Transmigration: From Farmer To Empress-Chapter 1297 - 1303 Rumours Arise (5)

Cai Wei had also left the palace early in the morning. The release of people from within was drawing to a conclusion, and the several hundred thousand taels of silver she had amassed were nearly spent. Her early departure was twofold: to collect silver and review the books at the various shops and to meet with Xiang Yun, gossip about family matters, and help her alleviate some worries.

When she arrived at Mi Fangzhai, the shopkeeper of Mi Fangzhai saw that the Empress Dowager was gracing them with her presence. He hurriedly invited Cai Wei upstairs and, after serving tea, respectfully presented a contract for her to examine.

Cai Wei took the contract and saw it was a stock transfer contract stating that Mi Fangzhai would split shares between the two, with Cai Wei holding four parts and Manager Wen six.

The sudden appearance of three additional shares wasn’t lost on Cai Wei, who knew it wasn’t a simple matter. She smiled, set the contract down, and said, "Manager Wen, what is this for? Why have you suddenly offered me these three extra shares? If you have any plans or demands, feel free to speak directly to me."

Manager Wen hadn’t expected the Empress Dowager to be so forthright. He thought he would need to express the matter in a more roundabout way but, now that the Empress Dowager had asked, he simply had to bite the bullet and say it.

"Your Highness, I wish to become the Imperial Merchant supplying rouge powder to the palace and hope for your support!"

Cai Wei laughed and said, "As far as I know, even without the title of Imperial Merchant, most of the ladies in the palace use our Mi Fangzhai’s products. Why do you bother doing this?"

Manager Wen replied, "Your Highness, if the name isn’t right, then the words don’t carry weight. Although many High Concubines in the palace use our Mi Fangzhai products, the people of the world do not know of this. There are competitors who malign us, claiming that none of the ladies in the palace actually use our Mi Fangzhai products, accusing us of self-flattery and boasting. Therefore, I want to legitimize this matter and shut up those gluttonous miscreants talking behind our backs."

Currently, the rouge powders in the palace were purchased by the Internal Affairs Department and then distributed to all the ladies within. The quality of these purchased products was indeed fine, but the prices were excessively high—clearly, the Internal Affairs Department had not abstained from taking kickbacks.

Since they had to purchase either way, and the quality of Mi Fangzhai’s rouge was superior, Cai Wei naturally agreed to Manager Wen’s suggestion. She signed the contract without hesitation, and teasingly said, "Now in the harem, only I and a few princesses still use rouge; the Empress Dowager, High Concubines, and other ladies hardly use them. Manager Wen, are you not concerned about incurring a loss by giving away three shares for just a few boxes of rouge?"

Manager Wen laughed and said, "With the title of Imperial Merchant, the amount of rouge we will sell is countless, and not to mention that we still collect silver for the rouge sold inside the palace. Even if we didn’t, it would be incredibly profitable!"

Seeing how astute he was, Cai Wei also smiled happily. She enjoyed collaborating with intelligent people and appreciated those with foresight and vision.

Thus, the matter was pleasantly resolved!

Cai Wei left Mi Fangzhai contentedly with Liu Xi, and while still early, she made a trip to her parents’ house.

Her mother, Lady Du, was one month away from giving birth. Cai Wei had already arranged for the best female doctor and stable woman from within the palace to be at Mu Mansion, ready for any emergency. Even so, Cai Wei felt the need to visit every few days, as she could not rest assured otherwise.

When she arrived home, her dad, Wen’er, Wu’er, and Fei’er were all absent, leaving only her mother, Lady Du, seated on the kang with a prominent belly, directing several girls and maids as they rummaged through containers and cupboards for items.

Seeing Cai Wei return, she laughed and said, "You girl, you’ve just been here a few days ago; why have you come back again today? Now that you are a mother of the state, you must be cautious with your every word and deed. Don’t keep running back to your parents’ house when it’s not necessary. If someone sees you and says you’re not following palace rules, it wouldn’t be good!"

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