The Imperial Wardrobe Bureau and the Embroidery Bureau

Zhou Wanwan looked at them with a smile and said:

"If you work diligently here, I will provide you with a separate monthly allowance in addition to the palace allowance."

But if anyone wants to file a complaint, they should think twice.

"Think about it, with a little over one or two taels of silver a month, how much will you be able to save by the time you leave the palace?"

Everyone was overjoyed. "Is it really that good?"

Zhou Wanwan looked at them and said, "It's true. As long as you work hard, I won't treat you unfairly."

Her shop outside needed manpower, and all the products produced in Dongshan Prefecture were sold to other countries.

Their goods are selling very well now.

There wasn't enough time to sell them all.

The shops in the capital city are currently unable to restock. What can Zhou Wanwan do?

The only option left was to try and get her into the palace, since she was confined to the inner palace.

Shouldn't I find something to do?

These palace maids were actually quite pitiful. In such a vast palace, there were tens of thousands of palace maids and tens of thousands of eunuchs, all just to serve their masters.

Anyway, the atmosphere in the palace was very oppressive, Zhou Wanwan disliked very much. When a person is locked in a cage, they will naturally develop problems.

Zhou Wanwan felt that it was better to guide them than to block them, so she decided to find something for them to do.

The palace maids were overjoyed; who wouldn't be happy to receive two salaries?

That evening, the entire Textile Bureau was bustling with activity.

The aunt from the Laundry Bureau, observing this scene, said:

"Goodness, I've never seen the palace so lively before."

"The palace used to be so dull, but now it's much better; everyone's motivated."

Zhou Wanwan nodded and said, "Then let's go to the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau next!"

Upon seeing Zhou Wanwan arrive, the lady from the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau greeted her, saying, "Miss Wanwan, what brings you here?"

Zhou Wanwan looked up at her and said, "You actually know me?"

The aunt from the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau smiled slightly and said:

"Now everyone knows you, even though you live in the cold palace."

But it helped many palace maids and eunuchs; I heard their lives in the Cold Palace are much better now."

Zhou Wanwan looked at her and said:

"So I came here to ask if you'd be willing to help me with some work."

Like them, you can receive an extra monthly allowance.

The lady-in-waiting from the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau said, "All 892 palace maids and eunuchs in our Imperial Wardrobe Bureau are willing to serve you. Whatever you ask us to do, we will do it."

Zhou Wanwan smiled and said, "That would be great. May I visit your Imperial Wardrobe Bureau?"

The aunt from the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau nodded and led Zhou Wanwan forward.

The Imperial Wardrobe Bureau was filled with fine fabrics and new clothes. As soon as you entered, you could smell the fragrance of silk and thread mixed with a faint incense.

The room was spacious and bright, with a row of large wooden shelves against the wall, filled with the finest fabrics sent by the Weaving Bureau.

Brocade, Suzhou embroidery, brocade satin, and soft gauze—red, pink, blue, and gold—were neatly stacked in rolls, soft and smooth to the touch.

Several large cutting boards were placed in the middle, with clothes being made on them.

There was the Empress Dowager's bright yellow phoenix robe, embroidered with golden dragons and auspicious clouds.

The empress wore a bright red court robe, embroidered with phoenixes in gold thread.

There were also the daily brocade skirts worn by the imperial concubines and the long robes worn by the princes, all brightly colored and exquisitely embroidered.

Tall clothes racks stood against the wall, filled with finished garments.

In the cabinet in the corner, there were boxes and boxes of various colors of silk thread, gold thread, silver thread, as well as embroidery needles, thimbles, and scissors.

Hundreds of nannies and palace maids were busy at work, some cutting fabric, some threading needles and embroidering, and some ironing clothes, all working An'an.

Zhou Wanwan looked at the clothes and said:

"The fabric of these clothes is quite good, but now new textile machines have been introduced."

The fabric delivered later will be of better quality than this batch.

The aunt from the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau looked at Zhou Wanwan and asked, "Do we still need to make these palace clothes for them?"

Zhou Wanwan quickly nodded and said:

"Of course it needs to be done, but it can be done by some palace maids. There's no need to make it too good; they won't be able to tell anything about it."

Those clothes I need to order, you have to make them look nice.

Each palace maid receives one tael of silver per month, while you would receive five taels. What do you think of that?

We will also give you dividends at the end of the year.

The lady from the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau asked excitedly, "When do we start? I can't wait!"

Zhou Wanwan took out several drawings and said, "Take a look at these clothing designs. These are clothes we recently developed, and I think they're pretty good."

The aunt from the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau looked at the clothes and said, "These clothes even have patterns? The clothes in these pictures are so beautiful!"

Zhou Wanwan nodded and said, "These clothes can be made in all sorts of colors, and the styles are quite nice. Do you think it's feasible to make them?"

The aunt from the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau nodded and said, "The design isn't difficult; I can definitely make one. I can make one for you to see tomorrow."

Zhou Wanwan smiled and said:

"Okay, then give it a try tomorrow. Once you've made the sample, show it to me."

If it's suitable, it can be mass-produced.

However, we still need to check on the Embroidery Bureau; after all, it's not enough for you to make the clothes on your own.

The Embroidery Bureau must also keep up.

These are all interconnected, one link leading to another.

The aunt at the Embroidery Bureau was very old. She smiled faintly at Zhou Wanwan and said, "I've long admired your name."

Zhou Wanwan looked at her and said, "Hello, Aunt Li, you should know what I'm thinking."

Aunt Li smiled faintly and said, "Our Embroidery Bureau doesn't want to get involved in this matter, so young lady, I can only apologize."

Zhou Wanwan paused for a moment and said:

"I don't understand, why are you unwilling?"

The embroidery workshop should have more than 300 palace maids. Don't you think about them?

Aunt Li smiled faintly and said:

"I'm only trying to protect them; that's why I don't want them involved."

You have now stripped the real power of various departments within the palace of their authority; I don't understand what you're trying to do.

But what you're trying to do is extremely dangerous.

Zhou Wanwan looked at her and said, "Then what did Aunt Li tell me was safe? You don't want any danger, but your family has still been implicated."

Aunt Li jumped to her feet and asked, "How did you know?"

Zhou Wanwan smiled faintly and said, "Your son is gone, but you have a daughter. Do you remember her?"

Aunt Li looked at Zhou Wanwan with a shocked expression and said, "What do you mean by that?"

Zhou Wanwan called out, "Zhao Nian'an, come in!"

Zhao Nian'an walked in. Aunt Li looked at Zhao Nian'an, and tears slowly streamed down her face. "Nian'an, is it really you? Nian'an, you're still alive?"

Zhao Nian'an looked at Aunt Li and said, "Mother, I'm still alive. Zhou Wanwan saved me; she's my savior."