Lan Jin smiled at the thought: "To make her father resign from his official position just to protect the Crown Prince, this deposed Crown Princess clearly holds weight not only in front of the Crown Prince but also in her own family."
Wen Xi pondered: "Are you suggesting, Miss, that the He family listens to her?"
"A second-rank Capital Garrison Commander, just abandoned like that—which family could be so carefree?" Lan Jin lowered her gaze to look at the scar on her little finger. "Have you found out if the He family treats her differently? Or is Lord He so fond of her that he would give up his official position just like that?"
Wen Xi thought for a moment and shook her head: "There's no information on that."
Lan Jin chuckled softly: "In this capital, it's not easy to keep secrets, yet she not only managed to hide them but also made those around her cover for her. Quite capable. Any other news?"
"Still investigating, especially after she became the Crown Princess. What I know is the same as what others in the capital know."
"With so many people watching the Crown Prince, who knows how many spies are planted in the Crown Prince's Mansion, especially by Zhen Xianfei and her son. Yet for so many years, they were all deceived by the Crown Princess, which further proves her skill." Lan Jin's eyes gleamed brightly. "Use every available channel to investigate."
Wen Xi acknowledged the order. Seeing that the young lady had no further instructions, she thought of the rumors circulating in the capital and asked one more question: "Are you really going to ignore the rumors about you and Lord Lin? The capital isn't like other places. Once they spread, it might be hard to control."
"I didn't have anyone spread the rumors, nor did I add fuel to the fire. Even if they spread, what can I, a newcomer to the capital who hasn't yet established myself as a merchant, do? If Lord Lin truly cared, he would have taken action when the rumors first surfaced. Since he hasn't done anything, it means he has a purpose to achieve. In that case, how could I ruin his plans?"
Lan Jin smiled: "I've even staked my own reputation. Borrowing the east wind to do some business and earn a bit of silver shouldn't be too much to ask, right?"
"Opening the doors and doing business openly and honestly—that's not too much." Wen Xi even felt that with such reasonable grounds, it would be justifiable even if they had to argue in front of Lord Lin.
"Exactly. We are merchants; we focus on business."
Wen Xi felt reassured and stood up to take her leave.
Lan Jin rested her chin on her hand, listening as Aunt Chang invited Wen Xi to stay for a meal outside. She thought to herself that she must send a letter to Ming Che tomorrow, urging him to hurry to the capital. There was much to investigate and much to do. Having Wen Xi, a familiar face, visit her frequently posed risks. For now, it was better not to associate the department store "Yue Ban Wan" with "Feng Deng." The trump cards had to be revealed slowly.
The next day, Lan Jin woke up early. Among the colors of deep purple, stone green, and ultramarine, she chose a deep purple dress and adorned her hair with small purple pearl flowers. She personally opened the shop's doors.
The autumn morning sun spilled across the ground, lifting one's spirits.
Standing at the entrance and looking at the room full of lanterns, Lan Jin felt even happier. She loved rich, vibrant colors—the more brilliant, the better.
Thus, the lanterns at "Feng Deng" had no dull or lifeless colors. As far as the eye could see, they were a dazzling array of hues, exquisitely beautiful.
She examined them from near and far, adjusting the placement of the lanterns.
Yu Zhi Yue watched by her side and noticed that after the young lady's adjustments, the lanterns inexplicably harmonized with one another, looking even more beautiful than before.
Lan Jin stepped to the entrance and looked inside, nodding with satisfaction. "Chun Yang, increase the price of all lanterns by twenty percent."
Chun Yang, having been personally trained by Aunt Chang, immediately beamed with joy upon hearing this: "Even if our shop sells just one lantern a day, it would cover all our expenses."
Lan Jin pushed Zhi Yue forward: "For the next while, Zhi Yue will be here in this shop learning the trade with you. Take good care of her."
"Aunt Chang already instructed me yesterday, don't worry, miss." Chun Yang affectionately pulled the girl closer. Auntie said this one was a walking little god of wealth—must treat her well, give her a shake now and then, and gold ingots might fall out.
Lan Jin didn't concern herself with how they got along. Carrying a flower lantern, she went upstairs: "Add another one. This lantern is good; we'll sell it again later."
"Yes."
On the second floor, Lan Jin spun around holding the lantern, feeling the space was too plain.
"Aunt Chang."
The sharp-eared Aunt Chang responded from somewhere and came upstairs, smiling warmly: "Miss, your orders?"
"Find some suitable flower lanterns to hang up here. Hang them at varying heights on the second floor to create layers. Since we're selling flower lanterns, how can the second floor be without them?"
"Yes, I'll arrange it right away." Aunt Chang started down a step but paused, smiling as she asked: "Should I use second-rate ones or the good ones?"
Lan Jin raised the lantern in her hand: "About like this one. Most who come up here are likely here to give us money. We must show them some good things, otherwise how will we empty their purses?"
"You're right, miss. We must let them see the difference between the first and second floors, give them something special."
Receiving a nod of approval from the miss, Aunt Chang left in high spirits. She had clearly been shaped this way by the miss's teachings and her own background, yet the miss never seemed to consider that she might have taken after her.
No matter—she knew it herself.
Meanwhile, downstairs welcomed its first customer.
After a day and night of spreading, the rumors had grown even wider. Not everyone knew, but those who should know were aware. Yet Lord Lin still showed no movement, which made many people speculate further.
Not daring to ask Lord Lin directly, the open-for-business doors of 'Feng Deng' were easy to approach.
Not long after opening, someone stepped into 'Feng Deng.'
Though their intentions were impure, upon entering the shop and seeing the room full of flower lanterns, they were utterly captivated.
In the vast capital, there was no shortage of lantern shops, nor shops that crafted lanterns into various shapes. They had seen the strange, the beautiful, the large, the small, and the ornate—but a room full of lanterns with colors so rich and splendid to the extreme, this was a first.
"I want to buy them all…"
"If the esteemed guest likes them, of course you can buy them all." Chun Yang immediately caught the remark with a cheerful smile, guiding the person aside: "Look at these twelve flower lanterns—they are themed around winter plum blossoms. In winter, when all things wither, plum blossoms best represent the season. There are many varieties of plum blossoms too. See, this is the grand red plum. Doesn't its color make you feel warmed just by looking at it?"
The woman dressed in married attire appeared no more than twenty. She couldn't help but pick up this lantern and asked: "What's the difference between the grand red plum and the red plum?"
Chun Yang covered her mouth with a light laugh: "If we were truly admiring plum blossoms in the snow, I might not be able to say much to delight you, madam. But since we're talking about lanterns, I can tell you the biggest difference: the color!"
"Color? Aren't they all red?"
"Though they are all red, the color of red plum blossoms ranges from light red to deep red, while the color of large red plum blossoms is much more vibrant. Look at this lantern—see how festive its red color is."