Chapter One

Qi Yanhan smiled at Zhou Yao. "I'm deeply grateful for your Highness's kindness, truly. But a gentleman never takes what another cherishes. It's just that this jade pendant..."

"I'll make it up to you," Zhou Yao said, frowning with vexation.

"No need." His smile widened. He lowered his gaze to the broken jade on the ground, his eyelids concealing the triumph in his eyes. When he looked up again, his eyes were filled with sorrow. "This pendant was a keepsake from my late mother. Now that it's broken... I'm afraid it's beyond repair."

He shook his head, and his dejected demeanor deepened Zhou Yao's guilt.

"It was my fault the jade snapped. I didn't realize it was so precious. I'll do everything in my power to compensate you. If there's anything you need, just say the word."

"You're too generous, Your Highness. My clan elders have been pressuring me to marry for some time now. If you wouldn't mind, while we're away, could you help shield me from their demands?" Qi Yanhan wore that familiar, insincere smile again.

Zhou Yao gritted her teeth and agreed, deciding this would be her way of making amends. She carefully gathered the broken pieces, thinking she might have them repaired once she returned to the capital.

What she didn't know was the scheme brewing in Qi Yanhan's heart.

That jade pendant was an ordinary object, nowhere near a family heirloom. At best, its quality and water content were slightly superior...

The journey back to Chang'an was smooth, and they arrived within half a month.

"Thank you for bringing the intelligence, Your Highness. I've reserved an inn for you in Chang'an. You may rest here for now."

Zhou Yao nodded. "Thank you, Master Qi. Unfortunately, I have no intention of returning to the palace."

"That's only natural. Should you encounter any inconvenience, feel free to come to the Qi mansion for help. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave."

He left with Duyun, and the room suddenly felt empty with only her and Bige remaining.

For a few days, Zhou Yao and Bige stayed indoors, with the inn's waiter bringing meals upstairs. She had enough silver for the time being. But one day, Qi Yanhan called her out to discuss an important matter. When she returned, the vanity case and furniture in her room had been destroyed by Bige—nothing was left intact.

The dog's boundless energy had wrought all this. A foul smell lingered in the room. She stared in despair at Bige, who was rolling on the floor.

Zhou Yao began to regret not having taken Bige outside to burn off energy, having foolishly believed the beagle wouldn't wreck the place.

Bige's once soft, fragrant pink paws were now stained yellow, and the fluffy fur around them had become matted into clumps.

Zhou Yao seemed to have found the source of the stench.

Before she could recover from her shock, Bige, covered in filth, ran toward her.

"No, don't come here! Aah!"

Zhou Yao was wearing cumbersome garments that made it hard to move. Before she could turn, Bige knocked her to the ground.

Utterly defeated, Zhou Yao had no choice but to ask for hot water to bathe and change. The innkeeper stood at the front, tapping his abacus, the beads clicking and clacking.

The prices of tables, chairs, tea sets, room ornaments, and so on were all added up.

"That comes to three strings and eighty wen. When will you pay, young lady?"

The owner's smiling face made Zhou Yao feel embarrassed.

She couldn't very well say she didn't have enough copper coins on her!

Zhou Yao pulled the owner aside to a less crowded spot and tried to negotiate. "Kind sir, I've just arrived and am a bit short on funds. How about I give you three hundred wen now and write you an IOU for the rest, which I'll settle soon?"

The owner stroked the little mustache on his face, looked Zhou Yao over, deliberated, and reluctantly said, "Very well, but you must not default."

After writing the IOU, Zhou Yao resolved to find work with the dog by her side. At this rate, the beagle would tear the place apart.

Early the next morning, the West Market was bustling with the lively scenes of everyday commerce—people jostling and crowding as far as the eye could see.

"Excuse me, are you hiring?" Zhou Yao went into a teahouse to ask.

"No, we're not hiring."

The second shop, a flower boutique, said, "We've already filled our positions."

After being turned away one after another, Zhou Yao's mind stirred. In the Western Regions, there were all sorts of fresh fruits and melons she had never seen in Chang'an. If she set up a stall in the West Market...

Zhou Yao hurried to the pawnshop and pawned a jade pendant she had worn since childhood for gold and silver, then went to the foreign merchants' market to buy some fruits and vegetables.

"Come and take a look! Fresh fruits from the Western Regions—delicious and tasty!"

Occasionally, one or two passersby paused, but they soon moved on.

Zhou Yao thought to herself: This isn't working.

She glanced at the grapes and guavas on her stall. The grapes were plump and round, glossy and translucent like Hetian jade; the guavas had golden skins, some showing a hint of red within.

The appearance was fine.

Zhou Yao looked at Bige, who was sneaking a bite from the table with its front paws, and gave its head a firm knock.

"Woof! Woof! Woof!" Bige howled in protest, drawing a crowd of onlookers.

A bright idea struck Zhou Yao.

"Dear customers, today we're selling Western Regions fruits at the West Market! Everyone is welcome to line up for a taste. If they're not good, you don't have to pay."

This invitation drew a substantial crowd, and Zhou Yao guided them to line up.

She placed grapes and peeled pomegranates into clay bowls, letting each person take one to taste.

The grapes' sweet-and-sour taste and rich fragrance won over many hearts.

The pomegranates, with their many seeds, scant flesh, and high price, sold poorly that day.

By sunset, Zhou Yao counted the copper coins in the box. After deducting costs, she had already earned that day's room fee.

She stroked the top of Bige's head. "Thanks to you today, I thought of such a great idea."

Fruits that people shy away from due to price could win them over if they were given a chance to gauge their worth beforehand.

For several days, Zhou Yao set up her stall at the same spot. At first, business was brisk, but soon only a few customers came, and then only occasionally.

Selling imported fruits was not a sustainable plan. The West Market was frequented mainly by ordinary folk; they might splurge on expensive foreign fruits once or twice, but not daily.

So that day, Zhou Yao closed her stall early and wandered the streets. She passed by teahouses and pastry shops and happened upon a jewelry store, its dazzling wares hard to ignore.

She went in briefly and noticed that most women wore no ornaments. The high prices meant only a few customers made purchases at the counter.

She understood at once.

Gold, being currency and jewelry, was hard for commoners to come by; silver and jade ornaments were also beyond their reach. Thus, ordinary people naturally adorned their buns with tree vines or fresh flowers.

The Liuli from the Western Regions was clear and translucent, mostly used for vases in noble households or as vessels for fruit. Making it into jewelry or accessories seemed like an ideal idea.

Liuli had only recently been brought to the palace in Chang'an. When she had been in court, she had heard that Western Regions envoys had brought this novelty as tribute, but she had only caught a glimpse from afar.

To master a craft, one must first understand its techniques.

In the bustling crowd, Zhou Yao spotted a woman who looked approachable.

"Miss, may I ask where the nearest porcelain kiln is around here?" Zhou Yao stopped her.

"Turn left up ahead. There's a porcelain family there, four generations in a single line of succession. They say their ancestors made blue-and-white porcelain for the palace."

"Thank you." Zhou Yao smiled.

She looked toward the direction indicated and saw a narrow alley opening.

Zhou Yao searched for a long time according to the directions. The porcelain workshop was not easy to find, the winding paths twisting and turning.

While in the Western Regions, she had once been fortunate enough to have someone explain the process and materials for making Liuli. The materials were easy to find; the real difficulty lay in the skill required to shape it.

The art of firing porcelain and making Liuli shared a common principle: mastery of fire.

She planned to start by learning porcelain firing, and once her source of income was stable, she would gradually learn the method for Liuli.

Zhou Yao walked for quite a while before finding a courtyard tucked in a corner.

The courtyard gate was wide open, and she could see semi-finished ceramic jars placed in the shade. Not wanting to intrude uninvited, she knocked.

"Who disturbs at this hour?" A man in plain robes came out from inside. His skin was as pale as porcelain, and his peach-blossom eyes lent him an approachable air.

"My name is Zhou Yao. I apologize for disturbing you, sir."

"Oh? Since you bear the imperial surname, there's hardly a need for apologies. What brings you here?" His voice was indifferent, as if used to such visits.

"I wish to ask you to teach me how to master the firing temperature. Should I succeed, I will reward you handsomely."

The man seemed to take a bit more interest. He looked straight at Zhou Yao and asked, "What relation are you to the current emperor?"

Zhou Yao thought for a moment and smiled faintly. "If I were acquainted with the current emperor, why would I be here among street vendors, dressed in plain clothes?"

The current dynasty was not strict about name taboos. Unless one were a court official, one wouldn't know the name Zhou Yao or her title as princess.

Rather than reveal her true identity, it was better to fabricate one for now.

"Girl, you have a silver tongue. The market is lively outside—why come to this remote corner instead? What is your purpose in coming? If your answer doesn't satisfy me, I'd advise you to turn back the way you came."

"I want to learn the craft of kiln firing from you. I'll pay whatever amount of silver you ask."

The next moment, a ceramic piece flew out from inside the house and shattered at her feet.

"Get out!" The man's brows knit together in displeasure. "A woman like you—how could you endure such hardship? Go home at once."

"I have come in all sincerity—" Before she could finish, the door was slammed shut in her face.

Just as the door closed, Zhou Yao clearly saw the anger etched on the man's face.

But why?