This trip to Chen Guogong's mansion, although there are some twists and turns, but on the whole, there are still benefits, after all, most of the generals in the north of the Great Jin Dynasty are the protégés of Chen Guogong, and if they can make friends with the Ye family, Li Xin's road to military attache will be much smoother in the future.

After bidding farewell to Chen Guogong's mansion, Li Xin left Yongle Fang and returned to Datong Fang.

At this time, the advertisement on the side of the proud building has been sold, but the specific toast has not yet started to sell, and it really has to wait until the day of the bidding, which is also seven or eight days later, before that, Li Xin has another thing to be busy with.

That is the congratulatory gift prepared for the Emperor Chengde.

It is now June 5th, and there are only two days left before the birthday of the Son of Heaven, and then it will be the Long Spring Festival of the Great Jin Dynasty, and all the officials will enter the palace to congratulate the Son of Heaven on his birthday.

The princes and princesses also had to prepare congratulatory gifts and enter the palace to present to the emperor, and at that time, Li Xin would probably follow the nine princesses into the palace together.

It was almost afternoon when Li Xin returned to Chase Fang.

At this time, he didn't have to stay in the princess's mansion to work all the time, so he simply went home directly.

In her own yard, the little girl Zhong Xiaoxiao was still reading and writing in her room, Li Xin went to see her for a while, then turned around and went back to her room, and began to think about what to give to the high Son of Heaven.

The emperor doesn't say that he can't look down on the valuable, but it is definitely not inconspicuous in the vast number of congratulatory gifts.

The most important thing is that Li Xin can't afford to get valuable things.

Up to now, Captain Li's property is only more than 1,000 yuan, although this money is enough for a middle-class family to live for more than ten years, but it is too inconspicuous to be placed in the top circle of the capital.

Li Xin sat in his backyard, thought about it for half an hour, and finally found the easiest thing to do at the moment among countless plans.

But this thing...... It's expensive.

With Li Xin's financial resources, he definitely couldn't finish it, so he said hello to Zhong Xiaoxiao and went out towards Princess Qinghe's mansion not far away.

Li Xin hadn't returned to Princess Qinghe's Mansion for a day or two, so when Her Royal Highness the Ninth Princess saw him, she was a little unhappy: "Where have you been these days?" ”

Li Xin smiled: "Didn't you help His Highness prepare a congratulatory gift?" ”

The Ninth Princess sneered: "You were obviously called by the people in the Proud Building, thinking that this princess didn't know?" ”

Li Xin coughed, choosing to avoid this topic, he smiled brightly at the Ninth Princess: "Your Highness, I have thought of a congratulatory gift, which will definitely make Your Majesty's face happy." ”

Ji Lingxiu frowned: "What is it?" ”

"Your Highness, you have ......... here. Water jade? ”

The so-called water jade, that is, the crystal of later generations, was originally quite valuable, and it was an extremely precious gem until the advent of glass.

In this era, there is naturally no glass, and even if Li Xin wants to get the glass out, it will take at least a year or two or even longer, which is obviously too late.

Crystal with high transparency is very similar to glass to some extent, but this kind of superb crystal is rare among the people, and the goods sold on the market are inferior and very expensive.

Even if it is inferior goods in Xishi Street, Li Xin can't afford it now.

This kind of superb thing is generally in the hands of nobles, especially the royal family.

The ninth princess glanced at him, gritted her teeth and said, "There are a few objects made of water jade, but most of them were rewarded by the father, so they can't be returned to the father, right?" ”

"Your Highness take it out and let me take a look?"

The ninth princess nodded, and went back to her room and turned out a lot of things, including pendants made of crystal, and pendants made of crystal, all of which were extremely transparent, but most of them were colored crystals.

Colored crystals are a bit more popular.

Li Xin set his eyes on a pair of palm-sized crystal fish, which were made of transparent crystal, with excellent color, and looked almost no different from the glass of later generations, and the level of craftsmanship was also very high, and a pair of chubby fish were carved lifelike.

Li Xin pointed to this pair of fish and said with a smile: "Your Highness, how about this pair of fish for me?" ”

Ji Lingxiu glanced at Li Xin and pouted: "This is my birthday last year, and the seventh brother gave it to me, and they all know about my father, if you transfer it to your father, you will be laughed at." ”

Li Xin bowed his head and said: "Your Highness, rest assured, Your Majesty will never be able to see it at that time, this is still the pair of fish." ”

Originally, this kind of large crystal is often divided into many parts, so that it can be made into jewelry to wear, but these two crystals do not have any impurities, and the craftsman can not bear to divide them, so they made a pair of fish, symbolizing more than every year, and the picture is auspicious.

However, such a big thing can't be worn on the body, it can only be placed at home as a reward, Ji Lingxiu didn't like it very much, and nodded generously: "Okay, you can take it." ”

These two crystal fish are more expensive than Li Xin's whole belongings.

Li Xin carefully put them into the box and smiled at the Ninth Princess: "Your Highness, I will send the finished product back to you tomorrow to ensure that you are satisfied." ”

Ji Lingxiu nodded.

"Okay, the morning after tomorrow, you will go into the palace with me to congratulate your father on his birthday."

Li Xin hugged his fists and was about to retreat,

Her Royal Highness the Ninth Princess blinked her eyes and said softly, "That...... I've made a grape-flavored ice food, would you like to try it? ”

After the inspiration of Li Xin squeezing pear juice last time, now this Qinghe princess has figured out a variety of ways to eat, and she is busy every day.

Li Xin smiled bitterly: "Your Highness, you were still having stomach trouble two days ago, why are you eating again?" ”

………………

The two talked, and Li Xin walked out of the princess's mansion with two fish made of water jade, and he went to Yongle Fang again.

Yongle Fang is the place where the dignitaries and dignitaries in the capital live, there are no merchants to sell, not even beggars to beg for food, the most are all kinds of study, teahouse, and antique jade storefronts.

Several well-crafted jade shops in the capital are all in Yongle Fang.

When it was almost evening, Li Xin found a jade shop called Liangyufang in Yongle Fang and took out two palm-sized crystal fish in his arms.

"Shopkeeper, I'm going to round these two things."

The shopkeeper was an old man in his forties and fifties, he first looked at the goods, then looked up at the young Li Xin, and said with a smile: "Guest officer, this is a finished object, and the craftsmanship is also carved by top good hands, do you want to destroy it?" ”

Li Xin nodded and said, "The store just does what I say." ”

The shopkeeper lowered his voice: "Guest officer, look at you like this, probably this thing is not clean, and you want to ruin the thing, otherwise, you don't have to destroy it, you sell it directly to the small store, and the small shop will charge you twice the money for the material." ”

Li Xin glanced at the shopkeeper a little helplessly.

This bastard has taken himself for a thief!

Li Xin stretched out his hand and showed his Yulin Wei waist card.

"Shopkeeper, this thing is not for sale, you hurry up and do what I say, it will delay the time, and no one can afford to bear it."

The shopkeeper rolled his eyes and said, "It turned out to be the official of Yu Linwei, the small shop will naturally do it, why don't you come and pick it up tomorrow?" ”

Li Xin squinted his eyes and said, "I'll just wait here, when it's ready, when it's time to leave." ”

Just kidding, those who can open a store in Yongle Fang are either princes or princes behind them, and if this store is greedy or subcontracted tomorrow, with the current Li Xin, it really doesn't have to come back!