I am the champion of palace intrigue, and even the proud prince bows his head in submission.

Chapter 563 Xie Jue's storyline: See you at the usual place

The maids couldn't hide their delight. "Thank you for making this, Young Master Xie! We can finally have a taste too!"

Gao Wanzhi then turned to another person and instructed, "Put a serving of milk tea and fried chicken in a food box and send it to Mother. She hasn't had a good appetite these past few days. A change of pace might help her eat more and write more."

Because it was so novel, Fuyu Tower became incredibly popular and truly became the hottest place in the capital.

Three days later.

Gao Wanzhi sat by the window, holding a cup of freshly made milk tea in her hands.

"Squeak-"

The door to the private room was pushed open, and Xie Jue walked in.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice filled with surprise.

Gao Wanzhi's eyes curved into a smile. "Because there's something very important I need to tell you today."

Xie Jue raised an eyebrow, walked over and sat down next to her. "What is it?"

Gao Wanzhi bit her lip, about to speak, when the door was pushed open again.

Changqing strode in, looking anxious. "Young Master, a guest in the front hall had diarrhea after drinking our milk tea!"

Xie Jue's expression instantly turned serious, and he strode towards the door. "I'll go take a look."

But just as he was about to step out the door, an anxious voice came from behind him, "Xie Jue!"

Xie Jue paused and turned to look at her.

He then remembered what Gao Wanzhi had said earlier.

"I'll be free the night after tomorrow. See you at the usual place then."

Gao Wanzhi nodded, and her mood improved.

They all knew where the old place was.

She lowered her eyes and took a sip of milk tea.

Let's talk about it the night after tomorrow.

Tell him... she likes him.

As soon as Xie Jue entered the inner hall, he saw the guest who was clutching his stomach sitting on a chair groaning, while several servants were busy handing him water and rubbing his abdomen.

The shopkeeper, sweating profusely, stepped forward and said, "This customer's stomach started hurting after drinking the milk tea, and we have already called a doctor."

Xie Jue nodded, his gaze falling on the doctor beside him. "How was the diagnosis?"

The doctor stood up and bowed. "I have examined the ingredients of the milk tea and found no poison. I have also taken the pulse of this guest. It was caused by cold air entering the stomach, coupled with a weak digestive system. He had diarrhea for a while, but there is nothing to worry about."

Xie Jue glanced at the pale-faced customer and said to the shopkeeper, "Seal away that pot of milk tea and give this customer twenty taels of silver as compensation."

Lu Xinghe stood quietly to the side, her brows furrowed.

I suspect it's because of lactose intolerance that I had diarrhea after drinking milk tea.

But she couldn't say that this concept didn't exist in ancient times.

After things calmed down, Xie Jue turned to look at her and said, "The recipe for this batch of milk tea will remain unchanged, but it will be labeled as having a cooling or warming effect. If customers have a weak or cold stomach, it will not be recommended."

Lu Xinghe nodded slightly.

This incident did not have a significant impact on Fuyulou; long queues continued to form in front of the building.

Xie Jue ordered two more branch shops to be opened, one in the east and one in the west, in areas frequented by high-ranking officials and nobles.

Moreover, Xie Jue commissioned the carving of exquisite teacups and teapots, and had them stamped with jade seals.

Within a month, milk tea became a sensation in Beijing. Whether it was a banquet for wealthy ladies or a gathering of literati, it was considered an honor to be able to drink a cup of "Fuyu Milk Tea".

Xie Jue's reputation also rose during this trend.

Everyone knows that this third young master of the Jing Prince's Mansion is not only handsome and from a prominent family, but also a shrewd businessman and exceptionally talented.

The eldest princess's mansion.

In front of the mirror, Gao Wanzhi had already changed into her third set of clothes.

At first, it was a light blue brocade dress, too plain.

Next came the light yellow floral cloud skirt, so charming.

Finally, she chose a deep purple blouse with gold trim, paired with a light-colored wide-sleeved gauze skirt, which was both elegant and lively.

"Try those gilded begonia hairpins too."

The maid went to fetch it, and Gao Wanzhi sat down against the dressing table, raising her hand to tidy her hair. As her slender fingers brushed past her ear, a rare hint of nervousness appeared in her eyes.

"Princess, this is already the tenth pair of hairpins." A maidservant serving nearby chuckled.

Gao Wanzhi smiled and gently scolded, "Today is an important day, so of course you have to dress up nicely."

"But you're taking this way too seriously. Whenever you meet with Young Master Xie, isn't it always a casual outing?"

"Today is different."

Gao Wanzhi looked at herself in the bronze mirror, "Today... I have something very important to tell him."

The thought of seeing Xie Jue that evening made her heart soften.

She got up and walked around the room, then returned to the mirror to examine herself closely, finally nodding in satisfaction.

The second floor of Fuyu Tower.

Xie Jue leaned against the window, with several newly made pastries in front of her.

"If this coconut milk tea were paired with the crispy chicken strips I made yesterday, people would be willing to pay even 10% more."

As Lu Xinghe spoke, she laid out several menus.

"This page is for the ladies of wealthy families in the inner city, with more refined desserts; this page is for young scholars, focusing on novelty..."

"Okay, let's settle on that."

He closed the ledger. "Fuyulou is a trial run for a new business model. If it succeeds, milk tea and fried chicken can be sold everywhere in the future, and the profits will be far greater than those of other shops."

Lu Xinghe nodded.

Seeing that it was getting dark outside the window, Xie Jue said, "Serve the meal. I'll leave after I've eaten dinner."

The Pear Garden was his and Gao Wanzhi's favorite place since childhood. The scenery was beautiful, but it was far from the capital and there wasn't much food.

A quarter of an hour later.

Xie Jue had just taken a couple of bites of food, and hadn't even touched the braised fish in soy sauce, when the door was pushed open.

The shopkeeper rushed in, his face full of anxiety. "Young master, something terrible has happened!"

"We have just discovered that overnight, more than a dozen teahouses and food stalls in various neighborhoods of the city have started to imitate our milk tea method, using inferior tea leaves and diluted milk to make their products."

The shopkeeper placed the cup in front of him, saying, "I brought some from one of the shops, please have a taste, young master."

Xie Jue took a sip and immediately frowned.

"The milk was scarce, and the sugar was of poor quality. It was heavily diluted with water, so although it tasted similar, it had no flavor whatsoever."

He gently placed the cup back, saying, "If the name of Fuyulou is also implicated, it will be ruined by these people."

The shopkeeper nodded vigorously, "Yes, young master, if our reputation, which we have worked so hard to build, is dragged down by these inferior products, who will still recognize our 'Twin Jade Masterpieces' in the future?"

Xie Jue pondered for a moment and discussed countermeasures with the shopkeeper.

“Starting tomorrow, milk tea will no longer be sold separately, but only with the ‘Floating Jade Double Delight’ set meal. In addition, a signature stamp will be added to ensure that it comes from our store.”

"Instruct people to spread the word quickly: Fuyu Milk Tea is the only one available here. If you find anything similar elsewhere, it is a counterfeit or inferior product."

"Yes!" the shopkeeper replied, and was about to leave when Xie Jue suddenly said, "Call Lu Xinghe here, I want to ask her opinion."

After the shopkeeper left, the wind chimes on the eaves outside the window tinkled softly.

Hearing the sound, Xie Jue snapped back to his senses and abruptly stood up to look out the window.

The agreed-upon time between him and Gao Wanzhi has already passed.

Liyuan.

Petals drifted down, piling up a thin layer of white on the bluestone path.

Gao Wanzhi sat quietly in the pavilion.

The lanterns outside the pavilion cast a soft glow, making her skin appear as white as jade, but the expression on her face gradually turned cold.

She had been waiting here for two hours.

From initial excitement and anticipation to the current subtle annoyance, my emotions gradually subsided.

Suddenly, a cold wind swept through the pavilion, and Gao Wanzhi couldn't help but shiver, instinctively hugging her arms with both hands.