The merchant's rebirth led to the complete downfall of the Marquis's mansion.

There was still no news from Chen Yiru, and Qin Yao could do nothing but worry.

Liu Qingping made a promise and acted as the go-between, telling Qin Yao to wait for news. Qin Yao then felt relieved and continued with her own business.

The weather is gradually getting cooler, and she'll be busy again.

So many ice cream shops need to do something else to make a living.

Inspired by the roadside vendors, Qin suggested that they change their drinks from iced to ice-free, and then sell hot drinks in the winter.

As the weather gets cooler, the need for water will decrease, so Qin Yao asked them to sell some food as well.

This way, the main business won't be affected, and these shops won't lose money.

Without further ado, Qin Yao and Granny Zhao discussed the matter and proposed that Sanqi, who was still in charge of the estate, be the manager of these small shops, and they began to make arrangements.

……

Qin Yao already knew where Jiang Xiaoxiao had gone.

It is a famous courtesan-running establishment in Kyoto.

She hasn't reached marriageable age yet, so she won't be branded with a plaque, but she'll likely face a lot of unbearable humiliation.

Qin Yao wasn't in the mood to pay attention. The only people in the Jiang family she needed to focus on right now were Jiang Su and Jiang Liu, but unfortunately, the two of them seemed to have vanished into thin air.

The people she sent out made no progress whatsoever.

However, she still had some vague suspicions in her mind.

She made her move multiple times, so Jiang Su must have guessed something. His disappearance was most likely to hide and wait for an opportunity to strike.

The world is so big, if he really hides in some remote corner, it will be really hard to find him.

Xiao Wu volunteered, also hoping to make amends, and took the initiative to find Jiang Su and the other person.

Liu Da also sent portraits of Jiang Su and Jiang Liu to various Qin family businesses, telling them to keep an eye out.

Jiang Liu and Jiang Su settled down in Wangjia Village, which is far from Kyoto.

The two fabricated a tragic backstory about their journey to the capital for the imperial examinations, successfully gaining the village chief's permission to stay.

Jiang Liu paid money to rent an uninhabited thatched hut in the village where Jiang Su studied, and he took care of Jiang Su's daily life.

Having bought two acres of poor land, Jiang Liu planned to work hard to support the two of them.

This way, they can avoid being investigated by the people behind the scenes. As long as Jiang Su passes the imperial examination in three years, no one will dare to make things difficult for them.

Even those with power and influence still need to be careful.

After the two settled down, their lives became increasingly difficult, and they had less and less money, so much so that the plan to pick up Jiang Xiaoxiao and Liu Shi was put on hold.

Their lives in the city are certainly better than theirs in the countryside.

With this in mind, they didn't inquire about Liu's life until the exam opportunity arrived.

They were unaware that Liu had long since passed away.

Jiang Xiaoxiao had already started offering her services...

……

The Qin family's business continued smoothly, and recently, with the Empress Dowager's birthday approaching, orders had increased significantly.

Jewelry and clothes must be replaced for those attending palace banquets.

Families with their own embroiderers also need to buy fabrics, while the Qin family's products, whether jewelry or fabrics and clothing, are all top-notch.

These are the top choices for these distinguished people.

Granny Zhao has been extremely busy lately, collecting rent and managing the shop.

Qin Yao also specially asked Qiu Liu to go and help, and also told Granny Zhao to take care of her health.

She's good at giving advice and suggestions, but there are some things she still needs Zhao Mama's help with.

Although the authorities did not prohibit women from showing their faces in public and even established female households, it was ultimately a male-dominated world.

Women still face many inconveniences.

After reviewing the accounts for several days, Qin Yao decided to check them again after this busy period and sent Erjiu to inform her.

She was confident in the accounts of the shops right under her nose in Kyoto, but she was worried about the shops further away.

Because those shops were far apart, either Qin's father's trusted uncles or the elders of the Qin family were helping out.

Most of them submit their accounts every six months or a year.

There's definitely some exaggeration involved, but she doesn't know how much.

Even in her past life, she only had Jiang Liu and the others investigate a few places.

With the help of the Marquis's mansion, those with disloyal intentions were finally suppressed.

Right now, she's barely managed to stabilize her business in Kyoto.

The road ahead is still long and arduous.

Moreover, since she hasn't married yet and has even broken off her engagement, her uncles and brothers who were sent away by her father are probably already eyeing her.

She had to quicken her pace and put an end to their plans as soon as possible.

Thinking of this, Qin Yao took out the jade pendant that the princess had given her.

The imperial court stipulated that women should not marry after reaching the age of marriage and should not have any family ties.

Alternatively, a woman may apply for a female household registration if she is a widow with no brothers or is too young to live with.

The Qin family has many collateral branches! She clearly doesn't fit the bill, but what if she could?

Thinking about the message she received yesterday, she still wanted to give it a try.

Applying for a female household registration is always better than just finding any man or handing over the family business to someone else!

The carriage stopped at the Princess's residence. Without sending an invitation beforehand, Qin Yao stood at the door and waited.

Soon, Liu Qingping came out.

Qin Yao thought she was there to pick her up and was about to go forward when Liu Qingping pulled her aside.

"I just heard..."

Liu Qingping felt like an outsider; every time someone came to the princess's mother's courtyard, she would be driven out.

Even her brother is one of them.

Just now, she pressed herself against the window like a thief and managed to hear something useful.

The news came from Yinzhou. The riots were quite serious and had affected several surrounding counties.

Two county government offices have been stormed and vandalized by rioters, and the county magistrates have been arrested.

The surrounding counties were filled with fear, and everyone wanted to pack their things and flee.

When they couldn't find it, the mob suddenly stopped moving and even sent people out to negotiate.

The peace talks have been going on for half a month now, and maybe an agreement has already been reached. The next news we'll hear is good news about successfully calming down these mobs.

Qin Yao was genuinely happy.

"That means Sister Chen and the others are safe! That's great news!"

For the couple, and for the people who had no choice but to rise up in rebellion.

"Who says otherwise! By the way, didn't I tell you last time that Princess Jing'an's fiancé was sent to Yinzhou? Somehow she found out and even wanted to send people to rescue him..."

Even Liu Qingping, a half-baked expert, was speechless.

What kind of place is that? Even the Third Prince's uncle went there with his personal guards. She still wants to go? Isn't she courting death?

Besides, what good would it do for her to go?

Don't provoke people and make things worse.

Of course, she didn't make it. Before she even left the palace, the Imperial Concubine and her men came and slapped her a few times before taking her back.

The emperor was naturally displeased when he found out, but since the child was his favorite, he couldn't bear to punish him severely and simply confined him to his quarters.

Just then, the gatekeeper came over, and the old woman beside her walked up to Qin Yao and the other woman.

"Miss Qin! The Princess requests your presence!"

Liu Qingping quickly stepped back, "I'll wait for you inside!"

Qin Yao watched as Liu Qingping lifted her skirt and ran inside before following the nanny into the princess's residence.