Madam Zhang was delicate, charming, and seductive. Within days, she managed to entice Zhuo Yulin, who recklessly took her as his concubine and lavished her with affection.
Furious with shame, Madam Wang didn’t dare to confront Zhuo Yulin but was also unwilling to let her distant cousin steal her husband. So, she tried everything to win him back, but to no avail. Approaching forty and having borne three children, she naturally couldn’t compare to the younger woman and, in desperation, even resorted to using aphrodisiacs.
The two women took turns clinging to Zhuo Yulin daily, and with each encounter, they gave Zhuo Yulin fierce and ruthless drugs that gradually weakened his health.
Unbeknownst to Zhuo Yulin, his youngest son, Fourth Young Master Zhuo, had also started an affair with Madam Zhang.
This morning, Zhuo Yulin left Madam Wang’s quarters and went directly to the courtyard where Madam Zhang lived, only to find Madam Zhang and Fourth Young Master Zhuo lying naked on the bed, the room filled with the rich scent of post-coital bliss. He flew into a rage,
and in the heat of the moment, Zhuo Yulin grabbed a stool, intending to beat Fourth Young Master Zhuo to death. However, he slipped, and his right temple struck the corner of a table. He quickly passed away.
Seeing Zhuo Yulin dead, Madam Zhang knew she had no way out. With a hardened heart, she took advantage of Fourth Young Master Zhuo’s unpreparedness and stabbed him to death with scissors.
As she was about to commit suicide, Madam Wang rushed in upon hearing the news. Her eyes red with fury, she fought bitterly with Madam Zhang. Unwilling to be outdone, Madam Zhang ended up killing Madam Wang before taking her own life, creating a harrowing scene.
Madam Wang was always cunning, ruthless, and sinister. Over the years, Zhuo Yulin’s only offspring were two sons and a daughter borne by Madam Wang, with no other concubines producing any children. Now, with Meimei beheaded, and Zhuo Yulin and Fourth Young Master Zhuo dead, and Second Young Master Zhuo being a eunuch by nature, Zhuo Yulin’s line was utterly extinguished.
Unfortunately, the recent generations of the Zhuo family were ignorant and incapable of upholding the family’s honor. So, when they received the news, the already fragile and ailing Master Zhuo, struck by abrupt grief, died from an inability to catch his breath.
Soon, the news spread throughout the streets and alleys of The Capital, and the Zhuo family became the talk of the town for a while.
Yang Mengchen raised an eyebrow and glanced at Long Xuan Mo, who was also looking at her. A profound gleam sparkled in both their eyes.
They had simply arranged for someone to secretly administer drugs to Zhuo Yulin to slowly destroy his mind and thus eliminate Master Zhuo’s delusions. They never expected that Zhuo Yulin would not only cause his own death but also drag down Master Zhuo and the entire Zhuo family. Indeed, heaven’s wrath is forgivable, but self-inflicted disaster is beyond redemption!
After sending his wife back to the Prince Mansion, Long Xuan Mo immediately turned towards the Imperial Palace. The Emperor soon conferred a posthumous title, composed elegiac couplets, and personally led Long Xuan Mo and some ministers to the Zhuo family to mourn Master Zhuo.
Everyone praised the Emperor’s virtue and kindness upon hearing the news.
According to a peculiar custom of the time, a bride within three months of her wedding should not attend funerals, as it was said to bring bad luck. Conveniently, Yang Mengchen did not wish to go to the Zhuo family, and she had matters to attend to, so she legitimately stayed in the Prince Mansion.
After Master Zhuo’s burial, the Zhuo family members fought fiercely over the inheritance, the only exception being that Second Young Master Zhuo was nowhere to be seen.
Zhuo Yulin’s two sons—Fourth Young Master Zhuo was ignorant and spent his life in debauchery, while Second Young Master Zhuo was physically flawed but shrewd, cunning, and extremely smart. Although Master Zhuo and Zhuo Yulin did not dote on Second Young Master Zhuo, they had to consult him for many important decisions.
Now that Second Young Master Zhuo had suddenly disappeared, Yang Mengchen believed it was not as simple as it seemed, so she instructed Lv Luo to send someone to investigate his whereabouts.
After the shop renovation was completed, Yang Mengchen arranged for Zhuang Ming to construct the Hot Spring Villa, then sent invitations to a few well-connected households.
"If you have something to say, Jiujiu, just speak up," said Lady Hua, who had only one son, Hua Ziyu, and now also had a gentle and generous adopted daughter, truly a blessing of a full family, which kept her smiling joyously every day.
With a wave of her hand, Hai Tang and others brought out the prepared ice drinks for the ladies. The white jade bowls contained crushed ice, watermelon, hawthorn berries, sesame seeds, and crushed peanuts, among other things, creating a colorful and enticing appearance.
Yang Mengchen smiled and said, "This is one of the new products I’ve developed. Try it and see how it tastes."
Everyone picked up their spoons and took a taste. The smooth, icy, and sweet flavor seemed to relieve the heat of early summer considerably.
Looking at Yang Mengchen with surprise and anticipation, they understood that she hadn’t invited them just for a tasting.
"I plan to sell a series of cooling products in The Capital and the surrounding counties. My shop has also been remodeled, and I invited you here today because I want to collaborate with you," Yang Mengchen stated frankly. "However, I will take eighty percent of the shares, with the remaining twenty percent split equally among your families."
"Sounds good," they all replied in unison. With such delicious products bound to be a hit, and Yang Mengchen inviting them to share in the venture, it was indeed a thoughtful gesture.
After signing agreements with the families, Yang Mengchen briefly explained the range of products, bolstering everyone’s confidence even more.
When Long Xuan Mo returned to the mansion, Yang Mengchen joined him to meet Nangong Ling Fei, Yang Chenghong, and Luo Jingrui, discussing the ice production with them.
Many affluent households had cellars to store ice during winter for use in the hot summer. However, such supplies often ran short. As long as they could produce ice on a large scale (the cost being minimal), the profits would be substantial.
Fortunately, the Nangong family had noticed the high demand for ice in The Capital and had begun constructing a large, specialized cellar the previous year to store more ice for the coming winter, planning to sell it in their Ice Workshop the next summer. Now, it was the perfect location to serve as the ice production base in The Capital.
Yang Mengchen would only provide the recipe; the production and sales operations were to be managed by the three of them. In terms of profits, Yang Mengchen would take forty percent, with each family getting twenty percent. Furthermore, she would only collaborate with these three families on the ice business, and they were prohibited from involving themselves in any food or beverage products made from ice.
All three of them agreed without hesitation. They knew that Yang Mengchen intended to donate her forty percent share, excluding what was needed for the Charity Event, presumably as a gift to the Emperor.
Six days later, the Nangong family’s Ice Workshop began selling ice blocks. Although the prices were somewhat high, they were not unreasonable. For those worried about not having enough ice this year, it was considered quite a bargain, and many people scrambled to make large purchases.
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