The next morning, when Lin Yun woke up, the sky outside the window was already bright and clear. Sunlight filtered through the gauze curtains and fell on the bed, casting dappled patterns of light. She stretched and, remembering that she didn't have to pay her respects to the Empress that day, felt much more relaxed.
After breakfast, Lin Yun ordered someone to move the table to the window, spread out Xuan paper, grind the ink, and began to draw the pattern with great concentration.
Recalling the characteristics of modern traditional clothing, and combining them with the dressing habits of men in the Qing Dynasty, she sketched a modified version of men's clothing on paper. The upper garment retained the stand-up collar and front opening design of the cheongsam, but the waist was tightened, and the cuffs were changed to wide sleeves, showing the elegance of the Wei and Jin Dynasties.
The lower garment consisted of slightly loose trousers, over which was a light-colored, slit gauze robe in the same color scheme, which retained the man's heroic spirit while adding a touch of elegance.
"Your Highness, these clothes..." Chunlan stared wide-eyed in surprise upon seeing the design. "This servant has never seen men's clothing like this before."
Lin Yun smiled mysteriously: "This is a new design I came up with. You'll see when it's finished." This is the "battle robe" she prepared for leaving the palace in the future.
When Xia He brought in tea and snacks, she happened to see the design and exclaimed, "Your Majesty, this dress is so beautiful!"
Lin Yun looked up and saw the amazement in their eyes, so she smiled and said, "You like it? How about I paint a set for each of you, make some minor modifications, and change the colors?"
Chunlan and Xiahe exchanged a glance and nodded in unison: "Really? Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Lin Yun smiled gently, picked up her pen again, and began to carefully sketch on the paper. She designed a set of light indigo clothes for Chunlan, and a pale blue set for Xiahe. After finishing, she handed the drawings to Chunlan: "Take these to the Imperial Workshop and have them made as soon as possible."
Chunlan took the blueprints, looked at them with great interest, and then happily accepted the task and left.
Standing to the side, watching Chunlan's joyful figure, Li Mama couldn't help but advise, "Your Highness, don't spoil them too much, or they'll become wild and unruly."
Lin Yun put down her pen and said gently, "What the old lady says is true, I will be careful. But they are also young women, and they are usually very disciplined. They rarely have the opportunity to dress up, so it's just a way to pass the time. It's not a problem."
Seeing that she said that, Granny Li didn't say anything more, and just smiled helplessly: "Your Highness is kind-hearted, this old servant is just worried that they will lose their sense of propriety."
Lin Yun nodded: "I've remembered all of Granny's reminders."
In the afternoon, Chunlan returned from the Imperial Workshop and excitedly reported, "Your Majesty, the craftsmen at the Imperial Workshop praised the design as novel and unique, and said they would definitely finish it as soon as possible!"
Lin Yun smiled slightly: "That's good."
In the time that followed, Lin Yun continued to work at her desk, sometimes designing new clothing styles, and sometimes sketching jewelry patterns.
The sunlight outside the window gradually slanted westward, casting a long, slender shadow over her.
She was so engrossed in her own world that she seemed to forget the passage of time.
Standing outside the door, watching this scene, Granny Li felt both gratified and moved.
Not only is the mistress exceptionally intelligent, but she is also so considerate of her servants; no wonder the Emperor dotes on her so much.
If she were a man, she would also love it. Realizing what she was thinking, Granny Li suddenly blushed.
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When Ninth Master received Lin Yun's letter, he was quite pleasantly surprised.
He's been numb these days, numb from all the money he's made. Ever since he took 20% of the profits from the rouge shop a few months ago, he's realized that what he did before wasn't business, it was begging.
Yunxiang Pavilion is a real business, with a monthly dividend of nearly 30,000 taels, which is higher than the combined income of all the shops under its name.
He now idolizes Lin Yun completely, and if she ever tells him to go east, he will never go west.
If they had known they could make money this way, why would they have bothered with embezzlement and bribery? Why would anyone choose to be a bad person instead of a good one?
Ninth Master sat in his study, holding the letter in his hand, and couldn't help but smile.
The letter arranged to meet him at Yunxiang Pavilion three days later, saying that they wanted to discuss expanding the promotion of rouge and face powder.
He could almost picture the shrewd glint in Lin Yun's bright eyes, and how many clever ideas she might be hiding.
"This woman..." Ninth Master shook his head, feeling both admiration and a bit of unease.
He, a prince, was completely manipulated by a merchant girl, yet he was quite content with it.
Who told her to be able to earn money? And she earns it so openly and honestly that even her imperial brother tacitly approves.
Back then, when Lin Yun gave him 20% of the shares, he thought it wasn't enough. Now, it seems he was incredibly ignorant.
With his addition and the Xie family, a royal merchant family, Yunxiang Pavilion's business is growing bigger and bigger, becoming a favorite among noble ladies from the capital to Jiangnan.
Even the ladies of the palace secretly asked others to make purchases, afraid of falling behind. The profits involved were simply enviable.
Myna had subtly tried to get a share of the profits from him. Normally, he would have agreed without hesitation, given how well Myna had treated him. But this time, he hesitated. Lin Yun's earlier implication that "Ninth Master is raising a private army" stuck in his heart like a thorn.
Although he is greedy, he is not so foolish as to risk his life. His elder brother dotes on Lin Yun now, and if he angers her because of this, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"My dear eighth brother, it's not that I'm being unfair, it's just that this money is too hot to handle..." Ninth Master sighed, folded the letter, and stuffed it into his sleeve. He got up and walked to the window, gazing at the crabapple tree in full bloom in the courtyard, his thoughts drifting away.
Back when Lin Yun was in Shangyang County, he made things difficult for her at every turn, and even sent people to assassinate her. Looking back now, it was incredibly foolish.
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