"When are you going to pick her up? I will send a few people to go with her. After all, she is my princess and no one else can detain her." Prince Jin said.
Zhou Chengxin showed a hint of joy in his eyes, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
With the support of Prince Jin, we will have a better chance of picking up the girl.
But even so, Zhou Chengxin still went to see Jiang Nan.
He didn't know Jiang Nan before, but now the girl trusts him and asked him to contact Jiang Nan, so he has to unite with Jiang Nan.
He told Jiang Nan that the Zhuang family had taken five girls into the mansion with the intention of marrying them off as concubines. "Uncle Nan, the girls can't stay in the Zhuang family anymore. You have to take them out as soon as possible."
Jiang Nan said angrily: "The banker's behavior is becoming more and more despicable."
"We need to arrange more people to pick up the girl." Zhou Chengxin said.
"Don't worry, I will transfer all the members of Leopard Group 1 to cooperate with you. We must get the girl out from the dealer, even if we have to snatch her away." Jiang Nan said in a deep voice.
Jiang Changning's life in the banker's house was not as dangerous as Zhou Chengxin and others imagined.
Mrs. Zhuang hadn't made it clear yet, and she was still mostly flattering towards her.
Except for Zhuang Miaolian, the other five would often come to her to chat, drink tea and play chess, which made her very annoyed.
After the Ghost Festival, Jiang Changning waited for someone from the palace's knitting department.
The Ministry of Rites arranged for people from the Knitting Department to come and take measurements for Jiang Changning.
The wedding dresses of the concubines who married into the palace were all made by the people in the Knitting Department, which saved Jiang Changning a lot of work.
After the three embroiderers had taken their measurements, Jiang Changning asked the maid to bring out the cakes and tea that she had prepared. "Thank you for your hard work. Please feel free to enjoy some."
"Thank you, young lady." The three embroiderers bowed.
The three embroiderers drank some tea and had some cakes and were about to leave.
Jiang Changning said, "The wedding dress is ready. Please send it to Jiang's house on Nanmen Street so I can try it on."
"Nanmen Street?" One of the embroiderers was puzzled.
"Yes, the Jiang residence on Nanmen Street." Jiang Changning's expression was serious. "My last name is Jiang, and this is the banker."
"I understand. I will send the clothes to Jiang's house and let the girl try them on." The embroiderer was also smart.
"Thank you." Jiang Changning said with a faint smile.
Xiulan escorted the three people out and stuffed a purse into each of them, saying, "Thank you for your care."
As soon as the purse was in their hands, the embroiderers weighed it and found it was at least ten taels, and the smiles on their faces deepened.
After returning to the palace, the round-faced one among the embroiderers went to Fushou Palace to report to the Queen Mother about her visit to the Zhuang family.
As the Queen Mother listened, she tapped her fingers lightly on the armrest.
After a long while, she finally gave an ambiguous laugh and said, "Use this size to make a county lady's dress."
"Yes, your majesty." The embroiderer was secretly delighted. This was a good opportunity to make friends with Princess Jin.
Although the embroiderer wanted to sell the favor in person, she couldn't find an excuse because the wedding dress had not been embroidered yet.
Fortunately, snakes have their own ways and mice have their own ways. The embroiderer managed to sell this good thing to Jiang Changning through her friends.
Upon learning that the Queen Mother intended to make her a county lady, Jiang Changning was not overly happy. She calmly took her maid to see the sick Zhuang Qingchan.
When I entered the room, I saw Zhuang Qingchan's eyes were red, and I knew that she had just shed tears.
Zhuang Qingyu said, "Sister Ning, come and persuade the fourth sister."
Jiang Changning sat down on the chair next to Zhuang Qingchan, "Fourth sister, are you worried that Miss Song is difficult to get along with?"
Zhuang Qingchan twisted the tassels on the fan without saying a word.
Jiang Changning smiled slightly and said, "Fourth sister, there is no need to be so worried. Although there is a difference in status between you and her, you are not weaker than her."
"I am a concubine and a daughter of a concubine. How can I compare with her?" Zhuang Qingchan said with self-pity.
Jiang Changning smiled, "Fourth sister, there is no need to belittle yourself like that. You are the concubine's daughter of a third-rank official, but she is only the legitimate daughter of a fifth-rank official."
If Song Yirou didn't have a good uncle and her cousin was not a noble concubine, she would not be much better than Zhuang Qingchan in terms of her father's official position.
Jiang Changning continued, "Although you are a concubine, you were appointed by the palace to the King of Ningxia, so you have a rank. If Song Yirou wants to control you, she has to think twice. You should not go against her, but you don't have to be afraid of her either."
"Sister Ning is right, Fourth Sister, don't always think the worst." Zhuang Qingyu smiled bitterly, "Being a concubine is not good, but how good can it be to marry into a merchant's family as a wife?"
"Second sister." Zhuang Qingchan held Zhuang Qingyu's hand.
"As long as you can make it through the day in the palace, your aunt's life in this palace will not be too difficult. But I have been controlled by the palace all my life." Zhuang Qingyu said.
Among the four classes of people, scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans have money but no power and have to rely on the bankers.
After being persuaded by the two, Zhuang Qingchan stopped being so stubborn, calmed down, and focused on embroidering her wedding dress, waiting to be carried into the palace.
July 26th is an auspicious day, suitable for moving to a new house.
Brothers Zhou Chengxin and Zhou Shouxin brought their people to the banker.
When Mrs. Zhuang heard that the two were coming to pick up Jiang Changning, she asked sternly, "You are just old servants of the Jiang family. What qualifications do you have to take Ning girl away?"
"The girl is from the Jiang family. What's wrong with the Jiang family's old servant welcoming the girl to the Jiang residence?" Zhou Chengxin said sternly.
"Mr. Ning is going to marry into the palace in October, how can she go back to Hangzhou?" asked Old Lady Zhuang with a frown.
"I'm not going back to Hangzhou. I have a house in Beijing." Zhou Chengxin said.
"Why didn't I know that the Jiang family had a house in Beijing?" asked Old Mrs. Zhuang doubtfully.
"This was the arrangement made by the master before he died. The girl has grown up and should go home to get married." Zhou Chengxin was telling the truth.
Jiang's father did buy a house in Beijing before he died, but it was not on Nanmen Street.
Old Mrs. Zhuang was stunned by these words and couldn't respond for a while.
It is only natural for the girl from the Jiang family to return to the Jiang family to serve in her marriage.
Jiang Changning rushed over upon hearing the news. When Mrs. Zhuang saw her, she asked anxiously, "Ning girl, are you unhappy living here? Doesn't your great aunt treat you well?"
As long as Jiang Changning is unwilling to leave, Zhou Chengxin will not be able to take him away.
"The old lady treats Changning well, but Changning's surname is Jiang." Jiang Changning could never do as she wished.
"How can a girl live alone outside? It will cause gossip." said Mrs. Zhuang.
Zhou Shouxin asked back, "Madam, you are worrying too much. The master had arranged everything before he passed away. Besides, if the girl lives in her own home, what gossip can it cause?"
Old Madam Zhuang glared at Zhou Shouxin fiercely, "Ning girl, my aunt is doing this for your own good, don't be foolish and listen to those villains to do stupid things."
Jiang Changning was so smart that she understood the hidden meaning behind Zhou Shouxin's words, "I dare not disobey my father's will."
Having said that, Mrs. Zhuang shouldn't have kept anyone here any longer.
But how could Mrs. Zhuang let the cooked duck fly away
"Ning girl, I have raised you for six years, are you so indifferent to my feelings?" asked Mrs. Zhuang.
"What are you saying, old lady? I'm moving back to my own home, not severing my ties with the Zhuang family. Why don't you take our feelings into consideration?" Jiang Changning asked back.
I've been a bit busy these days with moving.
(End of this chapter)