A Concubine’s Competitive Life in the Prince’s Household

...

Weixue Ice City's business was booming, and all the ingredients stored in the kitchen had been sold out.

After closing the shop at night, Ye Qiushuang happily fiddled with the abacus. According to this sales trend, the shop would soon become the number one dessert store in Yanjing.

While calculating the accounts, she pondered hiring two new employees, as well as the purchase and preparation of materials.

Knock knock—

The back door was knocked, and Nanny Rong stepped in under the cover of night.

Ye Qiushuang smiled and said, "You came at the perfect time. Please inform the owner that after deducting costs, we made a profit of twenty-five taels of silver today."

Shen Wei was truly remarkable. With Princess Zhao Yang's golden reputation, the shop's popularity had skyrocketed overnight.

Nanny Rong's expression remained calm. "The mistress sent me to remind you to be cautious in everything."

Ye Qiushuang poured Nanny Rong a cup of tea, her lips curling into a smile. "Please assure the owner that I, Ye Qiushuang, have been helping my family manage business since I was young. I've seen my fair share of scheming among merchants."

She had single-handedly revived the nearly bankrupt Ye family, so her capabilities were beyond doubt.

Seeing her confidence, Nanny Rong felt reassured. She added, "Once the business stabilizes, we can consider expanding the shop. Additionally, the mistress wants you to set up a small stall next to the shop to sell lemon water, priced at one coin per bowl."

Lemon water, also known as citrus water.

Ye Qiushuang was puzzled. "One coin per bowl? Is this meant for ordinary folks?"

Nanny Rong nodded and slowly explained, "The expensive desserts in the shop are for wealthy customers. The lemon water, on the other hand, is for the common people. The mistress said this is called 'capturing the lower-tier market.' There are many wealthy people in Yanjing, but the number of ordinary folks is far greater."

One coin wasn't expensive.

Ordinary people could enjoy a bowl of refreshing lemon water to beat the summer heat.

They could even bring their own bottles to take a bowl of lemon water home. This cool and sweet drink was also a favorite among children.

The shop aimed to cater to all ages, making it accessible to everyone.

Ye Qiushuang thought of a potential issue and reminded her, "The idea of lemon water is good, but the supply of citrus fruit is limited. It has to be transported from the south, which isn't cheap."

Nanny Rong replied, "Don't worry about that. The mistress has already purchased enough land in the southern mountains to grow citrus, cassava, mint, and sugarcane. We've also partnered with beekeepers to obtain honey. The deep caves in the western mountains have ice that never melts, providing us with a stable supply of ice. In short, we'll soon have a stable supply of ingredients, and we won't need to rely on expensive water transport anymore."

The land in the southern mountains was incredibly fertile. Facing south, it wasn't too hot in summer nor too cold in winter, making it ideal for growing crops. Shen Wei had spent a fortune to acquire it.

"The owner truly thinks of everything," Ye Qiushuang said, thoroughly impressed by Shen Wei.

Working under such a visionary owner, her future was bright and promising.

She had no intention of becoming a concubine in some prince's mansion. Ye Qiushuang wanted to be a renowned businesswoman, wealthy and influential!

...

The sunset enveloped the Glazed Pavilion. Shen Wei looked at her nearly empty treasury and clutched her chest in pain.

Indeed, all investments and ventures burned money in the early stages!

Fortunately, she had an unshakable gold mountain to help her through the tough startup period. Footsteps rustled outside, and Shen Wei turned to see Prince Li Yuanjing returning under the golden sunset.

He was dressed in a dark embroidered python robe, wearing a white jade crown, his face as flawless as jade. Bathed in the golden sunset, he looked like a gleaming piece of gold.

"Your Highness, you're back!" As always, Shen Wei happily walked over to greet him.

Her eyes were filled with undisguised affection, burning like fire.

Prince Li wrapped his arm around Shen Wei's slender waist, his heart enveloped in tender emotions. The thing he looked forward to most every day was returning to the Glazed Pavilion after a tiring day of official duties to see Shen Wei's radiant smile.

Her gaze was so pure, so full of joy.

He knew there was always someone waiting silently for his return. Shen Wei loved him, loved him passionately.

"What's for dinner tonight?" the Prince asked.

Shen Wei's beautiful eyes curved into a smile as she replied, "There's your favorite sugar-coated tomatoes."

Of course, there was also a large plate of oysters specially prepared for the Prince.

During the pregnancy preparation period, she had to make sure the Prince was well-nourished.

Prince Li held Shen Wei's hand as they walked into the cool and elegant Glazed Pavilion.

The gentle evening breeze, the golden sunset, and the beauty by his side—all the Prince's fatigue melted away, leaving him completely relaxed.

...

At Princess Zhao Yang's mansion.

Zhao Yang had just finished her dinner. Her appetite had been poor recently, and she had only taken a few bites before pushing the meal away.

Her maid, Yun'er, held a letter and a cloth bag containing vegetable seedlings, respectfully saying, "Your Highness, Nanny Rong from Lady Shen's household sent this letter. She said it contains a medicinal prescription."

Zhao Yang chuckled, her smile as radiant as a flower. "This Shen Wei, she actually sent the prescription."

Zhao ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‍Yang opened the letter.

The letter was densely filled with words. The handwriting wasn't particularly elegant, but it was legible. It read:

**[Remedies for Women with Weak Kidneys]**

1. Acupressure. Massage the Liver Yu and Tai Chong acupoints for the duration of a cup of tea each day.

2. Diet. Consume more mulberries, walnuts, goji berries, black beans, and lotus roots. Drink more multigrain porridge and avoid inflammatory foods.

3. Morning jogging. (Half an hour is ideal.)

4. Grow your own vegetables. (Two packets of cabbage seeds, along with some eggplant, chili, and tomato seedlings, are included.)

"Yun'er, prepare the food according to the prescription," Zhao Yang said with a smile, not taking the contents of the letter too seriously. However, since Shen Wei had gone to the trouble of sending the prescription, she decided to give it a try.

After all, her love for Yan Yunting wouldn't disappear just because her health improved, right?

Love wasn't an illness; it couldn't be cured.

Zhao Yang took a sip of clear tea and gazed at the lush greenery in the mansion's courtyard. Her eyes settled on a small empty patch of land by the pond.

After a moment of thought, her lips curled into a smile. "Yun'er, have that patch of land cleared. I want to grow vegetables. If my second brother can grow red tomatoes, so can I!"

Yun'er was full of doubts but didn't dare to oppose the Princess's idea. She nodded and said, "...I'll have someone take care of it right away."

The next day, after Princess Zhao Yang woke up, the small vegetable plot by the pond had already been prepared. Feeling inspired, Zhao Yang asked Yun'er to prepare farming tools, rolled up her sleeves, and started planting herself.

"Your Highness, no! You're of noble birth. How can you do such menial work!" Yun'er was horrified and quickly tried to stop her.

Zhao Yang wiped the sweat from her forehead. "If my second brother can grow vegetables, so can I."