The most dissolute couple in the capital

That afternoon, Cui Qingyi changed into a low-key outfit and, together with Suxin and Aunt Guan, rode in an inconspicuous blue-curtained carriage out of the Liang Prince's Mansion and headed towards Mingquan Lane in the south of the city.

Mingquan Lane is a quiet alley in the south of the city, lined with the courtyards of ordinary people, their walls covered with vines. The carriage stopped at the entrance of the alley, and Cui Qingyi got out and followed Aunt Guan on foot into the lane.

Walking to the middle of the alley, a large courtyard with gray walls and black tiles came into view. Above the gate hung a not-so-new wooden plaque with the three characters "Orphanage" written on it in strong and vigorous strokes.

A woman in her forties was sitting by the door, mending a child's garment. Upon seeing Aunt Guan, she immediately stood up and greeted her with delight.

"Sister Guan! It's been so long since I've seen you, what's wrong—"

She was halfway through her sentence when she noticed Cui Qingyi behind Aunt Guan. Her gaze changed slightly, and she quickly abandoned her polite tone, bowing respectfully.

"Who is this?"

Aunt Guan introduced, "This is Princess Liang. Your Highness, this is Sister Meng, the manager of the orphanage."

Sister-in-law Meng was clearly not expecting the princess to grace her with her presence, and was momentarily at a loss for words. She quickly bowed again, saying, "This humble woman greets Your Highness. I apologize for any shortcomings in our hospitality..."

"Sister Meng, please don't be so formal." Cui Qingyi smiled and helped her up. "I'm just here to visit, not for any formal purpose."

Sister-in-law Meng welcomed the three of them into the courtyard.

The courtyard wasn't large, but it was very clean. In the center stood an old locust tree, under which several simple cradles were set up, and two girls, around ten years old, were soothing babies. Rows of small clothes and swaddling clothes hung to dry outside the east wing, bleached white by the sun. From the west wing came the sound of children reading aloud, and one could vaguely hear them reciting the "Thousand Character Classic."

"How many children are there in the orphanage now?" Cui Qingyi asked as she walked.

"Nearly fifty of them, big and small," Sister Meng replied, her voice tinged with weariness. "The oldest is fourteen, and the youngest was just found last month; he was abandoned at the city gate when he was only three days old."

Cui Qingyi paused slightly in her steps.

Sister Meng seemed used to this kind of scene. Her voice was calm but tinged with helplessness: "We've been taking in more and more children these past few years. One more mouth to feed, one more set of clothes—these are minor issues. We can grit our teeth and get through them. Thankfully, Her Majesty the Empress and Her Highness the Princess are kind-hearted and allocate funds every year, so we can manage financially. But it's so hard to find tutors."

"And you even teach them to read?"

As Sister Meng led them inside, she explained, "Basic literacy and simple arithmetic are required. You need to be able to read land deeds, indentures, and marriage certificates, and be able to check accounts so that you won't be deceived by unscrupulous merchants or evil people."

"Once they get a little older, they are trained according to their talents and interests, such as weaving, embroidery, cooking, accounting, and managing affairs..."

Cui Qingyi was somewhat surprised: "There are so many kinds?"

Sister Meng said with a hint of pride, "This is all thanks to Her Majesty the Empress. She said that it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. Only when these children learn a skill can they truly stand on their own two feet."

No wonder the expenses are so huge with so many teachers.

Cui Qingyi turned around and whispered to Aunt Guan, "The Empress and Princess Zhao are able to do these things when no one is watching, without saying a word or seeking fame; this is true benevolence."

Aunt Guan was honored to hear this.

These details were unknown to Cui Qingyi in her previous life. She thought it was just an ordinary adoption center, but she had no idea that there were these inside stories.

She walked around the courtyard again, checking on the children's living quarters and food. Overall, although simple, their basic needs for food and clothing were met. Even with the Empress's intervention, there were still limits.

It was already evening when I left the sales home.

Cui Qingyi said to Aunt Guan, "Once the shop opens, I will donate 50% of the profits."

Aunt Guan's eyes were filled with tears: "The Princess is so righteous."

The carriage swayed and rattled back to the Liang Prince's Mansion. As soon as Cui Qingyi entered the second gate, she saw Li Chengjing squatting by the flower bed in the courtyard, with a row of small porcelain bottles in front of him, checking their quality one by one in the setting sun.

Upon seeing Cui Qingyi return, he immediately stood up, his face filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Qingyi! I've decided. The first batch of products to be sold will consist of three items—peach blossom face cream, orchid-scented balm, and jasmine and bitter orange leaf essential oil. Oh, and I also want to make a beauty face cream specifically for older women, the kind with pearl powder from the Western Regions as a base. I made it for the Empress Dowager, and it worked very well."

He became more and more excited as he spoke, wishing he could move the entire incense room into the shop immediately.

Cui Qingyi walked over and reached out to brush off the bit of face powder that had gotten on his forehead.

"Your Highness, the location for the donation has also been decided."

"Where?"

"The orphanage. It was located in Mingquan Lane in the south of the city, and it specifically took in abandoned baby girls," Cui Qingyi said. "It was run by my sister-in-law and Princess Zhao."

"You arranged this by your sister-in-law?" Li Chengjing perked up. "How come I didn't know?"

"My sister-in-law has always been low-key," Cui Qingyi said. "I went to see it today, and it's quite nice."

"Since it was arranged by my sister-in-law, it must be reliable." Li Chengjing looked at Cui Qingyi expectantly. "Your Highness, you are so kind."

Cui Qingyi felt her cheeks burning. The shop was a gift from the Empress Dowager, the technology was provided by Li Chengjing, and the costs were covered by the Prince's Mansion. All she did was run an errand and say a few words.

Cui Qingyi's heart softened, and she tiptoed slightly to gently kiss his cheek.

"Yes, it's thanks to Your Highness's support."

Li Chengjing seemed to have been struck by acupuncture, his whole body stiffened, and only his ears turned bright red at a visible speed.