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Chapter 19 Wedding Gifts

During the first half of what Song Song said, madam Song was still smiling slightly, thinking it's good that this bastard still remembered her identity.

Until Song Song finished speaking his last sentence, she suddenly realized that something was not good, and immediately said: "Song. Song-er!"

Song Song looked back puzzled: "What's the matter, mother? Did I say something wrong?"

Mingxuan Shop's workers all looked over here. Of course they knew what kind of position madam Song had. The empress's sister. The prime minister's daughter. They definitely couldn't afford to neglect her. When they saw her speak, they immediately asked respectfully: "Madam, do you have any instructions?"

Madam Song made a choking noise and said with gritted teeth: "What my son said is correct. What are you waiting for?"

Mingxuan's shopkeeper quickly greeted them personally: "Please come inside."

Song Song's marriage with Li Xiao already long spread throughout the entire capital. Both of these people couldn't be offended. The shopkeeper brought them into a room inside and said softly: "What kind of fine goods are you two looking for? Is it head jewelry, calligraphy or chinaware?"

Song Song said: "Fine jade, gold pieces, artwork. As long as it's expensive, bring it all over. Let's start with your most prized goods."

"Please wait a moment."

The shopkeeper left. Very quickly someone brought up a tray of tea and delicate pastries. Madam Song sat down with Song Song, squeezing her fingers. She finally couldn't hold back and asked: "What the heck are you planning to do?"

Her voice was pressed very low, like she's worried about something. However, Song Song's voice was loud enough for the whole room to hear: "Is something wrong, mother?"

Madam Song said smiling: "How could there be? I just want to ask ahead of time, is there something Song-er really wants? I don't want you to get confused later by all the choices."

The last sentence she said while gnashing her teeth.

Song Song smiled faintly and said: "I heard lately the capital has been spreading rumours that I've always been unable to obtain mother's love because I'm a bastard child. They say our relationship isn't well. Have mother heard of this?"

He kept saying mother mother, attitude extremely intimate. Because of servants nearby, Madam Song couldn't yell at him under. Even if normally, her relationship with Song Song was indeed not harmonious, at the moment she can only pretend to be a caring mother and say: "I haven't left the estate these days so I really haven't heard. Just who is starting these rumors?"

"I heard it was because I didn't sit in the family carriage that day."

As soon as Song Song finished speaking, madam Song instantly jumped like she grabbed him by the ponytail: "Speaking of this, I did want to ask Song-er. Did you really disdain our family carriage because it's not luxurious enough and purposely embarrassed your second brother?"

Song Song answered unhurriedly with furrowed brows: "How can mother blame me now Didn't you say two days ago in front of wangye that you can understand my reasoning? That wangye's tyranny is incomparable. He wanted me to sit in his carriage, what can this son do?"

Mingxuan's servants secretly followed their conversation.

What's this? This madam acted one way in front of wangye, and another outside? Could it be that madam Song's relationship with gongzi really isn't good?

Madam Song pressed her lips together, face unsightly. She picked up her tea cup and lifted it to her mouth. The next second, she abruptly stood up and threw the tea cup to the floor with a loud 'pa!': "Who made this tea? Do you want to burn me alive?"

A servant was nimble and responded quickly: "Madam please, calm down. This one will go fetch you a new pot."

Madam Song pushed him away with her hand, taking the chance to yell furiously: "Is this how you treat your guests here at Mingxuan? Song-er, let's go! We'll go shopping in another store!"

In the capital, Mingxuan's goods were famous for being expensive. If the shopkeeper really followed Song Song's instructions and brought out their best items, she reckoned that today, even her blood will be sucked dry.

At this time, if Song Song didn't follow, then he'd be labeled inconsiderate. To the side, a servant looked at him trembling. If they angered both customers in one go, the owner will definitely punish them

Song Song just frowned, reached out and picked on the tea on the table and lightly took a sip, then laughed: "Mother, why are you acting like this? Mingxuan's items are well known for their quality. Since they've opened, their customer service is considered one of the very best in the business. It's only a cup of hot tea. It's not even that hot The way you're making a big fuss here over nothing, people will think that we're purposely picking faults because we can't afford their stuff."

He walked over to madam Song, whose face was turning green. And like a child, he pulled on her arm and said: "Mother, you're the empress's sister. If you don't buy it from here, where else is good enough for you?"

He finished saying this, then suddenly chided the servants: "How do you guys do business here? Do you plan to let us wait forever? My mother is delicate! If she gets sick from waiting too long, can you afford to compensate?"

never heard of any nobility who can get sick from waiting too long.

Song Song said this clearly to make a scene. However, if madam Song insisted on leaving again, then first, it would confirm that she couldn't afford the price and second, it would confirm that she was so spoiled she couldn't even wait.

Once again, she almost exploded from Song Song's words, but still had to endure it silently and sit back down in the chair. She glared fiercely at Song Song. The latter finally let her be with a smile on his face, calmly sitting on the other side.

Behind a decorative screen in the back, a man suddenly started chuckling: "Which family is this gongzi from? How interesting."

"Apparently, he's the mad king's wangfei."

That man's eyes darkened, and didn't say anymore.

After madam Song was forced back into her chair, she was extremely restless. She turned her head to look at Song Song. The latter was currently eating a plum blossom pastry. His posture while eating was extremely good looking, manner graceful. During this time, he was well fed by Li Xiao and finally grew some meat to his cheeks after trying all different kinds of nutritional supplements. His skin was porcelain white. At the moment, dressed in white, with a white marten scarf wrapped around his neck, he looked just like an immortal.

Unfortunately, madam Song had a biased perspective. No matter how she looked at him, she felt displeased. Especially when he bit down on the pastry, she almost had a feeling like Song Song was eating her own flesh.

She furrowed her brows and withdrew her line of sight. Finally the shopkeeper returned to introduce the goods. Song Song received a handkerchief from the servant next to him and wiped his hands clean.

Those quality goods were locked behind boxes. Even the boxes had extremely fine designs engraved onto them. The shopkeeper first opened the closest one to be examined: "This bracelet is called the 'Resting Phoenix'. It was made by the previous dynasty's Yuanming emperor for his empress. It was made by the best artisan back then. Look at this."

He lifted the bracelet in front of the window and let light shine on it. By some unknown mechanism, the phoenix at that moment looked as if it lifted off. The shopkeeper carefully turned the bracelet. The phoenix began flapping its wings. The sight was extremely astonishing.

He finished introducing, then placed that gold bracelet back into its box: "This bracelet is MingXuan's most expensive accessory. It has extremely high collection value. Don't know if gongzi likes it?"

Madam Song immediately replied: "This is worn by girls. What does Song-er need it for?"

Song Song exposed his own wrist. Because of chronic malnourishment, his wrist was very slender. He was clearly already 19, but his joints were comparable to a 16-17 year old's. His wrist was snow white, fingers delicate like a fine work of art, as if they'd break on touch.

He said shamelessly: "Wangye often says that my wrists are luminous like frost, skin white as snow. Even compared to the imperial city's most beautiful woman, I would not be inferior in any aspect."

The shopkeeper's expression didn't change. Madam Song looked like she was going to throw up. Song Song continued as if no one else were present: "Shopkeeper, do you think I can match this 'Resting Phoenix'?"

At this time, from the outside came a sudden sound of laughter. A voice said: "Since ancient times, gold accessories are used to match beauties. Never heard of the argument to have beauties match accessories."

Several people turned their heads and saw a dignified looking man enter. His every movement was brimming with nobility. He smilingly gazed at Song Song's exposed 'luminous wrist.' Song Song instantly lowered his hand. That man said: "Wangye has a good eye, but is extremely lacking in speech. He didn't even describe half of gongzi's brilliance. This Resting Phoenix has always been gifted to beauties. Beauties do not distinguish between men and women. This one believes that this Resting Phoenix is well-suited for gongzi."

He finished, then with a change in tone, glanced at madam Song and said:"But this Resting Phoenix is extremely expensive. Don't know if gongzi can afford it?"

Song Song had an expression of 'who the heck are you?' The shopkeeper was just about to explain, but saw the man wave his hand and said with a smile: "My name is Jin Mian. I'm the head manager of Mingxuan."

Song Song's gaze turned to madam Song, whose face color looked quite poor, and asked: "If I wore this bracelet, would it seem too feminine?"

Jin Mian laughed and said: "madam you're not aware. Although this Resting Phoenix was made by the Yuanming Emperor for his empress, later it was passed on to another dynasty's last emperor's male consort. According to history, that person was "generous and patient, a peerless beauty'. This Resting Phoenix when worn by him, just added to his beauty. They say beauty is like jade, and can only be accompanied by gold. This gold ornament is not biased to men or women."

Madam Song was about to say something, but suddenly there were movements from outside again. A man in black covered with cold frost strided inward. His gaze traveled around the room. Everyone immediately quivered.

Even that Jin Mian's face paled. Why did this Li Xiao come here? A place like Mingxuan, if he has an episode, that would damage plenty of fine goods.

However, Song Song's thoughts became a little more certain. Li Xiao's gaze fell on his face, then glanced at the wide opened box. He walked in with large strides.

The crowd all stepped aside and watched him come close, reach out to take the bracelet, and say to Song Song: "Hand."

Song Song obediently extended over his hand and Li Xiao personally placed the bracelet on his wrist. He raised up his hand to examine it in the light. That accessory in contrast with his wrist indeed looked very nice.

Li Xiao turned his head to look at Madam Song, saying challengingly: "Not willing to buy?"

"... " Madam Song forced a chuckle: "How could that be possible? It's only that we haven't even looked at the other boxes. I'm afraid this child will be unable to make up his mind ...."

"Unable to make up his mind? If it's all to his taste, then buy them all." Li Xiao said: "The Song family guards over such a huge business like FuXiang restaurant which is all over China. If you can't even buy some fine goods from Mingxuan, then you no longer need to run it. Might as well just give it to Song-er as part of his dowry and bring it to this king's estate."

Madam Song's lips trembled. "Of course not. We can buy it. Naturally we can afford it."

She got scared that Li Xiao would really take away Fuxiang restaurant, who'd be able to stop his bandit-like behavior, and said hastily: "Quick, open everything for Song-er to take a look."

But Song Song interrupted with a light chuckle and said: "Wangye isn't aware. Yesterday, father already told me. Fuxiang restaurant which originally belonged to my mother as well as the wedding gifts my mother brought with her those years ago, they will all be part of my dowry to bring to the king's estate."

Madam Song cried out in alarm: "When did this happen?!"

"Why are you yelling?" Li Xiao's cold gaze swept over, instantly scaring madam Song into a quivering quail. He turned to face Song Song and said warmly: "Song Guogong is quite a fair and reasonable man. Looks like this king has misunderstood him."

Song Song nodded, and replied with a soft voice: "Not only father. Mother is also extremely good at understanding others."

He finished, then looked at madam Song, who looked as if she ate a rhizome. Her mouth pressed into a line then opened repeatedly. He said: "Am I right?"

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The author has something to say:

Madam Song: Right your mom (it's a curse word)

Mad King: en?