The Slender Waist

Chunyu Yan abruptly stood up,standing with his hands behind his back, his eyes coldly fixed on her.

"Feng Twelve, you’ve gone too far."

Feng Yun slightly bowed, her manners impeccable, but her words held no compassion.

"If there were no profit in it, why would I bring the Princely Heir into such a good business deal?"

So blunt.

Chunyu Yan huffed, grinding his teeth with hatred.

"Feng Twelve, go ahead and torment me all you want."

Feng Yun smiled slightly, her expression changing without a trace.

"The Princely Heir is mistaken. After all, this venture is to establish your authority. Having traveled far and wide, if the Princely Heir doesn’t have the capability to handle such matters, how could the business have grown this big? How else could you live up to your reputation as the richest in the land?"

The cold laughter of Chunyu Yan gradually softened.

Feng Twelve always managed to quickly soothe his anger.

A slap followed by a sweet date.

She played the game skillfully, and he savored it.

Chunyu Yan turned his face away, pointing at the charcoal balls, "How much money can be made from these?"

Feng Yun said, "Let’s give it a try."

Chunyu Yan unconsciously curved the corners of his lips, looking at her as she puckered her lips, pointing at that delicately made stove.

"Will this also be sold together?"

Feng Yun said, "Such a fine stove is naturally intended for wealthy individuals like the Princely Heir, isn’t it? Ordinary families will have simpler stoves. Buy one, and it can be used for a lifetime, more convenient than charcoal. Of course, for those who do not wish to purchase a stove, a simple mud stove will do."

Chunyu Yan shook his head, "To give up a big deal with the Yecheng Imperial Court for these small charcoal balls, it’s not worth it."

Chunyu Yan stayed at the Coal Ball Workshop for about half an hour before getting into his carriage and leaving.

Until his departure, he was not very optimistic about these small charcoal balls.

Before leaving, he left a message for Feng Yun.

"Well-crafted, but difficult to sell far. Whether they can sell beyond Xinzhou is not even certain, let alone one for every household in the world."

With another laugh, he looked at Feng Yun and said, "Feng Yun, you’re using this business to block my wealth. You might as well... give me a kiss instead?"

Feng Yun merely smiled without a word.

She saw Chunyu Yan off to the workshop entrance, watched his carriage disappear into the distance, but she did not leave. Instead, she continued up to the mines on Little Jieqiu with the little gator.

Compared to the last chaotic visit, the mine was now well-organized.

But Feng Yun, as usual, repeated herself.

Every visit, she insisted on reminding them about safety below ground.

The managers were brimming with energy, reassuring her not to worry.

Only then did Feng Yun walk along the small path beside the mine, heading up the mountain. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"Go on," Feng Yun patted the little gator’s head.

"Don’t stray too far, come back early."

The little gator rubbed its big head against her palm and leaped away, quickly disappearing into the dense jungle.

It was born for the wilderness.

Even though it had been raised by Feng Yun since it was young, it could never fully lose its wildness. Feng Yun wouldn’t completely restrain it either, allowing it to retain its survival skills outside, except for the time when the Marquis of Xuanping hunted lynxes everywhere. Normally, the little gator was free to come and go.

-

On Chunyu Yan’s carriage, there were about fifty coal balls and a set of stoves.

He originally brought them back to try them out.

Unexpectedly, the next morning, Sang Jiao joyfully ran to tell him.

"Princely Heir, they’re so useful, incredibly useful."

Chunyu Yan, having listened to the walls all night, was not fully awake yet, his head slowly clearing as he yawned discontentedly.

"What’s so useful?"

"The coal balls, the ones brought back from the Village Chief’s wife’s workshop."

Sang Jiao was very excited, and beside him, Yin You, and two other servants in charge of the stove, also had faces full of joy.

"Put two coal balls into the stove, and they facilitate boiling water and cooking."

"There’s no need to chop wood, and no wood ash, it’s cleaner than a firewood stove, and economical."

The servants, getting carried away, had forgotten how terrifying the Princely Heir could be, each gesturing animatedly with excitement.

"After cooking, block up the stove, and the coal balls stay lit all night long, keeping hot water available on the stove. In the morning, just add another piece, and that’s it. Convenient, so very convenient..."

The coal balls had brought direct benefits to these servants.

The convenience and the time saved meant fewer scoldings from their masters, benefits that made them want to kneel down and kowtow in the direction of Changmen.

"For the Village Chief’s wife to create such a marvelous thing, she truly is a celestial being descended to earth."

Listening to them vying to praise Feng Yun, Chunyu Yan’s face was cloudy with an indescribable feeling.

Could Feng Twelve’s words actually be feasible?

To make more money than doing business with the Yecheng Imperial Court?

Feng Twelve’s crazy ideas, one after the other?

Hmph!

He brushed his sleeve with a hint of disdain and said:

"Look at you acting like country bumpkins who have never seen the world. If you like them, go get more from the workshop, is it really worth such a fuss?"

Sang Jiao and Yin You stiffened their smiles.

But the servant happily bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Princely Heir, for your understanding!"

-

On the thirteenth of August, Wen Hui’s grand wedding took place.

In a display of sincerity, He Qia hosted a lavish wedding feast.

Invitations were sent to officials from the five counties of Xinzhou, leaders of the Northern Yong army, and the noble clans of Andu County.

The procession to welcome the bride stretched over two miles, with a total of one hundred and twenty dowry carriers. Such a spectacle and procession were impressive not just in Andu, but even back in the days of the Central Capital City, it would have been considered notable.

In the current troubled times, with all industries in decline and resources stretched thin, the ceremonies for joyous and somber events among ordinary families have become increasingly simplified, both in the North and South.

In an age when having enough to eat is a challenge, people save where they can.

The grand display by the He Family created quite a stir in Andu.

Feng Yun also prepared quite a dowry for Wen Hui, among which the most eye-catching was a carrier filled with uniformly sized coal balls.

Onlookers on the street, unfamiliar with the item, did not know what it was.

Thus, a villager from Huaxi Village came forward to explain.

The marvels of coal balls...

People were immensely curious.

This time, at Changmen’s celebration, the entire courtyard was set up with coal ball stoves, and coal balls were burned, allowing guests who came to partake in the wedding feast to witness the convenience of using coal balls.

Over at the He Family’s side, Feng Yun had long ago sent over the stoves and coal balls.

The He Family’s cooks were initially dubious but, after one trial, fell in love with them.

Consequently, the coal balls from Changmen became the highlight of the grand wedding feast.

Besides discussing the bride and the groom, people talked most about the use of these coal balls.

The emergence of any new thing inevitably brings a period of doubt.

Where there is admiration, there will naturally be criticism as well.

Feng Yun turned a deaf ear to those voices and, on the day of the wedding feast, in place of the "severely injured" Prince of Yonghuai, brought gifts to the He Family.

The weather was scorching hot. Many guests crowded by the pavilion by the water, seeking coolness. As Feng Yun passed through the garden and glanced around, she understood the situation.

Within the same banquet, countless circles would form.

Imperial kin had their own circle, military generals’ families had theirs, and a group of people revolved around the Princess.

Those from lesser houses could only find a cool place to stay and talk amongst themselves.

Upon Feng Yun’s arrival, quite a few people approached to pay their respect.

She offered a smiling response and made her way directly to the banquet hall.

The hall was filled with distinguished guests.

Not wishing to indulge in idle chatter and ready to take her seat, she caught sight of two people standing by the flower bushes behind the hall’s porch.

An elderly chubby woman and a young, handsome girl, dressed in a striking peach-pink light robe with her hair up in a bun, outshone everyone with her attire.

The old woman was speaking animatedly, completely unaware of Feng Yun’s presence.

"It’s all because Yang Deputy Director left us too soon, with no one to support his third daughter-in-law. Otherwise, how could a commoner steal her destined match and ascend to prominence like a phoenix?"

Yang’s third daughter-in-law hung her head, her expression one of dejection.

She had also witnessed the grandeur of the He Family’s wedding today.

It was even more prestigious and glorious than what she had once imagined marrying into the Li Family would have been.

Envy filled the eyes of Yang’s third daughter-in-law.

All this could have been hers.

But now, a flower pavilion singer had taken her place, enjoying such favor...

Her voice was low, with a hint of helpless sigh.

"Auntie, let’s not talk about this anymore. Today is my cousin’s day of joy—if people overhear us, they might think I’ve come here to ruin his marriage..."

"Third daughter-in-law, you are too good-hearted. If not for the relationship between his family and the Prince of Yonghuai, Yang Deputy Director would not have been marginalized by Prime Minister Li, nor would he have been shot dead in the imperial garden. Your family suffered on their behalf; now that they are prospering, how can they ignore you?"

Yang’s third daughter-in-law lowered her eyes and shook her head with a bitter smile.

"My ties with my cousin have long been cut. That the He Family is willing to shelter me is already a great mercy. How can I have any grand expectations? Auntie, please don’t say any more. They have the Prince of Yonghuai behind them—be careful not to bring calamity upon us..."

"What are you two discussing here?"

A soft and low voice, very pleasant to the ear, yet like a ladle of cold water in the height of summer, abruptly doused the two people.

Yang Lingxiang’s voice abruptly stopped.

The chubby old woman, too, was startled.

Conversing in secret, who would have thought they would be overheard?

"Who are you?"

The old woman had specifically come from Pingcheng to attend the wedding, a senior relation from He Qia’s own family. Known for her gossipy nature, she could turn a minor incident into public knowledge.

Though she was a relative, deep down she was unpleased to see the rise of He Qia and his son and resented their family’s elevated status through connection with the Prince of Yonghuai.

She had never met Feng Yun and did not recognize her.

Yang Lingxiang had seen Feng Yun from a distance outside the Governor’s Office but had not been introduced, and a brief glance had left little impression.

However, seeing Feng Yun’s imposing manner, she was very cautious and dared not speak much.

Feng Yun did not play coy.

She gave the old woman a cold glance and turned her gentle gaze towards Yang Lingxiang.

"This must be the Third Daughter-in-Law of the Yang Family from Xianzhou, correct? Indeed, one’s heart is captivated with but a single glance at such beauty."

No one dislikes being praised.

Yang Lingxiang relaxed her tense nerves.

"Which family does this sister belong to? Did we say something offensive just now?"

Feng Yun said, "Changmen’s Feng Yun at your service. I seek guidance from the third daughter-in-law."