Yesterday, after her outburst, she wondered what Wen Hongxin had said to persuade the old lady to hold back her anger. She guessed that her exaggerated words must have done the trick.
Therefore, Lan Miao attached even greater importance to the order from the Empress Dowager.
She had to complete this order perfectly to live up to the Empress Dowager's trust.
After returning to Pinglan Courtyard, she informed Mrs. You and then left the Marquis's Mansion with Shuangxi and Shuangle, heading for Xiyu Workshop on Dongqiao Street.
In front of Xiyu Workshop, people came and went.
Dongqiao Street was bustling and prosperous. This workshop was part of Lan Miao's dowry, left to her by her biological mother, who was a renowned jade carver. She had taught Lan Miao this skill since childhood.
Every time Lan Miao saw the signboard of Xiyu Workshop, a sense of nostalgia welled up in her heart.
Entering the jade workshop, she found it quiet and serene. The simple furnishings were embellished with some jade, creating a natural and harmonious atmosphere. As soon as one stepped in, they could feel the unique charm of Xiyu Workshop.
"Welcome, Madam. Please have a seat," greeted Yue Niang, a stout woman who worked in the workshop. She quickly served tea and snacks. Everyone in the workshop knew that Lan Miao was the mistress of the Brave and Resolute Marquis's Mansion, but they all addressed her as "Madam Boss."
Lan Miao preferred this title.
"Yue Niang, you're too kind," she replied.
It had been a while since her last visit, and Lan Miao was delighted to see that Xiyu Workshop was still as it used to be. This jade workshop was different from other businesses. The prosperity of a jade workshop could not be judged by its appearance.
After all, only the wealthy and powerful could afford expensive jade.
Therefore, Xiyu Workshop was located in a quiet corner of the bustling street. The elegant decoration and refined furnishings gave it an air of sophistication, attracting the attention of the nobility and the gentry who were interested in jade carving.
On the first floor, there were some jade products of lower quality.
On the second floor, there were precious jade raw materials. The jade carvers in the workshop would carve the raw stones into the desired shapes according to the customers' preferences.
On the third floor, the jade carvers worked on the jade.
Behind Xiyu Workshop was the famous Cheng Lake in Luojing.
Lan Miao liked to carve jade on the third floor. It was quiet and peaceful there, and no one would disturb her.
Yue Niang took out the ledger for this month and handed it to Lan Miao. After flipping through it, Lan Miao's face lit up with joy. "The business this month has improved a lot," she said.
"Indeed, Madam. You've received an order from the Empress Dowager. That's such an honor. Big business just comes to us on its own," Yue Niang said with a simple and honest smile.
Lan Miao pursed her lips and smiled without saying a word.
"In the future, we can increase the deposit for the orders. You can decide according to the situation," she said.
"Yes, Madam," Yue Niang replied.
Yue Niang was happy. Now that the business was booming and the jade carvers in the workshop were busy, they could double the deposit without worrying about losing the business. Madam Boss was really smart.
"Double the salaries of all the jade carvers according to their levels. You can decide the rest," Lan Miao said as she put down the ledger and took a sip of tea.
Yue Niang and the other employees in the workshop were overjoyed.
They scrambled to thank Lan Miao and bowed to her.
Money was the key to everything. Although Lan Miao knew all the jade carvers in the workshop well, she had to pay them well to keep their hearts.
"Please clean up the jade room on the third floor for me. Don't let anyone in unless it's something important," Lan Miao said with a smile.
"Okay, Madam. It's already prepared for you," Yue Niang replied in a loud voice.
Yue Niang was a straightforward and honest woman. She had lost her husband in her early years and her son in middle age. She had been working as a maid in an inn when Lan Miao noticed her strength and stability and taught her how to carve jade.
Many of the employees in the workshop were in similar situations as Yue Niang. Lan Miao did her best to help them. Seeing them happy and positive, Lan Miao gradually forgot her own sorrows.
Lan Miao left Shuangxi and Shuangle to take care of the shop and went up to the third floor. She entered the jade room and opened the windows on all sides. The view of Cheng Lake came into sight. The water was sparkling and smooth. Lan Miao always felt happy when she was here.
This place could make her forget everything in the Marquis's Mansion.
On the square table, there were all the tools she needed, such as pestles, sieves, lathes, grindstones, drills, hooks, nails, and search bows.
There were twelve steps in jade carving.
Each step took a long time. Sometimes, it might take several years to complete a large jade carving. The order from the Empress Dowager was a birthday gift for Princess Kaiyun. It was a small and delicate jade carving for a woman. Six months was actually a bit tight.
But Lan Miao simplified the process.
The first two steps of pounding the sand and grinding the pulp had already been completed by other jade carvers in the workshop. As for opening the jade, Yue Niang had also finished it. In the workshop, there were jade carvers who were proficient in all the steps, and there were also those like Yue Niang who only mastered a part of the steps and only did that part.
Lan Miao's task was also much lighter.
She had already memorized the pattern. Now it was time to start carving. The jade material given by the Empress Dowager was not very big, so it should take less time.
Lan Miao used the lathe to cut the jade material into a round shape and removed a large piece of unnecessary waste. Her hands were quick and skillful. The raw jade material was constantly changing shape in her hands.
The lake breeze blew in slowly. Even though it carried a hint of autumn chill, it made Lan Miao feel more relaxed.
Carving jade required skill.
Two hours later.
Sweat slowly oozed from her forehead. The jade material was gradually taking on its initial shape in her hands. She gently put down the jade material and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the handkerchief she carried with her.
At this moment, there was a soft sound outside the door.
The knock on the door suddenly sounded, followed by Yue Niang's honest and deep voice. "Madam, I'm sorry to disturb you. There's an urgent matter that needs your decision."
"It's okay. Come in," Lan Miao said.
Lan Miao also wanted to take a break. She called out to Yue Niang to come in. When she came in, she was holding something heavy in her hand. Shuangxi and Shuangle were also following behind. The three of them looked anxious.
As soon as Yue Niang came in, she reported, "Madam, just now a young man came and specifically asked for you to be the jade carver to carve a jade pendant for his master. He also specified the pattern."
"This is the jade pendant he left and the pattern mold," she said.
Yue Niang put the things on the square table in front of Lan Miao. Lan Miao took a closer look. The shape of this jade pendant was exactly the same as the one she had seen on the Emperor last night, but there was no pattern on it.
She then looked at the paper with the pattern drawn on it. Sure enough, it was exactly the same as the pattern on her jade pendant.
Was the person the Emperor?
Impossible.
It must be someone sent by the Emperor.
"What did the person look like? Is he still downstairs? How did he know about me?" Lan Miao asked.
"The person looked like an ordinary young man. He was a bit taller than me. He said that his master knew you, the mistress of the Brave and Resolute Marquis's Mansion, and specifically invited you to carve jade for him," Yue Niang replied.
"The person also said that when the time was right, his master would come to visit in person. He asked us to await his arrival," she added.
"He also left a plate of gold. We wanted to ask for more details, but the person left after leaving the gold and the jade. We didn't dare to stop him," Shuangxi and Shuangle added.
Their expressions were a mixture of joy and confusion.
There were many mysterious and wealthy customers, but this was the first time they had encountered someone so decisive and generous. So they rushed up to find Lan Miao.
Lan Miao lowered her head and thought.
The only thing that came to her mind was the sentence - "When the time was right, his master would come to visit in person. Await his arrival."
Why did the Emperor do this?