Chapter 180 Minglan’s Way of Survival
Facing Zhao Xing’s gaze, both of them lowered their heads slightly, not daring to look at him.
However, the two have different personalities and behave differently.
Minglan kept her head down, while Ru Lan secretly looked at Zhao Xing. When she saw Zhao Xing looking at her with a smile, she quickly lowered her head.
"Your Highness, the tea is ready." Yu Yanran handed the prepared tea to Zhao Xing.
Zhao Xing took a few sips, put down the tea cup and said: "I still have official business to deal with, so I won't disturb you."
It's okay that he is here. Yu Yanran and Sheng Shulan are married after all. In fact, Rulan and Minglan are different.
Even though they knew that they would enter the palace to serve Zhao Xing in less than a year, their nervousness and shyness made them very cautious.
This is formed by ancient customs and rules, and Zhao Xing cannot change it.
As long as he is here, Rulan Minglan and the others will be nervous.
After the women sent Zhao Xing away, they returned to the ship.
Yu Yanran ordered the eunuch at the helm to drive the boat, looked at Ru Lan and said with a smile: "Didn't sister Ru Lan just keep asking about the prince? Why did the prince come down and stop talking?"
"Sister Yanran." Ru Lan said with some trepidation, "I became extremely nervous when I saw His Highness."
"Sister Yanran, please stop teasing the fifth sister." Minglan smiled. Help Ru Lan out of trouble.
"Minglan, didn't you make two pairs of shoes for His Highness? Why didn't you tell His Highness just now?" Yu Yanran complained.
At first, she asked Minglan to make shoes for Zhao Xing, but she lied to Minglan and said that she made them for her.
Zhao Xing did not hide anything. Seeing that Zhao Xing liked the shoes made by Minglan, she told Zhao Xing that Minglan would make all the shoes in the future.
The shoes made by Minglan are very comfortable to wear, so Zhao Xing naturally has no reason to refuse.
Yu Yanran sent her maid to the Sheng family to tell Minglan the good news.
Minglan knew that Yu Yanran was helping her, and she was very grateful.
Because of Zhao Xing's martial arts training and his growing body, the size of his feet often changes.
A few days ago, she measured Zhao Xing's feet, sent someone to give the measurements to Minglan, and asked Minglan to make shoes for Zhao Xing.
No one was asked to pick them up during this period. Today, Minglan came over and brought the shoes to Yu Yanran.
Yu Yanran secretly told her that if His Highness the Crown Prince came over, she should take the initiative to ask Zhao Xing if the shoes were comfortable and if there was anything that needed to be changed, and then tell her that she had made two pairs for Zhao Xing. The shoe thing.
Yu Yanran also had good intentions and wanted Minglan to show off in front of Zhao Xing, but who knew that Minglan didn't speak at all.
"Sister Yanran, I am just the dowry of the fifth sister. I have no right to speak in front of His Highness." Minglan shook her head.
Of course she knew Yu Yanran's purpose, but she couldn't do it.
She has a very clear understanding of her identity, that is, a dowry concubine.
So she is very simple in dressing up, just to be her own green leaf and not to steal the limelight from Ru Lan.
When Zhao Xing didn't speak, she took the initiative to speak. With Ru Lan's temperament, she wouldn't think too much.
But about what happened in the East Palace today, Mrs. Wang will definitely ask about it in detail from Ru Lan when she returns.
When Mrs. Wang finds out, she will feel that she is stealing the limelight.
If a wealthy family marries a daughter and feels that the family situation is complicated and difficult for the girl to handle, they will marry a clan girl or a concubine.
The purpose is to help the legitimate daughter gain a better foothold in her husband's family.
The purpose of her dowry was to help Rulan, so it was naturally impossible for her to steal Minglan's limelight.
This does not mean that Lan is willing to be a green leaf entrusted to help Ru Lan, but before leaving the Sheng family, she must have the consciousness to be a green leaf.
This is also the survival rule she has discovered over the years.
…………
Zhao Xing didn’t know this. After leaving the garden, he returned to the study to do some cleaning.
At noon, Yu Yanran invited someone to come and have dinner with him, but Zhao Xing didn't go either.
In the afternoon, Sheng Wei came to see him and brought him two pieces of good news.
Zhao Xing held a mirror in his hand and looked at himself. He found that the difference between it and the glass mirrors of later generations was very small, and the image in the mirror was very clear.
In terms of cost and artistry alone, glass mirrors are far behind bronze mirrors.
However, even if a bronze mirror is of the highest quality, there is a slight gap in clarity compared to a glass mirror.
Please note that the workmanship mentioned here is of the highest quality.
There are very few people who can make bronze mirrors with such clarity. They are rare even in bronze mirror palaces of this level.
The clarity of the bronze mirrors used by lords and noble ladies is even worse, and even looks a little blurry.
"It's done well. Can it be mass-produced?" Zhao Xing asked.
“Back to Your Highness, making this mirror is dangerous and not easy.” Sheng Wei said.
"It doesn't matter, things are rare and expensive, just sell them at a higher price." Zhao Xing said without caring.
"By the way, you just said that the cement has been burnt out?" Zhao Xing asked.
"That's right. I have already had it tested. However, there is still a big gap between it and His Highness's statement that it will be as hard as a rock after drying. I have asked the craftsmen to adjust the proportion. I believe it It won't be long before it's fully produced," Sheng Wei said.
"Well, those craftsmen should be rewarded. You plan the rewards and report them to me." Zhao Xing said.
“Yes!” Sheng Wei responded.
"Hurry up and stock up on mirrors and new glass products. It's time for the glass pavilion to open." Zhao Xing said.
He didn't come up with the name Glass, after all, Glass didn't sound as nice as Liuli.
Liu Li Pavilion is a shop opened by Zhao Xingrang Sheng Wei that specializes in selling glass products.
Before, Zhao Xing felt that there was a more shocking product, so he never let it open.
Now that the mirror is made, it is ready for business.
“Yes!” Sheng Wei responded.
Zhao Xing asked again about the sales of glass products during this period. Sheng Wei told Zhao Xing in detail.
Since glass was developed, it was not sold in the Song Dynasty.
Instead, it was sold to Li Ge of Liao Kingdom and some overseas businessmen.
When it was first developed, the process was not very mature and the output was limited.
Song Dynasty’s money cannot escape. In this case, it must first make money from other countries.
During this period, I made hundreds of thousands of taels of silver from glass alone.
This is also the reason for production restrictions.
The most difficult thing is to break through anything from zero to one. After the glass is fired, the technology has improved a lot in the past few months, and the output has also increased a lot.
Shengwei has added several more furnaces, and the output will increase greatly in the future.
After he understood almost everything, Zhao Xing asked Sheng Wei to go back.
"Sanshui." Zhao Xing pointed to the wooden box containing the mirror on the table and said: "Find a few carpenters to make wooden frames and brackets for these mirrors. They should be like bronze mirrors that can be placed on the dressing table. On the stage. Let them make four quickly, "Zhao Xing ordered.
“Yes!” Sanshui stepped forward and carefully hugged the wooden box and retreated.
…………
“Your Highness, sister Rulan and Minglan are leaving, and I came here to say goodbye to Your Highness.”
After Yu Yanran made the announcement, she walked in with Ru Lan and Ming Lan.
"Your Highness, it's getting late, and I've come here to say goodbye!" Ru Lan and Ming Lan saluted.
"It is indeed getting late." Zhao Xing nodded and said, "I have prepared some gifts for you, please bring them with you."
"Thank you for the reward, Your Highness! "The two of them saluted and thanked them.
"Okay, you go, Yanran will see them off for the orphans." Zhao Xing said.
"Yes!"
Yu Yanran saluted and led the two of them out.
Arrived at the gate of the East Palace, Liu Sanshi was directing people to load things into a carriage.
They are some fabric jewelry and some snacks.
“I’ve seen Yu Gui and Sheng Gui and the two girls!” Liu Sanshi saw Yu Yanran and the girls coming out and hurriedly stepped forward to salute.
Now that Yu Yanran and Sheng Shulan have not been canonized, the servants in the East Palace are calling them nobles.
"Eunuch Liu, no need to be polite, thank you for your hard work." Yu Yanran waved her hand.
"This is what a slave should do." Liu Sanshi said: "By the way, His Highness has given instructions that the two girls can dispose of these things as they please. There is something for the two girls."< br>
After saying that, two eunuchs holding wooden boxes came forward.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Rulan and Minglan quickly took the wooden box.
They understood what Liu Sanshi meant. The fabrics, jewelry and snacks were given to them as gifts, but the things in the wooden box were for them.
"You two girls, His Highness said this thing is fragile, so be careful when using it." Liu Sanshi warned, then bowed and left.
Yu Yanran, Sheng Shulan and Rulan Minglan exchanged a few words and urged them to get on the carriage.
Watching the carriage go away, Yu Yanran said: "Sister Shulan, let's go back."
"Yes." Sheng Shulan nodded.
When the two returned to the backyard of the East Palace, they went back to their own yards separately.
When Yu Yanran returned to the yard, Xu’s mother greeted her.
“Girl, His Highness just sent someone to deliver a baby.” Xu’s mother said excitedly.
Whether Zhao Xing came to let Yu Yanran sleep with him or gave him some reward, it all represented Zhao Xing's love for Yu Yanran.
Mother Xu saw what was just delivered. It was definitely a rare treasure.
The most important thing is that she has never seen this thing before.
Of course I am happy for Yu Yanran.
“Baby?”
Yu Yanran was startled and walked into the house with doubts.
"Girl, this is it."
Mother Xu entered the room and walked to the dressing table, carefully picking up something with a wooden frame.
Due to the obstruction, Yu Yanran couldn't see clearly. Xu's mother brought it closer and said to Yu Yanran: "Girl, look at this mirror."
Yu Yanran looked at herself in the mirror He looked a little disbelieving and said: "This bronze mirror is so clear?"
"This is not a bronze mirror." Xu's mother smiled and said: "The old lady was shocked when she saw it. The father-in-law who came said that this is a glass mirror, but it is very easy to break, so you need to be careful. The old lady Liuli has also heard of it. This is the first time she has heard of the glass mirror. It must be a rare treasure. If His Highness can give it to the girl, it means that the girl is in His Highness's hands. It’s very important to my heart.”
Yu Yanran took the mirror carefully and smiled. Her smile in the mirror was as beautiful as a flower.
She thought of the wooden box Liu Sanshi gave them when Rulan Minglan left, and Liu Sanshi's instructions. She couldn't guess that the mirror in her hand was probably the same as the one in her hand.
This shows that the mirror is not a rare treasure.
Zhao Xing didn’t just give it to her.
They all have it, the future crown princess, the queen in the palace and Concubine Zhu must all have it.
But what does it matter?
Yu Yanran is easily satisfied, as long as she has it.
…………
“Your Highness specially sent us something, and we asked people to be careful, and we don’t know what it is.”
The carriage drove away for a distance, Ru Lan hurriedly opened the wooden box.
(End of this chapter)