Regarding Wei Chao’s rejection of Qi Yuyao’s affection, the one who had the strongest reaction was actually Zhao Yan’er.
“Could it be a mistake?” Zhao Yan’er unconsciously bit her nails. In the original story, Qi Yuyao was supposed to marry the Crown Prince of Wei, and he was supposed to fall in love with her and propose himself.
“How could it be a mistake?” Qi Yuyao’s eyes were red, and she held back her tears. “He rejected me right in front of my father.”
“But it’s so clear…”
“There’s no need to say more. Perhaps I’m just not good enough,” Qi Yuyao sniffed. “I should be thankful for his clear and straightforward rejection, saving me from having any other thoughts.”
“No, you’re very kind,” Zhao Yan’er walked up to Qi Yuyao and held her hands. “It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have insisted that you stay that day and let you see him earlier.”
At that time, she was only thinking about making her loved ones a couple. But she didn’t realize that fate also has a time limit. Her well-intentioned actions actually disrupted the connection between Qi Yuyao and the Crown Prince of Wei.
“Thank goodness I have you to comfort me,” Qi Yuyao smiled gently. “You don’t need to blame yourself. In truth, I only had a tiny bit of goodwill towards him, just a tiny bit.”
“Besides, even if you hadn’t let me stay that day, the palace is only so big, and I would have met him eventually.”
Qi Yuyao’s gentle reassurance made Zhao Yan’er feel even worse. “He missed out on someone as wonderful as you. It’s his loss for not having the good taste.”
“Yes, Yan’er, with our great taste,” Qi Yuyao chuckled and continued in a soft tone, “So, my tasteful Yan’er, don’t be angry or blame yourself, okay?”
Zhao Yan’er stared at Qi Yuyao for a moment, then hugged her tightly. “Okay.”
She was determined to find someone for Qi Yuyao who was ten, no, a hundred times better than the Crown Prince of Wei!
Let the blind Crown Prince cry in the toilet!
Zhao Yan’er looked indignant.
“Oh, right, Yan’er, when you came earlier, didn’t you say you had something to discuss with me?” Qi Yuyao blinked, “What is it?”
At her words, Zhao Yan’er released her and said, “I almost forgot the reason I came. Well, I want to open a cosmetics shop in the city.”
“Cosmetics?” Qi Yuyao was curious, “What’s that, another one of your new terms?”
“It’s what you call rouge, face powder, and the like. I just gave them a name,” Zhao Yan’er explained.
“But there are already many shops in the city selling rouge and face powder,” Qi Yuyao hesitated, “I’m afraid you won’t be able to sell them.”
“How can the rouge and face powder I sell be the same as others’!” Zhao Yan’er raised an eyebrow. She had memories from before her time travel, and while they were just ordinary memories in the 21st century, in this ancient world, they were invaluable. In other words, she had a unique skill.
“Take a look at this.” Zhao Yan’er took out an exquisite little box from her sleeve. The box seemed to emit a faint fragrance.
Qi Yuyao took it and opened the box, revealing two compartments inside, one with a cream and the other with a powder cake.
“This is the blush and lip balm I made. Give it a try,” Zhao Yan’er said eagerly, “There are two hidden compartments underneath. I’ve included a small brush inside for applying the lip balm.”
Following her instructions, Qi Yuyao retrieved the brush and applied a bit of lip balm, gently smoothing it on her hand.
“It’s a beautiful color,” Qi Yuyao praised, “And did you add flower petals? I seem to smell the fragrance of plum blossoms.”
“Yes,” Zhao Yan’er smiled somewhat sheepishly, “I used the petals from the plum blossoms you picked a few days ago. I crushed them to make this.”
“You,” Qi Yuyao couldn’t help but laugh, but then she furrowed her brows, “But what can I do to help you?”
“I’ve never done business, so I probably don’t understand these things.”
“You can invest money for me!” Zhao Yan’er said with a hint of embarrassment, feeling like she was asking for a handout. “You can just be an investor, and I promise I won’t let you lose money!”
Qi Yuyao didn’t quite understand the term “investor,” but she grasped the idea of providing money. She suddenly realized, “So, Yan’er, are you short of money? I have a few hundred taels here, would that be enough?”
“No, no, I don’t need that much,” Zhao Yan’er quickly shook her head. “I just need a bit of capital to set up the shop and hire some workers.”
Zhao Yan’er truly had no money to her name. While she provided various items to Qi Heng, he usually rewarded her with fabrics, jewelry, and other items that, though numerous, couldn’t be sold. If anyone discovered that she had taken royal gifts out of the palace to sell, she would be in trouble.
After thinking it over, Zhao Yan’er finally gathered the courage to ask Qi Yuyao for a loan.
“It’s okay; I trust you,” Qi Yuyao said softly. She turned to her palace maids and instructed, “Go inside and fetch the red box. Bring over two hundred taels of silver notes.”
The palace maid quickly returned with a red box and handed over two hundred taels of silver notes to Zhao Yan’er.
“No, you don’t need that much,” Zhao Yan’er quickly refused. “One hundred taels will be sufficient.”
“Keep it just in case you need it. Besides, if it stays with me, I won’t have any use for it,” Qi Yuyao said with a faint smile.
Touched, Zhao Yan’er said, “Yuyao, you are truly the best person in the world.”
If she were a man, there would be no need to deal with the dog prince at all!
The next day, the palace was decorated with lanterns and streamers, and the cheerful red lanterns dispelled the winter’s cold. The snow, resembling fluffy goose feathers, once again blanketed the earth.
The New Year was approaching.
The Empress Dowager had planned a family banquet in Shoukang Palace. Qi Heng, having little else to do, arrived at Shoukang Palace early.
The Empress Dowager was evidently delighted. But women, regardless of their age, could occasionally speak without thinking. She said, “It’s not often that Heng has some free time, why waste it on this old lady like me?”
“Mother, you’re not old,” Qi Heng said with an expression that gave the impression he was speaking from the heart.
The palace maid by his side lowered her head and served tea to Qi Heng.
“Once the new year comes, you’ll be busy again, Heng,” the Empress Dowager commented, her tone thoughtful. “The harem lacks a mistress. While I handle all the affairs for now, I can’t keep doing it forever. Heng, shouldn’t you consider…”
She noticed Qi Heng’s indifferent expression and added, “Setting aside the matter of selecting a future Empress, perhaps you could take a concubine. It would be good to have someone to chat with during your leisure time.”
“The princesses can keep you company and chat with you,” Qi Heng responded calmly as he took a sip from his tea. “Or even the prince’s consorts, they have no other duties. If they refuse to come, just let me know, and I’ll personally break their legs and have them carried to your side.”
“Heng, you…” The Empress Dowager couldn’t help but smile and sigh. “Never mind, don’t think about breaking my grandchildren’s legs. If you break all their legs, others might mistakenly believe that the Qi family has a hereditary leg-breaking disease.”
She let out a sigh and secretly blamed Qin Shi for this situation. If it weren’t for her, Heng wouldn’t have lost interest in remarrying.
“Mother, whenever you have time, consider spending more time with Qi Shao,” Qi Heng suggested calmly, redirecting the issue. “The matter of his legitimate wife is crucial, and I’m afraid you’ll need to invest more effort in it.”
“Are you truly set on this?” The Empress Dowager looked concerned. “Although I do feel sorry for your elder brother’s children, but Qi Shao… your elder brother has been teaching him for so many years, and he hasn’t made much progress…”
She had little confidence in Qi Shao.
“I’m not my elder brother,” Qi Heng said, gripping the teacup lid tightly, his gaze turning icy. “While my elder brother can’t be ruthless, I can be. If the existing kingdom is something he can’t protect—”
The teacup lid shattered into pieces.
Qi Shao and Wei Chao had just entered and witnessed this scene. They felt their legs go weak. Qi Shao instinctively reflected on his actions these past few days. He had followed all of Qi Heng’s instructions, not causing any trouble and obediently listening. He didn’t seem like himself at all. So, it probably wasn’t him who had angered Qi Heng… right?
“Prince Wei and Shao’er are here too!” The Empress Dowager saw the two of them and welcomed them with a warm smile. “Shao’er, why are you standing at the door with Prince Wei? Come in and sit down.”
Qi Shao cautiously moved closer to the door. “Uncle, Grandmother, greetings.”
“Sit,” Qi Heng said in a calm tone.
After a while, the other princes and princesses also arrived. They were evidently even more nervous than Qi Shao. After paying their respects, they all hid in the corners like quails, not daring to make a sound. With this contrast, even Qi Shao appeared outstanding.
Being the best among the short isn’t saying much.
The Empress Dowager sighed heavily.
It seemed like they would have to find a reliable wife for Qi Shao to motivate him to strive harder.
On the other side, Qi Shao had no idea of the impending arranged marriage and was busy whispering embarrassing stories about his siblings to Wei Chao.
Wei Chao: “…”
He could only maintain a polite and not impolite smile while trying to control his curiosity. He refrained from following Qi Shao’s indications to look at the princes and princesses who had caused embarrassing incidents.
After a while, Qi Yuyao and Zhao Yan’er arrived, and Wei Chao felt a bit uneasy. After all, he had just rejected someone.
He subtly shifted his position to let Qi Shao block his view.
“Father, Grandmother,” Qi Yuyao stepped inside and noticed Wei Chao’s actions. For a brief moment, she felt a sense of disappointment, but she quickly regained her composure and acted as if nothing had happened.
“Greetings, Godfather, and greetings, Your Majesty,” Zhao Yan’er bowed after Qi Yuyao.
“Both of you, come and sit by my side,” the Empress Dowager smiled warmly and motioned for them to take the two available seats next to her.
“Now that everyone is here, let’s start the meal,” Qi Heng said in his usual composed manner.
The palace servants standing nearby retreated, and soon many servants carrying dishes entered the room.
Qi Yuyao discussed her business venture with Empress Dowager, and Zhao Yan’er took the opportunity to present her carefully prepared gift – a beautifully packaged set of blush and powder to the Empress Dowager.
“I’m not a young woman anymore. I don’t need these,” the Empress Dowager said, but she still had the palace servants accept the gift. After all, which woman in the palace didn’t appreciate beauty products?
The Empress Dowager also awarded a pair of jade bracelets to Zhao Yan’er. With Zhao Yan’er setting the example, the other princes and princesses presented their prepared gifts as well.
After the New Year’s Eve dinner, the princes and princesses were free to move around the palace. Some even ventured outside, where the sky was ablaze with fireworks, making it as bright as daylight.
On the first day of the new year, government officials gathered at the square outside the Taihe Hall for the New Year’s greetings.
On the second day, the noblewomen were granted an audience in the Shoukang Palace.
After that, there were various events and gatherings among the officials, leading up to the seventh day of the new year, when several imperial edicts were issued.
These edicts included the establishment of educational institutions, road maintenance, and the construction of a royal academy. But the one that caught the most attention was the creation of the “Myriad People’s Village.”
People gathered in droves to see the imperial edicts.
“Is this a good thing? The Emperor is building a free village for us to live in?”
“Have you read it carefully? It’s for the displaced and homeless people. And the condition for food and shelter is that they have to work for the Emperor.”
“How many people are thinking of working for the Emperor? This is an opportunity that many can only dream of. Maybe there’s a chance to meet the Emperor.”
“You seem to only focus on those two sentences. The rest say that the work is heavy and exhausting. Look at you with your body shape.” The person shook his head. “You better forget about it. You can’t even lift or carry anything.”
“Let’s go.”
A dark hand was placed on the shoulder of the speaker, and as they turned around, they were met with a nervous but friendly face.
“Young man, did you just say that as long as you’re willing to work, there’s a place to eat and sleep?”
“Not only food and shelter, but they also pay you every month based on your working hours.” The man assessed the dark-faced guy in front of him. “You look like you can work, and you might be a good fit.”
“This, it couldn’t be a scam, could it?” The dark-faced guy found it hard to believe in such a huge opportunity.
“Could there be a lie in the imperial decree?” The man pointed in a direction. “Look, the Prime Minister is over there. If you want to go, go and register there.”
