Hearing this, Li Ying was not the least bit annoyed. Instead, her bright eyes that were fixed on Princess Yongning sparkled with even more amusement.
"Your Highness is always fond of joking. You, a noble and precious princess, would never treat a powerless commoner like me harshly. Your Highness, I trust you whole - heartedly."
Li Ying spoke so casually that Princess Yongning raised an eyebrow. This woman really had a sharp tongue!
Although her face remained calm, she was already making some calculations in her mind.
The women's club run by her aunt had now become the most popular place in the capital. Apart from the share that went into filling the state treasury, there was a substantial surplus every month.
Her aunt led a reclusive life and didn't like extravagance. But when she went to pay her respects, she noticed that the food, clothing, and daily necessities in the Princess Chang's Mansion had become much more refined.
All these were obviously Li Ying's achievements.
She waved her hand, beckoning Li Ying to come forward and serve her.
Li Ying served her with all due respect, filling a cup to the brim. Princess Yongning took a sip absent - mindedly and couldn't help but let out a soft "Huh?"
"What is this?"
The trend of "coffee in the daytime and wine at night" was now in full swing in the capital, and she was no exception. She had a pot of mellow and creamy milk coffee every day without fail.
Li Ying smiled and bowed gracefully. "Your Highness, I noticed that you like this latte. I took the liberty of adding some caramel pieces to add a special flavor. I wonder if it suits your taste?"
Only then did Princess Yongning notice that today's cup of coffee was indeed different from what she usually drank. There were some ochre - colored sugar lumps in it.
The sugar looked plain and even a bit rough, but it was porous and had a very fluffy and crispy texture. The perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness neutralized the heavy greasiness of the milk in the latte, making the taste even better.
Li Ying explained calmly, "Your Highness, this is the 'puffed - sugar latte' I newly introduced. The so - called 'puffed sugar' is made by adding baking soda to the boiled caramel and then letting it cool."
The prepared puffed sugar tasted great whether eaten on its own after being crushed or soaked in coffee.
She added with a smile, "I'm so glad Your Highness likes it. I've already left the recipe for the puffed sugar with Lord Lu. I think by now, the coffee shops in the capital should be selling this puffed - sugar latte. It's inconvenient for me to enter the palace, so Your Highness can send someone to buy it."
Princess Yongning gulped down the remaining half - cup of still - warm latte in one go. A glint of understanding flashed in her almond eyes.
She let out a cold laugh. "Miss Li, you have such a shrewd mind!"
She had only dropped a hint, but Li Ying had already prepared a counter - move.
That "baking soda" had a unique salty taste. If she were to forcefully take Li Ying's toothpaste recipe for herself, once it was on the market, there would surely be smart people in the capital who could taste the subtle similarity between the "toothpaste" and the "puffed sugar".
The Lu family's coffee shops had already established a firm foothold in the capital and were constantly introducing new and unique things.
By then, it would be obvious who had stolen from whom regarding the "baking soda".
Moreover, Li Ying had just revealed that the soda ash used in making the baking soda was obtained by Lu Xunguang from a volcanic salt lake.
If this matter really blew up and reached the emperor's ears...
Although the emperor doted on her, he hated abusing power for personal gain the most. Even if she was a princess, she might not get away unscathed!
For now...
The personal maid who served Princess Yongning didn't know what was going on in her mistress's mind. Seeing Li Ying's calm and composed manner, she felt annoyed.
The emperor had long intended to betroth Lord Lu as the princess's consort. How dare this Li Ying keep referring to him as "Lord Lu" in front of the princess?
The maid scolded sternly, "Li, you have a lot of nerve! A village woman like you dares to try to get close to Lord Lu!"
Before she could finish, Princess Yongning spoke first.
"Presumptuous!"
The little maid didn't know why she had angered the princess, but she had to obediently shut up, her eyes full of grievance.
Princess Yongning played with the box of baking soda in her hand and said indifferently, "It seems that the only way for us to achieve a win - win situation is for me to cooperate with Miss Li."
Li Ying smiled. "I'm not worthy. It's my honor to serve Your Highness."
She took out the long - prepared toothpaste recipe from her bosom. The ratio of each ingredient was clearly written on it, all the result of her all - night experiments to find the best proportion.
Princess Yongning just took a quick glance and then ordered the servants to fetch silver for her.
The toothpaste shop, just like the women's health - care club run by Princess Chang, would be funded by the princess. Li Ying would be hired by her to manage it entirely. She would enter the palace every six months to present the income and account books.
She carefully explained to Princess Yongning the future plan for new products in the toothpaste shop.
Hearing that she was also planning to make "mouthwash" for fresh breath by blending pure essential oils, "scented candies" with long - lasting fragrance, and even "grease remover" for kitchen cleaning, Princess Yongning finally felt at ease.
This business of hers was different from her aunt's club.
Her aunt's customers were the wealthy and noble in the capital who were willing to spend a fortune, while hers was aimed at ordinary people. Washing, cleaning - weren't these things needed every day?
Roughly calculated, although the "toothpaste" and "grease remover" were not expensive, their high sales volume would still bring in a considerable income!
The smile on Princess Yongning's face finally became a bit more kind. She ordered the servants to bring some hairpins and rings as a reward for Li Ying.
"Miss Li is so smart. It was I who misunderstood you."
"I've been taught by the emperor to be a person who hates evil. What I dislike the most in my life are those who blindly flatter and only know how to cling to others, like parasitic dodder flowers. Miss Li is on good terms with Lord Lu and Lord Su. Many of your businesses in the capital have received their care, and there have been a lot of rumors in the streets. It was my fault that I didn't investigate carefully and was misled. Miss Li, please don't take it to heart."
With Princess Yongning saying this, how could Li Ying really be angry with her? She just accompanied the smile and said some polite words like "Your Highness works hard for the emperor and inevitably has to worry a lot", then accepted the reward and modestly left the palace.
After she left, the little maid beside Princess Yongning looked at her back and said resentfully, "Your Highness, this woman is so disrespectful to you!"
"She seems to be here to discuss business with you, but in fact, she has already planned everything. She even showed off her supposed deep affection with Lord Lu in front of you. I really can't stand her coquettish behavior!"
Princess Yongning just stared at the few jars of toothpaste left on the table and said softly with a smile, "Coquettish behavior? I think this Li woman is really quite bold and resourceful."
"I used to think that her smooth sailing in the capital was just because of Lu Xunguang's favor. But after seeing her today, I think that Lu Xunguang's success as a red - topped merchant may well be due to her assistance."
"Interesting. In that case, I'm really looking forward to doing this business with her."