Chapter 91 "Your Majesty, look at this..."

Chapter 91 "Your Majesty, look at this..."

"Your Majesty, do you like any of these styles?"

Inside the exquisitely decorated second-floor private room of Jinxiu Pavilion, Manager Zhao bent over and carefully presented two sample booklets with detailed and lifelike illustrations and fabric samples.

His posture was extremely respectful.

The woman before him was not only the owner's daughter, but also the princess consort of the Prince's mansion. Today, she had actually come to the shop in person, so he couldn't be too careful in serving her.

"Manager Zhao, you can just call me Madam." Xiao Yan asked casually while flipping through the booklet in her hand, "What kind of fabrics are popular in the capital these days? It seems that compared to Jiangzuo, the women in the capital prefer brighter and more vibrant colors."

"Yes, Madam is astute. In the capital, brightly colored fabrics do sell better. This year, nobles especially love brocade satin, gold-embroidered satin, and flowing satin. If one were to wear such a garment and stand in the light, one would be radiant and dazzling, like a celestial being. For formal occasions, one could add a layer of subtle patterns with fine gold and silver threads, making it even more luxurious and unparalleled."

"Manager Zhao, do the silk shops or embroidery workshops in the capital also have their own branded fabrics, like those in Jiangzuo? Or do they employ one or more embroiderers with unique skills?" Xiao Yan asked Manager Zhao as she slowly flipped through the two booklets in her hands.

"That's natural. Every business needs some unique skills to establish itself. Take our silk shop, for example. Although we're a newcomer to the capital, our fabrics are excellent, the five colors are perfectly dyed, and the patterns are grand, making them perfect for formal occasions..."

"The five colors are correct, but the trendy colors are slightly inferior to those of other stores, especially the color matching, which looks a bit old-fashioned. Perhaps it is because the head manager here in the capital has a more stable and conservative style. The fabrics sold here, whether in terms of patterns or colors, are not as novel and diverse as those in Jiangzuo."

If this is a well-established and reputable store, then focusing on a steady and sophisticated style is perfectly fine. However, Xiao Family Silk is here in the capital to expand its market, and adopting such a conservative style ultimately lacks a bit of ambition.

Those who prefer a stable and sophisticated style are mostly older people, but they naturally have their own preferred established stores. For a newcomer like the Xiao family, a bolder approach might be more effective in penetrating the market.

I spent some time looking through the catalog myself, and I also roughly analyzed the situation introduced by Manager Zhao in my mind. When I got back, I wrote a letter to my adoptive father about what I had seen and thought. Before coming to Beijing, my father had specifically asked me to check on the shop's business. That would be the end of that task.

As for whether or not to make adjustments, and how to make them, that's up to Xiao Fuyan, the person in charge.

"Since Manager Zhao said that shops with a certain history have their own unique skills, could you help me see which shop this is from?" Xiao Yan pulled out a finely drawn drawing, which was the second thing she came to the shop for today.

The long picture shows Xie Miaoguo's jewelry and dress from that day, and there is also a "model picture" in the lower left corner. Of course, the model picture is upright and has no facial features.

"This dress is made of silk from the Hu family on Old Yangshu Street. They have a very limited supply of this kind of 'flowing crimson' satin this year, and it only comes in two shades of crimson. But because of the special luster of this fabric, it is extremely popular among noble ladies. It's no exaggeration to say that it's a rare commodity that you can't even get your hands on." Manager Zhao said, his expression revealing longing.

As someone who also runs a silk shop, he really wanted to get his hands on some of this fabric to study, but it was already difficult enough to see it up close; he didn't even have the chance to handle it, let alone study it.

“If Madam wants this fabric, the earliest you can expect is late summer, and you’ll have to place an order first. The Hu family’s spring stock of silk has already sold out. However, if Madam wants to make a few coats for her social interactions with other ladies, our own fabric is still better. Theirs are just something to wear for fun.”

Manager Zhao's words carried a hint of sourness.

“Since I’m here today, I naturally prefer our own fabrics.” Xiao Yan reassured Manager Zhao before continuing, “I brought this pattern not because of the Flowing Clouds Satin, but because of this skirt. The cutting technique and the embroidery on the hem seem quite special. The intricate and lifelike floral embroidery—Manager Zhao, do you know any embroiderers with this skill?”

Xiao Yan was so focused on Xie Miaoguo's clothes not only because they were beautiful, but more importantly because of the exquisite embroidery technique on the skirt.

The original novel mentions several times that the female protagonist, Su Jinyue, studied with an old palace maid who was extremely skilled in needlework for a considerable period of time, and her embroidery skills were superb.

It was precisely because of her skill that she was able to stay in the needlework room of Prince Cheng's mansion during her exile in Jiangzuo. After returning to the capital, she also made a living by embroidery for a period of time.

Su Jinyue started by making handkerchiefs. Later, because her skills were so good, even several young ladies from different families were vying for the dresses she made. However, her identity was later exposed and she was found by the Second Prince again, which was also related to her unique, exquisite and lifelike craftsmanship.

When Xiao Yan saw Xie Miaoguo's dress at the city gate that day, she felt that the style was very similar to the methods described by Su Jinyue in the novel. Although this was just her guess, it wouldn't take much effort to ask or investigate. What if she really found the person before the Second Prince?

Her embroidery skills later proved to be a great help to the Second Prince.

The Empress had a garment that she treasured very carefully; it was a birthday gift from the First Prince. However, there was a burnt tear on the sleeve of the garment, caused when the Empress and the First Prince accidentally knocked over an incense burner during an argument. Right after that argument, the First Prince went out in anger and ended up falling from his horse and dying.

This is the deepest wound in the Empress's heart.

Originally, Su Jinyue was tricked into mending clothes, a scheme intended to exploit the Empress's emotional distress and eliminate her. However, Su Jinyue actually succeeded in repairing the clothes, turning the Empress's distress into admiration. After this incident, not only did Su Jinyue gain considerable influence with the Empress, but even the Second Prince, thanks to Su Jinyue's influence, developed a much closer relationship with the Empress.

While both sides certainly had their own political considerations, Su Jinyue did indeed set a good precedent for the Second Prince.

After all, although the Empress had no children, she was still the Empress and the Mother of the Nation, and she had a family behind her. Her preference for which prince she favored still had a great influence on the final outcome.

This is also why Xiao Yan wanted to find the female lead, Su Jinyue, ahead of time. Even though the current situation is quite different from the plot of the novel, there are still many things that can be utilized and explored.

If we had acted sooner, we might have been able to acquire more leverage.

Su Jinyue's later reconciliation with the Second Prince was partly due to her seeing his "hidden love," but being trapped back in the Prince's mansion left her with no other choice. Her best option at that time was to reconcile with the man who held her life in his hands, which was probably a crucial reason. Another reason was that Su Jinyue needed someone with sufficient power to investigate the truth behind her father's case from years ago.

At this moment, Su Jinyue harbors resentment towards the Second Prince and is stranded outside, making it the perfect opportunity. A stable environment and a promise to investigate the case—the Second Prince can provide these, and so can the Chengjun Prince's Mansion.

Of course, all of this is predicated on the ability to find the person yourself.

"The embroidery on this dress does look somewhat familiar. I just can't quite place it for now," Manager Zhao said hesitantly after looking at it for a while.

"Does it really look familiar? Shopkeeper, think about it carefully. Why don't you show this design to the other workers in the shop? Maybe one of them will remember it." Seeing that the shopkeeper was racking his brains but still couldn't grasp the key point, Cat couldn't help but get anxious. After a moment's thought, he thought of the other employees in the shop.

This design was painstakingly drawn by my princess this morning, taking almost half an hour to complete.

Although I don't know why the princess is so concerned about a piece of clothing, even if Miss Xie looks quite pretty in it, it shouldn't make the princess so upset.

Whatever the reason, since this is what our princess wants, we should naturally let her have her wish.

"Take it and let them see it too." Xiao Yan nodded in agreement with the cat's suggestion.

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper immediately took action.

"Shopkeeper, look at this... doesn't it look like some of the handkerchiefs we received last year?" Soon, a shop assistant recalled.

"Right, right, right..." Manager Zhao slapped his forehead, quite annoyed that he had forgotten this.

"Last year, a woman came to sell embroidery. The shop had received a few handkerchiefs that were somewhat similar to the pattern in this one, but not as detailed. She only came once and never came back, so..." the shopkeeper explained.

"Sijiao, go talk to them and see if you can recall more," Xiao Yan instructed a young man who looked to be about twenty years old.

Although he is described as a man, anyone with a discerning eye can tell that he is not a man in the traditional sense.

Sijiao bears a heavy imperial mark, and every move she makes is measured and precise. She is slightly bowed and her head is slightly lowered, and her posture is always very respectful. She has a pretty face with a touch of femininity, and her voice is gentle and soft.

He was one of the two eunuchs Qin Ji had just transferred to Xiao Yan's side. They hadn't had time to learn about his character or temperament, but they had certainly witnessed his martial prowess firsthand that day.

Without going into other details, the fact that he could hold his own against Wei Sa for nearly half an hour is convincing enough. Keep in mind that Wei Sa is Qin Ji's most capable commander of the secret guards.

Moreover, since he was transferred here by Qin Ji, he must be trustworthy in terms of ability and loyalty.

This is also why Xiao Yan brought him along on this trip. This person might be by her side for a long time, so it's important to get to know him as soon as possible. Besides, the capital city is still unfamiliar, and having a skilled fighter with her would greatly increase her sense of security.

Moreover, his obvious courtly markings often served as a deterrent. In a place where a brick thrown down could hit ten people, three or five of whom might be powerful figures, one could easily offend someone like Ma Afan if one wasn't careful. Having a eunuch by one's side would undoubtedly make some arrogant people start to see things clearly again.

After all, a family that can afford to employ eunuchs cannot be an ordinary family; he can help shield them from a lot of trouble.

At this point, Xiao Yan decided to test his handling of affairs and his abilities.