Chapter 141: Madam Jin Offers a Strategy
When Madam Jin saw Su Qing, the smile on her face became even warmer and more genuine.
“There is no need for so much formality between the two of us. Quickly, get up and come sit down. Yunyao was just taking my pulse, and I was saying a moment ago that I had become greedy for your cooking.”
Su Qing still felt somewhat restrained inside, but she did her utmost to control herself. Carrying herself with natural dignity, she went and sat just below Madam Jin.
“I had only just heard from Si Qin that Madam had arrived, so I immediately had people begin preparing things. If Madam will wait only a little while, there will be food presently.”
“That would be wonderful. Today I shall have a good meal at last.”
“Please rest for a moment, Madam. I shall go to the kitchen and see to things, and make sure they prepare everything carefully.”
“My thanks.”
“Madam is too courteous.”
Once Su Qing had left, Mu Yunyao withdrew her fingers and straightened Madam Jin’s sleeve neatly over her wrist.
“Madam truly has been recovering very well. Your pulse is steady indeed, and the child is certainly in excellent health.”
“That is good, that is very good!”
Madam Jin’s brows were full of joy.
“By the way, I heard that you took in a girl from the Charity Hall called Cai Qing, along with several children?”
“Yes. They seemed extremely pitiable, and I also happened to be short of helping hands here, so I let them stay and do some small tasks.”
Madam Jin could not help sighing.
“You really are too kind-hearted.”
Whether for Ni Yun Fang or Bu Xian Lou, if Mu Yunyao wished to find people to help, it would take no more than a single sentence. Why should a few children be of any real use?
Mu Yunyao merely smiled lightly and offered no further explanation. To Madam Jin, that only seemed to confirm what she already believed in her heart.
“Yunyao, I have also heard that Tan Lin, the proprietor of Caiyue Pavilion, came here twice. He did not give you trouble, did he?”
“At first he wanted me to speak on behalf of Tan Bawang, but I am only a minor person—what could I possibly have helped with? Later, when he heard that I wished to spread the embroidery techniques further, he volunteered to assist. I thought that one more person helping would do no harm and would allow even more people to benefit.”
Madam Jin paused sharply.
“What you mean is… that you intend to spread the embroidery techniques to other places as well?”
“If teaching them in one place is teaching them, then teaching them in many places is the same. Besides, sooner or later these techniques would spread to every region anyway. We may as well give them a push and, in doing so, let more people feel gratitude toward Jingling City.”
Madam Jin’s thoughts began turning rapidly.
“What you say is true enough. But if we are the ones to do this, will it not be somewhat improper?”
So long as the techniques were spread only within a small area of Jingling City, the matter could still be counted as a meritorious deed. But once it extended into other regions, it would become a benevolent act that gathered the goodwill of the people, and that was not something people of their standing could casually undertake.
Mu Yunyao’s face showed incomprehension.
“But have the embroidery techniques not already spread throughout Jingling City? Extending them elsewhere merely enlarges the scope so that more women may benefit. How could that be improper?”
Madam Jin explained patiently,
“In Jingling City, the influence is limited. But once it spreads to other regions, the number of people involved grows, and the matter is no longer so simple. The forces in Jiangnan are intertwined and complicated. A benevolent act that gathers the people’s goodwill in this way is something many would envy with red eyes. The best method would be to compile the embroidery techniques into a volume and present it all together to His Majesty!
Mu Yunyao’s eyes trembled slightly. For Madam Jin to say such a thing meant she had already begun to regard her as one of her own and was speaking wholly for her benefit. Thinking of what Su Qing had taught her before, Mu Yunyao let down another small measure of her guard and spoke frankly.
“But I have already made an agreement with the proprietor of Caiyue Pavilion. I intended to use Caiyue Pavilion to spread the embroidery techniques more quickly. If we do this now, will it not harm him…”
“Caiyue Pavilion…”
Madam Jin considered for a moment, then asked urgently,
“Have you signed a contract with Caiyue Pavilion?”
“Yes, but the contract was drafted by the proprietor of Caiyue Pavilion. Because I feared Tan Bawang might seek revenge afterward, I deliberately left myself a way out. When I signed, I did not use my own handwriting, and even the ink for the thumbprint was specially prepared. After enough time passes, the imprint will blur into an indistinct smear. Besides, the proprietor of Caiyue Pavilion feared the news might leak out and attract the attention of other embroidery houses, so he also asked me to conceal the matter and not let anyone realize that he had sent embroiderers here to study…”
Madam Jin could not help laughing aloud and lightly tapped Mu Yunyao between the brows.
“They say that good is repaid with good, and you little girl do so many good deeds in ordinary times that Heaven now chooses to favor you in return. Very well—this little precaution of yours was taken wisely. In that case, we need not worry. Did Caiyue Pavilion say when they would send over their embroiderers for you to teach?”
“Judging by how anxious he seemed, I imagine they will arrive within the next day or two.”
“I will have people handle this matter. You need only teach the embroidery techniques with peace of mind and behave as though you know nothing of the rest. As for that contract, there is nothing upon it that truly traces back to you, and naturally it cannot be counted as valid. Since it is not valid, then if others ask about it in the future, you must say nothing of it at all. Do you understand what I mean?”
After briefly thinking it over, Mu Yunyao nodded solemnly.
“Yes. I understand. I will do as Madam says. But if this happens, will it not bring trouble to you and to Lord Cao?”
“Do not worry. Even if there is some trouble, it can be weathered smoothly enough. All in all, the gain outweighs the risk.”
Madam Jin thought a little more and then added,
“As for the volume compiling the embroidery techniques, you should begin preparing it at once. When the proper moment comes, I will have someone take it to the capital and present it to His Majesty.”
“Yes. I will begin preparing it today and strive to have it finished as soon as possible.”
“There is no need to rush too much. So long as it is completed within one or two months, that will do.”
Mu Yunyao nodded.
“Very well. By the way, Madam once mentioned wanting to prepare New Year tribute gifts for His Majesty. Have you come up with anything?”
“I have thought of some possibilities, but truly I cannot think of anything especially fresh or novel. If it comes to it, I may simply follow the usual custom.”
But this year, Jingling City had received an imperial reward. If, through the New Year tribute, they could distinguish themselves further and cause His Majesty to look on Jingling City with even a little more regard, it would be the finest kind of icing on the brocade and of benefit to the whole city.
Mu Yunyao considered carefully.
“Just now, when Madam mentioned arranging the embroidery techniques into a volume, a thought suddenly came to me. I simply do not know whether it could be carried out.”
“Quickly, tell me.”
Madam Jin’s ideas were often different from those of ordinary people; perhaps this would prove to be a good one.
“Since we received His Majesty’s reward because of the embroidery techniques, why not present His Majesty with an embroidered work?”
“An embroidered work? Would such a gift not be too slight?”
“That depends entirely on how the embroidery is made. What if every woman in Jingling City were to stitch a few stitches each and together complete a single astonishing masterpiece?”
Mu Yunyao smiled gently, her eyes bright as she looked toward Madam Jin.
“If that were so… then that embroidery would contain within it the blessings of all the women of Jingling City for His Majesty. The meaning of such a gift would naturally be anything but ordinary…”
Madam Jin’s eyes lit up.
Mu Yunyao smiled and nodded.
“I have heard that some years ago, when the former Prefect of Yangzhou was transferred, the common people, moved by his honesty and his accomplishments, sent a Myriad-People Umbrella all the way to the capital. His Majesty was deeply touched and rewarded the former Prefect of Yangzhou handsomely, even promoting him three ranks at once. What we would be sending is not a Myriad-People Umbrella, but in meaning it would be much the same.”
“Yes… only…”
“Does Madam feel that since this embroidered work would be completed only by women, the number of people represented is still somewhat too small?”
Madam Jin nodded.
“Exactly so.”
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