In late April, four more restaurants opened in the inner city.
With various promotional activities and events flooding in, Xie Kun was anything but idle, having been enlisted by Fan Zehao to help construct the trade city.
Fan Zehao owned most of the shops in the trade city, ensuring his money stayed within the family. He naturally prioritized his good brothers for the stable, profitable businesses, though the profit-sharing had changed. He now took eighty percent, leaving them with twenty.
The initial investment had been substantial, drawing upon the gold, silver, jewels, and monetary rewards he'd acquired on the battlefield, and even his wife's personal savings. He felt it would be unfair to them if the profit share was too low.
Still, even this twenty percent was more than enough for his brothers to amass fortunes.
In May, the prince's mansion welcomed four distinguished guests.
Steward Wang, with a slight lift of his eyelids, accepted their visiting cards. After a brief glance, he replied indifferently, "The Prince is at the military camp and not in the mansion. Please return."
No manners, arriving whenever they pleased, treating the prince's mansion like their own! And these were people from prominent families, so clueless about proper etiquette. Steward Wang politely declined their visit.
He hailed from a reputable household and understood such matters. With that, he returned the cards, turned, and re-entered the mansion without waiting for them to speak.
It was a clear display of dominance.
The next moment, the vermilion-lacquered gate slowly swung shut, its closure accompanied by a heavy thud.
Soldiers outside, armed with long spears, fixed their sharp gazes upon the visitors, conveying a clear message: leave, or be forcefully removed.
The four individuals were left standing on the street, utterly rebuffed, not even managing to set foot inside the mansion's gate.
Ji Shiyi stared at the visiting card in his hand, his expression sour. In this region, they were accustomed to others seeking their audience, not the other way around. To be refused today, and so rudely, was an insult.
He let out a cold snort, "Ungrateful wretches. I personally came to visit, and they dared treat me thus! He clearly doesn't understand who rules this territory. Here, even dragons must coil, and tigers must lie down!"
Liu Runming scoffed, "Even if you are the local overlord, he could slice you in half with a single sword. Who do you think you're showing off to?"
With a bit of money in their pockets, they started acting arrogant. Local officials might fall for such displays, but they were dealing with a Prince, a man commanding thirty thousand troops and holding the reins of life and death in this region.
"Why the sarcastic remarks? We're all in the same boat now. If we don't stick together, we'll be dealt with one by one!" Meng Yang interjected, interrupting their heated exchange.
Li Ben looked up at the gilded characters 'Prince's Mansion' shining brilliantly under the sun, his eyes narrowing.
"Don't boost their morale while diminishing our own. Our great families have stood for over a hundred years, and that's not without merit. With our combined strength, do we truly fear a mere Prince?"
Liu Runming raised an eyebrow, a look of disdain on his face. Such boastful words.
A moment later, Li Ben softened his tone, "However, we were too rash today, visiting without sending a formal invitation. It was indeed improper. How about this, let's give all our cards to Ji Shiyi, and have Steward Ji deliver them. We'll assess the situation before making further plans."
This suggestion struck a chord. The other three men promptly handed their visiting cards to him. In the afternoon, Ji Shiyi dispatched his steward, Qian, to deliver the invitations.
In the prince's mansion, Fan Zehao held the exquisite card, a puff of cold air escaping his nostrils. He tossed it onto the table.
"The legendary Four Great Families are finally making an appearance. This certainly piques my curiosity!"
His curiosity was not his alone. Zhao Jiaqi, too, felt a sense of intrigue, her hand unconsciously reaching for the jade bracelet on her wrist.
Zhou Qiangwei's younger sister, Zhou Baihe, was married to Li Ben and was now the matriarch of the Li family. Zhao Jiaqi wondered what kind of woman she was.
"Husband, why don't we host a flower appreciation banquet? Invite influential figures from all the prefectures. It's time we met these people!"
"Whatever you decide, my dear, is final. Just don't overexert yourself," Fan Zehao's gaze drifted unintentionally towards her abdomen.
Counting the days, his wife's menstrual period was late this month. Perhaps... possibly... she was pregnant. He hadn't mentioned it to Zhao Jiaqi, though, fearing he might have miscalculated and caused her unnecessary disappointment.
Lost in thought about Zhou Baihe, Zhao Jiaqi didn't notice her husband's sly glance. She was still contemplating whether or not to give him the bracelet.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Steward Wang had returned the visiting cards and explained the reason to Steward Ji.
The various prefects submitted lists of prominent families within their jurisdictions. Zhao Jiaqi then reviewed these lists, and a final guest roster was compiled.
Steward Wang, following the list, sent out invitations one by one. Those who received them were overjoyed. The ladies of each household began busying themselves with preparations for attending the banquet, selecting outfits and jewelry.
The young ladies were equally occupied, frequenting various tailor shops.
Each hoped to make a striking impression at the banquet. If the Prince were to notice them and take them as a concubine or secondary wife, they would truly be second only to him in this region.
Wherever they went, they would be regarded with respect, and no one would dare look down upon them for their merchant background.
The flower appreciation banquet organized by the prince's mansion, in Pingting's words, was merely a formality, with a few potted plants to fill the space.
"Your sister-in-law doesn't have extra funds for these plants and flowers. The border regions are in dire need of funds right now. I prefer to spend money where it's most needed," Zhao Jiaqi said wryly.
Today's flower appreciation banquet was simply a perfunctory event, primarily aimed at observing the four great families and the various prefectural powers, so as to have a clear understanding of the situation and avoid being caught off guard.
Pingting greatly admired her elder sister-in-law's resilience. Had any other woman been in the position of princess consort, she would have already started showing off. Yet, her sister-in-law remained true to her original intentions, making Pingting feel somewhat inadequate.
Soon, mid-May arrived, and the mansion was abuzz with activity from early morning. Before long, carriages lined the street outside the mansion, from which emerged a diverse array of people, varying in height, build, and complexion.
The ladies and young ladies were dressed in particularly flamboyant attire, their clothing colors best described as a riot of colors.
Aromatic scents wafted from them, making it difficult to distinguish between a gathering and a concubine selection. The fragrance from their clothes spread for miles.
Each woman wore meticulously applied makeup, her hair adorned with fine jewelry. Their necks and wrists were also bedecked, transforming them into walking treasure troves.
Upon witnessing this, Zhao Jiaqi couldn't help but admire the merchants' penchant for enjoyment.
Soon, members of the Four Great Families began arriving one by one.
When those who had been chatting amiably with Zhao Jiaqi in the back courtyard heard that the wives and daughters of the Four Great Families had also arrived, they became slightly subdued, stepping back and casting occasional glances towards the moon gate.
Zhao Jiaqi, observing everything, raised an eyebrow. Soon, she saw the true faces of these visitors.
As a plump lady appeared, some people eagerly rushed forward to curry favor, smiling and inquiring, "Madam Ji, you look even fairer than before since we last met. Have you been using a beauty regimen? We are truly envious."
Madam Ji, Qiao Yu, cast a sideways glance at the speaker, a mocking smile playing on her lips. The smugness in her eyes was undeniable.
These people, all they did was flatter. After all these years, nothing had changed.