Chapter 70 Shopping Mall News
Following the Fengxian Shopping Mall, Yan Xuanyu opened shopping malls in Beijing and other places. After the establishment of the shopping mall, it attracted a large number of merchants to settle in. What matters in the shopping mall is the things for sale. There is everything from food and cloth to wooden gadgets. The large number of merchants gathering together makes it convenient for people to buy what they need. The government will also provide certain assistance to the merchants. The discount activities held regularly in the shopping mall have alleviated the living burden of the people to a certain extent.
At the beginning, even though ordinary people heard the government say over and over again that "everyone can enter and buy", they still did not dare to enter. It was only after they gradually got used to the existence of the shopping mall, and saw the notices posted at the entrance of the shopping mall and word of mouth that "it's free to go in and take a look", that some people walked in half-believing and half-doubting.
Then you will be attracted by words like "100 wen off for purchases over 600 wen". Of course... once you go in, don't think about coming out empty-handed.
The mall also holds raffles at certain times, and they are very generous!
Once, a man who spent a few hundred coins in a shopping mall won three taels of silver! Three taels of silver may not be a big deal for the rich, but for ordinary people, it was a huge pie in the sky!
Therefore, it is no longer surprising to see people waiting for public carriages at the entrance of shopping malls with large and small bags - one bag on their backs and two bags in their hands.
Later, when acquaintances met, in addition to asking "Have you eaten?", they would also ask "Have you been there?" This would open up the topic. They would stand together with their hands in their pockets and talk about "When did you go there?", "Did you catch the discount?", "Did you catch the lucky draw?", "What did you win?" and so on. The conversation would start right away!
...
"Your Majesty..." Li Zhongxian looked at Yan Xuanyu with embarrassment.
Yan Xuanyu was wearing ordinary civilian clothes, a face that had been patted by the secret guards to look ordinary. He turned around and saw Li Zhongxian still standing there, so he asked, "What are you still standing there for?"
Today, Yan Xuanyu suddenly had the urge to go for a walk in the mall. After getting up early, he wanted to have breakfast in the mall.
Li Zhongxian followed, still muttering, "Your Majesty, if you want to eat something, just have it delivered to the palace. Why bother leaving the palace in person?"
"The food has lost its original flavor when it's delivered to the palace." Yan Xuanyu's expression straightened. "Do you know what a secret visit is? I'm going to see if there are any people out there who are ruining the reputation of the mall where I can't see them."
Li Zhongxian thought to himself that the whole capital is full of your people, so how could you not see them?
"Your Majesty, two Turkic spies were captured in the capital a few days ago..." Li Zhongxian tried to persuade again.
Yan Xuanyu nodded: "I know about this. I also know that they committed suicide by biting the poison in their teeth before the Dali Temple could find out anything."
"Why don't you bring more people with you?"
Yan Xuanyu pointed at the secret guard and said, "Just take him with you."
The secret guard, who originally had little presence, raised his hand and signaled to Li Zhongxian. His look clearly meant: Your Majesty, just leave it to me.
Li Zhongxian: ...
Originally, Li Zhongxian could not distinguish these royal secret guards, because most of the time they would not show up in public, and even if they did, they would wrap themselves tightly in black cloth. They had terrifying abilities and loyalty, like a blade without any human feelings in the hands of its owner.
But since His Majesty took charge of the secret guards, this group of secret guards has become visibly lively, slowly changing from their former lifeless appearance. Now he can slowly tell who the secret guards around His Majesty are every day, such as the one today called An Jiu.
Yan Xuanyu asked An Jiu to change into the same clothes as him. It looked like they were ready to leave. Li Zhongxian sighed. What else could he do? He had to prepare everything to leave the palace and follow him!
...
There weren't many people in the mall early this morning. Those who came here were all buying food. Although the mall tried to make the food prices very affordable, the cost of some food was high. Ordinary people would not eat them every day, and most people would only afford to eat them occasionally.
However, the food in the capital's shopping malls is very attractive to the dignitaries. Early in the morning, you can see servants from various mansions queuing in front of the food stalls, holding food boxes with the mansion seal in their hands.
The food in Beijing shopping malls is really cheap for the rich and powerful. Some people even don’t try it at first because it is too cheap, thinking that “it would be embarrassing to eat it”. However, no one who has tried it will say “it’s embarrassing” anymore, because if they say it, others will retort: Even if it’s embarrassing, you don’t eat less!
Most of the time, the owner of the mansion would not be stingy with a portion of food, so the servants in front of the food stalls could also buy an extra portion.
Yan Xuanyu found everything new and interesting in the mall.
"Hey! Young man, is this your first time in our mall?"
When the voice first came, Yan Xuanyu didn't think it was talking to him. It wasn't until the person repeated it again that Yan Xuanyu looked over and asked in surprise, "Are you talking to me?"
The man in the mall's uniform smiled and said, "Yes, yes. I saw you walking around here several times. Do you need any help?"
An Jiu stepped forward to block it inconspicuously, and Yan Xuanyu waved his hand.
He looked at the man carefully for a few times, and had to admit that these people in the mall were very enthusiastic. Yan Xuanyu had seen many arrogant shop assistants in his previous life, but now he was just wearing ordinary people's clothes, but he was warmly received by these mall staff. What's more, this was the Beijing Mall, a place where dignitaries came and went every day since it opened, which made this equal treatment even more precious.
"I want to buy some food. Do you have any recommendations?" Yan Xuanyu asked.
Without even thinking, the man smiled and said, "There's a tofu pudding stall just ahead of here. They have both sweet and savory options, it depends on what you're craving. Further north of the tofu pudding stall is a fried dough stick porridge stall. Dipping the fried dough sticks in the porridge is incredibly delicious."
He listed several dishes in a row, all of which were delicious and affordable. Many people would choose these if they wanted to buy food.
After thanking him, Yan Xuanyu walked towards the tofu pudding stall as he just wanted to eat some.
"Boss, I want a bowl of salty tofu pudding." Yan Xuanyu found an empty wooden bench and sat down. He looked at Li Zhongxian and An Jiu, "What would you like to eat?"
Li Zhongxian was about to say no, how could he eat at the same table with His Majesty? Unexpectedly, An Jiu immediately asked for a bowl of sweet food, so Li Zhongxian had no choice but to ask for a bowl of sweet tofu pudding as well.
While they sat down and waited, a servant from some mansion came with a food box to buy tofu pudding. The stall owner was quick and served a bowl to the servant, who took it and started eating while standing.
Nowadays, most hosts will not be stingy with the money for food, and many servants carrying food boxes are eating.
This kind of change is good if it is followed by others, no matter whether they are sincere or not, as long as these people's lives are a little better.
"Sir, here are some tofu puddings for you three." The stall owner brought them over in two batches.
After eating a bowl of tofu pudding, Yan Xuanyu felt very comfortable. He also ate two crispy pancakes. After eating, he felt relaxed all over.
After finishing his meal, Yan Xuanyu went to stroll around the shopping area. Many places were still closed, but when he saw the familiar words on the banners such as "30% off all items" and "Buy two get one free", for a moment, he felt as if he had returned to the modern era.
Coming back to his senses, he shook his head, which showed that the mall was quite successful.
After leaving the mall, he saw a public carriage coming towards him. In addition to having a special sign, the public carriage was much larger than ordinary carriages and was very easy to recognize. After the carriage stopped, many people got out of it, including stall owners selling things in the mall and customers who came to shop.
Since the vendors moved into the mall, they no longer have to worry about accidents such as goods being stolen, nor do they have to move the goods to be sold back and forth every day. It is absolutely safe to leave the things in the mall. There are people on duty every night, and the mall is backed by the government, so no one dares to target it.
As he walked, Yan Xuanyu suddenly wanted to go to the hot pot restaurant.
Zhang Yuezhi has been running the hot pot restaurant business since leaving the palace. Some time ago, she asked Yan Xuanyu if she could open a hot pot restaurant in other places in Da Zhou. Yan Xuanyu agreed. Zhang Yuezhi could get a share of the hot pot restaurant's profits. Since the hot pot restaurant opened, business has been going on continuously. Yan Xuanyu also knew that Zhang Yuezhi was a big client of the Beijing money house.
Yan Xuanyu has a list of everyone who has deposited large sums of money in the capital's banks. Zhang Yuezhi is so smart, and considering the many things Yan Xuanyu has done in the Great Zhou Dynasty, he knew the ins and outs of the banks after thinking about it, and then deposited all his assets in the banks without hesitation.
Yan Xuanyu did not tell Zhang Yuezhi in advance that they were going to the hot pot restaurant, and he went there on a whim.
When he arrived at the hot pot restaurant, the shopping carriage was parked at the back door of the hot pot restaurant. Zhang Yuezhi was dressed neatly and was chatting and laughing with the shopping man about business matters.
Because of An Jiu's disguise, Zhang Yuezhi did not recognize Yan Xuanyu and Li Zhongxian. She just thought they were passers-by. After chatting with the buyer for a while, she asked the waiters from the hot pot restaurant to carry the ingredients into the building. She checked the items one by one with the account book in her hand, and then followed the waiters into the back door.
Yan Xuanyu looked up at the sign of the hot pot restaurant and saw many new items at the door.
Even Li Zhongxian couldn't help but sigh: "Miss Zhang is living a good life outside the palace."
"Yes." Yan Xuanyu said.
He remembered that Zhang Yue's previous life didn't even leave any impression in the original owner's memory. She probably just stayed depressed in the palace, and was eventually killed by the rebel army when the country was destroyed.
In this life, she is no longer the young lady of the Zhang family, nor the concubine of the second prince, nor the concubine Zhang in the imperial palace.
Everyone in the capital praised the hotpot restaurant's proprietress highly, and even many dignitaries wanted to get to know her - but no one knew that she had once been a member of the palace, and they only wanted to get to know her because of her.
Because no one knew that Yan Xuanyu was behind the hot pot restaurant, after Zhang Yuezhi became the owner of the hot pot restaurant, she was inevitably seen by others when she went in and out. Everyone knew that the owner of the hot pot restaurant was a woman, and an orphan whose identity was unknown. It was not that no one came to cause trouble. The Jinyulou alone had caused a lot of trouble, both openly and secretly. However, Zhang Yuezhi never reported the news to the palace. She solved these problems with her own skills and methods, and showed Jinyulou that their interests did not conflict, and they could become friends and develop in different directions. Inspired by the discounts in Beijing shopping malls, she suggested that the two families could jointly offer discounts.
Now that the business of Hotpot Restaurant and Jinyulou is getting more and more prosperous, Jinyulou no longer regards Hotpot Restaurant as a thorn in its side.
Moreover, Zhang Yuezhi has a very good memory. Anyone who has spoken to her can remember it very clearly. For example, an official was invited by his colleagues to a hot pot restaurant for dinner. Coincidentally, the official's family had a daughter later. When he came to the hot pot restaurant again, he was given an extra plate of meat rolls and a plate of jade meatballs. Upon asking, he found out that the gifts were specially given by the boss to congratulate the official on the birth of his daughter.
Although it was just a small gift, the official became a regular customer of the hot pot restaurant from then on.
There are countless examples like this.
Yan Xuanyu asked himself, if it were him, it would be impossible for him to be so comprehensive.
However, just like all the people he is currently using, they all have their own shining points. What Yan Xuanyu can do is to use the convenience of his identity to allow them to display their talents without any scruples and make Da Zhou a better place together.
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