Xiao Youran immediately pulled her older sister Yun Manwan over, "These clothes were all made for me by my older sister, and the princess's handkerchief was also made by her. Her embroidery skills are amazing!"

Yueyue nodded immediately, "Even my mother praises Miss Yun's embroidery skills!"

"Wow! Even the Princess praised it?" These noble ladies ranged in age from seven or eight to thirteen or fourteen. They were all young girls, and at home, which one of them wasn't constantly reminded to learn embroidery? Upon hearing that even the Princess and the County Princess had praised their embroidery skills, they all curiously gathered around.

Even the ladies, dragged along by their children, crowded around. "Oh, it's General Zhao's wife! Tell me, how did you master such exquisite embroidery skills? I'd love to teach my young girls a thing or two!"

"As expected, even the Princess praised this embroidery; it's exquisitely beautiful!"

Yun Manyan blushed slightly at the praise and was momentarily at a loss for words.

Xiao Youran came to her older sister's rescue, saying, "Big sister's embroidery shop will be opening soon. If you like it, you can come and support her."

The ladies were surprised again, "The embroidery workshop?"

"Mmm," Xiao Youran said crisply, without the slightest embarrassment, "My mother just gave her two shops to supplement her dowry! These two shops are embroidery workshops. After my older sister takes over, she will definitely pass on her embroidery skills to the embroiderers in the workshops. Then, everyone will be able to buy their favorite clothes in the workshops!"

Shi Wenxia then walked over and said in a light tone, "Sixth Sister, although Eldest Sister is already married, it is still beneath her dignity to be out in public like this running a shop."

Xiao Youran glanced at her and asked curiously, "My mother also runs a shop and is quite skilled at it. She even developed new methods for accounting and was granted the title of Yiren by the Emperor, becoming a guest minister in the Ministry of Revenue. If she hadn't been out in the public eye running the shop, how would she have gotten a fifth-rank official position?"

Upon hearing this, all the ladies immediately understood her implied meaning.

If it weren't for her status as a fifth-rank official and a guest minister, how could she, a divorced woman, have turned her life around overnight and become the Duchess of the State?

Yueyue chimed in, "That's right! Aunt Su is so intelligent. Wouldn't it be a waste to confine her to the inner quarters? If the Emperor Uncle hadn't come up with such a good idea for fundraising, the difficulties of the Great Zhou treasury wouldn't have been alleviated so quickly!"

A woman standing nearby added, “Several of my distant relatives fled here. If it weren’t for the Jingzhao Prefecture’s fundraising project last year to resettle disaster victims, those relatives would have starved to death.”

"Who can argue with that? The Imperial Recruitment Office recruited a large number of displaced people to reclaim wasteland, cultivate land, and build official roads. Even I, a woman who has long lived in the inner quarters, know that if it weren't for the Imperial Recruitment Office, many people would have starved to death during last year's famine."

"Let's return to the topic of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. I've heard that the Ministry of Revenue is considering reducing taxes for merchants. If it weren't for the merchants traveling north and south to sell their goods and paying taxes, the national treasury would have been empty long ago..."

"That's right, what's wrong with opening a shop? What's wrong with us women opening shops? Which woman doesn't have a few shops in her dowry?"

Shi Wenxia's face turned red and then pale as she was told what to do. She never expected that her simple words would elicit so many rebuttals.

The old lady of the Duke of Zhenguo, the old lady of the Yun family, the eldest princess, and several women including Madam Su and Madam Li, who were talking nearby, also came over when they heard the commotion. They listened quietly to the discussion and all looked at Madam Su with admiring eyes.

Madam Su accepted it calmly, and then stepped forward to smooth things over, saying, "It is a good thing that you ladies have such aspirations. As women, if we don't have some dowry money to generate income, even a fortune will eventually be spent when we bring it to our husband's family. Ladies, you should have a long-term vision and always remember to teach your daughters how to manage a household."

These words elevated the ladies to the highest esteem, shifting their focus from solely on business acumen.

Xiao Youran, however, was not about to let Shi Wenxia off the hook. "Hey, eldest sister is just running an embroidery shop. How could you, future sister-in-law, think that eldest sister is shameful? Eldest brother-in-law is a general now. Although a general's salary is not small, it will eventually run out. If eldest sister could run a dowry shop, there would be nothing wrong with that."

In short, even if you're married, if you don't have a dowry, you won't feel secure!

The ladies present all nodded in agreement.

A little girl innocently tugged at her mother's hand and said, "Mother, didn't they say that this lady's family is going to be executed? She definitely won't have a dowry, right? Is that why they look down on women running shops?"

"I suppose this Miss Shi doesn't own a single shop? No wonder she speaks so sarcastically!"

"That's right, the Shi family is about to be raided and wiped out. Where would she, an orphan girl who was spared by imperial decree, get a shop and dowry?!"

Shi Wenxia was furious when he heard this.

Madam Yun coughed lightly and instructed Yun Manyin beside her, "Your cousin hasn't been feeling well these past few days, why don't you quickly help her back to the courtyard to rest?"

Yun Manyin reluctantly pulled Shi Wenxia away.

Yun Manyin herself noticed that very few people came to talk to her throughout the entire banquet.

It seems she has truly been excluded from the circle of wealthy women.

After pulling Shi Wenxia back to her own courtyard, she hurriedly slipped out through the side gate with her maid.

The old woman guarding the gate was so busy today that she let the two of them sneak out without her noticing.

Yun Manyin did not go anywhere else, but went straight to her maternal grandfather's house.

She felt that she had to find a way to change her situation.

The only solution she could think of was to beg her mother to return to the Yun family.

When she arrived at the Guo family home, Guo, who had been looking listless, perked up immediately upon hearing that her daughter had come. After hearing her daughter's tearful complaints, she found herself moved.

Rather than staying at her parents' home and enduring the disdain of her brother and sister-in-law, and all those contemptuous glances, she might as well swallow her anger for now and return to the Yun family!

Yun Manyin coughed twice and whispered to her mother, "Mother, the Duke's mansion is holding a grand banquet today, if..."

Upon hearing this, Madam Guo's eyes widened in surprise, and she immediately stood up excitedly, "Yin'er, wait for me, Mother will change her clothes right away!"

After an incense stick had burned, the mother and daughter quietly entered the backyard of the Duke's mansion.

The celebration banquet at the Duke's mansion has begun, and the front courtyard is where the Duke entertains his male guests.

Almost half of the nobles and officials of Kyoto came.

Firstly, few of these officials spoke up for Yunhou when he was in trouble. If they don't come to apologize and repair relations now, when will they?

Secondly, the promotion of Marquis Yun to Duke signifies the Emperor's favor. Now that Prince Rong has been imprisoned, the political climate in the court is likely to shift. If not now, when?

Thirdly, Yun Yue had been stationed on the border for a long time, and it was only recently that he returned to the capital after a serious illness. It would be really unreasonable for those important officials in the court not to come, as they might not even recognize him in a few years. If they didn't come now, when would they?

So the front yard was bustling with activity, filled with the clinking of glasses and lively conversation.