Song Jiyun and Immortal Baoguang went to the study to talk.
Immortal Baoguang hesitated and said, "I have found someone for you, but he doesn’t want gold. He says gold is not easy to store. If he keeps it at the Silver House and it goes under before he leaves the palace, whom will he go to? He wants a shop."
Song Jiyun felt somewhat surprised, thinking that this person had quite the ’forethought for danger’ mentality. However, to have something more valuable than gold, given her understanding of Capital City, she feared only the Great Fence area qualified. The city was full of powerful elites, with longstanding families that had trafficked in rank and power for generations, and the good stuff was long since held in their hands, not something that could be bought with money alone.
No wonder Immortal Baoguang was having trouble speaking clearly.
She laughed and said, "Your friend doesn’t want me to find him a shop in the Great Fence, does he? Even if I wanted to, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have the power to do so!"
Immortal Baoguang’s eyes flickered and he replied, "But there is still the Yuan Family, isn’t there?"
Song Jiyun laughed heartily and said, "I haven’t even entered the Yuan Family’s door and you want them to expend such effort for me? Would you agree to this if you were in their position? Besides, even if the Yuan Family was willing, under whose name would the shop be registered? If someone targeted this shop, could he ensure its safety? And if it’s registered under someone else’s name, can he be sure he can take it back?"
Immortal Baoguang was momentarily taken aback.
Song Jiyun bluntly proposed, "What if we do it this way? I give him a few pieces of particularly valuable porcelain, and also give him some silent shares in my porcelain shop in Capital City, ensuring he has a steady income every year. This way, it’s low-key but guarantees he has money to spend. If he ever wants to liquidate, he could sell the silent shares of my shop."
She made Immortal Baoguang himself somewhat tempted as he said, "Could I also buy some shares?"
"If there are too many people, I will have to discuss it with my partners," answered Song Jiyun. "After all, I can’t stay in Capital City every day; the shop’s business still needs to be managed by someone reliable."
Immortal Baoguang ’hmmmed’ in agreement, likely in a hurry to discuss the matter with that person, as he left shortly after exchanging a few words with her.
Wang Hua thought Immortal Baoguang had come for money and hurried over with the half-finished ledger. When he realized Immortal Baoguang’s intentions, he became immediately indignant. As soon as Immortal Baoguang left, he burst out and said to Song Jiyun, "Don’t listen to his nonsense. The Yuan Family does have two shops in the Great Fence, but both of those shops are part of Madam Wang’s dowry."
Madam Wang was already displeased with Song Jiyun’s marriage to Yuan Yunzhong. If Song Jiyun were to eye her dowry shops, she might end up with neither fish nor good reputation.
He cursed, "Who came up with this idea? They must have ill intentions. No, I have to go tell the young master. We can’t let them plot against you behind your back."
Song Jiyun stopped him and said, "Demand a high price, settle for a low one. It’s always been that way; there’s no need for you to be angry. Let’s wait and see what they have to say." She added, "I’m not solely relying on them anyway. If it doesn’t work out, I was thinking of exerting some effort toward the female officials in the palace. As long as the people in the palace knew what the Wei Family was up to, that would be enough."
Zheng Quan’s eyes lit up and he said, "Miss, are you planning to get help from the nanny who was sent from the palace to teach you manners?"
"We’ll see how it goes," Song Jiyun didn’t deny, "Who can be sure which chili pepper is the spiciest?"
Zheng Quan nodded and went to find the following nanny who had joined the palace nanny for shopping on that day.
Meanwhile, Song Jiyun continued to ponder the Kunning Palace order.
Perhaps this effort would also turn for naught due to the Cining Palace’s selection, but even so, the path you strive down one day becomes your experience. Who can say for sure the things she was deliberating now would be useless and not come in handy on another occasion?
Song Jiyun hunched over her drawings, busying herself. For several days, the cries of street vendors hawking "cooling mung bean jelly" reached from outside.
Looking out at the glaring bright sun, she asked Xiang Zhan to buy a few bowls, "Let everyone have a taste and see how it differs from what they sell in Jingde Town."
Xiang Zhan went away with a smile beaming on her face.
She bought up the vendor’s half-bucket of ice jelly.
Made from mung beans, dressed with brown sugar water and crushed peanuts, it was quite delicious.
Xiang Zhan commented, "It’s not as tasty as when it’s drizzled with chili oil back home."
He Dazhi grew up on Qingcheng Mountain, and upon hearing the words, he nodded repeatedly, saying, "That’s right, you should pour chili oil over it."
A group of people was holding bowls and chatting when Lord Liu’s attendant, drenched in sweat, came over: "Miss Song, the people from Kunning Palace have specifically sent someone to pass on a message, saying that you should enter the palace early tomorrow morning to meet the Empress. The Empress wishes to see you."
Song Jiyun was quite surprised.
In just one night, the situation had taken a turn.
She gave Lord Liu’s attendant a large red envelope, asking, "Do you know what’s going on? The day before yesterday, they said I no longer needed to enter the palace, so why have they summoned me to the palace today?"
"I don’t know," the attendant said helplessly, "Our master is also curious. He even asked me to inquire about what’s happening with you. When he kowtows in the palace, he’ll need to know for whom he should give thanks!"
She could only go to the palace to find out.
The next day, during the Zi Hour, Song Jiyun got out of bed, made preparations, and, escorted by Wang Hua, Zheng Quan, and a few others, headed to the palace.
After passing through Shenwu Gate, people like her with no rank or insufficient rank had to dismount from their horses or get out of their palanquins and walk.
The sky was still dotted with stars, and when she followed the Young Eunuch to Kunning Palace, daybreak had just arrived, but the Empress hadn’t returned from paying respects to the Empress Dowager and the Empress Mother. Song Jiyun stood under the eaves waiting for a long time, until a female official came to invite her to wait in the tea room. She also told her, "My younger sister especially asked someone to pass on a message, saying that you did well when learning the palace rules and etiquette outside the palace. Now that you’re inside the palace, she wanted me to take care of you."
Song Jiyun thanked her repeatedly and stuffed another red envelope to her.
The female official didn’t stand on ceremony and directed a palace maid to bring her a plate of snacks, saying, "The Empress won’t return until the late hours of the Si Hour, so you’ll have a wait ahead. I’ve already sent someone to keep a lookout up ahead. You can rest your feet here."
Song Jiyun thanked her again and, fearing she might need the restroom, did not dare to eat the snacks or drink tea. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶
The Empress returned just after the beginning of the Si Hour.
The female official came to inform her before the Empress entered the palace gate: "You better hurry and wait under the eaves."
Song Jiyun expressed her gratitude and stood respectfully under the eaves.
The procession of the Empress was quite grand, with no fewer than a hundred people following before and after. Once things were settled on that side, and remembering they had summoned Song Jiyun to the palace today, they sent someone to call her, and by then it was the late hours of the Si Hour.
The Empress looked very young—around seventeen or eighteen years of age—with delicate features, but she bore a slight frown between her brows and had a haggard expression.
She scrutinized Song Jiyun carefully for several moments and asking the female official who brought Song Jiyun in, "Is this the Miss Song?"
The accompanying female official responded affirmatively.
Song Jiyun thought she would ask her a few questions or discuss porcelain designs with her, but after the Empress took another few looks, she picked up her tea and dismissed Song Jiyun from Kunning Palace.
Song Jiyun was completely confused.
Upon returning home, she received an imperial edict from Kunning Palace, instructing her to assist in making porcelain.
She hadn’t even seen the design or model.
Song Jiyun didn’t even know who had helped her.
Luckily, Immortal Baoguang was not one to sit idle.
That very night he found his way to her and questioned her: "Since Lord Yuan has already stood up for you, why are you coming to me? Are you making a fool of us brothers?"
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