In the West courtyard of the princess's residence, the attendant Monke strode excitedly through the courtyard gate, carrying two large bags of snacks.
Upon hearing the news of their return to Khalkha, they had made sure to find time to shop at the marketplace. There were so many things here that were unavailable on the grasslands! Monke himself had ordered ten catties of peach crisps, intending to eat them on the journey.
As a personal guard to the Junwang, Monke possessed a fair amount of property. However, it consisted of cattle, sheep, and pastures far away in Khalkha, which could not be immediately brought to the capital to spend. Furthermore, people here used silver and copper coins; the shopkeepers wouldn't dare trade snacks directly for sheep. For this reason, he had been quite distressed.
Mama Kang, being attentive, had noticed his gloomy expression and specifically asked for the reason. Upon learning that he lacked enough silver to purchase goods, she had brought him two taels of silver.
"Take this for now," she said.
Monke was overjoyed. "Consider this a loan from you, Mama. Once we reach Khalkha, I will pay you back two… no, three sheep."
Having bought a heap of delicious snacks, Monke remembered Mama Kang's kindness and planned to let her taste the freshly made peach crisps.
Holding the oil-paper bundles, he made his way to the side room in the alleyway between the West courtyard and the main courtyard, calling out for Mama Kang from outside.
Suddenly, he heard a woman's voice from behind him. "What is it? Is something the matter?"
Turning around, he saw the Fourth Princess and her attendants standing beneath the high wall opposite him.
Monke quickly knelt to pay his respects. Mama Kang, hearing the commotion, also came out, and together they greeted the Fourth Princess.
"Rise," Muxue said.
As the two stood up, Monke explained the situation to Muxue. "Since we are returning, I wanted to buy some things, but my cattle and sheep are all in Khalkha and cannot be exchanged for silver. Mama Kang lent me some money, and I will repay her with sheep when we return. These are the peach crisps I just bought; I wanted her to have a taste."
Mama Kang nodded. "That is indeed the case. The Princess has been busy these past few days, so this servant did not wish to trouble you with such a small matter. It wasn't much money; there's really no need for repayment."
"It must be repaid. Naturally, a debt must be settled," Monke insisted.
Listening to the two of them go back and forth, Muxue suddenly clapped her hands together and said, "It is not a small matter."
An idea leaped from her mind like a fish jumping out of water.
She questioned Monke further, "Do you not use money on the grasslands?"
Monke shook his head. "Rarely. Hardly anyone uses silver or copper coins; we all trade with cattle and sheep."
Muxue couldn't stop herself from smiling. Wasn't this a ready-made business opportunity?
During a previous casual conversation with an official from the Imperial Household Department, he had mentioned that the Emperor had recently reaffirmed the Nianban regulations. This required the Wang Gong of places like Menggu and Zangqu to come to the capital for an imperial audience in regular rotating shifts.
Taking the recently annexed Khalkha as an example, except for the Huofo Da Lama who was exempt from the audience, each tribe was divided into a shift. One shift was required to come every year, arriving in the capital before the twelfth lunar month. A full rotation occurred roughly every four years.
The official from the Imperial Household Department had mentioned this to comfort the princess, suggesting that perhaps in four years, she could return to the capital for a visit with the Nianban party from the Tüsheet Khanate.
Muxue hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now it immediately came back to her.
The purpose of the Nianban was simple: the Big Brother would pay for travel and lodging out of his own pocket, requiring the Little Brothers to come home periodically to pay their respects, swear their loyalty, and nurture their relationship—proving they still wanted to follow him rather than letting distance breed dissent.
When these Mongolian Wang Gong and Taiji came to the capital and saw so many fine things, wouldn't they want to go on a shopping spree? However, as their wealth in the form of livestock and pastures was mostly on the grasslands, it was extremely inconvenient for them to exchange it for money to buy goods.
At such a time, if there was a pawnshop willing to lend silver to these Wang Gong and Taiji immediately, and then a branch of the pawnshop on the other end in the grasslands received word to collect cattle and sheep locally, wouldn't that be very convenient?
It seemed like a good business. She planned to think it over more thoroughly later.
Coming back to her senses, Muxue said with a smile, "It is only right that you should buy some things to take back. I simply failed to notice. Mama Kang, go to Nanny Wu later to get a voucher. Give each of the consort's personal guards five taels of silver to spend as they please."
Monke felt quite embarrassed. "This… is this alright?"
"Consider it pocket money from your Zhumu," Muxue said. "A bride must always try to please her husband's family. Just think of this as giving me that opportunity."
Since she put it that way, Monke could say no more. He simply kowtowed to thank the Princess for her grace.
After this interlude, Muxue continued toward the West courtyard.
She had come to find Dorji.
Dorji was originally reading a book, and he was quite surprised to see her.
"Why has the Princess come here?"
"I came to ask how your packing is coming along. You should give your luggage list to Mama Kang so the Imperial Household Department can prepare everything together."
Seeing him flipping through a Chinese book, Muxue asked, "What book are you reading?"
Dorji closed the book and handed it to her. On the indigo cover were the words The Art of War.
"You can understand this?" Muxue asked curiously.
"By comparing it with the Mongolian version, I can recognize some of it, but I don't fully grasp it," Dorji said candidly. "Has the Princess read this book?"
Muxue nodded. "I have read many miscellaneous books."
"Then—" Dorji leaned in and said softly, "Could the Princess teach me?"
Watched by those moist, amber-like eyes, Muxue took a step back to widen the distance. "If there is an opportunity, I can."
"I see the opportunity right here," Dorji said. "The road back to Khalkha is long. It's the perfect time for the Princess to teach me."
Muxue touched the hair at her temples and gave an "mm" in response before changing the subject. "By the way, since you have been titled a Junwang, you should also have a stipend. Have you collected it yet?"
Dorji thought for a moment. "It seems an official from the Lifanyuan mentioned this and told me to go there to collect it, but I forgot."
"It's better to collect it sooner rather than later. Large amounts of silver are inconvenient to carry, so you can exchange it for things like silk fabrics as you see fit. That way, it will be convenient for you to use back home."
"The Princess seems to have a lot of insight," Dorji said. "In that case, why don't you just manage this stipend for me?"
Muxue was stunned. "Give it to me?"
"Isn't it perfectly reasonable for a wife to manage her husband's money?" Dorji said matter-of-factly.
He was a man of his word. Even though Muxue had said there was no need on the spot, Dorji remained insistent.
Three days later, a chest of shiny silver was carried into the storehouse of the princess's residence. A Junwang's stipend was one thousand two hundred taels a year, the same as hers as a Heshuo Princess married into a foreign tribe.
Nanny Wu came over to ask her how to handle it.
"I just took another trip to the consort's quarters. He insists that you keep it. What do you think should be done?"
Muxue was, admittedly, touched for a moment by his act of voluntarily handing over his stipend, but suspicion immediately followed. She guarded her own private property very closely and was unwilling to mix it all together like joint marital assets. Therefore, she did not wish to accept and use Dorji's money.
However, it would be unseemly to keep pushing the chest of silver back and forth.
Thinking of the prevalence of bartering on the grasslands, Muxue made a decision. "Divide it into three parts. Exchange one part for cloth so the consort can take it back as gifts. Give him one part to take back to Khalkha in cash. Put the final part into Rong'an Pawnshop to earn interest and draft a deposit slip in his name. Go ask him if he has any objections to this arrangement."
After a while, Nanny Wu returned with a smile on her face.
"The consort said this arrangement is excellent. He said you are truly his Hadun, able to handle everything so beautifully."
…
Muxue pressed a hand to her forehead. She could even imagine the tone Dorji had used when he said those words.