CHAPTER 197: CHAPTER 197 WORRY

Eunuch Fu was still in a state of shock.

He simply couldn’t imagine if the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion were the daughter of Consort Yun and the Emperor.

The now splendid Imperial Palace would probably have already become ruins.

Even if they palace attendants hadn’t died, they surely would have lost arms and legs.

Eunuch Fu wiped his sweat.

The Emperor asked him, "What did you just say?"

Eunuch Fu quickly replied, "The Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion came to the palace to thank you, Your Majesty, but was stopped by the guards."

"Let her in then," the Emperor said.

"..."

"She’s already gone," Eunuch Fu replied guiltily.

"..."

The Emperor looked at the portrait, puzzled as to why he had such a dream.

They say that what you think about during the day, you dream about at night.

Could it be that yesterday, after visiting Shouning and seeing her crying sadly, he thought of Marquis Dongxiang’s daughter’s lively demeanor and felt a moment of envy for Marquis Dongxiang?

It must be that!

As the Emperor, his princess should be the most noble, the smartest, and the most delicate.

Yet thinking of Princess Shouning gave the Emperor a headache.

When encountering Marquis Dongxiang’s daughter, she didn’t have any strength to fight back.

She hasn’t even entered the palace, but just a bar of soap could cause her to fall and injure herself.

If she were a daughter he had with Consort Yun, it wouldn’t be like this.

...

The carriage moved slowly forward, and Xingxing lifted the curtain to look outside.

The streets were bustling and crowded with people and vehicles, very lively indeed.

"Miss, we’re almost at the Beauty Pavilion," Xingxing said.

"Stop not far from the Beauty Pavilion," Su Jin said.

The coachman did as instructed.

The carriage stopped under a tree, and Su Jin lifted the curtain to look at the Beauty Pavilion.

She saw many noble madams and young ladies coming in and out of the Beauty Pavilion.

Xingxing was grinning from ear to ear, "Business has finally picked up; now we don’t have to worry about closing down."

Su Jin smiled lightly.

She had never worried about the Beauty Pavilion closing down.

It was just that it would take some time to flourish.

Xingxing looked at her, "Aren’t you going in to have a look?"

"No need, if those people see us, they’ll be too scared to shop," Su Jin said with a smile.

"..."

Xingxing touched her own face.

She and the Miss didn’t look that scary, so why fear them?

But as long as business was good, it didn’t matter whether they went in or not.

After watching for a while from inside the carriage, Su Jin then instructed the coachman to drive back to Duke Zhen’s Mansion.

Inside the Beauty Pavilion.

Those madams and young ladies were looking here and there, as most of the items sold in the shop were things they hadn’t seen before.

Just the soaps alone came in more than a dozen different colors and scents, making buyers feel dazzled.

"Which one should we buy?" the maid asked.

"Buy them all," the young lady replied.

Today, they had been ordered to patronize the Beauty Pavilion.

If one could serve as an official in court, especially being a minister at the Emperor’s presence, who wouldn’t try to gauge the Emperor’s mood?

Especially since the Emperor made it so obvious.

He was just short of issuing an edict for them to patronize the shop of the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion.

They were busy with official duties, unable to spare time, but they could have their wives and daughters come and give the Beauty Pavilion some business after all.

Besides, the soap was truly good to use—not only cleansing well but also refreshing the mind.

When Princess NanAn and her entourage entered the Beauty Pavilion, they headed straight for the backyard.

A certain madam noticed and followed them.

The entire Capital City knew that the Beauty Pavilion was rebuilt from the merger of the Tianxiang Building and an inn, not only having a backyard but also being very large.

As Princess NanAn entered the backyard, that madam was stopped.

The maid said, "Madam, please halt."

The madam slightly frowned and asked, "Can’t we enter the backyard?"

"You can," the maid replied.

"If we can enter, then why not clear the way?" the madam’s maid in green said unhappily.

The maid said, "But you do not yet have the qualification to enter the backyard."

"Not qualified?" the green-dressed maid’s face turned cold.

"Do you know who my Princess Consort is?!" she said angrily.

"It’s Princess Ning! In terms of status, she’s three points more noble than Princess NanAn!" the green-dressed maid retorted in a huff.

The maid looked at her and said, "Here at the Beauty Pavilion, we adhere to the rules of our establishment."

The green-dressed maid’s face froze.

The maid continued, "The backyard is different from the shop; everyone can enter the shop, but not the backyard. The backyard is a place for eating, drinking, and playing. If everyone could enter, wouldn’t it be chaotic?"

"Our Beauty Pavilion’s rule is to pay ten taels of silver, and by today’s date next month, you can freely enter and exit the backyard and stay as long as you like," the maid said.

"Besides paying silver, you can also use tokens, such as the silver token. Apart from a ten percent discount, it also allows free access to the backyard. The copper token doesn’t, but if you have a copper token, you only need to pay five taels of silver each month to enter," the maid said with a smile.

As they spoke, Marchioness Beining approached.

She greeted Princess Ning, exchanged a few words, then laughed, "We’re short one in there, I’ll go in first."

She not only went in but walked very quickly.

Princess Ning was more interested in the rear courtyard.

She glanced at her maid and said, "Go buy a token."

"Princess, which one should I buy?" the little maid in green asked.

Princess Ning looked at the Beauty Pavilion’s maid and asked, "Which token does Princess Consort NanAn and her group have?"

"It’s the Purple Jade Card," the maid replied.

"Then buy the Purple Jade Card," Princess Ning said.

The little maid in green ran back to the shop and said, "Buy a Purple Jade Card, how much is it?"

The little maid took out her purse.

The servant said, "Three thousand taels."

The little maid, "...!!!"

The price shocked all the madams and young ladies around.

"A token actually costs three thousand taels?!"

"Are they robbing people?!" the little maid couldn’t help but say.

The servant looked at her.

The little maid silently calmed her expression.

This shop is run by bandits.

It’s no surprise if they were just robbing money.

The servant said, "Today is the third day of Beauty Pavilion’s opening, 40% off, the original price of the Purple Jade Card is five thousand taels, it will return to the original price tomorrow."

"With the Purple Jade Card, besides the 40% discount on purchases, you also receive four free services per month, plus an additional secondary card that enjoys gold card privileges."

"Also, there are only ten Purple Jade Cards in total, and there are only six left now," the servant said.

The little maid didn’t have enough money.

With such an expensive item, she didn’t dare make the decision on her own.

She went back to ask Princess Ning.

Princess Ning was also shocked by the price of the Purple Jade Card.

But since she’d already spoken, she, as a dignified Princess Ning, couldn’t admit she couldn’t afford it.

"Go and buy it."

The little maid ran back and bought a Purple Jade Card.

When the Purple Jade Card was handed to Princess Ning.

Princess Ning looked pained.

But after entering the rear courtyard and taking a stroll, she felt the money was well spent.

With Princess Ning leading the way, other madams also scrambled to buy discounted tokens, but most bought the gold and silver cards.

Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

The second floor’s window faced the street directly.

The Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo Mansion leaned out his head, just barely able to see the Beauty Pavilion.

Chu Shun sat there drinking tea, laughing, "Stop looking, with the Emperor helping to attract business, if business isn’t good, how will the Emperor save face?"

"My sister-in-law is truly amazing," said the Heir of Marquis Beining.

Prince NanAn rubbed his bruised cheek and said, "Not just my sister-in-law, who in the Marquis Dongxiang Mansion isn’t amazing?"

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Chu Shun said.

The door was pushed open.

A servant walked in, Chu Shun said, "Prince, it’s your servant."

Prince NanAn, with his back to the door, turned his head when he heard Chu Shun’s words.

His bruised and swollen face directly stunned the servant.

"P-Prince?"

"I’m not so unrecognizable, am I?" Prince NanAn took out a copper mirror to look.

"..."

The servant’s heart pounded crazily, "Prince, you got beaten up again?"

Again...

"Can you mind your words?!" Prince NanAn glared.

His eye twitched with pain.

The servant swallowed hard.

Prince NanAn squinted his eyes and said, "Why are you looking for me?"

The servant hurriedly said, "The Princess Consort seems to be happily doing menial work at the Beauty Pavilion. The Prince was worried and sent me to inquire, but the Beauty Pavilion is full of women, and I can’t enter the rear courtyard, so I could only come to ask you."

Cough cough!

Chu Shun choked on his tea.

The menial work at Qingyun Mountain was his unattainable heartache.

Prince NanAn looked helpless, "My father is really worrying for nothing."

Servant, "..."

Caring for the Princess Consort can’t be called worrying for nothing, can it?

If the Prince heard this, he’d definitely beat the Commandery Prince.

"Go back and tell my father to relax; the menial work at Qingyun Mountain isn’t the kind he imagines, it’s the kind that’s snatched up," Prince NanAn said.

"..."

Menial work that’s snatched up?

"What kind of menial work is that?" the servant wondered.

The Heir of Marquis Beining patted the servant’s shoulder and said, "To Qingyun Mountain, spending money is a kind of menial work."

Servant, "..."