lcionline Chapter 206
Chapter 206
The Emperor agreed to Jiang Mingzhe's proposal to let the princes open shops, allowing them to experience the real economy and understand the livelihood of the people along the way.As for what kind of shops to open, the princes were hesitant and wanted to try everything.
They argued endlessly.
Jiang Mingzhe simply wrote the types of shops on pieces of paper and made them draw lots.
Whatever they drew, that was the type of shop they would open.
If they didn't like it, they could trade with each other.
Each person's starting capital was 1000 taels of silver.
"The Emperor is so stingy. He actually made me pay the 6000 taels of silver to open the shops," Jiang Mingzhe complained to the Emperor.
"Where did you get the money?"
Jiang Mingzhe's money was all kept by Ye Yunniang; he only had 1 tael of silver on him daily for pocket money.
Where did Jiang Mingzhe get 6000 taels of silver?
Li Ping: "Mother, men are very good at hiding a secret stash of money. You have to keep a close eye on Father. Now that he has power, you absolutely must not let him have money too, or he will turn bad."
"Did you hide a secret stash of money behind my back?"
"Pingping told you that." Jiang Mingzhe didn't even have to think to know that Li Ping, that brat, just couldn't stand seeing his own father have it good. He was always stirring up trouble and speaking ill of him behind Ye Yunniang's back.
"That brat, his backside is itching for a beating again."
"Never mind whether Pingping said it or not. First, tell me where you got the silver," Ye Yunniang said, not letting Jiang Mingzhe change the subject.
"The silver came from the Emperor's private treasury."
The Emperor had wanted Jiang Mingzhe to front the money first. Jiang Mingzhe pulled a single tael of silver from his coin pouch and told the Emperor he had no money.
His wife at home managed him quite strictly, so he had no money on hand.
"You actually said that!" Ye Yunniang was both anxious and afraid. Would the Emperor think she was a shrew? How could she face anyone in the future?
Jiang Mingzhe held Ye Yunniang's hand and pulled her into his embrace.
"The Emperor praised you. He said I married a good wife."
"Don't lie to me." Being like this, back in the countryside, people would call her a tigress.
Jiang Mingzhe kissed Ye Yunniang on the lips. "When has your husband ever lied to you?"
"Did the Emperor really praise me?"
Jiang Mingzhe changed his kiss to a light bite, not wanting to hear Ye Yunniang constantly talking about another man.
"No, I have to get up early tomorrow."
"It won't be too late."
"You said the same thing yesterday." This morning she almost couldn't get up in time to send Pan'er to the Imperial College.
"Jiang Mingzhe, don't..."
...
In the morning, Ye Yunniang woke up rubbing her waist, secretly cursing Jiang Mingzhe in her heart for not keeping his word.
When Ye Yunniang got out of bed, the others in the family had already left the house. She could only play with Yuanyuan for a while.
Ye Yunniang took Qiushuang in a carriage to the Qianjin Pavilion.
Walking inside, beautiful wedding dresses hung in the display cabinets.
Ye Yunniang and Qiushuang looked at them one by one, picking out seven or eight pieces that suited Qiushuang.
A female attendant of the Qianjin Pavilion, who had been following the two, stepped forward to speak.
There were private rooms upstairs. By paying a 3-tael silver tea fee, they could go upstairs to rest and try on the clothes.
Qianjin Pavilion also provided professional hair-combing women to match the wedding dress with the customer's own makeup and styling.
The hair-combing women were not free either; their service fee ranged from 1 to 10 taels of silver.
If a wedding dress worth over 100 taels was purchased, the tea fee and the hair-combing woman's service fee would be deducted from the price of the wedding dress.
Qianjin Pavilion really knew how to do business.
Ye Yunniang sighed in admiration, paid the tea fee and the hair-combing woman's fee, and arranged for the fitting.
Ye Yunniang sat down and watched Qiushuang try on the dresses one by one.
The private room had a life-sized bronze mirror, allowing the bride to see for herself how the wedding dress looked when worn.
Qiushuang enthusiastically tried on dresses until the fourth one, when she ran out of energy.
So tiring.
"Madam, how about we just go with this one?"
"Is it your favorite?"
"No." Qiushuang shook her head. She didn't particularly like any of the four she had tried on.
"Keep trying."
It was a once-in-a-lifetime event; she definitely had to choose one she liked.
Qiushuang thought about it and agreed, continuing to try them on.
After trying on all of them, Qiushuang selected a suitable one.
Ye Yunniang also liked it very much. She called the female attendant waiting outside to wrap up the wedding dress; she wanted it.
When she took out money to pay the bill, the attendant did not take it.
"Madam, our boss said this is a gift for you."
"Who is your boss?"
"It is I." Zhong Zhaoli walked into the private room.
"I left in a hurry yesterday and didn't say goodbye to Madam. It was rude of me. Please accept this wedding dress as my apology."
Ye Yunniang refused. The wedding dress was a congratulatory gift she was giving to Qiushuang for her marriage; she couldn't let Zhong Zhaoli pay for it.
Zhong Zhaoli insisted that Ye Yunniang choose an item from Qianjin Pavilion as her apology.
Ye Yunniang looked at the rows of wedding dresses and smiled. "There is nothing here for me to choose."
"Oh my, look how muddled I am." Zhong Zhaoli invited Ye Yunniang to the shop next door to Qianjin Pavilion, a gold and silver jewelry shop.
Both Qianjin Pavilion and the jewelry shop were Zhong Zhaoli's properties.
Under Zhong Zhaoli's enthusiastic recommendations, Ye Yunniang picked out a set of exquisitely crafted but reasonably priced gold jewelry.
She also spent money to pick out a set of high-quality jewelry each for Cai Damei and Cai Shuyi.
Ye Yunniang also wanted to pick a set for Qiushuang.
Qiushuang refused. She had already let the Madam pay for the wedding dress; she couldn't be greedy and ask for jewelry too.
After buying the jewelry, Zhong Zhaoli and Ye Yunniang sat down to talk.
"Tong Mo went to my house to propose this morning."
"Congratulations." Lovers finally getting married.
"I didn't agree." Zhong Zhaoli's answer somewhat exceeded Ye Yunniang's expectations.
"Why?"
"I have liked Tong Mo for 7 years and chased after him for 5 years."
Zhong Zhaoli spoke of every little thing she had done for Tong Mo over the years.
Before yesterday, Zhong Zhaoli felt that these were all proof of her love for Tong Mo, her pride.
But yesterday, Zhong Zhaoli learned that Tong Mo had her in his heart, yet he had been afraid to admit it because of matters concerning the older generation.
From yesterday up until now, Zhong Zhaoli had a fire pent up in her heart.
It was very uncomfortable. She wanted to vent but didn't know how.
"Just torment Tong Mo a bit more," Ye Yunniang suggested.
"I'm also afraid Tong Mo will say that yesterday was just a mistaken thought."
"These are things you should say to Tong Mo." Ye Yunniang felt it was useless for Zhong Zhaoli to say these things to her.
Zhong Zhaoli knew she should talk to Tong Mo. But...
Listening to Zhong Zhaoli babbling on for the whole afternoon, Ye Yunniang felt dizzy and her head ached.
Returning home, Ye Yunniang leaned on Jiang Mingzhe's shoulder, complaining about Zhong Zhaoli and Tong Mo.
It was their relationship, so why did they have to torment her?