mtl008 Chapter 255 is abnormal.
Chapter 255 is abnormal.
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Yin laughed so hard he leaned back, "Hahaha, Madam Liu is joking."
"This is an imperial edict, how could it be mistaken?"
He handed the imperial edict to Lu Tao, saying, "Receive the edict."
Lu Tao accepted the imperial edict, saying, "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty."
Liu San Niang quickly followed suit, bowing in gratitude, "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty."
"Ladies, please rise. The official robes are being made and will be delivered to your residence once they are finished."
As soon as Eunuch Yin left, Tian Tian immediately sent someone to Yun Jin Pavilion to ask Xiao Yan to deliver the latest new arrivals, explaining that they were for making clothes for the two newly appointed noble ladies.
Upon receiving the message, Xiao Yan quickly gathered up the newest and most valuable fabrics from the shop.
One by one, they were loaded onto the carriage...
"Xiao Yan, has your Yun Jin Ge (Cloud Brocade Pavilion) encountered another big customer?" The shop assistants from the nearby shops watched the commotion.
Xiao Yan glanced at the Jinxiufang across the street. "It's the Fufeng Princess's residence that wants to buy fabric."
"I heard that the two ladies had just been granted imperial titles by the Emperor that day."
"The princess is making clothes for the two ladies."
Xiao Yan's words immediately attracted the attention of those around her.
"What? She was just made a princess, and now she's been granted an imperial title? What's the background of this Princess Fufeng? Is the Emperor just giving out these titles like they're free?"
"So many high-ranking officials, even those of the first and second rank, couldn't even get a title for their wives."
"That's right, why were Princess Fufeng's mother and aunt granted official titles?"
"The Emperor is far too frivolous."
"Oh dear, why should we worry about it? Who is a first-rank lady and who is a second-rank lady, what does it have to do with us?"
"Yes, of course there are people who worry about it."
Xiao Yan didn't care what everyone was saying. He happily led the carriage to the other side of the street before turning the carriage around and heading towards the Princess's residence.
"Look how smug he is!!" The shop assistant in Jinxiufang stomped his feet in anger.
"What's going on?" A wealthy lady came out of Jinxiufang.
“Madam, it’s that Princess Fufeng who just arrived in the capital. She’s been frequenting Yunjin Pavilion and doesn’t give you any face at all.”
The wealthy lady clearly knew about Princess Fufeng. "As you said, she's new to the capital, so it's normal that she doesn't know the details of our Jinxiufang."
"Madam, which lady in the capital doesn't know that Jinxiufang was opened by you and Princess An together?"
“Who would disrespect you and Princess An?”
"I think this Princess Fufeng is just taking advantage of the Emperor's recent attention and doesn't respect you, Madam, and Princess An."
The guy said this while twisting the corners of his mouth.
This guy was the one who had the conflict with Tian Tian that day.
The noblewoman glanced at the waiter and said with a warning, "You can say these things to me, but you must not say them to Princess An."
Seeing that the shop assistant didn't take it seriously, she warned again, "If I find out, you won't be able to stay in the shop anymore."
The waiter pursed his lips. "Yes, madam."
The noblewoman looked towards the Yunjin Pavilion across the street...
Yun Jin Ge's fabrics are also quite good; it's a well-known old fabric shop in the capital.
She used to frequently buy fabrics at Yun Jin Ge.
However... ever since she and Princess An opened the Brocade Workshop, all the ladies who were on good terms with them have been buying fabrics from the Brocade Workshop, and the business of the Cloud Brocade Pavilion has declined considerably.
But there's a reason why Yun Jin Ge can continue to operate in the capital.
There was a wealthy merchant's daughter in the capital who ran a jewelry business and loved the fabrics from Yun Jin Ge the most.
Every month, I spend several thousand to tens of thousands of taels of silver at Yun Jin Ge.
In addition, some families who had no vested interests with her and Princess An continued to patronize the business, so business wasn't too bad.
Now there's another one, Princess Fufeng, who's also said to be very wealthy.
but...
The Emperor just conferred the title of Princess of the County, and less than half a year later, he has conferred the title of Lady of the Imperial Decree on two more.
How is this going?
She needs to find out more.
*
"Sweetie, we just made new clothes, and we haven't even received them yet. Why are you making more?" Lu Tao and Liu San Niang stood in front of bolts of fabric.
The fabric I bought last time has been sent to the embroidery shop, but it's not finished yet.
“Mother, Aunt Liu, you are now noble ladies, you can’t dress too plainly. If word gets out, people will say we are disrespectful to the royal family.”
Xiao Yan nodded in agreement, “That makes sense, ladies. These are new fabrics from our Yun Jin Pavilion. They are all unique pieces. I guarantee you won’t find another person in the entire capital wearing the same thing as you.”
Lu Tao and Liu San Niang stroked the fabric...
These fabrics feel great to the touch, and you can tell they're not cheap just by touching them.
“Mother, you can choose whatever you like,” Tian Tian said.
The dozen or so shops in Yunzhou Prefecture bring in several thousand taels of silver every day.
Another shop in the capital is about to open...
She has the confidence.
Liu San Niang selected a light purple fabric, "Sister Lu, this suits you."
She muttered to herself, "After using those face creams and masks, your skin is so white, tender, and supple, so you should choose clothes that are lighter in color."
Lu Tao smiled sheepishly, then picked out a plum-pink fabric for her, saying, "You are too."
While they were still choosing, Tian Tian asked Xiao Yan, "How many days does it usually take to pick up clothes made by Ruyi Embroidery Workshop in the capital?"
They bought the fabric several days ago and sent it to Ruyi Embroidery Workshop the next day. Counting the days, it has been half a month, and it is still not finished.
“Ruyi Embroidery Workshop, they have many embroiderers there, and it should take about ten days to get the embroidery,” Xiao Yan said. “Even if they’re very busy… it won’t take more than half a month.”
"But lately... it's not that busy yet."
"The month before the Lunar New Year is usually the busiest."
Tian Tian nodded thoughtfully. Normally it takes ten days to receive the package, so it's not normal that she hasn't received it after fifteen days!
"Sweetie, we've made our choices..." Lu Tao and Liu San Niang only chose one horse in the end, which was the one they picked for each other.
Xiao Yan wasn't in a hurry; she looked at Tian Tian expectantly.
Tian Tian walked over and looked at it carefully...
All she could say was that Xiao Yan had excellent taste; the fabrics he sent were perfect for Lu Tao and Liu San Niang.
He also brought some items suitable for Tian Xiang, Youyou, and Tian Jinghe.
Anyway, it's just a horse-drawn carriage to transport them, so a little more won't be too much of a hassle.
But if she takes a fancy to a few more horses, he can earn a lot more money.
“This one, that one, and the dark one over there…” Tian Tian said, pointing to four or five bolts of fabric.
Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow in confusion...
"No, keep the rest."
Xiao Yan's brows relaxed. "Yes, thank you, Princess."
"Besides Ruyi Embroidery Workshop, which other embroidery workshops have good craftsmanship?" Tian Tian handed the silver notes to Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan replied cheerfully, "The Colorful Embroidery Building on the same street as Ruyi Embroidery Workshop."
Tian Tian turned around and had someone send the fabric to Caixiulou, then went out and went to Ruyi Embroidery Workshop.
She was dressed conservatively today, neither particularly understated nor flashy.
Because going out was a spur-of-the-moment decision for her.
And so we arrived at Ruyi Embroidery Workshop...
Ruyi Embroidery Workshop truly lives up to its reputation as the largest embroidery workshop in the capital. Although it is also a three-story building, it is twice as large as the three-story shop she combined in Xiushui County.
The walls of the shop were hung with all sorts of clothes, presumably for people to look at the styles.
Another portion consisted of rouge and face powder...
The shop was quite crowded. The first floor was mostly for looking at ready-made clothes, while the second floor was for people to order custom-made fabrics, which were usually delivered by servants from various households.
Tian Tian went to the counter and knocked lightly.
"Sir, what is it?" the innkeeper asked, looking up.
"I'd like to ask, how many days does it typically take to make and deliver clothes from fabric I send?"
The shopkeeper's attitude was alright; he said, "Delivery can be made within ten days."
He pointed behind him and said, "Our Ruyi Embroidery Workshop has a rule that the work must be completed within ten days. If it is over the time limit, we have to compensate the customer."
Tian Tian looked up...
It turns out that it was a shop rule of Ruyi Embroidery Workshop. There really was one rule that stated that delivery must be made within ten days, with compensation for any delays, amounting to 10% of the wages for each day of delay.
The labor costs for making clothes at Ruyi Embroidery Workshop are not cheap.
The twelve pieces of clothing she sent earlier each cost twenty taels to make, so the total cost for all twelve pieces was two hundred and forty taels.
According to their regulations...the compensation is twenty-four taels per day.
Six days have passed now, so that's... one hundred and forty-four taels.
Without saying a word, Tian Tian placed a slip of paper in front of the shopkeeper.
This is the receipt from Ruyi Embroidery Workshop that she got from the housekeeper.
It clearly states that the fabric was received sixteen days ago, and the last delivery date was six days ago.
The receipt also specified that the cloth was delivered by... the residence of the Princess of Fufeng.
The shopkeeper's eyes narrowed, and he instinctively reached for the receipt.
Tian Tian quickly took back the receipt.
"You..." The shopkeeper stared at her in astonishment.
Tian Tian tucked the receipt into her bosom. "Ruyi Embroidery Workshop failed to deliver the goods to my residence on time as agreed..."
"That's why I've come to collect it myself. Please bring out the clothes I made at my residence."
The shopkeeper's throat bobbed. "This..."
"you..."
"Miss, please wait inside for a moment, I'll go and make the arrangements right away." The innkeeper came out, preparing to lead Tian Tian to a private room.
Tian Tian turned around and sat down on a chair on the first floor. "No need, I'll wait here."
The surrounding guests looked over curiously, "What happened?"
Tian Tian told everyone frankly, "It's nothing serious, it's just that... I had twelve pieces of clothing made at Ruyi Embroidery Workshop, and it's been sixteen days now, but they haven't been delivered to your residence yet, so I came to pick them up in person."
Sixteen days? That's impossible!
"Did you remember the time wrong?"
"Ruyi Embroidery Workshop cannot deliver within ten days."
“That’s right. I’ve been making clothes at Ruyi Embroidery Workshop for several years, and it’s never taken more than ten days.”
"However, no one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes. Even if it's a few days overdue, it's not a big deal. On the contrary, the Zhengyifang will compensate us with money."
"If they make twelve pieces of clothing and it takes more than six days, won't they have to lose more than a hundred taels of silver?"
"Just because it's been a few days, does that mean the shop has to lose so much money? Can't they afford to live?"
"Hehehe, judging from her attire, she might really be unable to make a living."
Tian Tian raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at the person who said they couldn't afford to live...
She had noticed that this lady was just a customer looking at ready-made clothes on the first floor, and she was haggling with the shop assistant over five taels of silver.
It's easier said than done.
However, she didn't come here today to argue with these people.
She came looking for Ruyi Embroidery Workshop.
She was certain that her twelve dresses... weren't finished yet.
Sure enough, the shopkeeper returned, but he didn't have what she wanted.
Tian Tian looked at him with a mocking gaze.
The shopkeeper squeezed in awkwardly, "Miss, your clothes... aren't finished yet. Please go back and wait a few more days. We will definitely deliver them as soon as possible."
Tian Tian raised her eyebrows slightly. That's it?
"Alright, then please have Ruyi Embroidery Workshop... compensate us with the silver according to the rules."
The shopkeeper forced a smile. "Miss, when we deliver the goods to your residence, we will naturally bring the compensation money with us."
Tian Tian waved her hand casually, "Money is no big deal."
"However, I'm really curious, why... why did Ruyi Embroidery Workshop fail to make the clothes for my residence?"
Those around looked at the shopkeeper curiously, "Yes, why did they forget about the clothes from her household?"
"When has Ruyi Embroidery Workshop ever made such a mistake?"
"Which embroiderer forgot? Then let that embroiderer come out and apologize to them."
"That's right, we should just fire this unpunctual embroiderer."
The shopkeeper forced a smile.
There's no way any embroiderer would forget...
It's clearly... an order from above, deliberately not making clothes for the Princess Fufeng's residence...
Even the things he just said were just to appease the girl in front of him.
The person at Ruyi Embroidery Workshop was certain that the new princess wouldn't dare to make a big fuss.
From the moment we left until now, this girl has never mentioned that she is from the Fufeng Princess's residence. It seems... the person above was right.
Princess Fufeng certainly wouldn't dare to make a big fuss about it.
"Young lady, which household do you belong to?"
Finally, someone remembered to ask this question.
The shopkeeper hurriedly interrupted, "Oh dear, everyone, stop asking questions, let's all disperse, let's disperse."
Tian Tian slowly stood up. "I am from the Fufeng Princess's Mansion."
"The residence of Princess Fufeng..."
"The newly arrived princess of the capital?"
"Could it be..."
People in the capital are all shrewd, and soon some of them figured out some of the problems involved.
"Forget it, this has nothing to do with us, let's go."
"Wait a minute, this little girl looks so familiar."
"She...is she Princess Fufeng?"
"It really is her. I saw her at the entrance of that tea shop. It really is her."
"Princess, greetings to the Princess."
The onlookers bowed and greeted the princess.
Tian Tian raised her hand, "No need for formalities."
She looked at the astonished shopkeeper, flicked the receipt in her hand, and said, "Starting tomorrow, I will send someone here every day. I want to see how long the owner behind Ruyi Embroidery Workshop intends to bully my Fufeng Princess's Mansion!"
After saying that, she turned around with neither arrogance nor servility, and leisurely walked out of Ruyi Embroidery Workshop.
Leaving everyone behind...
The shopkeeper quickly turned around and went upstairs.
"Madam, what did Princess Fufeng say..."
"Really?! She really said that?!"
"Yes, madam, what should we do then? Should we make the clothes or not?"
"We'll do it! Of course we'll do it. Do you really want others to say that our Ruyi Embroidery Workshop is bullying Princess Fufeng, who is a new princess?"
After saying that, the lady gritted her teeth and said, "A newly arrived princess, who gave her the audacity?"