Lady Hou is reborn and, by pampering her illegitimate son, reclaims her life of wealth and privilege

Jiang Huaiyu and Wei Fenghui exchanged a meaningful glance, both keenly noticing the unusual tone in Wei Fengyun's words.

Jiang Huaiyu pressed on, "Who is my child's boss?"

After a moment's thought, Wei Fengyun replied, "It's Mai Yufeng."

Jiang Huaiyu frowned slightly, pondering to himself that the name seemed rather familiar.

“Cuiying, go and tell Steward Zheng to investigate Mai Yufeng’s background thoroughly and find out what kind of family he comes from.”

After receiving the order, Cuiying hurriedly went to Steward Zheng to inquire about the situation.

The next day arrived in the blink of an eye. Jiang Huaiyu's leg injury had largely healed. He got up early and took Cuiying and Lüxiu to Xiaoxiang Street to check on the progress of the renovation of the two shops there.

After much deliberation, Jiang Huaiyu finally made up his mind to abandon his original plan to open a brothel. He knew that if he were to get involved in this business, he would undoubtedly be competing with the Princess for resources, which would be somewhat like crossing the river and burning the bridge, especially since he had already established a cooperative relationship with the Princess. He thought to himself that if it were his past self, he might have done so without hesitation, but in this life, he was kind-hearted and determined to become a virtuous gentleman.

Therefore, Jiang Huaiyu decided to transform one shop into a restaurant and the other into a comprehensive store that integrates clothing, cosmetics, and jewelry.

He knew perfectly well that once brothels lined the street, the demand for these products from the women there would be booming. And those who came to please these women would also become his customers, so he wasn't worried at all about slow business.

The restaurant was named "Yin Taibai" and its interior layout was carefully designed: the third floor was for guest rooms, the second floor was for private rooms, the first floor was for the lobby and kitchen, and there was a small courtyard at the back for the staff to live in.

As for the other shop, Jiang Huaiyu planned to name it "Hanfang." The first floor would specialize in jewelry, the second floor in clothing and fabrics, and the third floor in cosmetics and beauty services. Customers could purchase skincare products on the third floor and then enjoy beauty services directly within the shop—a service specifically targeted at the women of brothels. After all, what woman isn't afraid of aging, especially those who rely on their looks?

In addition, Jiang Huaiyu also plans to quickly train a group of maids to be specifically responsible for the service work of "Han Yi Fang" in order to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the store.

Jiang Huaiyu hung an eye-catching recruitment notice in front of Hanyifang, stating that he needed to recruit a young woman between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five, with preference given to those with long, slender fingers and delicate skin. The job would pay three taels of silver per month.

Shops in the capital city generally paid their employees only one tael of silver per month, while Jiang Huaiyu offered three taels of silver per month, which was obviously because he had very strict requirements for job seekers.

The job posting immediately attracted a large number of job seekers, but only four were ultimately selected.

With Han Yi Fang's opening imminent, less than two months was ample time for selecting and training new employees. Therefore, Jiang Huaiyu entrusted this recruitment matter to the experienced Granny Wu.

The backyard of Han Yi Fang will become a future training base, where Jiang Huaiyu plans to provide systematic training to the future employees.

As night fell, Jiang Huaiyu returned to the Marquis's residence, where Steward Zheng had been waiting for some time and came to report on the matters Jiang Huaiyu had entrusted to him a few days earlier.

"Reporting to Madam, Mai Yufeng is a distant relative of the Marquis of Changtai's family. He is the son of the Marquis of Changtai's cousin. The Marquis of Changtai's family also provided strong support for his entry into the Fujian Division back then."

A look of sudden realization flashed in Jiang Huaiyu's eyes. The Mai family of Marquis Changtai—she remembered the name; it seemed somewhat familiar. However, a wave of worry washed over her. There was already a subtle tension between her and the Marquis Changtai's household. In her past life, she had repeatedly mocked the Marquis Changtai's family, and after her husband's death, Lady Mai of the Marquis Changtai had gloated, even openly making disrespectful remarks at the funeral, which Jiang Huaiyu had sharply refuted.

Thinking of her son falling into Mai Yufeng's hands, Jiang Huaiyu felt extremely anxious. She knew that her son was kind-hearted and even a little naive, almost unaware of others' malice, and often used without realizing it.

"Steward Zheng, given the delicate relationship between the Marquis of Changtai's mansion and us, I am worried that Mai Yufeng will be detrimental to the Crown Prince. I wonder if we could ask Lord Yao to intervene and help the Crown Prince switch to another team?"

After pondering for a long time, Steward Zheng frowned and said, "Madam, we already owe Lord Yao a favor for bringing the young master into the Sword-Binding Division last time."

Jiang Huaiyu keenly grasped the deeper meaning in Steward Zheng's words. She knew that although Commander Yao of the Fujian Division and her own Marquis had fought side by side in the past, time had passed and frequent disturbances were not the best policy.

"Steward Zheng, then I'll trouble you to investigate carefully and find out which commander or centurion in the Fujian Division has extensive connections and can make an exception. Problems that can be solved with money are nothing to worry about."

Steward Zheng hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking, "Madam, the shops we recently purchased have not yet opened, and the household accounts are almost empty, with only four thousand taels of silver remaining. I'm afraid we won't be able to cope."

Jiang Huaiyu frowned, her heart in turmoil. If she waited another two months until Xiaoxiang Pavilion opened, the shops she had purchased in advance would bring in a considerable income. However, Wei Fengyun's days at Fujian Division during those two months would surely be agonizing.

If this matter were to be resolved immediately, the only option would be to continue pawning her dowry. However, most of the most valuable items in her dowry had already been pawned, and what remained were only some small trinkets, each worth at most one or two thousand taels.

The Emperor's recent rewards have mostly consisted of jewelry, silks, and satins, but no gold or silver. Although these imperial gifts are quite valuable, they cannot be converted into cash; doing so would be a capital offense.

"Steward Zheng, what should we do?"

Steward Zheng pondered for a moment before saying, "This... Madam, allow me to investigate further for a few more days to see if I can find other ways to solve this problem."

Jiang Huaiyu nodded gently, her face showing gratitude: "Then I'll leave it to you, Butler Zheng."

Steward Zheng respectfully clasped his hands in greeting and replied, "Madam, you flatter me. It is my duty to share your burdens and solve your problems."

Jiang Huaiyu sighed softly, his heart filled with helplessness. Although the title was high, the lack of real power made the position of the Jiaxing Marquis's Mansion increasingly awkward. Those forces that used to be attached to the Jiaxing Marquis's Mansion now dared to openly provoke them. It was truly a sign of the changing times.

……

The autumn wind suddenly rose, the drizzle had just stopped, and a chill permeated the air.

Yesterday's light rain did not seem to dispel the gloom on the horizon. Today, the sky is still full of dark clouds, like a richly colored painting, making it almost impossible to breathe.

Steward Zheng, carrying an oil-paper umbrella, hurried towards Han Yi Fang, anxiously searching for Jiang Huaiyu, who was instructing the maids.

Seeing the solemn expression on Steward Zheng's face, Jiang Huaiyu felt a sense of unease. "Steward Zheng, what happened that makes you so anxious?"

Steward Zheng revealed anxiously, "The unfortunate news is that the Crown Prince has been detained in the Ministry of Justice prison."