Moma Liangshan

Chapter 118 Planning for the Ruler, Exhibition Concluded

Empress Zheng examined the two embroideries, then looked at Princess Chengde and asked, "Hu'er, is this embroidery with its clear branches and leaves and orioles singing your hand?" Princess Chengde replied, "It was indeed embroidered by me!" Empress Zheng said, "This piece is exquisite and meticulous, without a trace of disorder. For your age, it is a masterpiece. However, the entire piece only shows 'orioles and willows,' not 'blue sky and egrets.' You can only say that it has only completed half the task." Princess Chengde looked disappointed, and after a moment said, "Next time, I will definitely plan the whole thing beforehand and never make the same mistake again." Empress Zheng was quite satisfied and nodded slightly. Then she looked at Princess Roufu's work and said, "Huanhuan's work depicts a harmonious interplay of near and far, with orioles and willows, as well as blue skies and egrets. But why is there mist swirling around the willows under the blue sky?" Princess Roufu looked embarrassed and said, "Sister Hu'er is too fast. If I were to embroider each leaf one by one, it would probably take twice as long!" Empress Zheng was quite helpless and said, "Your strengths lie in remaining calm under pressure and adapting to changing circumstances; but you must put in the effort regularly and not work on it only sporadically!" Princess Roufu replied, "Huanhuan will certainly keep that in mind!"

At this moment, Empress Zheng asked again, "You two are acting out of character today, actually competing in embroidery?" Princess Roufu replied, "Sister Hu'er said that if we neglect needlework, our husbands' families will laugh at us in the future. Huanhuan is not convinced, so we're competing!" Empress Zheng smiled knowingly and asked, "Hu'er, is that true?" Princess Chengde feigned anger and looked at Princess Roufu, saying, "Huanhuan came to see me today, surely because of Wang Hao's matter, which is why I said this!" Empress Zheng asked curiously, "What happened to Wang Hao?" Princess Roufu blushed and gestured to Princess Chengde. Princess Chengde sighed and said, "At the palace banquet the other day, Wang Hao wore a woolen work uniform. According to Wang Hao, woolen fabric is woven from wool, and it is not only beautiful and elegant, but also has excellent warmth retention. Therefore, he wants to hold a woolen fabric exhibition in the palace, and hopes that Your Majesty can grant his permission!" No woman is immune to the allure of clothing, and Empress Zheng was quite interested upon hearing this, but after a moment, she seemed to think of something and said, "Xianmeng's suggestion is not inappropriate, but the palace is currently short of funds, and it is not advisable to engage in any extravagance!" Princess Chengde said, "Wang Hao made it clear at the time that he would bear all the expenses himself, and for this matter, he specifically asked Prince Yun for help and promised him a reward of one thousand strings of cash if he could hold a woolen fabric exhibition in the palace."

Empress Zheng was surprised and said, "There is plenty of space in the palace, and the concubines and noble ladies have plenty of time. Why is Xianmeng so insistent on holding an exhibition in the palace?" Princess Chengde shook her head and said, "I don't know!" Empress Zheng then looked at Princess Roufu and asked, "Does Huanhuan know the reason?" Princess Roufu replied, "If the Empress Dowager and the other ladies think a piece of cloth is good, most women in the world will think it is good. Brother Xianmeng wants to sell those woolen textiles throughout the country. If he can get the Empress Dowager and the other ladies' approval beforehand, it will definitely be much more effective!" Empress Zheng smiled and said, "In that case, letting Xianmeng hold an exhibition in the palace..." "Organizing a fabric exhibition would be entirely beneficial!" Princess Chengde said. "Fabrics and clothing are traditionally handled by women, so it's perfectly fine for Mother to host one! Besides, the ladies in the palace are usually quite free, so everyone should enjoy such a lively event!" Princess Roufu pouted and muttered, "It's just that Prince Yun got a thousand strings of cash for nothing!" Empress Zheng smiled helplessly and said, "This girl isn't even married yet, and she's already thinking about her husband's family!" Princess Roufu said, "It's not that I'm favoring outsiders, it's just that so much money was wasted. It's only right that it be given to Mother!"

Princess Chengde deliberately said, "Didn't Wang Hao promise to give you two hundred bolts of woolen cloth? That's worth no less than a thousand strings of cash!" Empress Zheng looked surprised. Princess Roufu said, "Huanhuan is still young; so much woolen cloth is useless to her. I've decided to give ninety bolts each to the Empress Dowager and Consort Wang, and ten bolts each to Hu'er and me!" Empress Zheng asked, "Is this also Wang Hao's idea?" Princess Roufu said, "This is just Huanhuan's own thought!" Princess Chengde also chimed in, "Judging from Wang Hao's usual style, he'll probably give the Empress Dowager and Consort Wang extra woolen cloth!" Empress Zheng nodded slightly and said, "Hu'er is right!" Then she added, "Sometimes, my dreams make me feel that there seems to be much knowledge beyond the classics!"

The next day, Consort Wang, entrusted by Prince Yun, came to pay her respects to Empress Zheng. Empress Zheng asked, "Sister, you seem hesitant to speak. Have you encountered some difficulties?" Consort Wang, slightly embarrassed, smiled and said, "It's not that I've encountered any difficulties. Wang Hao wants to hold a cloth exhibition in the palace, and I've come to discuss it with you, elder sister!" Empress Zheng suddenly realized and said, "Didn't Huanhuan tell you yesterday? I already agreed to this matter?" Consort Wang asked doubtfully, "Yesterday, that girl did something; she went straight to sleep after dinner!" Empress Zheng said, "Yesterday, Huanhuan and Hu'er had an embroidery competition, which took several hours. It's normal for them to be tired." Consort Wang asked, "But elder sister wants to test these two girls..." "Needlework?" Empress Zheng shook her head and said, "These two maids didn't tell me beforehand; they asked me to judge after the competition!" Consort Wang was even more puzzled and said, "Hu'er has always been well-behaved, so it's understandable that she practiced needlework on her own initiative; but Huanhuan is always mischievous and restless; without the supervision of an elder, why would she practice needlework on her own initiative?" Empress Zheng smiled slightly and said, "Huanhuan went to Hu'er for help with Wang Hao's matter; Hu'er teased her that she was neglecting needlework all day and might be disliked by her husband's family in the future; Huanhuan was not convinced and wanted to compete with Hu'er; Hu'er, being a child at heart, actually agreed."

Consort Wang, having roughly understood the reason, said, "Needlework is all about skill and dexterity. How could Huanhuan possibly win against Hu'er?" Consort Zheng covered her face and laughed, saying, "Sister, you guessed wrong. Huanhuan won!" Consort Wang said, "Sister, please don't favor Huanhuan, otherwise this girl will be even harder to manage in the future!" Empress Zheng said, "Their embroidery is still in my palace. I'll have the servants bring it over!" A moment later, two embroidered pieces were laid out before Consort Wang. Consort Wang examined them for a moment and said, "If I'm not mistaken, Huanhuan's victory this time might be due to some trickery!" Empress Zheng nodded and said, "Although I ruled Huanhuan the winner, I also clearly pointed out the shortcomings of both of them." Consort Wang pondered for a moment and said, "Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Why not let Hu'er and Huanhuan exchange their works, so they can learn from each other and also remind each other of their shortcomings?" Empress Zheng said, "Sister, that's a very good idea!"

Empress Zheng and Consort Wang were in charge of organizing the cloth exhibition, and Wang Hao, as one of the parties involved, naturally couldn't be absent. In the Imperial Garden, Empress Zheng said, "I've heard of your plan, but since the palace has never held such an event before, the specific steps still require Xianmeng's personal explanation!" Wang Hao said, "Although the cloth is exquisite, it will only gather dust if left in the warehouse. I believe that, regardless of the fabric, to truly showcase its beauty, it must be tailored into garments and worn by the right person!" Consort Wang said, "In that case, we should select several graceful palace maids beforehand to truly display the cloth's splendor!" Wang Hao said, "I do wish to borrow a few palace maids from Your Majesty and Consort Wang!" Empress Zheng said, "The palace has no shortage of palace maids and eunuchs. What kind of palace maids does Xianmeng wish to have?" Wang Hao replied, "People of all ages, heights, and builds have the right to pursue beauty, so I hope Your Majesty will choose without being bound by convention!" Wang Hao's words deeply pleased Empress Zheng and Consort Wang. Empress Zheng said, "Xianmeng, you can rest assured about this matter; I will certainly not disappoint you." She then asked, "Xianmeng, how many palace maids do you think would be best?" Wang Hao replied, "The more the better!" He then added, "This humble servant is willing to pay five strings of cash for each palace maid!"

Consort Wang said, "The palace maids already receive a monthly allowance; there's no need for Xianmeng to spend money!" Wang Hao said, "That's their deserved reward. I hope Your Majesty can bestow it upon them!" Empress Zheng asked, "Is there a reason for this?" Wang Hao replied, "No one will be very enthusiastic about unpaid labor. But the principle of 'more work, more pay; less work, less pay; no work, no pay' can motivate most people to do their best. With the palace maids' enthusiasm, my exhibition will naturally be more likely to yield greater benefits!" Empress Zheng smiled and said, "If the wealthy merchants of the world..." "If everyone had the same mindset as Xianmeng, how many fewer vagrants and beggars would there be in the Song Dynasty?" Wang Hao said. "While it is the nature of merchants to pursue profit, they must also be guided by the market and bound by the law. Therefore, I believe the court should improve the laws governing commerce. This would both make commercial activities more orderly and increase tax revenue, enriching the national treasury." Empress Zheng, being of a tranquil nature, said, "I never interfere in politics. Xianmeng's suggestion should be presented to His Majesty!" Wang Hao then said, "It was my rudeness; I hope Your Majesty will forgive me!" Empress Zheng said, "It's alright!"

After leaving the palace, Wang Hao ordered the gathering of all the tailors in Tokyo. Simultaneously, with the assistance of Li Shishi, he invited courtesans and entertainers from brothels to design and produce woolen garments. In ancient China, the poor emulated the nobility, but the trends of the nobility were unwittingly led by brothels. Thus, a silent fashion storm began to brew in Tokyo, and Wang Hao was already prepared to fully open the trade routes between the Liao Kingdom and the Mongolian steppes after this fashion storm.