The Wangshu Inn, third-floor private room.
The faint aroma of tea filled the air, the entire room suffused with the refreshing scent of tea leaves. Ye Qiushuang, dressed in green, held a cup of Jiangnan white tea in her hands.
The tea was clear and bright, with a few tender green tea leaves, resembling phoenix feathers, resting at the bottom of the cup. Ye Qiushuang sighed deeply, "I wonder if I'll still have the chance to drink tea from my hometown once I enter Prince Yan's Mansion."
The maid knelt beside her, her eyes filled with worry. "Miss, Lady Yan has hidden many things from us. I've heard that Prince Yan is cold-hearted and fickle in his affections. None of the concubines in his household have ever enjoyed his favor for long."
"Just a few days ago, a concubine made a mistake and was beaten to death on Prince Yan's orders... That Prince Yan's Mansion is like a den of demons!"
Ye Qiushuang examined the celadon teacup, a bitter smile on her lips. "I know Lady Yan has ulterior motives, but I am already a discarded pawn of the Ye family. There's no way back for me."
Born in Jiangnan, where she had always enjoyed the freedom of the spring breeze, Ye Qiushuang thought sorrowfully that the rest of her life would likely be confined within the high walls of Prince Yan's Mansion.
A lifetime without freedom.
"Knock, knock—"
The door to the private room was knocked, and the maid, thinking it was the innkeeper bringing snacks, hurried to open it.
However, standing outside were two strangers: a woman wearing a white veil and an astute-looking old woman carrying a food box.
"Who are you?" the maid asked suspiciously.
Shen Wei replied, "I've come to seek Miss Ye, to show her a way out."
The maid's face grew wary.
Inside the room, Ye Qiushuang spoke calmly, "Let her in."
Shen Wei, accompanied by Nanny Rong, entered the cozy inn room. Shen Wei observed the Jiangnan woman seated at the table—her light green cloud-patterned dress, a simple white jade hairpin, and a delicate, elegant face that exuded the charm of Jiangnan's misty rains.
She was a remarkably beautiful woman.
Shen Wei sat down opposite her and removed her white veil. Ye Qiushuang glanced at her and asked, "Madam, who might you be?"
Ye Qiushuang had just arrived in Yanjing and was unfamiliar with the place. She hadn't expected someone to seek her out specifically.
Shen Wei didn't hide her identity. "I am Shen Wei, one of Prince Yan's concubines."
Ye Qiushuang tightened her grip on the teacup.
Coming from a prominent family, she was no stranger to the internal struggles between wives and concubines. Having traveled thousands of miles to Yanjing, Ye Qiushuang had already prepared herself mentally for the intrigues of the inner household.
But she hadn't anticipated that one of Prince Yan's concubines would come to provoke her!
Shen Wei saw through her thoughts and smiled. "Let me be honest with you. Even if you enter Prince Yan's Mansion, you won't be a match for me. Rather than letting your life be buried in the mansion, I can show you a way out."
Ye Qiushuang remained silent, her eyes scrutinizing Shen Wei with caution.
Shen Wei was strikingly beautiful.
Unlike the traditional demureness of other women, Shen Wei had a captivating charm. Her smile was always confident, and her eyes seemed to see through everything, as if she could handle any situation with ease.
Shen Wei noticed the Jiangnan white tea on the table and poured herself a cup, taking a sip. "The tea is delicate and fragrant, leaving a lingering taste. In Prince Yan's Mansion, without favor, you cannot survive. If you enter the mansion, you may never taste authentic Jiangnan white tea again."
"How do you know I won't win the prince's favor?" Ye Qiushuang asked calmly. "I have a decent appearance and am well-versed in literature."
Shen Wei chuckled. "There are many concubines in the mansion who are both beautiful and talented. You wouldn't stand out."
Ye Qiushuang lowered her gaze.
She knew Shen Wei was right.
Shen Wei's lips curved into a smile. In her past life, she had run a company, poaching talented employees with her silver tongue, successfully recruiting them to work for her.
Ye Qiushuang was an exceptional talent, and Shen Wei was determined to make use of her. She began her persuasive pitch: "Becoming a concubine in Prince Yan's Mansion might sound like a way to secure your family's future, but deep down, you know you're just a discarded pawn. The Ye family no longer has a place for you."
"Miss Ye, I've heard you're skilled in business, having revived your family's failing enterprises. Yet the Ye family turned on you, claiming women shouldn't engage in business, and seized the shops you worked so hard to build—aren't you resentful?"
Ye Qiushuang clenched the teacup, her heart aching at the memory of her hard-earned shops being taken from her.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she smiled bitterly. "Yes, I am resentful. But what can I do? Just because I'm a woman, I'm not allowed to run a business?"
Shen Wei tapped the table. "Yanjing is a bustling city with many female merchants. Why not open a shop here?"
Ye Qiushuang lowered her gaze. "It's not that simple... Yanjing is expensive, and I have no money."
Shen Wei had been waiting for this. She pulled out a business plan for "Wei Xue Ice City" from her sleeve and handed it to Ye Qiushuang.
Shen Wei spoke confidently, "I've rented a dessert shop in Yanjing. The materials and premises are all ready. All I need is a shopkeeper to manage it. You can be the shopkeeper, hiring staff and overseeing operations. I'll pay you five taels of silver per month, plus a share of the profits."
"Once the shop grows and expands, I'll open branches and even a restaurant. Then you won't have to be trapped in the inner chambers of Prince Yan's Mansion. You can live freely and happily."
Ye Qiushuang's delicate brows furrowed slightly.
She had thought Shen Wei was here to cause trouble, but instead, she was offering her a position as a shopkeeper. Ye Qiushuang opened the "Wei Xue Ice City" business plan and remarked, "The handwriting is terrible."
