She knew that Hongzhou was a womanizer and not sincere towards her, but she had no other choice but to get close to him in order to fulfill her wish. So, pleasing him was her only way out.

Thinking of this, she told herself not to panic, to try to go along with him, to try to figure out his preferences, and to win his heart temporarily.

The increasingly intense kiss caused her silky undergarment to slip away, revealing her snow-white skin. Hongzhou was captivated and didn't want to be separated from her for even a moment, wanting only to share with her the pleasure of reaching the clouds...

After the pleasure, she had a lot to say, but she felt it wasn't quite appropriate. After all, it was the first time, and saying these things now seemed too deliberate. She should spend more time together and bring it up when the time was right.

From then on, Yunmeng settled down in Jintang Garden. Hongzhou did not take her back to the mansion. Her current status was that of a concubine.

Hongzhou had said long ago that he would never give her a title. She knew her own worth and didn't care about such empty titles. As long as he was willing to come, she wasn't afraid.

Hongzhou deliberately hid the person, so that Hongli did not know that the fifth prince had bought Yunmeng. Everyone thought that Yunmeng had become Xu Ruiyan's mistress. Xu Ruiyan did not defend himself and took the blame for the fifth prince.

For some time afterward, Hongzhou frequently visited the villa, while Hongli remained busy in the palace. The places he went to were nothing more than Tingfeng Pavilion and Lanyue Pavilion. He didn't seem very enthusiastic about matters of the heart; he cared more about spiritual connection. Only when someone made him feel comfortable and at ease would he be willing to spend time with them.

While Hongli was busy, Su Yushan was also busy with her own affairs. After several days of practice, she got used to the ancient painting brush and finally painted two paintings. Full of confidence, she handed the paintings to Changyue and asked her to help sell them.

Unfortunately, Chang Yue went to three shops in a row, but was rejected by all of them.

Su Yushan thought that as long as a painting could sell for one tael of silver, that would be fine. But she forgot that one tael in ancient times was equivalent to two hundred yuan, which could buy many things. Few people were willing to spend one tael of silver to buy a painting, especially someone like her who was unknown and not a painter. No matter how well she painted, who would care about her paintings?

After hitting a wall, Su Yushan realized just how difficult it was to achieve this. But even after the setback, she didn't give up. If one path didn't work, she would try another.

So she painted another picture and then instructed Changyue to send it to the embroidery workshop.

The shopkeeper was dumbfounded when he saw the pattern.

Having done embroidery for many years, she recognized all kinds of flower and plant patterns, but she couldn't name the painting in front of her. It was a large patch of light purple flowers, fresh and elegant, somewhat like wisteria. However, wisteria hangs upside down on a trellis, while these flowers grew from the ground, which was quite strange.

"What is this flower called? Where does it grow?"

"This is lavender, a kind of wildflower from the mountains." In truth, Chang Yue didn't recognize it either; these were words her master had taught her to say.

"This flower is very rare, and many people have never seen it before. If it could be embroidered on a brocade robe, it would surely win the hearts of those noble ladies. After all, noble ladies are not short of money, and what they want is to be different."

You can make a few garments using this pattern first, but don't make too many. Remember, scarcity increases value. Make three garments first and display them in your shop; they're sure to attract many customers.

The shopkeeper often made clothes for wealthy ladies and knew they were very difficult to please. Some people had previously said that the patterns on her clothes were not very original. When she suddenly saw the new design, she was naturally interested and asked how much it cost.

Chang Yue held up her finger and said only three taels of silver.

Upon hearing the price, the shopkeeper's eyes widened, and he sneered, "It's just a painting, yet it costs three taels? That's too expensive! The fabric and the embroiderer are from my family. You didn't do anything, yet you get three taels? What gives you the right?"

"Because of this unique design, your business is better than others. You don't need to tell me how important reputation is; you, the shopkeeper, certainly know better than anyone else."

Chang Yue simply explained what needed to be said and did not appear to be in a hurry.

After a moment's hesitation, the shopkeeper said, "This design is passable, but I'm not sure if the customers will like it. What if we buy it and lose money? Wouldn't that be disastrous?"

She wanted to examine the design more closely, but Chang Yue had already taken it back. "Since the shopkeeper doesn't like it, then I'll take my leave."

She made a move to leave, but the shopkeeper quickly grabbed her, saying that they should negotiate the price again and that he was willing to pay one tael of silver.

Chang Yue chuckled and said, "I didn't sell even when someone offered two taels, so there's no need to discuss it for one tael."

Knowing that this was a rare opportunity, the shopkeeper said, "Then I'll offer two taels, but you can only sell it to me. You can't sell this design to anyone else. If it changes hands between two different people, you'll have to compensate me."

"Of course." Chang Yue understood this rule. So the two signed a contract, and Chang Yue sold her the lavender design.

Chang Yue was overjoyed to receive two taels of silver simply by talking, and hurriedly went back to tell his master the good news.

Su Yushan had only hoped to sell it for one tael or two, just to prove that her paintings still had value, but to her surprise, Chang Yue sold it for two taels! Overjoyed, she smiled and praised him profusely.

"It seems you have a real talent for business!"

Chang Yue had worked very hard running errands for her, and to thank her for her help, Su Yushan gave her a tael of silver. Chang Yue felt unworthy of it, saying, "I didn't do anything, so please accept it, Your Highness. There's no need to give me any silver."

"I'm stuck in the mansion and can't get out, and you've been running around negotiating with people. Your contribution is immense, and this is what you deserve. Take it! If there's an opportunity in the future, I'll need your help again!" Su Yushan insisted on stuffing the silver into Chang Yue's hand, and Chang Yue had no choice but to accept it, thanking her profusely.

"This servant dares not reveal your identity. I will only say that I drew the design myself. Manager Li said that she will make a few clothes with this design to try it out. If they sell well, she will come to me to buy new designs and ask me to draw more so that we can prepare in advance."

Drawing was her forte; after all, she came from the modern world and had countless novel flower designs in her mind. This meant Su Yushan would be quite busy!

It feels so good to be able to earn my own money. I have something to do and I can realize my own value. This is the kind of life I want.

She was content with her comfortable and peaceful life, but accidents always happen unexpectedly...

That afternoon, after finishing her dinner, Su Yushan basked in the sun on a recliner outside the courtyard. The warm sunlight made her feel lazy and sleepy.

Seeing that she seemed to be falling asleep, Chang Yue invited her inside to sleep so that she wouldn't catch a cold outside.

She usually sleeps for an hour, but today she only slept for half an hour before waking up. She felt a stinging sensation on her face, assuming it was from mosquito bites. So she got out of her tent and went to look in the mirror, intending to apply some anti-itch ointment. But when she looked in the mirror, she was immediately stunned and exclaimed in surprise—

"Oh no! How could this happen?"

Hearing the commotion, Chang Yue immediately ran into the house. "Princess, what happened?"