Chapter 636 the Empress Dowager’s Imperial Decree
When the palace maid came in, she bowed to Shao Wanru and then looked up. After clearly seeing the young lady sitting in the seat above, she was so shocked that she couldn’t even say a word.
The First Miss Shao was known as a remarkable beauty in the capital city. The palace maid, who worked in the Empress Dowager’s palace, had seen the First Miss Shao before and thought the First Miss Shao gorgeous indeed.
She didn’t expect that there was someone more gorgeous than the First Miss Shao. Despite Shao Wanru’s plain black clothes, she looked even more ravishing than those well-dressed Misses from aristocratic families.
Such simple black clothes made her look like a heavenly fairy with a delicate little face coming out of a painting.
“Do you come here for measurement?” Shao Wanru looked at the palace maid and said with a smile.
“Are… are you the Fifth Miss Shao?” The palace maid hurriedly said with a smile, hid the shock in her eyes, and looked increasingly respectful. There were all kinds of beauties in the imperial harem, but none of them amazed her as much as the Fifth Miss Shao in front.
“Yes, do you come here for measurement?” Shao Wanru stood up and said.
“Yes, I’m sent by the Empress Dowager. She knows that you have been living in the nunnery and now in the temple, so you must have no suitable clothes for the coming consort selection. Fifth Miss Shao, you are on the list. The Empress Dowager issued an imperial decree which instructs us to make a few sets of clothes for you in case you have no suitable clothes for entering the palace!”
The palace maid introduced with a smile and called two palace maids coming for measurement over, and they came forward to measure Shao Wanru’s size.
After that, she instructed other palace maids to put a few pieces of cloth on the table for Shao Wanru to choose from.
“Rui’an Great Elder Princess intended to send another few pieces of cloth here. But the Empress Dowager said that she could send a few more pieces of cloth in the name of Rui’an Great Elder Princess and her so that Rui’an Great Elder Princess didn’t have to send another few pieces of cloth!” The palace maid, who was obviously very clever, said tactfully while explaining why Rui’an Great Elder Princess didn’t send anything.
Something like making clothes was supposed to be a matter within Rui’an Great Elder Princess’s duties. But since the Empress Dowager had issued such an imperial decree, it was feasible for her to do the job for Rui’an Great Elder Princess.
Rui’an Great Elder Princess had always been respected in front of the Empress Dowager. Although the Empress Dowager seemed to have done Shao Wanru too big a favor this time, since the Empress Dowager had always been nice to Rui’an Great Elder Princess, it was reasonable for the Empress Dowager to do her granddaughter a favor.
The palace maids brought plenty of cloth. After expressing her gratitude, Shao Wanru came over to pick four pieces of cloth and repeatedly told the palace maid that four sets of clothes were enough for her.
The palace maid looked at her with approval, did not insist that she should pick more, and just instructed other palace maids to pack up the rest of the cloth with a smile.
In fact, the young ladies couldn’t bring too many clothes when entering the imperial palace for the consort selection, and four sets of clothes were appropriate. Of course, with the Empress Dowager imperial decree, one could bring a few more sets of clothes.
The Fifth Miss Shao, who was young and exceedingly beautiful, was so steady that she didn’t become haughty because of the Empress Dowager’s kindness and picked four sets of clothes according to the rules, which really made the palace maid think highly of her.
After Shao Wanru picked the cloth, the palace maid presented her with a set of gorgeous jewelry given by the Empress Dowager. After finishing her task, the palace maid left with a smile.
“Miss, I… seem to have seen this set of jewelry somewhere!” Yujie looked at the set of jewelry and said in confusion.
In the open exquisite jewelry box on the table, there was the set of jewelry given by the Empress Dowager. It was indeed very beautiful and obviously extraordinary.
“Where have you seen them?” Shao Wanru asked curiously because the items in the imperial palace were customized and were not available to everyone.
Yujie, who had lived in the Yuhui Nunnery with her for such a long time, was not supposed to have met many people.
“Let me see!” Yujie closed her eyes and began to recall those whom she had met. However, after thinking for a while, she thought of nothing and could only shake her head helplessly and said, “Miss, I can’t think of the person, but I think I have seen them!”
“Have you seen the same jewelry or similar jewelry?” Shao Wanru reminded her. She reached out to pick up a hairpin, walked up to the dressing table, and inserted it in her bun in front of the mirror.
The half comb and a few strings of beads hanging on the hairpin made her look more delicate than a flower.
“Miss, I think of the person. It’s… it’s the First Miss!” Dazzled by the string of beads, Yujie became clear-minded and said, “Miss, do you still remember when the First Miss came to the Yuhui Nunnery and met you for the first time? At that time, she wore such a hairpin!”
It was an exquisite hairpin, and one could tell that it was customized in the imperial palace at a glance!
“Duke Xing’s Mansion has always been in favor with the Emperor, so it’s reasonable for them to get it from the imperial palace. It’s not a big deal!” Hearing Yujie’s words, Qu Le, who came in to serve tea, said in disapproval.
“But… but the two hairpins are the same…” Yujie hesitated and said anxiously.
Many of the jewelry in the imperial palace were customized indeed. However, this was the reason why the jewelry was more or less different and there would not be two hairpins that were exactly the same. No matter the jewelry was given to someone as a reward or kept for wearing, it would be indecent in the imperial palace to have the same jewelry as others.
“They are exactly the same?” Shao Wanru asked with interest and reached out to pull the hairpin out of her hair. Unlike the simple hairpins outside, it was a more gorgeous hairpin with a half fan and beads, which were as big as rice grains but round, hanging on its end.
On the gold thread, the bright white pearls swayed from time to time. If it was inserted in her hair, it would make her dark hair and pretty face look even more delicate.
It was a very beautiful hairpin, which could be favored by plenty of girls because of its unique look. Nevertheless, it would not be unique, and there should be some similar ones. Although they could not be exactly the same, the goldsmiths would be glad to make a few similar ones to please the masters in the imperial palace.
“Uh… I can’t remember. Maybe… maybe they are not the same!” Yujie was baffled and said with a frown after thinking for a while. She couldn’t remember if they were exactly the same. At that time, because the First Miss’s hairpin was beautiful and different from ordinary hairpins, she took a few more glances at it.
After the First Miss began her long stay in the Yuhui Nunnery, she had never seen the First Miss wear such a hairpin. So her memory was a little blurred now! She could only vaguely remember that it was a fancy hairpin different from other ordinary hairpins.
“Miss, the First Miss’s hairpin is probably also given by the Empress Dowager!” Qu Le guessed.
Shao Wanru said with a slight smile, “Put away the jewelry for the time being!”
Since this set of jewelry was given by the Empress Dowager for the consort selection, she would wear them in the consort selection. Nevertheless, it was very surprising that the Empress Dowager sent some palace maids to make clothes for her and bring her jewelry.
Wouldn’t the clothes and jewelry given by the Empress Dowager at this time make others think too much? She, who had always been low keyed, would attract much attention because of this.
Was it a good thing or a bad thing? But in any case, since it brought her to the spotlight, she would not let go of such an opportunity.
Sometimes a good thing could turn into a bad one, while a bad thing could turn into a good one!
“Yujie, take the jewelry to Duke Xing’s Mansion later and put them in my courtyard in Duke Xing’s Mansion. Tell them that it is inappropriate to keep such gorgeous jewelry in the Huaguang Temple on the mountain!”
After a set of gorgeous clothes was discovered in the silence room, it was reasonable to put this set of jewelry in Duke Xing’s Mansion. She should act like a practitioner during the cultivation and not wear bright-colored clothes and gorgeous jewelry.
When the old maid from Duke Xing’s Mansion came to invite Shao Wanru down the mountain, she had said that the courtyard had been prepared. At that time, Rui’an Great Elder Princess had sent Nanny Yu, Shao Wanru’s personal old maid, there and several maids to help her deal with the affairs in the courtyard for the time being.
Shao Wanru could live there directly after going down the mountain. The courtyard had been fully prepared with the stuff sent by Rui’an Great Elder Princess and arranged by Duke Xing’s Mansion.
“Send the jewelry to Madam of Duke Xing for her to have a look, and then ask Nanny Yu to put them away!” Shao Wanru said in detail with a trace of deepness across her watery eyes.
No matter where Shao Yanru got the set of similar jewelry, she would definitely be anxious at the sight of this set of jewelry. Shao Yanru, who was also a Miss of Duke Xing’s Mansion, got nothing from the Empress Dowager while she did. Not only Shao Yanru but Madam of Duke Xing would be anxious!
The dispute between Shao Yanru and Qin Yuru had not been settled yet. It could be seen that Duke Xing’s Mansion didn’t gain the upper hand…
“Mother, why haven’t you solved the matter yet? It’s just a humble Duke Yong’s Mansion. Why does it take so long to settle the matter?” Shao Yanru said impatiently in a rage with a pale face.
“Qin Yuru is pregnant, so Countess Yong refused to let her go. She said that she would handle it after Qin Yuru’s delivery!” Madam of Duke Xing said with her face darkening and struck the table in rage, not as dignified and decent as she had always been in front of others. Speaking of this matter, Madam of Duke Xing was also furious.
Recently, she had been secretly negotiating with Countess Yong. As long as Duke Yong’s Mansion could make Qin Yuru take the blame, Duke Xing’s Mansion could give Duke Yong’s Mansion some great benefits.
Countess Yong put it off at the beginning and said that she would talk it over after returning. However, Countess Yong put it off again and again, and now she said that Qin Yuru was pregnant and it was impossible for her to hurt her grandchild, so she politely refused Madam of Duke Xing.
“Mother, it’s just a humble Duke Yong’s Mansion. Couldn’t we deal with Duke Yong’s Mansion with our power? If they don’t want to make Qin Yuru take the blame, we can suppress the entire Duke Yong’s Mansion. Isn’t Duke Yong my father’s subordinate?”
With her pretty face becoming gloomy, Shao Yanru suppressed the annoyance in her heart and said coldly, “Mother, Shao Wanru got the jewelry from the Empress Dowager, while I didn’t. It can be seen that the Empress Dowager is displeased with me. In this case, even if I have a chance in the future, I probably won’t get what I want, which will influence the entire Duke Xing’s Mansion!”