Chapter 16

June, the height of summer.

The scorching sun beat down on the majestic Forbidden City. The golden glazed tiles reflected a blinding light, and even the bluestone pavement beneath the palace walls seemed about to melt. The air was still and stifling, the cicadas' desperate chirping adding to the oppressive heat.

However, the most magnificent Hall of Supreme Harmony within the imperial city was bustling with activity, filled with music and revelry, a scene of peace and prosperity.

Today marks the 43rd birthday of His Majesty.

Inside the main hall, civil and military officials, imperial relatives, and noblewomen were seated according to their rank, their elegant attire and graceful bearing creating a lively atmosphere. In the center of the hall, dozens of dancers stretched their lithe waists, their long, flowing sleeves tracing beautiful arcs in the air, like drifting clouds or flying snowflakes.

Cui Yunshu sat gracefully among the women, beside her mother, Madam Song. She wore a proper light blue palace dress, and her hair was styled in an elegant, flowing bun adorned with only a few round pearls—understated yet exuding a refined and noble air. She lowered her eyes, sipping her plum juice with small sips, appearing obedient and quiet, but in reality, her peripheral vision had already taken in the entire scene of the hall.

Her gaze swept over the majestic emperor sitting high on the dragon throne, over the gentle-smiling Consort Wang sitting below him, over the gloomy-looking Second Prince Tang Jingming who bore a resemblance to Consort Wang, and finally settled on the young man in the crown prince's seat, dressed in an apricot-yellow four-clawed python robe.

Crown Prince Tang Jingcheng.

He seemed to be in good spirits today, chatting and laughing with the officials who came to toast him, exuding the dignified air of a crown prince in every gesture. His gaze would occasionally drift towards the women's section, where his eyes would meet Cui Yunxi's. Though it was only for a moment, the unspoken understanding and warmth that no one else could penetrate was already self-evident.

Cui Yunshu's heart remained completely unmoved.

Since that night, she completely relinquished any thought of interfering in this relationship. Her battlefield was no longer the romantic entanglements of this small world.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the nervousness she felt for the upcoming "performance." Today was the first and most important cornerstone she had laid for "Cloud Pavilion." All the previous preparations and repeated discussions with her father and brother would face their final test today.

Her purpose was no longer the naive idea of ​​showing loyalty to the emperor to protect herself. What she wanted was a top-level brand marketing campaign that would cause a sensation throughout the capital.[1] She wanted the name "Yunjian Pavilion" to be deeply imprinted in the minds of the top power and consumer circles in the capital before it even opened.

After several rounds of drinks and the singing and dancing gradually subsided, the gift-giving ceremony finally began.

Nobles, princes, and high-ranking officials presented their meticulously prepared birthday gifts. These included calligraphy and paintings by renowned artists of the previous dynasty, exquisitely crafted jade artifacts, and rare treasures from overseas... each item was priceless, drawing waves of admiration.

The emperor accepted the gifts with a smile, but his face showed little emotion. As the ruler of the world, what rare treasures hadn't he seen? To him, these gifts were merely a token of his subjects' goodwill.

Finally, it was the Cui family's turn.

Amidst the high-pitched announcements of the eunuchs, Cui Wen, the father, and his second brother, Cui Yuanjue, left their seats together, walked to the center of the hall, and bowed in greeting.

"Your Majesty, I, Cui Wen, the Grand Secretary, along with my son Cui Yuanjue, respectfully wish Your Majesty a long and healthy life!"

"Rise." The emperor's voice was steady and authoritative.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Cui Wen straightened up, took out a memorial from his sleeve, presented it with both hands, and said loudly, "Today, I offer no gold or jade, no precious trinkets, but only a plan for Your Majesty. This plan can solve the problem of the royal court's use of ice in the summer since the founding of our Great Qin!"

Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes turned to Cui Wen.

The shortage of ice in summer was a long-standing problem. The ice in the Qin Dynasty was all harvested from rivers in winter and stored in ice cellars. However, ice cellars suffered enormous losses, often retaining less than one-tenth of the ice. This precious ice was only enough for the highest-ranking officials in the palace to use for daily cooling; large-scale use for cooling or making iced drinks was simply a pipe dream. Every summer, countless palace servants and officials fell ill due to the heat.

Cui Wen dared to boast that he could solve such a difficult problem?

Many officials showed doubt on their faces, and some officials from the Second Prince's faction even had a hint of sarcasm in their eyes, just waiting to see how the Cui family would end up.

The emperor also became interested. He leaned forward slightly and asked, "Oh? What good plan does Minister Cui have? Why not try it in the palace?"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Cui Wen nodded to Cui Yuanjue. Cui Yuanjue then clapped his hands, and several servants from the Cui family, who had been waiting outside the hall, carried several large wooden basins and a bag of seemingly ordinary white powder into the hall.

“This substance is called saltpeter,” Cui Wen explained to the emperor. “It is a common mineral that can be used to make gunpowder and also as medicine. I recently came across an ancient formula that revealed that when this substance dissolves in water, it can absorb a large amount of heat, causing the water temperature to drop sharply and even freeze.”

As he spoke, Cui Yuanjue personally demonstrated. He ordered someone to pour clean water into a large wooden basin, and then place a smaller copper basin filled with clean water into the large basin. Then, he poured the bag of white saltpeter powder into the water in the large basin and stirred it quickly with a wooden stick.

Everyone watched with bated breath; inside the hall, the only sound was the splashing of water stirred by a wooden stick.

A miraculous thing happened!

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, everyone could clearly see that a layer of fine water droplets had condensed on the outer wall of the large wooden basin, and then a thin layer of white frost had formed! A visible chill was rising from the basin in wisps.

"It's...it's frozen!" A nearby eunuch couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Cui Yuanjue calmly took out the small copper basin, and saw that the clear water in the basin had frozen into a crystal-clear block of ice!

"boom--"

The entire hall erupted in chaos!

"My God! Water turns to ice! This is divine magic!"

"Incredible skill! Truly incredible skill!"

"With this method, we will have no worries about not having ice to use in the summer!"

The officials murmured amongst themselves, their faces filled with shock and disbelief. They stared at the solid ice, which radiated a chilling aura under the palace lanterns, as if it were a priceless treasure.

The Second Prince, Tang Jingming, instantly turned incredibly ugly. He stared intently at the piece of ice, his eyes so gloomy they seemed to drip with water. He knew that the Cui family's actions had once again rendered a tremendous service to the Crown Prince's faction.

On the dragon throne, the emperor abruptly stood up. He strode down the steps and personally approached the bronze basin, reaching out to touch the solid ice. The piercingly cold touch instantly replaced the solemnity on his face with immense joy.

"Good! Good! Good!" He exclaimed three times, then turned to look at Cui Wen, his face beaming with delight. "Minister Cui, what you have presented this time is not just a brilliant strategy, but a vital national treasure! It has relieved our Great Qin of a century-long worry, and you deserve the greatest credit!"

"Your subject dares not claim credit," Cui Wen quickly bowed. "This method... was not created by your subject."

"Oh?" The emperor was taken aback.

Just then, encouraged by her mother, Madam Song, Cui Yunshu slowly rose from her seat. She walked to her father's side and, facing the emperor, performed a flawless and impeccable court etiquette.

"Your subject, Cui Yunshu, pays her respects to Your Majesty."

Her voice was as clear and melodious as a nightingale's song, reaching everyone's ears clearly in the vast palace.

"It's you?" The emperor looked at the young girl in front of him, who was not very old but had delicate features and a calm demeanor. He recognized her as the fourth daughter of the Cui family, who was known for her laziness. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

“Your Majesty,” Cui Wen explained from the side, “this method of making ice was discovered by my daughter by chance in a fragment of an ancient book, and she successfully tested it herself. My son and I are merely presenting it on her behalf.”

Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze towards Cui Yunshu instantly changed. Shock, admiration, curiosity, jealousy... and so on.

Cui Yunshu seemed oblivious to the stares around her. She simply raised her head, a hint of girlish naiveté and pride on her face, and smiled, "Your Majesty, the method of making ice is merely the first gift I have prepared for you. I have also prepared a second one."

As she spoke, she gently clapped her hands towards the outside of the hall.

Ah Tao, who had been waiting for a long time, led a dozen pretty maids dressed in uniform light green dresses, each carrying a large tray covered with bright yellow silk cloth, and filed in with small, steady steps.

As they walked to the center of the hall and unveiled the silk cloths on the trays one by one, a collective gasp filled the hall once again.

It was a visual feast.

On those enormous white jade platters lay dozens of different shapes and vibrant colors of shaved ice. Some were meticulously sculpted into the shapes of peonies and lotuses, their petals crystal clear, as if they would shatter at the slightest touch; others were shaped like carp and qilin, lifelike and vivid; still others were served in exquisite glass goblets, the colorful fruit pieces and ice crystals reflecting each other, resembling works of art crafted with divine skill.

"This banquet is called the 'Agar Ice Cream Banquet'," Cui Yunshu's voice rang out again, carrying a perfectly measured hint of pride. "It is made by me using agar to make agar, supplemented with fresh fruit and milk, and then chilled using the ice-making method I just described."

She paused, then continued in an enticing tone, "This product is not only refreshingly sweet, but it also has cooling and thirst-quenching properties. Eating it in the summer can cleanse the body and mind of dryness and heat. I urge Your Majesty, Your Highnesses, and all the ladies to try it."

The eunuchs carefully presented the finest ice cream to the emperor, empress, concubines, and princes.

The emperor gazed at the mango sorbet carved into the shape of a dragon before him, its golden hue translucent and its scales clearly visible, and his mouth watered. He picked up the accompanying silver spoon, scooped up a small spoonful, and put it in his mouth.

Cool, sweet, soft, and smooth...

An indescribable, ultimate coolness and sweetness exploded in my mouth, sliding down my throat, as if washing away all the heat and stuffiness of summer in this moment!

"Wonderful! Wonderful!" The emperor's eyes lit up instantly, and he couldn't help but scoop up another big mouthful, his face overflowing with surprise and satisfaction.

With the emperor taking the lead, everyone else also started cooking.

For a moment, the only sound in the hall was a chorus of satisfied exclamations.

"This thing should only exist in heaven; it is rarely heard of in the mortal world!"

"Refreshingly cool and delightful, sweet but not cloying, truly a masterpiece!"

Crown Prince Tang Jingcheng took a bite of the cherry sorbet in front of him and looked at his future sister-in-law, who was standing gracefully in the palace. His eyes were full of admiration and praise[1]. He knew that Cui Yunshu's actions were not only for the Cui family, but also for his Eastern Palace, which had earned him a lot of face.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the Second Prince, Tang Jingming, had a livid face. He stared at the exquisitely crafted ice cream in front of him, but couldn't muster any interest in tasting it. The silver spoon in his hand was almost deformed from his grip. He hated the Cui family for always finding ingenious ways to please his father, and he hated even more that there wasn't a remarkable woman by his side who could bring him glory!

"Cui Yunshu!" The emperor put down his silver spoon and called out loudly, his voice filled with unprecedented joy.

"Your subject is here."

"I am delighted with the two gifts you presented today!" The Emperor laughed heartily. "You are exceptionally intelligent and quick-witted, and deserve a reward! Guards! Bestow upon Cui Yunshu, daughter of the Cui family, a thousand taels of gold, a hundred pearls, and fifty bolts of fine silk!"

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your great kindness!" Cui Yunshu bowed gracefully.

"Not only that," the emperor said, his interest piqued. He looked at Cui Yunshu with increasing satisfaction and waved his hand, speaking again, "Today, I personally bestow upon you the title of 'Princess of Ice and Snow'! Though it is an honorary title, it is still a reward from me for you!"

Princess of Ice and Snow!

Cui Yunshu was overjoyed, but on her face she appeared flattered and apprehensive, and kowtowed again: "This humble woman is terrified, what virtue or ability do I have to accept such a favor from Your Majesty!"

"You deserve it!" The emperor waved his hand with a smile, picked up his wine cup, looked at the people in the hall, and said meaningfully, "Such a wonderful delicacy to cool off in the summer heat, it would be a pity if I enjoyed it all by myself. In my opinion, it should be shared with the people!"

It's here!

Cui Yunshu's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest! This was exactly what she had been waiting for!

This golden word was tantamount to giving "Cloud Pavilion" a protective talisman, a supreme license to travel throughout the entire Qin Dynasty!

She immediately seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, kowtowed again, and replied in a clear voice, "Your Majesty is wise! I also have the same intention! I am planning to open a small dessert shop in the capital, and slightly improve these ice creams to sell at an affordable price, so that ordinary people in the capital can also enjoy them in the hot summer and feel the grace of Your Majesty!"

Her words were extremely clever, packaging her business plan as a benevolent act in response to the sage's call and to share joy with the people.

"Oh? Is that so?" Upon hearing this, the Emperor was even more delighted. "Excellent! This is a truly benevolent act! When will your shop open? I will have the Imperial Household Department send a congratulatory gift as well!"

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!" Cui Yunshu kowtowed again, a huge weight lifted from her heart.

She raised her head, meeting the surprised or envious gazes of the court officials, her heart clear and calm.

She knew that from this day forward, the name "Yunjian Pavilion" would take flight and soar to every corner of the capital. And her plan to become "richer than a country" would finally raise its magnificent and unstoppable sails right under the emperor's nose and in the spotlight.