In March of the thirty-seventh year of the Kangxi reign, during the early spring season, Beijing.

The afternoon sun shone, making people drowsy.

As if the world had fallen silent, so too was the Dong E household in Xicheng.

Dorgon, Princess Shusheng, sat in her study, appraising two blue-glazed bowls.

A cup of milk tea, a cup of green tea. The milk tea is fragrant, but the green tea is one level worse, with a fermented bitterness.

She smiled, her almond eyes glistening with excitement.

It seemed like she was one step closer to financial freedom. Thinking about this, she took a pen and ink and began recording in her little notebook, Teahouse...

... Supply....

Hangzhou - West Lake Longjing...

Suzhou - Taihu Biluochun...

HuiZhou - Huangshan Maojian...

Yunnan Pu'er...

...and Fujian....

I wonder if oolong tea is available now...

Lacking capital, I can only choose to send people to purchase.

Otherwise, buying a tea plantation and selling its produce directly is the best option.

With peace throughout the land, tea houses in the capital city were increasing in number.

However, many famous teas that are well-known today either did not exist or were not popular back then. There is great potential for them to become popular in the future.

Shushu was just pondering how to gather silver and choose her staff when the maidservant Xiao Chun came in with a message.

"Sister, the manager of Shun'an Silver House is waiting for you in the front yard."

Shunan Silver Shop originally belonged to Shushu's mother.

At the beginning of the year, together with the teahouse, it was transferred under the name of Shushu and became part of the future dowry.

It's all thanks to Shushu teaching her how to handle things that the steward, Hou, would directly request an audience with the young mistress.

In the front yard's anteroom, Hou Guanjia sat on a stool waiting.

He was in his forties, shrewd with a touch of anxiety. Upon seeing the young master enter, he hastily rose to his feet.

"Gege, Gui Dan really reported to the North City Garrison that Yinlou was selling fake goods as genuine... Is this lawsuit really happening?" Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!

Shu Shu sat down comfortably and, instead of replying immediately, pondered for a moment before asking, "What about Wang Da? Did he give a statement and any evidence?"

Please note that I've removed the unnecessary "<<<<<<" and ">>>>" from your input as they don't contain any text to translate.

When the shopkeeper heard this, he gave a wry smile.

"It's already recorded, I pressed my fingerprints... To be ungrateful, to betray the trust of the master and Gege, with my bond still under the master's name, all for eighty taels of silver..."

Wang Da is the elder of the silver shop, responsible for managing the silversmiths.

Most of the silversmiths in this building are his disciples and grandchildren.

Shushu wasn't surprised.

At the beginning of the year, when she took over the silver shop, she discovered the drawbacks of the business.

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That's because the silversmith's losses are too great, losing seven or eight taels of gold and six or seven ounces of silver every month.

In fact, the loss from processing gold and silver is limited. After all, whether it's silver scale or gold scale, they can be processed again and are still materials.

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As the old saying goes, "clear water has no fish." You always have to give those below you something to benefit from.

Shu Shu didn't agree with this old saying, feeling that it was still better to have clear rewards and punishments.

This appetite keeps growing larger and larger, which can easily lead to problems later on.

After all, this is a silver shop where transactions involve real money. So-called "loss" here actually means tangible silver and gold.

At the beginning of February, at the craftsman's workshop, Shu Shu revamped the reward system.

The standard is "more work, more reward", and the wear and tear is also defined within a range.

It's good news for all the other craftsmen.

As for Wang Dazhe, there was no room for corruption anymore. Privately, he expressed dissatisfaction with this "reform" and recently started to slack off on his duties.

Shu Shu then planned to reorganize the personnel and deal with Wang's corruption. Just as she was about to do so, someone came to her door boldly claiming they wanted to buy the silver shop,

Originally, a new shop called "Gold and Silver Workshop" opened across from Shun'an Silver House in the first month. It also sold gold and silver jewelry, but its business was not as good as Shun'an Silver House, an established brand.

The master of the silver shop in the east, Gui Dan, who was the nephew of Yifei from the imperial concubine's family, using the banner of the ninth elder brother, wanted to swallow up Shun'an Silver Shop.

If Ninth Brother steps in, openly seizing the carriage and horses by force, I'll accept it. After all, imperial power outweighs everything else.

But this Guo Luo family, a kid who just became of age, wanted to buy the bustling shop at Gulou for half the price. What a daydream!

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If she yielded at this point, anyone could come to the Dong E family's doorstep afterward.

Over the past few years, Shu Shu has not only immersed herself in studying the Qing dynasty law code but also diligently researched the Manchu Eight Banners system.

The Dong E family was a founding noble family, Manchu Zhenglan Banner.

Shushu's father, Dong E Qi Xi, was the highest-ranking official of the Zhenglanqi banner, appointed by the emperor—the Mengzhu Tong.

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like translated! ?

As the daughter of a high-ranking official, if I were to back down from this wastrel like Gui Dan, then who would stop anyone else from bullying me in the future?

At the beginning of the month, Guidan took Jiu'er Ge who used the alias "Jin Er Ye" to An Shun Silver House and asked to see the master by name.

Shushu left, and she saw through Jiu Agge's identity, but she pretended not to know.

The Ninth Brother didn't say anything about buying the shop cheaply, but instead directly asked for the shopkeeper. Naturally, things ended unhappily.

At present, Gui Dan, who had filed a lawsuit, was clearly unwilling to give up. He was still lurking around Shun'an Silver House.

This is only about "being a thief for a thousand days," but not "defending against a thief for a thousand days."

When she feels upset, she puts out a hook.

If Gui Dan has no ill intentions, she wouldn't be fooled. If she has bad intentions, she will only suffer the consequences.

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Shu Shu is very bold and fearless.

Mr. Hou, however, was the kind of person who "the older you get in life, the smaller your courage becomes." He couldn't help but worry and whispered: "It's best if we can reach a reconciliation. If we really have to go to court, it won't look good for either family. After all, she is the mistress of the palace, and there are also two grand-nephews who are princes..."

Shu Shu thought about it for a while, but still shook her head.

Even if reconciliation were desired, it's not the right time... Without due process, they would only think about taking by force and wouldn't understand the law's impartiality.

Following the rules and laws is a good habit, just like knowledge is her confidence.

As the master and servant were talking, an attendant came to report.

"Someone from the Beicheng Military Barracks has arrived and wants to see the head of Shun'an Silver Building. The wife asked if it was Gege going to meet them, or if she would meet them herself..."

"I went to see..."

Shushu said, looking down at her clothes.

A half-new, not quite old, small standing collar lotus-colored silk robe, with a satin-backed bat-patterned jacket worn over it. Even when receiving guests, one wouldn't be considered rude.

She then dismissed the waiting shopkeeper and, accompanied by her maid, went to the front courtyard to a side room.

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In the small hall of a sunken room.

The deputy commander of the North City Military Horse Department waited for a while, but he didn't show any temper.

Who let this be the capital of the state?!

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!

This was not just Dong E's private residence; with the master, Qi Xi, serving as the Manchu Duta of the Zhenglan Banner, it became the Dutafu!

An official of high rank crushed a person to death.

The Eight Banners Dudu was a first-rank military officer.

The steward who came out was a figure of authority. Even the deputy commander, a seventh-rank official, wouldn't feel slighted by him, let alone when they saw Dorgon's eldest daughter, the noble consort.

After Shushui arrived with her maidservant, they paid each other respects and then took their seats.

The deputy commander glanced at him, then quickly averted his gaze, not daring to look directly at him. His attitude was extremely respectful.

“We adults say, there must be some misunderstanding… The Eight Banners are connected by family ties, they are not outsiders. How could we really bring this to court? If it can be reconciled, it's best to reconcile.”

Shu Shu's expression was solemn. She nodded and said, "What the magistrate said makes sense, but a silver shop relies most on its reputation. It can't just tarnish its name... Even if we want to mediate, we have to withdraw the lawsuit and offer compensation before talking about it."

The deputy commander's forehead instantly broke out in sweat.

If the plaintiff is willing to drop the charges, what's there for their commanding officer to worry about?

This morning, I received a summons. The Commander dispatched me to the Guo Luo Luo household to persuade Gui Dan's relatives against this matter.

But all of Guo Laoluo's elders were in Shengjing, and the remaining servants had no qualifications to discipline the young master.

The commander had no choice but to send himself back to the Dong E family's home.

Let's see if we can take a step back and try mediation first.

Who knew this Dong E family's first-class noble consort was so tough, the conditions she proposed were not only to withdraw the charges but also compensation!

The deputy commander gritted his teeth, struggling still.

"Given that this involves the reputations of two prominent families, perhaps Da Gege should consult with both the General and his wife?"

Shushang calmly said, "My lord, please rest assured. The silver shop is my private property, and I have the final say..." After she finished speaking, she raised her teacup.

The deputy commander, with no choice, rose to his feet and took his leave.

Then Shu Shu collected her smile and patted her own forehead.

I always seem to forget my current age and status. Where can I possibly find solace?

Better to file a report just in case.

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