Chapter 80: The Enterprises of the Six Little Ones

To the Prefect, though he had lost the chance to jointly operate the Nine Flowers Dew, it was still necessary to support young talents. By spreading word that Zhao Hengyi had accompanied the county princess on an outing, he had, in fact, helped establish his reputation among the literati!

Wei Linglan’s status was unique. When she first arrived alone in Jiangling, countless self-important young gentlemen transformed into shameless pursuers, eager to win both her heart and her wealth.

Yet the Princess of Xiangcheng had discerning eyes and paid no heed to the so-called talents of Jiangling. No one could quite fathom why the Duke of Lu allowed his most cherished youngest daughter to live in Jiangling on her own, but that did nothing to deter the truly infatuated. Some even risked everything, resorting to underhanded means in hopes of winning her hand.

No one expected, however, that the Princess of Xiangcheng was truly no ordinary woman. She assembled a veritable army of young women, sending the city’s young men fleeing in disarray!

From that day forth, Wei Linglan became the most remarkable woman in Jiangling—a singular figure, independent and forthright, with a bearing that rivaled any man’s. She was not only the idol of many secluded ladies but also the dream of countless scions of noble families.

To be linked with the Princess of Xiangcheng, even without winning the highest honor, was enough to let a young gentleman boast for years.

And now, that rustic upstart from the countryside had actually accompanied the princess on a boat excursion, as though the talents of Jiangling were beneath his notice! This was a blatant provocation—they certainly couldn’t let him off so easily!

The steward of Lotus Park came in person, formally delivering the fresh poems of the gathered scholars to Wei Linglan’s boat, relaying their fervent desire to see Zhao Hengyi’s latest work.

“My dear brother-in-law, you really can’t refuse this time.” Wei Linglan perused the poems nonchalantly, teasing Zhao Hengyi, “Today’s poetry gathering is quite grand. If you can compose a truly brilliant verse, your name will surely resound throughout Jiangling!”

“It truly is a great chance to become famous!” Zhao Hengyi replied with grave seriousness, “But unfortunately, I really can’t write poetry. I’ll just have to let this opportunity pass.”

“Young Master Zhao,” the maid Xiaotao said, barely suppressing a smile, “the steward just told me that the Prefect and the scholars are all convinced anyone who could compose ‘Who pities beauty the longest, from spring’s dew to autumn’s wind’ must be a true talent…”

She waited eagerly to see how Zhao Hengyi would perform, for men cared most about saving face. With both the Prefect and the city’s scholars watching, surely he wouldn’t dare brush them off?

But Zhao Hengyi proved he could.

“Just tell them the truth, Miss Xiaotao. I heard those lines from a destitute Daoist,” Zhao Hengyi said, his skin as thick as the city walls—at least, when not facing Wei Linglan.

Wei Linglan was momentarily taken aback. She hadn’t expected her makeshift brother-in-law to care so little for reputation, but it suited his eccentric character—just as she herself was not one to force others into what they didn’t wish.

Of course, it was just as likely Zhao Hengyi truly knew nothing of poetry, considering the abundance of errors in the arithmetic textbooks the six young girls always carried around.

Xiaotao returned the poems that the princess had reviewed, and faithfully relayed the tale of the unkempt Daoist to the steward of Lotus Park. The steward’s stunned expression made Xiaotao want to stifle a laugh every time she recalled it.

At the gathering in Lotus Park, the guests looked at each other and then, led by Chang Tingluo, erupted in raucous laughter. Scornful jeers—“charlatan,” “filthy wretch,” “country bumpkin”—filled the air.

It seemed certain that the story of this unkempt Daoist would soon spread throughout Jiangling.

Even without witnessing it firsthand, Wei Linglan could easily imagine the scene unfolding in Lotus Park. To avoid further trouble, she ordered the boat to her own dock, ensuring Zhao Hengyi wouldn’t encounter those so-called young talents.

To outsiders, it naturally appeared that Zhao Hengyi had fled in panic, further confirming the existence of the unkempt Daoist.

“If it were up to Chang Ruo and the others, they’d talk about you, their brother-in-law, every day. The new Nine Flowers Dew was created with their help, and yet you haven’t shared any of the profits with them—are you hoarding the silver meant for those little girls?”

As the boat docked, when she should have let Zhao Hengyi go, Wei Linglan instead decided to trouble him a bit more. “Such greed! Those girls look to you for support, and you’d betray their trust?”

Even Sun Xiuying, present at the time, could see that the princess was deliberately making things difficult for Zhao Hengyi.

No one thought much of it—it was normal for Wei Linglan, as Miao Xiaoyu’s sworn elder sister and only family, to stand up for her now that the lonely girl had become her adopted sister.

Even Miao Xiaoyu herself took it as a joke. After all, her husband always acted as if he understood everything; seeing him stumped for once was a rare treat.

Though she felt a little sorry for him, the warmth of knowing her elder sister was standing up for her made Miao Xiaoyu’s heart brim with complex, tender emotions.

“How could I ever take advantage of those girls?” Zhao Hengyi, thick-skinned though he was, would never accept being accused of exploiting the six little ones. “I’ve already prepared a lucrative business for them. It’s just that they’re young and have no capital, so I haven’t mentioned it yet.”

“If the princess is willing, why not join the girls and go into business with us?” he suggested.

“That sounds wonderful!” Wei Linglan didn’t believe for a moment that Zhao Hengyi could conjure up a profitable venture on the spot. “Go ahead and tell us. If it’s reliable, I’ll put up the capital and split the shares with the girls fifty-fifty!”

“Candy!” Zhao Hengyi declared.

He wasn’t making this up—over the past few days, he’d discovered a new business opportunity in Jiangling.

In the Great Yan Empire, sugar was almost always brown sugar, with only a small amount of sugar frost available, and at exorbitant prices. As for the refined white sugar common in modern times, it simply didn’t exist.

The wealthy of Great Yan had a particular fondness for sweets, sending the price of pale, frost-like sugar soaring to the absurd rate of “an ounce of frost for an ounce of silver!”

This wasn’t due to unscrupulous merchants, but the sheer difficulty of producing pure white sugar frost: the process was complex, the losses heavy, and only the richest households or the finest restaurants could afford to scatter a little on their desserts.

“Can you really make that so-called white sugar?” Not only Wei Linglan, but even Miao Xiaoyu doubted her husband’s claim.

“With the right ingredients, we’ll know at once!” Zhao Hengyi replied confidently. He had seen the method of refining white sugar from brown in a folk museum in his previous life.

“If it’s truly as miraculous as you say, it would indeed be a fine business!” Wei Linglan, however, was convinced Zhao Hengyi was bluffing. He showed none of the reverence others did in her presence—surely she would expose his lie!

“Right behind the dock is my private residence, well stocked with all necessary supplies. Show us your method now.”

The six little girls cheered with glee—how delightful to be able to go into business with their beloved county princess!