The atmosphere was somber during the morning court session the following day.

When the ministers learned that Consort Nian had been demoted to a commoner, they were all shocked. Their eyes met with suspicion and disbelief: Was the Emperor going to completely abandon the Nian family?

However, Yongzheng did not give them much time to digest the information. With a wave of his hand, he swiftly issued a series of decrees.

"Spring planting is imminent," Emperor Yongzheng said, his gaze sweeping over the civil and military officials in the hall. "Starting today, the Grand Minister of Agriculture will set aside one hundred acres of experimental land in the Imperial Estates to test the improved rice variety. If the results are significant, it will be promoted to all provinces in Zhili next year."

The Minister of Revenue was about to offer a conservative suggestion when he caught a glimpse of the Emperor's stern expression and immediately bowed his head in agreement.

As for who improved the breed, no one dared to ask.

"Regarding the textile factory," Yongzheng tapped the dragon table lightly with his fingertips, his voice as cold as ice, "it has made a profit of 3.8 million taels in half a year. Is there anyone still objecting?" The hall was silent.

The conservative ministers who had initially vehemently opposed the move turned pale and remained silent.

After all, with such a large sum of money right in front of them, who would dare to say a single "no"?

The price of fabric is getting lower and lower, and ordinary people can afford to wear clothes. You're objecting? Can you even provide clothes for ordinary people? If not, shut up!

Yongzheng took in everyone's reactions and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

Finally, he turned to the Fourteenth Prince, Yinzhen: "Two days from now, you will lead the elite troops of the Bordered Yellow Banner on an expedition, accompanied by fifty newly forged red-coated cannons from the artillery battalion." Yinzhen knelt on one knee, his armor clanging: "Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail in your trust, brother!"

Before the court officials could recover from the series of shocks, the Emperor slowly rose to his feet, his voice leaving no room for doubt: "State affairs are busy, and I hope that all of you will perform your duties and not fail the court's high expectations. Court adjourned!"

"Respectfully seeing off His Majesty—" the assembled officials shouted in unison, kneeling and bowing in greeting.

As they walked out of the main hall, several elderly ministers stumbled and almost missed their footing on the jade steps.

Imperial edicts from the Hall of Mental Cultivation flew to the Six Ministries like snowflakes, and the Emperor even summoned the Grand Council for his lunch.

This iron-fisted emperor clearly intended to use ruthless methods to monopolize power and completely seize control of the Qing Dynasty.

—————

Not to mention how busy the Emperor was, Lin Yun was also extremely busy.

Lin Yun sat at her desk, her fingertips gently stroking the edge of the Xuan paper, her eyes sparkling with eager anticipation.

She's going to create something new—unboxing blind boxes!

Collect all 24 colors of lip rouge to exchange for a bottle of Yunxiang Pavilion's special fragrant dew!

Blind boxes are the most effective way to pique people's curiosity. Even without considering the fragrance, just collecting all 24 colors would make wealthy women flock to them.

The formula for perfume also requires thought; it may be as refreshing as cedar or as sweet and warm as amber, but it should always be unforgettable.

"Twenty-four solar terms, twenty-four colors..." she murmured softly, picking up her pen to sketch a few delicate characters on the paper.

A vibrant scene comes to mind: peach pink in spring, pomegranate red in summer, maple crimson in autumn, and plum purple in winter.

Each season features six styles, designed to be both seasonal and unique.

Springtime should be clear and bright, summer should be vibrant and cheerful, autumn should be calm and composed, and winter should be luxurious and elegant.

She picked up a small white porcelain dish from the side, used a silver spoon to scoop out a little bit of the base color lip rouge, added two drops of rose syrup, and then carefully ground it.

She dabbed a little on her fingertip and gently spread it on the back of her hand, a delicate cherry blossom color slowly blooming. "Not bright enough..." she frowned in thought, then took out a small packet of gold powder from the brocade box and carefully mixed a little into it.

When I tried it again, the cherry blossom color had a few more subtle glimmers, like flower petals under the spring sunshine.

Xia He brought in tea and, seeing her focused expression, couldn't help but smile, "Is Your Highness making something new again?"

Lin Yun looked up, her eyes crinkling with a smile. "You've come at the perfect time. Try this color." She took Xia He's hand and applied the newly mixed lip rouge to her lips. Xia He looked in the bronze mirror and exclaimed, "This color really suits my skin tone!"

"This is just the 'apricot blossoms in the light rain' of spring; we haven't yet captured the 'crabapple blossoms' and 'new green willow tips'."

As Lin Yun spoke, she turned to another page and began drawing a color chart.

She painted with extreme detail, and even labeled the ingredients and sources of inspiration next to each color.

For example, "maple crimson" requires the addition of cinnabar, while "plum purple" requires the base color mixed with indigo.

"Even the instruction manual has to be interesting..." she muttered to herself, starting a new page and writing "Tips for Using Rouge."

With a flourish of his pen, witty remarks flow effortlessly:

"A light application of makeup makes a lady elegant, while a heavy application makes her a femme fatale."

"When the lip color is three shades darker than the clothing, one's aura becomes overwhelming."

As she wrote, she even added a few playful comments about fashion taboos: "Wearing a light green shirt with vermilion lipstick makes you look like a carp spirit from a New Year's painting."

When Chunlan came in to refill the tea, she saw her bent over the table, chuckling softly. Taking a closer look, she was amused as well: "What is Your Highness writing? It's quite interesting!"

"We can print them into booklets later and put them in our makeup boxes as lucky charms." Lin Yun blinked. "And later still, maybe we can publish a book called 'Elegant Pleasures of the Boudoir,' which will be dedicated to the art of dressing and grooming."

The more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. She even came up with the magazine's sections: monthly new color recommendations, trends in Beijing, and even the possibility of inviting wealthy ladies to submit poems and paintings...

As dusk settled, she finally put down her pen and rubbed her aching wrists.

The plan on the table was already taking shape, with a clear structure from the lip balm formula to the marketing strategy.

With this combination of moves, I'm sure every woman who loves beauty will go crazy.

Which woman doesn't love beauty? Answer: None!

The following afternoon, Lin Yun presented the plan to the Emperor.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Yongzheng was reviewing memorials.

Su Peisheng hurried in: "Your Majesty, Consort Yun requests an audience."

"Announce." He put down his vermilion brush.

When Yongzheng saw Lin Yun gracefully approaching with a stack of papers and a box, he couldn't help but smile and say, "Yun'er, why are you so solemn today?"

Lin Yun walked to the Emperor's side, presented a booklet with both hands, her eyes shining with anticipation: "Your Majesty, I would like to ask you to take a look. If there is nothing wrong, I will discuss it with Ninth Prince."

Yongzheng took the book and carefully perused it, becoming more and more surprised as he read on—blind boxes were enticing to collect, instruction manuals enhanced the experience, and magazines could retain customers for a long time, forming a unique brand effect.

He looked up at Lin Yun, his smile deepening: "I didn't know that Yun'er had so many amazing ideas."

Lin Yun smiled and said, "It's just some girlish thoughts."

As she spoke, she opened the box again, unfolding a scroll of colorful drawings: "These are the new colors for lip rouge, six colors per season. Collect them all to exchange for perfume." It depicted 24 different colors, with instructions on how to match them with clothing.

Lotus-colored skin paired with peach-pink lip rouge: "Her face and the peach blossoms complemented each other beautifully."

Crimson riding attire adorned with pomegranate-red: "My lord cannot resist her."

Yongzheng's Adam's apple bobbed slightly: "You want to...seduce whom?" Yongzheng didn't finish his sentence...

Lin Yun leaned closer, blinking her bright, beautiful eyes, a faint fragrance wafting from her hair: "Thirty percent of the money earned from cooperating with Ninth Master will be used for military expenses."

His eyes darkened, and he wrote "Approved" on his brush. Suddenly, he grabbed her wrist: "I will summon the Ninth Prince to the palace tomorrow." He stroked the rouge mark on her wrist with his fingertips and whispered, "Test the color for me first."

Lin Yun's ears burned, and she took some peach-pink powder from the box and smeared it on his palm: "What does Your Majesty think?"

Yongzheng grabbed the back of her neck with his hand and lowered his head to bite her lips: "Not as beautiful as this one."