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墨書 Inktalez
"Xi'er," Madam Jiang called Jiang Xi over to the counter. "This Jade Bracelet would surely add a touch of elegance."
Jiang Xi walked over and glanced at the bracelet her mother was holding. It was made of top-quality jade, beautifully crafted and stunning.
The Shopkeeper quickly chimed in, "You both have a keen eye! This bracelet is the treasure of our shop; even the Eldest Princess has shown interest in it, but for some reason, she hasn't purchased it."
Jiang Xi understood immediately; it must be too expensive for the Eldest Princess to afford.
The Princess Mansion had a fixed monthly allowance, and while there were some additional earnings, it paled in comparison to the wealth of Madam Jiang.
Madam Jiang never hesitated when she fancied something; she could buy it without a second thought. She slipped the bracelet onto Jiang Xi's wrist to see how it looked.
The translucent green jade bracelet accentuated Jiang Xi's slender wrist, making it appear even more delicate and fair—truly beautiful.
Madam Jiang was pleased. Jiang Xi admired it as well, then turned to Han Yue and asked, "Han Yue, what style do you like? Choose one for yourself."
Han Yue was taken aback and quickly waved her hands. "No, no, no! I don't want it. Miss, you don't need to bribe me."
Jiang Xi chuckled. "What are you talking about? This isn't bribery; I just think you're about my age, at that beautiful stage of life. You should have a nice piece of jewelry."
Han Yue knew that every item at Ink Treasure Pavilion was quite valuable. As a guard, she felt unworthy of wearing such expensive jewelry.
She shook her head repeatedly. "Really, it's unnecessary. I'm a martial artist; I’m not used to wearing these things. If I accidentally bump into something, it would be such a waste. Besides, Miss, I already have jewelry."
Han Yue subtly raised her hand and slightly rolled up her sleeve to show Jiang Xi. Jiang Xi noticed a delicate special bracelet on her wrist and felt a stir in her heart. Upon closer inspection, she confirmed: this was a concealed weapon!
Han Yue looked surprised, her eyes widening slightly. "Do you recognize this?"
She whispered, "Sister said this concealed weapon is quite powerful; it can kill without a trace. One day, I’ll make one for you to keep you safe."
Jiang Xi smiled and nodded gently, "Alright."
She noticed that the guard Fong Yang had chosen for her was genuinely adorable—fierce when necessary, yet innocent and pure like a little girl when no one bothered her.
The shopkeeper quickly called out, "This bracelet is priced at ten thousand and one taels, symbolizing being the best among many."
Madam Jiang raised an eyebrow, a hint of scrutiny in her gaze. "The best among many?"
She didn't care about the high price. A mother always wanted to give her daughter the finest things, and the meaning was nice as well.
However, the shopkeeper felt a bit uneasy; many people had shown interest but couldn't afford it. Would Madam Jiang think it was too expensive?
He forced a smile and nodded, "Yes."
To his surprise, Madam Jiang happily pulled out a thick stack of silver notes from her pocket and handed them over. "Shopkeeper, keep it. No need for change."
The shopkeeper looked at the hefty stack of notes, his face beaming with joy. "Madam is indeed generous."
Madam Jiang laughed heartily, her voice bright. "I brought my daughter out today just to spend money. Besides, I just sent away so many of your customers; how could I not be generous?"
With the shopkeeper's warm send-off, Madam Jiang took Jiang Xi to another Treasure Pavilion. They returned home laden with goods just as noon approached.
As soon as Jiang Xi stepped into Listening to the Rain Pavilion, she saw Jiang Jiao pacing anxiously in the courtyard, her footsteps hurried and her face full of impatience.
Jiang Jiao turned her head at the sound, and the impatience on her face was instantly replaced by a smile as she forced out a hint of cheerfulness. "Aunt, sister, you’re back?"
Jiang Xi looked at her with a half-smile, slightly raising her head. "Feng Concubine didn’t tell you what I said, did she?"
Jiang Jiao was taken aback and quickly asked, "What did you say?"
Jiang Xi chuckled softly and replied, "My mother is the head matriarch of Feng Yang. According to the rules, how should you address her?"
As a proud illegitimate daughter of Feng Yang, Jiang Jiao felt reluctant but had to put on a respectful demeanor. "Mother, it was Jiao Jiao who didn’t understand the etiquette before. I trouble you to teach me."
She thought to herself that once she built a good relationship with Huai'an Princess, she would slowly deal with this mother-daughter pair.
Jiang Xi raised her eyes slightly, a hint of scrutiny in her gaze. "That 'mother' sounded rather reluctant. But my mother has never cared much for these things; otherwise, she would have already dealt with the inner household."
Jiang Jiao sneered inwardly, silently scoffing: Does Aunt have the right to manage the inner household? Coming from a merchant background, so lowly in status, how could she expect concubines and illegitimate daughters to treat her with respect like those highborn matriarchs? What a dream!
Jiang Xi noticed the mockery on Jiang Jiao's face but didn’t mind it. She spoke coolly, "Since you've already been invited here, there's nothing more for you to do. You can go back now. My mother and I are tired from shopping and need to rest."
Even when she lowered herself like this, she still hadn’t gotten what she wanted.
Jiang Jiao felt anxious and blurted out, "Aunt... Mother."
Madam Jiang turned around expressionlessly. "If there’s something to discuss, it can wait until tomorrow. I’m very tired right now."
With her face flushed, Jiang Jiao steeled herself to speak. "But tomorrow I have to attend Huai'an Princess's birthday banquet; I haven’t prepared the gift yet."
Madam Jiang shot her a cold glance. "Then hurry up and prepare it. What are you doing standing here?"
Jiang Jiao was on the verge of losing her temper, cursing inwardly, "That old fool, is he pretending to be confused or is he really that stupid?" Suppressing her anger, she respectfully said, "I would like to ask Mother for some silver."
Madam Jiang replied, "What silver do you need? Don't you receive your monthly allowance?"
Jiang Jiao looked enviously at the ice-blue silk gown worn by Jiang Xi; one dress was worth several of hers. She also eyed the brocade boxes in Han Yue's arms, barely able to resist the urge to snatch them away. She felt indignant: that meager allowance was hardly enough. They were both daughters of the Prime Minister's Residence; why was the treatment so different? Why did her elder sister get special privileges?
Jiang Xi noticed Jiang Jiao's thoughts and approached her, speaking softly, "It's because I am my mother's biological daughter. It's only natural for me to spend Mother's silver. You don't need to be jealous; Feng Concubine is your real mother, and she should willingly give you her silver."
Jiang Jiao was furious and thought loudly, "My mother doesn't have money! Otherwise, would I need to lower myself here?"
After venting her frustrations internally, she still spoke in a subdued tone, "It wasn't always like this; what was in the past is different from now."
Madam Jiang finished speaking and glanced at the servants in the room, raising her voice. "Listen carefully! From today on, except for the eldest daughter, anyone entering my courtyard must announce themselves in advance. If any unrelated person barges in again, they will be dealt with according to family rules."
The servants acknowledged her orders and dispersed.
Jiang Jiao shot a resentful glance at Jiang Xi, thinking that it must be Jiang Xi who had stirred things up; otherwise, how could the previously soft target suddenly become so strong-willed?
This wasn't the first time she had come here for silver; she had never been refused before—whatever she asked for was given without question. But today was different.
Under someone else's roof, one had to bow their head. She decided to get the silver first before anything else.
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