Trip to the Capital (Part 9)

The wedding date was set on the nearest auspicious day, which was a bit rushed. As the wedding approached, the Princess's residence became increasingly bustling with activity.

The eldest princess was in charge of all the wedding arrangements.

She had to wash up and go to court at the crack of dawn, and upon returning home, she immediately had to begin the wedding preparations.

Unfortunately, Wang Pan'er was not familiar with the capital and could not be of much help. Moreover, the princess had ordered her not to worry about it, so she could only go with Mu Lan to play with her friends.

Inspired by Wang Pan'er, Shen Yunjiao and her group of girlfriends have found their own inconspicuous shops and started learning how to do business.

They were scattered in various inconspicuous shops in the West Market, and several of them already had their own ideas.

Mu Lan brought Wang Pan'er out, and with a greeting, her sisters responded and gathered in their courtyard.

When they saw Wang Pan'er, it was like seeing a lucky cat. They warmly ushered her to the seat of honor and began to share their recent experiences.

Wang Pan'er only thought about the complex and deeply entrenched power in the capital, forgetting that they were also part of these powerful forces.

Unlike Wang Pan'er, who faced the pressure of either succeeding or dying when she was struggling to support a shop in Jinzhou Prefecture, they were backed by powerful families. For their families, such shops were just small-scale operations with very low costs for trial and error.

Wang Pan'er's advantage lies in "information asymmetry"—their strength lies in their ability to integrate human, financial, and material resources. Moreover, if these women were to establish themselves in Bianjing, she wouldn't have to worry about having their own people to look after her when she opened her shop in Shangjing.

After all, the eldest princess's connections belong to her. Even if others give her some face, she will still be treated with disrespect. She can only use the empire she has built herself without feeling shortchanged.

With the idea that having more friends means having more options, Wang Pan'er shared her views, which are already quite common in modern society, with these women.

For example, the concept of commodities, the generation of surplus value, the accumulation of capital, the allocation of resources, the process of value creation, vertical integration, horizontal integration, brand reputation effect, etc.

There wasn't much more to say; Wang Pan'er's not-so-genius brain couldn't hold too many elite theories. However, this whole set of information was enough for the group of women to digest.

Shen Yujiao even sent her maid to buy pen and ink, carefully recording all the concepts Wang Pan'er mentioned. During this time, she also reminded the other sisters, "This is a secret. We should keep it to ourselves. Don't let Pan'er's kindness go to waste. If someone else steals it, our group of sisters will be considered untrustworthy and we should disband."

Unable to gauge the depth of their financial resources, Wang Pan'er introduced concepts to enrich their minds, then dared not bring up the bridge again. She sat quietly to the side, listening to the girls formulate their plans, only offering advice based on her own experience when obvious deviations occurred.

They were all intelligent women, and even with the backing of prestigious families, they couldn't make a living overnight. Wang Pan'er was glad that she was rational and didn't act impulsively or have the idea of ​​opening a medicinal cuisine restaurant in the capital just because someone mentioned it.

The noble ladies from the Prime Minister's family should no longer cause them trouble on the surface, but who knows how many tricks they still have up their sleeves.

They could ostracize Lin Lan and Shen Yujiao's group, not to mention Wang Pan'er, whose foundation was unstable and who had even taken down Mu Chuan's "arch-enemy." She estimated that if she were to set up a shop in the capital, it would probably close down as soon as it opened.

Just imagining that scene made Wang Pan'er feel so miserable and sad that she couldn't bear to look at it.

During the day, Mu Lan would take Wang Pan'er to visit other people's homes to pass the time, and after nightfall, it would be time for the soon-to-be newcomer, Mu Chuan.

Mu Chuan was frequently summoned to the palace, and he always looked unwell when he returned from Mu Yunji's place.

Exhausted and filled with sorrow.

Just as autumn was dry, Wang Pan'er prepared a sweet soup early on to comfort the hardworking young prince.

Yesterday it was almond, yam and lotus seed soup; today it's white fungus and lily bulb soup.

Even the eldest princess jokingly remarked that Wang Pan'er was spoiling her own son.

Making medicinal cuisine is her specialty, and besides, Mu Chuan is beautiful and fair-skinned, so she's perfect for being pampered.

Wang Pan'er watched with a smile as Mu Chuan took the emerald green porcelain bowl and elegantly ate spoonful by spoonful. What a handsome person! Even the way he ate was a pleasure to watch.

A bowl of sweet soup can wash away most of the day's fatigue.

Mu Chuan looked satisfied and couldn't help but lean on Wang Pan'er's shoulder and act coquettishly.

Wang Pan'er touched his shiny hair and asked, "You've lost weight recently. What happened to keep you so busy?"

Mu Chuan never intended to hide it from Wang Pan'er; he just felt that these trivial matters were too much trouble and effort, so he didn't take the initiative to talk to Wang Pan'er about them.

When Wang Pan'er asked, he poured out his heart: "After we destroyed the Liuyun Merchant Guild, the Northern Di no longer had any weapons to supply them, and they are using the excuse of autumn to hoard grain and fodder."

"Sima Zhao's intentions are obvious."

"Indeed, scouts have reported that they have begun deploying troops and conducting drills at the border. The situation in the Jinzhou Prefecture area is tense, and they have entered a state of war preparedness."

Wang Pan'er's heart tightened, and unease began to emanate from within.

Mu Chuan sensed Wang Pan'er's stiffness, lifted his head from her shoulder, and sure enough, she had a solemn expression.

He reached out and rubbed Wang Pan'er's temples: "I knew it would be like this, that's why I didn't tell you first. Right now, there aren't many people Yun Ji can trust, so I'll have to trouble you."

Wang Pan'er took Mu Chuan's hand, which was rubbing her temples, and they clasped hands.

His palms were warm and dry. Wang Pan'er stared at his earnest expression, and her anxiety lessened somewhat. She shook her head: "If the Northern Di really invade, the area bordering Jinzhou Prefecture will be the first to be hit. In Jinzhou Prefecture, there is my sister, my friends, the girls in the shops, and the elders and folks I know. What you've done is to protect us. How can you talk about feeling wronged?"

The more understanding Wang Pan'er was, the more guilty Mu Chuan felt: "I originally thought that I brought you to the capital for sightseeing, but now I've been betrothed by chance. I get all the good things, but I can't spare a moment to take you for a walk."

Wang Pan'er could only scratch his palm to comfort him: "Your Highness often takes me out shopping. Anything I glance at will appear at the manor the next day. You can't be any better to your own children. After living for so many years, I finally know what it feels like to have a mother. And Mu Lan, Mu Lan is also very good. She was afraid I would be bored, so she took me to walk around the streets and alleys of the capital. And her group of girlfriends are also very interesting."

Mu Chuan was tickled so much that he grabbed Wang Pan'er's mischievous hand and used his other empty hand to tickle the ticklish spot on Wang Pan'er's waist. While tickling, he shouted, "Well, no wonder. I didn't expect that Mu Lan, this little tyrant, would start to try to please you. Now, I feel like an outsider in this family."

Wang Pan'er laughed repeatedly as she was tickled, unable to straighten up. She used seven or eight tenths of her strength to give Mu Chuan a slap on the thigh before she could break free from his grasp: "That's right, as an outsider, you must perform well and strive to integrate into the Princess's residence as soon as possible."

Provoked, Mu Chuan started chasing after Wang Pan'er.

He didn't really intend to pursue them; it was just the two of them teasing each other. Before long, their playful antics led them to the pavilion in the middle of the lake.

Wang Pan'er's physical strength was naturally not as good as Mu Chuan's, who was a martial artist. She leaned on the railing by the pavilion, panting, and stopped Mu Chuan, saying, "I'm not coming anymore, I admit defeat."

Wang Pan'er provided a ladder, and Mu Chuan naturally had to climb down it.

He beckoned to a passing maid to bring over a pot of warm tea and poured a cup for each of them.

After running for about half an incense stick's time, I was feeling thirsty, and this cup of warm tea was exceptionally sweet as it went down my throat.

Wang Pan'er asked for two more cups, and after drinking to her heart's content, she slumped onto the stone bench.

Mu Chuan said, "I still need to find some time these next few days to take you to see your dowry. Now that you've changed employers, it's necessary to show your face to the manager."

Mu Chuan's time was indeed tight; he only managed to squeeze in a dinner three days before the wedding.

After today, the newlyweds must avoid the custom of "double happiness clashing" and cannot see each other for three days until the wedding ceremony.

When Wang Pan'er arrived at Lanruoting, the owner was already standing at the shop entrance, eagerly awaiting her arrival.

Just like its name suggests, Lanruoting is a restaurant that exudes a Zen-like atmosphere. It is mostly made of oak or walnut wood, and decorated with some indigo, dark green, and ochre.

The restaurant under the Princess's name naturally boasts an exquisite layout. Unlike ordinary small shops that maximize space, the interior of the restaurant offers a constantly changing view with every step. Apart from the central hall, which is a unified space, the surrounding areas are partitioned off with screens, moon gates, antique shelves, and gauze curtains, separating each table. Candlesticks are everywhere, and even in the center of the hall hangs a large lotus-shaped candle holder, each petal illuminated by a burning candle, creating a beautiful interplay of light and shadow.

No wonder they chose to do it at night, during lunchtime; how could they witness such a magnificent sight?

The thought that such a luxurious restaurant was now under her name still felt like a dream to Wang Pan'er.

After inspecting the guest area, the manager led Wang Pan'er into the kitchen and began introducing the restaurant's most signature dishes.

As for the dishes, apart from those recipes with banned ingredients, the rest were not particularly surprising to Wang Pan'er, a gluttonous girl who had already tasted all eight major cuisines.

However, she was very satisfied with the well-managed kitchen. Raw and cooked food, meat and vegetables were all separated into different areas, and each area had a water drain for cleaning.

Wang Pan'er had no habit of wasting food, so she declined the "Manchu Han Feast" prepared by the innkeeper, leaving only three dishes, a soup, an appetizer, and a dessert for the innkeeper to mix and match as he pleased.

The new owner came in person, and in addition to his signature dishes, the owner also reserved the best private room.

After Wang Pan'er finished looking at the kitchen, she was led to the central room on the third floor.

A maid was already waiting in the room, dressed in an elegant and simple silk skirt, wearing a veil, and with a flower decoration on her forehead, which was quite unique.

The innkeeper had chosen a private room for them, which had a large window over two meters wide, offering a panoramic view of most of the Imperial Street. Wang Pan'er was immediately captivated and chose to sit by the window.

She dismissed the shopkeeper to attend to his own business, then called over a young maid to inquire about the situation inside the shop.

Lanruoting was elegant and abstained from wine and meat, which made it highly regarded by scholars and women.

To ensure the female guests felt comfortable, maids were specially used to serve them food.

The maids were mostly abandoned babies found by the princess and her maids, like Lüyi and Hongxiao, who were raised by the princess on the estate.

However, Green Ripple was clever from a young age, and Red Smile was physically suited for martial arts, which gave them the opportunity to serve the Princess.

The remaining girls, regardless of their future, are already extremely grateful to be able to live a decent life, and they will do their best in Lanruoting.

After spending time with the maid, Wang Pan'er learned a lot and finally waited for Mu Chuan's carriage to come speeding from the direction of the palace.

She peeked out and saw the carriage pull over to the side, a figure jump down, and then "whoosh," step into the gate of Lanruoting.