Traveling back to ancient times to get rich

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the dappled windowpanes into the room, accompanied by the cheerful chirping of birds outside. Today was the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, and as the saying goes, "Once the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month is over, the New Year is just around the corner," filling the house with a festive and peaceful atmosphere. Ye Qingchen got up early and hurried into the bathroom to wash herself up. Her movements were light and skillful, and she quickly and neatly tidied herself up. Afterward, she went to the wardrobe and carefully selected the clothes that Gu Mochen and Xiao Yue'er would wear that day.

Meanwhile, Gu Mochen was also busy. He carefully prepared gifts one by one according to Ye Qingchen's previous requests. These gifts were all selected after careful consideration by the two of them, and each one was filled with their deep blessings for the princess.

By the time everything was ready, it was already quite late. An enticing aroma wafted from the table. Bai Zhi and Fu Ling had gotten up early and were busy preparing a delicious Laba porridge! Unlike ordinary families, Ye Qingchen's family was very particular about the ingredients for their Laba porridge. While other families might only use eight common ingredients, here, in addition to the traditional ones, they also added medicinal herbs such as lily bulbs and poria cocos. This porridge, which nourishes the lungs, moistens the lungs, and tonifies the kidneys, is not only sweet and soft but also highly nutritious—truly a delicious and healthy dish.

Besides Laba porridge, a steaming basket of fresh pork dumplings was also placed on the table. The paper-thin wrappers wrapped around the tender and juicy meat filling. With a gentle bite, the rich aroma of meat instantly filled the mouth, leaving a lingering aftertaste.

After breakfast, Gu Mochen took Ye Qingchen and Xiao Yue'er to the carriage, along with Sanqi, Fuling, and Baizhi. The three of them had improved their martial arts skills considerably.

Upon arriving at the Princess's residence, they saw many guests already entering. They alighted from their carriage, where an elderly man approached and asked Sanqi, "May I ask if the carriage carries Prince Chen, Princess Chen, and Princess Fujia?" Gu Mochen and Ye Qingchen quickly dismounted, with Gu Mochen replying, "Thank you for your trouble, sir. I am indeed Prince Chen." The old man bowed slightly and said, "Your Highness, I am the Princess's steward. I have been waiting here today. Please follow me." He then instructed his attendants to help Sanqi carry the gifts. There were two large boxes and a gift list. Ye Qingchen was wearing the fox fur coat given to her by the Princess, the golden phoenix headdress also given by the Princess, a white brocade dress, and white sheepskin boots. She wore a string of red agate beads around her neck, and her bracelet, to match the occasion, had been changed to a red agate bangle. Already possessing an ethereal and otherworldly beauty, she appeared even more fairy-like and graceful. At this moment, she was arm in arm with Gu Mochen, leading Xiao Yue'er towards the main hall.

Upon entering the main hall, she saw the beauty seated at the highest point. Truly worthy of being the Eldest Princess, she embodied the essence of the peony, a symbol of wealth and nobility. Today, she wore a large red cloak, revealing a lifelike golden phoenix adorning her hair. While the golden phoenixes worn by princesses and consorts were subject to strict regulations compared to the Empress, the Eldest Princess's phoenix was clearly a gift from the late Empress Dowager, thus exceeding the prescribed standards. Beside her sat another beautiful woman, whose skin, though slightly yellowish, was clearly of good quality, the uneven pigmentation caused only by pregnancy. Ye Qingchen guessed this must be her daughter-in-law.

At this moment, Gu Mochen, Ye Qingchen, and Xiao Yue'er had already arrived at the foot of the hall and began to bow to the Princess: "Nephews Mochen, Qingchen, and grandsons Yue'er greet Princess, aunt, and grandmother." With this greeting, the Princess seemed to only then look at them, though she had actually been observing them since they entered. The two children, Prince Chen and Princess Chen, were very good-looking, and the little girl they brought was also adorable. Moreover, they were gentle and refined, and quite endearing. Princess Chen wore the white fox fur coat bestowed upon her that day, along with the golden phoenix headdress, which suited her perfectly. She had chosen it well, neither too plain nor too ostentatious, just like the plum blossoms today—noble and beautiful. She liked it very much. Gu Mochen and Xiao Yue'er weren't dressed too extravagantly either. Gu Mochen wore a light blue brocade robe and a matching white brocade cloak. Princess Fujia wore a red cloak and a pink dress. The three of them seemed to be dressed much less than the others; one wondered if they were cold.

The Princess thought for a moment and then asked, "Get up quickly. It's snowing so heavily today, aren't you three cold?" Ye Qingchen replied, "Aunt, we're wearing special coats, so we're not cold today. We even brought one for you today, please do us the honor of trying it on. It's perfect for this snowy weather." The Princess said, "Oh? Since it's such a fitting garment, then I'll accept it." Ye Qingchen continued, "Qingchen is knowledgeable in pharmacology, so I'm bringing you a set of skincare cosmetics, several bottles of anti-aging pills, a hundred-year-old ginseng, and a hundred-year-old lingzhi mushroom."

The eldest princess was pleased to hear this. She was certainly not lacking in gold and silver these days, and she had never heard of giving these gifts to the empress. She knew that the youth-preserving pills were only given to the emperor and Consort Li. Now that she had them too, she was naturally happy. She said to Gu Mochen and the others, "Mochen, you and your cousin and cousin's wife can chat here. Qingchen, you and Yue'er can come with me to change my clothes." After saying this, she saw Han Mama help her into the house, and Ye Qingchen followed her in with Yue'er.

The eldest princess entered and saw a very thin and soft white undergarment. She put it on with some skepticism, then removed her heavy cotton-padded coat and put on the outer garment. Instantly, she felt much lighter and a little warm. She thought the clothes were nice and was about to leave when Ye Qingchen quickly said, "Aunt, please wait a moment. Let me help you with your skincare." The eldest princess entered as well, and Ye Qingchen cleansed her face and let her do as she pleased. Ye Qingchen first applied water, then a lotion, then a slightly viscous liquid, and then a cream. Next, she applied a little concealer, then a touch of earth-toned eyeshadow, a little blush, and a little lip rouge. The eldest princess looked even younger. Ye Qingchen carefully explained each step to Granny Han, who understood perfectly. The princess felt that after this series of actions, not only were her clothes lighter, but her skin also felt lighter. Looking at Ye Qingchen's clear face, she thought, "No wonder this child has such good skin." Seeing that her face looked several years younger, she was very satisfied and personally pulled Ye Qingchen out of the room.