Dawn crept slowly across the sky, staining the horizon peach and gold. At The Whisper Bowl, the lamps were still burning faintly when hurried footsteps approached from outside.
A knock sounded.
"Lady Lian! Lady Yao!" Wei Jie — their new helper — called softly through the door. "I've brought the sample uniforms!"
The Empress rubbed her eyes sleepily and stepped out with Yao Qing beside her. Both women were still tired—the last two days had been nonstop work, meetings, contracts, and training preparations.
Wei Jie stood proudly in the courtyard, holding two bundles wrapped neatly in blue cloth.
"These are the sample sets from the tailor," he announced. "And the winter clothes for all forty workers."
He placed the bundles on the table and carefully opened the first.
Inside lay:
A crisp white shirt
Black trousers
A thick woolen apron
Soft gloves
A neatly embroidered logo: TWB
The stitching was clean, the cloth thick and good quality.
