Hearing this, Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t help but smile. “What good timing. Go tell Young Master Fu, wait…”

Zhao Hanzhang thought for a moment, then said: “I’ll go myself. Send people to Master Ji’s and Master Ming’s residences. Duke Chengguo’s delegation has arrived—tomorrow have them accompany me outside the city to welcome them.”

This time Chengguo’s crown prince personally came to deliver the diplomatic credentials. The protocol was quite high, so naturally they had to show corresponding sincerity.

Zeng Yue acknowledged and bowed out.

Zhao Hanzhang finished putting on her wedding garments and stood before the full-length mirror. Her wedding garment had a dark ceremonial upper garment with reddish-yellow ceremonial lower garment. The collar and edges of the dark ceremonial upper garment were also reddish-yellow ceremonial, embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns—truly looking as if she were standing among clouds.

On the sleeves were embroidered phoenix designs using similarly colored thread. From afar they weren’t obvious, but up close, a phoenix could faintly be seen gazing outward. When she walked and the sleeves moved slightly, the phoenix seemed to take flight.

Wang Shi led Qinggu in and saw this scene. Her eyes lit up as she quickly stepped forward. “This embroiderer is indeed excellent. Your Seventh Great-Uncle’s recommendation was good—completing such fine embroidery in such a short time.”

Zhao Hanzhang turned to Ting He and said: “Reward the embroiderer. Have her rest her eyes well—I’ll need her services later.”

Wang Shi said: “That embroiderer belongs to your Seventh Great-Uncle.”

“Ask Seventh Great-Uncle if he’s willing to let me have her. Also ask if the embroiderer is willing to follow me. If willing, I’ll pay high wages to hire her. If she has slave status, I’ll redeem her freedom.”

Wang Shi was puzzled. “You have no high requirements for clothing. The household embroiderers are sufficient for you. Why compete with Seventh Great-Uncle for people?”

Zhao Hanzhang: “I want to open an embroidery workshop, creating a special area within to teach embroidery skills to embroiderers.”

Wang Shi: “This is livelihood skill—at most passed to disciples. How could it be openly taught to everyone as you imagine?”

Zhao Hanzhang: “I’ll give her an official position. Would she still be unwilling?”

Wang Shi was shocked. “Embroiderers can become officials?”

Zhao Hanzhang: “Not only embroiderers can become officials—weavers, carpenters, all can. I plan to establish the Bureau of Craftsmen under the Ministry of Works, gathering master craftsmen from across the realm specifically for related industry research and teaching.”

Zhao Hanzhang shook her sleeves, grasping them in her hand with a smile. “Such embroiderers are exactly what the Bureau of Craftsmen needs.”

“Moreover, teaching in the workshop doesn’t require her to impart all her livelihood secrets. Naturally, techniques for passing down her craft depend on her own wishes and her choice of successor.”

She was only gathering talent for the Bureau of Craftsmen. What they did afterward would depend on their wishes. What she could provide was various teaching conditions and support for transmission.

Wang Shi nodded thoughtfully. “Then your embroidery workshop is for the court?”

Zhao Hanzhang nodded. “Naturally for the court—I’m using court resources.”

Plainly put, these were state-owned, because the costs of recruiting talent, land, and materials for workshop construction all came from the state treasury. Naturally, their profits also belonged to the state treasury.

Wang Shi said: “Then what do you think about me also opening an embroidery workshop?”

Zhao Hanzhang raised her eyebrows, smiling: “Why does Mother want to open an embroidery workshop?”

“I don’t just want to open an embroidery workshop—I want to open a weaving workshop too.” Wang Shi said: “I want to open whatever makes money.”

She sighed: “The household currently has no money. You and Erlang’s expenditures require careful economizing. What I can give you is also limited. I see Seventh Great-Uncle doesn’t manage much either, yet still earns considerable money. I also want to earn more so if you siblings need money in the future, I can supplement.”

Hearing this, Zhao Hanzhang immediately encouraged: “Mother, go ahead and do it. Start with the weaving workshop. Let me tell you—these next two years, doing grain and cloth business is least likely to lose money. Just go ahead boldly and confidently.”

“Put the embroidery workshop aside for now. Wait for me to test the waters. Once successful, you can enter.”

Wang Shi, gaining Zhao Hanzhang’s encouragement, immediately added several parts confidence and nodded repeatedly.

She opened the box Qinggu was holding and told Zhao Hanzhang: “This is the phoenix crown Mother had made for you.”

After Zhao Hanzhang tried the phoenix crown and confirmed what needed modification, she changed out of the garments and told Wang Shi: “Mother, Princess Hongnong and the Prince Consort have reached Luoyang’s outskirts. They’ll enter the city tomorrow.”

Wang Shi’s heart tightened, feeling somewhat nervous. “Then, should I go welcome them?”

Zhao Hanzhang smiled: “No need. Tinghan and I will go receive them. But with my wedding approaching and his parents returned, they probably can’t continue staying at our house.”

Wang Shi thought for a moment, then nodded. “That’s fine. You two needed to prepare separately for the wedding anyway.”

The Fu family mansion had burned down. The court prepared another mansion for Fu Tinghan—Zhao Hanzhang had selected it. It was not far from the Zhao residence.

Going out the Fu family’s back door and walking north about two hundred meters reached the Zhao residence’s front gate. If she didn’t want to use the door, she could go out and directly climb the wall into the Fu household.

Ahem, anyway, they were very close.

But Fu Tinghan had few people around him, and furnishing a household was very expensive, so he’d never made a move.

For this marriage, they only prepared two courtyards—one was the main courtyard, one was a large courtyard somewhat distant from the main courtyard, spacious and bright, prepared for Princess Hongnong and Fu Xuan.

Other places only symbolically hung red lanterns. The courtyard gates were all locked.

Wang Shi had it all planned out. After a full month of marriage, the two would still return to live at the Zhao residence. That place had nothing—the kitchen didn’t even have complete utensils. How could they live there?

But now Princess Hongnong and Fu Xuan had returned. She felt her plan for her daughter and son-in-law to return home was going to fall through.

Wang Shi felt slightly disappointed, but she didn’t show it.

Well, she thought she didn’t show it, but who was Zhao Hanzhang? How could she not see Wang Shi’s changes?

She smiled at Wang Shi: “Mother, after we marry, we’ll still frequently stay at the Zhao residence. You mustn’t find us bothersome.”

Wang Shi’s spirits lifted immediately, quickly saying: “How could that be? This is your home. Your courtyard and the main courtyard will remain for you. Stay as long as you wish.”

Zhao Hanzhang lived in her own courtyard. The main courtyard was used to handle various matters. Ji Yuan and others often met her there to report business.

It could be said the Zhao residence was a microcosm of a second court. Much government business was resolved here.

After the wedding, Zhao Hanzhang didn’t plan to change this, so she and Fu Tinghan would spend most of their time living here.

As for what Princess Hongnong and Fu Xuan would think, Zhao Hanzhang wasn’t considering it for now.

Fu Tinghan had never actually met Princess Hongnong and Fu Xuan, only having vague impressions of them in his memories. He didn’t want to live together with them, so he had no objection.

He got along harmoniously with Wang Shi to a certain degree because of Wang Shi’s tolerance.

Perhaps because of the precedent set by Zhao Hanzhang and Zhao Erlang, Wang Shi rarely managed the children.

She played her own games. With the children, not seeing them for three to five days wouldn’t anger her, nor would she interfere with their activities.

Breakfast eaten separately, lunch outside, dinner occasionally gathered at one table—in her presence, Zhao Hanzhang was the rule, which meant essentially no rules. Fu Tinghan got along very harmoniously with his mother-in-law.

But from memories, seeing the original’s interactions with Princess Hongnong, he felt he would have difficulty interacting so comfortably with Princess Hongnong.

So standing at the city gate receiving people with Zhao Hanzhang, Fu Tinghan felt very uneasy inside.

—