"This servant greets Your Highness!" Si Hua whispered to the Fourth Prince.
"Let's go!" Fourth Master said.
Before Si Hua could react, the Fourth Master's figure had already brushed past her. Su Peisheng gave her a wink and immediately followed.
Si Hua had just thought that Fourth Master had really agreed to Cui Ling's request and left her aside. Now she saw that Fourth Master hadn't even asked her anything and had gone straight to the South Courtyard.
Lanqin was writing her "shop opening plan" when Fourth Master walked in and saw the little woman sitting there engrossed in writing something.
"What are you writing?" Fourth Master's deep voice came from behind.
Lanqin raised her hand and turned around, only to see Fourth Master, whom she hadn't seen for several days, looking at her with a smile.
"You've finally remembered me, Master?" Lanqin said, feigning jealousy, before standing up.
"I want to give you a gift!" Fourth Master had already seen through Lanqin's "scheme" and walked up to her.
"A gift?" Lanqin was slightly surprised.
"Guess!" Fourth Master said mysteriously.
"I can't guess!" Lanqin thought for a moment, but she really couldn't remember why Fourth Master would give her a gift, nor could she remember what he had said before.
"Stretch out your hand!" Fourth Master said, tapping Lanqin's nose with his hand.
Lanqin slowly stretched out her hand, watching Fourth Master perform his magic trick.
Fourth Master grabbed her hand and then slipped a black stone bracelet onto Lanqin's wrist with his other hand.
"Master, what kind of bracelet is this? Is it made of stone? Isn't it too heavy?" Lanqin asked with a hint of disdain after seeing the bracelet.
"Even if it's heavy, you put it on me too!" Fourth Master said domineeringly, and finally put the bracelet on Lanqin's wrist.
Lanqin shook the stone bracelet. It wasn't very heavy. She looked at it closely, but she couldn't see anything beautiful about it. Why would Fourth Master give her such a bracelet?
“This is obsidian. Wearing it will keep you warm,” Fourth Master said gently.
Lanqin was taken aback, recalling what Fourth Master had told her when they were at Wudang Mountain: he wanted to find a certain stone to make a bracelet for her so that she wouldn't feel cold while wearing it.
Lanqin felt a sweet warmth in her heart and pouted, saying, "When did you find this kind of stone, Master?"
"We've been sending people to search for it, and finally found it for you, Master, and then had this bracelet made," Fourth Master said.
"Is this fire obsidian really that magical? How come it doesn't burn my skin when I put it on?" Lanqin asked.
"Try wearing it for a while longer," Fourth Master said.
Lanqin fell into Fourth Master's arms, and the two embraced silently for a while.
"Thank you, Master!" Lanqin said sincerely. Now, everyone outside thought Lanqin had gradually fallen out of favor with the Fourth Master, while Nian Shi was regaining favor, hence the subtle shift in attitude towards the South Courtyard. Although Lanqin didn't say anything, she was well aware that the maids were being mistreated. Her idea of partnering with Zhao Jia Shi to open a hot pot restaurant was actually a way to divert her attention; perhaps she could really make a fortune and become a wealthy woman, no longer relying on the Fourth Master's monthly allowance. Wasn't Nian Shi just relying on her brother being a great general, and on having inexhaustible wealth?
"What are you writing?" Fourth Master lowered his head and placed a kiss on Lanqin's head before asking.
"My lord, I have something I wish to do. Would you be willing to support me?" Lanqin looked up at the Fourth Prince and asked.
"I don't even know what it is yet, you have to tell me what it is, right?" Fourth Master looked down at Lanqin, thinking to himself what this little woman was up to now.
"My lord, I would like to open a hot pot restaurant with Zhao Jia, and I need your support," Lan Qin said.
"A hot pot restaurant?" Fourth Master pondered the words. "A pot cooked in a fire? What kind of restaurant is this?"
Lanqin said with a grin, "Master, it's the hot pot we eat in. But I've already come up with a way to improve it, and I guarantee it will make money."
"Does Your Majesty really think you can't afford to support me?" The Fourth Prince was clearly not supportive. For a prince's wife to go out and do business was simply laughable.
“My lord, this isn’t about whether you can afford to support me, but about me wanting to help the Thirteenth Prince’s wife. She always relies on you to subsidize her, and she still lives in a state of inferiority and self-pity without you. What she really needs is to be self-reliant. The hot pot restaurant we’re opening together doesn’t require us to go out and show our faces in public. We just need to put in some capital, rent a good location, set up some hot pot equipment, and hire some helpers. We don’t even need to hire a head chef,” Lanqin said.
Hearing Lanqin's thoughts, Fourth Master was secretly surprised that the little woman had thought of so much, but he still felt resistant.
“Master, all the ingredients for the hot pot restaurant will come from your estate. This way, we won’t have any shortages of ingredients, and we can also help your tenants sell some fruits, vegetables, fish, and meat. It’s practically a one-stop shop for self-production and self-sales. What the Thirteenth Princess Consort needs right now is money. As long as she makes money, she can manage the Thirteenth Mansion very well. Besides, isn’t the Ninth Prince in business? Why can’t we open a hot pot restaurant?” Lanqin said immediately when she saw the Fourth Prince hesitate.
"You're just providing funding?" Fourth Master asked, looking at the young woman who spoke so eloquently.
"Yes, I will only provide the capital and then help with the marketing of the hot pot restaurant. The management of the hot pot restaurant will be handled by the Thirteenth Prince's wife. My lord, the Thirteenth Prince's wife only needs to find a few trusted confidants to help her manage the business; she herself does not need to show her face at the hot pot restaurant," Lanqin said.
Seeing Lanqin's enthusiastic demeanor and hearing her analysis of the pros and cons of hot pot restaurants, Fourth Master still wanted to object. His suspicions stemmed from Lanqin's desire to make money, a motive that slightly wounded his masculine pride. However, the pleading look on her face made him reluctant to refuse.
"Alright, three months! If your hot pot restaurant can't make money in three months, close it down immediately. I'll cover the rent for the first three months. I'll also handle the ingredients. Thirteenth Princess Consort can choose a few capable servants from her trusted ones to manage the restaurant. Hire temporary staff for the rest." Fourth Prince finally compromised.
"It's a deal!" Lanqin knew that the Fourth Master had agreed because of her. She was determined to take a gamble with Zhaojia and see if she could open the first hot pot restaurant in the Qing Dynasty.
"What's done is done! If things don't work out, don't cry." Fourth Master said in a deep voice.
"My lord, I've had the kitchen prepare dinner. Let's go eat. I'll tell you about the advantages of this hot pot restaurant while we eat!" Lanqin didn't even consider the possibility of failure.
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