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墨書 Inktalez
Sighing deeply, Empress Dowager Mingxi reflected on how, at her age, most people were surrounded by children and enjoying family bliss. But dealing with such a stubborn son was truly a headache!
Continuing down this path was certainly not a solution! She pondered whether she should make a decision to bring Chu Xiruo back.
Xiao Luo clearly heard what Empress Dowager Mingxi said, yet he ignored her words, silently focusing on his steaming tea. He had already consumed three bowls and still seemed thirsty.
Empress Dowager Mingxi observed him coldly, thinking that the Spring Plowing Festival required cooperation between the emperor and empress to demonstrate peace and tranquility to the world. But where was the Empress now?
No wonder he had come to her so early in the morning; he must have been seeking advice.
With a sigh, Empress Dowager Mingxi decided to address the matter directly. "It's been nearly a year since we lost track of her life or death... she probably won't be coming back..."
At her words, Xiao Luo paused slightly, slowly setting down his teacup.
This was the first time since Mei Shuang's incident that the Empress Dowager had actively brought up Mei Shuang after months of tension between them.
He had come today to discuss this very issue.
In truth, Xiao Luo had long understood the Empress Dowager's intentions. Although Mei Shuang had made significant contributions, her fate was ultimately unfortunate; once gone, she was gone.
It was natural for him to feel heartache in this moment, but in the harem, just as a nation could not be without a ruler for even a day, the harem could not remain without a consort in the central position.
Looking around the palace, among those beautiful concubines, aside from their family backgrounds and appearances, none stood out enough to take on the heavy responsibility of being the harem's leader.
"Although you drafted the decree for her elevation before it could be announced and then she vanished... that should be considered void..."
Empress Dowager Mingxi remarked, while internally lamenting that there had never been a precedent in any dynasty for an emperor to depose two empresses within two years of ascending the throne. Moreover, reinstating someone after deposing them felt like child's play; it would only invite ridicule if word got out.
"In my opinion, you should choose someone from among the concubines. Considering qualifications and family background, Consort Chen should suffice..."
As soon as Empress Dowager Mingxi said this, even Aunt Yu beside her was taken aback. It was well-known that Consort Chen was one of the emperor's least favored concubines. Following the Sour Plum Soup incident, she had become viewed as a troublemaker in his eyes and had nearly been confined. They hadn’t seen each other for half a year, and now the Empress Dowager suggested that Consort Chen take on such an important role; it seemed that the already strained mother-son relationship due to Mei Shuang would only worsen.
Xiao Luo raised his gaze, the depths of his dark eyes revealing nothing, and simply said, "Consort Chen is not suitable."
"......"
Empress Dowager Mingxi could no longer contain herself, raising her voice in irritation, "Then who do you think is suitable?"
Xiao Luo fell silent for a moment before standing up. "I will make my own decisions."
As Xiao Luo's imposing figure disappeared from the palace, Empress Dowager Mingxi took a long time to regain her senses. Angrily, she pounded on the bed, startling Aunt Yu into rushing forward to massage her back, fearing that she might suffer from the outburst.
Once Empress Dowager Mingxi calmed down, tears began to fall. "Why is my fate so bitter? I promised Shuang'er to him, and he was so unwilling at the time. Now that Shuang'er is gone, he looks down on everyone else. It truly troubles me..."
Aunt Yu comforted her, saying, "Empress Dowager, please calm down and don’t harm yourself. The Emperor is not a child; he knows what to do."
"He knows, and that's good enough! From now on, I won't bother with him!" Empress Dowager Mingxi declared emphatically.
After a while, she suddenly remembered something. "Jade, you mentioned that those who went with Shuang'er also fell ill, but none were as severely ill as she was! Moreover, it has been so long without a trace of her—alive or dead. Is she truly gone?"
Aunt Yu felt a jolt in her heart and thought to herself that the Empress Dowager must not be losing her mind. Mei Shuang had not only been gravely ill but had also fallen into the river—what hope could there be?
"Empress Dowager," she said cautiously, "it seems to me that the Emperor also does not believe that Miss Mei Shuang has passed away. However, there are currently no signs indicating that Miss Mei Shuang is still alive..."
Empress Dowager Mingxi sighed and fell silent.
---
Stepping out of the Empress Dowager's quarters, the sky had brightened considerably. Xiao Luo gazed at the sun slowly rising on the horizon, yet his heart felt heavy with darkness.
Beside him, Li Gonggong noticed the Emperor's furrowed brow and seemed lost in thought again. He hurriedly bowed and whispered, "Your Majesty, all the concubines have prepared everything and are just waiting for you to begin the Heaven Worship Ceremony..."
Xiao Luo came back to his senses and coldly replied, "Issue an edict: this year for the Spring Plowing Festival, I will worship Heaven alongside my ministers. The concubines in the palace shall wear plain clothing and participate as well..."
Li Gonggong was first taken aback, then realized that with the position of the Empress vacant, it seemed the Emperor had intentionally omitted the procedure of farming together with the Empress this year.
In short, even if the position of the Empress was unoccupied, the Emperor preferred to be selective rather than hasty.
After delivering the imperial decree, the one whose expression changed the fastest was Consort Chen, who had just been feeling quite satisfied. The other concubines were not particularly concerned; after all, it wasn't their turn to stand alongside the Emperor. Being able to pay respects to Heaven with the ministers was already a great honor, and they all felt as joyful as if it were New Year’s...
Not only did the royal family place great importance on spring plowing, but the common people also attached significant importance to the day known as "Dragon Raises Its Head." Although customs differed between north and south, it was a day of great solemnity everywhere.
In the north, families would eat noodles, fried oil cakes, and popcorn on this day to pray for the Dragon King to ascend to heaven, bring clouds and rain, and ensure a bountiful harvest as a sign of good fortune. Meanwhile, in Jiangnan, people regarded this day as the Flower Festival, celebrating the birthday of the Flower God. They would go to worship at the Flower God Temple, attend temple fairs, and release Flower God lanterns in the evening...
Early in the morning, a long line formed outside a barbershop next to the Sweet Honey Travels the World guild by the canal in the capital. Most of those waiting were children, and the line stretched for about a hundred meters.
Lin Tian'er leaned against a second-floor window, looking weary and disinterested.
Inside the guild, a manager named Si Er watched as the long queue reached their door and felt somewhat displeased. He leaned out of the window to ask those children who were laughing and playing in line to move aside so they wouldn't block business.
However, he was stopped by Lin Tian'er. She waved her hand dismissively and said, "Let it be. Business is already thriving; they can't block us too much. On February 2nd, Dragon Raises Its Head is all about children getting their heads shaved. Besides, it's only just dawn; we’ll open for customers soon."
Although Si Er felt somewhat dissatisfied, he ultimately relented. As he turned to leave, he suddenly remembered something and called out from the stairs, "Sister, should we confirm this month's orders?"
"What orders?" Lin Tian'er asked absently while resting her elbows on the table and gazing outside.
"It's for several noble relatives from the royal city whose wives and daughters want to visit Jiangnan..." Si Er replied.
"Oh," Lin Tian'er said lazily. "We should confirm them. Lin Yuan should have arrived in Jiangnan by now; we can take them on a tour around mid-month. If it's convenient for them to postpone until the end of the month, that would be even better for us..."
"Alright," Si Er quickly agreed while casting an envious glance at Lin Tian'er, who was enjoying immense success in business across half of Beijing. Her demeanor exuded confidence; that was what a true boss looked like.
Hearing Lin Tian'er coming down the stairs, she turned back and specifically reminded him, "Make sure not to use any knives or scissors today; we wouldn’t want to harm any dragon eyes—it's bad luck..."
Si Er agreed repeatedly and went downstairs.
Watching Si Er's graceful figure disappear at the staircase, Lin Tian'er smiled bitterly.
Life twists and turns; who can truly grasp it?
This Si Er was the daughter of the Gardener's Family who had previously rejected Lin Yuan. It was unclear how she ended up on good terms with him.
Recalling how Lin Yuan had once been so troubled for her that he resorted to drinking, which led to their fateful encounter with Lin Shoutong, from that moment on, their family's fate became tightly intertwined with everything related to Lin Shoutong...
Now that person was gone, and the past could not be reclaimed. The thought of never seeing Lin Shoutong again made Lin Tian'er unable to hold back her tears.
Since Mei Shuang's departure, Lin Tian'er had been deeply affected.
With tear-filled eyes, she surveyed the luxurious decor of the establishment, recalling the profit-sharing agreement she had with Lin Shoutong. She could only sigh repeatedly; if only Lin Shoutong were here, he would surely be overjoyed.
Since its opening, “Sweet Honey Travels the World” had established a foothold in the capital, following Lin Shoutong's initial guidance combined with her own intelligence. They developed several travel routes tailored to different clientele, including Young Ladies, nobles, and wealthy merchants. Later, they even created mid-range travel routes, some of which were given as gifts or rewards.
Almost overnight, “Sweet Honey Travels the World” became a prominent name in the capital, leading trends of fashion and elegance while sparking a revolution encouraging young women to step out into the world. Anyone who participated in “Sweet Honey Travels the World” events returned excitedly proclaiming how much they had broadened their horizons.
In no time, “Sweet Honey Travels the World” was thriving. The newly trained staff were full of energy. Lin Tian'er summarized potential issues and solutions left by Mei Shuang, ensuring that work was carried out diligently. In less than six months, revenue skyrocketed; February's group bookings were filled by the end of last year, and current orders had to be pushed to the second half of the year.
...
Alas, no matter how well things were going, Lin Shoutong would never see it. Lost in memories, Lin Tian'er feared she might cry out loud and hurriedly got up to go into the inner room.
Just as she was about to enter, she heard footsteps coming down the stairs accompanied by cheerful voices. “Sister, Lin Yuan sent a letter! He said he has safely arrived in Jiangnan Yangzhou. The Cloud Brocade in Yangzhou is beautiful; only the empress used to wear such styles! The young ladies going from the capital have really opened their eyes this time. Lin Yuan even sent back a few bolts for us to make clothes!”
Lin Tian'er had no interest in this and replied perfunctorily, “That's great; you can make them yourself...”
Yangzhou, the famous hometown of Cloud Brocade.
Due to the Flower Festival on the second day of the second month, every household is bustling with activity. Colorful ribbons hang from the branches in each courtyard, or red and green silk ribbons are tied up to celebrate with the flowers.
Even the flowers and trees on the streets are adorned similarly, with countless colorful ribbons fluttering in the wind, creating a unique scene of Jiangnan.
This year's Flower Festival truly lives up to its name, with blossoms appearing nearly half a month earlier than in previous years. While the northern regions still experience chilly spring weather, the peach blossoms and cherry blossoms in Yangzhou have already burst into bloom, their pink and white petals vibrant and dripping with beauty.
Lin Yuan's first task upon arriving in Yangzhou after a long journey was to have the local branch of Sweet Honey Travels the World arrange for the young ladies from the capital who had accompanied him to be properly taken care of in terms of food, clothing, and accommodation.
He then changed his attire before leaving the branch.
"Hey, where are you going?"
As Lin Yuan mounted his horse, he heard a crisp female voice calling from behind.
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