Chapter 111

They had submitted the travel documents at the city gate earlier; afterwards Da Wang immediately found out—having a reliable city gate really makes a difference.

Upon hearing the Jin family had arrived, Da Wang, whose money bag had been tight from being pinched by ten thousand people, seemed to see silver beckoning.

"How could it be such a coincidence? The rouge shop opens tomorrow, and they've come today—we must sell the most expensive sets; even our Second Prince ought to be marrying soon."

Zhao Bao beside him bowed and replied, "Your Highness forgot—the consort of the Second Prince has already chosen the eldest daughter of the Li family, who holds the post of Grand Minister of Revenue."

The king listened, feeling sour, "No wonder it's my second brother, picking someone who handles money. One of the Nine Ministers, in charge of the empire's granaries." The Grand Minister of Agriculture of the Great Jin oversees all taxes, silver, money, grain, revenue and expenditure; it goes without saying that it's illustrious.

With such prominence, what ordinary seasonal gift could the Second Prince possibly afford to give?

Zhao Bao felt that the Jin family's silver was doomed.

The next day, Jin Guan Shi arrived in Youzhou and went to wander Wanxiang City, discovering that its goods had been updated considerably; he breathed a sigh of relief. The aristocratic merchants of Chang'an only have those few items; the same things can't be sold forever, while ordinary folks can't afford them, so new styles are welcome.

As soon as he entered the shop, the clerk warmly greeted Jin Guan Shi, obviously still remembering the big client. Being so valued, Jiucai felt warm inside.

He went through the three floors once, as usual reporting the quantities needed and placing the order, then picking up the goods when leaving Youzhou.

They each pre-ordered a batch of the new goods; after spending half a day looking and half a day gaining experience, even the well-traveled Jin Guan Shi sighed in admiration, truly not knowing what kind of world lies overseas, where the things made are so interesting, simply marvelous craftsmanship.

Moreover, the overseas gemstones differ from those of Great Jin, with so many varieties they dazzle the eyes.

How can a single bracelet have so many rare varieties? Seeing all that sparkle, even a big man like him, listening to the clerk's eloquent explanation, felt his heart stir more and more. He couldn't believe the noble ladies of Chang'an could resist being moved.

Whatever wards off evil, attracts wealth, strengthens the body, or purifies the magnetic field—everything is available; never mind whether it's genuine, the symbolism is good! Just seeking a good omen with this thing is enough.

Jin Guan Shi himself bought on the spot a strand of large-bead men's yellow crystal and put it on; the moment it was on his hand it felt icy, cool, and substantial—needless to say, the feeling was not bad.

The king had just sent his father a gold-titanium crystal, feeling embarrassed to sell it among the common folk, planning to hold off for now; yellow crystal would be enough to entertain the wealthy merchants. He heard that clear crystal also comes in dozens of wearable mineral varieties with all sorts of sparkle, over a hundred types; Bai Ge said nobody can escape the pit of playing with ornamental bead strings, so let him start with the cheap ones and gradually stock up.

When it comes to the king's hands, there's no such thing as cheap—he treats them as precious gemstone ornaments for sale; besides, the king doesn't deceive the poor. The money merely shifts from those aristocratic merchants' hands into the mouths of Youzhou's people—what fault does the king have?

The shop's new accountant followed behind the big client, clacking the abacus, and after viewing the goods reported an astronomical figure.

"Master Jin Guan Shi, your order totals 228,390 taels, which is insufficient for the military escort's treatment leaving Youzhou; for your and the cargo's safety, tomorrow our Chief Manager Zhu will have a rouge shop opening, where the finest rouge in the world is said to be available—you can go have a look; fifty thousand taels is easy to come up with. On Zhuque Street we have plenty of good things, and the cloth shop at the street's end has just received new cotton."

Jin Guan Shi: …You can't leave Youzhou without spending fifty thousand, right!

The city walls are about to finish construction; the king feels pleased every day. These past months he hasn't spoken of it, but he's been worried the Xianbei will return for revenge; now that the walls have reached this height, he finally relaxes.

So today, with the rouge shop opening, the king also doesn't hold back from practicing at the martial field; he decides to go out with Wei Shen to join the fun.

Wei Shen saw that little fatty ahead, hopping and skipping with each step, so adorable he couldn't take his eyes off him—practically happier than the little bird on his shoulder.

Tsk tsk, you really think there's no outsider here, huh!

The rouge shop is not far from Wanxiang City, with a calligraphy and painting shop that has no customers in between, called the Youzhou Book Bureau.

Inside, pitifully few elementary textbooks are displayed; the main product is the sole book officially published by the Youwangfu—.

Past that negligible shop, the rouge shop lies ahead; its entrance now has several flower baskets, tall upright bamboo baskets holding multicolored flowers, all made of velvet, which should last a few years without issue.

Each bears auspicious phrases like 'Grand opening, prosperous business.' No need to ask—such fashionable items are surely a gift from Bai Yang.

Wei Shen glanced twice, 'Looks familiar~'

The king said: 'Those flower baskets from the neighboring book bureau's opening—when my farm tools shop opens, it'll still be these.' His older brother Bai said this is eco-friendly; if he opens another shop this year, he won't send them.

In the next instant, Wei Shen stopped paying attention to him; the adolescent, admiring beauty, unlike the king, already knows how to appreciate lovely women, at least able to tell who's attractive. This shop called 【Huaxiangrong】 Rouge Shop has a huge poster on its facade.

It is a giant portrait of a fully made-up noble girl, lifelike to the point where you can see her curled, long eyelashes.

Isn't it lifelike? This is a photo Bai Yang Hua had taken at great expense by a top-notch photography studio.

The model's makeup and clothing are exactly what the king plans to sell in the future.

The renowned photography studio's retouching skills can handle any style or look you want; in the end, Zhu Ti selected a shot of a model wearing red-and-gold attire, giving the new shop a good omen, and even the all-powerful high-end AI has been put to use in metaphysics.

Such attire and makeup are utterly different fireworks in the dull Great Jin; the crowd packed at the entrance are all there to see that dignified beautiful girl.

Wei Shen was astonished to the point of heavenly awe: 'Who painted this? It looks real, and it's too beautiful! Only slightly inferior to a tree spirit—tree spirits are just too old.'

The king: 'Really? Still not as pretty as my sister!'

Wei Shen: 'Liar! You say you two both look like my aunt, but I don't know what my aunt looks like!'

The king explained to him: 'You don't understand; my sister used the shop's cosmetics, and she looks good too. These things can really transform a person!'

"Real or fake? Then my sister isn't saved?"

The king: '…….' Your skin is really itchy.

The townsfolk at the entrance are savvy; knowing the inside is likely beyond their means, they just come to see the excitement, standing far back to catch the full view of the portrait; the king leading Wei Shen inside went fairly smoothly, without needing the guards to clear a path.

Who would have thought that when they squeezed to the doorway, Zhu Ti reached out and blocked Wei Shen from entering; only the king, who lacked sufficient height, managed to get in……

"You're not allowed in! This young lady is forever twenty-six, the prime of one's beauty—you say who's old?"