——Cool Cake Melts Snow.

In just a few days, this name had made a splash.

In Andu, there were many royal relatives and powerful households...

Every day, servants lined up to order Cool Cake from Yutangchun, enough to stretch a street corner, and some powerful households even approached directly, offering high prices to buy the recipe from Wen Hui.

Wen Hui naturally refused.

She followed Feng Yun’s instructions.

"Cool Cake Melts Snow is a secret recipe from Changmen, not to be disclosed."

"But the sugar used in the Cool Cake is made by Changmen’s own sugar mill."

She also revealed that the sugar mill was in Mingquan.

Just like that, in a chain reaction, the sugar mill’s orders also increased.

Nan Kui specially made a trip back from Mingquan Town, beaming as she told Feng Yun that the sugar mill had so many orders they couldn’t be completed even by the end of summer.

The farmers who had followed them in planting sugarcane were grinning from ear to ear. More and more people were clearing land to plant cane, and it was likely that even more farmers would join the planting ranks next year.

Nan Kui added one more thing at the end.

"How can the mistress be so formidable?"

This immensely profitable business flourished under Feng Yun, not only because she had seized the initiative but also because she was bold enough to take action once she saw the opportunity.

Actually, on the day she made Cool Cake, Feng Yun didn’t even know what flavor it would be; it was entirely for the sake of amusing the children and playing.

Now that it was receiving endless praise and turning a hefty profit, she couldn’t help but think of what Xiaoman had said that day.

It was a pity that the king had not tasted it.

Given the great distance, she couldn’t send the finished Cool Cake to him.

Never mind.

She would wait for his next return.

Feng Yun glanced at the village road where Pei Jue had ridden away on horseback, and quickly gathered her thoughts.

In this life, many things had changed.

Including her and Pei Jue.

Sometimes, in a daze, she would doubt that those experiences from her past life were just a dream.

That they had never happened, and in fact, she had never been to Central Capital or returned to Qi Country, but had always just been amicably close with Pei Jue...

But every time she looked at the Wind Chime hanging by the window, she would gradually come to her senses...

It was not a dream.

Everything had happened.

It had happened.

-

Having made money, Feng Yun held her head even higher, but what she purchased the most was still grain.

Bag after bag of rice was pulled into the storerooms of Changmen Village. Mingquan also had a secret large granary, and no one knew exactly how much grain was stored inside.

By late June, the weather turned even hotter.

Pei Jue had sent a letter from Xijing.

"The Imperial Court, considering the geography and historical precedents, plans to build a summer palace in Andu and establish Andu as the auxiliary capital."

Building a palace and designating an auxiliary capital? 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

The "dual capitals system" was not unique to Dajin; it had started with King Wu of the Western Zhou dynasty, but Pei Jue’s decision at such a time—wasn’t it a bit frivolous?

Embarking on major construction during a year of disasters was a draining and costly affair, doing more harm than good.

On such a serious matter, Feng Yun didn’t dare to flatter herself by thinking it had anything to do with her head, assuming that Pei Jue was doing it for her...

So, it meant that Pei Jue had thought it through deeply, planning for the development of Dajin, or perhaps for his own family business.

She wasn’t emotional about it.

Yuan Shangyi was overjoyed upon receiving the news.

"I can stay in Andu forever?"

"I can always be with my wife?"

Feng Yun smiled and nodded, unwilling to shatter the child’s beautiful illusion.

Even if Andu was to become the auxiliary capital of Dajin, the Young Emperor could not possibly live in Huaxi Village, or stay within her Changmen estate forever.

That would be preposterous.

The day was not set, and there were no specific regulations in place. This matter was not something for Feng Yun to worry about; she put it aside for the moment and merely sent a letter to Pei Jue.

"Wherever I can be of use, let the great king command me."

Pei Jue replied only half a month later.

"Your letter has been received."

The message was so brief, Feng Yun would have preferred he hadn’t written at all.

Such a waste for the postal relay, especially in this sweltering heat.

-

The wedding of Wen Hui and He Chuandong was set for before the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Matchmaker Li said the time was short, with just over a month left, and preparations needed to be hastened.

Feng Yun decided to have Wen Hui marry from Huaxi Village, in a grand palanquin, to the He Residence in glory.

She assigned people to clean up rooms in the village and began to decorate the bridal chamber.

The exchanges for the six matrimonial rituals were also held in Huaxi Village, not in Yutangchun, showing the importance she placed on this event.

It was a clear gesture of support for Wen Hui.

Wen Hui was so touched that she was beyond words.

The other concubines also began thinking their own little thoughts.

They could never have imagined that Feng Shi Er Niang would seriously take care of their weddings.

With Wen Hui as an example, those concubines lingering in the estate no longer fantasized about one day serving Pei Jue or becoming his mistresses.

They, too, wished to marry a satisfactory husband and become ladies of their own houses.

It goes without saying for Nan Kui and Chai Ying, who, having gained Shi’er Niang’s favor, were already managing their own affairs and were certainly not worried about their matrimonial prospects.

Of course, they also wanted to show off a bit...

So, a rather peculiar spectacle emerged within Changmen.

The moment Feng Yun took her seat there, a bevy of beauteous women would surround her, some fanning, some pouring water, some massaging shoulders, and others trying to amuse her...

She enjoyed all the bliss that Pei Jue could have enjoyed...

It was through such changes that she noticed something different about Jiang Yin.

She remained indifferent.

Unlike the other concubines who tried to win favor with their constant attentions, she was silent and reticent, always trying to reduce her presence. This made her stand out and often caught Feng Yun’s eye.

Chunyu Yan was another exception.

He used to be obsessed with Jiang Ji, who was now by his side, yet he seemed to be very busy. Since eating cold rice cakes and leaving in June, he hadn’t returned to Yun Village in a month, and it was unclear what he was doing.

Feng Yun had too much on her mind to concern herself with that. She was also busy.

The agricultural tool workshop had already cast the molds for making coal balls, and the roads in Yunchuan had been basically opened up. After the start of autumn, she planned to produce coal balls in large quantities to prepare for the coming winter.

And make a good profit off of it.

That day, she had transported several carts of graphite back from Little Jieqiu Mines, intending to first make some samples in the agricultural tool workshop. Just as she reached the gates of the estate, before the graphite could be unloaded, she heard a commotion from the village.

"Oh my god, what is that?"

"Locusts! It’s locusts!"

"Quick, report to the Village Chief Madam, the locusts have come!"