Glory

Ye Yaming continued, "In the future, whenever the Ye family produces new or premium teas, they will first be presented at the Gathered Fragrance House for everyone to sample and provide feedback. To ensure a pleasant tea-drinking environment here, free from unnecessary disturbances, I plan to implement an access system for the teahouse—issuing membership cards. Only those holding membership cards will be permitted to enter and enjoy tea. We will issue only two hundred membership cards, available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are interested, you may consult Manager Zhang and Manager Wen to apply."

She stood up. "Well, I’ll keep my remarks brief, as I’m sure everyone is eager to retreat to the private rooms to savor tea and explore the gardens. Please feel free to make yourselves at home now. Allow me to excuse myself for a moment."

With that, she bowed to the assembly, slipped behind the screen, and exited the hall through the rear door.

In truth, she wasn’t tired and didn’t need rest. But as a businesswoman, she knew well that retreat was wiser than advance at this moment. Had she remained, guests would have bombarded her with questions, forcing her into continuous sales pitches.

Overdoing things would only breed resentment. The shrewdest business approach wasn’t aggressive promotion—that demeaned one’s standing—but rather setting a hook and waiting for customers to eagerly seek out the product.

Her current identity wasn’t merely that of a businesswoman; she was also the wife of Lu Guanyi, the heir to the Xuanwu Marquis Household. Persistent salesmanship didn’t suit her temperament or status, and it risked diminishing others’ regard for her. Thus, stepping away under the pretext of changing clothes was the optimal strategy. Zhang Tao, Wen Xiu, and others were more than capable of handling inquiries, promotions, and membership card registrations.

After changing her attire, refreshing her makeup, and sipping a cup of tea, Bai Rui came to report, "Madam, every guest has applied for a membership card."

Ye Yaming nodded.

This was within her expectations.

For the opening day, she had wanted to avoid any disruptions. Today’s guests had been carefully selected through discussions with Lu Guanyi—individuals who held favorable opinions of the couple and had a genuine appreciation for tea.

Naturally, there were also those who attended using invitations issued to their families, such as Princess Pingyang and An Jingning, the daughter of the Zhenbei Marquis Household, whose invitations were originally extended to the wives of Loyal Prince and Zhenbei Marquis.

Loyal Prince was the emperor’s younger brother and maintained close ties with the Crown Prince; Zhenbei Marquis was Lu Guanyi’s current superior. Regardless of how the ladies from these two households viewed her, she had no choice but to send them invitations.

As for the young lady from the Zhenbei Marquis Household, rumors had once circulated that she was the most suitable match for Lu Guanyi, with public gossip even suggesting he was poised to become the son-in-law of General Zhenbei. An Jingning was the only legitimate daughter of General Zhenbei.

Regardless of how this Miss An, who had been linked with Lu Guanyi in rumors, felt about her, as the legitimate daughter of a marquis household, she was unlikely to publicly embarrass Ye Yaming in front of so many eyes. Hence, Ye Yaming had anticipated a smooth opening day.

Now, it seemed the outcome had unfolded just as she predicted.

In addition, there were several wives of high-ranking officials whose invitations were unavoidable.

"What are the guests doing now?" she inquired.

"They are all enjoying tea in their chosen private rooms. The tea snacks in our teahouse have also been very popular with the ladies and young misses. They’ve been persistently asking if they can purchase some to take home."

Ye Yaming nodded. "That can be arranged."

At this point, Bai Rui chuckled. "One of the matrons accompanying a lady even discreetly asked Manager Wen if she could buy one or two recipes for the tea snacks for her mistress."Ye Yaming furrowed her brow slightly. "Who is it?"

"The wife of Minister Li. The servant woman said their young lady is about to get married, and the madam has been searching everywhere for unique pastry recipes to include in her dowry. They particularly liked today's pastries, so she privately inquired about them. She mentioned her madam is very generous—if we're willing to sell the recipe, we can name our price."

"She also said their young lady is marrying someone from out of town, so they definitely won't use the recipe to make pastries for sale in the capital. Additionally, she emphasized that she was asking on her own initiative without her mistress's knowledge, hoping to earn favor. If we're not interested in selling the recipe, we should keep this matter confidential from her madam, and she would be grateful."

Ye Yaming smiled faintly.

What nonsense about acting on her own and keeping it from her mistress—this was clearly Madam Li using the servant to test the waters and gauge her character.

If she were from an aristocratic family, Madam Li would never have posed such a question. It was precisely because of her humble origins, coupled with her marriage to Lu Guanyi—a young general likely to hold military power in the future—that Madam Li was probing her this way.

Whether she would meekly offer the recipe for free, greedily demand an exorbitant price, tactlessly refuse outright, or whether she would make decisions independently or consult her husband—all these reactions would determine how Madam Li and other high-ranking officials' wives would perceive and treat her.

The Lu family belonged to the military nobility. In any future confrontations between civil officials and military officers, or between aristocratic families and those of humble origins, she could potentially become a vulnerability to exploit. After all, the Lu family's control over military forces was of undeniable importance to the Great Jin.

"What did Manager Wen say?"

"Manager Wen said she couldn't decide and needed to consult you first."

"Go directly to that servant woman and tell her these pastries were made using a recipe provided by a partner collaborating with our teahouse. The recipe owner is not selling it."

Bai Rui asked, "What if she presses for details about who our partner is? How should I respond?"

Ye Yaming smiled. "She won't press further. If she really does, just say you don't know and aren't clear about it."

"Understood."

Ye Yaming asked another question, "What is the young master doing?"

"The young master is entertaining Imperial Consort Fan and his party with tea. He asked about your whereabouts earlier, and I told him you were changing clothes and resting for a while. He said you should take your time resting in the back and not rush to the front. He and the master will handle the guests, so you needn't worry about them."

Hearing this, Ye Yaming nodded in satisfaction.

If he hadn't asked at all, it would show a lack of concern. If he had come looking for her immediately, neglecting the guests, that would be too clingy and lacking in broader perspective—behavior she would dislike.

This current approach was just right.

"Are the two elder princesses in the front courtyard or the back courtyard?" Ye Yaming inquired further.

"The back courtyard."

Ye Yaming stood up. "I'll head to the back courtyard. You may go attend to your task."

Bai Rui bowed and left first. Ye Yaming, accompanied by Ziyuan and Qingzhi, walked slowly toward the back courtyard.

It seemed all the female guests had gathered in the back courtyard—the mistresses were having tea inside the rooms while their maids stood outside. As Ye Yaming approached, the maids all bowed to her. The garden soon echoed with successive greetings of "Madam Lu."

Since the guests were having tea in the private rooms, Ye Yaming naturally wouldn't intrude uninvited. She merely strolled through the garden. The rooms weren't soundproof; if the guests heard the servants' greetings and wished her to join them, they would surely send someone to summon her.Sure enough, it wasn't long before Princess Yu Ning's maid came over and said to Ye Yaming, "Madam Lu, Princess Yu'an, Princess Yu Ning, Princess Pingyang, and Miss An from the Zhenbei Marquis residence invite you to join them for tea."

Author's note:

Continuing with additional updates

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