Yongzheng held the blueprint presented by the secret guard, his fingertips gently stroking the half-open peony on the paper.

The petals, outlined in vermilion, layered like clouds, and next to the jade ring in the flower's center, a line of small characters read: "Changeable according to the Empress's wishes." His eyes deepened, and a slight smile unconsciously curved his lips.

"This is quite a clever idea," he murmured to himself, his fingertip touching the orchid pattern hidden along the edge of the drawing.

The guard knelt to the side and added, "Miss Lin designed seven peony designs, each one subtly reflecting the temperament of a concubine."

She only gave Xie Yu three drawings, the rest…

"The rest is her way out." Yongzheng suddenly chuckled and placed the blueprints on his desk.

The flickering candlelight made the interest between his brows even more pronounced.

He had initially thought that this Lin woman was just a shrewd businesswoman, but now it seemed that he had underestimated her.

The palace is like a game of chess, and she was able to see the whole picture through a piece of jewelry, thus preserving the empress's dignity while also leaving room for other concubines to save face.

Such shrewdness is something that even high-ranking officials in the imperial court might not be able to conceive of, let alone merchants.

"Your Majesty, shall we summon Xie Yu for questioning?" Su Peisheng asked, bowing.

Yongzheng shook his head, his gaze falling on a peony in full bloom outside the window. It was transplanted by Consort Nian yesterday, its flowers clustered together, dazzlingly beautiful.

He suddenly recalled the secret report from the guards: "The Lin family said, 'The inner palace is like a game of chess; every move must be made with caution.'"

“She sees things clearly.” A complex look flashed in Yongzheng’s eyes.

Reborn once again, he had little interest in matters of love and sex; the struggle for favor in the harem was merely a bargaining chip for him in balancing his power in the court.

But Lin Yun is incredibly shrewd in business, even daring to use the undercurrents of the palace against her.

What's even more remarkable is that she clearly guessed who was behind Xie Yu, but she always pretended not to know and focused on doing her business.

"Isn't it a pity to confine such a woman to the inner quarters?"

The thought flashed through his mind, but it startled even Yongzheng himself.

When has he ever considered a merchant's future?

"Su Peisheng," Yongzheng suddenly spoke, "tell me, what do you think she would do if this peony design were bestowed upon Consort Qi?"

Su Peisheng felt a chill run down his spine: "Consort Qi... will definitely ask why the Flower Heart Jade Ring can rotate."

Emperor Yongzheng laughed heartily.

Consort Qi was fierce and hated nothing more than others taking away her things.

If they knew that this hairpin could be "changed at will," they would probably smash up the Linglong Pavilion.

In high spirits, he casually put the blueprints into the sandalwood box: "Tell the secret guards that I will not interfere with the cooperation between the Lin family and Xie Yu. But I must know every detail of her movements."

Just as Su Peisheng was about to leave, he heard Yongzheng say again, "Wait."

The emperor lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

He recalled Lin Yun's words in the secret report, "It is more important to hide than to reveal," and suddenly wanted to see what kind of expression this woman would show if she knew that she had been seen through long ago.

"Summon Prince Yi."

Half an hour later, Yinxiang hurriedly entered the hall, his robe still damp with night dew: "Fourth Brother, is it about the Northwest military pay?"

Yongzheng pushed a cup of tea towards him, his smile enigmatic: "Military pay needs to be discussed, but... let me ask you first, do you still remember the Lin family with their membership system?"

Yinxiang's eyes lit up: "Of course I remember!" Now, many of the government-run textile businesses are modeled after membership systems, and the Imperial Household Department is practically rolling in money.

"I just received her new work." Yongzheng opened the wooden box, revealing a stack of jewelry designs. "Take a look."

Yinxiang examined it closely, growing more and more astonished: "This...this is for the palace? How dare she interfere with the ladies' jewelry?"

“It’s more than just interference.” Yongzheng flicked the blueprint with his finger. “The three pieces of jewelry have interconnected patterns, clearly showing that he has even figured out the factions in the harem.”

Yinxiang gasped.

Although he knew Lin Yun was intelligent, he did not expect her to be so bold. Just as he was about to advise her, he saw a hint of admiration flash in Yongzheng's eyes: "I originally thought she was only good at business, but now it seems that I underestimated her."

"Fourth Brother, could it be that you're thinking of..." Yinxiang suddenly had a flash of inspiration, "...going incognito again?"

Yongzheng nodded, his fingertips twirling a white jade thumb ring hidden in his sleeve. This was a habitual gesture he made when contemplating a problem.

“I will be inspecting the Imperial Textile Bureau in three days. You will accompany me.” His tone was calm, but his eyes were turbulent. “On the way… let’s see how many secrets this Miss Lin is hiding.”

Yinxiang smiled knowingly.

When has his elder brother ever cared so much about "going the same way"?

A gust of wind suddenly rose outside the window, causing the candlelight to flicker.

Yongzheng gazed into the depths of the night, as if he saw a pair of eyes as clear and deep as a pool.

The woman placed her piece outside the game, unaware that she had already become a piece within it.

———-

When Yongzheng and Yinxiang stepped into Lin's shop, the copper bells on the eaves were ringing softly in the wind.

Lin Yun looked up from the ledger and saw two guests standing at the intersection of light and shadow in front of the door, their dark robes embroidered with cloud patterns that were faintly visible in the sunlight.

She put down her brush and stepped forward, her skirt sweeping across the blue brick floor like a koi carp skimming across the water.

"Would you two distinguished guests like to look at fabrics or have clothes custom-made?" She smiled and curtsied.

When I looked up, I met Yongzheng's deep, unfathomable eyes.

Those pupils were astonishingly black, as if they could absorb all the light around them.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously glanced at him again.

This man was extremely tall, with sculpted shoulders. A jade pendant with a dragon pattern was half-hidden by his wide sleeves, and the exposed part gleamed with the warm luster unique to mutton fat jade.

Yongzheng stood with his hands behind his back, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He had long known that this woman was exceptionally beautiful, but he never expected that she would be even more stunning in person than the portrait drawn by his secret guards.

Her almond-shaped eyes were clear and bright like a deep pool, and her lips were naturally red without any lipstick. In particular, her overall demeanor was more noble than that of the concubines in the palace who were adorned with gold and jade.

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