Chapter 321: Wedding Gifts
Seeing her like this, Prince Shengping thought of how sensible she had been since she was a child. He and his Princess Consort had taught her from a young age to respect the people as one would their parents, and never to look down on the commoners because of her status as a princess. She had always done very well. Perhaps it was because she saw the people giving wedding gifts to Xingnong, and she felt that she had been forgotten, which made her feel this way.
He comforted her, “Xingnong’s contribution to the people is indeed great. This is a benefit to the people of the world, even His Majesty and your father are ashamed of themselves. Most of the people in our Jin Kingdom are grateful, that’s why so many people give Xingnong wedding gifts. And those people who have received your kindness will not forget you. As long as you continue to do good deeds for the people, you will also receive many birthday gifts from the people on your birthday.”
Princess Consort Shengping nodded, “Your father is right. You and Xingnong are both princesses of the royal family. In the hearts of the people, you are both equally noble descendants of dragons and phoenixes. As long as you sincerely respect the people and work for their well-being, you will also receive many wedding gifts from the people when you get married.”
Princess Shengping didn’t quite agree with their words. She still felt that the Zhao Kingdom Princess was right. Her status in Jin Kingdom was no longer comparable to Shen Xingnong’s!
But she also didn’t want to listen to their lectures, so she hugged Princess Consort Shengping’s arm and acted coquettishly, “Mother Consort, I was wrong!”
Princess Consort Shengping smiled as she touched her head, “Mother Consort knows you’ve always been sensible.”
Prince Shengping said, “Think thrice before you speak or act in the future.”
“Yes, I promise there won’t be a next time!”
The carriage slowly entered the palace gate. This was the privilege of a prince.
The Jin Kingdom emperor allowed the prince’s carriage to enter the imperial palace.
He believed that every prince who left the palace to establish his own residence grew up in the imperial palace. The imperial palace was originally their home, so they could drive their carriages in when they returned home, and there was no need to pay too much attention to etiquette.
The carriage following them was loaded with Prince Shengping’s wedding gifts for Xingnong. Items sent into the palace still had to be inspected to avoid accidents.
After Prince Shengping entered the palace, he went directly to the Jin Kingdom emperor. Princess Consort Shengping took Princess Shengping to Xingnong’s place.
The two of them bowed to Xingnong and Shen Ruoxi, “Your servant/Your servant girl greets the Empress and Princess Xingnong. Your servant arrived late, I hope the Empress won’t blame me.”
They should have been the first to enter the palace, but Songya accidentally pricked her finger with a piece of jewelry this morning while looking at the wedding gifts, causing a drop of blood to stain the ruby head ornament. Naturally, this could no longer be used as a wedding gift. Princess Consort Shengping hurriedly helped her daughter treat the wound, then went to the storeroom to find two other head ornaments to make up for it, dressed up again, and then entered the palace, which is why they were a little late.
Princess Shengping also remembered the reason why they left late at this moment, and she couldn’t help but feel depressed again!
This morning, when she saw that her mother Consort actually took out the ruby jewelry as a wedding gift, she was unhappy!
That set of ruby jewelry had a phoenix crown, and the largest ruby on the phoenix crown was even bigger than a pigeon egg! Moreover, it was very transparent and shiny, without any impurities, it was simply rare in the world!
It was passed down to Mother Consort by the Empress Dowager. Mother Consort had always liked it very much. When she was a child, she wanted to touch it, but Mother Consort was worried that she would damage it, so she wouldn’t let her touch it, and carefully collected it, saying that it would be a family heirloom in the future.
Princess Shengping naturally thought that Princess Consort Shengping would keep it for her as a dowry.
She never expected that Princess Consort Shengping would actually take it out this time to give it to Shen Xingnong as a wedding gift! She naturally felt uncomfortable, so she deliberately cut her finger and put some blood in it.
In this way, she could delay the time to enter the palace and not give Shen Xingnong face, and secondly, she could keep the ruby head ornament.
But Mother Consort took out another set of amethyst and a set of pink gemstone head ornaments. Although the gemstones on these two sets of head ornaments were not as big as the ruby set, compared to the grandeur and nobility of rubies, she preferred these two sets of head ornaments because they looked younger and more lively, which were very suitable for girls her age. She had overheard Mother Consort and Nanny talking about getting a batch of high-quality gemstones, which were rare purple and pink, and asked Nanny to send them to the Bureau of Imperial Clothing to make a set of amethyst and a set of pink gemstone head ornaments for her as a birthday gift!
When Princess Consort Shengping took out these two sets to replace the previous set of ruby head ornaments, she regretted it so much!
Because she liked it very much at first glance!
It was a pity that she expressed her liking, but Princess Consort Shengping didn’t keep it for her, and only said that she would make another identical set for her in the future, and let her give these two sets to Xingnong as wedding gifts, so that the two sisters could wear the same jewelry.
She felt disgusted when she heard that. Who wanted to wear the same jewelry as her! How disgusting!
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Princess Shengping gave Xingnong a look of disgust, which was almost imperceptible.
The people in the room saw her coming, and those whose rank was lower than hers stood up to salute, “Your servant/Your servant girl greets the Princess Consort and the Princess.”
Shen Ruoxi smiled and said, “No need for formalities. It’s still early, not late at all. Come and sit down.”
Princess Consort Shengping gestured for the palace servants behind her to carry in the wedding gifts, a full ten large boxes.
According to etiquette, the palace servants opened the boxes. Everyone saw that there were various rare and valuable jewelry, fertile land, estates, shops, silver, gold, antiques, famous calligraphy and paintings, etc. This wedding gift could be said to be the heaviest among those present!
Everyone was secretly speechless!
Princess Consort Shengping was so generous!
Shen Ruoxi was also extremely surprised, “This is too precious! Princess Consort, you are too polite, I feel embarrassed!”
Princess Shengping subconsciously looked at Xingnong, wanting to see what her expression would be when she saw these good things.
After all, she used to be so poor, she should be very greedy for these things, right?
However, Xingnong maintained a decent smile the whole time, glancing at those things very casually, that’s all!
Princess Consort Shengping said with a smile, “What’s so special about these things? When I entered the palace, I saw many people giving wedding gifts to our Xingnong! Those are the priceless treasures!”
Shen Ruoxi didn’t know about this, so she hurriedly asked, “People are giving Xingnong wedding gifts? What’s going on?”
“Doesn’t the Empress know?” Princess Consort Shengping told her what she had seen.
Hearing that many people spontaneously gave Xingnong wedding gifts at the palace gate and left after putting down the things, Shen Ruoxi felt a little embarrassed to take the people’s things, she shook her head and said, “How can that be! We can’t take the people’s things! The people’s lives are not easy, we can’t take them. Mother, go and ask your father to send someone to persuade them to leave. We appreciate their kindness, and their blessings are enough, but we can’t accept those things.”
Shen Ruoxi couldn’t understand why the people of Jin Kingdom were so enthusiastic when she and Xingnong had only been back for a short time.
Xingnong was also a little surprised, but she understood why.
The high-yielding grain seeds that Chu Tiankuo sent as betrothal gifts were all given to the poor by the Jin Kingdom emperor. Those high-yielding grain seeds and the Four Seasons Formation gave countless people hope.
Material possessions were not abundant in this dynasty, so most people didn’t ask for much. Having enough food and clothing was their greatest expectation, or in other words, having enough food and clothing was the best life for them, the happiest life.
She had developed high-yielding grain seeds and high-yielding cotton, which had the hope of solving their biggest problem.
Now that someone had given them the opportunity to have enough food and clothing, and their lives had hope, they were grateful. On a day like this, with someone taking the lead, everyone spontaneously followed suit.
