After my father was sent to marry into the princess's household, I became the darling of the en

Xiao Changqi closed his fan and looked at the object with great interest.

"Tell me, what was the first shot?"

Shen Jingque grabbed his sleeve and dragged him to sit on the stone bench under the veranda, then started counting on her fingers as she discussed things with him.

"Second brother, think about it, what do the noble ladies of the capital consider when buying clothes these days?"

"It's the reputation of Jinxiu Pavilion."

"No, what matters is the style of the clothes, and Jinxiu Pavilion just happened to let everyone see these styles."

Shen Jingque clapped his hands. "What about my sister-in-law? She worked for nothing!"

"All the fame she gained went to Jinxiuge. If she opens her own shop and starts all over again, wouldn't all this effort have been for nothing?"

Xiao Changqi stroked his chin, his brows furrowing. "That is a problem, but that's how cooperation works. We can't just put her name on someone else's shop. Would the manager of Jinxiuge agree to that?"

"Why not?"

Shen Jingque took out a handkerchief from her sleeve, spread it out on the stone bench, and pointed to a small embroidered mark in the corner with her finger.

"Second brother, look, even the handkerchiefs are different and have the marks left by the embroiderers. Some ladies only recognize the needlework of a certain embroiderer and would rather wait three months to have her make it. That's personal reputation."

She took the handkerchief back: "We can do that too. Let my sister-in-law choose a stage name and sew it onto the inside of her clothes with a small cloth tag."

"My second brother is trying to create some hype so that everyone knows that these clothes are all designed by a mysterious designer."

Xiao Changqi snapped his fan shut and stood up excitedly.

"You mean, let's build up the buzz first, and then when everyone's asking who this designer is..."

Seeing that he understood, Shen Jingque clapped her hands and said, "When you open another shop, just say it's that master's exclusive cooperative shop."

The two exchanged a glance and said in unison, "We won't have to worry about customers."

"That's right! Second brother is so smart!" Shen Jingque patted his shoulder.

"Look at those famous kiln porcelains, which one doesn't have a signature? The difference between official kilns and folk kilns is like heaven and earth. The same principle applies to clothing."

Xiao Changqi grabbed her by the armpits, lifted her up, and spun her around halfway, grinning from ear to ear.

"Little Sparrow, your new brain is really sharp!"

Shen Jingque struggled for a moment: "Put me down quickly, you're making me want to throw up my lunch."

After being put down, she leaned against a pillar to catch her breath, her excitement still lingering, and then continued speaking.

"Also, we only release two new styles each year, one for spring/summer and one for autumn/winter. We do not accept orders at other times."

"Why?" Xiao Changqi frowned, puzzled. "If you can sell them, why not sell more?"

"Things are valued for their rarity, Second Brother. You've been in business for so many years, surely you know this too?"

Shen Jingque winked smugly, "This is called scarcity marketing."

Haha, she didn't actually learn this trick in class.

These are all lessons learned from the painful experience of being scammed by various limited-edition collaborations in modern times.

I never thought that transmigrating into a book would come in handy.

Xiao Changqi slapped the fan into his palm. "Good, good, this idea is brilliant. I'll go talk to Su Yao about it later."

"Don't rush," Shen Jingque pulled him back, "There's still the most crucial part, we need to find someone to wear it."

"Find someone to wear it?" Xiao Changqi's mind raced. After stroking his chin for a while, he blurted out, "Go to the palace and have Her Majesty the Empress..."

Shen Jingque rolled her eyes so hard they almost fell off her head.

"You expect the Empress to wear commoners' clothes? Every thread on her clothes has to be handled by the Imperial Household Department. Are you tired of living such a peaceful life?"

"That……"

"Mother!"

Shen Jingque stood up excitedly: "This trend is because Third Brother won the battle, and everyone is chasing after the heroic and dashing type."

As she spoke, she slapped Xiao Changqi's arm.

"Who is Mother? The only woman in the Great Yong Dynasty to have ever led an army into battle. Her mere presence is more effective than any propaganda!"

But Xiao Changqi's excitement lasted only a moment. Then, as if his bones had been removed, he leaned against the pillar.

"Little Sparrow, have you forgotten who your godmother is?"

"What's wrong?"

"She wears black for 360 out of 365 days a year, and on the remaining five days she wears dignified palace attire."

Xiao Changqi said with a bitter face, "If you make her wear a fancy new dress, she'll twist my legs into a pretzel."

Shen Jingque bit her lip and thought for a moment, then suddenly her eyes lit up.

"Who says it has to be flashy? My sister-in-law's designs are always the smart and sharp type. Why not just make a stylish and elegant outfit for Mom?"

Xiao Changqi looked troubled, sighed in frustration, and sat on the veranda picking at his hands.

"Easy for you to say. You go and tell them, but I... I dare not go."

"Let's go, let's go now." Shen Jingque grabbed Xiao Changqi's arm and dragged him outside.

Xiao Changqi staggered two steps to catch up with her, still muttering to himself.

"My godmother went to visit my eldest brother at Yingzhu Garden right now. Oh, don't pull my belt..."

The two hurried through the corridors and gardens of the Princess's residence.

In the distance, the moon gate of Yingzhu Garden came into view.

Xiao Mingyue stood in front of the door, dressed in a neat black robe, with her back to them.

Shen Jingque opened her mouth, about to call for help.

As if she had eyes in the back of her head, Xiao Mingyue suddenly reached out and steadily pulled her and Xiao Changqi to her sides, pressing her palm against her mouth.

"Shhh."

Xiao Mingyue's voice was very soft, but her eyes were slightly red.

Shen Jingque let out a muffled whimper, her gaze following the direction Xiao Mingyue was looking.

Golden sunlight filters through the bamboo leaves, dappling the bamboo shadows.

A embroidered spring knife sliced ​​through the sunlight, and as the blade flipped, it brought down a whole branch of bamboo leaves, which fell in a rustling rain.

The person wielding the knife was tall and slender, with shoulders and back as straight as a pine tree, exuding a ruthless aura honed over many years.

With steady steps and a relaxed posture, each step he took carried immense power.

The wheelchair sat empty next to the pillar.