Chapter 625 - 403: A Single Remark Awakens the Dreamer

Chapter 625: Chapter 403: A Single Remark Awakens the Dreamer

With leverage over Xu Mingying, they could threaten Marquis and Marchioness Wuxin. For the sake of their daughter and their family’s future, perhaps they would indeed be manipulated by the Empress Dowager.

Consort Shu’s words were a revelation to Song Yunzhao, and everything suddenly became clear. ’Yes, how did I not think of that?’

Consort Shu chuckled after she spoke. "It’s just a wild guess of mine. Just take it as a joke."

Consort Shu left, but Song Yunzhao’s mind was in turmoil.

She could never figure out why, but now, Consort Shu’s words had been a rude awakening.

’If that’s the reason, it actually makes a lot of sense.’

’The Empress Dowager wants a henchman. If she looks around the entire Capital City, the Marquis Wuxin Mansion, which has always been on bad terms with her, really does seem like the best choice.’

And Song Qinghan was stuck right in the middle of it. Although she was at odds with Song Qinghan, Song Qinghan was still a daughter of the Song family, and her father hadn’t disowned her.

A chill ran through Song Yunzhao, and her expression grew grim.

The Song Family’s only vulnerability right now was Song Qinghan. No one else could be so easily shaken.

Only Song Qinghan, whose relationship with her was so terrible that she wished her dead.

Song Yunzhao summoned Zhang Maoquan and ordered him to secretly keep an eye on Xu Mingying.

’It had seemed odd before, when the Empress Dowager had Consort Shu lead the others back while she herself stayed behind in the garden to watch over An Shutong and Xu Mingying. It seemed her suspicions were well-founded.’

Zhang Maoquan accepted the order. To keep watch over Jincui Garden, he would have to find a suitable person for the job.

As the sky darkened, there was no news of the Empress Dowager returning to the palace from Jincui Garden. Instead, word came that An Shutong had still not regained consciousness.

Song Yunzhao knew then that her earlier suspicions were likely true. The Empress Dowager probably did have designs on the Marquis Wuxin Mansion, which was why she had targeted Xu Mingying. With leverage over Xu Mingying, how could Marquis and Marchioness Wuxin not be obedient?

’What a great idea.’

’The only question is whether it was the Empress Dowager’s idea or An Shutong’s.’

’Speaking of which, in the entire harem, the only one who could be used to make trouble for me, or even drag me down, was Xu Mingying.’

’After all, she and Song Qinghan were both daughters of the Song family.’

She still remembered her eldest aunt’s words. Her aunt had said that no matter how bad her relationship with Song Qinghan became, as long as they were both daughters of the Song family, they could never be completely disconnected.

Who would have thought that after all these years, those words would finally come true.

Song Yunzhao didn’t much care about Song Qinghan, but with An Shutong mixed up in this, she had to be careful.

Rather than wait passively to be attacked, she preferred to strike first.

’She had established contact with Xu Anchen and his wife some time ago. It showed she had some foresight, and now, it was coming in handy.’

Song Yunzhao summoned Zhang Maoquan again. With Anshun now by Feng Ze’s side, she didn’t trust anyone else with her affairs. Although Zhang Maoquan once belonged to the Emperor, he was a smart man. Now that he served Yaohua Palace, he would be loyal to her.

Besides, she had no intention of hiding this from Feng Yi. It would be even better if word reached him through Zhang Maoquan, letting Feng Yi see how the Empress Dowager and his own maternal relatives were scheming against her.

Song Yunzhao told Zhang Maoquan to find Xu Anchen and give him a message.

Zhang Maoquan committed it to memory, then looked up and asked, "Mistress, should I only say this one line?"

Song Yunzhao nodded. "Just that one line. Go."

Song Yunzhao understood what Zhang Maoquan meant, but less was more. Although Xu Anchen and his wife were resentful of Marchioness Wu Xin’s favoritism, they wouldn’t necessarily join forces with her when the entire family’s interests were at stake.

’Human nature is complex. People in different positions make different choices.’

She wasn’t asking Xu Anchen and his wife to submit to her or follow her orders. She simply wanted them to know Xu Mingying’s current predicament, and how the Empress Dowager and An Shutong were plotting against her.

As for what Xu Anchen and his wife would choose to do, and whether it would align with her own hopes, that was anyone’s guess.

But even in the worst-case scenario, the Empress Dowager’s plan would fail. The Marquis Wuxin Mansion could hardly stand by and watch Xu Mingying be blackmailed for the rest of her life.

In that case, she wouldn’t lose out.

Zhang Maoquan returned shortly, bowing as he reported, "The Heir of Marquis Wuxin is endlessly grateful to you, my lady. He asked me to convey the thanks of both him and his wife. He also said to ask you to rest assured, as they will handle this matter with discretion."

Song Yunzhao gave a slight nod. "Thank you for your hard work. Let’s leave this matter here. For now, continue focusing on the Baozhuang Building. Has there been any progress with procurement?"

"Yes. Fan Deshi doesn’t dare to cause trouble for the Baozhuang Building anymore. The last incident caused the Six Departments and the Inner Workshop to suffer a major setback. With the Emperor’s tacit approval, the Baozhuang Building has essentially become independent in its procurement. I’m currently negotiating with several major merchants, and we should be able to lower the prices a bit. However, because Princess Consort Wan demands high quality, they won’t be that much lower."

Song Yunzhao listened to Zhang Maoquan’s detailed report. It was clear he had put a great deal of effort into this matter, as he explained everything methodically.

Since he still had duties in the palace, he had his apprentice, Ma Sifang, handle most of the tasks, which still allowed everything to be managed properly.

Song Yunzhao asked a few more questions about the Treasure Pearl Building and the Baozhuang Building before dismissing Zhang Maoquan to rest.

After some thought, she concluded that if the Inner Workshop’s production capacity couldn’t be expanded for the time being, they would have to take the high-end luxury route, using limited products to capture the most profitable, premium market.

The noble ladies weren’t short on money; what they wanted was an experience of utmost prestige.

It was just like the top luxury brands of the future—they didn’t make their money from the common folk.

She decided to imitate a system from the future: a loyalty program where points could be accumulated to redeem exclusive, limited-edition luxury items. The limited quantity would surely give them that prestigious experience they craved.

As for the Treasure Pearl Building, which catered to the general public, the prices couldn’t be high. She would have to keep profits within a certain range and focus on building the store’s reputation. Song Yunzhao had opened this shop to make a name for herself; making money was just a bonus.

So, she planned to implement activities like redeeming gifts with points and cumulative discounts for leveling up, firmly securing customer loyalty.

Song Yunzhao began to write a business proposal. *Sigh.* ’It’s been so many years since I’ve done this. I never thought I’d transmigrate just to experience the soul-crushing agony of a corporate drone all over again.’

She spent a whole day writing the proposal. Once it was complete, she took it to Princess Consort Wan and Consort Shu for their review. Princess Consort Wan’s eyes were immediately drawn to the rule about high-end luxury; that suited her perfectly.

She loved making things that were both expensive and beautiful.

Consort Shu was different. She found the word "discount" to be very novel. After listening to Yun Zhao’s explanation, she found it quite interesting. ’If I hadn’t entered the palace,’ she thought, ’I would definitely shop until I got the biggest discount. Just thinking about it is wonderful!’

Once the rules were set, she had Feng Yunjin and Wang Zhaorong handle the external promotion and get the operations running.

The two were so busy they were running off their feet, so naturally, they had no time to worry about what was happening at Jincui Garden.

But Yun Zhao did not let down her guard.