RPAGF Chapter 631 He asked for it himself, so he has to accept it!
Chapter 631 He asked for it himself, so he has to accept it!
The carrier pigeons have been sent away, and the storm has passed.
Outside the inn in Yanxia Town, Gu Junze re-hitched the carriage and took care of everything in an orderly manner.
Chu Ruohan leaned against the door, arms crossed, watching him work with a leisurely air.
"What? Did last night's 'reward' put the Duke in such a good mood that he personally took action today?" Her voice carried a hint of teasing laughter.
Gu Junze paused in his actions, turned around, and stared intently at her, the meaning in his eyes self-evident.
"If Madam feels it's not enough, we can continue tonight."
Chu Ruohan's cheeks flushed, she gave a soft hum, turned around and got into the carriage.
The carriage slowly drove onto the official road again. This time, Chu Ruohan picked up the reins and drove the carriage in a very professional manner, just like him.
Gu Junze leaned against the carriage, closing his eyes to rest, but the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned.
"Hey," Chu Ruohan's voice came from outside, "Tell me, what's Qingchen doing right now?"
"What else could we be doing?" Gu Junze said with a certainty in his voice, without even opening his eyes. "We're either climbing trees or demolishing houses."
Chu Ruohan couldn't help but laugh: "I feel like the palace might not be enough for her to tear down."
“That’s His Majesty’s troubles,” Gu Junze replied lazily. “He asked for them himself, so he has to bear them.”
The two traveled south, stopping and starting along the way, and after several more days, they arrived at a bustling town called "Jin Guan Cheng".
This place is famous throughout the world for Shu brocade, and every household is skilled in brocade weaving.
The most bustling areas in the city were the East and West Markets. The two found an inn to stay in and then went out for a stroll hand in hand.
Shops lined both sides of the street, displaying a dazzling array of colorful brocades that were a feast for the eyes.
Chu Ruohan's gaze was drawn to a small stall specializing in jewelry.
The stall displayed all sorts of beaded flowers and hairpins. Although they weren't made of expensive materials, they were exquisitely crafted and had novel designs.
She picked up a butterfly hairpin inlaid with kingfisher feathers and pearls. The butterfly's wings were so lifelike that they trembled gently with the movement of her wrist, as if they were about to take flight at any moment.
"You like it?" Gu Junze appeared behind her at some point, his deep voice ringing in her ears.
Chu Ruohan nodded: "Very unique."
Without saying a word, Gu Junze said directly to the stall owner, "Wrap up this and those other items."
He pointed to the most exquisite pieces of jewelry on the stall, displaying an air of wealth and extravagance.
The stall owner was a shrewd middle-aged man. When he saw Gu Junze's impressive demeanor, his eyes lit up and he quickly quoted a high price.
Gu Junze didn't even frown before reaching for his silver.
Chu Ruohan grabbed his hand and winked at him mischievously.
She turned to the stall owner, smiling as she picked up the hairpin: "Boss, the workmanship of your hairpin is quite good, but it's a pity that the quality of the kingfisher feathers is only average, and the inlaid beads are not round enough."
"Your price is a bit unreasonable."
She picked up another jade hairpin and lightly ran her fingertip across it: "The jade quality is also just average. It's not translucent enough, and there's cotton-like inclusions inside."
With just a few words, she left the stall owner speechless, breaking out in a cold sweat.
In the end, Chu Ruohan bought all the pieces of jewelry for less than half the price.
She proudly handed the wrapped jewelry to Gu Junze, raising an eyebrow: "How about it? General, you should learn something about managing a household."
Gu Junze looked at her smug, fox-like expression, his eyes filled with doting smiles.
He took the things and naturally grasped her hand. "What you say is true, Madam. You manage all the money in the house; I don't know anything about it."
Chu Ruohan was amused by his serious yet cheeky manner, and her eyes crinkled into a smile as she reached out and intertwined her fingers with his.
"You know the truth."
The two walked side by side through the noisy crowd, their eyes drawn to the largest shop on the street corner.
The shop was a three-story pavilion with vermilion pillars and a black plaque bearing three large, gilded characters: "Jinxiu Pavilion" (锦绣阁).
"Shall we go in and take a look?" Chu Ruohan asked, turning her head to the side.
“If Madam wants to go, then of course she should go.” Gu Junze took her hand and led her up the steps.
Upon entering, one is greeted by a magnificent display of brocade. The walls and shelves are filled with all kinds of Shu brocade, some as radiant as rosy clouds, some as delicate as ink painting, and some woven with gold threads, exuding an air of opulence.
A shopkeeper dressed in a silk shirt and sporting a mustache was initially somewhat dismissive of the two men, who were dressed in ordinary clothes. However, upon seeing the air of authority that Gu Junze exuded even in his simple attire, his eyes lit up and he immediately put on a smiling face to greet them.
"What would you two gentlemen like to see? Our Jinxiu Pavilion's Shu brocade has the most complete range of colors and the newest styles in Chengdu."
Just as Chu Ruohan was about to speak, her attention was drawn to a suppressed argument coming from the corner.
There was an old woman with gray hair and a hunched back, clutching a piece of moon-white brocade tightly in her hand, pleading with a shop assistant.
"Manager Wang said this is the price, take it or leave it." The shop assistant said impatiently, shoving the old woman. "Your skills are outdated. The only reason we're willing to buy your goods is because you're old and we feel sorry for you."
“But…but this cloud-patterned brocade is a craft passed down from my ancestors. In the entire Chengdu, I am the only one who knows how to weave it.”
The old woman's voice was hoarse, tinged with resentment, "You can't treat people like this."
"Bullying people?" The shopkeeper sneered. "Grandma Sun, you can't just say things like that. Our Manager Wang is the president of the Chengdu Weaving Guild. Whatever price he says your cloth is worth, that's what it is worth!"
"If you don't sell it to our Jinxiu Pavilion, I guarantee that no other place in this city will dare to take your stuff!"
The old woman swayed, her face turned ashen, and her knuckles turned bluish-white from gripping the brocade tightly.
Chu Ruohan frowned.
She walked over, her gaze falling on the brocade.
The brocade had a very pale moon white background, with layers of cloud patterns woven with silver thread. Interspersed among the cloud patterns were a few faint blue flowers. The style was elegant and refined, and the craftsmanship was intricate and exquisite. It was definitely not the "outdated goods" that the shopkeeper had mentioned.
"I think this brocade is very nice," Chu Ruohan said calmly.
The shop assistant and Granny Sun were both stunned for a moment, and then looked at her.
Chu Ruohan stretched out her finger and gently brushed the surface of the brocade. "Grandma, is your craft called 'hidden pattern jacquard'?"
"Using a single color of silk thread, different twists and weaving methods can create different lusters under light, forming subtle patterns. This technique is extremely demanding and very few people know how to do it anymore."