A Grand Debut

Zhou Yao's mind was still racing when, before her eyes, the commander's blade had already flashed a sliver of white steel from its scabbard. But in the span of a single breath, the sword in his hand clattered to the ground.

"You useless bastard—get lost!" A gruff voice barked from afar. Before Zhou Yao could even react, the man who had been giving her trouble immediately withdrew.

Zhou Yao stepped out of the carriage and lifted her gaze toward the source of the voice.

Standing there was none other than Young General Sun—the very same man who had caught her red-handed that day when she'd been eavesdropping at Qi Manor and tried to duck away in a hurry.

He stared at Zhou Yao as if lost in thought. After a long moment, he scratched his head and let out an awkward chuckle. "Today's the Dragon Boat Festival—why are you heading out of the city?" The moment the words left his mouth, he seemed to realize how they sounded. "No, no—I didn't mean to pry into your whereabouts, miss. It's just... I... uh—"

"Ah, whatever! Just be on your way. Your carriage doesn't need to be inspected." He turned to the soldiers behind him and barked, "Let them pass!"

"Yes, sir!"

It wasn't until the carriage began to move that Zhou Yao finally registered that the crisis had passed. She hurriedly called back, "Thank you!"

But Young General Sun gave no reaction, as if he hadn't heard a thing.

Zhou Yao didn't understand why he'd helped her—not once, but twice. Perhaps he didn't know the inner workings of the Qi family and assumed they were all on the same side?

Or maybe Young General Sun was actually one of Qi Yanhan's men?

She wasn't sure.

But she would find out sooner or later.

And so Su'er managed to slip into Chang'an with Zhou Yao. Finding a new identity for her in the city was no small matter—though it wasn't exactly a monumental one either.

In recent years, the authorities had been strict about household registrations. Normally, retrieving such records required nothing more than a written request stamped with the princess's seal. But that was precisely the problem.

Zhou Yao's princess seal was currently in the hands of Consort Xi, along with her monthly stipend from the fiefdom.

Back when Zhou Yao's birth mother had passed away, the Emperor had placed her under Consort Xi's care. One might have assumed that an elderly consort would settle down and properly raise the young princess—but Consort Xi had paid nothing but lip service.

She pocketed the princess's allowance and the Emperor's gifts while completely neglecting Zhou Yao. In effect, Consort Xi had seized firm control over the last remaining scraps of Zhou Yao's personal wealth.

As a child, Zhou Yao had never been anyone's priority. She could always be found tucked away in the most remote corners of the palace. In a place where everyone clamored for power and influence, a child who enjoyed neither the Emperor's favor nor a consort's protection was worth even less than the pets kept by the Emperor's concubines.

Getting the princess seal back would not be easy. Zhou Yao propped her chin on one hand, her eyes dark with brooding thought.

Strictly speaking, the princess seal should have been returned to her upon her marriage. But Consort Xi had always cultivated a public image of benevolence and love. Zhou Yao had tried going directly to her father to explain the situation, but the result was always the same—either she was ignored entirely, or she was punished with copying texts and branded as an immature, troublesome child.

Struck by setbacks in life, career, and relationships all at once, even Zhou Yao's formidable resilience was starting to crack.

The moment the carriage stopped in front of Golden Curtain Terrace, Zhou Yao set aside all other concerns. She returned to the courtyard and sat alone in silence.

She stayed there until the moonlight grew hazy and the night dew grew heavy.

Until the moon hung high overhead, its reflection shimmering on the water's surface. Until the beagle fell quiet. Until the cicadas in the trees fell silent. Zhou Yao sat there all the while, without moving a muscle.

She sat in the courtyard through the entire night, appearing from a distance to be simply lost in thought—but she alone knew it was the pent-up frustration of these past days, how everything had gone wrong.

That monk had been unreliable after all. He'd said the fifth day of the fifth month was an auspicious day for opening a business... Zhou Yao thought to herself—a bunch of charlatans, every last one of them. One of these days, she'd tear down every scam operation in the city.

Zhou Yao fixed her gaze on a single spot, watching until the moon descended, the rooster crowed, and the sun was just about to rise. Then she thought: Golden Curtain Terrace is due for another opening.

After the people who had caused trouble at Golden Curtain Terrace yesterday, who would still dare to show up at the shop today?

There wasn't even a dog in sight.

The only exception, perhaps, was the beagle who specialized in wrecking the place.

For days on end, no matter how Golden Curtain Terrace advertised, not a single customer came through the doors. Business was dismal, and every daily report showed losses. Zhou Yao knew this couldn't go on.

If business didn't pick up, she'd have no money.

And if she had no money, she couldn't repay the debt she owed Qi Yanhan.

With that thought weighing on her, she grew even more miserable.

She kept to her room all day, and at night she'd sit alone in the courtyard again—not crying, not throwing a tantrum, just sitting quietly.

Then one day, the beagle, in the middle of its wild sprint across the courtyard's gravel, accidentally knocked over a piece of glassware. The sharp, shattering sound of glass exploding on the ground jolted Zhou Yao out of her stupor.

It was like waking from a daze—the haze of those aimless days. She finally called Cui Wei into her room.

She had Cui Wei help her dress and fix her hair. She was going to the palace!

Since she was entering the palace, Zhou Yao styled her hair in the married-woman's bun and carefully followed protocol in her jewelry and adornments.

She packed thirty sets of multicolored glass teacups, fifteen jade-green glass bracelets, six gold-washed glass necklaces, and four jade-imitation glass vases, each stored separately in sandalwood jewelry boxes and loaded onto the carriage.

After passing through the guards' inspection and reporting her arrival, Zhou Yao successfully brought the glassware into the palace. She first went to the Empress's residence in the north, announced her visit, and had a servant relay word of her arrival.

The person who emerged from the Pepper Chamber was the Empress's personal attendant—Aunt An.

When Zhou Yao saw her, she knew with certainty that the Empress was willing to see her.

After all, glassware was a rare treasure even for the ladies of the palace.

Glass was even more delicate than jade, and transporting it from the Western Regions to Chang'an required a journey of ten thousand li or more—very few pieces survived the trip intact.

They were truly treasures that could only be encountered by chance, never sought.

Once they arrived at the palace, one piece went to the Emperor, one to the treasury, and one to the Empress—after that, there was basically nothing left.

By replicating that craft now, Zhou Yao was confident she held a certain bargaining chip in her hands.

She presented a full set of each glass item she'd brought as gifts to the Empress.

Unhurriedly, Zhou Yao picked up her teacup and took a small, delicate sip of the tea the Empress had graciously bestowed.

"Your daughter knows that Mother is always well-read and knowledgeable," Zhou Yao said. A faint smile had lingered at the corners of her lips ever since she'd entered the hall—the kind of smile that instantly conveyed respect, neither fawning nor proud, perfectly measured. "When these treasures came into my hands by chance a few days ago, my first thought was to bring them to Mother for your inspection."

She glanced at Cui Wei, who understood the cue and presented the prepared items to Aunt An, who then personally placed them on the table before the Empress.

"I'd been worried that dropping in on Mother without prior notice might seem too abrupt," Zhou Yao continued, "but keeping such precious items in my possession without presenting them would have felt improper as well."

Her gaze rested on the table before her, but her peripheral vision remained fixed on the Empress's movements.

She watched the Empress reach out and pick up a multicolored glass teacup, a flicker of surprise flashing through her eyes before being quickly masked.

Only then did Zhou Yao reveal a confident smile, feigning ignorance as she asked, "Mother's understanding of these items runs far deeper than mine. You must have a truly discerning eye."

"No need for flattery," the Empress finally spoke. "Yao'er, I know why you've come today."

"Since you already know, I won't beat around the bush either." Zhou Yao's smile faded. "Mother, if you know I've come for the princess seal, then why not refuse me from the very start?"

The Empress let out a sigh, closing her eyes for a moment before speaking. "Consort Xi is advanced in years. If I were to help you, what would become of her if she couldn't bear it?"

"She's endured all these years already. In my view, waiting a while longer wouldn't hurt..." The Empress waved a dismissive hand. "I cannot help you. Take your things back."

"No need." Zhou Yao set down her teacup. "I said these are gifts for Mother, and I mean to keep my word. And it's not just these."

She had Cui Wei present the Empress with the inventory list she'd prepared earlier, smiling as she said, "All the glassware on this list shall be left in Mother's hands as well."

"I'll settle for less—I only ask for one thing that you, Mother, can grant me with a single word."

The value of all this glassware was considerable; even the Empress couldn't help but be pleased.

She looked at Zhou Yao. "What is it?"

"Only a piece of calligraphy from Mother's own brush."

The Empress seemed taken aback by Zhou Yao's request, raising an eyebrow in surprise. In the end, she picked up her brush and wrote out a piece for Zhou Yao.

Having obtained the calligraphy, Zhou Yao didn't rush to leave the palace. Instead, she distributed generous sums of money to tip the attendants throughout the various palaces, sparing no expense.

Cui Wei had been tense since entering the palace, her expression strained the entire time. Only after they'd stepped out through the palace gates did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Madam, what are you trying to do? Why would you trade so many valuable items for just one piece of the Empress's calligraphy?" Cui Wei simply couldn't understand. But Zhou Yao took her by the hand with one arm and raised the other hand to her lips in a shushing gesture.

"Careful—walls have ears," Zhou Yao cautioned. "Get in the carriage first. I'll explain on the way."

After leaving the palace, the carriage carried the two of them all the way to the temple where Zhou Yao had been swindled before the Dragon Boat Festival opening.

"Oh! I get it now." Cui Wei's eyes lit up. "Madam wants to give that swindling old monk a piece of your mind. Are we going to beat them up, or should we tear this place down? They caused Madam so much trouble last time—this time, I can help!"

Zhou Yao let out a sigh, looking at Cui Wei, who was either genuinely clueless or playfully feigning ignorance just to mock her.

"Do you remember what the man who swindled us looked like?"

"Of course, of course." Cui Wei nodded immediately.

"Go and summon him. From the look of him, he's the kind who'll spill everything for a bit of coin." Zhou Yao crossed her arms, deep in thought. "Buy off a few of them. When the time comes, Golden Curtain Terrace is going to put on quite a show."

Cui Wei nodded and went to carry out Zhou Yao's orders. True to Zhou Yao's prediction, those men turned out to be impostors posing as monks. The real monks had actually left on a pilgrimage years ago, and the temple had been sitting empty ever since. These interlopers had moved in and made themselves at home.

After sprucing the place up and opening it to the public, they'd been running their scam under the banner of Fahua Temple.

Zhou Yao was surprised at how easily Cui Wei had gotten the information. Cui Wei giggled. "It's all thanks to Madam's generosity—before long, those fake monks confessed everything and agreed to help us!"

Zhou Yao nodded. All that remained was to wait for the right day to set their plan in motion...

Ever since buying off the fake monks, Zhou Yao had kept completely still, letting her opponents think she'd truly backed down. Then, when they least expected it, she sent people throughout the city beating drums and gongs to spread the news far and wide.

So they'd piled up a stock of porcelain they couldn't sell, had they?

Well, she'd give them a helping hand.

Zhou Yao was selling porcelain too—and she was selling it at even lower prices, with even finer craftsmanship!

Following the same routine as the Dragon Boat Festival opening, Zhou Yao had prepared red silk to cover the shop's plaque. Firecrackers and suona horns blared in unison across all of Chang'an.

The opening spectacle rivaled any wedding procession! Naturally, it drew a crowd of onlookers, though most of them were pointing and whispering about Zhou Yao. Still, there were those waiting to see what would happen next.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Zhou Yao announced, "Today, Golden Curtain Terrace reopens its doors! It is my great honor to share that the glassware showcased here at Golden Curtain Terrace has earned the appreciation and recognition of Her Majesty the Empress herself. With that in mind, I specially obtained a special favor on behalf of Golden Curtain Terrace."

Zhou Yao clapped her hands, and her servants displayed the calligraphy bearing the Empress's personal brushwork before the hall. Written upon it were the words—"Clear within and without, upright and honorable."

"Any customer who spends ten thousand strings of cash at Golden Curtain Terrace today may ascend to the second floor to select premium glassware," Zhou Yao declared. "And any customer whose cumulative spending at our establishment reaches fifty thousand taels of gold shall be granted the honor of ascending to the very top to view the Empress's calligraphy up close!"

After she finished speaking, many among the crowd before Golden Curtain Terrace exchanged glances and began murmuring amongst themselves.

But before they could make their decision, the fake monks Zhou Yao had hired appeared, draped in kasayas and clutching imitation ritual implements, each holding up a single hand pressed before their lips. They formed a circle around the center of Golden Curtain Terrace and sat down cross-legged, heads bowed slightly, chanting in a jumble of unintelligible syllables that left the crowd baffled.

Seeing that the onlookers were still half-puzzled, Zhou Yao seized the moment and added, "I've specially invited these masters to perform a blessing for the customers of Golden Curtain Terrace! Any guest who makes a purchase here today is guaranteed smooth sailing in all affairs, success in the imperial examinations for the students among you, safe childbirth for the mothers-to-be, flourishing wealth, and good fortune in everything!"

"And today," Zhou Yao continued, furrowing her brows and making a show of reluctance, "Golden Curtain Terrace is offering a special deal on our premium porcelain. To be honest, I didn't really want to sell these—every piece was meant for the palace. But Her Majesty the Empress, in her benevolence, has graciously permitted me to sell them here at Golden Curtain Terrace."

"Long live the Empress!" someone in the crowd shouted enthusiastically, and soon others joined in—"Her Majesty is truly benevolent!"

Seeing her gambit had worked, Zhou Yao beamed. "In that case, to celebrate the reopening of Golden Curtain Terrace today, let's make a loss-leading sale to all our guests here, consider it my way of making friends with each and every one of you!"

"Yes!"

"Madam, stop talking and let us in already!"

"That's right, that's right—we've all been waiting!"

Among the gathered crowd, more than a few were growing heated with excitement. After the whole performance, they were all clamoring to buy. Seeing that no one seemed to be feigning interest, Zhou Yao lifted the red cloth from the plaque.

From this moment onward, Golden Curtain Terrace was officially open for business.