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After the arrow was pulled out, the doctor not only bandaged the wound for Du Rusong but also wiped the bloodstains on his body to avoid infection. It would be inappropriate for the two girls to stand here, so they had to wait outside.
"Rusong, I'm going to cook porridge for you. Have some porridge before you sleep, so that your wound will recover faster." Before leaving, Lin Dan specially said.
"Okay, thank you." Du Rusong nodded with a smile. He was still weak, but his heart was full of joy. This time, he saw the different side of her. Lin Dan was strong and brave, and could calmly deal with it no matter how big the difficulty was. He felt relieved to have her around, and so did his sister.
As Lin Dan wiped the blood off her hand with a handkerchief, she walked quickly out without even raising her head. Du Rusong's eyes were so deep and focused that she felt a little uncomfortable. Du Ruyan followed her closely like a little tail.
After the two of them left, the eldest prince fetched a basin of hot water to wipe Du Rusong's body and sighed, "Rusong, is this the girl you like? Cool!"
Hearing that, Du Rusong smiled in a low voice, but his wound was also affected, so he took a deep breath in pain. However, this pain did not destroy his pleasure at all. He said slowly "The first time I saw her, I thought the same as you. At that time, she had just started to learn embroidery, so she couldn't sit still at all. When she was impatient, she ran to cut the wood and cut a big wooden block to only two feet long. After that, she sat down and continued embroidery. When she was impatient, she ran to cut it again and again. I saw her slowly polish herself like cutting the wooden block. No matter how upset and impatient she was, she never thought of giving up. She was determined to achieve her goal as if nothing could stop her in the world as long as she wanted. At that time, I thought that this little girl would definitely make it in the future. She was not afraid at all. As long as she set her goal, she would go forward without hesitation. It only took her half a year to finish the work, and her skill had already caught up with the best in the city. With her, Ruyan finally got rid of that unbearable past and began to look forward to it. Meeting her is probably the best opportunity we have had since we left the capital city…"
Speaking of this, Du Rusong sighed with satisfaction, joy, and deep attachment.
"In that case, why do you have to join the army?" The eldest prince said with fear, "If something happens to you, how can I explain it to my Mother Empress?" Even though the empress had been deposed, he was still used to calling her Mother.
"The problem is that I want them to live a better life. I want them to have whatever they want. They don't have to be bullied or squabbled. At least in Lin'an, they can be free and happy." said Du Rusong, shaking his head. The softness in his eyes faded away and was replaced by firmness.
The eldest prince threw the handkerchief stained with blood into the basin and said helplessly "That's right. As long as Concubine Min is still alive, she won't let you and Ruyan go, let alone Mother Empress. I don't know what the emperor is thinking. Mother Empress and he had suffered all kinds of hardships for him in the past. Finally, when the state is stable and the imperial power is stable, he wants to kill Mother Empress. He is really heartless."
Speaking of this, the eldest prince realized that something was wrong. He quickly said, "Let's stop here. Have a good rest. I'll go to the military camp to have a look." As soon as he opened the door, he saw that Lin Dan came in with a tray in his hand. Following her, Du Ruyan said gallantly, "It's okay. The bowl is too hot. Let me serve it. You can sit down and have a rest. Thank you very much today. You have saved my brother's life, but I can't repay you. Let my brother marry you, right?"
The eldest prince couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Du Rusong, who had always been vicious and heartless, blushed unexpectedly. He didn't scold his sister but looked at Lin Dan indifferently with expectations.
Lin Dan was in a good mood today. In fact, she had saved a person, which meant that she had saved herself. Therefore, she didn't care about Du Ruyan at all. She just smiled.
The eldest prince thought these three people were very interesting. Just as he was about to tease them, he smelled a very strong and attractive fragrance, which floated out of the plate. He sniffed hard and said with saliva, "Miss Lin, what did you cook?"
"This porridge is specially made for Brother. It's made of peanuts, red beans, purple rice, and red dates. It can nourish the blood, reduce swelling and promote the activation of the heart. It's good at everything. It may be magic!" Du Ruyan raised her chin and said proudly.
The eldest prince's mouth twitched slightly. He thought that as long as the brother and sister mentioned Miss Lin, they would always act like this and boast about her. They were really poisoned by her.
As expected, Du Rusong showed a joyful smile. When he was about to support his upper body, he was first supported by Lin Dan, and then she put two pillows behind him. "Don't move. I'll feed you." She said carefully, "Have a good sleep after eating porridge. I'll stay next to Ruyan at night. If you feel uncomfortable, shake this bell. We'll be right back."
"Where did you get it?" Du Rusong looked at the bell in his hand, dumbfounded.
"I went to the stable to find it." Sitting next to her brother, Du Ruyan began to flatter her, "Dandan was afraid that you will have a fever and cannot call for help at night, so I found this bell for you. Later we'll hang the bell on the bedside and tie a rope. If you have something to do, we can hear you. What do you think? She is very considerate!"
Du Rusong fixed his eyes on Lin Dan, his heart softened.
"Eat the porridge and sleep well," said Lin Dan without caring.
"Okay, thank you, Dan'er." Du Rusong leaned against the soft pillow and praised sincerely as soon as he took a sip, "It tastes better than the food cooked by the imperial chef!"
The corners of Lin Dan's mouth curved into a smile.
The eldest prince couldn't stand the fragrance anymore. He asked expectantly, "Miss Lin, is there any porridge left? I'm a little hungry."
"Of course, your highness, go to the kitchen and have a look. I'll heat it on the stove and it's ready to eat at any time."
"Okay, thank you, Miss Lin." The eldest prince rushed to the kitchen, smashed his tongue after eating the porridge, and sighed with admiration, "Rusong really found a treasure!" Lin Dan could make money, manage the family, take care of people, and hold on at critical moments. How could he find such a good girl?
After helping Du Rusong lie down, Lin Dan and Du Ruyan finally had a chance to breathe. The two sat in the pavilion outside the yard, looking at each other's discomfiture, and then shook their heads and laughed.
"It's so good to have you around!" said Du Ruyan, gently shaking Lin Dan.
Lin Dan just rubbed her head.
At this moment, the eldest prince, who had eaten enough and changed his clothes, came over and said solemnly, "Miss Lin, please come with me. Let's go to the woodshed to see the things prepared for you."
Thinking of the embroiderers from Japan, Lin Dan hurried to keep up with them. When she arrived at the woodshed, she saw four women in kimonos were tied up and thrown to the ground. One of them said with a strong accent, "Please don't kill us. We just worked on the ship and didn't do anything bad. My mother is a Han Chinese. I'm here for my grandfather and grandmother. They are in Lin'an. My father is cruel and merciless. He sold me to these pirates. I just boarded the ship, and really didn't do anything bad. They are all poor people who are sold. Please let us go." She struggled to get up and kowtowed.
A look of pity gradually appeared on Du Ruyan's face. She subconsciously pulled the eldest prince, as if she wanted to plead for mercy. However, Lin Dan walked up, put her toes on the woman's bleeding forehead, and asked calmly, "I heard that you can weave?"
The eldest prince couldn't help but look at her with new eyes. Looking at her unmoved appearance, and her posture of putting her tiptoes on the head of others, how could she be described as "cold"?
Sure enough, the Japanese woman was shocked by the arrogant and cold attitude of Lin Dan. She nodded and said, "I can! My grandmother is the imperial weaving woman and passed all the skills to me. The reason why those pirates bought us is that they value our skills."
"Is there any finished product?" Lin Dan took back her tiptoes and continued to ask.
"Yes, but they were all taken away." The woman looked at the eldest prince with fear.
The eldest prince opened his mouth, "The finished product is in my place. Rusong asked me to bring it back. Do you want to have a look?"
"Let's go." Leaving the woman behind, Lin Dan walked out of the woodshed and turned a deaf ear to the helpless and desperate cries behind her.
However, Du Ruyan turned her head back frequently, with an expression of pity on her face.
They went to the storehouse and found a few pieces of cloth. After looking at them in her hand, Lin Dan walked out and looked at the sun with satisfaction in her eyes. Attracted by the gorgeous cloth, Du Ruyan praised "It's so beautiful, even more beautiful than Shujin! The pattern is full of exotic amorous feelings. The color can be bright and elegant, and it can also reflect the bright light like the Phoenix Fire. Eh? The pattern on both sides of the cloth is different. How was it made? It's amazing!"
Lin Dan didn't pay much attention to other pieces of cloth, but only focused on the double-sided pattern. Generally speaking, the patterns on the front and back of the brocade cloth were the same, but the fabric in front of her broke the traditional shackles and made technological innovations, which was what she valued the most. She couldn't help but think that if she could find inspiration from it and find this kind of cloth. How would the double-sided abnormal picture work when it was used on embroidery? Of course, in the process of studying, she would definitely encounter a lot of difficulties, but this was what she enjoyed most.
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After giving the cloth to Lin Dan, the eldest prince asked, "What do you think, Miss Lin? Are you satisfied? If you think these women are useful, I will send them to your home tonight. But you have to watch them carefully and don't let others discover their identity, or you will be in big trouble if you are accused of hiding bandits."
"I understand. Thank you, your highness," said Lin Dan, cupping her hands gratefully. She knew that Du Rusong and the eldest prince must have taken a risk to bring these women out.
At first, Du Ruyan was a little worried, but she calmed down when she saw the calm look on Lin Dan's face. She patted the cloth in her hand and said with a smile, "Dandan, these clothes are more beautiful than Shujin. They must be able to suppress Meng Zhong's arrogance."
"In Japan, this kind of technique is called western array technique, which was inherited from the great Tang Dynasty hundreds of years ago. In fact, it is our own technique, but it was lost because of war. Now that it has returned to our homeland, we must carry it on and inherit it for generations. We can't lose anything from our ancestors." In front of the eldest prince, Lin Dan didn't mind saying something cheerfully.
The eldest prince was really moved. He immediately promised, "Miss Lin, you are right. How can the old ancestor's things be taken away by the Japanese bandits? You just take those women back and learn their weaving skills as soon as possible. I will be responsible for the accident."
"Thank you, your highness," said Lin Dan, bowing respectfully.
Du Ruyan said in a hurry, "Let's take those women away now, in case a long delay may cause trouble."
"No, we have to tie them up for a few more days. We will release them when they are desperate to the extreme. We can't be too hasty to help them, or they won't remember long and it will be difficult to teach them in the future. The best way to tame beasts is to give them the carrot and the stick." After saying that, Lin Dan couldn't help but be stunned. She seemed to be very familiar with the affairs in the army and knew how to tame the capture. Was she a soldier in her previous life?
When she was lost in thought, she didn't notice that the eldest prince and Du Ruyan were looking at her with complicated eyes. They had thought that Lin Dan was a plain dealer, but in the end, they found that her way of dealing with problems was really a little ferocious. She was not deliberately pretended or formed, but the kind of ferocity that penetrated into her bones, pure and innocent.
The smile on Du Ruyan's face disappeared soon. She held her arm and said, "Dandan, you're so smart. You're so thoughtful. I'll listen to you." If those women made trouble, she and Dandan would be the scapegoat. Perhaps her brother and the eldest prince would be implicated! Thinking of this, Du Ruyan had no sympathy at all.
The eldest prince, who had been a little worried, now completely relaxed. It was true to say that Lin Dan was kind, but she would not be soft-hearted when it was time to be cruel. It was undoubtedly a relief to cooperate with such a person.
"Okay, I'll lock them up for a few more days. You two are tired. Go back to your room and have a rest." The eldest prince sent the two people back to their wing room, turned around, and went to the next room. He shook his head at the awake Du Rusong and said, "Rusong, you seem to have a crush on an extraordinary girl."
"What did Dandan do?" Du Rusong, who couldn't fall asleep because of the sharp pain, cheered up at once.
The eldest prince told him what had happened before carefully and sighed, "I've never seen such a calm, stubborn and decisive girl."
Du Rusong coughed while chuckling, "Her father and mother are both brigands. Of course, she is different from other girls."
The eldest prince looked at him and sighed in his heart: Look at my friend's proud appearance, as if he is a descendant of brigands. He can't be cured! He really can't be cured!
—
Since Lin Dan was busy taking care of Du Rusong, she hadn't visited her shop for half a month. But even if she and Du Ruyan were not here, there was nothing to worry about in the shop, because they did not receive any orders at all, and their business was taken away by Meng Clan Embroidery Shop across the street.
Zhang Hui had no choice but to come to the eldest prince's manor to look for someone. She used to be brigand and naturally had a natural resistance to these officers and soldiers. Fortunately, Lin Dan came out with a package soon and said "Mother, there are two pieces of clothes in this shop, which are the size of you and Third Aunt. You don't need to do anything. Just put on your clothes and go to inspect the shop when there are a lot of people. If anyone comes to ask, tell them that the cloth on your body is customized by the embroidery shop and the production is very small at present. Don't sell it to others. Don't tell them anything else."
Zhang Hui opened the package and was stunned.
Patting her on the shoulder, Lin Dan asked, "Mother, did you hear that?"
"Yes, I heard it," Zhang Hui nodded in a trance, and finally hesitated. "Dandan, is such a good dress really made for me?"
"Of course, I'm running out of time, so I only made two clothes. When I'm free in the future, I'll make one for Fourth Aunt. Please explain it for me, lest she thinks too much. When Young Master Du recovers and can take the carriage, we'll go back. They have no parents. If I'm not here, they really have no one to rely on. The empress can't go down the mountain casually. Besides, she has been depressed and can't bear any stimulation these years. She still doesn't know about Young Master Du's injury. Mother, please take care of the manor for them. Don't let anyone in casually."
"Okay, okay, I know." Zhang Hui kept nodding. She didn't realize that it was not appropriate for her daughter to take care of two people four or five years older than her. Now the Lin and Du families were supported by her alone.
—
The next day, Zhang Hui and Third Aunt went to inspect the shop in new clothes. It was at noon, and the sun was shining all over the ground, bringing warmth. Everyone walked out of the door and enjoyed the rare sunny day. Today, a new Shujin was released from Meng Clan Embroidery Shop. A group of noblewomen and debutantes rushed to the shop in horse-drawn carriages.
"Don't take it away. This brocade has been booked by the Inspector-General's wife!" the shopkeeper shouted.
"Why are you booked by her again? How did you do your business?"
"Ladies, if you want it, you can also book it in my shop. Once we finish it, we will immediately send it to you. We have no choice. Now the weaving workshop of our host has just been set up, and the number of women who can make this kind of brocade is too little to raise the yield. In the middle of the year, when the person who will pick and buy clothes for the noble people in the palace comes, I'm afraid the brocade produced by our family all year round will be offered." The shopkeeper pretended to sigh helplessly.
It was said that this kind of cloth would become a tribute, and they couldn't buy it in the future. The ladies went crazy to buy it. They had booked all the cloth four or five months later, and the price had increased several times.
The passers-by were stunned. They thought that the fabric in this shop must be the best in Lin'an. Otherwise, how could there be so many noble people competing to buy it? Once this impression appeared, the effect would soon be revealed. When people needed to buy cloth, the first person to think of was undoubtedly Meng Clan Embroidery Shop.
The business of the stores nearby had been taken away, but they had to swallow their anger to get involved in the business of a new type of Shujin from Meng Zhong. Just as their eyes turned red, a carriage slowly stopped in front of the gate of Danyan Embroidery House. Two tall middle-aged women came down from the inner side, stood there, slightly touched the hemline of their dresses, and then stepped onto the stairs. The sun just shone on above their heads, their dresses reflected the faint light, and instantly took away the sight of passers-by.
One of them was wearing a bright red Ruqun (襦裙), and the other was wearing a dark blue Quju（曲裾）（Note: If you want to know more about them, please google the Chinese words.）, which was the most popular style nowadays. The two kinds of cloth were very smooth and eye-catching, and after putting on them, they would naturally stick to the body curve. When walking, they were gently swaying with the wind, like waves rolling, or like clouds and smoke floating. They had a kind of ethereal beauty.
If it was just the best quality, it was not surprising. But what was strange was that the red cloth faintly emitted a golden light under the sunlight. The light was neither fixed nor dazzling. It looked very gentle and bright, and then like flowing water, it slowly moved along the wrinkles formed by the clothes, following the movements of the clothes and the changes of the light It was in bright or dark colors, just like the rosy clouds that sprinkled in the sky when dusk approached.
However, when you approached it, you would find that this cloth was mixed with some golden clouds. In the light, it was really a pure red cloth without any flaws.
The dark blue dress was also made of the same fabric. It was pure without sunlight, but in the sunlight, it would emit soft blue and white light. There were also many shining dots indistinctly, like stars all over the night sky, and there were many mysteries and spirits in the quiet.
After looking at these two clothes and then at the new Shujin produced by Meng Clan Embroidery Shop, the difference between the two could be immediately sensed. The reason why the new Shujin glowed was that in the process of making up, the weaving woman mixed a kind of gold thread with the silk. It looked very beautiful from a distance, but at a closer look, man could find that this kind of gold thread was much harder and thicker than the silk, greatly affecting the texture and feel of the cloth. It looked neither smooth nor drooping.
Although it was bright, it was crude. The man-made marks were too obvious, completely different from the cloth on the two women's bodies. It felt delicate, and its texture was drooping. At a close look, it was pure and flawless, and from a distance, it was soft and bright. The reason why it could reflect light was not because of the rough gold threads, but because it was merged into a thin silk net that was hard to see with the naked eye. The net and the cloth were completely integrated, and the light that appeared was floating, thin and transparent. It was in harmony with the light of nature.
The exquisite workmanship, natural color, and luster immediately set off the new style of Shujin. Even though Zhang Hui and Third Aunt were middle-aged, they still looked radiant and charming.
The ladies and debutantes, who were busy purchasing Shujin, looked at them one by one and then froze.
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Pretending not to notice the gazes of the rich ladies, Zhang Hui and Third Aunt walked into their shop step by step. They raised their hands to pick up the expensive cloth, and inadvertently waved a ray of sunglow or moonlight. Then they walked to the hall and sat down. Their tiptoes curved up, making the hemline of their dress scattered on the ground, shining brightly.
The sight from the opposite became more and more intense. Finally, someone couldn't help but walk quickly into the shop and asked, "The two bosses, what kind of cloth do you use for these two clothes? Is there any available in the shop?"
"Oh, this is a new kind of cloth my daughter has just developed. It's called cloud-cloth and moon-cloth. We can only produce one cloth a month. Our family doesn't need it enough. How can we be willing to sell it to others?" Zhang Hui casually waved her hand.
"Only one piece of cloth a month?"
"This piece of cloth is as soft as a cloud and smooth as a mirror, and it feels very smooth. To make this kind of cloth, you need to pick out the thinnest and the best silk. The labor and time it takes are unimaginable to others. Just the step of selecting silk alone needs five or six weaving women to make it day and night. Do you think the yield can be high?" Zhang Hui said.
Hearing this, the lady was more and more yearning for the cloud-cloth and the moon-cloth. The quality and touch were good. She found it as soon as she came in. There was no need for others to flatter her. The quality, touch, light, and color of the new brocade from Meng Clan Embroidery Shop were several levels inferior to these two kinds of cloth. It was really a competition of good and bad!
"Can I order these two kinds of cloth? I'm willing to pay a high price for it." the lady asked expectantly.
The ladies and debutantes who followed her all offered a high price, more than twice the highest price of the new Shujin. In less than a blink of an eye, Meng Clan Embroidery Shop was empty and the door was desolate.
Zhang Hui almost agreed. But when she thought of her daughter's advice, she waved her hand, again and again, saying that they couldn't book the production, because the yield couldn't be increased. These two clothes used a total of half a piece of cloth, but it took Lin Dan more than three months. If she really received these orders in front of her, she would be exhausted? But what good would it do to Danyan Embroidery House if she didn't take it? It could only be seen that the attraction of the clothes that could not be bought would slowly decline, and it might provoke these noble ladies, bringing trouble to the embroidery house.
In a word, they couldn't make mass production. The cloth embroidered by women couldn't compete with the flow-line production. Thinking of this, Zhang Hui became more and more worried. She didn't dare to take the orders casually.
Every time Xu Qian went shopping, she would go to Danyan Embroidery House to have a seat. Occasionally, she would meet Du Ruyan and Lin Dan, and she could have a talk with them. A few days ago, the Shujin in Meng Clan Embroidery Shop was very popular. Madam Xu quickly moved to Meng Clan Embroidery Shop to buy clothes, but Xu Qian didn't change her original intention. If she wanted to make clothes, she would only go to Danyan Embroidery House. It didn't matter if it was new or not, and it didn't matter if she was despised or laughed at. She didn't chase the tide and only chose what she thought was right.
She had already become good friends with them, so she had to take care of their business.
But today, Danyan Embroidery House was very lively. Guests came from the opposite one after another, walking around Zhang Hui and Third Aunt. Xu Qian was stunned when she saw the clothes on the two. It was so beautiful. The golden-red halo shrouded Zhang Hui's whole body, making her skin white, red, and pink. Set off by the dark blue cloth with starry light, Third Aunt looked quiet and beautiful.
The two of them were dressed in bright clothes, standing in the middle of a group of golden noblewomen and socialites. They were so eye-catching that they were attracted by them as soon as they called people in.
After hesitating for a long time, Xu Qian was about to leave quietly, but she was seen by Zhang Hui. She quickly squeezed out of the crowd and greeted Xu Qian with a smile.
"Aunt Zhang Hui, you and Third Aunt are so beautiful today. I don't dare to recognize you," said Xu Qian with a soft smile. She didn't look down upon them because of their backgrounds.
Pulling the hemline of her dress, Zhang Hui said, "This is the cloth that Lin Dan just invented. It's called cloud-cloth and moon-cloth. It's not that we're beautiful. It's just that the fabric is good and can match people."
"Cloud-cloth and moon-cloth? The two kinds of cloth are really the same as their names. I heard that they can't be booked, right?" Said Xu Qian with a regretful expression.
"You can. I'll write you a prescription. When Lin Dan comes back, I'll ask her to make it for you," said Zhang Hui cheerfully.
"Boss lady, it's not good of you to do that!" The other ladies were anxious when they heard this. "You said that you didn't have any goods when we wanted to reserve. Why can Miss Xu have it?"
"Who is so unkind?" Zhang Hui said in a grateful tone, "Whether my business is booming or not, Miss Xu has been only paying attention to Danyan Embroidery House from beginning to end, and is one of my regular clients. Even if our family can't wear this kind of cloth, we have to find enough clothes to make a dress for Miss Xu. Being a person means knowing gratitude, don't you think so?"
Everyone was speechless and their faces were full of embarrassment.
Xu Qian was touched by Zhang Hui's words. She pursed her lips and wanted to refuse, but she accepted her kindness generously. Feeling the envious gazes from all directions, she felt very uncomfortable. In the name of measurement, she pulled Zhang Hui into the inner room.
After the two of them left, the ladies and debutantes still kept pestering Third Aunt. They said that they wanted to buy more cloth in her shop. Even if they were not regular customers, they were also important customers. Could they also buy some cloud-cloth or moon-cloth? Third Aunt didn't dare to nod or shake her head. She could only watch them sell out all the clothes on the shelf, feeling flustered and happy.
Standing by the window, Meng Zhong looked at Third Aunt, who was wearing moonlight. His face darkened and his eyes darkened. Hearing the footsteps behind him, he immediately turned serious and asked in a soft voice, "Sisi, how is the manual?"
"There are still some things that I don't understand." Meng Si shook her head in frustration.
"How can you not understand it? It's only one year since Lin Dan started to learn embroidery, but her skills have surpassed yours. I don't know where she has learned other skills. Why are you not as good as her, a beginner?" Meng Zhong frowned.
Meng Si was too embarrassed to raise her head. Two lines of tears fell from her red eyes. No matter how reluctant she was, she had to admit that in terms of talent, Lin Dan was much better than her.
"Don't cry. It's my fault. I'm too anxious," said Meng Zhong, trying to comfort her. "The book about new skills is very mysterious and difficult to understand. It's already very good that you can understand half of it in three months. I won't force you. Take your time. Don't forget to contact Li Jiarong and Li Xiudian more during the study of the manual. Without the Li family, we may not be able to get the qualification of imperial business this year."
After seeing clearly how the cloud-cloth and the moon-cloth shone brightly, Meng Zhong had lost confidence in the selection of the imperial businessmen a few months later.
"I know, Brother. I will help you," Meng Si nodded obediently. Her eyes darkened when she looked at Danyan Embroidery House where many customers came.
—
After stabilizing the reputation of two pieces of cloth, for the time being, Lin Dan began to work hard to prepare the weaving workshop. Those Japanese women were well tamed by her. They not only studied Chinese seriously but also taught her Japanese. The two of them had smooth communication, and the efficiency of their work had been improved.
The Japanese weaving skill was inherited from a kind of "Zhuijin" at the height of the Tang Dynasty. It was known for its exquisite design, bright color, and brilliant flow. It was no worse than the cloud-cloth and moon-cloth handmade by Lin Dan. However, even if Lin Dan couldn't recruit the girls from Japan, she would find a way to develop similar cloth by herself. It was just a matter of time. Embroidery, weaving, and brocading were originally the same, as long as she could get through one step, then she could see through it step by step.
A month later, the Japanese women, who had been tortured by hope and despair, were finally able to leave the eldest prince's manor and move into the Lin family. They hugged each other and wept with joy. They swore to themselves that they would make the most beautiful cloth in the world for their benefactor. When Lin Dan said that she wanted to learn their weaving skills, they quickly nodded and agreed. They didn't dare to hide anything private. Without Line Dan's protection, they would definitely be killed!
Du Rusong and Du Ruyan also moved back to the Du Manor. They begged Lin Dan to open a small door on the wall between the two families so that they could get in and out conveniently. The two families were getting closer and closer, as close as one family.
Due to the most violent attack from the Japanese bandits on Great Zhou, the coastal regions of Min (Fujian province) and Yue (Guangdong) were lost, the people were slaughtered, and even the eldest prince almost died for his country. When the news of the war spread back to the capital city, the emperor was so angry that he decided to come to the coast in person, and his first stop was Lin'an Prefecture.
As soon as the news spread, the whole of Lin'an Prefecture was in an uproar, and all the noble families began to prepare for his arrival.
At the same time, Du Rusong and Du Ruyan were sitting opposite Lin Dan, looking worried.
"Our Majesty is going to visit Aunt Du in the Taoist temple? Is the news accurate?" Lin Dan frowned slightly.
"It's written by him." Du Rusong put a letter on the table. The imperial seal at the lower right corner of the letter hurt his eyes. He had thought that he would never be able to contact that person again in his life, but he didn't expect that the person would take the initiative to meet him so soon. What did he want to do this time?
"Dandan, I want to take you up the mountain and make two new clothes for my aunt. My aunt is anxious to outdo others. She won't let my uncle…… no, no, it's his majesty. She certainly doesn't want his majesty to see her embarrassed. Dandan, your skill is the best. I only believe in you." Said Du Ruyan with red eyes. She hadn't thought about that terrible past for a long time, but today she was aroused by this letter again.
"Okay, I'll bring my tools with me." Lin Dan didn't refuse at all. For others, being tainted with the former empress was equal to being tainted with bad luck. Maybe one day she would provoke the emperor and Concubine Min and bring revenge. But she was not afraid. She only did what she was willing to do.
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At the first sight of Empress Du, Lin Dan was stunned. She finally understood where the good looks of Du Rusong and Du Ruyan came from. Empress Du was tall and thin because of her cultivation. Her beautiful face was both heroic and charming. Her beautiful eyes were full of mist, making her melancholy and quiet.
In this dim and cramped cottage, she was the only light, and also the only color. However, unfortunately, there were a few crisscross scars on the forehead of Empress Du, which instantly destroyed her exceedingly beautiful appearance.
Lin Dan stared at the scars, which made Du Ruyan embarrassed. She quietly tugged at Lin Dan's sleeve and begged her not to poke her aunt's sore spot. What a perfect woman her aunt was before, but now she was like this. How could she bear it?
However, Empress Du didn't show any complaint. Instead, she poured a cup of hot tea for Lin Dan and looked at her with a smile for a long time. She had already received the news that her nephew was shot in the chest, but she pretended not to know. Even if she knew, what could she do? She couldn't leave the Taoist temple, nor could she give them any help. She could only stand aside and watch helplessly.
It was Miss Lin who saved her nephew in danger and took good care of him to make him recover as before. For the sake of saving her life, Empress Du not only didn't dislike her but also indulged her infinitely. She saved her nephew and taught her niece well. Lin Dan had done what she wanted to do but couldn't do. She couldn't be more grateful to her, so how could she be dissatisfied?
"This is the pea cake I made myself. Miss Lin, have a taste," said Empress Du softly.
"Thank you, Aunt Du." Lin Dan came to herself. She grabbed a piece of pea cake and looked at the scar on Empress Du's forehead.
Empress Du was amused by her words. She touched her forehead and explained, "When I hit the pillar, there were some patterns carved on it. Later, when I was treated carelessly, it turned out to be like this."
"Oh, I see!" Lin Dan suddenly realized. "No wonder these scars are so unique."
Empress Du couldn't help laughing, while Du Ruyan covered her face and groaned. What was wrong with Lin Dan today? If she doesn't know how to flatter Empress Du, then don't flatter her. Why make her embarrassed? Didn't she know that these scars were the pain that her aunt would never want to mention?
Empress Du rubbed her head and said slowly, "Yan'er, don't feel sorry for me. These scars are nothing to me now. Whether he comes or not, I feel as calm as water. In my eyes, you and Rusong are the most important."
Empress Du had been in charge of the royal family for more than ten years and helped the young emperor to hold the throne. The ups and downs she had experienced were unimaginable to ordinary people. She might be defeated, but she would never fall. If others couldn't, she could mention it; If others couldn't let it go, she could.
Du Ruyan immediately raised her head and called her aunt with red eyes.
However, at this moment, Lin Dan said with a malicious smile, "Aunt Du is elegant. You can't wear too bright and luxurious clothes. As for those Taoist robes, they are always in the same style and color. It's better not to make one."
Du Ruyan couldn't stand it anymore and said in an aggrieved tone, "Dandan, did you take the wrong medicine today and say all these annoying words!"
Before she could say anything, Empress Du waved her hand and smiled, "It doesn't matter. Miss Lin is telling the truth. I didn't want to make any new clothes." She made a new dress and dressed up. Instead of appearing nobler in front of that person, she showed timidity and lowered her head, as if to please him. The emperor had already died in her heart, and it was enough for her to only wear this black robe to bury their past.
Du Ruyan's eyes became redder and she turned around to wipe her tears.
Lin Dan looked at her helplessly, put down the teacup, and said seriously, "I don't need to embroider the clothes. But I can embroider the scars on your forehead."
Empress Du was stunned for a while and asked hesitantly, "What do you mean, Miss Lin?"
"People always say that the scars on your forehead are ugly, but in my eyes, they are very unique. As long as I polish them a little, they will be beautiful embroidery. Aunt Du, if you trust me, let me have a try. I promise that after you finish, you will be more beautiful than before!"
Lin Dan had no past or future. The only thing she could grasp was the present. Therefore, her imagination was a little poor. She couldn't paint a picture without any reason, but at the same time, she was very good at discovering the beauty around her. In the eyes of others, it was incomplete, and in her eyes, it could have some highlights more or less. If she casually sprinkled some ink on the white paper, she would be able to create all sorts of beautiful things through these things that were similar to stains.
The so-called cherishing the present and living in the present was nothing to others, but it was completely carried out by her.
"How?" The stunned expression on Empress Du's face gradually faded and became interest and expectation.
"How about turning these scars into beautiful flowers? Let bygones be bygones and live a more beautiful life. What do you think?" As she spoke, she copied the scars of Empress Du on the paper, and then stained the tip of the pen with some red sand, outlining the crisscross lines into manjusaka (曼珠沙华, Red Spider Lily) one by one. It was like a flame, as red as blood, and was very beautiful.
Staring at the flowers on the paper, Du Ruyan was speechless for a long time.
Empress Du looked straight at her and then smiled slowly. She felt that her heart, which was like a pool of stagnant water, was stirred up by this magical little girl. It turned out that scars could bloom with flowers, and heartbreak could also be forged strong, just like a phoenix undergoing nirvana and rebirth in the fire.
"Okay," said the Empress Du word by word. "Thank you, Miss Lin." Before she got married, she had been called the most beautiful woman in Great Zhou. Now she would like to see what she would look like if she was more beautiful than she was before.
Lin Dan rubbed her hands and was a little excited. Since she learned embroidery, she always paid special attention to beautiful things. At the first sight of Empress Du, she was enchanted by the orderly scars between her eyebrows. Others said that Empress Du had been disfigured, but she believed that with only a little embellishment, Empress Du could be more beautiful! And this beauty was born in her hands. Just thinking about it, she was a little tempted.
She didn't notice that she was changing from an embroiderer who was supporting her family to an artist.
After preparing the disinfected silver needle and dye, Lin Dan said solemnly, "Aunt Du, I'm going to start. It may hurt a little. Please bear with it."
Empress Du, who was lying on the bed with her eyes closed, smiled indifferently. "It doesn't matter. I'm not afraid of pain." She had endured the pain of digging her heart, and what else could she not bear?
In order not to disturb Lin Dan, Du Ruyan had already been driven out.
Empress Du needed tailor-made clothes, so Du Rusong couldn't wait in the room. He sent his sister and loved one to the Taoist temple and went to the pavilion on the back mountain to enjoy the view. When the two met in the pavilion, they looked worried.
"Is Dan'er going to tattoo Aunt?" Du Rusong couldn't believe his ears. He had no idea that his sweetheart had such skills.
"Yes, make the scars on her forehead into a manjusaka." Said Du Ruyan, covering her chest, as if she was having a heart attack, "Brother, you always say that Dandan is a little bit tough. I didn't think so. Today I finally found it out. How dare she inject an injection into Aunt? Aunt's skin is not embroidered cloth, where if it is broken, she can remove the stitches again. If she doesn't do it well, it will make Aunt's face even worse. Which one should I protect?"
However, Du Rusong chuckled and said, "If Aunt dares to agree, she is ready to bear all the consequences. If Dan'er dares to speak, she is well prepared and confident. Don't worry about them."
"Brother, how can you still smile? You are too confident in Dandan, aren't you?" Aaid Ruyan nervously.
"I don't know why, but I just inexplicably believe her." Du Rusong looked at the quiet room with indescribable tenderness in his eyes.
Du Ruyan bent over the table and whined for a while before she calmed down. She had no way to deal with these people. They were all so independent and bold!
After about an hour, the door of the quiet room finally opened. With no expression on her face, Lin Dan walked out slowly, as if she had just finished an ordinary embroidery. Du Rusong and Du Ruyan immediately walked over and looked at her with burning eyes.
"Aunt Du is inside. You can go in and have a look. The wound is bleeding. Wash it with warm water and dry it. Don't eat spicy food. It will be fine in two or three days."
Du Ruyan ran into the inner room in a hurry. She didn't go back these days and stayed in the Taoist temple to take care of her aunt.
Du Rusong stood beside her and said softly, "Thank you, Dan."
"I'm fine. You can go in and see Aunt Du," said Lin Dan uneasily, touching her earlobe.
"I'll go in after Aunt has dressed up." Du Rusong stood at the door for a while. When he heard his aunt calling someone inside, he went in and was stunned as soon as he walked around the screen. His eyes were full of disbelief.
Holding a bronze mirror, Empress Du asked in a relaxed and happy voice, "What's wrong? Can't you recognize your aunt?"
"Brother must be frightened! I almost screamed when I first came in. Oh, God, who is this peerless beauty? Is she the enchantress transformed from manjusaka?" Du Ruyan put her arms around Empress Du's neck and acted coquettishly, her eyes full of amazement.
Empress Du pinched her nose dotingly, looked at the bronze mirror, and whispered, "Manjusaka is also called the equinox flower, only blooming on the road to the netherworld. The previous Empress Du is dead, and now I am an evil flower from hell."
After her face was destroyed, even if she wanted revenge, she had no right to go back. But now the situation was different. If she used it properly, this face would be her most advantageous weapon. She and her two children would suffer a lot one day, and she would have to pay back a hundred times or a thousand times!
Seeing the fire burning in his aunt's eyes, Du Rusong felt a little uneasy. He turned to look at Lin Dan, who was washing her hands carefully with a calm expression and then smiled slowly. Well, no matter if there were swords, halberds, or flowers in front of him, he had to try for this person.Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @
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In the past year, the emperor's health was much worse than before. He had been sick for more than a month in a row. During the day, he coughed and felt dizzy. At night, his heart was palpitating and sweating, and it was difficult to fall asleep. After he finally fell asleep, he would have a lot of nightmares. Although he could not remember what happened in the dream after waking up, the empty and depressed feeling would stop in his heart for a long time.
His hair had grayed a lot and his handsome face was wrinkled with age. Facing his children and concubines around him, he somehow felt a little impatient and even bored. He liked to be alone more and more. Only the letter from the eldest prince he raised could make him a little happier.
That person was also in Lin'an Prefecture, but the eldest prince didn't mention a single word about her in the letter. The emperor looked through the thick pile of letters, again and again, searching word by word, but he got nothing. He had thought that the eldest prince would come back at the end of the year and spend the Spring Festival with him, but he didn't expect that he would meet the enemy and almost die at the bottom of the sea.
When the emperor received the report of the war, his mind was blank and he could not think of anything. When he came to his senses, all the people of the court had already knelt down, and he had unwittingly written down the imperial edict to go to Lin'an Prefecture. It was not until now that he let out a sigh of relief as if he could do nothing about it.
Half a month later, accompanied by the Du siblings, he went to the Taoist temple and quietly looked at the person standing on the edge of the cliff with her back to him.
"You're here." The woman said three words indifferently. A whistling wind blew up from the bottom of the cliff, blowing her words into pieces. She didn't kneel down or greet him. She just looked at the dark clouds in the distance and didn't know what she was thinking.
"Here I am." The emperor opened his mouth and found that his voice was so dry as if he had tried his best to squeeze out this sentence. Until now, he still remembered that the woman's tearful eyes and the bloody scars crisscrossed on her forehead before she left. Their love was just like those scars, painful and deep, but could never be restored.
"It's going to rain." The emperor didn't know what to say to her, so he could only say casually.
"Yes, it's going to rain." Empress Du finally turned around and looked at them.
Even Du Rusong and Du Ruyan who had already gotten used to this reborn aunt of theirs these days couldn't help but be stunned, not to mention the emperor and his confidants who were unprepared.
The guards were stunned and gasped. The emperor took a step back and seemed to be unable to bear it. Then he took a few steps forward and shouted hoarsely, "Fan……Fan'ge?"
A gust of strong wind with water vapor blew up from the bottom of the cliff, stirring the hem of Empress Du's pure black clothes. The hem of her clothes reflected the dark clouds behind her, like waves, or like some ominous sign. Empress Du glanced at the emperor indifferently, turned around, and looked into the distance. A burning manjusaka blossomed between her eyebrows. It was enchanting, but her eyes were like a bottomless pool, without any emotion. She lost a lot of weight. Her robe, which was too wide, gently flew over her body, as if it had integrated with the rolling and endless darkness behind her.
In the past, she was so beautiful and flamboyant, but now she was more beautiful than before, but she had lost her burning temperature. Looking at her dark and cold eyes, the emperor felt a sudden and indescribable pain in his heart.
"Is that you, Fan'ge?" He asked again, unable to take his eyes off her lonely figure.
"Come here. The cliff is dangerous." Seeing another gust of strong wind blowing the hem of Empress Du's clothes, the emperor's heart almost stopped beating. In a trance, he thought with cold sweat: If Fan'ge takes a step forward, will she disappear in this boundless black cloud forever?
Empress Du ignored him.
The emperor wanted to step forward, but he was afraid of frightening her, so he changed the topic. "I'm here to ask why you did that. We have been together for more than 20 years, why can't you trust me?"
Empress Du finally turned around and said word by word, "This is also what I want to ask you. Why can't you believe me?" She looked at the dark sky again and her voice was erratic: "Do you know that twenty years ago, to save you from the pool of cold water, I was completely injured and could never get pregnant again. I was worried that you would feel guilty and self-reproach, so I asked the imperial physician to keep this secret. When the eldest prince lost his mother at an early age, I raised him myself. The fourth prince, the sixth prince, as long as one of your children lost their mother, all of them were raised by me? I knew I couldn't conceive. If I really want to raise a child of my own, why did I have to wait twenty years to bring Madam Li into the palace? For so many years, I have been in charge of the palaces and raising children for you, and I have been on the verge of life and almost died for you several times. For you, I can risk my life, but in return? Do you know, as long as you believe me, I will tell you the secret? I hit the pillar, I went on a hunger strike, I stood in front of the gate of the cold palace and waited for you day and night, but I waited for a useless imperial edict, so I didn't want to say anything. Forget it, that's it…"
When telling all this, Empress Du's tone was very calm, as if she was telling someone else's story. She chuckled and said indifferently, "It's raining. Your majesty should go back."
It was boring, really boring… She shook her head and smiled quietly, as if she had buried the past, leaving only debris.
It was the first time that the emperor had heard of this, and his heart seemed to be cut by a sharp blade, which was unbearable. He said in disbelief, "Twenty years ago, you knew you were infertile? I… I didn't know." Twenty years ago, he was forced to jump into a cold pool to escape because of being assassinated, but he was unable to swim ashore because of cramps in his hands and feet. Empress Du rushed to save him with her guards and jumped into the cold water under the condition that everyone gave up on him, saving him from drowning in the pool. Since then, Empress Du was extremely afraid of the cold and stayed by the furnace every winter, unwilling to move. When she got her period, it would be painful to death.
He thought she had suffered for him, but he didn't expect her to lose her most precious thing. Looking at her beautiful but cold face, the emperor was at a loss.
The raindrops fell, wetting everyone's clothes and Empress Du's face. The fiery red manjusaka made her as bright as the sun, but it made her eyes even colder. She took a last look at the emperor and left with mud. The emperor stood still, not knowing whether it was rain or tears on his face.
Du Rusong and Du Ruyan bowed to each other silently and disappeared into the rain.
After a long time, the emperor came to his senses and staggered towards the Taoist temple. He pounded the door of the quiet room hard, but there was no response. He called the name of Empress Du again and again, but only the cold wind was whistling in his ears.
Winter had already passed, but the weather was so cold that it was bone-chilling.
—
After returning to the temporary residence, the emperor called the imperial physician who had served him for more than 20 years and asked, "Can't Empress Du have a baby?"
The imperial physician knelt down in fear. "Yes, to save the emperor, Empress Du was injured and could not get pregnant from now on. At that time, Your Majesty was in danger. You could not bear any stimulation, so Empress Du ordered me to hide it. I'm sorry, your majesty. Please forgive me."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" The emperor wiped off the censer on the table and roared hysterically. No wonder Empress Du treated every child as her own and patiently taught them. It turned out that she had long known that she would never have a chance to be a mother in her life. She raised several princes herself and had a deep relationship with them. Why did she have to kill Madam Li? The one in Madam Li's belly was still unknown whether it was a prince or a princess. What's the use of killing Madam Li? It had been twenty years. If she wanted to raise a child, why did she have to wait until now?
The biggest crime of Empress Du being relegated was the murder of the emperor's son. The emperor once believed in it, and then was disheartened with Empress Du. But now, his heart seemed to be tightly wrapped in a fire, burning, painful, and unbearable.
That night, the emperor fell ill, but on the second day, he forced himself to go to the Taoist temple and wanted to see Empress Du. Empress Du stayed at home and didn't want to see him.
On the third day, he still went to the Taoist temple and couldn't see Empress Du; on the fourth day, the fifth day… Seven days in a row, he was so sick that he couldn't even get out of bed. His originally thin face sank at a visible speed, mixed with much silver hair gradually stained with white.
On the ninth day, he had a high fever and fell into a coma.
The eldest prince was kneeling in the waiting room of Empress Du. It was not until midnight that the door, which had been closed for a long time, finally opened. The stunning but cold Empress Du looked down at him with unspeakable deep eyes.
—
The emperor had a nightmare again. He found himself soaked in a pool of cold water, surrounded by water weeds and bottomless darkness. The piercing cold made his hands and feet stiff and unable to escape. He soon could not breathe, but he saw a familiar figure quickly swimming towards him in despair. The one pushed away from the water weeds, revealing a beautiful face, and opened his mouth. The breath of life entered his mouth. He held her tightly, as if holding a beam of light in the darkness, or as if holding fire in the boundless cold.
Despair and anxiety instantly went away from him.
"Fan'ge!" He suddenly opened his eyes, only to find that the woman he had been dreaming of was really lying on the edge of his bed, holding his hand tightly with one hand, as if he had been taken care of every time he was sick before, and she had never left for a moment.
"Fan'ge!" At this moment, the emperor, with tears all over his face, had to admit that he couldn't let go of this woman, nor could he watch her walk away and take her as a passer-by.Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @
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The emperor recovered quickly. At the same time, he mentioned the case that Empress Du tried to murder his son again and sent a trusted minister to investigate it thoroughly. It had been more than three years, almost four years, and much evidence had been erased. However, the official in charge of the investigation still found some clues, and then chased after the fifth prince and his mother.
The news went back to Lin'an Prefecture. The emperor was sick again and forced Empress Du to stay in the manor. He apologized and apologized every day, playing a hard trick.
Empress Du hadn't returned to the temple for half a month, and all the things she kept in the temple had been cleaned up by the emperor's trusted eunuchs and taken away. If nothing went wrong, she would go back with the emperor when he returned to the palace.
The courtyard of the Du manor was still empty, and the large clans of Lin'an Prefecture were all watching the emperor's attitude. If he really made up with Empress Du, they could make friends with the Du siblings. But even so, compared with Concubine Min, who gave birth to a prince, Empress Du was still not enough. Her throne had been abolished. Even if the emperor brought her back, she would not be able to regain her former glory. Who could bear to see her scarred and horrible face all day long?
All the undercurrents were buried under the appearance of the song and dance. All the people were watching or spying, but only Lin Dan and Du Ruyan were doing business as nothing happened.
"Dandan, when will we sell the brocade we made? I don't care, you have to make a dress like Xu Qian's for me. I heard that my aunt might be able to go back to the palace with the emperor, and those cloth merchants came to me again, trying to sell the best cloth in their shop to me. Bah! When our brocade is produced, I will definitely kick them away, just like when they kicked them away from us!" Said Du Ruyan angrily while tidying up the embroidery rack.
"Okay, I'll make a new dress for you when I'm free. Is Aunt Du really going back to the palace with the emperor?" Lin Dan was rarely curious about a person's fate.
"I don't know what she is thinking, either," sighed Du Ruyan. "She has changed a lot. I can't figure out what she is thinking about."
"It doesn't matter if you can't figure it out. Go and take out the account book to see how much money we have earned recently," said Lin Dan, rubbing her hands.
"All right, all right. I'll bring them right now." Speaking of money, Du Ruyan's gloomy expression was immediately replaced by excitement. In this world, no pain could not be cured by money, especially the money they bitterly earned every minute.
The two of them held the account books and slowly counted the accounts head to head. Their expressions were very serious, but their eyes were bright. Du Rusong stood at the door for a long time. Seeing that they hadn't noticed him, he smiled helplessly. "You two really like money."
"Oh, Brother, you are here!" Said Du Ruyan, waving her hand without raising her head.
"Du Rusong, what's up?" Lin Dan stood up and greeted him while staring at the account book with reluctance.
"I want to book a set of clothing." Du Rusong walked to her and smiled warmly.
"Okay, I'll write two orders for you. What style, color, and pattern do you like?" Lin Dan took out a small notebook and carefully recorded Du Rusong's requirements. After that, she wrote down his sizes in the lower-left corner.
"Make a dark robe, black, with an auspicious cloud pattern." Du Rusong coughed and said in a low voice, "Recently, I have gained some weight, and my size may change a little more muscular. Dan'er, can you measure me again?"
Without any doubt, Lin Dan took Du Rusong to the inner room, took out a measuring tape, and carefully measured him. Then she nodded and said, "You've really become stronger, and your chest is half an inch larger."
Du Rusong looked down at her serious face and said slowly, "Dan'er, you said you wanted to drive the embroidery house to the capital city. If I beg you, would you like to go with me? Don't worry about anything. I will help you find a shop and people."
Lin Dan was stunned for a long time before she said hesitantly, "Du Rusong, I have a good time in Lin'an Prefecture. Why should I leave with you?"
Du Rusong took a deep breath and said cautiously, "I mean, are you willing to marry me?"
Lin Dan raised her head with her eyes wide open. Obviously, she didn't expect him to make such a request. After a while, she shook her head and said, "No, I don't want to. My mother wants me to find a son-in-law by adoption for her. If I get married, who will inherit the family business I have worked hard for?"
Looking at her surprised but not happy face, Du Rusong felt both disappointed and resigned. If she could fall in love with him, why did she have to wait till today? But it didn't matter. As long as he could be with her, it was enough as long as he could look at her and protect her. He didn't have any more requirements.
"I see." Du Rusong nodded slowly and then plucked up the courage to hold the petite girl in his arms.
Lin Dan bumped into Du Rusong's chest unexpectedly. Her forehead and nose were red, and her confused expression made Du Rusong laugh. He tightened his arms and let them go quickly. Then he walked out without saying a word.
After a long time, Du Ruyan walked in quietly, poked her head, and asked, "Are you, my sister-in-law?"
"I don't want to get married. I only want to find a son-in-law by adoption." It didn't matter to her whether she got married or not. But if she wanted to fulfill the wish of Lin Dafu and Zhang Hui, she must find a son-in-law and have a child, or the Lin family would be doomed.
Du Ruyan pouted in disappointment, but she didn't say anything. The two of them went outside and checked the accounts absent-mindedly. They were happy to find that the revenue had increased a lot.
"Let's go home!" said Du Ruyan happily, locking the account book in the closet.
"Take out a small piece of silver. Let's go shopping and buy some embroidered thread," said Lin Dan, rubbing her hands.
"How can a piece of silver be enough? If you want to take it, just take a big one." Du Ruyan picked it up from the money box and finally picked up a ten tael ingot of silver. The two of them were like mice who had stolen oil. They hid the money boxes into the dark grid under the floor tiles and sneaked out from the back door. If people who didn't know them saw them, they would never think that they were the bosses of this shop and thought they were thieves.
The two of them walked along Phoenix Avenue and played all the way. Suddenly, Du Ruyan stopped and quickly pulled Lin Dan into an empty alley. She lowered her voice and said, "Don't make any noise. My brother and his majesty are in the tavern in front of us. I don't want to see his majesty. Let's go on another road."
She still remembered how ruthless the emperor had been to her. She didn't want to see his hypocritical face at all.
"This is a dead-end. Let's change to another alley," said Lin Dan, pointing at the opposite.
When the two of them were about to sneak away, they saw Li Jiarong slowly walking over from the other end of the street with an arrogant expression on her face. When she passed by a passer-by, she would frown and fan her nose, as if she couldn't bear to be too close to these pariahs. Meng Si followed her step by step like a servant girl. Obviously, they didn't notice that the emperor was also in this street. Otherwise, they wouldn't be acting like this.
"We're not leaving!" Du Ruyan immediately changed her mind, "Let's play a trick on Li Jiarong."
"How?" As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Dan was pulled out by Du Ruyan. The two walked straight to Li Jiarong with their heads down and bumped into her.
"Are you blind? Can't you see the way?" Li Jiarong pushed the two women away. When she saw their faces, she immediately showed an expression of disgust.
"You bumped into us first, didn't you?" Said Du Ruyan in a low voice. "What are you proud of? My aunt will go back to the capital soon. You will still be trampled under my feet soon."
Li Jiarong was instantly enraged and screamed loudly: "That bitch from the Du clan's face has been ruined. She still wants to go back to the capital city. She is dreaming! My aunt can destroy her once, and then she can be destroyed two times. You and Du Rusong can't escape either. As long as you stay in Lin'an Prefecture, I can trample on you as I want! If you want to fight with me, let's see if you can stay alive! That bitch is a hen that won't lay eggs, but my aunt has already given birth to the ninth prince. Can she compete with my aunt? In the future, my aunt will go further… "
Before she could finish her words, a stern rebuke came from the stairs across the street, "You evil woman, shut up!"
She looked up and her face turned pale. The emperor was standing by the window, looking at her with malicious eyes. Behind him stood Li Ran, Li Xiudian, Du Rusong, the eldest prince, and the others. The scolding was from Li Ran. He was looking at her with a livid face, and his lips were trembling with anger.
"Your Majesty…" Just as she uttered a word, her mouth was covered by Du Ruyan.
"Uncle, you are also here," said Du Ruyan with a smile, as if she just saw the group of people.
The sullen emperor was pleased by the word "Uncle", which he hadn't seen for a long time. Seeing that she was so smart and knew to cover up his identity, his face was softer. "Let's have dinner here. Are you hungry? Come and eat with me."
"No, no. My sister and I are going to watch the play. I won't have dinner with you. It's boring." As soon as they left, Li Jiarong stood still with cold hands and feet. Du Ruyan grew up in the palace and had an unusual relationship with the emperor. She dared to make jokes and leave without saying goodbye to the emperor, but Li Jiarong didn't even dare to look at the emperor. This was the difference between a real lady and the faker.
The emperor looked at the back of Du Ruyan, shook his head, and laughed, with a doting expression on his face. When he looked at Li Jiarong again, his eyes instantly froze into ice. "The bitch from the Du clan? Destroy her? Further?" He turned to Li Ran, word by word, "It seems that there are many things that I haven't found out yet. Beloved Official Li, don't you think so?"
Li Ran and Li Xiudian immediately knelt down, sweating.
The emperor stared at their dark heads, and his eyes darkened. The truth that Fan'ge was framed must not be as simple as it seemed. And if Concubine Min wanted to go further, how much further did she want to go? Empress or even empress dowager?
As he was getting weaker and weaker, the emperor's attitude towards these princes and concubines had gradually changed from love to defense. It seemed that only Empress Du, who had lifelong infertility, lost the power of her own family, and wholeheartedly loved him, was the only person he could trust. However, he even lost such a person…Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @
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The emperor finally took the eldest prince back, and the large clans of Lin'an Prefecture were present to see him off. Li Ran, who had been treated coldly for many days, finally breathed a sigh of relief. He thought to himself: fortunately, his majesty didn't take Empress Du back. Fortunately, the Li family has done a good job in dealing with those things in the past. Otherwise, it would be trouble now.
But even so, the emperor might have already doubted Concubine Li and the Li family. The future of the ninth prince was still uncertain, which was the most worrying thing for Li Ran. As for Empress Du, who had restored her relationship with the emperor and cleared her name, he didn't take her seriously. A woman whose face had been ruined, even if she had been loved by the emperor, what could she do? Could she return to the capital city and ascend the throne again? There was no such thing as re-establishing an abolished empress in Great Zhou, let alone and empress who had been disfigured.
When the emperor came, he asked Empress Du to accompany him every day, just because he felt guilty. Otherwise, how could he not take her with him when he left? As the saying goes, the emperor's words cannot be changed. Empress Du will never be able to turn over in her life. Thinking of this, the officials who went to see off immediately dispelled the idea of making friends with the Du siblings.
Time was almost up. The emperor turned around and tried to search in the crowd, but he couldn't find the figure he had been looking forward to. The pain and reluctance in his heart were indescribable.
"Why didn't Rusong and Ruyan come?" he asked in a low voice.
The eldest prince knew who he really wanted to ask about, so he hurried forward and replied, "Father Emperor, Madam Du is sick. They are accompanying Madam Du in the Taoist temple now, so they can't come."
"What Madam Du?" the emperor said in a cold tone, "That's your Mother Empress! She has just left the Imperial City, but you have forgotten her? You were personally brought up by her. When you were a child, the cold air in your body caused a high fever, and it was always impossible to bring it down. She stayed by your bed all night to apply the cold compress for you. Don't you remember at all?"
"I remember everything, but she is not the empress after all. As the saying goes, the master and the servant are different, how can I call her randomly?" the eldest prince bowed his head and cupped his hands. "Father Emperor, it's almost time to go. Let's go. Qiwu (Note: this translates to "parasol tree perch," which is the legendary resting place of the phoenix) Palace has a new master, and there is no position for Madam Du in the palace anymore. You can keep her here and let her live the rest of her life in peace. Haven't you heard what she said? The current life is what she wants most."
"That's against her will, not true!" the emperor lowered his voice and said angrily.
The father and son quarreled immediately. The ministers were too far away to hear what they were talking about, but they had a lot of guesses about the relationship between the two of them.
Li Ran stared at the emperor's seat with dark eyes. Although he was the governor of the Zhejiang Province, he couldn't even get close to the emperor. His position was arranged behind the officials like the Fantai (藩台) and Nietai (臬台). It could be seen that the emperor's trust in him had been greatly reduced. Before he could gain a firm foothold in the province, he was facing the danger of being sidelined. All this was attributed to the remaining people of the Du family, and also to Li Jiarong.
Thinking of this, Li Ran lowered his head with a malicious look.
The emperor's heart sank when he heard what the eldest prince said. He waved his hand and said, "Wait a little longer. Postpone the trip for half an hour." These days, Fan'ge had been taking good care of him. He didn't believe that she had any feelings for him at all. When she heard that he was about to leave, she would come to see him if she was a little reluctant. As long as she came, he would never let her go!
With such thoughts in his mind, the emperor stood at the dock for a long time, one hour, two hours, until the sunset and the night fell, and Empress Du did not appear. The emperor kept looking in the direction of the Taoist temple. His wide robe was rustling with the cold wind, which made people feel that they were about to fall.
The eldest prince summoned up his courage and urged, "Father Emperor, let's go. Don't wait any longer. You should have known it when you gave the decree of abolishment that year that she would never go back. You should know her better than us what kind of person she is."
What kind of person was Empress Du? Even if she was slandered to such an extent, even if she crashed into the pillar, and went to the cold palace, she gritted her teeth and did not reveal her secret of infertility. She wanted to hear from him personally that he still loved her, and he absolutely trusted her. Only by getting this promise would she reverse the case for herself. Otherwise, she would rather leave with those fabricated charges and leave the magnificent palace.
She didn't care about power and status. She only cared about whether their relationship was as pure as before. But he let her down, so she left dejectedly. She would rather die when life is a disgrace.
Thinking of this, the emperor's eyes finally turned red, and he almost choked with sobs. "Let's go." He finally looked at the mountain where the Taoist temple was located, and his eyes were faintly filled with tears.
The officials, who had been shivering with cold wind for a few hours, breathed a sigh of relief. They didn't know what his Majesty was waiting for. Maybe it was because the wind was too strong on the river, so he was waiting for the weather to get better. His Majesty was standing alone at the edge of the dock and no one was allowed to approach him. Since they couldn't get any information, they could only say to themselves, "The emperor's heart is unpredictable."
At the same time, Empress Du was standing on the edge of the cliff and looking in the direction of the dock. Different from the emperor's despair and sadness, she actually had a pleasant smile on her face.
Staring at her side face for a long time, Du Ruyan asked cautiously, "Aunt, why didn't you go back with him when his majesty proposed?"
"I'll leave as he says. Will I go back as he says?" Empress Du waved her hand and said, "Don't pry into these things. I have my own considerations."
"Well, then I won't ask anymore." Empress Du chuckled as Du Ruyan covered her mouth obediently. She looked at her nephew and asked softly, "Do you have any plans for the future? Do you want to leave or stay?"
Without hesitation, Du Rusong said, "Now that Dan'er doesn't want to leave, I'll stay. After she makes the embroidery house bigger in the future, I'll go to the capital city with her."
Empress Du said in a playful tone, "That is to say, where Miss Lin is is where you will be?"
Du Rusong nodded with a red face, "Yes, I will be wherever she is."
"Me too. I'll be there as long as Dandan is. I'll always feel a little uneasy if I leave Dandan. Auntie, although she is four or five years younger than me, she is very powerful." Du Ruyan said as well.
Empress Du smiled, "I see. Miss Lin is the best woman in the world. Don't you feel tired of saying that every day? Well, since you don't want to go back, you can stay here. But you have to be careful of the Li family." Then she left the cliff and walked towards the quiet room.
Looking at her straight back, Du Ruyan asked in a low voice, "Brother, what does Aunt think? Will she go back or not?"
"Of course she has to go back, but not now. If she wants to go back, that man has to come in person. You don't have to worry about these things." Du Rusong looked at the sky and sped up. "Let's go down the mountain quickly. Before going out, Dan'er asked me to buy a few perch fish back. It's dark now, and the fishermen should go home. If we don't go, we won't be able to buy it."
"Well, does Dandan want to cook the perch herself?" Said Du Ruyan. She immediately put her worries aside, quickly climbed into the carriage, and urged, "Uncle Sun, hurry up. Dandan is cooking personally today!"
"Okay, Young Miss, sit tight. I'll leave now!" Uncle Sun waved his whip and said in a loud voice.
After the emperor left, the Du family and the Lin family lived a common life, but the Li family was a little restless. First, Li Jiarong was punished by Li Ran and locked in the room. Then, Li Xiudian quarreled with his parents over his marriage with Meng Si.
Empress Du was once again forgotten. She always wore a thick veiled hat outside. Curious ladies and debutantes ran to see her, but they couldn't see her true face, so they gave up. On the day Empress Du came to Lin'an Prefecture, many people had seen the scar on her forehead. They didn't expect that she could recover as before, or become even more beautiful.
However, seven days later, on a stormy and windy day, the imperial carriage that was supposed to leave the city came back. The emperor got off the ship in a hurry and took a carriage to the Taoist temple.
After receiving the news, the officials of Lin'an Prefecture quickly followed them. The servants they brought with them held torches, illuminating the dark mountain forest as if it was daytime. Seven days were enough for them to drive half the way, and he would arrive at the capital city in seven days. However, the emperor turned back in the middle of the way, even though he had always paid attention to safety. What did it mean?
What was in Lin'an Prefecture that the emperor couldn't let go of? What was it that he was worried about and couldn't give up? When he was about to turn around and look for it in a hurry?
Empress Du, the answer appeared almost at the same time in everyone's mind but was immediately denied by them. Since Empress Du had been disfigured, how could she fight against those coquettish concubines? Wouldn't his majesty feel sick to see her ferocious face?
Li Ran rode a fast horse to the Taoist temple. His face was as dark as ink. If one wanted to ask who didn't want Empress Du to be pampered the most in the world, Li Ran would be the only one who didn't want her to be pampered again, except for Concubine Min. Not only did she have a beautiful face, but Empress Du was also clever. If she wasn't brainwashed by the so-called love, she wouldn't have been plotted by them.
Perhaps others couldn't see the truth in the mist, and even the emperor would be deceived, but she didn't. Empress Du always knew who caused her to fall to this situation.
Li Ran would never underestimate Empress Du because the spies that he sent to monitor Empress Du were finally pulled out mercilessly. That Taoist temple was now under the control of Empress Du, and no one else had the chance to interfere. Why has she become entangled with the emperor again? How far had their relationship been repaired? What did the emperor return to do this time? Li Ran didn't know at all.
He could only use the stupidest way to watch in person in the name of escort. Obviously, the officials of Lin'an Prefecture also arrived at the door one after another.Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @
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Why is the emperor back again?"
"In seven days, the road is halfway through, but he has to turn back, how anxious is the emperor?"
"Could it be that the emperor wants to bring the abolished empress back?"
"Impossible? You can't see the face of the deposed empress at all!"
"If not, why did the emperor rush to the Taoist temple?"
"His Royal Highness is over there, why don't we ask him?"
All the officials talked about me one by one, and pushed and shoved for a while, but no one dared to ask the eldest prince. They were isolated by a group of imperial guards ten meters away from the quiet room, while the emperor stood at the door of the quiet room, his back was a little stooped, and his expression could not be seen clearly. After about a quarter of an hour, he summoned up his courage and shouted: "Fan'ge, I'm back, I'm here to take you away!"
The door was silent.
The officials kept their mouths shut, looking in disbelief. The emperor really came to take away the waste empress, she has been disfigured, how could she?
Li Ran took a deep breath and tried to put on a calm expression.
"Fan'ge, will you open the door?" The emperor's tone was pleading.
There was still no response from the door.
"Fan'ge, I beg you, go back with me. For the past seven days, I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I was thinking about you. Seeing Lin'an Prefecture gradually disappearing into the thick fog, I'm afraid this is the last time we'll meet in our life. The last time, I was in grief! Please open the door, how can you forgive me, tell me!"
The emperor's slightly choked voice and the extremely sad words made all the officials stunned. They did not expect that the ruler of the world would be so humble and powerless in front of the abolished empress.
The door remained closed, and the commander of the Imperial Forest Army whispered, "Your Majesty, shall we slam the door open?"
"You dare to be abusive to my empress?" The emperor turned his head to look at him, his sad expression replaced by cruelty. He will never let anyone hurt Fan'ge again, including himself.
This scene fell in the eyes of others, and it caused a storm in their hearts. Looking at it like this, where did the emperor hate the waste empress, he clearly loved her so much! The emperor himself admitted that she was still the empress, but what about her face? The mother of Great Zhou, they couldn't let a disfigured woman be that, right?
Just when everyone couldn't figure out the situation, Du Rusong and Du Ruyan came over after hearing the news and went to the eldest prince to say hello.
Hearing the voices of the siblings, the emperor immediately turned his head and said, "Rusong, Yan'er, come and help me persuade your aunt to go back with me."
Du Rusong and Du Ruyan bowed deeply and said nothing.
The emperor said again: "I watched you grow up with my own eyes, and this time you go back with me, okay?" There was some flattery in his tone.
"Your Majesty, we are no longer surnamed Guan, and we will never be able to go back to that home." Du Rusong knelt down slowly and said word by word, "Your Majesty, Aunt can't go back either, so please let her go."
"Why can't she go back? As long as I say a word, she can go back!" The emperor was stunned, then quickly changed his words: "No no no, as long as Fan'ge nods her head, she can go back! As long as she nods, we can go back."
"Your Majesty, my aunt doesn't want to nod her head or go back. Just let her go! Yan'er is begging you, Yan'er is kowtowing to you!" Du Ruyan knocked her head on the ground with a loud sound until the skin was broken. She really didn't want Aunt to go back to the capital. There was no warmth there, only calculations. Everyone's hearts were soaked in dirty water. If Aunt goes back, who knows if she can come out alive in the future?
Seeing Du Ruyan's blood-stained forehead and blurred face, the emperor couldn't help but think of the scene when Empress Du hit a pillar and committed suicide. He stiffened for a moment, then showed a look of remorse and surging fear finally overwhelmed him. He has already lost Empress Du once, and he can't lose her a second time!
Thinking of this, instead of being persuaded, he went crazy.
"Fan'ge, can't you come out? If you don't come out, I will burn this Taoist temple with a fire, and I will see where you can hide. Come on, catch all the Taoist nuns in the Taoist temple and throw them in in the fire!" He shouted hoarsely.
Soon some guards grabbed the Taoist nuns who were watching the fun and tied them with ropes, but they didn't stop their mouths. They cried and begged the emperor for mercy, and when they saw his face full of murderous intent, they begged for mercy from Empress Du who was inside the door. Desperate cries echoed in the mountain forest, sending chills in the hearts of the officials.
The emperor has always been kind and gentle, and it is unheard of and unseen to be so tyrannical as he is now. In order to bring Empress Du back, he could beg in a low voice, and he could also use these extremely cruel methods, but it didn't look like him at all! What kind of charm does Empress Du have to make the ruler of a country become so obsessed with her that he will never abandon her even when she is disfigured? Could it be that she was a witch who secretly poured * soup for the emperor?
The officials were puzzled, but they had to kneel down and beg the emperor not to kill innocent people indiscriminately.
Du Ruyan cried even louder, but never mentioned the words of asking her aunt to go back with the emperor.
One of the youngest Taoist nuns was pulled out by the commander of the guards and pushed into the firewood room. He had already inquired clearly that the Taoist nun was in charge of taking care of Empress Du on weekdays and was one of her favorite people. The little Daoist cried out of breath, shouting "Aunt Jue Ming, help".
Jue Ming was the name of Empress Du.
This title obviously offended the emperor, and he snarled: "Stop her mouth for me and push her in!"
The commander of the guards immediately blocked the mouth of the little Taoist nun, and the desperate cry for help came to an abrupt end. Seeing that a life was about to be destroyed by the fire, the closed door was finally opened, and Empress Du stepped out of the darkness.
The officials saw her face clearly, and their expression went blank. Empress Du doesn't need to give the emperor * soup, her face is the most powerful * soup in the world, enough to make anyone crazy for her. Those scars that were criss-crossed and terrifying in the past have turned into a bright red blood-like, full-fledged manjusaka, which is so enthusiastic and unrestrained. However, under this scorching flower was Empress Du's bottomless, bone-chilling eyes.
Such a contrast gave her already gorgeous appearance an indescribable sense of magic. If she is willing to smile, or just take a casual glance, she can make many people dedicate their infatuation, and even their lives, to her.
There is a beautiful woman in the north, exceptional and peerless. One look overthrows a city, another look overthrows a country. A city-ruining, country-destroying woman who doesn't know peace. She will never be found again. This ancient ballad appeared in everyone's minds at the same time, making them understand with hindsight: why did the emperor linger in Lin'an Prefecture and refuse to leave, why did he hurry back halfway, why did he beg so humbly and threaten so frantically……
If such a beautiful woman is lost, she will never be found again!
Li Ran's face was pale, and he staggered backwards, as if he had seen a ghost. He realized very clearly that once she returned to the capital after the abolition, the palace would definitely change, and everything his sister had now would be lost! With those old feelings, with this appearance, the abolished empress is almost nowhere to be found!
Can't let the waste empress go back! As soon as the idea came up, he was immediately snuffed out. If he had known that the empress's appearance had recovered, he would still be able to act, but now, the emperor will definitely protect the empress in an airtight manner. How difficult is it for him to move her?
Seeing that the emperor hugged Empress Du tightly in his arms, trembling with excitement, and even crying with joy, Li Ran clenched his fists and retreated step by step into a corner where the torches could not see.
Empress Du stood motionless, did not hug him back, and her slightly closed eyes never looked at anyone, so no one knew what kind of icy piercing flame was dancing in her dark pupils.
After receiving Empress Du, the emperor hurried down the mountain and took a ship to leave Lin'an Prefecture overnight, for fear of what changes would happen. As soon as he returned to Beijing, he ordered Imperial Concubine Min to move out of the Qiwu Palace to make room for the empress. Although he did not formally order to restore the empress's position, he loved her very much.
When the news came back to Lin'an Prefecture, the Li family immediately became the laughing stock of the whole city. So what if a prince was born, as long as Empress Du went for a while, Li Min would still be beaten back to her original shape. Li Ran's power was gradually overtaken by several subordinates, but he was unable to return to the sky with his intentions, and could only temporarily be dormant.
The marriage between Meng Si and Li Xiudian was put on hold. Now the Li family needed the support of more high-level giants. At this time, Li Ran will never let his son marry a lowly embroiderer. Meng Zhong failed to get Li Xiudian out after posting several times, and his mood became more and more anxious.
He originally thought that Lin Dan would never be able to turn over again, but for some unknown reason, she actually restored the "Zhuijin" that had been lost hundreds of years ago. It was a brocade that only the royal family could wear during the prosperous Tang Dynasty! It is a treasure that has long since disappeared in the long river of history! Its brilliance, delicate texture, bright color, and exquisite composition have been wildly sought after by the ladies and ladies of Lin'an Prefecture almost as soon as it came out.
The inner supervisor sent by the imperial court to purchase fabrics went to the Du manor to visit the Du siblings after disembarking, and even represented Empress Du to send many gifts, all in line with their preferences. It was said that Danyan Embroidery House has Du Ruyan's shares, and without saying a word, it was designated as the first stop for purchasing, and he didn't even look at the invitations handed by others.
If he was strong enough, Meng Zhong wouldn't have to worry so much, but he knew too well the charm of brocade and how difficult he would face. As long as the inner inspector had seen the embroidery, he would never see other fabrics again. And his royal business qualification will definitely be replaced by Lin Dan.
Sure enough, after looking at the fabrics in Suzhou and Hangzhou, the inner supervisor designated the embroidery as a "first-class tribute" and included it in the register of imperial merchants. Although the new-style Shu brocade was also selected, the grade and price were completely incomparable with embroidery. Danyan Embroidery House, which was once trampled by Meng Zhong arbitrarily, has now become the best embroidery shop in Lin'an Prefecture.
What Lin Dafu failed to achieve, Lin Dan did; what heights Lin Dafu failed to reach, Lin Dan did. Now that everyone mentions the Lin family again, they all give a thumbs up and praise "the family has a good daughter, and the future generations surpass."Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @
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It has been three months since Empress Du returned to the capital city, and Lin Dan's Zhuojin was selected as a tribute and sent to the palace, perhaps already worn on her. The man heard that the emperor loved her so much that she was presented with the best palaces, the best jewelry, and the best brocade clothes.
But Empress Du remained unchanged and set up a Taoist temple in Qiwu Palace, which was praying every day without stepping out of the palace. Once in a while, she met Concubine Min, who was sent by the emperor. But Concubine Min in her face lifted up her unpleasant past, which had made her slightly warmed up and immediately frozen to the ice for three consecutive days without eating or sleeping, just to force the emperor to send her away from this place.
The emperor was so angry that he almost lost his mind. He went to the palace of Concubine Min and scolded her severely, and then scolded her as a maid. If it weren't for the help of Empress Du in the past, how could she be today? She not only didn't know how to be grateful but also put Empress Du in an awkward situation all the time. What a bitch! She forgot her origin as soon as she gained power!
The ninth prince, who was choked and crying by his maids, couldn't calm the emperor down. After he left, he immediately issued an imperial edict to demote Concubine Min as Fei, deprive her of her noble title, and grounded her in the palace from now on. What Li Jiarong said that day had planted a seed of suspicion in the emperor's heart. It would be fine if Concubine Min was hidden, but she couldn't control her temper and went to provoke Empress Du. This hit the emperor's sore spot, and his suspicion of Concubine Min and the Lis reached its peak.
Fei Li (once called Concubine Min ) was having a hard time, and so was Li Ran. Everyone in Lin'an was laughing at him. No one executed the political order he issued, and no one echoed his proposal. He was completely a decoration.
On the other hand, Du Rusong was vigorous and vigorous, from centurion to chiliarch, and then was promoted to the chief soldier. Presumably, not long after, even the commander Xu would have to bow in front of him. However, others couldn't find his flaws, because he was good at both Kungfu and literature. He also dared to fight. When they fought against the enemy, he was always the first one to rush. The merits he obtained were all up to his own ability. He was also good at winning over people's hearts. He had once worked with his soldiers, and he remembered their names. From time to time, he would go to the camp to drink with them and have a good chat, without putting on airs. He didn't neglect his performance at all. His way of doing things was impeccable.
"Is the golden scale not a thing in the pond? It will turn into a dragon as soon as it meets the wind and clouds."(金鳞岂非池中物，一遇风云便化龙) This sentence was suitable to describe Du Rusong. He was not a mortal. He could stand out when he was bullied by Lis maliciously in the past. Now with the care of Empress Du and the emperor, he was able to rise to fame.
Under the leadership of Lin Dan, Du Ruyan made a successful silk business. After the news of Zhuojin spread, not only the ladies and debutantes of Lin'an would come to the Danyan Embroidery House to buy cloth, but also people from several cities around would scramble for it. Zhuojin was a tribute that they couldn't afford, but it was not inferior to Zhuojin, which was enough to compare with the brocade produced by the Meng's Embroidery House.
"It's okay. More and more people are buying cloth recently. How about we find a few more weaving women to expand the production?" said Ruyan, standing beside the handrail on the second floor and looking down, with a sign on her face. There were a lot of people crowded downstairs. Some were buying cloth, some were buying embroidering, and some were coming to join the fun. On the contrary, the Meng's Embroidery House in front of them was not as full as the Danyan Embroidery House.
"If we hire a few more employees, can you guarantee that they won't spread the Zhuojin after learning the techniques?" said Lin Dan, waving her hand."Now the cloth was enough for sale. There was no need to produce more. If there was more, it would be worthless. We just make the top quality article"
To keep her skills secret, Lin Dan bought slaves from others to make cloth. Generally speaking, female slaves who had signed contracts wouldn't run away. Even if they ran away, they could report to the government and bring them back and also punish the people who hid them. Lin Dan knew Empress Du. So the cloth merchants in Lin'an would only rob Lin Dan's slaves if they were fools.
After thinking for a while, Ruyan gave a thumbs up and said, "You said I could do business, but in fact, you are better than me. You are just impatient to deal with these trifles."
Lin Dan shook his head with a smile and continued to embroider. At this moment, Xu Qian took a maid to the second floor, followed by the attentive female shopkeeper. Miss Xu was a distinguished guest of the Danyan Embroidery House, which was known to all the people in Lin'an. Now, Lin Dan seldom embroidered clothes for others, but as long as it was asked by Xu Qian, she would agree. After all, Xu Qian was a loyal customer of the Danyan Embroidery House, and she would never change her attitude towards her because of the ups and downs of Lin Dan. They were friends from the very beginning.
"Oh, Qian, you're here. Your clothes are ready. I'll go get them for you." said Ruyan, dropping her abacus immediately.
Putting down the embroidery needle, Lin Dan said gently, "Go to the back of the screen and have a try. I'll change anything that doesn't fit you."
"Thank you for your kindness," said Xu Qian with a bright smile on her face. Although she only had a common face, because of her unique temperament, she didn't look inferior when standing with a group of young ladies. Now she was wearing a fairy dress made of Lin Dan all day long, which was the most beautiful scenery in Lin'an. Wherever she went, she was the focus of the crowd. Although the eldest prince didn't express his intention to accept her before he left, he warned commander Xu and General Li to temporarily solve her crisis, so she lived a comfortable life now.
After being watched many times, Xu Qian's self-confidence also increased. Her temperament was still calm, but there was also a trace of disdain in it. She walked slowly to her side and stared at her unfinished embroidery, her eyes full of admiration.
While Xu Qian was looking at the embroidery, the guests on the second floor all gathered around to see what kind of dress Lin Dan had made for her today. Now she was the trend of Lin'an. What kind of clothes she wore today could be seen all over the street tomorrow.
They wanted to pull her down and be Lin Dan's exclusive guest. But Lin Dan was silent and indifferent. She was by no means an uneasy target to please. If they had known that the Lins would end up like this, these guests would have reached out their hands to her and made her a friend when the Lins were down.
Seeing that Xu Qian went upstairs to the two floors, more and more guests came to join in the fun. They needed to see the dress made by Lin Dan's new work clearly as soon as possible, and then ask others from the Danyan Embroidery House to copy it. Although what others did was far from being as immortal as what Lin Dan did, they were of the same style and wouldn't be ridiculed by others.
As soon as Ruyan turned around to take something, the two floors were crowded with guests, which made her mouth twitch.
"Step aside, step aside." she squeezed out of the passage with difficulty.
"What style and cloth is this dress today?" a guest asked excitedly.
"There are all kinds of cloth used in the shop. You can find them yourself later, but the pattern on the cloth is Dan embroidered by herself. I'm afraid you can't restore it."Ruyan said.
The guests sighed. Now everyone knew that Lin Dan's embroidery was the best in Lin'an. It was impossible to restore her embroidery! Sure enough, when Xu Qian changed her clothes and walked out of the screen, the guests could not even sigh. They could only look at her in astonishment.
It was a slip dress with a pink silk ribbon going through her armpit, forming the shape of a rose on her chest, outlining her full and soft chest, and making her legs particularly slender. The pure white dress was naturally and fluffy, and the way she walked was as ethereal as a cloud, which seemed to be normal. But when she walked to the window, the man suddenly found that the pure white cloth was embroidered with a pink rose with single silk. The silk was so thin that it could not be seen in the light, and it would flicker in the sun.
With every step, Xu Qian took, the pink rose would change with the light and shadow. It felt so fantastic. The blouse was covered with pink cicada-wings-like gauze, and only a little exposed at the neckline, sleeves, and the end of the skirt, which made the finishing point.
The crowd stared at the ethereal Xu Qian, held their breath, and thought, "Miss Lin has never let me down. With the dress embroidered by her hands, I can't find the second one in the world."
However, Lin Dan was not satisfied. She walked around Xu Qian for two circles, and then took out a few feet of pink gauze, which was cut into a silk cappa, and made a fake rose with the same color and quality of gauze. She asked Xu Qian to put it on.
After putting on the silk cappa and silk flowers, Xu Qian looked different from her previous elegant and plain appearance, as if she had added a touch of glamour and a little prettier.
"Wow, your skills are getting better and better!" said Xu Qian sincerely after looking at the hem of her dress for a while.
Before Lin Dan could say anything, the ladies and debutantes surrounding the door shouted with hope, "Miss Lin, are you free recently? Can you make a dress like this for me? The price is up to you!"
"My Dan is too busy to receive orders. Besides, she never makes the same dress," said Ruyan, pushing them out. "You can find someone else to do it. Don't block here. We still have a business to do." Since her brother's promotion and her mother's return to the Imperial City, her arrogance and willfulness had returned. If anyone got in her way, she would fight back and show no respect. But the women in Lin'an didn't dare to provoke her at all. They had to hold her carefully. Li Jiarong, her rival, hadn't shown up for a long time. It was said that one of her shins was broken by Li Ran and she was recuperating at home.
The crowd dispersed reluctantly under the reproach of Du Ruyan. At this time, a line of officers and soldiers broke in and wanted to search the shop without saying anything. Du Ruyan and the shopkeeper tried to stop them but failed. They were so anxious that they sent people to look for Du Rusong.
Lin Dan urged Xu Qian to leave as soon as possible and pulled Ruyan behind her, frowning.
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110
Seeing the soldier break into the Danyan Embroidery House with a long halberd, Meng Zhong shook a cup of hot tea and smiled slowly. Empress Du just returned to the imperial city and hadn't got a seat yet. To put it bluntly, she was just an illegitimate and nameless concubine. How could she compete with Fei Li, who had a solid foundation and had a son?
Fei Li was stunned by the emperor's attitude and didn't fight back in time. Now that she had recovered, she would naturally eliminate the remaining evils of the Dus. Meng Zhong was lucky enough to be connected with the Lis. While dealing with the Dus, he also wanted to step Lin Dan into the mud. This time, he would like to see how Lin Dan could turn the tables.
In the storehouse of the Danyan Embroidery House, Lin Dan's hands were cut back by two soldiers, and she knelt on the ground with force. The leader pointed at a prying box and said coldly, "Lin, how dare you!"
"This box is not ours! You framed us!" said Ruyan angrily, kicking the man who had kidnapped Lin Dan. What was hidden in the box was a piece of Darcy wood. It wouldn't be a big deal if it was found alone, but there was bright yellow silk beside it.
The wood was also called the Sawyer wood. Leaves could nourish silkworms, tree trunks could make furniture, and more importantly, it could be used as a dye. Since the Tang Dynasty, the bright yellow cloth worn by the emperor was rendered with it, so it was a tribute. But now, the piece of wood and the bright yellow satin were hidden in a small folk embroidery house, which was closely related to Empress Du. What would the emperor think if the news spread back to the capital city? His trust in Empress Du, which he had just established, would probably be shattered again.
Ruyan instantly understood that the farce today was not only to deal with Lin Dan but also to deal with her aunt. She had already said that her aunt shouldn't go back to that place where people ate each other and shouldn't be stained with these pickled things. Why did she have to be so stubborn?
Her eyes turned red as if she was about to cry.
"Don't cry, Ruyan. To find your brother first," said Lin Dan in a calm tone.
The leader of the soldiers sneered, "what are you looking for? You have hidden the yellow silk and the wood, and you have committed the crime of treason. No one can escape today. You have to be locked up in the prison! Someone will also catch Mr. Du. You can wait for him in the prison."
Hearing this, Du Ruyan suddenly collapsed, but Lin Dan slightly lowered her head to hide her ruthless expression. Now that things had come to this, she couldn't show any evidence to prove her innocence. She might as well kill all these people and run away with her mother, two concubines, and Cuilan. Those Japanese women were also brought with them. They wandered on the sea with the enemy and knew clearly where there was an island they could live on. When she went to those small islands and was far away from the rule of the Great Zhou, she could do whatever she liked. Even if she was a pirate, it was better than being killed.
Thinking of this, Lin Dan's eyes were full of murderous will. When she was about to break free from the arms of the soldiers and launch an attack, she heard a rush of footsteps from outside.
"Mr. Xiao, you are so rude!" Du Rusong strode in and saw Lin Dan pressed on the ground. His eyes became cold.
"General Du, you're here. We're going to send someone to invite you to the military camp. Now that everyone is here, you don't have to bother us to come here again." the officer named Xiao pointed at the box in the corner and said, "Is this your stuff? Who is this cloth for? Please explain it to Lord. Li in person."
"There is no need to go to the Yamen. I can tell you now that this cloth was dyed for my aunt." Du Rusong wanted to draw a saber and cut the two people who held Lin Dan into meat paste, but he restrained himself. He gritted his teeth, held back his anger, and pulled his sister up.
"Brother, don't talk nonsense!" shouted Ruyan in horror.
Mr. Xiao grinned hideously. When he was about to order to arrest these traitors, Du Rusong said slowly "His majesty has issued an imperial edict to re-bestow the title of my aunt. The grand preceptor will be held at the end of the month. She asked Miss Lin to dye this cloth and is waiting to send it to the imperial city to make a robe for her. If you like it, please take it away. Later, I will write a letter to my aunt to explain the whole story to her."
"No, it's impossible! I've never heard that Empress Du can be conferred the title again! It's impossible!" Mr.Xiao's complacent expression was replaced by panic.
"Believe it or not," Du Rusong kicked away the two soldiers and pulled Lin Dan into his arms. He patted her back with great care and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry. I'm here to get you into trouble. Don't be afraid."
With the help of his broad chest, Lin Dan restrained the murderous look in her eyes and shook her head. "I'm not afraid."
Du Rusong patted her on the back and said softly, "Let's go back." then he held his sweetheart with one hand and his sister with the other. Before he went out, he looked back carefully at the officers and soldiers coming today and engraved their faces in his heart. He would settle the score with them the next day.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]
He didn't look at the living, but at the dead, which made them shiver. No one didn't dare to stop them and let them go. The soldiers who came with Du Rusong made a gesture of cutting their necks with a bloody smile.
After they left, an officer said in a trembling voice, "Mr.Xiao, is it true that Empress Du has been renamed?"
"This must be a delaying tactic used by Mr. Du!" Mr. Xiao said through gritted teeth, but he didn't dare to mention the arrest anymore. He waved his hand and said, "Let's go back today. We'll talk about it after the news is confirmed."
"What should we do if the news is true?"
This question made Mr. Xiao's face turn pale and he felt like his liver and gall were splitting. His eyes kept changing, and finally, he laughed sinisterly. "Then let's sell out the people above and die together!"
Meng Zhong was a little disappointed to see Du Rusong come out with intact Lin Dab and Du Ruyan. Treason was a felony to kill all family, and even Empress Du couldn't escape, let alone these bastards.
However, at this moment, Du Rusong and Lin Dan raised their heads at the same time and looked at Meng Zhong with the same cold eyes, which made them smile at the corners of his mouth stiff on his face. He accidentally knocked over the teacup and scalded his wrist. He immediately took a few steps back to avoid the sight of the two, and his heartbeat rapidly.
Du Rusong had fought with all his might in the bloody storm. It was not strange that he had a strong aura, but it was no less than that of Lin Dan. The thick malicious aura was like that of a demon from the hell, suffocating. At the thought of this, a sense of foreboding rose in his heart.
After getting in the carriage, Du Ruyan asked in a low voice, "Brother, has auntie really been conferred the title of Empress Du?"
"Yes, I just received a letter from her. The news will be spread to Lin'an in a few days." Du Rusong poured a cup of hot tea for Lin Dan and said in a soft voice, "Dan, drink some water to calm down."
"Thank you. I'm not afraid," said Lin Dan, handing the cup to Ruyan.
Ruyan quickly drank a cup of tea and said in admiration, "Dan, aren't you afraid at all? If we are really caught, it will be a big crime to kill all of us!"
"What are you afraid of? At the worst, kill all those people. Let's go to the sea by ship and be pirates. My mother has a way to make weapons and armors, and your brother can get the warships through the military camp. I'm a little bit powerful. You're good at doing business and can help us sell the spoils. When we go out of the sea, we can do whatever we want and grab as much money as we want. We're not living a hard life now." As she spoke, a look of yearning appeared in her eyes, as if it was a pity that she hadn't become a wanted criminal.
Hearing that, the teacup in Ruyan's hand fell on the cushion with a click.
Du Rusong was stunned at first and then covered his face with his hand to stifle a smile. He should have thought of the way to survive in any case. But Lin Dan was one of the most valiant girls in the Great Zhou, and there was no way for her to survive.
"Dan, how can you be so cute?" seeing the serious look on Lin Dan's face, Du Rusong changed from a muffled smile to a loud one.
Ruyan giggled too. The previous fear had completely dissipated. She should have thought that as long as there was Dan, she didn't need to worry about anything because Dan could always think of a solution. What was wrong with being a pirate? Being able to roam the whole world without scruple was much better than now!
After they returned home, Du Rusong got off first, turned around, and without saying anything, he put his hands under Lin Dan's armpits and held her down. He was very tall, and these days he had gone through a lot of battles in all directions, so he became stronger. While Lin Dan inherited the short and stumpy figure of Lin Dafu, and she would never grow taller after fifteen years old.
Now she was held in Du Rusong's arms, just like a doll. Her thin legs kicked a few times in the air before she could barely step on the ground. Seeing her funny appearance, Du Ruyan covered her mouth and snickered again. She had never expected that there would be such a time.
Zhang Hui, who came out to welcome her daughter, was slightly stunned. She looked at Du Rusong with scrutinizing eyes. This man was so careful with his daughter. Did he fall in love with her? Oh, no! Her daughter was going to marry a son-in-law by adoption, and she couldn't be married to a powerful man!
Thinking of this, she immediately found an excuse to drag her daughter into the room and slammed the door again.
Du Rusong touched his nose and smiled helplessly, but he had no intention of giving up.
Three days later, the news that Empress Du was renamed was finally spread to Lin'an. The brother and sister of the Dus immediately became the local popular figures. All the officers and soldiers who went to search for the Danyan Embroidery House were arrested, interrogated by Du Rusong in person, and tortured. Some people failed to survive the torture and died in prison, while some people were involved in the chaos, dragging many colleagues in the prison too, making the situation more confused.
No one knew what Empress Du had told the emperor. The emperor had even sent the most capable minister around him to investigate this matter, which led to a big shuffle in the official field of Lin'an. Fortunately, Meng Zhong and the Lis were clever enough, and they had found several scapegoats who didn't reveal them. However, the emperor was not a fool. After receiving the letter, he gave the relevant people a hard lesson.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the "Novel Multiverse dot com" website @ ]