In the Rong Family's reception hall, Madam Shi, forcing a smile, ordered a maid to pour tea for Mrs. Bai and Madam Ming.
Madam Ming scoffed lightly, "We've been drinking tea all day, and it's almost dusk. Why isn't she back yet? Even if she is a country girl, she's still a future noble lady of the palace. How can she be so ill-mannered as to stay out all day and not return?"
Early this morning, Zhong Shanggong had come from the palace to deliver His Majesty's decree. From this day forward, the palace would no longer purchase rouge from the Hongyan Rouge Shop, and it had been stripped of its title as an Imperial Merchant.
Although Hongyan didn't rely on the silver taels earned from supplying the palace, what it truly sold was its prestige. Unlike ordinary rouge, buying from Hongyan signified high status.
Now that the palace no longer used Hongyan's rouge, the noble ladies of Chang'an City would no longer consider it prestigious.
