Chapter 627 - 629: Someone Breaks in at Midnight
Jiang Yichun’s fists were clenched tightly enough to creak. According to his understanding of the Prime Minister, such important secret orders would not be issued only once, meaning he would not be the only one to receive the secret order; he must speed up.
With that in mind, he quickly wrote a letter, sending it with a messenger pigeon that was only used in times of urgency on the ship. Then, he said to the ship’s officer in charge of steering, "I don’t care how you do it, increase the speed to return. If you cause any delay, I’ll show you no mercy!"
His gaze was ice-cold, like a chilling knife placed against the officer’s neck. The officer shivered involuntarily and quickly responded, "Yes, Sir".
The ship’s crew stiffened, and the officer began to rally them, "Give it your all, we mustn’t delay the sir’s important task."
The ship’s speed noticeably increased, heading towards Beiyu City.
...
In Beiyu City, many noblewomen and young ladies were now discussing Hua Xiangrong’s new product press conference. Something they had never heard of or seen before, thus piquing everyone’s curiosity.
"Does anyone know what it’s about? Anyone friends with Bai Ruozhu who can ask in advance?" Several women began chattering at a gathering.
"Isn’t it almost the second day of second lunar month? Going to ask now and if they refuse to answer, wouldn’t it be awkward?" another woman opined.
"The poem on the invitation is splendid: Flowers adorn the beauty like clouds in her fancy clothes, the spring breeze brings the dew and the delectable scene. If not for seeing it on the crowning jewel of the hills, It would be like seeing it under the moon on the jeweled terrace. What a wonderful poem, it left me enchanted." a lady commented.
"Yeah, I wanted to ask Lady Xie about it, but she is seldom seen as she’s resting for pregnancy."
Soon, the ladies’ conversation veered onto Yu Hongxiu and they began debating how she was schemed and tripped, and speculated about Lady Wang’s feud with her that led to such an attack.
Bai Ruozhu knew her new product press conference had stirred up quite a sensation among the noblewomen and celebrities of Beiyu City, but it wasn’t enough. She procured a long red silk cloth, writing on it: Hua Xiangrong’s spring new product press conference will open on the second day of second lunar month, five lucky customers will be chosen to receive new products and enjoy VIP services.
Of course, this information was also written on the invitations, but those were only sent to a number of notable families in the city. The lower-class families were unaware, and Bai Ruozhu did not want to lose that customer base.
In addition, she ordered a batch of round fans made, which were imprinted with the silhouette of a beautiful woman admiring flowers. The woman was wearing a crochet dress, a simple outline drawn with only a few strokes, yet it presented a remarkably artistic impression.
A row of small print at the base of the fan read: Hua Xiangrong’s new product press conference invites you, we will meet on the second day of second lunar month.
She and her family members split up to distribute the fans at various bustling markets in the city, presenting a fan to every lady and young miss they encountered, claiming it was a gift from Hua Xiangrong to all beauty lovers.
The Bai Family spent a few days doing this and another wave of heated discussion rose in Beiyu City. People in Danliang Country had never experienced such kind of promotional tactics, even when giving gifts to customers it was done discreetly or limited to valuable ones.
Though the round fans were not worth much, the artwork was excellent, and the minuscule script was well-written. The phrase "see you then" left many young ladies feeling that it was beautifully written.
As such, many women decided to visit Hua Xiangrong on the second day of the second lunar month.
Bai Ruozhu said everyone has been working hard distributing the fans and deserved a splendid meal. So, she arranged to have lunch with her family at a welcoming venue. When she arrived, Shen Lu was also there. Seeing her, Shen Lu laughed, "Your idea is great. I’m thinking about whether I should also send gifts to clients and host a new dish press conference?"
"You’re certainly quick, Shen Lu, to learn and apply so rapidly," Bai Ruozhu laughed. "You could arrange a new dish tasting event. Display the new dishes on the day and invite clients to taste and compose poetry. Reward the top three with a feast at the welcoming venue or a bit of silver. Hang the poems in the welcoming venue for future clients to enjoy."
Shen Lu’s eyes lit up when he heard this. "That’s a brilliant idea. I do believe that this would attract many scholars to The Welcome Venue."
"Indeed, The Welcome Venue will take on a different literary atmosphere. As Danliang Country values literature, in the future, The Welcome Venue could become the best gathering place for scholars in Beiyu City," Bai Ruozhu added.
Shen Lu nodded approvingly, "That’s a good point. I’ll arrange for someone to start preparing. Ruozhu, I’m truly not at a loss for choosing to cooperate with you."
The two of them became more familiar with each other. Shen Lu called out Ruozhu’s name affectionately, like a grandfather to his granddaughter.
Bai Ruozhu laughed slightly, saying, "You could hold the event here first to gather some experience and then gradually hold it at other branches in different cities. That way, The Welcome Venue will become even more famous."
"Alright, alright. Let’s do as you say," Shen Lu said cheerfully.
Bai Ruozhu then entered a private room. Her family members arrived one after the other, Bai Ruozhu ordered a full table of dishes, eating while asking about the events of the day.
The distributing of the round fans went very smoothly. Although early spring had just begun making the fans slightly premature, they were, nonetheless, ornamental. Would real ladies flatter themselves with a small fan?
"Wei San, how about your side?" Bai Ruozhu asked, looking towards We San. She had assigned him to keep watch on Yun Xiangrong and report back any recent occurrences.
"Today, Lady Li visited. The female shopkeeper was anxious, complaining that their customers were being stolen by Hua Xiangrong. She suggested they should also hold a press conference," Wei San replied.
Bai Ruozhu chuckled, "Does she think it’s as easy as just saying it? Do they have new ideas? Is there enough time for preparations?"
We San nodded, "Exactly. Lady Li scolded the female shopkeeper, saying, ’What are we going to do with a press conference? If we mess up and get shown up by them, wouldn’t we be even more embarrassed?’"
Wei San chuckled as he recounted, making everyone at the table burst into laughter.
"They have always been imitating us. Innovation isn’t that easy, is it?" said Lin Pingr.
"Always imitated, never surpassed." This catchphrase suddenly came to mind for Bai Ruozhu and she said it out loud, which made everyone laugh even harder.
After lunch, Bai Ruozhu carried Dengdeng home, while the others continued to distribute a few more fans. The day passed in the blink of an eye.
At night, everyone had gone to sleep, leaving only two guards on duty. The four guards worked in groups of two, alternately keeping watch at night.
Not long after, subtle sounds came from the rooftop, like the footsteps of a cat. The eyes of the guard, Cui Fan lit up. He was given to Bai Ruozhu by Lady Meng, but the Bai family hardly ran into any incidents, which made his days incredibly tedious. He was relieved to finally have something to do tonight.
He quietly hid in the shadows, planning to wait until the intruder had entered the yard before seizing them, once their intentions were clear.