Chapter 62
**Chapter 62: Ways to Open the Market**
The princess was very busy; the upbringing of her two sons had her stretched thin. Matters like land revenue and shop profits were left to the steward of the royal residence to manage.
She didn’t want to interfere, nor did she have the energy to do so.
Fu Gui’s lips twitched as he tried to persuade her, “Your Highness, this concerns the family affairs of the royal house. How can a mere outsider like me meddle in the long term?”
In other noble families, the matriarch would manage the household, balancing the accounts on one hand and overseeing the market on the other, controlling family assets, managing household staff, and planning income and expenditures.
But the princess of Yan was indifferent to many matters. Only when it came to her own interests would she take a moment to inquire.
Fu Gui, with his aging frame, bore the heavy responsibilities of the royal residence. He was exhausted, yet the monthly silver had not increased!
Fortunately, Fu Gui was loyal to the Yan Wang; had it been another irresponsible old steward, he would have long since lined his own pockets and secretly transferred the royal assets elsewhere.
The princess said lightly, “You are an old servant in this residence, and I naturally trust your abilities.”
The princess did not understand Fu Gui’s desire to evade responsibility.
In her eyes, being a steward for the royal family was a blessing that ordinary people could only dream of for generations.
Fu Gui sighed, “Your Highness, I truly—”
Before he could finish, the princess impatiently changed the subject, “Has the Wang Ye gone to the Liuli Pavilion again? You must remind him not to overindulge; that Shen woman only cares about winning his favor and doesn’t care about his health at all.”
The princess had long heard that Shen Wei was constantly finding ways to have the kitchen prepare delicacies for the Yan Wang.
The Yan Wang always ate a lot each time.
Overindulgence was not good for his health.
The princess felt troubled; she was clearly looking out for the Yan Wang, yet why did he always seem ungrateful? He never noticed her concern.
Fu Gui tactfully replied, “Your Highness, you may have misunderstood Mistress Shen. She hasn’t encouraged the Wang Ye to overeat.”
Mistress Shen was quite considerate; when the Wang Ye dined with her, the table was filled with a balanced mix of meat and vegetables, nutritious and delicious.
If the Yan Wang occasionally overate, Mistress Shen would even offer a miraculous digestive soup and suggest a walk afterward to aid digestion.
Compared to the lavish feasts the princess ordered, Shen Wei’s dishes were adjusted according to the weather, seasonal changes, and the Wang Ye’s preferences, which always won his favor.
“I need to rest; you may leave first,” the princess said, rubbing her temples.
Fu Gui, feeling a mix of frustration and resignation, had no choice but to depart.
When would the days of working for the princess come to an end? Other old stewards in prominent families had already retired to enjoy their twilight years by his age.
Yet here he was, still struggling on. Sigh.
As Fu Gui left the Kunyu Courtyard, he gazed at the pale moonlight, feeling as if his old life was being worn away.
“Steward Fu Gui!” The voice of Mama Rong called out, her face beaming as she approached. “I was just looking for you. The peach tree at the Liuli Pavilion has borne fruit, and Mistress Shen specifically saved a few big ones for you.”
Mama Rong handed him a basket filled with peaches.
Fu Gui took the basket, incredulous. “The precious peaches from Mistress Shen’s courtyard are for the Wang Ye. I’m just a servant…”
Mama Rong insisted, “Just accept them. Take them home and chill them with ice; they’ll taste even better.”
Fu Gui was deeply touched. “Mistress Shen is so thoughtful, remembering us lowly servants.”
Mama Rong laughed heartily, “Steward Fu Gui, you work tirelessly and bear so much burden. A few peaches are just a small token of appreciation. When the tomatoes you planted in the Liuli Pavilion garden ripen, I’ll bring you some as well.”
Thinking of the vegetables he had personally planted—purple eggplants, bright red tomatoes, and vibrant green seedlings—Fu Gui felt a bit of his fatigue lift.
As one ages and sees so much gold and silver, these seemingly trivial fruits and vegetables tug more at his heartstrings.
Among the many courtyards in the royal residence, only the Liuli Pavilion gave Fu Gui a sense of natural closeness.
A few ordinary peaches doubled his fondness for the Liuli Pavilion.
...
Night turned to day, and the night passed. The Yan Wang had stayed at Shen Wei’s place last night and woke up feeling refreshed in the morning.
Shen Wei forced herself to accompany the Yan Wang for breakfast. After he left for court, she rubbed her sore back.
Perhaps she had given him too many oysters and leeks lately, making him unusually vigorous.
Trying to conceive was truly challenging... She hoped to become pregnant soon, so her efforts during this time wouldn’t be in vain.
Just as Shen Wei finished her breakfast, Mama Rong quietly approached to report, “Mistress, Miss Ye from the Wang Shu Inn sent word that she is willing to temporarily manage the dessert shop.”
Shen Wei set down her chopsticks, a smile spreading across her lips. “That’s great! Let her take full responsibility for the dessert shop.”
Mama Rong thought for a moment and reminded her, “Mistress, you and Miss Ye are still getting to know each other. If she were to embezzle while running the shop, we’d need to be cautious.”
Mama Rong, after all, had seen much in her time.
She understood that in the face of great financial temptation, human relationships could be fragile and thin.
Shen Wei gently shook her head. “Trust those you employ; if you doubt them, don’t hire them.”
She had already shown ample sincerity and trust. If Ye Qiushuang truly betrayed that trust, Shen Wei had her own ways to ensure her downfall.
She always left herself an escape route in whatever she did.
...
Three more days passed. While Shen Wei was diligently preparing for conception, Ye Qiushuang had officially opened the shop.
On this particular morning, after her run, Shen Wei arrived by the water’s edge to continue her vocal exercises.
Singing shouldn’t be done with the throat; one must learn to open the throat, or “kai sao.” There are many techniques for warming up the voice, and Shen Wei stood by the water—making bubble sounds and practicing tongue twisters.
Cai Lian and Cai Ping watched her from a distance, worry etched on their faces.
Cai Lian said, “The mistress talks to herself by the water every morning, saying it’s a singing technique…”
Cai Ping replied, “But who sings while going on and on like that?”
The two maids were filled with confusion.
After finishing her vocal warm-up by the lotus pond, Shen Wei took a sip of water to soothe her throat. Mama Rong came running over, whispering to her, “Mistress, Miss Ye from the dessert shop sent a maid with a message. She says the business isn’t doing well.”
Shen Wei set down her teacup. “Tell me more.”
From Mama Rong, Shen Wei learned the whole story.
Ye Qiushuang was quite capable; she had personally recruited two employees and organized all aspects of the shop’s opening. However, after the shop opened, business was sparse.
The reason was simple—the prices of the brown sugar jelly and mint sago were too high. For customers, these were strange new desserts, and they were reluctant to spend a lot to try them.
But the raw materials for making desserts were expensive, and there was no way to sell them at a discount.
After three days of operation, the dessert shop had only made a few sales. The ingredients in the back kitchen were piling up, and some had already begun to rot.
Ye Qiushuang was not the type to give up easily. After much thought, she considered abandoning the brown sugar jelly and mint sago, opting instead to sell other cheaper desserts to minimize losses.
But Shen Wei was the behind-the-scenes owner of the shop, and any change in products required her approval.
“We can’t give up on these two desserts,” Shen Wei said, shaking her head slowly.
Yanjing was the capital of the Qing Kingdom, and there were many dessert shops, all selling the same old pastries with no novelty.
The brown sugar jelly and mint sago were delicious and unique; as long as they could break into the market, the prospects would be vast.
So the question arose: how to open the market?
At that moment, Cai Ping ran over to report, “Mistress, Yun’er from Princess Zhaoyang’s side has come with a message. The princess will visit the Wang Fu tomorrow.”
Shen Wei smiled. “I see.”
The ambassador to open the market for the dessert shop was coming.
Shen Wei told Mama Rong, “Go tell Ye Qiushuang that we’ll be open for business as usual tomorrow. Make sure the entrance is clean; I’ll be bringing a distinguished guest to Wei Xue Ice City.”
Mama Rong nodded. “Yes, I’ll relay the message right away.”
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