Your Majesty, please do not disturb, the empress only wants to engage in business

Chapter 153 Giving Gifts

As the biggest day of the year, things in the palace on New Year's Day are naturally different from previous days.

In addition to everyone getting together for dinner, the remaining social activities and gifts are also indispensable, especially in the first year of the emperor's accession to the throne. Everyone hopes to take this opportunity to ask for good luck, or at least let the emperor see them. Yao Jinse didn't take this matter too seriously, but since Concubine Chen mentioned it, she just went along with it.

"This is the first year of His Majesty's ascension to the throne. There are so many people in the harem, and everyone has prepared a lot of good things to celebrate for His Majesty. My sister and I are not from wealthy families, so if we were to compete with others in spending money on gifts, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to win. So I thought, otherwise, we shouldn't compete to see who spends more money, but it's just the same to compare who spends more money."

These words really touched the heart of Concubine Chen. In fact, her life was not easy after entering the palace. Most of the palace allowance had to be used to manage the servants. The servants in the palace were much more difficult to deal with than those in the prince's mansion. She was not favored to begin with, so her life was naturally tight. She wanted to take out some silver to give New Year gifts to the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, but she was powerless.

Although most gifts given out will be returned as rewards later and will definitely be worth more, they still have to be presentable. Spending too much money will not always be worth it.

"Speaking of which, I was preparing to embroider a longevity screen for the Empress Dowager yesterday, but I'm afraid I can't finish it by myself. If the two of us work together, maybe we can finish it before the New Year."

So today, she came here to find help. Yao Jinse didn't think there was anything wrong with this idea. Although she herself was not very outstanding in embroidery, such things often only require a thoughtful gesture, rather than really worrying about the quality of the craftsmanship. If she really wanted craftsmanship, she could just go directly to the embroiderer in the Needlework Bureau. After all, gifts require more care.

"It's not wrong to give the Queen Mother something like this, but the Queen Mother doesn't care about these mundane things. She is devoted to vegetarianism and Buddhist studies," Concubine Chen leaned her head on the table and pondered, "But I need to think carefully about giving the Emperor something."

"I'm not planning on giving anything too special this year. It's the same as in previous years. Just a few more strings will do."

The original owner was good at making lace. Although this thing was not worthy of being presented in formal occasions, it was the best gadget to give to others as a gift to cheer them up. After Yao Jinse came here, she learned the method of making this thing from her memory. In addition, making lace was the best way to kill time, so Yao Jinse not only made one when she was free, but also taught the little girls around her to make it together.

Especially Bai Shuang. Although the little girl seldom speaks in front of others and looks a little timid, she is very likable in private and looks like she can eat a lot. She is just like the second Bai Tao.

Little girls never tend to arouse other people's vigilance. Bai Shuang is actually a very smart child, so Yao Jinse is intentionally cultivating her. On the one hand, this girl keeps her mouth shut and won't talk nonsense outside. On the other hand, she is young, and when she goes out to chat with the little palace maids in other palaces, she can always bring Yao Jinse some news that she would not be able to get at other times.

With such a useful subordinate by her side, Yao Jinse felt that many things became easy. Although she was only a concubine, the four maids around her were all very capable people. It must be said that this was really the reward for Yao's kindness to the servants in the palace over the years.

"I would like to be like you, but unfortunately, I have no special skills. No wonder the emperor looks down on me." Concubine Chen said this with a lot of self-deprecation, but Yao Jinse could see that she was not really sad. If the person in front of her was really like the imperial concubine, who took the emperor's favor to heart, then the two of them would never have been able to get along to this point.

"Otherwise, how about you make a bowl of noodles?"

Concubine Chen was born in the north and is very good at making pasta. Her skill is just like Yao Jinse's skill in making porridge. There should be no concubine in the palace who is better at it than her.

"In fact, the things given to the emperor don't necessarily have to be rich and glorious. The emperor is a favored son of heaven and enjoys the wealth and glory of the world. What good things has he not seen? If you want the emperor to remember you, you must be different from others."

Yao Jinse herself had experience, so she told Chen Meiren about how she had used a bowl of porridge to keep Xie Yun'an. Immediately, Chen Meiren's eyes lit up.

"What you said does make sense. Ordinary noodles won't work. It's better to have some good intentions," Concubine Chen took Yao Jinse's hand and shook it again and again. Now she really likes Yao Jinse. What other woman in the palace can be like Yao Jinse, telling others about her favor?

It was obvious that Yao Jinse really did it for her own good: "Jinse, we two sisters won't say much. In the future, if you need me, just come and call me. As long as I can do it, I will go through fire and water."

"What language do you mean?"

Yao Jinse could hardly hold back the smile on her face. She didn't know where the boldness in Chen Meiren's bones came from. Could it be that this character really had something to do with the place where she was born?
But generous people are less cunning, and she still likes to deal with such people. No wonder in the original novel, Concubine Chen has been in the harem for many years, but she can always stand firm and make everyone like her. It can be seen that there are reasons for the way she behaves and deals with things.

After seeing off Concubine Chen, not long after, we received half a screen that Concubine Chen had sent over. Since it was a gift for the Empress Dowager, it was only natural for both of us to embroider half each. Besides, it was not difficult to do. Although the screen was not small, not all parts needed to be embroidered. The embroidery pattern that Concubine Chen found highlighted the artistic conception of a landscape painting, with large areas of blank space.

What's more, Yao Jinse can also ask Bai Tan and Bai Lu to help embroider, which will make Bai Tao and Bai Shuang tired and they will have to work more shifts in the next two days.

Thinking of this, she waved her hand and called Bai Tao over.

"Call Bai Shuang later, and we'll go to Chengqian Palace again."