Chapter 75: Fragrant Tower

Tian Mi was trying on several new outfits, and today, she was wearing a bright pink one. Honestly, the craftsmanship and fabric were far beyond anything she could have bought in the modern world. Especially the floral design—each stitch was meticulously embroidered by hand.

As she looked at herself in the bronze mirror, she couldn’t help but smile and think, “This dress must be expensive. Being a rich lady feels so good!” She smirked and said to herself, “I’m the most beautiful in the world!”

The dress was elaborate, and it took three people—Chun Yi, Xia Mei, and Xia Lan—to help her get dressed. Wearing it was so hot! Tian Mi finally understood why people in ancient times wore so many layers in the summer—it wasn’t just fashion. They lacked bras, so they wore layer upon layer to prevent their chests from showing too much. She had a brilliant idea: why not sell bras?

She realized it was a low-margin business, one that would be tiring and easy to copy, so she quickly dismissed it. A wealthy lady like her didn’t want to be bothered with such trivial matters.

Xiao Mama, watching her new mistress, couldn’t help but admire her. Although Tian Mi was a widow, she had a beauty that was unmatched in the capital. She didn’t appear to be someone who had raised two children; her beauty made her seem like a simple, innocent woman, but Xiao Mama knew better. She would need to inform her about the complexities of the capital.

Xiao Mama smiled and said, “Your Highness, you are truly a rare beauty!”

Having spent years in the palace, she was used to seeing beauties, but Tian Mi’s beauty was on a whole different level. Her eyes sparkled like stars, and her skin was as fair as snow.

She continued, “Your Highness is a commoner who earned her title through hard work. Prince Ding awarded you the title, and as of now, the royal family has only been back in the capital for a little over a year. There are powerful nobles here, but they are not all from the royal family. The military families are mostly from the borderlands, while the civil officials are from prestigious families.”

Tian Mi listened attentively, realizing that Xiao Mama was trying to teach her about the political landscape of the capital. She knew how deep the waters of the capital could be, and she was paying close attention.

Xiao Mama explained that Tian Mi needed to be cautious when dealing with the scholars, who were mostly from noble families. The political game in the capital was complicated, and Tian Mi would need to learn the ropes if she wanted to navigate it successfully.

Meanwhile, Jin Wenwen had returned to the capital and immediately sent a letter to the palace. She couldn’t meet the Empress directly but was able to meet with Nanny Ran, a trusted confidant of the Empress. Jin Wenwen had her own agenda and wanted to get some information about Tian Mi.

Nanny Ran had known the Empress since she was young and had gained the Empress’s full trust. After Jin Wenwen’s family passed away, Nanny Ran had taken her in and treated her like a daughter. Jin Wenwen had bought Nanny Ran many expensive gifts to express her gratitude, and Nanny Ran was very pleased.

Jin Wenwen inquired about Nanny Ran’s health and how things were in the palace. The two chatted like mother and daughter, catching up on old times.

When Nanny Ran asked about the outside world, Jin Wenwen casually mentioned, “I’m doing fine. My brother was injured in battle, but fortunately, Doctor Tian’s medical skills saved him. If it weren’t for him, I would have lost my brother.”

Nanny Ran nodded understandingly. “The battlefield is unforgiving, but it’s good that he survived.”

Jin Wenwen then casually mentioned, “Do you know? Doctor Tian is actually the current Long Feng County Princess. She is incredibly beautiful—like a celestial being! Even though she’s a widow with children, no one in the military camp could resist her beauty.”

Jin Wenwen was careful not to mention Bai Mucheng, as discussing him could cause unnecessary trouble. However, talking about Tian Mi was a different matter, and she only briefly touched on her beauty before moving on with the conversation.

Nanny Ran, a sharp woman, immediately sensed that there was more to the story. She guessed that Jin Wenwen might have some unresolved issues with the Long Feng County Princess. Having raised Jin Wenwen, she could tell she was being protective and trying to offer guidance.

After leaving the palace, Jin Wenwen looked back at the grand and imposing palace, realizing that the people inside wielded the most power in the world. But as she stood there, she felt insignificant and unable to influence anything. She needed allies.

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The next day, Tian Mi sent her uncle, Tian Dabiao, along with Qiu Yi and several servants to familiarize themselves with the daily needs of the mansion and do some shopping. They all went out in a large group.

Chun Yi, along with a few others, also went out to get familiar with the surrounding area. Tian Mi, along with Xu Feiyan, Chen Miaomiao, and Xia Mei, went shopping. Xia Mei was familiar with the capital, having lived here for many years before being sold to the palace when her family fell on hard times.

The capital was bustling, with wide streets and a variety of shops that dwarfed anything in Qinghe County. The fabric of their clothes had been a gift from the palace, but the styles were already outdated.

Tian Mi led her companions on a shopping spree, buying beautiful clothes, accessories, and everything they fancied.

Xia Mei, who knew about Tian Mi’s past, was surprised at how generous she was. As the daughter of a poor courier, it was shocking to see her spend so freely. Tian Mi didn’t just buy for herself—she bought for the two young ladies, the old master, and even the old matriarch.

What made Xia Mei speechless was that, as a princess, why did you need to carry so much silver when going out? You should have them deliver it to your door. A noble lady like the princess shouldn’t be handling such mundane things.

If you leave your address, they’ll deliver the goods to your residence. The service here is excellent.

Tired from shopping, they decided to go to the largest restaurant in the center of the street—Piao Xiang Lou—for a meal. This restaurant has three floors and is luxuriously decorated, but since it was still not mealtime, there weren’t many people yet. Tian Mi asked for a private room on the second floor by the street. The three of them were in high spirits, eager to try the dishes from one of the best restaurants in the capital, curious about what the food would be like.

They opened the menu, and the prices were quite impressive. A single ordinary dish cost enough for an average person to live on for a month.

Xu Feiyan clicked her tongue, “This food is like gold!”

Tian Mi ordered four dishes and a soup, all house specialties. Whenever she went somewhere, Tian Mi always liked to try the local specialty dishes, as it was her habit to get to know the flavors of the area.

The waiters at the capital’s restaurants are all well-trained, very enthusiastic and attentive. Taking the order, they said, “Got it! Please wait a moment, ladies,” and began to prepare the dishes.

Xia Mei said, “This restaurant has been open for nearly fifty years. It’s a property of the Wang family, and it’s quite well-known in the capital.”

The Wang family is also an old aristocratic family in the capital, though in the past decade or so, no prominent figures had emerged from them, and they had fallen into decline. Now, they could only make a living through business.

Soon, the dishes arrived. Tian Mi had thought that capital dishes would be more delicately plated and fancy, but instead, the food was simple and hearty with fresh ingredients. The only thing that stood out was the exquisite tableware.

Tian Mi tasted a bit, and it was actually quite good. Fresh, but the flavors were relatively simple. To be honest, for this era, it was pretty good.

Xu Feiyan took a careful taste and said, “Tian Mi, with this flavor and these prices, if we opened a restaurant in the capital, we’d definitely do great business.”

Tian Mi smiled, “That’s true.”

While they were eating, they heard a commotion outside. How could a high-class restaurant like this have an argument going on outside?

“Yo! Isn’t that the barbarian who came out from the poor countryside?”

“How can that be? She’s a golden phoenix flying out from the mountains.”

“Just a rough person who only knows how to fight.”

Tian Mi blinked. Wasn’t this cursing me?

She leaned out of the window and saw a group of girls arguing. On one side, three girls were with a few maidservants, while on the other side, there were only two girls, without any maidservants.

The smaller girl’s face turned red with anger.

She shouted, “You’re the barbarians!”

And she was about to rush over to hit them.

The older girl quickly stopped her.

Their argument had attracted a crowd, and many people gathered by the windows to watch and gossip.

“General Lin Buqu, who’s stationed at the frontier, has his daughter surrounded by the Chen family’s daughter.”

“Hehe, looks like there’s a spectacle to watch!”

It turned out that the girls arguing were the daughters of General Lin Buqu.

“You see? They can’t even have a peaceful conversation without getting physical. What else can they be but barbarians? A whole family of barbarians.”

After General Lin Buqu returned to the capital, he had an argument with the Minister of Justice, Chen, and when he couldn’t win the argument, he beat him up. The Emperor then sent him back to the frontier, where there was a shortage of people.

The older girl said, “The soldiers defending the frontier are not barbarians, Miss Chen. Watch your words.”

But Miss Chen wasn’t planning to back down. She sneered and said, “A bunch of filthy, smelly people carrying knives, always fighting and killing. How can they be anything but barbarians? They don’t even understand the basics of etiquette. How can they be anything other than uncivilized barbarians? A group of people with no manners, nothing but barbarians!”

Tian Mi couldn’t bear it any longer.

“Do you know that it is exactly these so-called dirty and smelly people who are protecting the peace of our country at the frontier? It is because of them that you can live in peace and comfort, and this is how you insult them? You should be grateful for their protection, not speak ill of them. Is this the education you claim to have? If this is the case, then the Chen family’s upbringing leaves much to be desired.”