"Anyway, it's still early. Let's go for a stroll and take a look at the shops."
Mu Fengqie took Xiaoqing and walked towards the Minister's Mansion on foot. Shen Yiru had been doted on since childhood, so it was normal for her to think of Mu Fengqie as a person who tried to curry favor with the powerful. Therefore, Mu Fengqie didn't blame her.
Jiang Yanqin acted very quickly. In just one day, he had almost prepared the shops. All that was left was to decorate them according to the patterns Mu Fengqie had drawn.
The hot - pot restaurant and the express station were very close, which made it convenient for Jiang Yanqin to manage. However, Jiang Yanqin still focused on the express station and handed over the hot - pot restaurant to his trusted subordinates.
As they walked, they came to the express station. The layout here was no different from that in modern times. As soon as Mu Fengqie stepped into the express station, she felt a sense of familiarity.
Jiang Yanqin looked up and his eyes lit up the moment he saw Mu Fengqie. He couldn't hide the surprise in his eyes. "Why are you here? This place is dirty. Don't get your clothes dirty."
He was becoming more and more impressed with the woman in front of him. The name of this express station resounded far and wide across the land. He had not only earned a lot of silver but also accumulated a lot of connections and was doing well in this circle. All of this was thanks to Mu Fengqie.
Moreover, Mu Fengqie was now planning to open a hot - pot restaurant. Maybe this hot - pot restaurant would also be as prosperous as the express station. If so, he would surely be able to profit by following her.
"You've been working hard these days. I heard that Lord Jiang's name is now well - known!" Mu Fengqie said with a smile, teasing Jiang Yanqin.
She was very satisfied with her judgment. If she had handed the express station to someone else to manage, it might not have achieved the current results. Jiang Yanqin deserved most of the credit.
Jiang Yanqin blushed and rubbed his forehead. "This is all thanks to Sister Mu. I'm willing to follow Sister Mu for the rest of my life. You'll always be my boss."
"Come on! You're making me sound so old," Mu Fengqie deliberately gave Jiang Yanqin a sidelong glance and then said, "You have a wide network of connections now. Do you have any way to get close to the palace and come and go freely?"
Jiang Yanqin was completely puzzled by Mu Fengqie's words. His eyes almost popped out like copper bells. "Why are you even thinking about the palace? You can't do business related to the palace. One wrong move and you'll lose your head!"
Jiang Yanqin had known that Mu Fengqie was bold before, but he never thought that she would be so bold as to have her eyes on the palace. What kind of place was the palace? It was where the emperor lived. It was no joke!
Mu Fengqie was stunned for a moment. "I know, but if we want our business to do well, we need a background. I was just thinking about getting a proper status."
Apart from Xiaoqing and Jing Xunchi, Mu Fengqie hadn't told anyone about the matter of the Pharmacist Valley, including Jiang Yanqin in front of her. She had to be cautious. Without full certainty, she couldn't let the news leak.
"My dear girl, this is no joke. I can ask around for you, but please stop thinking about the palace. Our business is doing well now. There's really no need to take this risk."
Jiang Yanqin looked worried. He was afraid that this young lady would act on a whim. If she really offended the noble people, there would be no way out for them.
Facing Jiang Yanqin's nagging, Mu Fengqie felt impatient. Once she had made up her mind, no one could change it. One day, she would personally deal with that dog - emperor.
Leaving the express station with Xiaoqing, Mu Fengqie was filled with mixed feelings. Now she could only become stronger step by step, strong enough to make the dog - emperor tremble.
"Miss, this servant also thinks that Jiang Yanqin is right. Now that the young master is not by your side, miss, you'd better not take risks alone."
Xiaoqing was worried that Mu Fengqie wouldn't listen to Jiang Yanqin's advice. With Mu Fengqie's current strength, going against the emperor would be like an egg hitting a rock.
Mu Fengqie sighed impatiently. "Got it. We still need to find out who leaked the defense map back then. Now that Zhanzhi is not here, we have to find this out for him."
"Has miss chosen the people to befriend? Are we still going to take over this shop today?"
"Take it over! Of course we are!" Mu Fengqie said confidently.
She came from a family of traditional Chinese medicine doctors and was naturally sensitive to formulas. Coupled with her sensitive skin in her previous life, she had studied cosmetic formulas for a long time. The masks and skin - care products she used were all made by herself without relying on others.
Now this skill really came in handy. There were so many noble ladies and young misses from aristocratic families in the capital. Maybe they would know something about the defense map incident back then.
The two walked in the street for a long time and finally found a shop with a good location. Mu Fengqie walked in, and soon someone came to greet them.
"Miss, are you here to buy cloth? I have all kinds of colors and fabrics here. Whatever color of fabric you want, miss, I guarantee that the fabrics here will suit you!"
The shopkeeper sized up Mu Fengqie's dressing and started to flatter her. But he never expected that Mu Fengqie had other motives.
"Shopkeeper, if I want to take over this shop, how much silver will it cost?" Mu Fengqie asked calmly.
From afar, there was not a single person in this shop. It occupied such a good location for nothing. She didn't know how the shopkeeper managed it, so she had set her eyes on this shop for a long time.
Hearing this, the shopkeeper began to look Mu Fengqie up and down. Realizing that she wasn't here to buy cloth, his tone became tough. "If you're not here to buy cloth, just leave quickly. Don't affect my business. I'm not selling this shop."
"There's not a single person here. Where's your business? Our miss is talking to you nicely. Why are you driving us away right away?" Xiaoqing said indignantly, arguing with the shopkeeper.
Don't think this young maid was timid on ordinary days. But when Mu Fengqie was in trouble, she would always stand up to protect her. Mu Fengqie was touched.
The shopkeeper's face also looked bad. "I've already said I'm not selling!"
"Shopkeeper, do you have any difficulties? Don't worry. Money is not a problem. If you take this shop over to me, how about 300 taels of silver?"
Normally, this mediocre shop shouldn't be worth that much. 200 taels of silver would be enough. But since the shopkeeper was reluctant to sell, Mu Fengqie raised the price to 300 taels.
The shopkeeper's eyes lit up when he heard this, but then the light in his eyes dimmed. "You'd better leave. I won't sell this shop no matter what. This is the only thing my wife left for me. No amount of money can buy this shop."
Mu Fengqie was shocked. She never thought that this was the reason why the shopkeeper was reluctant to sell. Now she had no reason to discuss it with the shopkeeper anymore.
However, the location of this shop was excellent. If it was well - utilized, it would surely bring in a lot of income.