The most dissolute couple in the capital

With the wedding date approaching, the entire Cui family is extremely busy.

Madam Li personally supervised the embroiderers as they rushed to finish the last few quilt covers for the dowry, while Mama Xiao, along with two maids, counted the dowry chests. The courtyard was piled high with red lacquered wooden chests, lined up in a row, too many to count.

Cui Qingyi, taking a break from her busy schedule, was lounging on the couch, flipping through a book. Her left hand rested on the pillow, and her right hand held a candied plum. She bit into it, and the sweet and sour juice spread across her tongue.

Su Xin lifted the curtain and came in, holding a brocade box in her hands.

"Miss, Granny He has arrived. She said His Highness Prince Liang sent this."

Cui Qingyi lifted her gaze from the book and placed it on the brocade box.

The brocade box was small, wrapped in a layer of dark blue Shu brocade, with gilded cloud-patterned buckles at the four corners. The box alone exuded an exquisite quality that spared no expense.

Granny He followed her into the room, her face kind. After bowing, she smiled and said, "Miss Cui, this was ordered by His Highness after the marriage was bestowed, and it was only picked up a few days ago. His Highness said that you will need it for your dressing in the future, so please take a look."

Cui Qingyi sat up straight, took the brocade box, and immediately felt its weight by touching it with her fingers.

She lifted the lid of the box, and what she saw was a multi-tiered makeup box.

Made entirely of agarwood, the surface is carved with a lotus scroll pattern, with the veins of each petal meticulously detailed. The corners of the box are secured with gilded bronze clasps, fitting perfectly. Clearly, it was made by an old craftsman.

The box is fitted together with hidden tenons, fitting together perfectly, and making almost no sound when pushed or pulled.

Cui Qingyi pulled open the first drawer, which contained several compartments of varying sizes and depths. The narrowest compartment was just big enough to hold an earring, while the widest could hold a hairpin. Each compartment was lined with a thin layer of white velvet, which made the inside look exceptionally clean.

In her previous life, she managed a household for half her life and had seen so many fine things that filled three warehouses, but such ingenious design tailored to the user was truly rare.

She gave it a very high rating in her heart.

The second layer, when pulled open, reveals a complete set of phoenix-patterned kingfisher feather headdresses.

The kingfisher feathers were of a very pure color, with a natural transition between light and dark shades. The color, which was between azure and emerald green, shimmered with a satin-like luster under the sunlight.

The complete set of jewelry includes a main hairpin, two side hairpins, a pair of hair ornaments, a pair of earrings, and a sideburn cover. The base is made of pure gold, and the craftsmanship uses filigree, with fine gold threads coiled into flower and leaf shapes to support the kingfisher feathers, making the whole set of jewelry luxurious without appearing bulky.

Su Xin gasped, "This...this craftsmanship...is this something from the palace?"

Granny He smiled and said, "Miss has a good eye. It was made by the palace craftsmen that Prince Liang sought out. When His Highness went to place the order, he thought it would take at least five or six months. He even went to ask the Empress for help, and they managed to finish it just before the wedding."

Cui Qingyi: "..."

"Please thank Your Highness for me," Cui Qingyi said, pursing her lips.

She gently placed the kingfisher feather headdress back in its original position and then looked at the third tier. The third tier was shallower than the first two, and contained a few small items: a bronze mirror, a comb, and a powder box. They were all of high quality, but nothing particularly rare.

Just as Cui Qingyi was about to push the third layer back, her fingertips suddenly stopped.

She pulled out the third layer again and weighed it in her hand.

wrong.

This layer is noticeably heavier than it should be.

Cui Qingyi flipped through the third drawer, running her fingers along the bottom until she found an inconspicuous protrusion. She pressed it gently, and the bottom panel popped open silently, revealing a hidden compartment.

Inside the hidden compartment, a stack of silver notes was neatly arranged.

Cui Qingyi remained silent for a moment.

After the marriage was arranged, her status changed from an ordinary Cui woman to the future Princess of Liang. According to custom, the dowry and betrothal gifts sent by the groom's family before the marriage would be recorded in the register of the Imperial Clan Court, and each item would be recorded clearly.

But this five thousand taels was not on the official register, which means that it was Li Chengjing's private money, a personal allowance he gave her alone.

Women who married into the royal family had their own dowry, but they were subject to restrictions when it came to spending it in their husband's family. With this personal money, she would have the confidence to truly belong to herself in the royal palace and not be restrained by anyone.

This notoriously spoiled prince of Chang'an could only think about whether she would be short of money after marrying into the family.

Cui Qingyi pressed the button, her expression remaining unchanged.

"Good stuff," she whispered, closing the makeup box.

Su Xin leaned closer and asked curiously, "Miss, what else is inside?"

"A set of headdress and a few toiletries." Cui Qingyi's expression was calm. "Your Highness is very thoughtful."

She glossed over the matter of the hidden compartment, not mentioning it at all.

Granny He observed her expression and, seeing that she calmly put away the makeup box, nodded inwardly.

This Miss Cui is indeed a very composed person.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Granny He rose to take her leave. Cui Qingyi had Suxin see her out, and only after she had gone far away did she reopen the makeup box.

She took out the silver notes from the hidden compartment again and examined them against the light—they were silver notes from the Huitong Money Shop in the capital, with an excellent reputation and ready to be cashed at any time.

Five thousand taels.

In the Da Ning Dynasty, the annual salary of a seventh-rank county magistrate was equivalent to no more than forty taels of silver. Although the Cui family was a branch of the Qinghe Cui clan, Cui Zhiyuan was only a sixth-rank secretary. All the family's assets, including his mother's dowry, amounted to no more than tens of thousands of taels of silver.

If we don't count the money added by the palace, this sum is already more than her dowry.

What's most remarkable is that the money was delivered secretly.

If Li Chengjing wanted to save face, he could have simply included this sum of money in the betrothal gifts, letting the whole of Chang'an see how lavish he was towards his future princess.

The betrothal gifts prepared by the Imperial Clan Court were already quite impressive. His addition of this gift would be the icing on the cake, and everyone would praise His Highness Prince Liang for his loyalty and righteousness.

But he hid the silver in a hidden compartment in his makeup box.

"This gigolo," she muttered under her breath, "is indeed... more and more enticing."