Chapter 1138 - 1140: Xihutong_1
During a lull, Bai Ruozhu inquired about the price of the diamond necklace, to which Jiang Yichun replied, "Eight hundred silver, including this Western brocade box."
Bai Ruozhu was startled, "You’re not deceiving me, are you? How could it be so little?"
Jiang Yichun showed a smug smile, a look that seemed to say, "Come on, praise me!"
"I heard that a Western merchant team had just arrived in Danliang Country when they were robbed by a swarm of bandits, and this diamond necklace was among the goods. However, we in Zhongyuan don’t fancy this kind of transparency, and no one knew what it was, so it ended up in my hands after several turns."
Her eyes sparkling, Bai Ruozhu listened and asked, "Do they have any other good stuff they don’t recognize?"
Amused by her demeanor, Jiang Yichun teased her by lightly flicking her nose and said, "Most of it has been scattered around the Capital by now, but if you like these Western trinkets, I’ll take you to a big market close to the Western Regions to hunt for bargains later."
"Sure!" Bai Ruozhu nodded eagerly, perhaps there she would find what she needed for daily use, or maybe there would be a great business opportunity.
"If you’re bored these days, have Chenfeng take you for a stroll in Xiwahu Alley too, but they’re known for overcharging there—don’t get cheated," Jiang Yichun said as he tousled her hair, as if speaking to a child.
Annnoyed, Bai Ruozhu swatted his hand away, "It’s already good enough if I don’t overcharge others, how could I let others overcharge me?"
Thinking about it, many of her own products were overpriced, the most outrageous being the Pure White Xuan Jade Cream, heh heh, practically zero cost.
Little Dengdeng was now much more understanding, hearing that his father was going to travel far again, he clung to Jiang Yichun’s neck all night, not letting go. The next day, as they were leaving, Jiang Yichun’s eyes reddened, and he was unusually reluctant to part. Bai Ruozhu coaxed Little Dengdeng, wondering when she might be able to live a quiet life.
Before Jiang Yichun and his group departed, Bai Ruozhu secretly cured Jiao Bingqin of her poison. When Jiao Bingqin left the Main Gate of the Bai Family, she was still confused. Coming to her senses, she suddenly couldn’t recall what she had done recently. She felt very puzzled, but seeing that she had already set off with Jiang Yichun, she dared not raise further questions.
Because Jiang Yichun had left on a secret imperial mission, Bai Ruozhu could not see him off, so after dawn, feeling gloomy, she took Dengdeng out for a stroll in the City, even hoping that Jiang Yichun might have been delayed for some reason and she could catch a glimpse of him at the City Gate.
Once out and about, Dengdeng forgot his worries, tossing the thought of his traveling father to the back of his mind.
While the mother and son were wandering the streets, a large procession of horsemen appeared at the other end, a magnificent team marching towards them.
Bai Ruozhu was alarmed, she hadn’t heard of any generals returning from campaign recently. Whose grand display was this?
She took Dengdeng to the side of the road, while Jianqi, Muyu, and others formed a protective circle around them.
"Isn’t that the Virtuous King? Is he returning from the Imperial Mausoleum?" a nearby elder said to his student. Then, he counted on his fingers and remarked, "The Virtuous King has been with the Former Emperor at the Imperial Mausoleum for six years already. No wonder he’s back now."
"How do you recognize the Virtuous King, sir? Could it be that you served him?" the young scholar asked, his eyes shining as though he’d found some sort of opportunity.
The elder struck the young scholar on the head forcefully and said, "Six years ago, the Virtuous King went to guard the Imperial Mausoleum. From afar, I saw him. The Virtuous King is the Former Emperor’s brother from the same mother and has the most upright character. It was he who volunteered to guard the mausoleum."
"During the succession crisis, as the Emperor’s closest uncle, shouldn’t the Virtuous King have stayed by His Majesty’s side to assist him?" the young scholar asked, puzzled.
The elder’s beard quivered as he raised his hand and struck the student’s head again, "Don’t talk recklessly about these matters outside, think more and say less of what should not be said."
The young student rubbed the spot on his head that had been struck, reluctantly uttering an "Oh" in response.
Bai Ruozhu, listening on the side, couldn’t help but chuckle. That young man was still too naïve. The Virtuous King and the Former Emperor were brothers by the same mother and he was in his prime. He was also the legitimate son of the Great Empress Dowager. With the court in such turmoil at the time, it was impossible that no one had pushed him to claim that throne. If the Virtuous King truly had no interest in the emperor’s seat, it was better to avoid the governing whirlpool and also keep from creating a rift with the Emperor, preserving their uncle-nephew relationship.
By this time, the Virtuous King’s procession had approached. Many people in the crowd recognized the Virtuous King, and they paid their respects one after another, some even loudly proclaimed the Virtuous King’s loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and virtue as a blessing for the people.
As they drew closer, Bai Ruozhu could see the Virtuous King clearly. He appeared to be just over forty, with a pale complexion and a bit of a beard, carrying a sense of refined and handsome maturity. Yet, the extreme sternness of those jet-black eyes left no doubt that he was an exceptionally strict man.
After the procession had passed, Bai Ruozhu had Chen Feng lead the way, and they went to the Xiwai Hutong that Jiang Yichun had mentioned.
Originally, Bai Ruozhu had imagined it to be like the Panjiayuan in old Beijing of the past life, but upon arriving realized it was completely different; this place was filled with Foreign Traders doing business.
Danliang Country was much like the historical Tang Dynasty, advocating for trade with other nations. Foreign merchants would bring goods to Danliang Country to earn silver, then purchase goods scarce or unavailable in their own countries to make a profit on their return. Such business was highly profitable because of the principle of scarcity driving up value, but also because of the hard and dangerous journey through mountains and rivers and the risk of encountering bandits and robbers.
Thus, the Foreign Traders who were able to do business in Xiwai Hutong were no ordinary people; they were either backed by tremendous power or were exceedingly cunning.
Listening to Chen Feng’s explanations, Bai Ruozhu quickly became familiar with the workings of Xiwai Hutong. Seeing her quick grasp, Chen Feng admired her immensely, as he himself had spent a long time figuring out how these people made their fortunes.
Walking into the hutong, one would find very few small stalls; mostly, there were large Shops. Bai Ruozhu visited a few and found one that specialized in selling exotic flowers and plants, and also some seeds that weren’t available in Danliang Country, both floral and medicinal. Bai Ruozhu found several medicinal materials unavailable in Danliang and, after bargaining, made her purchase.
Following up was a shop selling Western Region clothing and Jewelry. Bai Ruozhu was immediately drawn to the colorful attire, but it was totally inconsistent with Danliang Country’s norms. Such clothes were typically worn by the Brothel’s singers, or privately by the concubines of wealthy families to entertain their masters, as they were considered far too revealing by Zhongyuan standards.
Bai Ruozhu felt a great pity but dared not challenge the conservative views of the time; she had no wish to buy a set and be nagged by her parents.
However, there was no issue with the Jewelry. After looking around, a sapphire brooch caught her attention.
"Shopkeeper, I would like to take a look at that one," Bai Ruozhu pointed to the brooch, uncertain if it was called the same at this time.
The shopkeeper glanced at Bai Ruozhu and enthusiastically replied, "Alright!"
As the shopkeeper took down the brooch from the cabinet, a tall man came out from the inner room and asked Bai Ruozhu, "Madam, do you know how to wear it?"