RPAGF Chapter 422 Sisters Meeting
Chapter 422 Sisters Meeting
To enter the palace, one must first present a token. Si Muyan had someone deliver the token to the palace, while she moved the items prepared on the estate to the Marquis's residence.
The grand procession entered Kyoto, and the Kyoto noblewomen, filled with curiosity, gathered together to discuss it.
"Is this the Marquis's convoy? Where are all these things going? Could it be that the Marquis and his wife are moving back to the Marquis's residence?"
"Don't you know? This is the eldest daughter of the Marquis's mansion's convoy. I heard that the eldest daughter sent a letter to the palace to visit the pregnant Consort Wan. The things in here are said to be not very valuable, some vegetables grown in the village and poultry raised by the villagers."
After hearing this, everyone seemed to feel a bit more at ease; it turned out it wasn't some rare and precious treasure.
Further discussion followed.
"However, the eldest daughter of the Marquis's mansion went to the estate and picked up her old profession again, farming and doing business. You've all heard about it, right? The down jackets that were all the rage last year were from the eldest daughter's business."
"Yes, and that resort. My old man went there for his birthday celebration. It was so convenient. He didn't even have to worry about transportation. The resort provided transportation, and there was a guard team with separate male and female car convoys. It was both convenient and thoughtful."
“Is that good? My mother-in-law’s birthday is tomorrow, I’ll suggest we go there for a visit. Otherwise, every time there’s an event like this, our matriarch really doesn’t get a good rest for several days.”
They also discussed that Si Muyan had opened several resorts in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and other merchants had tried to imitate her, but no matter how they tried, none of them could match the comfort of Si Muyan's resorts.
Furthermore, the Si family's food shop in Lingnan used to have several branches in various places, and their business was booming. It is said that their main selling point was not the taste of the food, but their exceptional service, which made their shops always crowded.
"With so many businesses behind this young lady, her money must be endless."
Don't be fooled by the fact that nobles look down on merchants on a daily basis. In reality, those in charge only talk a big game. Some noble families with a history of hundreds of years value appearances more than anything else, but their substance is quite empty.
The wife of the household knows best the difficulties inside. If the family has a good amount of property and manages it well, life is much easier. But if expenses are high everywhere and the property is not doing well, then it's just a case of all show and no substance.
It's the wives who are in charge who are in a difficult position.
"She's the daughter of a marquis, has such a good business sense, and has a younger sister who is the favored Consort Wan. Once she gives birth to a prince, then..."
The lady became more and more excited as she spoke, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Si Muyan's convoy.
He felt that if he could bring Si Muyan back, it would be like marrying a mountain of gold.
Aside from being a bit older, she has no other flaws. The key is that she's exceptionally beautiful, so she's not worried about her future husband not liking her.
Everyone's minds started racing, and they began to wonder who they should talk to about this marriage proposal.
The second young lady is currently in charge of the Marquis's residence, but she works at the Dali Temple and is busy all day long. It takes many days to get a reply after sending a letter to the Marquis's residence, and nine times out of ten, the reply is that she is too busy.
Moreover, the second young lady herself is unmarried. Everyone says that His Highness Prince Ning cherishes her very much and wishes he could follow her around every day. But perhaps because she has been married before, she feels unworthy and has always refused to agree.
In short, without an elder to take charge, it seems that neither of the remaining two daughters of the Si family have any plans to get married.
Perhaps...we should go to the palace and ask Consort Wan?
Now that Consort Wan is pregnant, the noblewomen will also be going to the palace to offer their congratulations.
Everyone then formed a plan in their minds.
My younger sister is exceptionally happy today. She got up early to ask about the time of day, wishing Si Muyan would enter the palace right now.
Upon seeing this, the Emperor couldn't help but laugh: "What time is it? How can it be so early? You miss her so much."
After washing up, the younger sister sat in front of the dressing table and had the palace maids do her makeup. She said, "After I entered the palace, I wanted to see her, but she wouldn't agree. She took my parents to the estate. It's been a year and a half now. How could I not miss her?"
The Emperor said, "Your second sister has come to visit you a few times, but your eldest sister has never come. I thought your relationship with her wasn't as good as your relationship with your second sister."
The younger sister was silent for a moment, then got up and sat down next to the Emperor. She said in a low voice, "Back in Lingnan, we were all young and didn't know any better. I was playful and lazy, but someone always had to do the chores at home. My older sister would complain but still do everything."
"Back then, I was smug and thought my older sister didn't know what I was thinking. Later, when I grew up, I realized how stupid I was. It wasn't that my older sister didn't know; she just didn't want us to suffer, so she did more herself."
She stretched out her hand, which was as white and smooth as jade.
“Your Majesty, look at my hands. They’ve been so fair and smooth after years of care. But the calluses on my elder sister’s hands just won’t heal no matter what I do. And the chilblains on her hands still get red and itchy in the winter, and they just won’t get better…”
She kept talking, and the emperor felt a pang of heartache.
"It's my fault, it's my fault... that you've suffered so much."
The younger sister shook her head: "It's not Your Majesty. For the sake of the country, Your Majesty can do anything without thinking. It's my fault for being ignorant. She always says that as the eldest sister, it's normal for her to do more, but we are clearly the same age."
The emperor wanted to touch her head, but she was already adorned with jewels.
"You are more careful with your hair and makeup today than usual."
He knew why; it was because she was afraid her elder sister would worry, so she dressed up extra carefully to tell her sister that she was doing very well in the palace.
The younger sister waited and waited, and after a long time, the palace maid finally led Si Muyan over.
Unlike other ladies, in the past, when the younger sister received noblewomen or young ladies, it was always in the Imperial Garden or the waterside pavilion next to it.
Because the Zichen Palace is the emperor's bedroom, ordinary people are not allowed to enter.
However, the Emperor took the initiative to have his younger sister receive Si Muyan in the main hall of the Zichen Palace.
When Si Muyan entered, she saw her younger sister, who was adorned with jewels and looked much fuller than before. Her clothes were loose, and it was impossible to tell that she was pregnant.
She stepped forward and bowed first: "May Your Highness Consort Wan be well."
The younger sister's smile froze, and she quickly went to help her up: "Big sister, there's no need for such formality between us, big sister, please get up."
Si Muyan didn't bother with formalities. She got up and carefully examined her younger sister before finally letting out a sigh of relief: "Your days in the palace seem quite comfortable."
"It's so comforting." The younger sister's eyes crinkled into crescents. She clearly had so much to say to her older sister, but when they actually met, she couldn't utter a single word.
After a long silence, she only managed to say, "I'm sorry, elder sister..."
Si Muyan smiled and shook her head: "Silly girl, we just have a disagreement, why are you apologizing to me?"
The younger sister pouted, "You haven't come to see me in so long. You have no idea how much I miss you all."
Xia'er, who had been bowing and standing obediently to the side, could no longer hold back and said, "Auntie misses us, why doesn't she come to the estate to see us?"