It was almost time for dinner, and Duoduo still hadn't received the meeting gift from the Empress Dowager.
Duoduo was a little disappointed.
Seeing Duoduo's crestfallen look, Xiao Yi coughed lightly.
"Li Jin and the others have been out all day. Are they having so much fun they forgot to come back?"
An unconscious flash of envy appeared in Duoduo's eyes.
"I wonder how the teacher and the others did with finding a shop today?"
Xiao Yi's eyes flickered.
"They will definitely find one. In a capital city this large, it's impossible not to be able to rent even a single shop."
"However, if your shop only sells grilled fish, won't it be too monotonous?"
Duoduo nodded.
"I thought so too at first, but Aunt Xu said that everything can be grilled."
"When the time comes, there won't just be grilled fish, but also all kinds of grilled vegetables."
"Aunt Xu can also make a lot of fruit juices. Then, Lüdou can make some desserts to sell in the shop."
As Duoduo talked about her upcoming business plans, her eyes shone astonishingly bright.
Xiao Yi listened quietly, occasionally asking a question or two.
Yun Xiao knocked on the door and walked in.
"Your Highness, the momo from the Empress Dowager's side has arrived."
Xiao Yi and Duoduo exchanged a glance, and Duoduo instantly smiled, her eyes curving into crescents.
Great-grandmother's meeting gift was here!
This was wonderful!
The few of them went to the flower hall, where the Empress Dowager's momo was waiting.
The momo first bowed to Prince Pingyang.
"Her Grace the Empress Dowager had some free time and cleared out her storehouse, sorting out a lot of useless things."
"Her Grace said that it would be a waste to leave them there, so she asked this old servant to bring them for Princess Changle to play with."
"If Princess Changle likes them, she can keep them. If she doesn't, she can just throw them away."
Hearing this, disappointment flashed in Duoduo's eyes.
The momo had her attendants bring over a large chest and place it in the middle of the hall.
"This old servant still needs to go back to serve Her Grace, so I will not disturb Prince Pingyang any longer."
After speaking, the momo bowed to Prince Pingyang.
Prince Pingyang nodded expressionlessly.
"Thank you for your hard work, momo. Lingyu, see the momo out of the manor."
The momo and her attendants followed Lingyu out. Seeing Duoduo sitting in her chair looking disappointed, a hint of a smile appeared on Prince Pingyang's face.
"Weren't you waiting so anxiously just now? Why not open it and take a look?"
Duoduo looked at Xiao Yi.
"Father, that old momo just said it was stuff Great-grandmother didn't want."
"Since it's all unwanted stuff and not a bestowed reward, what is there to look at?"
At this moment, Su Xian hurried in from outside.
"Your Highness, Duoduo, I heard the Empress Dowager sent someone to deliver things?"
After she spoke, Su Xian saw the large chest in the middle of the flower hall.
She was startled.
"Such a huge chest, it's all from the Empress Dowager?"
Duoduo nodded.
"The momo said it's all stuff Great-grandmother didn't want."
Su Xian looked at Xiao Yi in surprise and saw the faint smile on his face.
Su Xian pursed her lips.
"Duoduo, you haven't even opened it to look. How do you know what it is?"
"Besides, whatever the Empress Dowager gives is a token of her affection. You should be grateful."
Duoduo blinked.
She stood up and bowed to Su Xian.
"I was thinking about it the wrong way. Mother is right!"
Duoduo bowed to Xiao Yi. "Father, your daughter was wrong."
Xiao Yi smiled and nodded.
"Father understands. However, I have taught you that in all matters, you shouldn't just listen to one-sided words. Seeing is believing!"
Duoduo was a little confused. Did Father mean that the things in the chest were not ordinary items?
Duoduo walked over. "Lüdou, grab that side. Let's open it together."
"Yes."
Lüdou replied and grabbed the lid of the chest.
The lid was very heavy, and the two of them worked together to open it.
Duoduo was dumbfounded!
Inside the chest, sitting on the very top, were various styles of fine silks and satins.
"Wow, Princess, these fabrics are even more gorgeous than the ones we saw at the Splendid Pavilion today!"
Lüdou exclaimed in awe.
Su Xian walked over and was also stunned for a moment.
"Your Highness, isn't this gift from the Empress Dowager a bit too heavy?"
Xiao Yi pushed his wheelchair forward.
"These fabrics were likely rewarded to Grandmother back when Imperial Grandfather was still alive."
"The colors of these fabrics are too bright, so they indeed aren't suitable for Grandmother."
Su Xian picked up a bolt of fabric in great surprise.
"This is Floating Light Brocade. I heard that it was offered as tribute from the Western Regions back then, and only the Empress Dowager and the Empress each received one bolt."
Su Xian suddenly shut her mouth. Covering up her slip of the tongue, she went to pick up the next bolt of fabric.
Soon, several bolts of gorgeous fabrics were taken out one after another. Every single one was a priceless material that money couldn't buy.
"Huh, there are boxes underneath here." Lüdou curiously took out a small box.
Duoduo took it and opened the box. A flash of golden light was revealed.
"So pretty!"
Inside the box was a complete set of gold filigree and kingfisher feather hair ornaments, incredibly magnificent.
"There are more underneath!"
Before everyone could finish marveling, Lüdou took out another box.
It was another complete set of hair ornaments, different in style from the last but equally priceless.
The chest was very large. Aside from the fabrics on top, underneath were various boxes.
Inside the boxes were all kinds of jewelry, as well as pearls of varying sizes and colors, each about the size of a thumb.
They were even larger than the pearls on Song Shuyu's shoes.
Finally, Lüdou took out a few small playthings.
Duoduo saw that even the nine-linked puzzle ring was made of solid gold.
She was so shocked that she didn't know what to say.
These things were invaluable, and she had actually turned her nose up at them just now?
Xiao Yi took the nine-linked puzzle ring.
"I used to play with this nine-linked puzzle ring when I was little."
Xiao Yi held it in his hands, fiddled with it a few times, and the puzzle was unlocked.
"Father, you're amazing!" Duoduo stared, dumbfounded.
Xiao Yi smiled and restored the puzzle ring to its original state.
"To think that Grandmother was actually willing to part with this and give it to you!"
Duoduo carefully took it over and examined the nine-linked puzzle.
"Father, is this nine-linked puzzle very precious?"
Xiao Yi lowered his eyes. After a while, he looked at Duoduo.
"I heard from the momo that this puzzle ring was prepared by Grandmother for her own child."
Su Xian was very curious.
"Doesn't the Empress Dowager not have any children of her own?"
Xiao Yi shook his head.
"Grandmother was highly favored back then. How could a favored consort not have her own child?"
Su Xian was stunned. She had always thought it was because the Empress Dowager was in poor health and couldn't bear children.
"After she became pregnant, she prepared many gifts for her child."
"Many of the things in this chest are what Grandmother prepared for her child back then."
Xiao Yi picked up a longevity lock from the chest.
"Grandmother's child passed away less than an hour after being born."
"Because of a difficult labor, Grandmother suffered a severe hemorrhage and could never bear children again."
Su Xian was greatly shocked.
She had never given birth, but she could imagine that the pain of watching one's own child die must make a person wish they were dead instead.
Duoduo stopped her hands from fiddling with the puzzle ring.
"Father, why did Grandmother give all these things to me?"
