Neither of them planned to go out for a spring outing. They were just about to check on the incense shop's business when someone from the palace arrived.
Shang Shaoyan and Shang Yunlan went out to greet him and found that it was Qin Ye who had come in person. Shang Shaoyan subtly nudged Shang Yunlan in the back, and then the two of them invited Qin Ye into the lobby.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Qin Ye explained his purpose: "I heard that the county princess's birthday is coming soon, and His Majesty and Consort Zhao asked me to send some congratulatory gifts."
Shang Shaoyan's heart skipped a beat. She suddenly remembered that the Northern Zhou envoys had been frequently meeting with the Emperor these past few days. Her thoughts raced through her mind, but she didn't show it on her face. Instead, she gave a joyful smile: "It's so kind of Your Majesty and Her Majesty to know my birthday. This... this is simply..."
She seemed somewhat incoherent, just like the other lively and cheerful noble ladies in Shengjing, which made him feel much more relaxed: "Your Majesty had already guessed that the County Princess would be so happy."
Shang Shaoyan's eyes crinkled with laughter, and then he said excitedly, "Will Your Majesty be free in a few days? I would like to go to the palace to express my gratitude. I wonder if that would be convenient?"
Qin Ye hesitated for a moment: "These past few days, the envoys from Northern Zhou have frequently come to the palace to discuss important matters with His Majesty, so it's not inconvenient. It's just that I'm afraid those uncouth men might offend the county princess."
Shang Shaoyan hesitated for a moment, then blinked: "It's alright, I'll just stay with Your Highness... The main thing is that I haven't finished the task His Majesty assigned me yet, and I have to rush back to Shuzhou immediately after my birthday."
Qin Ye thought for a moment and felt that it was unlikely to be such a coincidence. How could the Northern Zhou envoy and Shang Shaoyan just happen to meet like that? So he was very easy to talk to: "I will tell the Empress when I return to the palace. As for the specific time, I will send someone to inform the county princess at that time."
Shang Shaoyan nodded with a smile, and then together with Shang Yunlan, they respectfully saw Qin Ye off.
Now they definitely couldn't go to the incense shop. Shang Shaoyan pulled Shang Yunlan to sit down in the study and laughed happily, "It's like a pillow appearing just when you're about to fall asleep!"
Shang Yunlan looked at Shang Shaoyan with some helplessness, guessing her plan, and couldn't help but worry: "Be careful in everything you do."
Shang Shaoyan nodded: "Don't worry, if this matter succeeds, then I will have a legitimate reason to take back the other half of the Tiger Tally and then set off for the Northwest."
Shang Yunlan frowned: "Is there anything I can do to help?"
He was really worried about Shang Shaoyan going into the palace alone to retrieve the tiger tally, as it was a rather dangerous method. He could still exchange a few words with Emperor Chen, which gave him some face. He wondered if there was any way to make the matter simpler and safer.
Shang Shaoyan originally didn't want Shang Yunlan to worry about these things before the remaining poison was eradicated, but if she didn't ask him to do anything, the latter would definitely worry even more.
Shang Shaoyan thought for a moment and said, "The day before I go to the palace to express my gratitude, you can go and see Emperor Chen, chat with him, and give him a heads-up so that he will want to hand over the tiger tally to me on his own initiative."
If these words were to get out, countless people would be shocked—do they really think the emperor is a fool, that he'll listen to whatever you say and even willingly hand over the tiger tally to his ministers? That's wishful thinking.
But the brother and sister were always good at understanding people's hearts. No matter how powerful the emperor was, he was still a person. As a person, he would have his itch and pain. Not to mention that Emperor Chen was indeed a very easy-to-guess little fool.
As for what to talk about and how to chat, that was naturally left to Shang Yunlan to handle—he already had a rough draft in mind and was just waiting to go to the palace.
Shang Shaoyan scribbled on the paper for a while, then after a moment of contemplation, he showed the contents of the paper to Shang Yunlan: "This is a partial map of the palace, but it only covers the inner palace. Those Northern Zhou envoys could not possibly go to these places. You are quite familiar with the palace, so could you complete this map?"
Shang Yunlan naturally agreed. He took the paper and pen, and when he suddenly saw the excited look on Shang Shaoyan's face, he couldn't help but laugh and ask, "What kind of mischievous idea do you have now?"
Shang Shaoyan smiled slyly, his eyes darting around, and lowered his voice, saying, "It's not exactly a wicked idea—we'll keep this map safe and try to complete it in our spare time. Once it's finished, we can sell it to others and make a fortune."
As she spoke, her eyes lit up: "On the eve of my conquest of Southern Chen and my preparation to attack Northern Zhou, we'll find a way to sell it to the people of Northern Zhou. The higher the price, the better. By the time they excitedly receive it, I will have already crossed the Luo River and besieged the city. What they'll have in their hands will be nothing but a piece of waste paper, hehe."
Shang Yunlan chuckled, rubbing her forehead, and teased, "Aren't you afraid your precious darling will get angry?"
Shang Shaoyan snorted and said, "I really forgot to tell you that he already knows what I'm planning to do. He said he supports me—of course, you can't believe everything he says, but right now he's in Shuzhou, surrounded by my people, and Shuzhou City is impregnable, so he can't send messages to anyone else."
Shang Yunlan raised an eyebrow and said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Can't you trust him a little more? I feel sorry for him."
Shang Shaoyan's eyes widened: "How can you expect me to believe him? He's a prince of Northern Zhou, and he has a crown prince brother. Brother, have you lost your mind?"
Shang Yunlan rubbed her temples, waved her hand, and said helplessly, "Forget it, I'm a single dog, why should I worry about you young couples' affairs?"
Shang Shaoyan chuckled a little shyly, then tugged at Shang Yunlan's sleeve in a conciliatory manner: "My dearest brother, shall we go check out the incense shop?"
Shang Yunlan rolled her eyes in annoyance: "Didn't you just say it was almost dinner time and you didn't want to go?"
Shang Shaoyan blinked: "The glass I made in Shuzhou sold very well, and I made quite a bit of money. Let's go to the incense shop and then I'll treat you to dinner!"
Shang Yunlan smiled and tapped Shang Shaoyan's forehead: "You! How can a younger sister treat her older brother to a meal? Come on, it's my treat."
...
Boss Qian has been riding high these past few days. Not only has he made a fortune, but he has also earned the nickname "Fragrant Boss," and his fame has spread throughout Shengjing, making him extremely proud.
But he always kept in mind what the Duke had told him: "The moon wanes when it is full, water overflows when it is full, and a tall tree catches the wind. Mr. Qian must remember this principle."
Therefore, during this period, whenever even close friends asked him how much he had earned, he would just laugh it off and then confide in a few familiar merchants (naturally, it was Shang Yunlan who had asked him to do so): "You and I are best friends, and today I'll tell you a few things from the heart. As you know, these floral soaps and perfumes were all made by the Duke. The Duke is kind-hearted and said that he will be selling the formula in a while. You can get the secret formula for just one hundred taels of silver..."
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