Ninth Princess Token

The man who arrived was Qi Yanhan. He normally wore plain, fine silk, but now his entire outer robe was soaked with blood. His plain garments were stained dark crimson, and the dried blood at the hem had stiffened. The rusty smell of blood quickly overpowered the fresh scent of citrus. Zhou Yao, usually calm and composed, couldn't hide a trace of worry. Her delicate brows furrowed as she hurried to help him to a room. But before she could step forward, Qi Yanhan seemed to give out completely and collapsed straight to the ground.

"Qi Yanhan, Qi Yanhan, are you alright?" She pressed her fingers beneath his nose and felt only the faintest breath. His condition was critical. Sending a servant for a doctor now would only reveal his whereabouts... and since they couldn't yet confirm who had tried to kill him, she couldn't act rashly.

"Madam, I'll go find a doctor!" Su'er, startled by the scene, rushed to run out, but Zhou Yao quickly stopped her. "Wait!" Zhou Yao looked at Su'er gravely. "Not a word of this must leak. Don't breathe a single syllable in front of Qing'er and Cuiwei either, understand?" Su'er hastily bowed. "My life was saved by you, Princess. Since you command it, I will keep my mouth shut!"

"Tomorrow is the Eldest Princess's birthday banquet—an important occasion. You and Cuiwei will go deliver the gifts. Say that I've been feeling unwell and can't go out." Zhou Yao slung Qi Yanhan's arm over her shoulder and hauled him up. Su'er moved to help, but Zhou Yao stopped her.

"I'll handle him. You still have perfume to make." For safety's sake, Zhou Yao had a carriage prepared at the side gate of the Golden Curtain Pavilion. Since there were still guests inside, she removed Qi Yanhan's blood-soaked outer robe and draped her own over him. After cleaning the blood from his face as best she could, she passed him off as a drunk guest and brought him into the carriage.

The carriage traveled all the way to the back door of the Princess Mansion. When Zhou Yao had purchased the residence, she had prioritized security and never entertained in a grand manner, so the Princess Mansion was undoubtedly the safest place for Qi Yanhan. His injuries were severe—each wound was potentially fatal, clearly meant to kill. His wounds hadn't even begun to scab, and the fresh outer robe she'd just put on him was already soaked with blood. Within moments, Qi Yanhan was running a fever.

"What am I to do?" Zhou Yao felt at a loss for the first time. She settled Qi Yanhan in her own courtyard, laid him on the bed, then rummaged for the medicine box. In her vague memory, a wooden box full of medicine, including emergency pills, had been part of her dowry... Liuli had stolen some of her dowry back then, but she'd only taken the valuable-looking jewelry. The medicine box should have come with her when she left the Qi Mansion. By the time Zhou Yao found the box in a corner, Qi Yanhan was burning with fever and only half conscious. Even then, he mumbled something. Zhou Yao leaned in to listen, but couldn't make it out.

Seeing this couldn't go on, Zhou Yao turned to search for medicine bottles. "Your... Highness..." A weak, mosquito-like sound came from behind her. She hurried over to sit beside him, but found he was only murmuring in his sleep. A sudden weariness swept over her. She lowered her eyes and muttered, "Really, if you're not awake, why say anything? You're making people..." She rose and continued her search, eventually finding a red-bottled pill marked as a hemostatic.

"Mak...ing... me... what...?" A slight movement stirred behind her. Had the room not been so quiet that a pin dropping could be heard, she might have missed it. She poured warm water from the kettle into a porcelain bowl, then placed a pill in her palm and offered it to Qi Yanhan. "You're on the verge of death, and you still have such a curious mind? Is that necessary?"

Qi Yanhan lay listless and disheveled, his pathetic state plain for Zhou Yao to see. She also saw him struggling to force a smile. "Waist..." He strained to push out that single word with his breath.

"Waist?" Zhou Yao glanced at his waist, assuming he was uncomfortable there. As she was about to adjust his position, a pure gold token engraved with the words 'Ninth Princess Token' caught her eye. For a long moment, she couldn't react, her gaze fixed on those four characters. Zhou Yao knew the reason the Ninth Princess Token had never come into her hands was her father's tacit approval. Only a princess without real power could balance the powerful ministers; otherwise, endless trouble would follow.

The smile Qi Yanhan had struggled to force earlier now finally appeared on his face. His voice was barely audible. "Your Highness... your token... I retrieved it for you..."

"I know you've always wanted it back, and I also know... you never liked this marriage between us..." Zhou Yao remained silent, her heart in chaos, unsure how to react. She could only answer dryly, "Stop talking."

She cut him off, instinctively fleeing from the words he was about to say.

"Now that your wish has been granted, why are you crying, Your Highness?" His cold fingers tried to rise, wanting to wipe away the tear at the corner of Zhou Yao's eye, but he failed... Only after Qi Yanhan spoke did Zhou Yao realize, with belated awareness, that she had shed tears.

"Don't say such things. You still have a fever." He chuckled softly. "I'm afraid if I don't say some things now, I'll never be able to."

"Didn't you hear me tell you to shut up!" Zhou Yao looked away frantically, her mind blank. "How foolish. Even without you... I could have retrieved my princess token. Moreover, this is my rightful possession."

Qi Yanhan didn't say that he knew the Eldest Princess would never retrieve the token for Zhou Yao, nor did he mention that he'd only resorted to such a risky move after realizing how difficult it would be for her to get it back.

"After I die, will Your Highness spare even a trace of thought for me?" Before Zhou Yao could speak, he continued, "But I will think of you, Your Highness."

"I like you, Zhou Yao. I love you..." Qi Yanhan's shrewd, faintly alluring fox eyes now seemed veiled in a mist. "Before I went to see Consort Xi, I had already written the divorce letter and given it to Duyun." If Zhou Yao wanted to leave, she was free. Every word she had spoken, he had taken to heart and acted upon, even at the cost of his life. Qi Yanhan had been shrewd and calculating all his life, but now he had become a fool when it came to Zhou Yao.

"Don't say any more. I'm going to beg the King to send the imperial physician to treat you. I won't let a villain like you die so easily." Zhou Yao said hoarsely, "Wait for me. I'll be back soon."

When Zhou Yao opened the door, darkness had already fallen outside. The curfew had long since passed, a time when going out was strictly forbidden. She tucked the Ninth Princess Token into her belt, mounted a horse alone, and galloped toward the palace.

The warm night breeze brushed Zhou Yao's cheeks. As expected, the soldiers stopped her at the palace gate. "Halt! You dare to roam about during curfew? Seize her!" The soldiers immediately leveled their spears at Zhou Yao.

"I am Zhou Yao, the Ninth Princess. Open the gate and let me pass!" Zhou Yao displayed the token at her waist, and the tightly shut gate swung open for her. Had this happened before, Zhou Yao might have been elated, but now she had no time for such feelings.

Only when Zhou Yao reached the door of her father's bedchamber did she stop. Eunuch Wang was waiting outside, just as he had been when she'd begged her father before her marriage. Zhou Yao knelt down outside the gate with practiced ease and shouted, "Father! Your son-in-law is in critical danger. I beg you to show mercy! Spare him, Father!"

"Back then you sacrificed your daughter's marriage to check the Qi family. Now are you going to ruin your daughter's life? Father!" She shouted until her throat tightened, but received no response. Eunuch Wang moved to urge her to leave, but Zhou Yao had an idea and said, "Father! As long as you send a physician to treat Qi Yanhan and spare his life, I am willing to give all my current wealth to the state treasury to help the suffering people, Father!"

Sure enough, as soon as she spoke, the doors of the great hall opened from within. Zhou Yao looked over with red-rimmed eyes and saw the King standing there, fully dressed. Yes, the King, not her father. How could he have even a shred of affection for her? All he possessed was a sovereign's calculation against his own subjects.

"Your subject Zhou Yao pays respects to the King. May you grant your daughter just a little selfish wish..." As she bowed, something between her and her father seemed to shatter completely. But no one cared. One concerned himself with his empire, the other with her plans for the future.

"It's the middle of the night. Come in and speak. Don't disturb Consort Xi and the Queen's rest." "Yes." Zhou Yao kept her head down, avoiding her father's expression.

Once inside, the first thing that met her eyes was the black-and-gold dragon-patterned silk and decorations filling the room. The King seated himself at the head before speaking slowly. "You've stirred up a storm in Chang'an these past days, and today your husband even trespassed into the palace. I didn't have him killed on the spot for your sake! And now you come again—are you planning to rebel?"

Zhou Yao bowed her head. "It is my fault for disturbing you tonight, Father. I beg you to send a physician right away to treat him..."

"Hmph!" He flicked his wide sleeve in anger. "You had little dowry when you married. Instead of staying quietly in the inner courtyard to be a good wife and mother, you run out every day to show your face in public. What a disgrace! Is this how the palace governesses taught you?"

"If that's the case... Wang Ansheng!" "This slave is here." "The governesses failed to teach the princess properly—execute them all." "Yes..."

Zhou Yao pressed her lips tightly and only spoke after a long pause. "Has Father forgotten? My governesses died in the palace long before my marriage. As for the ones alive now, even if you kill them all, it doesn't matter."

"I forgot to mention that ever since I opened my shop, a single store has earned over ten million in gold. I've distributed over a million to my servants, and overhead has exceeded a million. If you think it's fine for me to stay in the backyard as a housewife, I'm afraid that the rich will only grow richer and the poor poorer, throwing the world into chaos."

"Are you threatening me?" "No, I am simply trying to make you understand that in this situation, your daughter can help you share your burden. It is I—this daughter you have always looked down upon—who can relieve your worries." Only then did Zhou Yao slowly raise her head to meet her father's gaze.

"If I'm not mistaken, the state treasury has been empty for more than a day or two. What with the four disasters tearing through the land and corrupt officials after that, no amount of money could withstand such squandering." She closed her eyes for a moment. "The treasury likely holds less than a tenth of what I have earned."

"Wouldn't it be wiser for you to think about how to use me to earn more money for you and the treasury, rather than how to get rid of me? Don't you agree?"

At that moment, the King looked at Zhou Yao differently. It seemed he had never fully understood this daughter of his. He had thought her earlier actions were mere willfulness, but now he saw they were quite the opposite. Yet Zhou Yao was right—as King, he needed a way to quickly recover money from landlords, rich merchants, and corrupt officials without involving the court directly.

"You are a daughter who truly opens my eyes..." Sarcasm laced his words unmistakably. Zhou Yao paid it no mind and looked at the King, saying, "Back then you used me to suppress the Qi family. Why not now find a convenient pretext to have Old Qi, who holds real power, step down in favor of a 'worthy successor'? If Old Qi steps down, the new head will surely fail to win public support, and the Zhao family, suppressed by the Qi family in court, will seize the chance to catch a breath."

"The Zhao family has been pleading poverty to the court under the pretext of aiding disaster victims, which I'm sure you've long known. Why not seize this heaven-sent opportunity to reshuffle the court?"

"Otherwise, both the Qi and Zhao families support the Crown Prince—their power might even rival yours, Father..." Noticing the King's grim expression, Zhou Yao knew when to stop. "I talk too much, but I do hope you will consider this carefully."

"You see things quite clearly... Zhou Yao." The King stared intently at the kneeling Zhou Yao. After a moment of silence, he waved a hand. "Wang Ansheng, relay my decree: send the Imperial Physician to treat Qi Yanhan. There must be no mistake." "Yes..."

After Eunuch Wang withdrew, the King allowed Zhou Yao to rise. Her knees ached from kneeling so long on the cold ground.

"With all these calculations of yours, you certainly want more than just treatment for Qi Yanhan. You want me to help Qi Yanhan get rid of Old Qi. What else? Say it all at once."

"It seems Father has agreed." "Then I'll speak plainly. Besides your promise not to interfere with my business going forward, I also ask that you grant me the thirteen salt mines in the west that have long been unassigned, and give me the right to sell salt."

"How dare you!" He erupted in rage. "What does a woman know! Those salt mines bring the court so much revenue each year that even three-tenths of the common people's taxes couldn't make up for it. You ask for thirteen in one breath!" He coughed repeatedly, unable to speak for a long time. "You're utterly outrageous!"

"Father, that statement is premature. My business relies on purchases by the wealthy and noble. Selling one piece of Liuli work can match the lifetime expenses of a common family. Now, with calamities arising everywhere, the people are displaced and harvests fail, let alone the local taxes and corvée. Ordinary people go hungry and ragged. If salt becomes even more expensive for every household, it's only a matter of time before they rise in revolt."

"If you let me take over the salt fields and mines, I'll start with low-priced salt to ease the burden on the people, and reduce taxes for those who qualify, providing them with aid. Only then can the state prosper and the people be wealthy. When people are well-off, the elderly can be cared for and the young supported. Only then can we completely eliminate the refugees in the city."

"Rather than letting the powerful slaughter refugees wantonly—that's only drinking poison to quench thirst. I beg you to think it over! I promise all profits from the salt mines you grant me will go to the court, and I'll submit account books to you monthly for your review."

"For the words you've spoken today, killing you ten thousand times wouldn't be enough!" "I don't care, Father. If you take even one sentence to heart today, even if you execute me on the spot, I'll have died a worthy death."

"Fine. For the sake of that statement, I'll give you those thirteen salt mines, but I have conditions." Zhou Yao looked at her father, who stared at her grimly. "I'll give you one year. I must see results, or else..." "If I cannot do it, I will atone with death!" Zhou Yao performed a deep kowtow. "Thank you, Father."

"It's getting late. Why don't you... stay the night in the palace." The man before her, supposedly her father, showed her a pitiful sliver of 'care' for the first time. Had this scene occurred five years ago or earlier, Zhou Yao might have harbored a glimmer of hope for this father.

He reached out to help Zhou Yao up from the ground, saying, "I will draft the decree tomorrow morning." "Thank you for your kind intention, Father, but I'm worried about my husband, so I won't linger in the palace." She avoided his touch ever so subtly, bowed, and took her leave.

When Zhou Yao returned to the Princess Mansion, the Imperial Physician had just finished putting away the silver acupuncture needles. Qi Yanhan's wounds were meticulously wrapped in white gauze. The physician bowed respectfully when she entered. She waved a hand for him to continue.

"Princess, the consort's injuries are quite severe. Given the urgency when I left the palace, I only brought hemostatic powder. Tomorrow morning I must register at the Imperial Medical Institute to fill the prescription. After boiling and taking it for half a month, he should recover somewhat. If combined with acupuncture, it may heal even faster."

"The consort's wounds have stopped bleeding, likely thanks to the hemostatic pill you gave him. His condition is now stable; please don't worry. Just take care that the wounds aren't compressed or exposed to water. I will return tomorrow." The physician was about to leave when Zhou Yao called him back.

She had a servant bring out a newly made set of Liuli teacups from the side hall and set them on the table. She said slowly, "I've troubled you, Imperial Physician. I heard your wife has always been fond of Liuli ornaments?"

Zhou Yao gestured with her eyes toward the carved wooden box on the table. "This is a small token of my appreciation. Please accept it, Imperial Physician."

"This... how could I dare... I was merely following orders today; I cannot take credit." The physician hurriedly bowed slightly with hands clasped.

"Sir, don't be nervous. Your willingness to do your best for him today is a kindness to me. What I've given is but a trifle." She rose to help the physician to his feet. "Moreover, in the future, I will rely on your continued assistance, and Zhou Yao will be most grateful."

Zhou Yao stressed the words 'continued assistance.' The Imperial Physician, who frequented the palace, understood the implication, though his expression wavered. Zhou Yao then changed the subject and said, "This Liuli is the first full set of teacups that Golden Curtain Pavilion has attempted. By the way, this kind of ware is quite nice for cold-brewed tea in summer."

His heart stirred. "Since the princess insists, I will respectfully comply." Seeing him accept the gift, Zhou Yao felt the taut string in her heart finally relax. She turned her gaze back to Qi Yanhan and said, "I'm glad Sir likes it."

Turning to the maid beside her, she said, "Ling'er, see the gentleman out." Only after they had walked far away did Zhou Yao carefully study Qi Yanhan lying on the bed.

If he continued not returning to the Qi family, Old Qi would likely find fault. Zhou Yao thought she should shield him from that, to avoid adding new wounds to old ones.

"Madam." A voice called from outside the door. "Everything you requested is ready, but..." "But what?" Zhou Yao turned to look; it was Su'er.

"For tomorrow's Eldest Princess birthday banquet, do we really need to send so much Liuli? The loss to Golden Curtain Pavilion will be considerable." Su'er looked worried.

"No matter. Tomorrow you and Cuiwei can go boldly." Zhou Yao opened the door and handed her the Ninth Princess Token. "Keep it safe. Tell the people below to keep their mouths shut these days."

"Yes, madam. We've been diligent in carrying out your instructions." As she spoke, she handed Zhou Yao a glass bottle filled with orange essential oil to inspect.

"While making the perfume, we noticed a layer of oil on top, so we separated it from the perfume below. The sisters studied it and found that one drop of this oil can make a whole bottle of perfume!" "And it smells just as good as the perfume underneath!" After Su'er finished, she paused in thought and looked hesitant.

"Just now the palace eunuchs came to Golden Curtain Pavilion to announce the decree. We know you went to the palace... and we're all worried about you. Golden Curtain Pavilion was built with great effort. If all your savings have been given to the treasury, the days ahead will be hard, and even daily expenses may become a problem."

Zhou Yao thought Su'er feared being implicated, so she shook her head to reassure her. "Even if I have problems, the money I gave you earlier should be enough for your future security. If you..." Before she could finish, Su'er hastily waved her hands.

"No, no. The sisters have discussed it. We've all taken out the money the princess gave us before and voluntarily offer it to you for your emergency. Together it totals eight thousand gold."

"Sister Cuiwei has also inventoried all of Golden Curtain Pavilion's assets into a ledger, so when the authorities come tomorrow, everything can be checked at once." "Then... this bottle of essential oil?" Zhou Yao looked at Su'er blankly.

"It was made especially for you by Sister Qing'er and the other sisters. We're all waiting for you to get back on your feet!" It seemed the eunuch's decree had only mentioned confiscating wealth, not the salt mines, causing everyone to panic. Regardless, the kindness of offering help in times of need was genuine.

Zhou Yao pulled her into an embrace and held her for a long while. After a long time, she said softly, "Thank you... but I won't take your money. You earned it yourselves."

"The wealth I promised is only what I have at present. The money earned by Golden Curtain Pavilion and Fragrant Orchid Pavilion from now on still belongs to me." What she wanted was to bind Golden Curtain Pavilion more closely to the court, so that anyone who tried to touch it even slightly would have to tread carefully out of respect for the court.

Even if the Eldest Princess objected tomorrow, Zhou Yao no longer cared. Perhaps all she truly wanted was for Qi Yanhan to recover soon.

"It's getting late. We still need to pay respects to the Eldest Princess tomorrow morning. Go rest quickly." After Su'er left, Zhou Yao dismissed the others, leaving only Qi Yanhan and Zhou Yao in the room. It was a scene not seen in a long time...

In Zhou Yao's heart, Qi Yanhan had always been a calculating, deceitful scoundrel. Even after all this time working together, she had to constantly guard against his schemes. But this time, the princess token had been brought back so suddenly. According to her father, he had trespassed into the palace, risking his life to retrieve the token for her. Too reckless. Far too reckless.

Whether it was Qi Yanhan trespassing into the palace or Zhou Yao staking her entire fortune that evening, they had tacitly drawn a line at marriage, keeping well out of each other's way. But now Qi Yanhan had shattered that 'understanding' between them, wagering his very life. How could Zhou Yao stand by any longer?

Deep in the night, Zhou Yao's mind kept returning to Qi Yanhan's pale face and the words he had spoken. If retrieving the Ninth Princess Token had thawed Zhou Yao's frozen heart, the divorce letter he had written in advance to set her free was a pebble cast onto her calm heart, stirring ripples.

With no way to vent her sorrow, Zhou Yao plucked a leaf from the backyard and put it to her lips to play a tune. In the old days in the palace, other princesses had instruments like qin and bells to play, but she had no one to teach her, so she learned to play the leaf like the servants did. Over time, she had actually picked up some skill.

Zhou Yao wasn't sure why she could settle accounts with others cleanly, but with Qi Yanhan, gratitude wasn't gratitude, and enmity wasn't enmity, leaving her at odds with herself. Her tangled heart made her give up playing.

It took Zhou Yao only three short melodies to decide how their future relationship would develop. Since Qi Yanhan had broken through the barrier, there was no need for her to hesitate or waver. If his feelings were true, she would not let him down.

"Father... as it stands, you were right." Perhaps in Zhou Yao's mind, accepting Qi Yanhan was a tacit admission that all her efforts to escape marriage had been in vain. It wasn't that she didn't understand love—she had just been stubborn to a fault.

Returning to the room, Zhou Yao looked at Qi Yanhan, still unconscious, and apologized softly. "I'm sorry. Earlier I said we were strangers, and that hurt you."

"If you survive this time, I will grant you three wishes." According to ritual law, Zhou Yao and Qi Yanhan had never bowed at the wedding, so they weren't truly husband and wife, nor should they be under one roof. But neither of them was one to follow the rules. Perhaps, in another sense, they were well matched. Thinking this, Zhou Yao sat by the bed to keep vigil and eventually fell asleep.

In the deep night, when dew was heavy, a heavy thud came from the courtyard outside. Zhou Yao woke instantly. She quickly straightened her garments, retrieved the short knife she kept in the cabinet, and went out to investigate.

"Cough, cough, cough." Zhou Yao vaguely saw the person who had climbed over the wall in the middle of the night waving a hand in the air, coughing—perhaps choked by the dust he'd disturbed. Was there such a foolish thief? She wondered, tiptoeing forward. Just as she was about to point her dagger at the man's throat, she finally recognized him.

Duyun, dressed in night clothes, had slipped into the residence and was surveying his surroundings, completely unaware of Zhou Yao behind him. Zhou Yao spoke up to summon him. "Duyun, over here."

"Ninth Highness." Duyun bowed, then handed her the divorce letter he had kept at his waist. He frowned and said seriously, "Tonight's situation was tricky. Forgive me for arriving late, Your Highness. My master ordered me to protect you from now on."

"I have no need of you here. Once Qi Yanhan recovers, take him back." Zhou Yao accepted the divorce letter and prepared to take it to the study to sign and seal it.

"Your Highness... there is something I wish to say, but I'm not sure if I should." "If you're not sure, then don't. I don't want to hear it." Zhou Yao was exhausted these days and just wanted to settle everything quickly and rest.

"Not long after you opened, business was poor and you couldn't sleep night after night. My master knew all this. He went to great lengths for you, seeking out the Lady of the Gu Mansion and begging her to patronize your shop, just to see you happy."

Zhou Yao pondered for a long while after hearing this. A faint impression stirred in her memory. On the day she had obtained the Queen's calligraphy, a Lady of the Gu Mansion had apparently spent ten thousand taels of gold at Golden Curtain Pavilion's top floor in one go.

"The Lady of the Gu Mansion you mentioned..." Zhou Yao hesitated. "Is she the wife of Grand Commandant Gu, the Yu woman who excels at managing shops?" "Yes." "So then, that day's thriving business at Golden Curtain Pavilion was all thanks to Qi Yanhan?" She looked at Duyun with complicated feelings.

"Your Highness misunderstands. My master only helped you get started; everything else was your own doing."

"Enough, I understand." As she was about to leave, Duyun added, "Your Highness, after you quarreled with my master, he stayed in the residence and wept. It was a long while before he came to you... Perhaps he had thought it through."

Her emotions were complicated. Weeping? Qi Yanhan? Those two words together—how could she not understand them?

"You... your master?" As she wondered, she suddenly recalled how Qi Yanhan usually acted in front of her—affected and clinging. He was like a kept mistress that officials kept outside, unable to take care of herself. The thought startled Zhou Yao.

"Fine, I know." Seeing that she understood, Duyun went to keep watch by Qi Yanhan's side, satisfied.

The next morning, Ling'er roused Zhou Yao. After dressing and preparing herself, she went to Golden Curtain Pavilion to deal with a pile of chores. When she arrived, the chief eunuch and a group of eunuchs were already waiting at the gate.

The chief eunuch wore a hypocritical smile, saluted Zhou Yao politely, and stepped aside. "Your Highness, please."

"Ling'er, bring the account books Su'er and the others compiled yesterday." She turned to the chief eunuch. "I'll trouble you to review the accounts. If they're in order, please report them accurately to the King." She gestured to another maid beside her, who stepped forward and handed the chief eunuch a drawstring pouch that looked full. Zhou Yao smiled at him and said, "A small token of gratitude for your diligent service to the King."

"Your Highness is too kind. These are all duties this slave should perform. I came today to fulfill the decree. If there is ever anything I can do for you in the future, please don't hesitate to ask. I wish you, Princess, the fulfillment of your wishes."

The phrase 'fulfillment of your wishes' told Zhou Yao what the decree contained. Thanks to the staff at Golden Curtain Pavilion having inventoried the accounts yesterday, the eunuchs finished their task in no time today.

"Since all these goods are accounted for, I request Your Highness to receive the decree." "Long live the King." Zhou Yao knelt and kowtowed. When the chief eunuch finished reading, it was indeed the fulfillment of her wishes. The decree matched exactly what she had negotiated with the King the previous night. The thirteen salt mines in the west were handed over to Zhou Yao for management and sale, along with all the credentials and the decree.

She watched as the earnings she had accumulated over this period were gradually carried away by the eunuchs, her heart aching. In exchange, she received a thin sheet of paper. She had no time to lament. She returned to the front hall of Golden Curtain Pavilion and instructed the young eunuchs to move the goods out through the side door so as not to disturb the day's business.

Today, Su'er and Cuiwei had gone to the Eldest Princess's residence and wouldn't return until noon at the earliest. There were others to manage Golden Curtain Pavilion. As for Fragrant Orchid Pavilion... she would wait for feedback from the Eldest Princess after she used it. If it went well, Zhou Yao would launch it at the fundraising event on the fifth of next month.

The perfume, packaged in Liuli bottles, was a marriage of strengths. Zhou Yao believed this handy, portable product would sweep the city—no, the whole country.

The distillation process for perfume was far too slow. If the aroma could be infused by soaking it in a wine base, large-scale production could be achieved without much labor. At that time, with all the kilns at Jiuyao open, they could produce more Liuli wares in a greater variety of colors.

The Liuli cups sold previously had been single-colored, and Golden Curtain Pavilion had sold quite a few. In the future, besides perfume bottles, they could sell multi-colored Liuli bowls, teacups, and teapots as ornaments. For jewelry, apart from the Liuli beads and bracelets briefly sold at opening, other designs could be developed gradually later.

Liuli was fragile and not heat-resistant, but she had no worries about selling it. Even if the output from the salt mines didn't match the past, Zhou Yao was confident she could subsidize the salt mining revenue with part of Golden Curtain Pavilion's earnings. If one day even ordinary people could afford Liuli, that would be her true goal.

When perfume first goes on sale, it's inevitable that those with ulterior motives will exploit it...

Author's note: This story is expected to conclude in another 50,000–80,000 characters, entering the power-struggle section. If you have any side stories you'd like to see during serialization, please leave a comment~ I'll offer them as bonus side stories later.