Returning to Ming'an Hall, Yao Huang focused entirely on preparing to go out.
Bailing was in charge of doing her hair. Sitting before the dressing table, Yao Huang asked Qiuchan, who managed the accounts, to fetch twenty taels of silver for her, and then told Aji to get a set of fine cotton clothes from her dowry chests.
The Yao family had prepared a total of eighteen loads of dowry for their daughter. Among them, seasonal clothing and seasonal cotton quilts took up eight loads. Of the remaining ten loads, the more valuable items included a casket of jewelry, two ten-tael silver ingots, and a box of rouge and powder. The rest were inexpensive small items like shoes, socks, handkerchiefs, washbasins, footbaths, and feather dusters.
If Yao Huang's husband were an ordinary man, Yao Zhenhu and his wife would have ordered a set of commonly used hardwood furniture for their daughter, such as tables, chairs, and a dressing table, to make up a respectable twenty-four loads of dowry typical of a minor official's family. However, the furniture prepared for their daughter's room in the Prince's estate was undoubtedly made of fine wood. Even if the Yao family sent these large pieces, their daughter would have no place to put them. It was better to use the saved money to prepare the other items better.
Even so, the Yao family's financial resources were truly not abundant. Luo Jinhua only managed to put together four sets of silk clothes and two silk quilt covers for her daughter. The rest were all made of fine cotton, pressed at the bottom of the chests to add weight. If her daughter did not wear them after marriage, she could still reward them to the servants, along with the equally ordinary jewelry, rouge, shoes, socks, and washbasins.
On the day of the grand wedding, the Yao family's dowry was mixed in the long procession of the royal betrothal gifts, and the commoners probably did not even notice it.
Yao Huang did not mind at all that the dowry given by her parents was shabby. Weren't those fine cotton clothes and ordinary jewelry coming in handy today?
While Aji was still laying out clothes, shoes, and socks over by the trunks, the accountant Qiuchan returned first, holding a ten-tael silver ingot in each hand, each larger than a baby's fist.
In front of the Princess Consort, Qiuchan hesitantly stuffed the two silver ingots into a pouch.
Looking at this pouch, Yao Huang felt as if she were seeing two fat men shoved into one sack. At least a fat man's flesh could be squeezed a bit, but these two silver ingots rigidly stretched the pouch into the shape of ingots. If one actually hung this pouch on their body, which passing commoner wouldn't cast a few glances? The petty thieves would go crazy with joy.
Seeing the Princess Consort frown, Qiuchan felt panicked but helpless. The Princess Consort had a total of four hundred and fifty taels of gold, two thousand one hundred and twenty taels of silver, and one thousand taels in banknotes. The gold and silver ingots were all ten taels each, piled up into small mountains, and the banknotes were all in denominations of one hundred taels. She could only take out two ingots like these.
Qiuchan's panic stemmed from Huamei, who had been dealt with by the Prince. Even though she knew her place and did her duty, she was still worried that she would be implicated by her identity as a maid from the Yikun Palace.
Yao Huang pondered for a moment and said, "Take fifty taels to Chief Steward Guo and ask him to take you to the accounting room to exchange for forty-eight taels of broken silver and two strings of copper coins."
Exchanging more at once, fifty taels of pocket money should be enough for her to use for a long time.
Qiuchan then turned back to fetch another three silver ingots and presented them to the Princess Consort for her inspection.
Yao Huang smiled and said, "There's no need to be so cautious. I trust you."
What she didn't believe was that any maid would have the sheer audacity to steal money in the Princess Consort's room!
By the time Qiuchan returned, Yao Huang was already dressed. She wore a white short jacket and a light green long skirt. The fine cotton material was tightly and sturdily stitched. The collar of the jacket was drawn tight, and the waist of the skirt was tied high enough, revealing only a tiny bit of skin below her collarbone, ensuring that even if Nanny Fang of the Chuxiu Pavilion came in person, she wouldn't be able to pick out any faults with Yao Huang.
Bailing had combed a simple and neat hair bun according to the Princess Consort's instructions, inserting a white jade hairpin and pinning a pink silk flower. From the top of her head to her neck, Yao Huang wore no other jewelry. She looked just like a new bride from a humble family, except that this new bride had beautiful skin as smooth as mutton-fat jade. Even wearing the cheapest materials, she would still shine brightly in a crowd.
The master and servants all looked at Qiuchan's hands.
Qiuchan was carrying two money bags. The dusty gray bag in her left hand contained two strings of copper coins, weighing about six catties. The bag in her right hand contained the pouch she had taken out with the five silver ingots, plus the forty-eight taels of broken silver, adding up to another six or seven catties.
"The accounting room said that the Princess Consort receives a monthly allowance of fifty taels. Our Prince's estate always distributes allowances on the twenty-ninth of every month, so yours has been given to you in advance."
"The accounting room also said that from now on, if the Princess Consort needs to use silver, you can just tell us servants to withdraw it directly from the accounting room. There's no need to exchange it."
Yao Huang: "..."
She had long known that wealthy families would give their daughters-in-law a monthly allowance. She had thought that the five hundred taels of aristocratic stipend the imperial court gave her every year was her allowance, because what belonged to the court belonged to Emperor Yongchang, and Emperor Yongchang was her father-in-law. It was only right for the head of the family to provide allowances for his wives, concubines, sons, daughters, and daughters-in-law. She never expected that she could get another portion in her own small household with the Prince!
Fifty taels a month meant six hundred taels a year. The Prince was giving her even more than her father-in-law did!
In fact, Yao Huang didn't really want to use the public funds of the Prince's estate, which was essentially Prince Hui's silver. She was afraid that if the couple had a fight one day, the Prince would use this money against her. But her Princess Consort stipend and monthly allowance were what she deserved. During the day, she racked her brains to chat with the Prince, and at night, she worked hard to serve him. Spending the silver she earned herself was perfectly justified.
Yao Huang: "Alright, don't touch my gold and silver for now. If there's a need, use the allowance first."
Aji helped Qiuchan put away the silver. When Yao Huang truly stepped out of Ming'an Hall, the pouch on her person contained twenty taels of broken silver, and Aji's pouch contained two hundred copper coins. They were heavy, both weighing around a catty.
Aji couldn't help but smile, leaning close to the Princess Consort and saying, "I've never carried this many copper coins in my life!"
Before the Princess Consort got married, she had one hundred copper coins of pocket money a month. If she spent it all, she could act coquettishly with the Madam to ask for more. Aji did little work; after turning ten, she could receive twenty copper coins a month. Her older sister, Qiaoniang, got fifty coins, and her mother could earn a hundred. But all three of them lived and ate at the Yao family's expense. If they had a headache or fever, the Yao family would also hire a doctor and buy medicine for them. The Yao family wasn't some wealthy and prominent household, so being able to give such wages was already quite good.
Yao Huang: "In another two days, you'll be able to receive your allowance too. A senior maid in the Prince's estate can get one tael."
Aji looked at the Princess Consort with sparkling eyes: "It's all thanks to the Princess Consort's reflected glory, otherwise I wouldn't have such good fortune!"
The seasonal clothes that the Prince's estate issued to the senior maids were all made of silk and satin, even better than what the Princess Consort wore before she married.
Yao Huang deliberately frightened her: "The more you earn, the more responsibilities you have. You must learn the rules well, otherwise, if you offend another noble person one day and they insist on punishing you according to the rules, I won't be able to save you."
Aji nodded repeatedly.
The master and servant arrived at the main gate of the Prince's estate in high spirits.
Zhang Yue and another guard named Wang Dong were already waiting there, along with an ordinary-looking wooden-canopied carriage with green cloth curtains hanging in the windows.
As Aji was about to help Yao Huang into the carriage, Yao Huang suddenly remembered something and asked Zhang Yue, "Have you eaten lunch yet?"
Zhang Yue subconsciously replied, "We've eaten." Beside him, Wang Dong, who had already shaken his head halfway, quickly changed to nodding upon hearing this.
Yao Huang smiled and called Aji to get into the carriage with her.
There were four bustling avenues in the capital. Today, Yao Huang went to the most lively one, the South Avenue. When the carriage stopped, the sun was about to reach its zenith. Various street food stalls were doing brisk business, and the sounds of stir-frying occasionally wafted out from the restaurants and taverns, filling the street with cooking smoke mixed with the aroma of food.
Yao Huang walked up to a steamed bun stall and asked Aji to take out some copper coins to buy five meat-filled buns. Zhang Yue and Wang Dong were given two each, and Aji, who also hadn't had lunch, got one.
The freshly steamed buns were piping hot, and Zhang Yue's heart felt warm as well. When he guarded the gate at the Yao family's residence, Mrs. Luo would often slip them easy-to-carry snacks. He hadn't expected the Princess Consort to also keep them in mind while out having fun.
Wang Dong kept an eye on the commoners around the Princess Consort while tilting his head to say to Zhang Yue, "Our Princess Consort is truly wonderful." She was even more amiable to them than Head Steward Guo.
Zhang Yue's expression was stern as he used his eyes to remind Wang Dong that some things were better kept to oneself rather than spoken aloud. As guards, it was best not to constantly talk about the Princess Consort.
Up ahead, Yao Huang stopped at a grilled meat skewer stall and bought twenty lamb skewers in one breath. After ordering, she asked Aji to go and ask Zhang Yue and Wang Dong what flavors they preferred. There were three options: cumin, savory, and spicy.
Aji ran over and hurried back, "Zhang Yue said they are full and won't eat anymore."
Yao Huang simply ordered ten savory skewers and gave them to the guards, while she and Aji shared ten spicy ones. At ten copper coins a skewer, she and Aji rarely got to eat them in the past.
After eating the grilled meat, their mouths felt like they were on fire. Yao Huang went to buy two bamboo tubes of sour plum soup, taking one for herself and giving one to Aji. This time, she didn't get any for the guards.
The sunlight was warm and comforting, making Aji close her eyes in satisfaction. Such days were truly wonderful, just like a dream.
After all four of them had filled their stomachs, Yao Huang began to browse the shops. She still remembered that at the end of last year, her mother had taken a fancy to a few pieces of jewelry, ranging from four or five taels to seven or eight taels of silver. But her mother had merely feasted her eyes on them, reluctant to buy even a single piece.
Yao Huang wouldn't gift her mother expensive items costing dozens or hundreds of taels, nor did her mother like such ostentation. However, jewelry worth seven or eight taels wasn't unaffordable for her mother; it just depended on whether she was willing to be generous to herself for once.
Yao Huang selected a hairpin and a pair of earrings, spending over ten taels. She planned to save them to give to her mother the next time she visited her maiden home, along with the rouge and floral water rewarded to her by the palace.
Besides picking out items for her mother, Yao Huang also scouted a few pieces of jewelry for herself, all priced around twenty to thirty taels. She planned to come back and buy them tomorrow after getting her large silver ingots. Noble Consort Du had rewarded her with a hundred taels; although it was just a fraction of her betrothal gift money, spending it would perfectly round off the numbers.
After strolling for nearly four hours, the master and servant's feet began to ache slightly. Therefore, Yao Huang chose a tavern where they could listen to storytelling. She told the two guards to eat in the lobby on the first floor, while she and Aji went into a private room. After ordering, Yao Huang paid the bill for both tables at the same time. Since Aji, Zhang Yue, and Wang Dong were all serving her, Yao Huang, as the master, naturally had to take care of their meals.
Aji's appetite was much better than Prince Hui's. With such a great dining companion, Yao Huang also ate to her heart's content. The master and servant polished off all three dishes.
When they walked out of the tavern, it was dusk.
Prince Hui had instructed her not to stay out too long, so Yao Huang prepared to head back to the estate.
Wang Dong said, "Prin... Madam, please wait a moment. I will go fetch the carriage."
Yao Huang replied, "There is no need. Let's walk over. The breeze is so comfortable; it is perfect for digesting our food."
Passing by the grilled meat skewer stall again, the line of people waiting had grown even longer. Yao Huang thought for a moment, then took Aji to join the queue.
Aji clutched her stomach and reluctantly told the truth, "I am so stuffed. I really cannot eat anymore."
Yao Huang laughed at her, "I am not buying it for you. I am bringing a portion back for the Second Master."
Every time her mother took her out shopping, she would always bring back a small gift for her father—perhaps a piece of cloth for making socks, or a meat pie and a tael of loose wine. Even if the copper coins spent on her father were less than a fraction of what the mother and daughter spent, her father would always grin from ear to ear upon receiving the gift. Having seen this often, Yao Huang gradually understood how it worked.
What her father cared about was not the value of the gift, but the fact that her mother kept him in her thoughts. If a rough and boorish man felt this way, she certainly couldn't be negligent with the Prince.
