The Calculative princess

Ever since the words spread about Grand Imperial Princess being conferred the title of Heavenly Jade Princess that is only granted once in four generations, however, can be passed down to the next two generations. It cannot be taken away no matter what the reason is.

With such prestige, even the Crown Prince has no guarantee that his position shall be stable till he passes down his throne to his heir. In the Zhao Dynasty, it was a legend, a living legend.

It made commoners excited and happy that they celebrated it among themselves. How simple and naive they were, even after twenty years they still remembered the Imperial Princess who donated all she had even her palace to people who suffered from The Great Disaster.

A disaster that happened thirty years ago, even before Princess Xuan Cheng was born, was earthquakes destroying the houses, floods washing the remains away, and plague wiping the population, while cannibals emerged among the starving.

She was the one who risked her life to visit the legendary bountiful land, where all sorts of fruits and spices grew, a land where rice and wheat were in abundance. People ate on silver plates and wore gold all over, from head to toe.

It was just a legend among some travellers but she chose to believe it in the name of the Almighty and returned with things that people never imagined. Where did she go? Who did she meet? How did she get everything? Nobody knew except the crew who never answered those questions.

But, ever since that, people from strange land started coming to them, wearing strange clothes, speaking strange languages, and bringing tributes from their Sovereigns.

Starting a new era in her father's reign, she was granted the title of Grand Imperial Princess at the age of thirty-five. Securing a page in history for herself.

The commoners who benefited from her grace and commoners who didn't came together and celebrated her promotion while the nobles she offended and the nobles she didn't became extremely jealous and were outraged.

Why did the emperor disregarded his words and released her from house arrest and not even acknowledging it. As if he never punished her for funding the black market.

But most of them were helpless, powerless and fearful. They could not go against the emperor because it was the time when reformation in Personnel was taking place. Many officers were dismissed for angering the Crown Prince.

It was the unreasonable reason but the emperor blindly trusted his heir and made decisions in his favour, it must be because he was wary of corrupt officials.

However not everyone is righteous, in fact, most of them only know how to flaunt and flatter, wanting to become a part of Heavenly Jade Princess's good book and take advantage of her prestige.

Noble families from all over rushed to make connections especially the nobles of Yuchang and Yuhao City rushed to her mansion taking advantage of the short distance.

Those who couldn't come sent priceless gifts with best regards, how naive of them, not remembering that she must have grown old all these years, they thought of her as the fifty-year-old grand princess from before.

.....

-Heavenly Jade Princess's Mansion-

"It has been a week since Her Highness was conferred the title, will you not hold a banquet?" Duchess Wan asked, peeling an orange, while Xuan Cheng was going through the accounts book.

"Hmph...you did a good job in your first week, given the nature of this business I can't be happy about the increase in revenue," Xuan Cheng avoided her question and responded, grabbing another book after stamping the one in her hands.

"Did I?" Duchess Wan looked up excited and asked, and got a small nod in response, she grinned and spoke, "I was nervous...I mean I didn't imagine the employees to be easy-going and cooperative.

All of them are honest and loyal, that's a rare thing, even the emperor doesn't have such good people by his side," she asked casually.

Xuan Cheng didn't reply to her, she continued stamping the books after flipping the pages back and forth.

"Did you memorize the guidebook?" She asked after a long while.

"Yes, I do, from line to line, word to word. To be honest, it was nothing before the books I had to read to pass the etiquette exam," Duchess Wan replied, full of confidence.

"Good!

Very Good!

Ayee...what is the etiquette exam?" Xuan Cheng asked, perplexed to hear that such an exam existed. She wondered what books Duchess Wan had to read that she never came across having a private library of her own.

"You...never...gave the etiquette exam?

How come?

Even the Empress, consorts and princesses had to give it, how come you didn't?

Leave them alone, your grandmother, Her Majesty gave the exam too," Duchess Wan asked, astonished, her hair stood up hearing the unbelievable fact.

"What is it about?" Xuan Cheng asked thinking it wasn't a big deal even if she didn't give whatever it was, straightening her back and stretching her neck from fatigue.

"It's about manners, etiquette, rules, the life of women....

It is about how you should carry yourself in a dignified manner, be chaste and pure, let no man touch you, and be capable of telling right from wrong.

How you should walk and talk, sit and sleep, eat and drink....and behave in a proper manner.

Be respectful and obedient to parents and in-laws, serve your husband and rais-" Duchess Wan moved her head and paced her eyes left and right while trying to remember and describe the exam, but Xuan Cheng abruptly interrupted her.

"Serve? What do you mean by serving?

Wait.....There are rules for sleeping? drink?

You are kidding me, right?" Xuan Cheng broke into a peal of laughter; it was just a big joke that she had heard for the first time in her life.

"No, Your Highness, I am not joking," Duchess Wan was dumbfounded, she looked around to check if anyone saw her get embarrassed like that and then said with a serious face.

However, Xuan Cheng laughed even louder, but after a while, she noticed that she wasn't laughing with her and saying~ (Yeah, it was a joke.)

She stopped and cleared her throat, with a straight face she asked, "You are not kidding?"

Duchess Wan shook her head, "It's not a joke."

"Nonsense! I get that everyone must act appropriately and follow some etiquette and rules, but don't you think it's too much?

I have over fifty maids and eunuchs that I recruited myself, I have a book of rules that they must all learn according to the Imperial Palace, but I don't and never will watch them eating, drinking and sleeping like a crazy ghost.

Well, don't tell me it's just for women..." She asked remembering that the Duchess didn't take the name of a male.

"I didn't hear any man giving such exams...

Ayia....they are too busy with Imperial examinations, how can they have time for such trivial things," Duchess Wan spoke, too annoyed that Princess Cheng didn't know about it, she never gave the exam and it might bring her future trouble.

Xuan Cheng had too much, she looked at her disappointed and disgusted with the hypocrisy and double standard ideology.

'Whatever it is, I shall never degrade myself with such an exam even if I have to give up my royalty and title.' Princess Xuan Cheng took an oath in her heart determined to go to any extent to fulfil her words.

"From now on, we won't have weekly reports of the business, but daily reports.

And every activity, business and non-business affairs must be recorded by the shop owners.

Also, the training workshop for the physicians shall be organized every month by the City Managers.

I heard the Hua Family of Yunhao are physicians, and they are interested to work with us and develop a tonic for elderly people. Invite them too," she instructed, changing the direction of the conversation.

"Okay, I get it, I will send out the instruction by tonight," Duchess Wan replied, nodding.

"Your Highness...what should we do about young master Fu?" she asked, reminded of the thing all of a sudden while they were on it, she should get it done as well.