In the Sky Room of the inn.
Ji Chunyue and Ji Qiuyue invited Liu Chaniang to sit at the tea table in their guest room.
"Xiao Yuan, go buy milk tea— I mean, pour some tea," Ji Chunyue almost let it slip.
For the past two days, they had been drinking at least two or three cups each day.
They tossed and turned for half the night, unable to sleep, but today they still wanted to drink...
Compared to regular tea, milk tea was truly sweet, soft, delicious, and aromatic, making them addicted.
Now, in a moment of carelessness, she revealed her girlish thoughts in front of Liu Chaniang, wanting to drink milk tea again.
"It's alright," Liu Chaniang chuckled, "I'd like some too. Bring me a serving of the oat milk tea as well."
Ji Chunyue's eyes lit up, "Madam has the same taste as me. Although the taro flavor is also delicious, we just had breakfast and I really can't eat anymore."
"Who isn't in the same boat?" Liu Chaniang was delighted to see that the milk tea her daughter had brought from the Immortal Realm to Jing Country was so popular among women. "It's just a pity that you've come all the way from Chu State right at the end of winter and beginning of spring when fruits and vegetables aren't in season. If you came in summer, you could try the fruit tea, which is iced to beat the heat and is very refreshing and tasty."
Ji Chunyue and Ji Qiuyue immediately became very interested.
"Fruit tea?" They had never tried it, but just imagining it seemed nice.
The sweet and sour fruit flavor... The sisters swallowed and quickly stopped themselves.
"Will this fruit tea be available at the milk tea shop in summer?" Ji Qiuyue looked out of the inn window, coincidentally able to see the milk tea shop on the next street, where people in silk robes were still queuing to buy.
At a price of five to ten wen per cup, it wasn't expensive at all for merchants and officials with money in their pockets.
They had observed for a day at the inn, and the milk tea shop's business was almost non-stop.
Especially now in early spring, when it was still a bit cool and people dared not take off their cotton clothes easily, drinking a cup of warm and slightly hot aromatic milk tea was perfect for dispelling the cold and warming the body.
But in summer, this warm tea with milk, and being sweet, would be too hot and greasy.
Ji Chunyue thought of this and was also a bit worried about the milk tea shop's business in summer.
But this fruit tea seemed to solve this problem.
"Yes." Liu Chaniang nodded. It was straightforward talking to smart people. "In summer, not only will there be iced milk tea, but we'll also introduce specially supplied fruit tea for the season."
"For the fruit and tea supply to these royal shops, the Emperor has already ordered the Ministry of Revenue to screen and support fruit and tea farmers in various regions, delivering high-quality fruits and teas to shops in various places, including the capital."
Liu Chaniang had studied and heard many of Xiao Chuchu's thoughts, so she spoke clearly and directly addressed the sisters' concerns.
"This milk tea shop is meant to do business all year round."
The Ji sisters were indeed tempted.
They had been a bit worried about the milk tea shop before, thinking that opening a breakfast shop would be more stable.
But now they began to waver.
"Do you have any business experience, or are you skilled in the kitchen?" Liu Chaniang thought of what her daughter said about screening franchise qualifications, and asked.
The face-to-face review had begun.
The Ji sisters' expressions froze for a moment, and they immediately became serious. "We don't."
"But we sisters have read the Four Books and Five Classics in Chu State, and have also read merchant biographies."
"We followed our mother and managed the kitchen that fed over two hundred people in our household, and have also hosted several hairpin flower banquets for distinguished guests."
They were born into nobility, a family of scholars, and while they didn't do many things personally, they had learned household management from a young age.
Plus, with their extensive reading, they learned quickly.
"If we were to open a shop," Ji Qiuyue thought, "we could ask our mother's dowry steward. Mother's dowry included four shops: a pastry shop, a needlework shop, a jewelry shop, and a rice shop."
"Mother regularly checks accounts with the steward and inquires about shop affairs, and we've listened in on the side," Ji Chunyue looked earnestly at Liu Chaniang, "Although we don't have experience running our own shop, we can ask and learn."
Liu Chaniang nodded, looking at the bright, clear, and determined eyes of the two sisters. "The main store will be responsible for your training. After three days of learning, there will be a written test and practical assessment."
"If you pass, you'll pay the franchise fee and a deposit, and then you'll receive the royal-granted signboard and officially open for business."
"But if the branch store doesn't meet the quality requirements of the court in the future, it will need to be shut down, otherwise the deposit will be confiscated, and there may even be arrests and imprisonment."
The Ji sisters listened with widening eyes, but soon showed appreciation. "Madam, that's no problem. The court ensures the quality of all branch stores, and we can only gain the trust of the people if we hang the sign of the royal milk tea shop branch."
Liu Chaniang smiled, "That's right. It protects you, as well as all shop owners, and every customer."
"Also, have you really thought it through? Do you want to open a Jing Country Royal Milk Tea Shop branch in Chu State?"
The smiles on the Ji sisters' faces immediately became a bit stiff.
But after exchanging a glance, they still gritted their teeth and nodded.
Originally, they just wanted to use some New Year's money to secretly open a shop in Jing Country, making money under the radar for their future private funds, without letting their future husbands know.
If life wasn't happy in the future, they could divorce and live freely on their own.
But now, after seeing Jing Country's Consort Liu publicly beat a violent man, and the Jing Country yamen imprisoning husbands who beat their wives, with laws protecting women, their thoughts had changed somewhat.
"Madam, we want to bring milk tea and fried dough sticks back to Chu State."
"We also want to bring back your courage and decisiveness, Madam, and the gender equality of Jing Country's laws!"
Ji Chunyue's eyes flickered, "We hope that one day, women in Chu State can also be fearless like you, Madam, and do what they want to do."
Liu Chaniang was moved, her eyes slightly red.
What she had done was hardly worth mentioning.
It was all because of the changes brought by her immortal reincarnation, Chuchu.
Liu Chaniang couldn't help but reach out and grasp the fists of the Ji sisters. "Let's work hard together."
"Even I have only taken a small step forward with the support of my family."
Liu Chaniang looked at the sunlight outside the window, "In the future, we must continue to move forward."
The Ji sisters suddenly felt like crying.
How could this be?
They had never seen a consort like Jing Country's Consort Liu who so boldly defended women, yet she still felt that what she had done was little, insignificant.
How humble.
But it was precisely this humility that infected them, giving them unprecedented confidence and strength.
"Yes!"
They could definitely do it.
The Ji sisters held hands, their resolve to open a shop as firm as a rock!
"Your Majesty, we have another favor to ask. Would it be possible for the Jing Country Bank to offer loans to people from Chu State?" Ji Chunyue asked earnestly after her maid Xiaoyuan had bought milk tea and opened the door.
The request startled even Xiaoyuan. "My lady?!"
They had bet with Zheng Qiru that merchants from Chu State wouldn't borrow money from the Jing Country Bank!
Yet now, Ji Chunyue herself was going to borrow money!
Ji Chunyue gave Xiaoyuan a reassuring look, and with her sister's support, she took a deep breath and continued, "Your Majesty has probably guessed that we come from a prominent family in Chu State. Our personal funds come partly from our grandfather and partly from our mother's dowry and private assets."
"In truth, neither portion really belongs to us."
"As the saying goes, 'He who takes is beholden.' If we want to open Jing Country milk tea and youtiao branches in Chu State and promote Jing Country's laws and women's status, we can't use money from our family or Chu State to prove ourselves," Ji Chunyue declared resolutely as the elder sister.
"Of course, if war breaks out between the two countries in the future, we will still side with Chu State," Ji Chunyue added reluctantly. "We hope that day never comes."
[The Chu State sisters' loyalty to Jing Country has reached 71%.]
[Impressive.]
Xiao Chuchu checked the system. [System evaluation: The two have reached the level of 'willing to be peace ambassadors between the two countries.' As long as the first shot of war isn't fired, they will persuade their father and brothers to do their utmost for peaceful relations between Chu and Jing.]
In the imperial study, Xiao Yunzhou couldn't help but pause with his teacup.
So this was what 70% loyalty looked like.
What would complete loyalty be like?
Xiao Yunzhou didn't dare to imagine.
How was the King of Chu faring?
Would he be angered to death?
"Pfft—" Xiao Yunzhou laughed out loud.
Wei Zheng, standing nearby, couldn't help but look at the emperor in surprise.
"What are you looking at?! Your dumbfounded expression just amused me."
"..."
"Oh, right, call Head Imperial Physician Hu here. The other day, he mentioned noticing the flowers and plants in Liu Chaniang's room when he saw her doing needlework, and it gave him an idea for a beauty face cream?"
"???" Wei Zheng's eyes widened.
That Head Imperial Physician Hu, gossiping with the emperor again!?
[Oh my, there's hope for my skin?] Xiao Chuchu was suddenly excited.
[Hey, system prompt, Chu State sisters' attribute number two: Love of beauty!]
