Apart from Guiyuanju and Yaoyue Ge, the most talked-about establishments in the capital these days were undoubtedly Taoranju and Yunci Zhai.
Just five days after Guiyuanju and Yaoyue Ge reopened, Taoranju also resumed business.
With its familiar promotional tactics and flyers, it was impossible for the capital's residents to ignore.
But what truly drew attention was Taoranju's newly launched flagship product—
Glass.
The reputation of glass had already been imprinted in the minds of the capital's citizens when Guiyuanju and Yaoyue Ge reopened.
Who in the capital didn't know the advantages of glass now?
Excellent transparency, crystal-clear brilliance, and versatile applications—whether crafted into teacups or windows, it was stunningly beautiful.
Now that people knew Taoranju was selling glass, how could those whose curiosity had been piqued for so long resist?
On its opening day, Taoranju was packed to the brim with eager customers.
And then, to their astonishment, they discovered that glass wasn't just for windows or teacups.
It could also be made into display cabinets, tableware, lampshades, and even silver mirrors that reflected every detail with perfect clarity.
The dazzling array of goods nearly overwhelmed them.
One particularly wealthy young master, pointing at the glassware in the shop, declared grandly:
"Shopkeeper Tang, I'll take everything in this store!"
To his surprise, Shopkeeper Tang didn't look the least bit pleased—instead, he appeared troubled.
"This… Young Master Sun, I'm afraid that won't be possible."
"Why not?" Sun Si narrowed his eyes, his expression darkening as if demanding a satisfactory explanation.
"As you can see, Young Master Sun, the current stock of glassware in Taoranju is quite limited."
Shopkeeper Tang bowed slightly, speaking in a measured tone.
Sun Si glanced around and had to admit—it was indeed scarce.
Apart from the glass teacups, which were slightly more abundant, items like display cabinets, windows, and silver mirrors were pitifully few.
In fact, some designs of silver mirrors had only one piece in stock.
"The Taoran Kiln's production capacity is currently limited," Shopkeeper Tang explained patiently. "Moreover, the palace has placed an order for glass windows, so the kiln must prioritize the imperial household's demands."
Seeing that Sun Si wasn't entirely unreasonable, he continued in a conciliatory tone:
"Due to the limited supply, our proprietor has decided that Taoranju's glassware will be sold by pre-order only, with purchase restrictions."
"Pre-order? Purchase restrictions?" Sun Si repeated, frowning. "What does that mean?"
He understood pre-orders—the Sun family, for instance, custom-made new porcelain every year, requiring advance arrangements due to the large quantities and the need to imprint the family crest.
But purchase restrictions?
"It means that for the ready-made items in the store—such as glass teacups and lampshades—each household may purchase only one set."
Shopkeeper Tang smiled, anticipating the confusion.
"One set? That's nowhere near enough!"
"Exactly! My elders alone would need at least seven or eight sets!"
"This is just unreasonable!"
Before Sun Si could respond, the other customers in the shop erupted in complaints, some loudly, others muttering under their breath.
Shopkeeper Tang remained unruffled, waiting patiently for the uproar to subside before speaking again:
"As you can all see, our current stock is extremely limited. The kiln's production is tied up with the palace's orders, and we simply can't keep up with demand. If we didn't impose restrictions, any one of you here could buy out the entire stock."
"If the first customer took everything, the rest of you would be left with nothing. The next batch won't be ready for at least half a month—after all, the kiln can't prioritize our shop's orders over the palace's, can it?"
The dissatisfied crowd paused, considering his words.
Indeed, most of Taoranju's shelves were still filled with porcelain, with only a dedicated section displaying glassware.
The quantity was so meager that one could count the items at a glance.
And given the clientele present—many of whom were from wealthy families—it was true that any one of them could afford to buy everything.
In the end, though grudgingly, the customers had no choice but to accept the rules:
One set per household for ready-made items.Pre-orders required for silver mirrors, glass windows, and display cabinets.
Only then did they think to ask about the prices—and the figures were far steeper than expected.
A basic, undecorated glass tea set started at three taels of silver, with more elaborate designs costing five or even ten taels.
Glass lampshades followed the same pricing structure.
As for the silver mirrors, they were priced by size:
A palm-sized piece cost five taels.The largest, full-length mirrors, were priced at a staggering hundred taels—and that was just for the mirror itself, excluding the frame.
Want an ornate frame? That'll cost extra!
Depending on the rarity of the wood and the intricacy of the craftsmanship, prices varied—but one thing remained consistent:
Everything was exorbitantly expensive.
Even Young Master Sun, who had boldly declared earlier that he would "buy out all the glassware in the store," now winced at the actual prices.
Had this been at the beginning, some might have balked at the cost.
But now, the young masters could only recall Shopkeeper Tang's words—"limited stock," "low production," "the palace has priority."
Though the prices stung, they seemed justified.
In the end, each of them placed substantial orders with Shopkeeper Tang, spending extravagantly as if their family fortunes had been blown in by the wind.
Just as Gu Yanshu had predicted, the introduction of glass instantly made Taoranju's porcelain more sought-after than ever.
The complaints about "your prices were half this just a month ago" gradually faded away.
With Taoranju now selling glass, many began speculating about the mysterious owner behind Guiyuanju and Yaoyue Ge—
Given how scarce glass was at Taoranju, how could the owner of these two teahouses afford to use so much of it without restrictions?
Moreover, the promotional tactics before the openings of Guiyuanju, Yaoyue Ge, and Taoranju were unmistakably similar—clearly orchestrated by the same hand.
The only logical explanation was that they shared the same owner.
It was then that someone with a sharp memory recalled that Yaoyue Ge's predecessor, Juyou Teahouse, had once been the property of the Marquis of Chengen's household, managed by the eldest son of the Gu family.
Later, when Gu Yanshu (the youngest son) married into the Li Wangfu (Prince Li's household), the teahouse was given to him as part of his dowry.
And as everyone knew—Taoranju belonged to the Princess Consort of Li Wangfu (Gu Yanshu).
Everything suddenly made sense.
No wonder, a few days ago, when Wang Jianbai of the Ningyuan Marquis' household was publicly thrown out of Yaoyue Ge by Manager Yao and thoroughly humiliated, the matter was quietly dropped.
Everyone in the capital knew that Wang Jianbai, the second young master of the Ningyuan Marquis' family, was notoriously vindictive.
To be publicly shamed like that and not retaliate—not even smashing the teahouse—was unheard of.
Only Prince Li's influence could have forced Wang Jianbai to swallow such an insult.
Overnight, Prince Li's household and Gu Yanshu became the talk of the capital.
Every street and alley buzzed with discussions about him.
For example—
"How did we never realize before that the Princess Consort was so capable?"
"What do you mean?"
"Isn't it obvious? Look at all his businesses—which one isn't making a fortune?"
"Exactly! Take Guiyuanju and Yaoyue Ge—now you have to book days in advance just to get a seat! Otherwise, you're stuck in the common hall!"
"My wife works in a marquis' household and got to visit Yaoyue Ge once. She told me that unlike Guiyuanju, Yaoyue Ge doesn't even have a common hall—every floor is private rooms! Rumor has it they've started something called a 'membership system'!"
"A what? Explain!"
"I know this! My wife told me—if you deposit a hundred taels in Yaoyue Ge, you get a one-year membership. The money can't be withdrawn—it can only be spent there!"
"That's right! And after a year, whether you've used it up or not, you have to pay another hundred taels to renew. Otherwise, they'll refund the remaining balance and revoke your membership—banning you from ever entering again!"
"You're missing the best part! The memberships have tiers—Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Black Card! Each level requires a different annual fee!"
"My wife mentioned that if you deposit over ten thousand taels, you get Black Card status—priority bookings, private services, even extra glassware purchases at Taoranju!"
"Good heavens! Are people actually signing up for this?"
"Of course! So many that they're running out of membership slots!"
"Running out? Does that mean no one else can join?"
"Supposedly, they'll still accept new members, but it's not just about money anymore. My wife didn't explain the details, so I'm not sure."
"Damn, I thought Taoranju was the real moneymaker—who knew Yaoyue Ge was this profitable?"
"It's not Yaoyue Ge that's impressive—it's the Princess Consort!"
"True enough!"
"But wasn't he famously known as a 'pretty but useless' playboy before?"
"Exactly! How did marrying into Prince Li's household change him so much?"
"Do you think… someone else is pulling the strings, and he's just the face of it?"
"That's possible…"
"Makes sense!"
"Nonsense! Use your brains—if Prince Li were the mastermind, why didn't he do this before the marriage?"
"Good point!"
"And there's something else you don't know."
"What?"
"Remember how the Zhou family, owners of Yunci Zhai, sold their silk business to save their porcelain shop?"
"Yeah, that was huge news!"
"Well, guess who bought it?"
"Who?"
"Don't tell me—the Princess Consort?"
"Bingo! It was him!"
"Impossible! Between Taoranju and the teahouses, where would he get the money?"
"Have you forgotten? Shortly after the wedding, he walked out of Changle Gambling House with a fortune!"
"Damn… So he really is a force to be reckoned with!"
"Absolutely! And didn't Taoranju and Yunci Zhai have that price war? I heard the Princess Consort orchestrated the entire thing!"
"No way!"
...
Though the common folk didn't know the full details of the price war between Taoranju and Yunci Zhai, they could judge the outcome by the results.
After the battle, both shops closed temporarily—but for very different reasons.
Taoranju shut down to renovate and relaunch with glass as its new flagship product.
Yunci Zhai, however, closed because it was struggling—reopening with no improvements and declining business.
The most telling sign?
Gu Yanshu had the resources to open Guiyuanju and Yaoyue Ge.
Yunci Zhai, meanwhile, had to sell off its silk trade to stay afloat—and that very trade ended up in Gu Yanshu's hands.
Who won? The answer was obvious.
Thinking of Yunci Zhai and the Zhou family's current predicament, people couldn't help but shudder:
"The Princess Consort is not someone to be trifled with!"
Their reaction was understandable—Yunci Zhai's situation was dire.
After selling the silk business and receiving additional funds from the First Prince (to appease the Zhou family), they barely managed to cover their losses.
But just as they thought they could recover, their real nightmare began.
Attempting to regroup, the Zhou family found themselves facing insurmountable obstacles.
Before Taoranju's grand reopening, Yunci Zhai had seemed busy—customers still visited regularly.
But beneath the surface, actual sales were shockingly low.
Nearly every customer who entered Yunci Zhai left unsatisfied after browsing—either walking out empty-handed or bluntly asking the shopkeeper or the Zhou family heirs:
"Wasn't your porcelain less than a third of this price just days ago? Why the sudden increase?"
No matter how the shopkeeper or the Zhou brothers explained—that the original prices had been temporarily lowered during the price war—most customers simply turned and left, muttering:
"If that's the case, I might as well buy from Ruyalou next door!"
The shopkeeper and Zhou Si (Fourth Young Master Zhou) nearly spat blood in frustration.
They knew these so-called competitors—Ruyalou and other porcelain shops—were inferior in design, style, and quality.
Frankly, in the past, these stores weren't even fit to lick Yunci Zhai's boots.
Yet now, not only were people comparing them to Yunci Zhai—some even claimed Yunci Zhai was worse!
The remaining few customers would ask:
"So… can we still get the previous discount?"
The previous discount?!
That "discount" had cost Yunci Zhai nearly a million taels in losses. Zhou Si and the shopkeeper weren't fools—why would they repeat such a suicidal strategy?
But upon hearing the refusal, these customers also left, some even sneering:
"If you could sell at that price before, why not now?"
Zhou Si nearly fumed himself into a stroke.
Had this been the only issue, the Zhou family might have endured.
They had anticipated some backlash and believed business would recover during the New Year's porcelain renewal season.
Meanwhile, they pushed their artisans to develop new designs to regain competitiveness.
But before any innovations emerged, disaster struck—one blow after another.
First, Taoranju reopened with glassware, drawing away even more customers.
Then, the kiln workers went on strike.
During the price war, Zhou Er (Second Young Master Zhou) had withheld their wages to cut costs.
Like Taoranju's artisans, these workers relied on their year-end pay to celebrate the New Year.
With no wages and mounting pressure to produce new designs, they rebelled.
"No pay, no work!"
Already stretched thin, the Zhou family now faced a full-blown labor crisis.
After cursing both the workers and Zhou Er, Zhou Si had no choice but to apologize and pay them on the spot to resume operations.
As the New Year approached, Zhou Si finally caught his breath—only for Zhou Da (Eldest Young Master Zhou) to suggest a desperate move:
"Publicize that the palace's New Year porcelain this year is from Yunci Zhai."
Indeed, the imperial household was the ultimate trendsetter.
Within two or three days of the announcement, Yunci Zhai's business rebounded—even showing signs of growth.
Seeing the increasing foot traffic and sales, Zhou Si finally relaxed, his frosty demeanor thawing slightly.
If mere publicity could revive their fortunes, imagine the boom once Yunci Zhai's porcelain became officially endorsed by the palace!
But Zhou Da, reviewing the accounts, felt uneasy.
——
Fifth Prince Qin Hao had been closely monitoring Yunci Zhai's movements.
The moment he learned of their "imperial connection" campaign, he rushed to Prince Li's residence—ostensibly to warn them, but everyone knew the real reason:
He was there to mooch off the underfloor heating.
Ever since Prince Li's main residence was renovated, Qin Hao had been pestering Gu Yanshu to install the same system in his own palace.
But upon learning that the Emperor also wanted it, he grudgingly agreed to wait until the imperial palace was upgraded first.
Until then? He'd just keep "visiting" Prince Li's estate.
Had there been spare rooms, the servants suspected he might have moved in permanently.
When Qin Hao arrived, Gu Yanshu was reviewing account books—a task that had grown more time-consuming with the success of Guiyuanju, Yaoyue Ge, and Taoranju.
After Qin Hao's lengthy report on Yunci Zhai's schemes, Gu Yanshu remained impassive.
"Imperial Sister-in-law… are you even listening?" Qin Hao asked, sipping tea.
"Mn."
"Then why no reaction? I spoke so passionately!"
"What reaction should I have?" Gu Yanshu closed the ledger, his gaze cool. "They're digging their own grave."
Qin Hao blinked. "You… knew they'd do this?"
Gu Yanshu's silence was answer enough.
Of course he knew.
This was the Zhou family's last lifeline—how could they not seize it?
"But then why did you—"
Qin Hao cut himself off, recalling Gu Yanshu's icy certainty.
Suddenly, he understood:
This was another trap Gu Yanshu had laid for them.
Indeed, the "imperial porcelain" deal was the final nail in Yunci Zhai's coffin.
——
Less than five days after Yunci Zhai's "recovery," disaster struck again.
A rumor spread that beggars in the southern slums were using Yunci Zhai's porcelain bowls.
The revelation exploded like oil meeting flame.
Yunci Zhai had been riding high on its imperial connection, selling porcelain at premium prices to families seeking auspicious blessings for the New Year.
Now, they learned that the lowest of the low were using the same wares—purchased for four coppers per bowl!
Even laborers and street vendors had bought them!
Worse yet—
The porcelain supplied to the palace wasn't for the nobility at all—it was for the servants!
The wealthy buyers were furious.
Instead of gaining imperial favor, they'd unwittingly matched their households with beggars and drudges!
The first enraged aristocrat had his servants haul the porcelain back to Yunci Zhai and smash it at their doorstep, declaring:
"My family may not be nobility, but we're no beggars either! Consider this money charity!"
Others followed suit.
By day's end, Yunci Zhai's name had become synonymous with "pauper's porcelain."
Their business collapsed overnight—this time, beyond recovery.
After all, if commoners refused to share tableware with beggars, why would the imperial household stoop so low?
Yunci Zhai was finished.
Zhou Da finally understood his earlier unease.
This was the same foreboding he'd felt when Gu Yanshu bought their silk business—a deal the Zhou elders had foolishly approved.
Now, with no silk trade and a ruined porcelain business, the Zhou family was doomed.
Yunci Zhai closed its doors before the New Year.
Desperate, the Zhous put their porcelain business up for sale—but no one dared touch it.
Eventually, they slashed prices further and split the assets (shop vs. kiln) to attract buyers.
To everyone's shock, the one who stepped forward was none other than—
Gu Yanshu, the Princess Consort of Li .
Again.