The Princess Consort was very busy, as the upbringing of her two sons already left her with little time for anything else. Matters such as the income from the estate and the profits from the shops were left to the steward of the Prince's Mansion to manage.
She had no desire to interfere, nor did she care to.
Fu Gui’s mouth twitched as he tried to persuade her, "Princess Consort, these matters concern the family affairs of the Prince's Mansion. How can an outsider like me meddle in them for long?"
In other noble families, the matriarch would oversee the household affairs, managing the family’s finances, properties, and personnel, as well as planning the income and expenses.
But the Princess of Yan paid little attention to such matters. Only when her own interests were involved would she intervene slightly.
Fu Gui, with his aging body, bore the heavy responsibilities of the Prince's Mansion. He was exhausted, and his monthly allowance hadn’t even increased!
Fortunately, Fu Gui was utterly loyal to Prince Yan. If it were any other irresponsible old steward, they would have long embezzled and secretly transferred the mansion’s wealth.
The Princess Consort said indifferently, "You are a long-serving servant of the mansion. Naturally, I trust your abilities."
She couldn’t understand Fu Gui’s desire to shirk his duties.
In her view, being a steward for the royal family was a blessing that ordinary people could only dream of achieving in several lifetimes.
Fu Gui sighed, "Princess Consort, I truly—"
Before he could finish, the Princess Consort impatiently changed the subject, "Has the Prince gone to Liuli Pavilion again? You must remind him not to overindulge in food. That Shen Wei only cares about winning his favor and doesn’t care about his health."
The Princess Consort had heard that Shen Wei had been coming up with all sorts of ways to have the kitchen prepare delicacies for Prince Yan.
Prince Yan would eat a lot each time.
Overeating was bad for his health.
The Princess Consort was troubled. She clearly cared for Prince Yan, so why did he never appreciate her concern? He never seemed to notice her efforts.
Fu Gui tactfully replied, "Princess Consort, you’ve misunderstood Lady Shen. She hasn’t been encouraging the Prince to overeat."
Lady Shen was very considerate. When the Prince dined at her place, the dishes were always a balanced mix of meat and vegetables, nutritious and delicious.
If the Prince ever ate too much, Lady Shen would offer him a special digestive tonic, and they would take a walk together after the meal.
Compared to the rich and heavy meals the Princess Consort had prepared, Shen Wei’s dishes were adjusted according to the weather, season, and the Prince’s preferences, which was why they always pleased him.
"I need to rest. You may leave now," the Princess Consort said, rubbing her temples.
Fu Gui, filled with frustration, had no choice but to leave.
How much longer would he have to endure this hard life serving the Princess Consort? By his age, stewards in other noble families had already retired and were enjoying their twilight years.
Yet here he was, still holding on. Sigh.
As Fu Gui left Kunyu Courtyard, he gazed at the pale moonlight, feeling as though his old life was being worn away.
"Steward Fu Gui!" Nanny Rong’s voice called out. She approached with a smile, "I was just looking for you. The peach trees in Liuli Pavilion have borne fruit, and Lady Shen has specially saved a few for you."
Nanny Rong handed him a basket of peaches.
Fu Gui took the basket, astonished, "The precious peaches from Lady Shen’s courtyard are meant for the Prince. How could a servant like me..."
Nanny Rong said, "Just take them. Chill them with ice when you get home, and they’ll taste even better."
Fu Gui was deeply moved, "Lady Shen is truly thoughtful, remembering us servants."
Nanny Rong laughed heartily, "Steward Fu Gui, you’re busy with countless tasks and work tirelessly. These peaches are just a small token of appreciation. When the tomatoes you planted in Liuli Pavilion’s vegetable garden ripen, I’ll bring some over for you."
Fu Gui thought of the vegetables he had planted—large purple eggplants, bright red tomatoes, and tender green seedlings. The weariness in his body seemed to dissipate slightly.
As one grows older, after seeing so much wealth and luxury, it’s these humble fruits and vegetables that truly touch the heart.
Among the many courtyards in the Prince's Mansion, only Liuli Pavilion gave Fu Gui a sense of natural closeness.
Those few ordinary peaches doubled Fu Gui’s fondness for Liuli Pavilion.
...
Night turned to day, and the morning arrived. Prince Yan had stayed overnight at Shen Wei’s place and woke up refreshed.
Shen Wei forced herself to stay awake and accompanied Prince Yan for breakfast. After he left for court, she rubbed her sore waist.
Perhaps she had been feeding him too many oysters and leeks lately, making him unusually vigorous.
Trying to conceive was truly difficult... She hoped to get pregnant soon, so her efforts wouldn’t be in vain.
After finishing breakfast, Nanny Rong quietly reported, "My Lady, Miss Ye from Wangshu Inn has sent word. She is willing to temporarily manage the dessert shop."
Shen Wei put down her chopsticks, a smile curling on her lips, "Very good. Let her take full responsibility for the dessert shop."
Nanny Rong thought for a moment and reminded her, "My Lady, you’ve only just met Miss Ye. If she embezzles while running the shop, we must be cautious."
Nanny Rong, after all, had seen much of the world.
She knew that when faced with the lure of great wealth, human relationships could be fragile and unreliable.
Shen Wei gently shook her head, "If you use someone, trust them. If you doubt them, don’t use them."
She had already shown ample sincerity and trust. If Ye Qiushuang were to betray that trust, Shen Wei had her own ways to ruin her reputation.
In everything she did, Shen Wei always left herself a way out.
...
Three days passed. While Shen Wei was busy trying to conceive, Ye Qiushuang had already started running the shop.
That morning, after her morning run, Shen Wei went to the waterside to continue her vocal exercises.
Singing wasn’t about using the throat; it required opening the throat, known as "vocal warm-up." There were many techniques for this, and Shen Wei stood by the water—making bubbling sounds and practicing tongue twisters.
Cai Lian and Cai Ping watched from a distance, their faces filled with concern.
Cai Lian whispered, "Our Lady keeps saying strange things by the water every morning. She says it’s a singing technique..."
Cai Ping added, "But who sings by going ‘ah ah ah’ all the time?"
The two maids were utterly puzzled.
By the lotus pond, after finishing her vocal exercises, Shen Wei drank some water to soothe her throat. Nanny Rong hurried over and whispered, "My Lady, Miss Ye from the dessert shop has sent a message. She says business isn’t going well."
Shen Wei set down her teacup, "Tell me more."
From Nanny Rong’s account, Shen Wei learned the details.
Ye Qiushuang was indeed capable. She had personally hired two employees and prepared everything needed for the shop’s opening. However, after the shop opened, business was scarce.
The reason was simple—the prices of brown sugar jelly and mint sago pudding were too high. For customers, these were strange new desserts, and they weren’t willing to spend a lot to try them.
But the ingredients for these desserts were expensive, so discounting them wasn’t an option.
After three days of operation, the shop had only made a few sales. The kitchen was piled with ingredients, some of which were already spoiling.
Ye Qiushuang wasn’t one to give up easily. After much thought, she considered abandoning the brown sugar jelly and mint sago pudding in favor of cheaper desserts to cut losses.
But since Shen Wei was the shop’s owner, any changes required her approval.
"We can’t give up on these two desserts," Shen Wei said slowly, shaking her head.
Yanjing, the capital of Qing State, had many dessert shops, but their offerings were monotonous and uninspired.
Brown sugar jelly and mint sago pudding were delicious and unique. Once they gained popularity, their potential was immense.
The question was, how to break into the market?
At that moment, Cai Ping ran over and reported, "My Lady, Yun'er from Zhao Yang Princess’s entourage has sent word. The Princess will visit the mansion tomorrow."
Shen Wei smiled, "I see."
The perfect ambassador to promote her dessert shop had arrived.
Shen Wei told Nanny Rong, "Go inform Ye Qiushuang to open the shop as usual tomorrow and make sure it’s spotless. I’ll bring a distinguished guest to Wei Xue Ice City."
Nanny Rong nodded, "Yes, I’ll relay the message at once."
