When Jiang Xu returned to their room, Ming Tan was already fast asleep. The room was dark; the lamp left for him on the table had gone out. Only faint shadows cast by moonlight filtered through the window paper.
He approached the bed and gently lifted the brocade quilt, examining the injury between Ming Tan’s legs. Despite the darkness, he could see the bruising caused by the saddle, a stark contrast to her fair skin that was quite alarming.
This was his oversight. Accustomed to horseback riding and covering great distances without issue, he had forgotten to consider whether the normally pampered princess consort could endure such a journey.
For two nights, she hadn’t cried or complained.
Jiang Xu gently stroked her cheek with his fingertip. He intended to apply medicine but realized she had already done so. After a brief pause, he carefully replaced the quilt.
The next day, as they set out, Ming Tan noticed the cushions in the carriage seemed thicker. The table she usually used for reading was unexpectedly lower.
Jiang Xu rode outside while she stood to investigate. She discovered that only the cushions on her side had been thickened.
Slightly puzzled, she lifted the carriage curtain and beckoned Cloud Yi, who was riding alongside. “Did you add these cushions to the carriage?”
Cloud Yi shook her head, confused. “What cushions are you referring to, Princess Consort?”
Remembering something, she added, “This morning, His Highness ordered some items to be placed in the carriage. Perhaps those are the cushions you mean?”
Her husband?
Ming Tan was momentarily stunned, then leaned forward to glance at Jiang Xu’s tall, imposing figure. The corners of her lips turned up slightly, her heart inexplicably satisfied.
Due to traveling through the city, their pace was slow, and they hadn’t left the city limits by mid-morning.
As noon approached, Jiang Xu signaled to stop, choosing a nearby restaurant for rest and food.
Across from the restaurant was a bustling shop. During the short time they were seated, several groups of elegantly dressed ladies, attended by maids, entered and exited.
As the waiter brought their food, Ming Tan inquired curiously, “Excuse me, what kind of shop is across the street? It seems quite lively.”
“Oh, that’s Yuluo Workshop! It’s a newly opened clothing store,” the waiter explained enthusiastically, noting their generous order. “Their goods are expensive, but they’re clever businesspeople. Besides the clothes and fabrics on display, they’re running a special promotion for the first three days of opening. They claim to have unique garments specially crafted by skilled embroiderers and tailors for the ladies. They open at noon daily, offering only ten pieces each day, with each lady limited to one purchase per day.”
Ming Tan’s interest was piqued.
The waiter leaned in, marveling, “You wouldn’t believe how good business has been. Despite the high prices, the city’s ladies rush there daily. There were even arguments over clothes in the past two days. Today seems to be the last day of the promotion. My lady, if you’re interested, you might want to take a look.”
Having finished his explanation, he retreated with the empty dishes.
Ming Tan turned to Jiang Xu. Though veiled, her sparkling eyes betrayed her excitement.
Jiang Xu glanced at her and instructed, “Cloud Yi, accompany the princess consort.”
“Thank you, husband!” Ming Tan stood immediately.
Cloud Yi, who had been eyeing the braised pork—its perfect balance of lean and fat glistening with a caramelized glaze that promised tenderness and flavor—reluctantly tore her gaze away. She followed sword in hand, seemingly oblivious to Shu Jingran’s silent promise to save her half the dish.
At Yuluo Workshop, Ming Tan examined the signboard, previously obscured by street vendors. The characters were well-written on fine purple sandalwood, adorned with intricate gold leaf.
A shop assistant greeted them warmly: “My lady, are you here to see our garments? Please, this way.”
Ming Tan nodded and followed him inside.
The shop was elegantly decorated, with shelves of neatly arranged silk fabrics behind the counter. Men’s and women’s ready-made clothes hung on opposite sides, each piece given ample space for detailed examination—a setup reminiscent of the clothing shops she frequented in the capital.
“What kind of garments interest you, my lady? We have both understated and luxurious styles,” the assistant inquired attentively.
Ming Tan’s gaze swept over the displayed clothes. Cloud Yi, coldly standing behind her, responded, “Our lady is only interested in the unique pieces.”
The assistant understood immediately, bowing lower. “This way, please, my lady.”
He quickly moved ahead, lifting a curtain for Ming Tan.
Beyond the curtain lay a separate area, clearly designed for esteemed guests.
The assistant led her to an octagonal table and served tea. “Please wait a moment, my lady. Today’s available garments will be brought to you shortly.”
His words implied that many had already been sold.
This was unsurprising, given the commotion over clothing in the adjacent room.
Ming Tan didn’t touch the tea, instead glancing towards a partially screened octagonal table where tailors and embroiderers were displaying a garment that was causing quite a stir.
The outfit was a combination of apricot pink and jade white, featuring a cross-collared short jacket with a pleated skirt. From a distance, the embroidery wasn’t clear, but notably, the jacket appeared to be made of Yaohua silk.
Yaohua silk was a new style from Suzhou, presented as a tribute just months ago, with less than ten bolts in total. The Empress had received two bolts and gifted them to Ming Tan. She had worn the garment made from it only once before it was torn by a certain overzealous individual.
Yaohua silk was known to be difficult to produce, and even after several months, its availability was likely still limited. She had been reminding Zhou Jingwan to compensate her for the silk, which Zhou had agreed to do, but only upon Ming Tan’s visit to Yongchun Garden.
The fact that Yuluo Workshop now had garments made from Yaohua silk was indeed impressive, explaining why people were vying for them.
“Our lady set her sights on this Yaohua silk outfit yesterday and instructed me to purchase it today. Miss Su would do well to be sensible,” said a maid, her tone haughty and overbearing.
“Lingzhi, be reasonable. Everyone wanted this outfit yesterday,” Su’s maid argued. “The shopkeeper said it wasn’t for sale then, and that today it would go to the first arrival. My lady came early, so it should rightfully be hers.”
Lingzhi laughed. “If you were first, why haven’t you paid? All this fussing—isn’t it just because you find it expensive and ill-fitting?”
“You—!”
Miss Su restrained her maid and spoke up. “I’ll pay now. Why are you interfering?”
“It’s not yours until you’ve paid. My lady’s payment is already here, so the outfit belongs to her,” Lingzhi said, glancing at the tailors and embroiderers. “Isn’t that right?”
“Well…”
Miss Su had indeed arrived first to claim the garment, intending to try it on and have it adjusted. By rights, it should be hers.
However, Lingzhi’s mistress was not someone they could afford to offend. The tailors and embroiderers exchanged troubled looks.
Lingzhi pressed impatiently, “Think carefully. My lady is from the Jing’an Marquis’s household and is the elder sister of the Princess Consort of Beidi. If you displease her, a letter to the Marquis or the Princess Consort could jeopardize your shop’s future!”
Hearing this, Ming Tan thought, “…?”
Since when did she have such a ‘good’ elder sister?
At that moment, the assistant who had greeted Ming Tan earlier approached with other tailors and embroiderers, carrying several outfits. “My lady, these—”
Ming Tan interrupted, glancing towards the screen. “Over there, could that be someone from the Xuanwei General’s household?”
The assistant nodded, looking uncomfortable but unwilling to say more.
Lingzhi’s words had hit their mark. After a moment of silence, Miss Su reluctantly conceded, “Give it to her. I don’t want it anymore.”
With that, Miss Su left angrily with her maid.
Her young maid complained, “Always throwing her weight around because of her princess consort sister. She’s not the princess consort herself!”
Ming Tan wanted to call out to them but held back for some reason, signaling Cloud Yi not to act rashly.
Other ladies in the room either ignored the incident or flattered Lingzhi. “This outfit would suit your lady perfectly. At the Wind and Lotus Banquet in two days, she’ll surely outshine everyone.”
“Naturally. Thank you for your kind words. I must report back to my lady now, so I’ll take my leave,” Lingzhi replied arrogantly, not even using the humble term “slave” to refer to herself. Such insolence from a maid would have resulted in her being sold off a hundred times over in the Jing’an Marquis’s or Beidi Prince’s households.
After Lingzhi left, Ming Tan, striving to remain calm, asked the nearby assistant while examining clothes, “I’m new here. Has the Third Young Madam of General Feng’s household always been this imperious?”
The assistant evaded, “Our shop has only been open for three days. We can’t know everything about the city’s nobility.”
Ming Tan glanced at Cloud Yi, who handed the assistant a bag of silver.
The assistant was stunned by the lady’s generosity.
After a moment, he lowered his voice, “Though our shop is new, I used to work elsewhere and have heard about the Feng family’s Third Young Madam. When she first married into the Xuanwei General’s household, the old madam kept her in check. She rarely caused trouble or even appeared in public.
“But since early summer, when the old madam fell gravely ill and remains unconscious, she’s become brazen. She doesn’t dare challenge her two sisters-in-law from military families directly, but outside the Feng household, she often uses the names of the Jing’an Marquis’s household and the Princess Consort of Beidi to throw her weight around.
“The Princess Consort of Beidi is beyond anyone’s reach here in He Province. Though we don’t know how close she is to her sister, they are blood relatives, so their relationship must be good for her to speak of it so freely.”
Hearing this, Ming Tan was nearly apoplectic with rage.
Ming Chu had truly outdone herself. Even after marrying into He Province, she remained restless. Hadn’t she looked down on Ming Tan before? Now she was using Ming Tan’s name to bully others everywhere.
She had grown craftier, though. This behavior not only allowed her to gain advantages by throwing her weight around but also tarnished Ming Tan’s reputation—killing two birds with one stone.
The assistant continued, “…Today’s Miss Su was reported to be betrothed to the Feng family’s third son. But then he became engaged to someone from the Jing’an Marquis’s household in the capital. Since then, the Third Young Madam has often targeted Miss Su.”
Ming Tan remained silent.
After a long moment, she suddenly stood. “I’ll take the clothes. Cloud Yi, pay for them.”
Upon returning to the restaurant, Ming Tan was visibly fuming despite her veil, as if steam might rise if water were poured on her.
Jiang Xu glanced at her, then at Cloud Yi.
Cloud Yi: “…”
Even the braised pork had lost its appeal.
Ming Tan suddenly asked, “Husband, I can issue decrees, correct?”
Jiang Xu nodded. “What for?”
“Nothing. No need to trouble you, husband.”
Since Ming Chu dared to use her name to bully others recklessly, Ming Tan was determined to show her the true cost of wielding such influence!