In the capital, a two-story shop stood with its doors and windows tightly shut, yet the entrance was already packed with crowds of people who had received advance notice.
"Is it really true that the white sugar is only two hundred wen per catty? They’re not deliberately tricking us, are they?"
A man named Zhang Wang clutched his silver tightly, his eyes darting around. In ordinary times, white sugar cost several taels per catty—so expensive that he had never tasted it in his life. This year, he had earned a bit of money from his business, and a friend had told him that a new sugar shop was opening in the capital, selling white sugar for just two hundred wen per catty. Today was the grand opening, so he had rushed here before dawn, silver in hand.
Luckily, he had arrived early. If he had come any later, he wouldn’t have been able to squeeze in at all.
Ahead of him in line was his good friend, the very one who had shared the news with him. The friend turned back and said, "Look, it’s written right there on the red paper at the entrance—white sugar, two hundred wen per catty, limited to one catty per person."
Zhang Wang sucked in a sharp breath. "Good heavens, did they import several shiploads of sugar from overseas?"
Otherwise, how could it be so cheap? And with each person allowed to buy a whole catty! In the past, even when white sugar was sold for five taels per catty, many commoners still couldn’t get their hands on it.
The Wang Family must truly have some remarkable connections.
His friend, Li Si, chuckled. "You don’t know the half of it. This white sugar was made right here in Great Qi, not imported from overseas."
Zhang Wang’s face fell with disappointment. "White sugar made in Great Qi? Can it even be called real white sugar?"
All this time waiting in line for nothing! Before he left home, his wife had gently straightened his collar and insisted he must bring some back.
If he returned without good white sugar, how disappointed would she be?
Li Si said, "My cousin’s neighbor’s relative works for the Wang Family. They say this white sugar was made using a new method—better than the overseas kind! The Wang Family’s sugar comes straight from the new imperial sugar workshop outside the city."
Zhang Wang scoffed. "Do you actually believe that? Better than overseas sugar, yet priced at less than a tenth of the cost?"
Li Si, reveling in his insider knowledge, couldn’t help but smirk. "My cousin’s relative brought some for us to see. The overseas sugar can’t even compare! Apparently, they used a new method to cut down the cost. Want to guess who came up with the new recipe?"
Zhang Wang’s curiosity was genuinely piqued. He played along. "One of the grand secretaries?"
Li Si lowered his voice. "It was the Concubine in the palace!"
Though he tried to keep his voice down, the nearby eavesdroppers had already perked up at the mention of gossip.
In the past, commoners wouldn’t have paid much attention to the emperor’s concubines—at most, they knew the empress as the mother of the nation. But thanks to the Gu family’s recent publicity, many in the capital had heard of a favored concubine in the palace, one even declared a blessed figure by the Late Emperor in a dream. At the mention of "Concubine," everyone immediately thought of her.
"That would be Lady Yu, the one the Late Emperor spoke of in his dream?"
Li Si nodded. "They say she only visited the imperial library once, borrowed two books, and found the recipe for white sugar. The library holds hundreds of thousands of volumes, and the grand secretaries have been studying them for decades—yet no one ever discovered it. It’s as if the recipe was waiting just for her to bring it to light."
Such a miraculous tale was exactly the kind of story commoners loved. They were instantly convinced.
"Can’t blame the officials, really. They don’t have divine blessings like she does."
"No wonder the sugar’s so cheap! Even if it’s slightly worse than the overseas kind, I’ll take it."
At less than a tenth of the price of imported sugar, who could complain?
By mid-morning, the shop doors finally swung open. The clerk, seeing the sea of eager faces, quickly called out, "No pushing! Form a line and enter one by one."
Thanks to their early arrival, Zhang Wang and Li Si were near the front.
Just seeing the excited expressions of those who had already made their purchases, Zhang Wang knew this wouldn’t be a disappointment.
"Your turn."
At these words, Zhang Wang eagerly stepped inside.
The Wang Family’s shop was indeed spacious, spanning two floors. Large wooden barrels filled with white sugar lined the interior—snow-white, without a single impurity in sight.
Zhang Wang’s jaw dropped. His friend hadn’t lied. Even the overseas sugar wasn’t this pristine!
"Hurry up and buy!" Li Si nudged him.
Measuring scoops were already prepared. The clerk asked, "How much? Maximum one catty per person."
Without hesitation, Zhang Wang declared, "One catty, please."
As the sugar was weighed and packed into an oil-paper bag, Zhang Wang handed over his silver.
He couldn’t resist asking, "Can I buy more?"
The clerk, clearly briefed in advance, replied, "Once the sugar workshops expand and more shops open, you’ll be able to buy as much as you want."
Zhang Wang pressed, "At the same price?"
The clerk grinned. "It’ll be even cheaper then—all thanks to His Majesty and Lady Yu in the palace."
There was a hint of pride in his voice. Their masters were, after all, Lady Yu’s maternal relatives! Without that connection, the Wang Family would never have been granted the privilege of selling this sugar.
Other merchants were green with envy, but there was nothing they could do. None of them had a Concubine Yu in their family.
Zhang Wang whistled. "Even cheaper?!"
Originally, he had considered rejoining the line for another purchase, but now he changed his mind.
Better to come back when they were running low.
His family had a bit of money now. While five taels per catty was out of reach, two hundred wen was perfectly affordable.
With the oil-paper bag cradled in his hands, Zhang Wang happily headed home.
And so, the Wang Family’s sugar shop became an overnight sensation, its business booming. Every day, long queues formed outside, and even though the clerks assured customers that prices would drop further in time, many insisted on buying early—just in case the price rose later. After all, sugar this cheap and of such high quality was unheard of.
Lady Yu’s reputation spread alongside it.
Soon, people learned that Yu Miaohua hadn’t just discovered the white sugar recipe in the imperial library—she had also found a method for making rock sugar. Others had searched for years to no avail, yet she uncovered it in a single visit. Surely, this was divine intervention!
Rumor had it that rock sugar was even more complex to produce, and its shop wouldn’t open until the New Year. This only fueled public curiosity. Once it hit the market, as long as the price wasn’t as exorbitant as white sugar used to be, people were determined to try it.
……
At the Wang Family estate, Wang Ruilin reviewed the month’s ledgers and let out a low whistle.
The Wang Family had primarily dealt in textiles, but business had stagnated in recent years, even showing signs of decline.
Dissatisfied with the status quo, they had poured money into dyes and techniques—yet saw little return. Other branches of the family had begun grumbling, even threatening to split the household.
The main branch of the family was utterly exhausted, tired of their relatives constantly meddling in their affairs, so they decided to split the household. Yet, who could have imagined that those separated relatives would collude with their rivals, leaking business secrets and dealing them a devastating blow, causing massive losses. Other wealthy merchants in Jiangzhou were also waiting in the wings, ready to kick them while they were down.
Just then, his niece was exonerated and released from the cold palace, rising to the rank of Concubine.
What followed felt like a dream. The Ministry of Revenue arrived at their doorstep, granting the Wang Family the exclusive license to sell white sugar. With this license, they could procure goods directly from the imperial sugar workshops.
The Ministry also stated that for the next three years, only the Wang Family would hold this privilege. After that, as long as the Wang Family committed no major errors, they would remain the sole holders of the license in Jiangzhou. So far, the Wang Family had opened over twenty sugar shops across the capital, Jiangzhou, Yuzhou, Yangzhou, and other major regions of Great Qi, with silver flowing in like never before.
Especially since, for now, they were the only ones in this business—backed by the imperial family—even their textile trade benefited. They no longer needed to bribe officials at every checkpoint; making money had never been so effortless.
A three-year monopoly on white sugar sales? They wouldn’t have dared dream of such fortune.
All thanks to their niece in the palace.
Wang Ruilin recalled the regretful expressions of those estranged relatives and felt the suffocating resentment in his chest vanish, replaced by sheer satisfaction.
After reviewing the account books, Wang Ruilin began writing a letter, detailing not only the sugar shops’ progress but also sharing news he had gathered about Lady Yu.
Unbidden, his mind conjured images of her as a child—delicate as a porcelain doll, as charming as the Guanyin’s attendant in New Year paintings, her words so sweet they melted hearts.
Over half a year ago, when news broke that his niece had been confined to the cold palace, Wang Ruilin, then in the capital, was frantic. Though the Wang Family was wealthy and his brother-in-law held a fourth-rank official position, they were nothing before the imperial family. He refused to believe his niece was the type to scheme against others. The most he could do was bribe the eunuchs to ensure her suffering was minimized.
Thankfully, the Emperor saw the truth and restored her innocence.
Toward the end of the letter, Wang Ruilin added a few more lines, instructing his father and brothers to scour their storerooms for rare treasures to send to the capital as soon as possible—gifts that could be delivered to Lady Yu’s palace through the eunuchs.
They couldn’t just take advantage of their kinship with her; reciprocity was the proper way to maintain relations.
He also included a few of her favorite recipes, to be sent along as well.
After finishing the letter, Wang Ruilin hummed a tune and leisurely rose to his feet.
In such high spirits, he decided to treat himself to a drink.
Ah, right—he should also remind his family not to abuse Lady Yu’s influence by breaking the law.
Having spent considerable time in the capital, he had witnessed how quickly powerful families could fall from grace.
Take Gu Jinghui, for instance—the Emperor’s own uncle. Yet, his household was raided, and he was executed without hesitation.
What did the Wang Family have that could compare to the Gu family?
The thought drained Wang Ruilin’s enthusiasm for drinking. He resolved to write another letter, at least mentioning Gu Jinghui’s fate as a cautionary tale.
……
Cien Temple.
The Empress Dowager sat with half-lidded eyes, listening to the monks’ sutra chanting.
With disasters plaguing the land this year, she had retreated to Cien Temple to pray, copying scriptures and maintaining a vegetarian diet, hoping the Buddha would bless Great Qi with favorable weather in return for her devotion.
She had stayed until early November.
Now, she planned to return to the palace in December.
She had obtained numerous protective talismans, certain they would safeguard her children and grandchildren’s health and happiness.
After prayers, the Empress Dowager retired to her quarters to rest.
She had just taken a sip of tea when Nanny Li entered, her face pale and visibly shaken.
Having served the Empress Dowager for decades, Nanny Li was no stranger to storms—yet something from the capital must have rattled her deeply.
Nanny Zhou, standing beside the Empress Dowager, frowned but remained silent.
A sense of foreboding settled in the Empress Dowager’s heart. "Has news arrived from the capital?"
Nanny Li fell to her knees, choking back a sob. "Your Grace… the eldest lord has been executed."
The eldest lord?
The Empress Dowager’s grip tightened, snapping her prayer beads. They scattered across the floor.
"Is this true? When did this happen?"
Nanny Li had come from the Gu family, and her youngest son had served under the Duke. Her loyalties had long leaned toward the main branch. The news she received was that her son—implicated in the Duke’s crimes—had also been sentenced, denied even a proper burial.
The thought of her son’s fate filled her with grief. How heartless of the Emperor! Land seizures by powerful families were commonplace in the capital. Her son had only done what many others did—why did he deserve death?
Her voice trembled with suppressed anguish. "The Emperor charged the eldest lord two months ago. He was beheaded half a month ago. They kept it from us."
Though supplies from the capital arrived periodically at Cien Temple, not a word of this had been disclosed.
Servants from the main branch claimed they had sent messages, but none reached her. This time, the Duchess had disguised a servant as a monk to sneak in and deliver the letter.
The Empress Dowager’s face drained of color. Though she had never favored her brother, the shock of his death still summoned an unexpected wave of sorrow.
Nanny Li produced a letter. "Your Grace, this is from the Duchess."
Nanny Zhou interjected, "Your Grace, allow me to inspect it first."
Nanny Li shot her a venomous glare, but Nanny Zhou ignored her, carefully checking the letter for any hidden substances before handing it to the Empress Dowager.
The Empress Dowager skimmed the contents, her breath growing heavy.
"Pack our belongings. We return to the palace at once."
So much had happened in her absence! She would see for herself just who this Concubine Yu was.
