even made me apologize to you first, thinking I'd personally apologize to you when you two sisters-in-law meet again!"
Through Lin Qingyuan's introduction, Lin Luyin, who had already taken over the jewelry business, visited the garrison headquarters several times and got along well with the garrison commander's wife and the wives of various officials in Pingyang Prefecture.
"Logically speaking, the garrison commander's wife is an outsider, so it is inappropriate to prepare additional dowry for her."
But Madam said that since your family has no elders to look after you, there might be oversights, and it would be inconvenient for the Third Young Master to provide anything you need in the future. So she took it upon herself to make a list, and if you think it's acceptable, she'll have Qingyuan deliver it.”
As she spoke, Lin Luyin had a maid bring over a wooden box.
Song Liyun opened it and took out a long list of names.
The inscription read: "Fifty Double Happiness Red Quilts," "Ten Pairs of Vermilion Lacquered and Gilded Chamber Pots," "Two Sets of Rosewood Furniture," "Summer Quilts Made of Silkworm Silk...One Hundred Bolts of Various Colored Brocades."
The more she looked, the darker her face became. She had also prepared a dowry, but it consisted of large quantities of cotton cloth, quilts, charcoal, salt, tea, rice, and flour. Calling it a dowry was an understatement; it was more like opening a general store.
The garrison commander's wife's dowry is the real dowry of a wealthy family.
Looking further down, Song Liyun was completely speechless.
"Four personal maids, eight maids for general use, twelve servants, eight matrons, and fifty acres of land deeds..."
At this point, Song Liyun was convinced that this was the betrothal gift that Duke Anguo was giving to Lady Wuya as compensation, and that she was merely a middleman in the process.
This matter… She looked at Granny Xu with a questioning gaze. This matter is probably not that simple!
Sure enough, when no one was around at night, Granny Xu, who stayed at Baolin Residence, told the truth.
Just as she had expected, Granny Xu was not one of her people.
"This servant was requested by the Duke of Anguo from the Empress Dowager. I am going to the grasslands with you this time, and will serve Lady Wuya from now on!"
Song Liyun breathed a sigh of relief. She knew it; what did she have that made the Empress Dowager in the capital think of her and send her a palace maid from so far away?
She frowned and said, "Why would the Duke of Anguo do this? Trade between the two sides is frequent now, it would be feasible to send the old woman directly to the grasslands."
Xu Mama smiled faintly: "I used to be the treasurer of the Imperial Wardrobe, in charge of the clothes of the masters in the palace."
Over the years, the Imperial Clothing Bureau has lived up to the Empress Dowager's trust. No matter what happened, the embroiderers have always been safe and sound, and not a single needle has been left on the clothes.
Finally seeing the Emperor ascend the throne, this servant, impatient with the turmoil in the capital, wanted to return to her hometown to retire.
I left home at a young age and have long forgotten where my hometown is.
The Empress Dowager ordered me to serve Lady Uya, and I naturally obeyed her decree.
Song Liyun's eyebrows twitched slightly; she understood the meaning behind Xu Mama's words.
Xu Mama was the Empress Dowager's confidante.
In the years before the Empress Dowager was still the Empress, she was in a difficult situation, and Xu Mama helped the Empress get through several difficult times.
"The items on the garrison commander's wife's gift list were all prepared by the Duke of Anguo for the young lady. They were brought out from the capital by this servant and are currently stored in the Hecheng Garrison Commander's residence."
"The maids are all selected from the palace and sent by the Zhenbei Army when the young lady gets married."
Upon hearing the name "Cai Nu," Song Liyun immediately thought of the amber and jadeite she had encountered at the garrison's residence.
Those were all beauties carefully selected by the imperial court and sent to his side...
She couldn't help but frown. Although Zhao Tingduo didn't plan to take a concubine, watching her every day, there were bound to be some oversights.
However, Song Liyun didn't want to worry about things that hadn't happened yet, and only wanted to focus on the present.
Since Xu Mama was there to serve Lady Wuya, she must be clear about the relationship between Duke Anguo and the Di tribe.
She said to Song Liyun, "The Empress Dowager originally wanted to invite Lady Wuya to the capital and bestow upon her the title of concubine of the Duke's mansion. However, the Duke of Anguo said that Lady Wuya disliked the etiquette and formalities of the Wu Dynasty and would not come to the capital. She only asked for these titles."
At this moment, Song Liyun suddenly realized that Duke Anguo actually knew Lady Wuya quite well.
She couldn't imagine what it would be like for Lady Uya to enter the capital, to enjoy tea and flowers with a group of noblewomen, and to say things she didn't mean.
That's... these beautiful maids are going to make things difficult for me and Lady Uya!
More than half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Qin Huai and the others arrived in Suijin Town and soon dispersed to the Balin tribe and several garrisons.
This winter isn't too cold yet.
The Balin tribe, which moved to the Huangsha River Valley last year, is doing well, and has even attracted several small tribes of twenty or thirty families to gather here with their livestock.
This is exactly what Song Liyun welcomes most. Only when the tribes gather together and everyone develops can her trade routes have a future.
These small tribes trade cattle and sheep with the Bahrain tribe for hay, fodder, salt, tea, and cloth, ensuring a steady supply of beef, mutton, and furs.
Song Liyun did not engage in monopolistic practices; she simply set the acquisition price well in advance.
While controlling the cattle and sheep business might bring in a few more taels of silver now, it is a narrow-minded and short-sighted approach for a business that requires long-term healthy development.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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