After ordering Yang and Qi to leave, Lady Zhaojia summoned in three servants she had chosen from among her own. She then gave them a dressing-down before finally resting.
Lanqin arrived. Lady Zhaojia was drinking tea when she saw her and immediately went out to greet her. She had already given a thorough dressing-down to everyone in the Thirteenth Mansion and was now waiting for Lanqin to come and discuss important matters.
"Lanqin, I've packed everything up here, and the three people you mentioned are ready. We're just waiting for you to start." Zhao Jia's energy seemed to have been ignited by Lanqin, and she was radiant.
"I'm here today to tell you some good news. Our plan to open a hot pot restaurant has received full support from Fourth Master. He's even helping us find a store location, and someone will help us cut out, print out, and post the advertising flyers we've sent out," Lanqin said excitedly.
"I was quite surprised by Fourth Brother's support. But it is indeed good news. Qin'er, how can I thank you enough? I really want to make a good impression now. If I don't earn some money, I will have let you and Fourth Brother down," Zhao Jia said excitedly.
“Wenxiu, come here, let’s go through the personnel arrangements again, see how many people we need to recruit, and then we’ll start sending people to recruit. Fourth Master said he’ll help us find a storefront within three days. At that time, you and I will go together to look at the gatehouse, and also to purchase tables, chairs, tableware, and decorations for the gatehouse,” Lanqin said.
“Alright, I’ll go with you to see everything.” Lady Zhaojia led Lanqin into her study, and the two women from the inner quarters began to jot down their tasks and purchases on paper. Lanqin stayed at the Thirteenth Mansion until it was almost dark before bidding farewell to Lady Zhaojia, promising to go see the gate tower together again in three days.
When Lanqin's carriage returned to the Yong Prince's residence, Fucha's maid, Hongqiao, also returned from outside. She quickly moved aside from the carriage and stood in a corner. Lanqin, being helped down by Sihua, didn't notice and walked towards the door with Sihua's hand.
"This bracelet really works!" Lanqin said, touching the hand with the bracelet on it with her other hand.
"What is it?" Shui Ling asked Lan Qin as she walked.
"Firestone. I don't feel cold at all today. It's really amazing!" Lanqin laughed, recalling how Fourth Master had been planning the marketing of the hot pot restaurant with her last night, chatting until very late.
"The master loves you dearly and specially found this piece of obsidian for you, so you won't feel cold so often anymore," Si Hua said.
After saying this, the three of them stepped over the threshold and went inside the gate.
Hongqiao had been sitting quietly in the corner, having overheard almost everything Lanqin and the maids had said. She had been pondering what obsidian was the whole way there.
"My lady, I'm back." Hongqiao walked back to Chunhui Courtyard and saw Fucha Shi drinking a fertility-boosting soup from a medicine bowl. Now, thanks to Nian Shi's matchmaking and the Fourth Prince's care for the Fucha clan, he would come to stay overnight at her place a few days a month.
In order to conceive as soon as possible, Lady Fucha followed her mother's secret recipe, conditioning her body and starting to drink fertility-enhancing soups. The Fucha family also seemed to be doing everything in their power to help.
She became pregnant with the Fourth Prince's child. Basically, they had already decided that the Fourth Prince was the future crown prince, so Lady Fucha had to have a child associated with the future heir.
"What did my father say?" asked Lady Fucha. It turned out that Hongqiao had taken Lady Fucha's warrant and gone out to retrieve the letter her father had sent her. To be on the safe side, Lady Fucha always had Hongqiao take her warrant when she went out to get the letter.
"My lady, this is a letter from the master. Please take a look." Hongqiao quickly took a letter from her sleeve and handed it to Fucha.
Lady Fucha placed the soup bowl on a high table beside her, took the letter, and began to read it. After finishing the letter, a smile appeared on Lady Fucha's face.
“My lady, when I came back just now, I ran into that girl from the South Courtyard. She had just returned from outside, and I heard her say that the Prince had found her a fire obsidian bracelet, which keeps her warm all over,” Hongqiao said.
Upon hearing this, Lady Fucha said with resentment, "Father said that he has joined forces with some ministers in the court to prepare a memorial to the Emperor, recommending the Prince as the Crown Prince. If they succeed, do you think the Prince will be grateful to Lady Fucha?"
Upon hearing this, Hongqiao immediately laughed and said, "Then the prince will definitely think that the princess is the one he should favor!"
Lady Fucha smiled and said, "What can Lady Niohuru do for the Prince? Rely on her father, who is only a fourth-rank official? When the time comes, what difficulty will it be for me to ask for a basket of obsidian?"
Hongqiao nodded and said, "What you say is very true, Princess."
Meanwhile, Lanqin returned to her small courtyard in the south, only to find that Fourth Master was already waiting inside.
"Master!?" Lanqin looked at Fourth Master in surprise as he sat in her usual seat.
"What did you say to the Thirteenth Prince's wife that you went away for a whole day?" The Fourth Prince saw Lanqin, walked up to her personally, untied her shawl, and then took her hand.
“I’ve discussed all the details of the hot pot restaurant with the Thirteenth Prince’s wife. Your Highness, opening a restaurant isn’t easy; you have to plan it out clearly first. The clearer the plan, the more effective it will be.” Lanqin placed both of her hands on the back of the Fourth Prince’s hands.
"It's not cold at all anymore." Fourth Master noticed that the little woman's hands were warm and said, "The storefront has been found. Would you like me to take you to see it?"
"What? You've already found everything?" Lanqin exclaimed, grabbing Fourth Master's hand in surprise. She hadn't expected that he would have found everything for her in just one day.
"Your Highness only needs to give the order, and there will be people to carry it out," said the Fourth Master.
"Where?" Lanqin knew that the key to a successful business was location.
"It's right there in Qianmen Hutong in the West City. That's the busiest area in the West City. The gatehouse has two floors, and the kitchen is in the back. Your tables and chairs are all ready. It used to be a teahouse, but the owner was in debt from gambling and was in a hurry to sell it, so I rented it at a very low price," Fourth Master said.
Lanqin threw herself into Fourth Master's arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and saying, "When Master is in charge, things get done quickly!"
"After dinner, I'll go with you to take a look," Fourth Master said with a smile. He was happy to see the little woman so happy.
"Alright, let's go after dinner!" Lanqin was overjoyed. She had just told Zhaojia that she wouldn't be able to see the gate tower for three days, but she didn't expect it to be settled so quickly.
The two had a quick dinner, and then Lanqin put on her cotton cloak and rode off with the Fourth Master at night. They didn't bring any servants or maids with them; the two of them rode out the gate on a single horse.
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