She pressed her lips together, then looked back at Du Yuanran, her voice cold. "General Du, if you insist on this, then I shall take it as you expressing gratitude. Having received your bow today, all past grievances end here. From this day forward, I ask that you cease pestering me."
Hearing this, Du Yuanran abruptly rose from the ground, his face crumpled with distress as he looked at her. "Yun'er, I know all the kindness you've shown me. I dare not betray it, nor can I. I beg you, in light of our ten years of affection, forgive me just this once! I swear to heaven—if I ever wrong you again, may I be struck by lightning and die a miserable death!"
Jing Yun took a step back, her beautiful eyes not only filled with disgust but also blazing with anger.
"Xiangxing!"
"Your servant is here!"
Because Jing Yun had brought Xia Yanli to tour the garden, Xiangxing had deliberately kept her distance from them. Now, hearing herself called in that cold tone, she hurried over.
"Escort General Du off the premises! If he refuses to leave, report him to the authorities for trespassing!"
Having delivered her ultimatum, Jing Yun turned and walked away, not even bothering with the demonically handsome man laughing under the tree nearby.
Du Yuanran had come today to make peace with more than ninety percent confidence.
But he never dreamed that Jing Yun would not only stab at his heart with sharp words but also completely disregard their past affection—so cold-blooded and ruthless as to be frightening!
"General Du, it seems Sixth Miss's anger won't subside anytime soon!"
Hearing the teasing laughter, Du Yuanran turned his head and met that demonically handsome face. He couldn't help but clench his fists. "This is a private matter between this official and Yun'er. I ask that Prince Yu not interfere, lest it invite gossip!"
Xia Yanli produced a folding fan from who knew where, flicked it open with flair, and waved it as he smiled. "A virtuous maiden is a gentleman's pursuit—let alone a woman like Sixth Miss, with both a proud family background and stunning beauty. Even this King, fickle and amorous as I am, cannot help but be moved."
Du Yuanran's face turned ashen, his molars grinding. "Yun'er will never like you!"
Xia Yanli laughed heartily. "No need for Sixth Miss to like me. This King fancies her—that's enough."
"You!" Du Yuanran nearly spat blood.
The Prince Yu before him, though notorious for his romantic exploits, was also one of the finest-looking men in the capital. If he set his sights on Jing Yun, then he was clearly facing a formidable rival!
What was most infuriating was that this damned Prince Yu was highly valued and favored by the Emperor—even the Crown Prince treated him like a brother. If he truly developed feelings for Jing Yun, there was nothing he could do about it!
But soon, his gloomy expression suddenly shifted, and a mocking smile curled at his lips. "Forgive this official for speaking out of turn, but Yun'er is stubborn. She couldn't even accept my taking a concubine. If Prince Yu truly has feelings for Yun'er, I fear you could never give up your many beauties for her sake."
"What makes you say that?" Xia Yanli raised his captivating peach-blossom eyes.
"Prince Yu, Yun'er and I pledged ourselves to each other since childhood. I ask that you not make such jokes!" Du Yuanran gritted his teeth, fiercely staking his claim.
Perhaps fearing he might hear something even more infuriating, he lingered no longer and strode out of the Residence of the Marquis of Anqi.
Xiangxing, worried he wouldn't leave easily, quickly followed after him.
Once they were gone, Yingfeng ran over from nearby, rolling his eyes wildly at the surroundings and muttering discontentedly, "Your Highness, you did Sixth Miss a great favor yesterday. How can the Residence of the Marquis of Anqi have the nerve to use you like this?"
Xia Yanli waved his folding fan and laughed, "Who told this prince to be 'notorious'! Anyway, the more lice there are, the less one worries about itching, isn't that so?"
Yingfeng was speechless. "…"
Xia Yanli lifted his chin and gestured to him, "Let's go, to the Crown Prince's residence. The Crown Prince promised to give this prince all of Jihong Rice Shop's profits for this year."
Yingfeng was even more at a loss for words.
So it turns out their own prince was sacrificing his looks for silver?
…
Jing Yun had just returned to her room when Jing Liangyu came looking for her.
"Father, is something the matter?" She rose to greet him.
Jing Liangyu kept sizing her up, as if trying to discern something from her face. "Yun'er, are you all right? That Du Yuanran…"
Before he could finish, Jing Yun took the initiative to cut in, "Father, don't let him into the residence again. Since I dared to break off the engagement, I will never have any dealings with him again in this lifetime."
Jing Liangyu nodded, then suddenly changed the subject, "Prince Yu came today…"
Jing Yun interrupted him again and gave him a faint smile. "Father, you don't need to say it—I already know. There's really no need for this. A mere Du Yuanran is someone I can handle. Why owe someone else a favor?"
Faced with her change, Jing Liangyu was momentarily unaccustomed. But unaccustomed as he was, he was glad to see his daughter become calm and composed, rather than thinking about nothing but Du Yuanran all day long.
"Father, the residence is too boring. Can I do something else to pass the time? I can see that Du Yuanran hasn't given up at all and still wants to win me back. Could you arrange something so that I have something to do and can also quietly avoid him from afar?" Jing Yun suddenly spoke up.
Being cooped up all day in a space of a few dozen square meters was absolutely out of the question for her.
And right now, "recuperating from heartbreak" was undoubtedly the best excuse, giving her a chance to come into contact with the ways of the outside world, and only then would she have the opportunity to find an unconventional way back to the twenty-first century…
To his daughter's request, Jing Liangyu naturally agreed. After all, he didn't want his daughter to have any more time to think about Du Yuanran. If other matters could distract her, that would be for the best.
"Your eldest brother accepted an invitation from a merchant and went outside the capital. I'm afraid it will be another two months before he returns. It just so happens that our Jinrong Rice Shop is short-handed. If you feel bored, go to the rice shop and take a look, and while you're at it, check the shop's accounts for this month."
"All right!" As soon as Jing Yun heard this, she immediately agreed.
Although the Residence of the Marquis of Anqi held status in the capital, it had no real power at court. The emperor feared consort clans wielding power—this was something everyone knew clearly. Still, the emperor was not unkind to their Jing family, allowing them to develop freely in business. The largest tea shop, rice shop, and cloth shop in the country—Jinrong Tea Shop, Jinrong Rice Shop, and Jinrong Cloth Shop—were all properties of their Jing family.
Jing Liangyu was already over fifty. Now the person in charge of all the marquis residence's properties was his eldest son, Jing Xuan. In the memories of Jing Yun's original body, Jing Xuan was a workaholic. Now twenty-eight, he still had not married and established a family.
The Jing family's second daughter, Jing Zhiyue, was also born of the first wife, but she had already married and was now the wife of the city lord of Yifeng City.
Above Jing Yun there were also a third brother, fourth sister, and fifth sister. These three were all born of the concubine Fu Shuqin. Third brother Jing Xiao helped eldest brother Jing Xuan manage the family business and rarely appeared at home on ordinary days. Fourth sister Jing Zhihua and fifth sister Jing Zhixiu were a pair of twins, only one year older than Jing Yun. Now eighteen, both were still unwed.
Jing Yun's original self was not close to those three half-siblings. Unless there was important business bringing them together, they barely interacted. Moreover, the fourth and fifth sisters liked to dress identically so that no one could tell them apart. She always found this a vulgar taste and was even more unwilling to associate with them.
With Jing Liangyu's approval, Jing Yun took Xiangxing that very day to one of Jinrong Rice Shop's branch stores in the capital.
This branch was not on a busy street, and its business was quite sluggish compared to the other branches. After she arrived, she wandered around the shop for a long time without seeing a single customer.
The manager, Zhou Xing, smiled at her to her face, but every time he turned to look at the front door, he could not help but sigh.
"Manager Zhou, why are you sighing?" Xiangxing asked him curiously.
Zhou Xing glanced at Jing Yun behind the counter, opened his mouth as if to say something, but seemed to be stuck, unable to utter a word.
Although Jing Yun was flipping through the account books, there were only a few transactions recorded in them, hardly worth looking at.
Seeing the old manager with graying temples looking like he wanted to speak but hesitated, she simply closed the account book and asked with a smile, "Manager Zhou, feel free to speak your mind. If you have any difficulties, you can tell me as well."
"Sigh!" Zhou Xing seemed unable to hold it in any longer. Encouraged by her words, he opened up, "To be honest, Sixth Miss, I have managed this shop for several years now. It is not on a main street, and business has always been slow. In the past, this shop was used as a grain warehouse. At the beginning of last month, Third Young Master suddenly ordered me to attract business, saying that the autumn harvest was approaching and that to make room for the new rice, the old rice in the warehouse had to be sold off by the end of this month, or else I would be dismissed…"
Jing Yun lowered her eyes and listened. When he suddenly paused, she raised her gaze and asked with a smile, "Third Young Master means for you to clear the warehouse as quickly as possible?"
Zhou Xing nodded. "Yes, Sixth Miss." He said with difficulty, "It's just that this shop is rather remote. On ordinary days there is hardly any business. Suddenly requiring me to sell off over ten thousand catties of rice from the warehouse—I truly cannot do it!"
Jing Yun said, "It's just clearing the warehouse. Not hard to handle. After all, there are only two major rice shops in the capital. As far as I know, the other one, Jihong Rice Shop, is the Crown Prince's property. If we run a few days of clearance sales, he probably won't object."
Zhou Xing blinked at her, clearly not understanding what she had said.
Jing Yun did not keep him in suspense and directly gave her instructions, "First have someone prepare a signboard. It must be large, hung outside in the most conspicuous place, with the following words on it: 'Starting tomorrow, for three days only, anyone who buys rice at this shop—buy one dan, get one dou free, while supplies last.'"
Hearing this, Zhou Xing's mouth fell open.
Xiangxing, standing nearby, was also stunned. "Miss… this… will this work?"
Jing Yun curved her lips slightly. "This is called stimulating consumption. Without some kind of giveaway promotion, in these peaceful times, who would stockpile rice at home? Besides, the rice market in the capital is monopolized by our Jinrong Rice Shop and Jihong Rice Shop. Even at forty percent off the normal price, we would still profit. Buy one dan, get one dou free—we won't lose at all. Furthermore, the usual monopoly has probably long bred resentment among the common people. A sale like this might even earn us some good reputation."
Xiangxing looked worried. "Should we inform Third Young Master about this?"
Jing Yun shook her head. "No need." Then she tilted her chin toward Zhou Xing. "Go ahead. Do as I said."
Zhou Xing had never worked under her before, nor had he expected her to be so decisive and unrestrained in her ways. For a moment, he felt a bit nervous and didn't dare respond.
But on second thought, she was the sixth young lady of the Residence of the Marquis of Anqi, the marquis's most beloved youngest daughter. Since she had given the order, even if the third young master had any objections, he would have this sixth young lady to back him up. Why should he be timid?
"Yes, yes… this humble one will have the clerks handle it right away!"
"Wait." Jing Yun suddenly called him back again. "Don't forget, have the clerks bring gongs and drums and shout outside. We need to get the word out."
"Ah, this humble one will go right away!" Zhou Xing ran toward the back hall with a smile.
Seeing his excited, expectant energy, Jing Yun couldn't help but smile too.
People of this era had probably never seen such a marketing campaign before, otherwise Zhou Xing wouldn't be so astonished.
But then again, one dan of rice was about 120 jin, and one dou was about 12 jin. For ordinary commoners, they had to eat rice anyway. Suddenly getting 12 jin for free—about half a month's rations for a family of three—who would pass up such a huge bargain?
…
Prince Yu's Residence.
Xia Yanli had finished handling important matters in his study and was about to leave when Yingfeng suddenly came to report—
"Your Highness, bad news! Your silver is about to fly away!"
Hearing his alarmed voice, Xia Yanli's face immediately darkened, and he snapped irritably, "What do you mean my silver is flying away? Who would dare snatch this prince's silver?"
Yingfeng reported in detail while catching his breath, "Your Highness, that Jinrong Rice Shop suddenly opened its granary to sell rice—buy one dan, get one dou free. Half the capital's people have gone there, all scrambling to buy, as if silver were nothing!"
Xia Yanli frowned. "Who came up with this idea? Why didn't this prince receive any word of it?"
Yingfeng said, "Your Highness, I heard it was the sixth young lady's idea!" He paused, his face full of worry. "Your Highness, didn't the Crown Prince say he would give you all of Jihong Rice Shop's profits this year? But if Jinrong Rice Shop is poaching customers like this, will Jihong Rice Shop still have any business? The silver that should be yours—you're just going to watch it fly away!"
Hearing this, Xia Yanli's peach-blossom face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and fury blazed in his peach-blossom eyes.
"Jing Yun, you're something else. This prince has helped her several times, and she dares to repay kindness with enmity!"
"Your Highness…"
"Let's go! We're going to find that woman!"
"…"
…
In the side room of the rice shop, Jing Yun was eating lunch when someone suddenly kicked the door open in a rage.
This person was none other than Jing Xiao, the third young master of the Residence of the Marquis of Anqi.
"Jing Yun, why didn't you tell us about something this big? Do you know how much silver you've cost us with this stunt?" Without waiting for Jing Yun to greet him, Jing Xiao roared furiously.
Jing Yun didn't get up, looking at him coldly. "What, is the family business decided by you, Third Brother?"
Jing Xiao hadn't expected her to open with such a cutting remark. He grew even more furious, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head. "Even if the family business isn't decided by me, it's not up to a woman like you to meddle!"
Jing Yun wasn't angry—instead she laughed. "So what if I meddle? At least I sold the rice!"
Jing Xiao stepped forward and slammed the table excitedly, still roaring, "You have the nerve to say that? Do you know how much silver our rice shop has lost?"
This third brother before her—in the original body's memories of Jing Yun, she had no good impression of him. Now, facing his repeated roaring, Jing Yun felt even more disgusted.
"I haven't seen any loss. All I've seen is silver pouring in."
"You're still making excuses!"
"What, Third Brother, are you going to get physical with me?" Seeing him clench his fists, Jing Yun's beautiful eyes narrowed sharply.
Just then, a tall, straight figure entered through the door, accompanied by a teasing voice: "Oh, quite lively here. Seems this prince arrived at just the right time!"
Jing Yun looked up, and dark lines instantly surged across her face.
What was Prince Yu doing here?
Did he have nothing better to do? He always showed up wherever there was excitement!