For some reason, Ming Shu loved the name “Man Tang Hui” (Full Hall Splendor).
When she heard this name, her mind would fill with images of dazzling golden light illuminating the entire hall, as if piled with gold. She had an almost obsessive fondness for gold, so when it came time to stock Man Tang Hui with gold items, she met unified opposition from Wen An and Yin Shu Jun.
As noble ladies of the capital, Wen An and Shu Jun had seen countless treasures, usually jade or antiques – how could they appreciate gold items?
Vulgar, superficial!
However, their opposition had no effect. Ming Shu stood firm against all objections and, through Tao Yi Qian’s connections, borrowed craftsmen from his gold shop to create a batch of gold ornaments. Ming Shu had been envisioning the designs for these pieces since deciding to open the shop. During this time, through interactions with Wen An, Yin Shu Jun, and even Aunt Xu, she had met no fewer than a hundred noble ladies of Bianjing and had generally grasped the popular jewelry styles and preferences of the ladies, before finally putting brush to paper.
The first batch of gold ornaments focused on hairpins, combs, earrings, and bracelets. While there weren’t any complete sets of formal headpieces, each piece was exquisite, winning through craftsmanship and accented with pearls, precious stones, and jade as finishing touches – vastly different from the common bright yellow, heavy gold ornaments in the market.
Each piece represented Ming Shu’s heart and soul.
From design to refinement and crafting, this batch of gold ornaments was completed under her supervision. Due to cost constraints, they couldn’t produce in large quantities, so each style was limited to no more than three pieces, each marked with a serial number, not one piece more. Besides women’s ornaments, Ming Shu also crafted a batch of filigree fire striker cases, belt buckles, and pure gold jewelry boxes. Even the most critical Wen An was speechless when seeing these pieces – while the ornaments were fine, it was the fire striker case that she couldn’t put down.
The next day, Wen An selected several delicate gold ornaments to send to her mother and several noble ladies who frequently visited the Prince’s mansion. Meanwhile, Yin Shu Jun chose several pieces to send to Imperial Consort Shu in the palace, and Madam Xu also received gifts from Ming Shu. As these ornaments were worn by the noble ladies, they caught people’s attention, and soon people began inquiring about their origin. Before Man Tang Hui even opened, its name had quietly spread.
When Man Tang Hui finally opened, while it wasn’t exactly crowded, it attracted many of Bianjing’s nobility – all wealthy customers who were willing to spend. The shop’s gold ornaments were limited in quantity, with only three pieces of each style, and once sold out, they were gone. If customers wanted more, they could only place orders. Initially, limited production due to cost constraints had accidentally created scarcity value.
Additionally, some men were attracted by the fire striker cases and belt buckles. However, Ming Shu employed a clever strategy – these items couldn’t be purchased directly but required buying a certain number or value of other items first. As a result, men ended up buying large quantities of gold ornaments for their wives and daughters just to obtain these small items.
Three days after opening, Man Tang Hui’s order book was filled for the next three months.
Ming Shu counted on her abacus, checked the orders, and smiled from ear to ear.
Though gold might be considered vulgar, its enduring popularity over thousands of years had its reasons. As they say, the height of the common can be the height of elegance – when an item can appeal to both refined and common tastes, it truly excels.
Man Tang Hui was located on Bianjing’s busiest street, with the shop divided into outer and inner rooms, plus a small vault for inventory. The outer room displayed merchandise, while the back served as Ming Shu’s rest area and reception room for distinguished guests, as noble visitors naturally needed to be received in an elegant room with tea.
One day, as evening approached and the sky darkened, the street gradually emptied of pedestrians. Ming Shu had just finished counting orders, arranging dates, and completing the day’s accounts, waiting for Lu Chang to come by after his shift to take her home. The door chime rang twice, signaling a customer’s arrival.
Ming Shu hadn’t gone out, and the shop assistant at the front eagerly went to greet the customer.
“Welcome, young master, please come in.”
The customer was a man?
Ming Shu stood under the beaded curtain, peering out to see a figure pausing before the embroidered screen at the entrance, praising its exquisite needlework. It was a gift from Madam Zeng, made into four screens displayed in the shop as decoration – naturally a rare masterpiece.
Ming Shu quietly noted this person’s good taste and couldn’t help but look closer – this man wasn’t particularly tall, had a slim build, and spoke in gentle tones, rather like a refined young master from a wealthy family.
Just as she was thinking this, the person came around the screen into the shop, and the assistant promptly served tea. Usually, greeting customers wasn’t something Ming Shu needed to do personally, so she was about to return to her work at the counter.
Unexpectedly, the person asked about her: “Is your proprietor here?”
The assistant replied: “Unfortunately, the proprietor is busy. Young master, if you have any matters, you can tell me first.”
The man didn’t persist but said pleasantly: “Then please show me all your gold ornaments.”
The assistant hesitated, about to respond, when the man continued: “Your shop’s gold ornaments have become quite popular lately, with many unable to buy them. My master has sent me to order a batch of gold items for his ladies.”
Hearing this was a big customer, the assistant was delighted and quickly asked: “May I know which household…”
“My surname is Tang, and I’m here on Prince Yu’s behalf.”
The beaded curtain clinked softly as Ming Shu emerged.
“You may go, I’ll attend to this.”
The assistant acknowledged and withdrew. Young Master Tang turned, smiled slightly at Ming Shu, and cupped his hands in greeting.
It was none other than Su Tang Li in male disguise.
“Su Young Lady, please come inside,” Ming Shu invited her in.
“Just call me Tang Li, I’m not used to the name Su Tang Li,” Tang Li said.
“Young Master Tang now works for Prince Yu?” Ming Shu didn’t insist on the form of address, but led her to the back hall, observing her while brewing tea.
She still wore male clothing, not having changed back to women’s attire. Compared to her time at Song Ling Academy, her timid demeanor had disappeared, replaced by a faint smile and glimmers of shrewdness in her eyes, like a snake awakening from winter hibernation.
Tang Li nodded, thanked Ming Shu for the tea, and said: “Thanks to good fortune, I’m indeed working for His Highness Prince Yu now. Today I’ve come on His Highness’s behalf to select some gold ornaments for his favored concubines.”
Ming Shu nodded and had the assistant bring in the gold items.
The assistant brought the shop’s current inventory into the inner hall on red velvet trays, placing them beside Tang Li for selection. Tang Li merely glanced over them and shook her head: “These are too ordinary. I’ve seen some novel pieces worn by ladies from other households that were quite nice, and some small items that the gentlemen liked – why aren’t they among these?”
Ming Shu gave a signal, and the assistant brought over a catalog to present to Tang Li.
“Our shop’s current inventory of gold items is quite limited, and those pieces you mentioned have likely sold out. Here is our shop’s catalog – please see if what you’re looking for is in here. Everything in the catalog can be ordered, though the wait time is three months. I wonder if your household can wait?”
Tang Li flipped through two pages and already showed a smile: “We can wait.”
She then pointed out her selected styles one by one to Ming Shu, who took out paper and brush to write up the order document and calculate the deposit.
Indeed, it was a big transaction – Tang Li selected seven gold items at once, with just the thirty percent deposit coming to five hundred taels of silver. She paid efficiently, and they completed the transaction in the back hall, exchanging silver and documents, discussing nothing else, truly like mere buyer and seller.
Only when everything was settled and Tang Li rose to leave did she say: “I hear all the gold items in your shop are personally designed by Miss Lu, and even the craftsmen’s gold-working techniques were discussed and supervised by you. Miss Lu is truly impressive.”
“You’re too kind,” Ming Shu said lightly, also rising to see her out.
Beyond the necessary business courtesies, she had no desire to interact further with Tang Li.
However, Tang Li continued talking as they walked, as if in casual conversation: “I wonder where Miss Lu learned all these skills, I’m quite curious.”
This question stumped Ming Shu.
Many of her knowledge and skills had no clear source in her mind – she didn’t know why she understood these things. Some matters, she only realized she knew about when encountering them, like gold-working, running a shop, dealing with various noble guests… These things she was accustomed to and even familiar with couldn’t be traced to any influence from Madam Zeng or Lu Chang.
The door chime rang again, rescuing Ming Shu from her daze.
“Official Lu,” the assistant greeted.
“Where’s Ming Shu?” Lu Chang’s voice came along with his footsteps.
Before the assistant could answer, Lu Chang had already come around the screen to see Ming Shu standing with Tang Li in the shop. His gaze swept over Tang Li, who smiled and bowed: “Official Lu.”
Lu Chang didn’t return the greeting, only coldly “hmmed” and walked to Ming Shu’s side, asking: “Can you leave now?”
Meanwhile, Tang Li also took her leave: “Business is concluded, I shall take my leave. Miss Lu, please don’t trouble yourself to see me out.”
With that, she left the shop, and Ming Shu finally answered Lu Chang: “Wait a moment, I’ll pack up and then we can go.”
“What did she come here for?” Lu Chang stared at Tang Li’s retreating figure and asked.
“To buy some gold items for Prince Yu to give to his concubines. This Tang Li is quite something – using Xie Xi to get close to Prince Yu. I thought she would become Prince Yu’s concubine, but seeing her today, it seems not,” Ming Shu pulled him into the back hall, talking as they walked.
When she first heard Wen An speak of Tang Li, they all thought Tang Li had used her beauty to bewitch her way into Prince Yu’s back palace, but now it seemed they had all underestimated Tang Li.
“She is Prince Yu’s advisor, and also counts as a concubine, just without official status,” Lu Chang said coldly. “Prince Yu and Third Prince don’t get along. With the crown prince position unfilled, there will likely be struggles in court. Don’t get close to her.”
“When business comes to the door, how can I as a shopkeeper turn people away? Besides, what do court struggles have to do with me? I’m a proper merchant, how could I meddle in affairs up there?” Ming Shu said dismissively, turning to take down a long box from the display cabinet.
“Court struggles may not concern you, but they concern me, and they concern Lu Wen Han,” Lu Chang said gravely.
Although he hadn’t been formally recognized by the Lu family, this relationship was widely known. In others’ eyes, he was Lu Wen Han’s eldest son and the only son who had entered the court. One thing led to another, and in the complex court situation, it was difficult to remain uninvolved.
“I understand, I won’t cause trouble for you all,” Ming Shu sighed.
“I’m not worried about you causing trouble, I just fear…” Lu Chang trailed off.
What he feared was Ming Shu getting caught up in it.
Due to the struggle between the two factions, the Third Prince’s activities couldn’t be hidden from Prince Yu for long, and he probably already knew about the secret investigation into the Simple family case in Jiangning Prefecture. This case involved the entire Jiangning Prefecture and was one of the biggest cases in recent years. The Emperor was extremely concerned about it, and it would likely be jointly investigated by the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and Kaifeng Prefecture. As the new Prefect of Kaifeng, this case was of great importance to the Third Prince.
“What is there to fear? We’ll face whatever comes, Brother, don’t worry needlessly,” Ming Shu opened the box and took out a new belt. “Come look at my gift to you! Tomorrow you’ll transfer to Kaifeng Prefecture to take up your post. I wish you a brilliant career and a smooth official path!”
The Emperor had decreed that Third Prince Zhao Jing Ran would become Prefect of Kaifeng. Zhao Jing Ran had requested the Emperor’s permission to transfer Lu Chang to Kaifeng Prefecture as Deputy Prefect to assist him with official duties. Today was Lu Chang’s last day at the Hanlin Academy, and the position of Kaifeng Deputy Prefect would be Lu Chang’s first substantive post.
Lu Chang collected himself and looked at the item in her hands.
It was a leather belt with jade buckles, the body inlaid with carved gold pieces, with several items attached below, including a fire striker case that Ming Shu had personally supervised the creation of, all extremely exquisite.
“Try it on?” Ming Shu said.
Lu Chang looked at it but didn’t take it, instead spreading his arms and saying: “Help me.”
“Now you’re pulling rank on me?!” Though Ming Shu complained, she still dutifully stood before him, reaching around his waist with the belt.
“Is this tightness alright?” she asked while adjusting the belt.
“It’s fine,” Lu Chang’s voice came from above her head.
Ming Shu fastened the buckle and arranged all the hanging items on both sides, looking at Lu Chang with complete satisfaction.
Now all of Lu Chang’s accessories, from top to bottom, had been arranged by her hand, and he no longer looked as plain as when he first arrived in the capital.
Her brother must be magnificent, not losing to anyone.
“My lord, are you satisfied with my service?” she looked up teasingly, but unexpectedly met Lu Chang’s downward gaze.
Their eyes met, and Lu Chang’s gaze came like surging waves, instantly overwhelming Ming Shu.
She had never seen Lu Chang like this before, and as if frightened, she stepped back half a step, bumping into the table. Lu Chang reached out to steady her waist, saying in a low voice: “Careful.”
This action should have been unremarkable, but today, Ming Shu inexplicably felt her heart racing.
Brother seemed somewhat different… it seemed to have started from that Dragon Boat Festival night…
He had changed.
The next day, a horse galloped along the official road toward Bianjing City, kicking up dust.
The person Song Qing Zhao had sent to Jiangning had returned.