The news Yun Shu had instructed Ting Xue to spread yesterday proved to be quite effective.
In this era, when even a chill could turn into a fatal illness, Her Highness the Fifth Princess had reportedly fallen into such dire straits that she lost consciousness and suffered repeated fevers. Under normal circumstances, this kind of alternating heat and cold in the dead of winter would only cause her condition to worsen. If delayed too long, it might even leave her with permanent damage.
Yet thanks to the heated flooring installed in her palace, Her Highness was spared even a trace of winter's chill. Resting in such warm and comfortable surroundings, she recovered within just a day or two.
Clearly, the Di Long was not merely a winter luxury. From a certain point of view, it could be said to extend one's lifespan or even save lives.
As a result, the consorts who had already planned to install Di Long in their own quarters grew all the more generous. Even those who previously thought the cold season lasted only a few months and had relied on charcoal braziers to get by began to grit their teeth and pull silver from their not-so-abundant private funds to install it in their own sleeping chambers.
Some consorts who were on decent terms even banded together to place a joint order and make use of the "buy ten, get one free" discount.
All in all, Yun Shu remained comfortably nestled inside Fengyang Palace without taking a single step outside, yet received a flood of Di Long installation orders disguised as concern for her health.
Just before Yun Chuhuan came through the door, she had finished counting.
Aside from the earlier orders placed by Noble Consort Liu and the Empress, today alone she had received orders for forty-eight rooms.
Two hundred and twenty thousand taels of silver, plus Noble Consort Liu's forty-five thousand and the Empress's fifty thousand, brought the total to three hundred and fifteen thousand taels.
According to Yun Shu's original estimates, the upfront investment to open her restaurant chain across Tian Sheng would be no more than six hundred thousand taels.
She would cover sixty percent, and Emperor Xuanwu would provide the remaining forty.
In other words… the profits she had earned from the imperial harem alone, combined with her existing savings, were already enough to cover her share of the expenses.
As for the external orders from households such as Minister Liu's, those were pure profit.
As Yun Shu calculated how much silver her private coffer would gain after this round of business, she could not help but beam with delight.
"Good, then in two days I shall leave the palace and personally oversee the installation at the Liu household."
"Fifth Sister, you're going out of the palace again?"
Yun Chuhuan scratched his head in distress at the news.
"But it's still several days before we get a rest day from the Academy hall!
Fifth Sister, could you ask Father Emperor for leave on my behalf? I want to go out too!"
"Just wait until your day off."
Yun Shu found his request utterly unrealistic.
"You want to ask for leave just to go play? Do you really think Father Emperor would agree?"
"But I heard the Bei Xiang envoys are arriving in the capital within the next day or two."
Yun Chuhuan himself didn't hold out much hope, and he buried his face gloomily into the soft cushion Yun Shu had placed on the chaise lounge.
"I wanted to be there for the excitement."
"Don't the Bei Xiang envoys come every year before the Wanshou Festival?"
Yun Shu was puzzled.
"What's so exciting about that?"
"It's different these past two years!"
Maybe he thought that if he gave a convincing enough reason, Yun Shu might help him plead his case.
Yun Chuhuan suddenly sat upright, his tone full of righteous indignation.
"From what I've heard, Bei Xiang has been acting up lately!
Zi Ming told me that Grandfather and my uncles have been talking about the Bei Xiang delegation every day when they return home.
Last year, those Bei Xiang people even clashed with some commoners in the capital.
This year, they couldn't even restrain themselves and sent warhorses to test the waters in advance.
Grandfather says it's almost certain they'll cause an even bigger commotion this time, to see how far they can push us!"
As he spoke, he clenched his fists in frustration.
"A bunch of barbarians. Letting them come to Tian Sheng to offer birthday and New Year's congratulations to Father Emperor is already giving them far more face than they deserve!
If it were up to me, the moment they stirred up trouble, I'd have them all executed!"
"So you're saying you want to follow me out of the palace just so you can kill them the moment they act up?"
Yun Shu raised a brow.
The previously impassioned Yun Chuhuan instantly deflated.
"I mean… I want to, but if I really did that, Father Emperor would beat me senseless."
"Then what are you making a fuss for?"
So it was all just idle talk. Yun Shu clicked her tongue.
"Even if you saw something happen, you'd only be helpless and furious. Better not to see anything at all than to get frustrated over it."
Yun Chuhuan: "?"
That actually… made some sense?
Yun Chuhuan fell silent.
Two days later, while Yun Chuhuan was still studying in the palace's upper Academy hall, Yun Shu quietly left the palace with Ting Xue and her hidden guards.
The renovations at the restaurant were almost complete. Because word had spread in advance that Yun Shu would be visiting, Tang Xinhua had specially ordered the heated flooring to be turned on ahead of time.
Wrapped in a thick cloak, Yun Shu stepped through the doors and immediately heard the excited voices of the common folk gathered on the first floor for the hiring event.
"It's so warm in here! If it weren't for the snow piled outside, I'd think spring had already come!"
"Warmer than spring, even. Feels nearly like summer in here!"
"Wait, how come I don't see any charcoal braziers?"
"You're right! There's not a single brazier in sight!"
"Didn't they say this place was opened by Her Highness the Fifth Princess, and that His Majesty invested heavily because he dotes on her?
Do you think maybe this warmth comes from dragon qi? That would explain it!"
"My heavens! If we can really work here, wouldn't that mean we'd be blessed by dragon qi every day?"
"Hoo… Heaven help me, let Liu Tiezhu strike it rich!"
Yun Shu: "…"
Well, if the heat from the Di Long could be counted as "dragon qi," then they weren't exactly wrong.
Shaking her head with a wry smile, Yun Shu slowly ascended to the fourth floor. Only then did she remove her cloak and greet the two women already waiting for her.
"Cousin, Yiyi."
"Your Highness!"
Tang Xinhua hurried forward, eyes scanning Yun Shu carefully from head to toe. Once she was certain nothing seemed amiss, she exhaled quietly in relief.
"I heard that Your Highness was unwell a few days ago. Grandfather even submitted a memorial, asking to visit.
But His Majesty said you needed rest and did not approve it. Grandfather has been so worried that he hasn't slept well since.
Thank heavens for Your Highness's good fortune."
"Princess, your health is far too fragile."
Cen Yiyi chimed in anxiously.
"Why don't you start training with me? If we strengthen your body, you won't fall ill so easily anymore!"
"I'm really not cut out for martial arts."
Even her longing for lightfoot skills hadn't been enough to get her through the hardship of training, let alone for the sake of feigning an illness.