Jiang Mingwei's expression was obviously horrendous, the others that have noticed that she was not in her best mood, immediately stop asking. They quickly changed the subject, and tried to lighten the atmosphere. One of the ladies mentioned about the things that had happened in the capital for the past few days, she laughed and said: “There are a lot of strange things that are happening in the capital recently. The prices for cloth are falling day by day, but the prices for gold are shooting up. I think if it continues, we might not be able to afford a gold hairpin anymore.
The lady tried to joke about it at first, but after she said that, she realised that Jiang Mingwei was also here. The news about Mu Mingtang spending big bucks had spread through the whole capital, and the raising of gold prices were all because of her. She only mentioned this with her close friends. What is wrong with her today? Why would she mention Mu Mingtang in front of Princess Jin?
Sure enough, the atmosphere then turned cold, and the lady who spoke felt very embarrassed. The others then quickly changed to another topic. Out of the blue, Jiang Mingwei continued on with the previous topic and said: “My sister-in-law loves gold and silver items. Jewelry made out of gold looks new and shiny, it’s quite nice.”
For now, the elite class in the capital strived for classy and elegant designs. Gold and silver items were way too old-fashioned for them. Jiang Mingwei sounded like she was speaking on behalf of Mu Mingtang, but in fact, she was criticising her taste.
Speaking of this topic, the ladies then inevitably started talking about Mu Mingtang. One of the ladies said: “Princess An is so secretive, I always hear about her but I have never gotten the chance to see her in person.”
Another person continued: “I saw her once when I attended Princess Jin’s wedding, but I only saw her from a distance, and I’m still not sure what she’s like in person. However, recalling the scene that day, she was dressed really nicely and she looked rich.”
Everyone then sighed. No matter how much they laughed at how tacky she was, that doesn’t change the fact that all the gold and silver is in her pocket. In comparison, elegance is just worthless.
Nowadays, the main topic amongst the rich ladies in the capital would be My Mingtang. What a scary woman she was, she never buys things in units but in streets. Although some people disliked Mu Mingtang's tacky taste, most of them were envious of her wealth.
Her husband was willing to buy out an entire street for her, and she was even lavishly rewarded by the Emperor. Who wouldn't envy such a luxurious life?
Someone said: “Prince An is already rich, but the palace still rewards them time by time. Now that the princess is the only female in the An Manor, all the money would be spent on her. She could do anything she wanted with that huge amount of wealth.”
Jiang Mingwei had always been proud of her marriage. Hearing as they talked about Mu Mingtang, she despised this situation. After hearing that last sentence, half of the people in the room actually showed a look of approval.
Jiang Mingwei raised her eyebrows in surprise and immediately said: “After she got married, she didn’t have to manage the manor, or to serve her in-laws, so naturally, she is very relaxed. Also, she is the only one that uses the An Manor’s garden, and there would probably be no one there to use it in the future. This suited her personality well. I was born to have a busy life, I’m nothing compared to her.”
After saying this, everyone fell silent. Jiang Mingwei raised her teacup, and covered the sneer on her face.
Although Jiang Mingwei said that in a jealous tone, she actually felt a burst of malicious joy in her heart. Not long ago, she was still heartbroken to find that her husband had slept with another woman. But now, she was mocking the fact that Mu Mingtang was about to become a widow. With Mu Mingtang’s marriage, she would not have a normal wedding life like the others. She could only fill her emptiness through spending money. What’s the use of having so much money when she can’t even have a normal marriage?
What a pity.
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