Cao, the Imperial Weaver, being a favored minister of the late emperor, had always been in the good graces of the empress dowager. He often boasted, "My loyalty is as clear as the sun and the moon."
Now, there was a major flaw in the birthday gift he presented to the empress dowager. If a serious investigation were to be launched, it was likely that Lu Xunguang, who was in charge of the transportation, would be the first to be held accountable.
No wonder Cao, the Imperial Weaver, was so confident when he threatened Lu Xunguang.
The "Peacock Gold Robe" was now ruined. If Lu Xunguang were to follow his wishes and form a marital alliance with the Cao family, presumably, he would produce another intact Peacock Gold Robe to replace the damaged one and pretend that the incident had never happened.
If Lu Xunguang remained stubborn, he would just have to bear the wrath of the empress dowager and the emperor!
Lu Xunguang was so angry that he laughed instead. "Good for you, Cao, the Imperial Weaver! You have the audacity to pull off such a scheme, framing and harming court officials all on your own. You simply defy the law!"
However, even if he were to report the damage of the Peacock Gold Robe to the emperor at this moment, it would be difficult for him to clear his name and stay out of trouble.
He was only ordered to transport the birthday gift to the capital and had no right to open the box for inspection. Moreover, without any evidence, who could prove that it was Cao, the Imperial Weaver, who deliberately damaged the robe in an attempt to frame him?
Who knew if it wasn't because of Lu Xunguang's negligence that something went wrong on the way and he was just shifting the blame onto others?
Lu Xunguang frowned deeply. Despite his usual calmness in the face of danger, he couldn't help but find this situation rather tricky.
It was Li Ying who, with her fair little hands, gently stroked the "Peacock Gold Robe". After a long while, a faint, disdainful smile appeared on her face.
"I thought the embroiderers of the Jiangnan Imperial Weaving House had some truly amazing skills. It turns out they're nothing special. This so - called Peacock Gold Robe is really a laughingstock."
She rarely spoke of others in such a contemptuous tone. Lu Xunguang's expression changed. He lowered his eyes and stared at her intently, asking in a low voice, "Ying'er, what's your opinion?"
Li Ying stood up, clapped her hands, and her smile grew even more gentle.
"The Peacock Gold Robe is woven with peacock gold thread using the kesi technique. It will display blue - green or smoky purple glows as the light changes. It is indeed a rare and beautiful thing."
"However, this 'Peacock Gold Robe' of Cao, the Imperial Weaver, is a fake. It's just a vulgar thing that can't be put on display."
After a moment's thought, she immediately understood. Although the Jiangnan Imperial Weaving House was skilled in brocade weaving and embroidery, it was likely that they only knew the techniques of those crafts. They probably hadn't delved into the later - developed spinning of peacock gold thread and the exquisite "kesi" technique.
In her previous life, she had only seen the "kesi" technique, an intangible cultural heritage, in a museum. By chance, because she, a food blogger, had replicated many novel dishes recorded in ancient books, she had the opportunity to meet a real "kesi" master.
The peacock gold thread used in a real Peacock Gold Robe was made from the "triangular feathers" on the peacock's tail where the eye - like patterns hadn't fully formed. Mulberry silk threads were split, and extremely thin gold wires were added as the core, then the peacock feathers were alternately spun in.
These peacock feathers were softer than ordinary tail feathers and had a more dazzling luster.
Each feather tip was as brilliant as the setting sun, while the end was as dark green as a deep, mysterious pool. Even in a dark room, the feathers' radiant glow could hardly be concealed.
The spun peacock gold thread was not as soft and docile as ordinary silk embroidery thread. Instead, it had a kind of toughness. The feather filaments scattered randomly like summer fireworks. Whether it was for weaving brocade or embroidering patterns, it required the experienced skills of an embroiderer.
It was precisely this kind of peacock gold thread that was charming but not vulgar, with a unique and independent charm. It was often used in embroidering dragon robes, making them look lifelike.
In contrast, although Cao, the Imperial Weaver's "Peacock Gold Robe" was beautiful, upon closer inspection, the patterns were only embroidered with mulberry silk. The peacock feathers nailed on it seemed imposing at first glance, with a captivating beauty.
It was like a beautiful but empty - headed woman. She was beautiful, but she couldn't stand close scrutiny. After looking at her for a while, she became rather dull.
After explaining how to make the peacock gold thread, Li Ying briefly told Lu Xunguang about the "kesi" technique.
Although he was a bit confused, he knew that if the Lu family's embroiderers were guided by Li Ying, they would surely understand the kesi technique of "weaving through the warp and cutting the weft" and "picking the warp to show the weft" better than him.
"Ying'er, do you mean..."
Since she could see through the so - called "Peacock Gold Robe" so easily, presumably, she must also have a way to repair the robe.
Li Ying's eyes curved into a smile. Lu Xunguang understood and waved his hand. Soon, the steward led several highly experienced embroiderers from the Lu family's silk shop in front of them.
Li Ying didn't hold back. She guided them to carefully arrange the warp threads on the loom.
A pattern draft was placed under the warp threads. The weavers only needed to trace the pattern on the weaving surface through the warp threads with a brush. Then, they selected small boat - shaped shuttles about a foot long, filled with various colored silk threads, and wove the kesi in sections according to the different patterns.
After the kesi was woven, the fluff on the back was cut off and the thread ends were hidden. It didn't feel as protruding as embroidery. Instead, it was integrated with the cloth, looking natural and seamless.
The texture of the kesi fabric was also more distinct. The color connection between different patterns was more natural and flexible than that of embroidery, making it extremely elegant and appealing.
Although Li Ying was only a "theoretical expert", the Lu family's embroiderers were all clever and quick - witted. At first, they were a bit at a loss when faced with the warp threads, but soon they got the hang of it and gradually figured out the knack.
As dusk approached, the weavers finally presented a small kesi handkerchief in front of Lu Xunguang and Li Ying.
"Master, Mistress, this is the first time we've woven kesi in our lives, so our skills are a bit rough. But we've already understood the principle of 'weaving through the warp and cutting the weft'. Please rest assured, Master. Given some more time, we will surely be able to produce kesi with more delicate color matching and more even thread - work!"
The weavers were confident and vowed to Lu Xunguang.
Lu Xunguang naturally agreed. He told them to go and continue their in - depth study. Then he turned to Li Ying.
"Ying'er, do you mean that we should use the 'kesi' technique to repair the Peacock Gold Robe?"
He hesitated a bit. It wasn't that he doubted the kesi technique.
The kesi technique was so exquisite that using it to repair Cao, the Imperial Weaver's "Peacock Gold Robe" was a bit of an overkill.
Li Ying carefully examined the Peacock Gold Robe and slowly shook her head.
"Using kesi to repair the Peacock Gold Robe has another difficulty, and that is the peacock gold thread I mentioned to you just now."
This peacock gold thread was the ultimate symbol of luxury in kesi and was by no means something that could be easily obtained!