On the Dragon Boat Festival, Changpu is full of streets, and door gods and colorful symbols to remove the five poisons are posted everywhere.
Mu Mingtang got dressed in the mansion, finished breakfast, saw that the sun had risen in the sky, and then went out leisurely.
Although Jinming Pool is open to the public these days, the island in the heart of the lake is still a restricted area. After Mu Mingtang's frame reached the Jinming Pond, there was a special passage for them to pass through, so they didn't have to go to the front to crowd with the people. As soon as they arrived on the festival street, they were crowded with people, but all this had nothing to do with them.
After the palace carriage came to the lake, the guards showed the palace badges to the praetorian guards, and the guards in charge of the guards waved to the back, signaling to let go.
The people who were stopped on the other side saw it from a distance, and they all started talking: "Which noble family is this? Just now, the wife of the Hou Mansion, Qianjin, got out of the car and walked. Which family does she belong to, and she doesn't even have to get off the car? "
The class of princes is too far away for the citizens, and they are rare even for officials, let alone the existence of princes and generals who only live in legends. This year, the emperor opened the Forbidden Garden on the Dragon Boat Festival. This is a rare occasion where people can see the real upper-class people in Tokyo. Everyone is enthusiastic and has a long discussion every time they pass a carriage.
In fact, none of them have ever been in contact with these princes of gold, and everything they said was just hearsay and their own imagination.
A well-informed person who was keen on gossip stretched his neck and looked at it, and said loudly, "Don't you need to get out of the car, or who do you think the person who passed by just now?"
As soon as these words came out, the eyes of many people around were attracted: "Who is it?"
"That's the car of Prince An's Mansion! What kind of place is Prince An's Mansion? How can it be the same as that of an ordinary prince's mansion?"
In fact, Gongfuhoufu is also a place like a heavenly palace for ordinary people. But the lack of access does not prevent them from bragging about their addiction. Someone was curious and asked the person who spoke just now: "The Prince An's mansion you were talking about was the mansion a few days ago?"
"That's right, it's him." Seeing the people around him looking at him, the man was proud of himself and showed off more forcefully, "Our home is in Shenli Lane, not far from Suzaku Street, and I've seen Prince An's Mansion several times. People came out to buy vegetables. The signs on those people at that time were exactly the same as those on the carriage just now.”
Everyone was amazed, it turned out to be Prince An's mansion. Nowadays, the name of Prince An's Mansion is not known to everyone, and now the Begonia on Suzaku Street is still open.
"It turned out to be the daughter-in-law of Prince An's mansion. No wonder you don't have to get out of the car. Although the money of the princes and wives in front of them is precious, they can't compare with Princess An."
"The carriage just now was majestic, surrounded by maids and guards. Could it be Princess An's carriage?"
This sentence caused quite a stir in the crowd, and everyone scrambled to stretch their necks to look around, hoping to see some clues from the other side of the water. It's a pity that you can't see anything except the moving heads and the bright sunlight.
At this moment, Mu Mingtang got off with the support of the maid. As soon as she stood firm, an eunuch greeted her from the Shuixin Hall, and said hello: "I greet King An, and I greet Princess An. The two masters are healthy every year, and the five poisons will not invade. Walk."
Mu Mingtang said that he was tired, and went inside with the eunuch. She and Xie Xuanchen were going to different occasions. Xie Xuanchen sent her to the door, watched her enter the door with his own eyes, and then turned around and walked to the place where the men were meeting.
There are differences between men and women, and the banquet venue for the emperor, officials and envoys from the North Rong is in another place.
The Shuixin Hall is built in the center of Jinming Pond. It is three stories high. The pavilions and pavilions are connected with each other by corridors, which is very magnificent. The dragon boat bidding has not yet started, and the female relatives are scattered around the pavilion, enjoying the scenery or sitting and talking with each other, all very relaxed. As Mu Mingtang walked all the way, everyone who saw her stood up and said hello.
As Mu Mingtang, there is no need to respond one by one, she smiled and nodded, and she was already extremely easy-going. Mu Mingtang walked all the way to the third floor, and sure enough, in the compartment with the best view at the top, the Queen Mother and others were resting inside.
Now that the dragon boat has not started, the Queen and the Queen Mother can never wait outside, and there must be a special lounge. A respectable and close female relative brought a younger generation to show their faces in front of the concubines, which was already a very decent appearance. The queen and others were listening to the wives of the officials and family members being amused, when they suddenly heard the palace maid outside saying, "Princess An is here."
The voices in the room couldn't help but stop. The Queen's face still had a kind and generous look of the mother of the country, but the smile in her eyes dissipated like a low tide: "It turns out that Princess An is here, and the Queen Mother was just talking about it. Why don't you please?"
The palace maid agreed, and after a while, a silver-purple figure entered through the curtain.
The breaths of the concubines, concubines and maids in the palace all paused as she entered the door.
Mu Mingtang is wearing a white top today and a long purple dress at the waist. I don't know what material this skirt is made of. The skirt is gradually enlarged, and there is a faint glittering silver light. When walking, it is like the moon splashing into the Milky Way, and the stars twinkle.
Mu Mingtang wore a large-sleeved shirt of the same color outside, slightly lighter in color than the skirt. Her hair is properly tangled, and there are not many accessories. The most eye-catching is a splendid jewel-encrusted lace, which is inserted diagonally between the temples, with a few fine purple crystals under it, lightly beside her ear. Shaking lightly.
When Mu Mingtang stood quietly in front of the crowd, it was as if the Milky Way from the sky was pouring out on her. She made clothes from Xinghe, decorated with the sun and the moon, gentle and shining.
All the pampered palace concubines and official wives are all sore. What kind of fabric is this, why haven't they seen it before
Originally, every lady and young lady went out after she was well-dressed. Don't care what they said. When it came to such a big occasion, no one wanted to be ostentatious. Before Mu Mingtang came in, they had been comparing secretly in their hearts. The imperial concubine was satisfied that she was charming and charming, the queen was satisfied that she was noble and graceful, and the ladies who came to greet her were also satisfied that they were beautiful and charming today, and would not steal the limelight of the ladies. , and it can be eye-catching.
But as soon as Mu Mingtang entered the door, all the women's good mood collapsed. Not to mention anything else, just talking about the fabric on Mu Mingtang's skirt, they can guarantee that they have never seen it on the market.
The atmosphere was sluggish for a while, but in the end, the queen could afford it and put it down, and said with a smile: "Princess An is really beautiful today. This palace originally thought that I had been used to seeing beautiful women in the harem over the years, but I didn't expect to see Princess An today. , I know that there is a sky outside the sky, and there are people outside the people. This palace is reluctant to blink when I see it, let alone King An."
The queen hated her as soon as she opened her mouth. Mu Mingtang ignored the queen's stubbornness, just smiled and said, "I dare not be the queen. The queen is the real beauty of the country, and the mother is the world, I am nothing but a firefly. The brilliance of fire is nothing more than the empress's concubine?"
"If you are the radiance of the firefly, I am afraid that there will be no beauty in the world." The queen smiled and said, "Princess An, don't be polite, sit down."
After Mu Mingtang came in, everyone except the Queen Mother stood up. Now that the Queen spoke, the lady who was sitting in the first seat quickly stepped back and smiled at Mu Mingtang: "Princess An, please."
Mu Mingtang was not polite, and sat in the first place generously. After she sat down, the others moved back one by one, and everyone sat down again.
It turned out that standing was enough to attract attention. This time, after sitting down, Mu Mingtang's long skirts were stacked to the ground, and the fine crystal light inside the skirt pleats spread out like flowing water, more like the Milky Way. The ladies on both sides, including the empress dowager at the top, couldn't help but look at her.
A lady couldn't help but ask: "Princess An, your dress is unusual. I don't know what fabric it is made of, how come I've never seen it before?"
Hearing the lady's question, Mu Mingtang glanced down at the long skirt on her knees, as if she didn't expect why they would ask such a question. Although it was an accident, Mu Mingtang still conscientiously answered the puzzle: "I don't know the name of the fabric, and I haven't remembered it yet. Some time ago, people from Silk Village said that they found many golden spiders in the countryside, and the silk they spit out was tough and shiny. , maybe we can weave cloth. Unfortunately, the golden spiders are all wild, and the spider silk is very limited. I asked them to mix the spider silk into the silk and try to weave a piece. I didn’t expect the effect to be good. , made into a skirt."
Everyone was stunned when they heard it, it was actually spider silk? Wild spiders are not like silkworms. How much silk can be spit out, and they cannot be farmed, so they can only be picked in the wild. In front of this kind of spider silk, gold and silver threads are probably cheap.
They didn't even dare to think about a dress at such a cost.
It's not that the Mrs. Gonghou and the ladies present here can't take it out, but if they only use it on a skirt, they can't bear it. The prince's mansion was already high, and when the other ladies heard that it was made of spider silk mixed with silk, they immediately dismissed their thoughts and didn't even think about it.
Those that can be used, such as the empress and concubine, are concerned about their reputation; those who are not stared at by officials are also unbearable. That is, Mu Mingtang, can afford such sky-high dresses.
Many people present went from hope to disappointment, knowing that they couldn't follow suit, and they could only look at Mu Mingtang's Xinghe-like skirt. A new favorite concubine mixed with jealousy, said sourly: "Princess An's expenses are really extravagant. This is the first time I have seen such a skirt."
In private, many people have said that Prince An's mansion is extravagant, but it's different from talking behind the scenes and putting it on the table. After Concubine Chong's words were finished, the atmosphere in the room was quiet, and the Queen Mother, who had not spoken since just now, took it easy, and suddenly opened her mouth: "King An was a big spender before, and now there are no elders above him, and he is becoming more and more unrestrained. But the reason for marrying a wife is to manage the family business, support the husband and teach the children, and the Erlang family does not know that the money is difficult, so Princess An will not persuade her?"
After the queen mother finished speaking, everyone in the audience was quiet. They don't know why the queen mother suddenly attacked Princess An, but these two are the queen dowager at the top of the palace, and the other is the famous Princess An. None of them dared to offend. Accidentally involved in the dispute between the Queen Mother and Princess An.
In particular, the queen mother was the outer chamber of the late emperor Xie Yi, and Mu Mingtang was the wife of Xie Yi's only son, Xie Xuanchen.
In a sense, Empress Dowager Lu can be regarded as Mu Mingtang's mother-in-law.
Naturally, this mother-in-law Xie Xuanchen didn't recognize it anyway. Not only did Xie Xuanchen deny it, but even the Empress Dowager Lu did not dare to show her mother's profile in front of Xie Xuanchen.
When Xie Yi and Guo Ronggang had objections, they stayed in Yecheng and were unsure whether to return to Beijing. Later Emperor Gong of Jin realized that something was wrong and killed all the family members of Guo Xie's family in anger. Guo Rong and Xie Yi were out on an expedition, so naturally it was impossible for them to move their houses together. Their wives and children stayed in the capital. Later, when the two showed their dislike, the family members who stayed in the capital suffered.
Hundreds of people in the two prefectures, none of them survived. Xie Xuanchen was only fifteen years old at the time. Xie Yi and Guo Rong didn't want to take him with him when they went on an expedition, so he secretly followed behind the army. Later in the capital incident, Xie Xuanchen just escaped.
But Xie Xuanchen's mother, Xie Yizheng's wife Mrs Yin, died in that accident.
The death of Mrs. Yin greatly stimulated both Xie Xuanchen and Xie Yi. Later, after Xie Yi returned to Beijing, he had no intention of marrying again. After persuasion by others, there would always be a mistress in the mansion to Zhang Luo's family affairs, so he rectified the Lu family in the outer chamber.
Mr. Lu was the outer room that Xie Yi bought when he was stationed abroad. After Xie Yi withdrew his troops, Mrs. Lu got a fortune and was left in the local area. Although it was not explicitly stated at the time, in the default secular rules, the Lu family was considered a concubine.
Who would have known that after the Beijing incident, the serious mistress of Xie's house died unexpectedly, but Lu Shi stayed in the field, no one knew, but survived. It was only after Xie Yi that he remembered that there was Mr. Lu, who also came to operate at this time, and was taken over to the capital to preside over internal affairs.
Later, when Xie Yi ascended the throne, Mrs. Yin was pursued as the queen, and the Lu family only got the title of a palace concubine at first. Immediately after Xie Yi died, the Lu family was not recognized during Xie Yi's lifetime. Instead, Xie Yi enjoyed great honor after his death and was honored by Xie Ruizun as the only empress dowager.
Even though Empress Dowager Lu had an indelicate background at the beginning, but now, she has changed her face and became the supreme woman of the Ye Dynasty. No one dared not give the Empress Dowager face, only Xie Xuanchen was disgusted and never gave the Empress Dowager a good face from beginning to end.
However, there is only one Xie Xuanchen in the world, and what Xie Xuanchen can do, others cannot. In particular, Mu Mingtang is a daughter-in-law, and she is very embarrassed when it comes to the outer room of her father-in-law and her husband's little mother.
Jiang Mingwei had been sitting beside the Queen, and when she heard the Queen Mother's words to Mu Mingtang, she had a belated sense of pleasure.
She said that everyone is a daughter-in-law, how can Mu Mingtang live so well, while she is struggling? Jiang Mingwei has already been stuffed by the queen, but Mu Mingtang doesn't even need to get up early to greet her in-laws.
Jiang Mingwei also knew that the queen was critical of her because she was the queen's serious daughter-in-law, and Mu Mingtang was just the next-door nephew's daughter-in-law. The room is like a mountain, so the queen just praises and kills, and never teaches.
I understand it, but seeing such a person living next door to me every day makes Jiang Mingwei feel bad enough. Today can be counted, Jiang Mingwei breathed a sigh of relief, and a twisted pleasure surged in his heart.
The queen can't take care of Mu Mingtang, but the queen mother can. The empress dowager's words just now are not light anymore, they almost scold Mu Mingtang for being extravagant and profligate. To be told by the stepmother in front of so many people is a permanent laughing stock for any woman.
Jiang Mingwei looked at Mu Mingtang expectantly, planning to appreciate Mu Mingtang's embarrassment.
Everyone was silent, but many people's eyes fell on Mu Mingtang, with a subtle feeling of watching a good show. Mu Mingtang felt it, calmed down, and said, "The Empress Dowager has misunderstood, our palace is not big-hearted, it's just a way to make money. Although Prince An's palace costs a lot, in fact, the daily income is also big. Since the family wealth has been increasing, why should we be wronged? How about forcibly living a poor life yourself? Besides, the prince has been spending money like this since he was a child, he is used to it, if I change it rashly, I am afraid that I have wronged the prince."
Mu Mingtang's original intention was to explain, but after he finished speaking, the expressions of the others became even more ugly. They originally thought that An Wang and his wife had a wealthy family and was spending freely, but Mu Mingtang said that in fact, their daily life was even greater. Regardless of how much the Mu Mingtang and his wife spend, they actually earn more
Sure enough, it was even more uncomfortable, why should they tell them these things, it is better not to explain. Everyone was shocked, and even the Queen's expression changed slightly.
The queen immediately remembered that some time ago, they had given Xie Xuanchen and Mu Mingtang a lot of rewards in order to build their reputation. Basically, how much money Mu Mingtang spends, they fill in the money later. It is good to say that the emperor has a private bank. The queen and the queen mother have really made a lot of blood. Rao is the queen, and I still feel distressed when I think of it afterwards.
It was only after Mu Mingtang said this that the queen realized, yes, what is a skirt? Compared with the bottomless pit she gave to Mu Mingtang, the cost of this skirt was insignificant. If someone in Prince An's mansion was good at business and put the money back into the market and let the money roll, the profit that could be obtained would indeed be very considerable.
The queen knew that Xie Xuanchen was not a businessman, but I heard that Mu Mingtang's investment vision was very good.
After all, Mu Mingtang grew up in a merchant, and his ancestors had been in business for several generations. Before the accident in Xiangyang, their family's antique business had already opened up in Xiangyang City. The most important thing for people who are antiques is to be bold and careful, to have a poisonous vision, and to make decisions quickly.
Mu Mingtang grew up in this kind of environment. Compared with the official lady who was devoted to singing the wind and the moon, and despising the yellow and white things, his business ability was undoubtedly a class. And Xie Xuanchen has enough principal and enough deterrent to let her go through trial and error.
The queen is a little convinced that these couples seem to be prosperous, but in fact the daily income is much greater than the cost.
The queen seemed to be stunned. Now Mu Mingtang speaks more and more with the true biography of Xie Xuanchen. Although everyone was sour that Mu Mingtang was extravagant and extravagant, they all had a subtle sense of superiority in their hearts. Sitting on the mountain, Tianda's family business can't stand the constant defeat. Mu Mingtang spends money without restraint, and there are times when she can't cry.
But Mu Mingtang explained to everyone seriously that although she spends a lot, she can earn more. The assets of Prince An's Mansion have been increasing, and what Mu Mingtang has spent is only the extra part of the gain.
Originally it was just sore teeth, but now, what everyone feels is despair.
Killing and killing hearts, these two really deserve to be husband and wife.