Chapter 34: The Emperor Dreams of Business All Day

Chapter 34: The Emperor Wants to Do Business All Day

"Hmph, you want to meet them? This was drawn by the Emperor!"

Yuanbao huffed, his eyes blazing, and the two craftsmen were blown away upon hearing this.

They'd heard the Emperor was a killer cook and a whiz at construction. He'd even drawn the blueprints for the restrooms, and even the palace's tricky drainage system was all sorted out. Even Minister Shangshu had been blown away back then.

And now, today, they had the exact same look on their faces.

So the Emperor was this good at making stuff too?

"Okay, enough gawking. Get to it—how long you need?"

"Lord Yuan, this... we need at least a day, we swear we'll get it done."

"Huh? A day? Half a day! Can't do it? I'll get someone else." Yuanbao moved to grab the blueprints back.

"No, no, no! Half a day, just half a day—we'll totally do it."

The two guys, scared of losing this golden chance to impress the Emperor, quickly caved.

Hmph, amateurs. Is there any job I, Yuanbao, can't rush through?

Watching the two guys scramble off with the blueprints, Yuanbao headed back to report, all smug.

Meanwhile, Yun Ran had already led Shen Shining into the imperial garden.

The two sat in the ornately carved Zhuixian Pavilion, with a bunch of eunuchs and maids standing behind them.

Debiao, following Yun Ran's orders, picked a big bunch of blooming flowers from the garden and brought them over.

Shen Shining didn't understand.

"Your Majesty, what's this for? Aren't flowers better appreciated on the branch? Once picked, won't they just wilt fast?"

Her personal maid, Xiao Lan, heard that and her heart started pounding. She was so nervous she wanted to slap a hand over her lady's mouth.

Milady, please hush! How can you question the Emperor like that?

Looking at her clueless mistress, Xiao Lan felt a pang of despair.

It was all her father's fault—he'd neglected her. Even though she was the legitimate daughter, she wasn't the favorite. Her mom died early, and her dad doted on the concubine's daughter instead. Once she entered the palace, nobody taught her the rules. Ugh, I just hope the Emperor doesn't come down on her too hard...

Yun Ran, though, didn't react at all.

Instead, she pulled out the dagger she always carried and started trimming the stems.

"Shining, that's not right. Every flower in this garden is mine. If I don't pick them and put them right in front of me, how can I enjoy them? Flowers left in the garden, with no one to appreciate them, will fade fast. But if I pick them and take care of them every day, with someone looking after them, they'll bloom even brighter and last longer. So naturally, that's the best ending for these flowers."

Shen Shining had never heard anyone put it like that before.

She watched Yun Ran carefully use the little knife to strip the thorns and green leaves off the roses, then picked a few big-leafed plants to arrange with the flowers in a tall white porcelain vase.

She couldn't stop herself from asking again,

"Your Majesty, why put green leaves with the flowers? The leaves aren't even pretty."

Yun Ran patted Shen Shining on the head and smiled.

"Without the green leaves to set them off, how could the flowers' beauty really shine?"

"This bouquet is for my Beloved Consort. I figure, basking in your stunning beauty all day, these flowers will bloom even more brilliantly."

Yun Ran put together twenty pastel roses and handed them over.

This gorgeous bouquet, with its tender new green leaves, looked even more delicate and fresh.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Your concubine is overjoyed."

Shen Shining quickly took them, covering her mouth, and stared at this rose arrangement she'd never seen before, totally fascinated.

The pastel roses in the imperial garden were the most fragile—their centers were moon-white, but the petals were pomegranate red!

Two-toned roses were rare treasures, and picking them had been forbidden before. Plus, they didn't bloom for long.

These flowers had been the late Grand Empress Dowager's pride and joy! It was hard to even get a peek at them, and now she had a whole big bouquet!

Who knew that this big bunch of flowers, arranged in that tall white porcelain vase, would look so stunning?

The roses, soaking up the water, started to slowly open up, and their scent got stronger.

Yun Ran was happy too, seeing Shen Shining so thrilled.

For women stuck in the deep palace since they were kids, how many things could really make them happy?

The flowers in the imperial garden went on as far as the eye could see. Leaving them there was just a waste. In the blink of an eye, Yun Ran thought of another way to make money.

"Yuanbao,"

Yun Ran waved her hand, and Yuanbao quickly scurried over.

Yun Ran spoke softly, like a devil whispering temptations,

"Go find me another shop, right next to my restaurant."

Another shop?!

Your Majesty, why are you always thinking about business all day? Oh my goodness...

Yuanbao dared not complain and went off to handle it with a pitiful look.

Yun Ran, on the other hand, was in a great mood. Flowers—wasn't that also a lucrative business?

In later generations, for festivals, birthdays, and banquets, everyone would buy a few bouquets to lift the mood, let alone the wealthy ladies and misses who wanted to add some charm to their lives—every room would have a couple of flower arrangements.

She took a glance.

With all these flowers sitting here, no matter how precious, they'd eventually wither and waste her fertilizer. Better to turn them into silver and keep it in her pocket—that was more reliable.

"Your Majesty! Sister Shen! What a coincidence!"

A sweet voice rang out.

Shen Shining's face, which had been all smiles, immediately fell.

Why did these people have to come! They must be here to compete with me for the Emperor's attention.

Hmph! Who leaked the news?

She swept her gaze across the maids standing below, all of whom lowered their heads in trepidation, not daring to make a sound.

Yun Ran turned to look,

What a gathering—three consorts and one concubine had all arrived, truly surrounding her with a bevy of beauties.

Yu Guiwan, the Chief of the Four Consorts, led the way, holding the highest rank among them,

Today, she wore an exquisite flower-shaped forehead decoration (huadian) and a resplendent long gown of cloud-patterned silk embroidered with gold butterflies.

The wide sleeves of her pale gold gown were adorned with round pearls, while the hem featured lifelike silver-thread butterflies that seemed to dance with every step, as if about to fly off.

Yun Ran's first impression of this consort was that she looked rich and adorable.

Right behind her was Song Wanqin, Consort Qin,

She had a fresh, delicate, and charming look.

She carried a moon-white gauze robe, strolling among the flowers, her hair loosely tied up, with a turquoise-and-silver hairpin lightly tucked in. Her skin was fairer than snow, her waist so slender it could be spanned by one hand, and her face was slightly pale, like a magnolia blossom swaying in the wind.

"Your Majesty, what is this? How beautiful!"

The girl who ran up was younger. Yun Ran racked her brain and recognized her,

This was Huang Shuyi, the only concubine in the palace. Her father was one of the richest merchants in the land, and with all that money, he naturally spoiled his only daughter,

Just look at the gold hairpins in Huang Shuyi's hair.

Though her outfit was simple—just a smoke-green gauze skirt—a closer look revealed intricate hidden patterns, and her hair was neatly coiled at the back of her head, with fine gold trinkets adorning her arms and waist.

What a wealthy girl indeed.

Yun Ran then glanced at herself,

She had barely any accessories on her person. Tsk, truly poor.

It wasn't that Yun Ran was destitute,

Rather, she had categorized every gold item in the treasury as assets, not adornments, and had instructed Yuan Bao to keep them locked away—these were the foundation of the nation.

Such a stingy emperor—Yuan Bao had really seen it all.