Song Xizhi asked Su Mingli to take him to the Xin residence, and then got off the carriage first.
When Madam Xin saw Song Xizhi arrive, she was both surprised and delighted. She grabbed Song Xizhi's hand and pulled her into her bedroom with a beaming smile.
The two sat down on the soft couch, and Madam Xin asked, "Why did you come so late? Have you eaten? Is there something urgent?"
Song Xizhi shook his head: "I'm just concerned about how the shop is doing. Is there a poetry gathering in five days?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Xin smiled broadly: "The shop is almost ready. There is a poetry gathering in five days, and I heard that His Highness Prince Ning will be attending! I have my nephew arrange the poetry gathering at our Pinxiang Pavilion, which will mark the start of the shop's trial operation."
"As soon as they heard that we had a unique, one-of-a-kind incense and that we could provide food and drinks for free, they all readily agreed."
The poetry gatherings of today have not yet reached the heights of those of the past; they have not yet reached the point where literati from all over the world flock to participate.
Currently, most of the participants are students of the Huaijia School, and some are scattered literary figures who are interested. The poetry gathering has not yet gained a reputation, and there is no fixed restaurant or teahouse for the gathering each year.
They would normally have to pay for all of this themselves, so they were overjoyed that Pinxianglou was now offering free food.
More importantly, the aroma of the spice shop was truly rare, and the unique item mentioned by Mrs. Xin made them even more curious.
Seeing that Madam Xin had arranged everything so well, Song Xizhi felt a sense of peace and warmth in his heart.
However, thinking of He Yunze, her eyes deepened, and Song Xizhi smiled as she spoke to Madam Xin:
"Everything else remains the same, so we'll proceed as you have planned. However, I'd like to rename the 'Plant and Tree World' incense to 'Wood Trace'."
"First, send 'Wooden Traces' to your nephew and have him bring the scholars from the Huaijia School to appreciate it together tomorrow. Let's make a name for ourselves first."
"Then tell them that on the day of the poetry gathering, every customer who writes a poem will receive two ounces of wood for free. Also, do not reveal our identities; let your nephew take the lead in everything."
Song Xizhi remembered that this Prince Xiu was not a scholar of the Huaijia School, and He Yunze was even less so, so they would not participate in tomorrow's appraisal, and the poetry gathering would be quite a show.
Hearing her sudden idea, Madam Xin raised her eyebrows, somewhat curious: "Didn't we say we wanted to make this incense the signature product of the Fragrance Pavilion?"
"It was this unique incense that piqued everyone's interest."
Song Xizhi smiled and said, "I have developed a new fragrance called Penglai Wonderland, which is even more ingenious than this fragrance."
'Plants and Trees in the Human World' is the original version created by my mother decades ago, while her 'Penglai Wonderland' is the result of her research and improvement over two lifetimes, and it is sure to be even more captivating.
Upon hearing this, Madam Xin clapped her hands, her expression becoming excited: "That's wonderful! The news will spread like wildfire, and many people will surely come for the sake of the wood. No matter how many people come, they will all be there to promote our shop."
Song Xizhi chuckled, secretly eagerly anticipating the reactions of everyone at the poetry gathering.
After discussing the details of the poetry gathering with Madam Xin, she returned to the Marquis's residence.
For the next few days, He Yunce lived a good life. With the help of Prince Xiu's secret connections, even Prime Minister Lin reduced his torment of him.
This situation made He Yunze radiant, and his relationship with Song Ruoan became even closer. The two would either enjoy fine tea or compose poems together.
Savoring the familiar incense and seeing familiar faces before him, He Yunze felt completely relaxed, as if he had been reborn.
He felt as if he had returned to his past life, where he was just as sweet and loving with Song Ruoan as he had been in his previous life.
And all of this is just the beginning; his current situation is far less than one-thousandth of his former glory.
Everything will begin with the poetry gathering a few days later, where Xiu Wang will shine brightly, and his gift of "Plants and Trees in the Human World" will undoubtedly be ranked first.
When this incense, praised by everyone and unique in its own right, is presented to the emperor, not only will Prince Xiu gain the emperor's favor, but he and Ruo'an will also leave a deep impression on the emperor's heart.
In that case, all the false accusations against him in the capital can be cleared, and everything will surely return to the right track of his previous life.
Time flies, and soon it was time for the poetry gathering that He Yunce had been looking forward to.
The day of the poetry gathering happened to be the tenth of the month, and all the officials were on holiday. So He Yunze took a bath, changed his clothes, and dressed up carefully before heading to the Pinxiang Pavilion to attend the poetry gathering.
Pinxianglou is a newly opened building. As its name suggests, no one knows who the owner is, but the strength behind him is not to be underestimated.
The shop is not only ingenious, but the interior of Pinxianglou is also exquisitely decorated and made of expensive materials. Just look at the plaque hanging in front of the shop, which is imposing and has a powerful and elegant style. It is made of golden silk wood.
Moreover, this shop can host such a grand poetry gathering on the very day it opens.
Standing at the shop entrance, He Yunze looked at the magnificent shop that had been built in such a prime location and couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
Because he suddenly remembered something.
He regretted that he had been too focused on the affairs of the imperial court and had forgotten about opening a shop. In his previous life, someone had opened an unparalleled shop on this Yong'an Street, which even made the shops on the entire street popular.
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