Of course, after stating his stance, Lu Huaizhou didn't forget his main business.
"Miss Jiang, I alone am far from capable of making enough glazed mirrors for opening a shop. So I have an idea," he said.
Jiang Fuying snapped out of her surprise and straightened her expression. "Please go ahead, Your Highness."
"I want to gather a group of craftsmen first and open a small workshop. Then I'll teach them the techniques of making glazed mirrors separately. I'll strive to lead everyone to mass - produce glazed mirrors. What do you think?"
Jiang Fuying fell silent for a moment.
She caught the key point in his words: "teach separately".
Glazed mirrors were extremely rare, and their manufacturing techniques were hard to come by. If all the techniques were taught to one craftsman at once, there was a risk that a crafty craftsman might steal them.
But teaching separately was a different story.
"Your Highness has really thought this through," she praised sincerely.
The praise made Lu Huaizhou's lips curl up uncontrollably, just like they were hooked.
His relationship with Miss Jiang was like a fine horse finally meeting its discerning master. He didn't need to say much, and she understood him.
What was even rarer was that she never asked too many questions and always supported him!
Lu Huaizhou felt as if his heart was coated with honey, and he was filled with motivation.
"Great. I'll go find a secluded courtyard to accommodate the craftsmen and then start mass - producing glazed mirrors."
"Okay." Jiang Fuying gave a faint smile. "I'll start preparing for the shop renovation."
Their eyes met, and they both saw high spirits and motivation in each other's eyes.
Lu Huaizhou nodded slightly at her. "I'll go get busy first."
As soon as he left, Jiang Fuying didn't idle around.
She waved to Caipu and Caizhi.
"Go find a renovation team outside. Remember to take your time and make a big fuss while looking for it. The bigger the better, preferably making it known to everyone."
After hearing her instructions, the two maids looked at each other, their eyes full of confusion.
Renovation usually emphasized efficiency. If they took their time to find a team, would their young lady's shop ever open?
"Miss, why is that?" Caizhi couldn't help asking.
A glint flashed in Jiang Fuying's autumn - water - like eyes. "Because I'm not in a hurry to renovate for now."
The glazed mirrors hadn't reached the level of mass production yet. Even if she renovated the shop, there wouldn't be enough glazed mirrors to sell.
But she didn't plan to waste this time.
She still hadn't settled the score with the second and third branches for bribing other shops to hinder her cooperation with them!
So just renovating the shop wasn't enough.
She had an even more important purpose for doing this -
to dig a trap for the second and third branches!
Didn't the second and third branches like to meddle in things?
This time, she'd let them meddle to their heart's content!
With Caipu and Caizhi's deliberate publicity, the news that the wife of the heir of the Marquis of Zhennan was going to renovate her shop and was eager to find a renovation team quickly spread throughout the capital.
The second and third branches naturally heard this news too.
In the West Courtyard of the Marquis of Zhennan's Mansion, the Second Lady and the Third Lady were sitting opposite each other, smiling from ear to ear.
"Sister - in - law, I'm sure you've heard the news," the Third Lady said disdainfully and mockingly. "The Jiang girl has had the shop for so long. She pretended to cooperate with the surrounding shops. Now, she's finally going to renovate it."
The Second Lady also laughed heartily. "How could I not have heard such good news?"
"I used to think she was a bit smart. But now, it seems she's nothing special."
As they were talking, the Second Lady and the Third Lady exchanged glances, both seeing pride and calculation in each other's eyes.
The Second Lady was a shrewd woman. Her eyes darted around, and she came up with an idea. "Sister - in - law, since she's eager to find a renovation team, why don't we give her a push?"
"You mean..." the Third Lady asked.
"A woman who just got married not long ago, how could she understand the ins and outs of renovating a shop?" the Second Lady said meaningfully.
The Third Lady immediately understood.
"Sister - in - law, you mean that if we seize this opportunity to play some tricks, we can make a fortune?"
The Second Lady forced a smile. "Making money is not that important. As long as we can stop her from opening the shop and taking control of the family, that's enough."
"That's easy," the Third Lady said straightforwardly. "We'll recommend a renovation team to her. I guarantee her shop will never open."
The Second Lady looked at her speechlessly. "Sister - in - law, do you think, given our relationship with Lu Huaizhou and the Jiang girl, they'll choose the renovation team we recommend?"
Especially Lu Huaizhou. If that unreasonable man found out that the renovation team was recommended by them, he might be so angry that he'd come and tear down the West Courtyard!
The Third Lady soon realized this too. She racked her shallow brain for a while and finally had an idea.
"Sister - in - law, why don't we recommend the renovation team to Sister - in - law the eldest?"
She explained her reason. "Sister - in - law the eldest is always easy - going. As long as she recommends it to the Jiang girl in the name of her mother - in - law, the Jiang girl won't be able to refuse."
A hint of pride flashed in the Second Lady's eyes.
This was exactly what she had been waiting for the Third Lady to say!
"Sister - in - law's idea is a good one. We can give it a try."
The Third Lady beamed with joy. She knew that she was the most resourceful in the whole Marquis of Zhennan's Mansion!
They hit it off and immediately recommended the renovation team to Lady Lu.
The Third Lady got straight to the point. "Last time, Fuying misunderstood Sister - in - law and me. We haven't had a chance to explain to her. Now that we've heard that she's looking for a renovation team for her shop, we thought we'd help her out."
Lady Lu blinked quickly.
Fuying was really a prophet. She had predicted that the second and third branches would come to her!
Lady Lu didn't show her thoughts on her face. She just looked at them doubtfully. "So what do you mean?"
The Second Lady pushed a brochure in front of Lady Lu, looking like she was planning for the younger generation. "Sister - in - law, this renovation team is very reliable. They've renovated many of our shops before and have never made any mistakes. You can take a look."
Lady Lu took the brochure. On the surface, she was looking at it, but in fact, her mind was full of Fuying's instructions.
"Mother, if they recommend a renovation team to you, just accept it. I'll handle the rest."
Seeing that she had been looking for a while, the Third Lady finally couldn't hold back and asked, "Sister - in - law, what do you think of this renovation team?"
What did she think?
Lady Lu blinked again.
How could she tell whether a renovation team was good or not?
But she believed that since Fuying had given such instructions, there must be a reason!
"Very good, very good," Lady Lu said casually.
The Second Lady probed further. "Then, Sister - in - law, do you want to keep this renovation team?"
"Keep it! Of course, I'll keep it!" As a proactive mother - in - law, Lady Lu was determined to do every task her daughter - in - law had assigned perfectly.
So she immediately ordered, "Nanny Hu, take this renovation team to Bibo Courtyard and give it to Fuying. Tell her that she must use this team!"
"If Fuying refuses, she'll be disobeying me, her mother - in - law!"
Lady Lu's uncompromising words made the Second Lady and the Third Lady overjoyed.
Their well - planned scheme -
had succeeded!