Returning to Chang'an

"Is it truly your late mother's keepsake?"

Qi Yanhan smiled at Zhou Yao. "I appreciate Your Highness's kind offer. A gentleman does not take what another treasures. It's just that this jade pendant..."

"I'll do my best to compensate you," Zhou Yao said, frowning with frustration.

"That's not what I meant." His smile deepened. He lowered his gaze to the broken jade on the ground, his lashes veiling the glint of satisfaction in his eyes. When he looked up again, his eyes brimmed with sorrow. "This jade is a keepsake from my late mother. Now that it's been destroyed..."

The man shook his head, his forlorn demeanor weighing heavier on Zhou Yao's conscience.

"This is my fault since I caused the pendant to shatter. I didn't realize it was so precious. I'll do everything I can to make it up to you—if there's anything you need my help with, just tell me."

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. I've been pressed by my elders to marry for quite some time now. If Your Highness doesn't mind, could you help shield me from their urgings while we're in the capital?" Qi Yanhan still wore that familiar, hypocritical smile.

She gritted her teeth and agreed, thinking it would make up for the broken pendant. She gathered the fragments from the ground, hoping she might find a way to repair it once back in the capital.

But what she didn't know was the calculation running through Qi Yanhan's mind.

That jade pendant was nothing more than an ordinary piece—not his mother's keepsake at all. It was merely a piece of jade with particularly fine water quality...

The journey back to Chang'an went smoothly, and within half a month, they arrived.

"Thank you for bringing back the intelligence, Your Highness. I've already arranged an inn in the capital—you may rest here for now."

Zhou Yao nodded. "Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Qi. However, I have no intention of returning to the palace at the moment."

"That's only natural. If Your Highness encounters any difficulties, please feel free to come to Qi Manor for help. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave."

He left with Duyun, and in the room, only she and the beagle remained. A sudden emptiness settled over her.

The beagle stayed with her in the room for several days. Each day, the inn's waiter brought meals upstairs, and her silver coins were sufficient. But one day, Qi Yanhan summoned her to discuss important matters, and when she returned, the dresser and furniture in the room had been utterly destroyed by the beagle.

Everywhere she looked, there were messes the beagle had left behind. The creature's boundless energy had wrought all this destruction.

An unpleasant odor lingered in the room. She stared in despair at the beagle rolling on the floor.

Zhou Yao began to regret not taking the beagle out to burn off its energy, stupidly believing it wouldn't tear the place apart.

The beagle's once soft, fragrant pink paws had turned yellow, and its formerly fluffy fur was now matted into clumps.

The source of the stench—Zhou Yao seemed to have found it.

A surge of anger choked her breath. Before she could react, the soiled beagle came running toward her.

"Don't, don't come near me! Aah!"

Zhou Yao was wearing cumbersome layers that day, making it hard to move quickly. Before she could turn away, the beagle pounced on her, knocking her to the ground.

In a state of utter collapse, she could only call for hot water to bathe and change. The innkeeper stood nearby, tapping away at his abacus, the beads clacking sharply.

The cost of the damaged tables, chairs, tea sets, room decorations, and more were all tallied.

"That comes to three strings and eighty wen in total. When will the lady settle the bill?"

The innkeeper's smiling face made Zhou Yao feel rather embarrassed.

She couldn't very well admit she didn't have enough copper coins on her!

She pulled the innkeeper aside to a quieter spot to negotiate. "Sir, you see, I've just arrived in the capital and am a bit short on funds. Let me give you three hundred wen now and write you an IOU for the rest. I'll settle it as soon as I can."

The innkeeper stroked his little mustache, gave Zhou Yao an up-and-down look, and pondered for a moment before reluctantly agreeing. "Fine, but don't you dare welch on this."

After writing the IOU, Zhou Yao resolved to take the beagle out and find some work. At this rate, that hound would tear the entire inn down.

The next morning, the Western Market buzzed with lively energy—crowds bustling, a cacophony of noise and commerce.

"Excuse me, are you still hiring?" Zhou Yao walked into a teahouse to ask.

"No, no openings."

A second shop, a flower vendor. "We're fully staffed."

Rejected by several places in a row, a thought stirred in Zhou Yao's mind. In the Western Regions, there had been all sorts of fresh fruits and vegetables she'd never even heard of back in Chang'an. If she set up her own stall at the Western Market...

She hurried to a pawnshop and pawned the jade pendant she had worn since childhood for gold and silver, then went to the foreign merchants' market to buy some fruit and vegetables.

"Come take a look! Fresh fruits from the Western Regions, delicious and tasty!"

Passersby stopped now and then, but only for a moment before moving on.

Zhou Yao thought: this won't do.

She glanced at the grapes and guavas on her stall. The grapes were plump and round, glossy and translucent like Hetian jade. The guavas had golden skins, some with a hint of red showing through.

The appearance was flawless.

Her eyes fell on the beagle, its front paws resting on the table as it snuck a bite. She brought her fist down on its head.

"Werwerwer!" The discontented beagle began to howl, drawing a crowd of onlookers.

A plan formed in Zhou Yao's mind.

"Dear customers, today I'm selling Western Region fruits at the market. Everyone is welcome to line up for a taste test. If it's not good, it's free!"

This announcement attracted quite a crowd, and Zhou Yao guided them to form a line one by one.

She placed grapes and peeled guavas in earthenware bowls, handing each person one to sample.

The grapes' sweet-and-sour flavor and rich fragrance quickly won over the hearts of many townsfolk.

The guavas, with their many seeds and little flesh, along with their steep price, didn't sell much by day's end.

As the sun set, Zhou Yao counted the coins in the box. After deducting the cost, she'd already earned enough to cover the day's inn fee.

She patted the beagle on the head. "Thanks to you I came up with such a good idea today."

The fruits that people balked at because of their price—if they could confirm their value beforehand, they'd have a better measure of what they were paying for.

For the next several days, Zhou Yao set up her stall at the same time. The business was brisk at first, but within a few days, only a few customers trickled in.

Selling foreign fruits exclusively wasn't a sustainable plan. The Western Market mostly served ordinary folk; they might splurge on pricey exotic fruit once or twice, but they couldn't afford it every day.

So today, Zhou Yao packed up early and decided to stroll through the streets. Teahouses, pastry shops... she happened to pass a jewelry store, its dazzling displays impossible to ignore.

She stepped inside for a quick look and noticed that most women wore no ornaments at all. The store's steep prices meant only a handful of people were buying at the counter.

She understood.

Gold, as currency or jewelry, wasn't practical for commoners. Silver ornaments and jade pieces were equally unaffordable. Naturally, people opted for tree vines or fresh flowers to adorn their hair buns.

The glassware from the Western Regions was crystal-clear and translucent, mostly used for vases in the homes of royalty and nobility, or as vessels for fruit. Turning it into jewelry or accessories seemed like a promising idea.

Glass had only recently been introduced to the Chang'an palace. Back when she was still in the palace, she'd heard that envoys from the Western Regions had presented these novel items as tribute, but she'd only been able to glimpse them from afar.

If she wanted to master the craft, she'd first need to learn the relevant techniques.

Amid the bustling crowd, Zhou Yao spotted a woman who looked approachable.

"Miss, could I trouble you? Where might I find a kiln or porcelain workshop nearby?" Zhou Yao stopped her to ask.

"Turn left up ahead, and there's a family that's been firing porcelain for four generations. They say their ancestors made blue-and-white porcelain for the palace."

"Thank you." Zhou Yao smiled in gratitude.

She looked in the direction the woman had pointed—it led to an alley entrance.

Following the directions, Zhou Yao searched for a while. The kiln wasn't easy to find; the narrow, winding paths twisted and turned.

Back in the Western Regions, she'd once had the fortune to hear someone explain the process of making glass and the materials involved. The materials were easy to come by; it was the skill of crafting the glass itself that was the challenge.

Firing porcelain and firing glass shared a similar principle: mastery over fire.

She planned to start by learning porcelain-making, then gradually study the art of glass once her income was stable.

After walking for what felt like ages, she finally found a courtyard tucked away in a corner.

The courtyard gate was wide open, and in one glance Zhou Yao spotted half-finished ceramic jars set in the shade. Not wanting to barge in, she knocked on the gate.

"Who disturbs me at this hour?" A man in plain robes stepped out from the house. His skin was as pale as porcelain, and his peach-blossom eyes lent him an approachable air.

"My name is Zhou Yao. I apologize for the intrusion, young master."

"Oh? That's the royal surname. I'd say 'apology' is hardly necessary. What brings you here?" His voice was flat, as though he were used to such encounters.

"I wish to ask you to teach me the mastery of fire. Once I succeed, I will repay you handsomely."

The man's interest seemed piqued. He stared at Zhou Yao directly and asked, "What relation is the current emperor to you?"

Zhou Yao gave it a moment's thought, then smiled lightly. "If I were acquainted with the current emperor, would I be among the market's hawkers and peddlers, dressed in rags?"

The rules on name taboos weren't strictly enforced in the realm. Unless one were a court official, no one would know the name Zhou Yao and her title as princess.

Rather than reveal her true identity, it was better to fabricate one for now.

"You've got a silver tongue, miss. The market outside is bustling and lively. Why wander out to this desolate spot instead? What's your purpose here? If your answer doesn't satisfy me, please turn around and head back the way you came."

"I want to learn the craft of the kiln from you. I'll pay whatever you ask."

The next moment, a piece of ceramic flew out from inside the room and shattered at her feet.

"Get out!" The man's brows knitted in irritation. "A woman like you—how could you endure such hardship? Go back at once."

"I've come in all sincerity--" Before she could finish, the man slammed the door in her face.

Before the door shut, Zhou Yao clearly saw the anger etched across his face.

But why?