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  Chapter 35

  The two wives faces showed a look of astonishment, and then it was an uncontrollable burst of wild joy.

  The gigantic screen embroidered by Madame Jin is a rare treasure that cant be bought with money. If she could really get it from Ming Huan for only 40,000 taels of silver, it would be an enormous bargain. Lets not mention how envious others would be if Ming He added this treasure to his ten-li red dowry, or how majestic it would look in the council hall of the Qingping Dukes mansion. Even if she resold it, she could easily make a profit of 20,000 to 30,000 taels.

  Only a few of Madame Jins embroidery works have survived, and most of them are collected in the homes of princes and nobles. Unless the family has fallen on hard times, it is unlikely that anyone will let go of these embroidered pieces. The noblewomen in Shengjing City are all sharp-eyed and quick-witted, so if someone wants to sell an embroidery piece, they will inevitably be snatched up quickly. Last time, that embroidered handkerchief with the phoenix and peony design, if she hadnt received the news in time, its not certain whether she could have outbid the wife of Yongcheng Hou.

  But where did Ke Ming Xuan get that screen with magpies perched on branches?

  The second lady suddenly had a few doubts in her mind, and she asked tentatively, "Does Xiang still have such good things? Ive never heard of it being part of Mothers dowry."

  It is doubting the authenticity of the screen, and also inquiring about its origin.

  Ming Xuans eyes flashed with a hint of understanding, but she pretended not to grasp the implication of Second Madams words. She turned her head and said to Xue Su, "Go call two servant women to follow us to the warehouse, and bring out that screen we looked at last time for Second Madam to take a look. Be gentle with it, dont break anything, you hear? That thing is worth 40,000 taels of silver."

  Xue Su hastily left and soon returned with a woman carrying a screen, carefully placing it in front of the hall.

  The screen frame is made of high-quality purple sandalwood, carved with the pattern of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea. The carving is exquisite, and the figures are vividly lifelike. At first glance, its clear that this is no ordinary piece. In the center is an embroidered panel in the shape of a magpie perched on a branch, made from top-grade silk threads. The brown branches and bright red plum blossoms are rendered with just a few strokes, yet they capture the proud spirit of the plum tree perfectly. The magpies are embroidered with yellow, green, amber, and dark blue silk threads, perched on the branches, facing the wind, and smiling charmingly, as if they were real. Its simply enchanting!

  The two ladies were knowledgeable and experienced, and at a glance they knew that this was indeed the work of Madame Jinzhen.

  She burst out laughing, her face radiant with joy, and exclaimed, "Sister Xuan, Second Aunt is not the kind of person who takes advantage of younger people. This screen is worth at least 40,000 taels, but I think its a bit underpriced. The embroidery by Madame Jinzhen is priceless, let alone the purple sandalwood frame which is worth several thousand taels itself. How about this? Ill give you 50,000 taels of silver and take over this screen?"

  Ming Xuans heart was slightly surprised, and Second Aunt had always been at odds with Eldest Aunt over trifles. She didnt expect her to be so generous this time. Her eyes narrowed slightly, "To be honest with you, Second Aunt, this screen actually dates back to the year the Han family broke off the engagement. The betrothal gift list only mentioned one Joyful Magpie Perched on a Branch screen, but just the other day when my niece was tidying up the warehouse, she discovered that it was actually a genuine work by Jin Zhens wife."

  She sighed softly, "You know, the things left by the Han family are many, but they are all hot potatoes. My niece cant take these to the Yan family, nor can she openly sell them, so its quite difficult. This time, Sixth Sister still needs a screen, and I happen to have one, so I thought... how much silver money we can exchange is secondary, just one thing, if others ask where this screen came from, Second Aunt must not reveal my niece."

  All of these are true.

  Ming Xuan didnt want to leave the sixty-eight sedan chairs of betrothal gifts left by Han Xiuxiu in the Hou Mansion, so as not to benefit others for nothing. Originally, she wanted to find a way to secretly sell those recorded items in Shengjing, but the powerful display of Han Xiuxiu at the Qingliang Temple that day still made her feel shocked and uneasy. Before the wedding ceremony was completed, she didnt dare make a big noise, lest she provoke him and he wouldnt even give her a chance. However, those things were the betrothal gifts from her former fiancé, and although the amount of money was large, it was still a taboo for the Yan family. If she didnt exchange them for silver, it would be inappropriate to bring them to the Yan family.

  If Second Aunt is willing to accept it, then it would be a different story.

  Ming Xuan saw that the two madams had a few more wrinkles of doubt between their eyebrows, knowing that they were afraid of Han Xis power and feared that it would bring unnecessary trouble. So she smiled and said, "As the second aunt said, if this thing is taken outside to sell, even if its priced at 60,000 taels of silver, there will still be people who will buy it. But our Hou Mansion is now in its heyday of prosperity and wealth, my niece has her grandmothers and aunts to support her, why would we need to sell things to make a living? If people find out, wouldnt they laugh at me for not knowing whats good for me?"

  She sighed softly, "But this will make the younger generation really short of money... If the second aunt doesnt want it, then theyll have to go bother the old princess and their uncles mother."

  The two madams minds were racing, and the golden needlework screen was a rare find. Minghes dowry just happened to be missing a screen, and the price of 40,000 taels was really too enticing. If she didnt take advantage of it, wouldnt she be giving a bargain to East Peace Old Lady and Auxiliary Country Princess? The Han family regretted the marriage, leaving behind the betrothal gifts was only right. Since it was Xiangs sisters belongings, it was up to her to decide what to do with them. No one could find fault with that, so what was she afraid of?

  She thought for a moment and then said hastily, "Why wouldnt I want it? Eldest Sister just happens to be short of that."

  Ming Xuans mouth curved into a delighted smile, "Let Second Aunt take the screen then, and we can have someone send over the silver note later."

  She paused slightly, her smile becoming even more enchanting, "I heard that Elder Sister Mei and the Third Young Master of the An Guo Gong House have made a match?"

  The second ladys face showed a few points of pride, and she said with some self-pride, "A few days ago, I asked the master of the Imperial Observatory to combine our eight characters, saying that it was a beautiful marriage, a match made in heaven, this life is destined to be husband and wife."

  Ming Xuan hurriedly congratulated her, but in his heart he thought that although Second Aunt was somewhat overbearing and had a reputation for being harsh outside, she was extremely good to her own children.

  Second Brother Yuan Tong married the eldest daughter of the Minister of Rites, Zhang Shi. The wife of Third Brother Yuan Jin, Fang Shi, was the niece of the Princess of Yingguo. Sixth Sister Ming He would later become a princess consort, and now she had also arranged a good marriage for Xiaojie. Except for Fifth Miss Mingfang who died young, there were no other children born out of wedlock in the second household. Once Xiaojie got married, Second Aunt would have successfully settled all her childrens marriages, unlike the first household which still had many troubles to worry about. These were indeed things she could be proud of.

  A glimmer of envy flashed in her eyes, and she secretly sighed. If Lu were still around, wouldnt her marriage have been less difficult? Although she wasnt the original Ming Xuan, no matter what, having someone who genuinely cared for her would mean she wouldnt be struggling as much as she was now, with every step requiring careful consideration.

  Fortunately, it wont be long before I can live a life better than I imagined. Once I marry into the Yan family, I wont have to work so hard anymore.

  Ming Xuan thought for a moment, then took the opportunity to say, "My niece has some rare and famous paintings and calligraphy here. I heard that Duke An Guo loves elegance and refinement, especially fond of collecting these things. If Second Aunt needs them when preparing the dowry for Xiaojie, just come to my place to take them."

  The most difficult screen in the warehouse has been given to Auntie Er, gold and jewelry can be divided and sold separately, but the silk and satin are easy to dispose of. However, there are still some paintings in the box marked with "Geng" that have notes on the gift list, keeping them is a hassle. Although the Yan family is also a scholarly family, even if Yan Qinghuan likes these things, he wont be overjoyed to accept things from the Han family.

  The second lady indeed had some movement in her heart.

  As soon as she left, Ming Xuan couldnt help but burst out laughing. "I knew Second Aunt was so wealthy, I should have asked her to take all those hot potatoes off our hands earlier! Xue Su, were rich now! With four thousand taels of silver, if we manage it well, our future livelihood wont be a worry!"

  Xue Su smiled and looked at her, "Look what Miss said, your dowrys land and house may not be comparable to Sixth Miss, but its also not a small amount. The Yan family is simple in nature, and the relationships they have with others are not particularly thick. Just relying on those dowries of yours, wouldnt you still be able to get by? Wheres the need for you to worry about your future livelihood?"

  She paused for a moment and then said, "If I had known that there would be such wealth today, I wouldnt have to trouble He Gui to take the risk of running this errand."

  He made a good profit from the sale of the pearls, gems and gold, which he exchanged for silver, and gradually returned the 10,000 taels of silver to the money shop. Although he earned a profit of 1,000 taels of silver, he was still punished with 20 severe slaps on the buttocks for delaying his duties as the purchasing agent, and has been resting in bed for several days.

  Ming Xuan shook her head, "If it werent for letting He Gui run this errand, how would I have known he was such a capable person? Now that we have the capital, its just right to find someone who can handle things for us."

  She hesitated for a moment and asked Xue Su and Dan Hong, "Shall I invite Gu to come over, is that okay?"

  Dan Hong was naturally pleased, "My elder brother originally worked as a servant in the third house, and its even better for him to come back and serve Miss. His family is gone, my parents often ask someone from the south to bring me messages, asking me to think of ways to take care of him."

  She suddenly hesitated, "But he is a man from another department, Im afraid its impossible to transfer him over?"

  Miss Qi is getting married and can choose a few maids to follow her, but He Gui will be alone...

  Ming Xuan smiled and said, "Ill go to the warehouse later to pick out a few bottles of effective ointment to take to visit my brother-in-law. Please ask him for me if he wants to continue following me? If he does, then ask him if he is willing to choose a concubine from among the maids in the Shu Yu Pavilion? If he is willing and there is someone who suits his hearts desire, come tell me; if not, I will take charge of carefully choosing a good one for him."

  If He Gui married a maid from the Shu Yu Pavilion, she could openly and properly take him as her concubine to her husbands household.

  Dan Hong listened and stared at Xue Su straight away, "Theres no need to ask, I know that Brother has someone in his heart already."

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