Accidentally dressed as an empress

Just as Butler Li was sighing and wondering how to return to the mansion to report, a woman wearing the clothes of a maid from the Grand Princess's Mansion and with a beauty mole on her forehead appeared.

She introduced herself, "My name is Ren Li, and I'm a maid in the mansion's study. I have a way to sell these handkerchiefs."

Su Qing felt that she looked familiar, so he asked, "Do you really have a solution?"

Ren Li nodded, and the three of them went to the door of the largest rouge and powder shop in Yuncheng together.

Ren Li said to the fat shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, I can help you sell more rouge. But there is one condition: you have to buy my handkerchiefs."

The fat shopkeeper stroked his mustache and said, "I'll buy as many handkerchiefs as you can sell for me."

Ren Li directly discussed the price and said, "I'll buy it for half the price of the cheapest rouge you have here."

"Are you planning to rob me? This is the best rouge and powder shop in Lingyun City. We get our goods from the Kingdom of Yan. The cheapest rouge costs two taels of silver a box."

"How are your sales?" Ren Li asked.

The shopkeeper's face turned ugly.

Ren Li gave him an enigmatic smile. "I have a way to increase sales. Besides, if my method doesn't work, you won't lose anything."

"Okay, let's try it."

Ren Li folded his arms across his chest and said, "Words are not enough, sign and seal it."

Ren Li got the signature and shouted at the door, "Buy rouge and get a handkerchief for free~"

It attracted many male guests to watch.

"Buy rouge and get a free handkerchief. No price increase. First come, first served. While stocks last. Don't miss it if you're passing by."

Zhong Yi asked the two young men from the Zhong family and Lin Ziqi to go shopping together. Zhong Yi had been quietly watching Su Qing and the others and found that no one was interested in their goods.

Then, a maid came out from the corner of the street and took Su Qing and others to the Yanlingfang rouge shop.

Zhong Yi followed and pushed through the crowd to enter the shop. He did not look at the housekeeper Su Qingli, but picked up a box of rouge worth two taels of silver. The other three also picked up a box of rouge worth two taels of silver.

After paying the bill, Zhong Yi was mainly supporting His Highness. However, when he saw the magnolia handkerchief, he still felt a little angry.

Her Highness decided to sell him, the one she had given him.

"You can choose your own handkerchief pattern~ Thank you for your patronage~"

Zhong Yi quickly picked up the magnolia handkerchief, which he embroidered for His Highness and was of great significance.

Zhong Yi was the oldest brother in the Zhong family and the least fond of dressing up. He normally never asked them out shopping, but since they had a rare date, he naturally wanted to honor them. Besides, he didn't have to pay for it himself.

Lin Ziqi is not old enough to love beauty, but he is a follower. He will do whatever his brother Zhong Yi does.

With three handsome men taking the lead, several more customers followed suit and bought things.

Ren Li struck while the iron was hot and hawked his wares even more enthusiastically, "Buy a box and try it out. It's a great deal, buy one, get two for the price. Look at the color and texture. If you apply it, you'll become as beautiful as him."

While strolling around, Liu Jin immediately spotted Su Qing, the charioteer driving the eldest princess, standing at the entrance of Yanlingfang, looking like a door god. He also spotted Zhong Yi and the others, and began to compare them.

Liu Jin shouted, "What kind of rouge can make you more beautiful if you apply it? I want to see it."

There was a burst of excitement in the crowd, "It's Young Master Liu! Young Master Liu is so beautiful!"

Liu Jin was wearing an apricot pink dress and a peach blossom hairpin on her head. She looked arrogant and proud. "Give it to me, let me try it."

Liu Jin opened a box of rouge and applied it directly to her face with her fingers. After applying, she put her hands down and said, "It's just so-so, nothing special."

There was a gasp from the crowd, "Her face is like a peach blossom..."

"She is truly more beautiful than flowers..."

Several men rushed forward, "Buy, buy, buy... I want the box in Mr. Liu's hand."

"I also want!"

"I also want!"

Liu Jin originally intended to cause trouble, but accidentally ended up advertising.

Zhong Yi was not a person who liked crowds, so he had already quietly blended into the crowd and walked away.

Seeing that all the handkerchiefs were sold, Ren Li said, "Today's promotion ends here."

When the fat shopkeeper saw that she had actually sold all thirty boxes of rouge, his face changed and he turned against her, saying, "Without the seal, it doesn't count."

Su Qing drew his sword straight out of its sheath, "You're not keeping your word!"

The shopkeeper shouted, "The nobles are oppressing the small vendors!"

Su Qing was forced to put away his sword. Ren Li said, "Boss, can you please excuse me for a moment?"

Ren Li whispered, "You're not using ingredients from Yan State at all. Yan State's rouge is made from the juice of cinnabar flowers, without any other ingredients added. And yours clearly tastes like cinnabar."

Ren Li paused. "If you don't want to ruin your reputation, settle the handkerchief debt with us. Thirty taels of silver."

The fat shopkeeper laughed and said, "Go ahead and say it, will anyone believe it?"

Ren Li flashed a nameplate from his sleeve and said, "Whether anyone believes it or not is secondary. But if your cinnabar supply runs out, what will you use to make fake rouge?"

Ren Li smiled, "How does the shopkeeper choose?"

The shopkeeper looked dejected.

Ren Li took the purse containing thirty taels of silver and gave it to Su Qing for safekeeping.

Su Qing curiously asked the strange maid, "How do you know about cinnabar?"

Ren Li said, "My family sells cinnabar. I've been smelling that scent since I was a child. It makes me want to vomit after smelling it for too long."

Su Qing nodded silently. Steward Li didn't understand cinnabar so he didn't respond. The three of them walked towards the eldest princess's residence together.

When Su Qing returned to the mansion and saw Yunxiu, he handed over the thirty taels of silver without moving a cent, and told her what had happened. When Su Qing said that the Ren Li family sold cinnabar, could it be the Ren family in Liyang City?

Yun Xiu smiled slightly and said, "Very good, call Ren Li and bring Butler Li along."

Yunxiu rewarded Steward Li and Su Qing with two taels of silver each. Yunxiu said, "Ren Li has made the greatest contribution, so I'll give him ten taels."

Ren Li refused to accept it, so Yun Xiu pulled Ren Li's arm and stuffed it directly into her hands.

Yunxiu returned to the study and took out another eight taels of silver. She said to Zhong Yi, "I'll reimburse you for the eight taels you spent."

Zhong Yi said, "I don't want it. It's just a trivial matter."

Yunxiu said in a firm tone, "Just take it if I give it to you. The Grand Princess's Mansion is not so poor that it needs your subsidy."

Zhong Yi pursed his lips and smiled, saying, "Well, I will listen to your Highness."

Yunxiu cleared her throat, and Zhong Yi handed her the magnolia handkerchief again, saying, "Your Highness, this is a token of my love. Please keep it."

Yunxiu didn't refuse and stuffed the handkerchief into her arms. She pulled Zhong Yi into her arms as well, stroked his hair, and asked, "What fun things are you doing shopping in Lingyun City today?"

Zhong Yi's breath was unsteady as he said, "There are quite a few acrobatics on the streets of East City."

Yunxiu said, "I have a day off tomorrow, so I'll go shopping with you. If you find anything you like, just buy it and I'll pay."

Zhong Yi nodded.