Chapter Seventy-Eight: Young Master Mingyu
He had always thought that this new princess was just a clever, lucky, or unlucky sheltered young woman, who at most messed around in her own shop... How could she be the mistress of a place like this?! Does the prince know?!
Feng Li felt that his understanding had been shocked like never before. His eyes were filled with disbelief and horror as he looked at the young master in front of him, who was dressed in men's clothing and had a thin back.
Linglong was so nervous she barely dared to breathe, clutching tightly to Li Bao'er's sleeve. Feng Li instantly went into high alert, his muscles tense, and instinctively took another step closer to Li Bao'er. He was now absolutely certain that the Princess Consort had made the right choice in bringing him here; this place was far too dangerous!
But Li Bao'er felt as at ease as if she were back home. Her sharp eyes, hidden beneath her veil, swept quickly across the various stalls. Without stopping, she walked straight into a relatively quiet area deeper into the black market.
That area appears to be occupied by some large, established merchants or the management of the black market.
Occasionally, people who seemed to be in charge would see her along the way. Although they couldn't see her face clearly, they seemed to recognize her identity and would stop and bow slightly in greeting.
Feng Li took it all in, his heart filled with surging waves of shock. His princess had quite a few secrets! The prince hadn't just married a princess; he'd married a complete enigma!
Li Bao'er stopped in front of a seemingly ordinary ebony door and showed the black wooden plaque again. After the burly man guarding the door inspected it, he respectfully pushed the door open.
Inside the door was an elegantly furnished, soundproofed quiet room. A young man dressed in silk was already waiting inside. Upon seeing Li Bao'er enter, he immediately stood up and bowed.
"Master, you've arrived."
Li Bao'er cheered and rushed over, hugging the person tightly: "Mingyu! Long time no see! I missed you so much!"
The man called Mingyu was taken aback at first, then his previously somewhat aloof eyes instantly filled with genuine laughter. Without hesitation, he opened his arms and hugged Li Bao'er tightly in return, even patting her back gently as if out of habit. His voice was clear and melodious, carrying a hint of barely perceptible tenderness: "Your subordinate has also missed you, Master. It's been so long. How are you, Master?"
Only then, with the help of the bright indoor light, Feng Li and Linglong, who had followed closely behind, were able to clearly see the appearance of this young master Mingyu. His hair was tied up in a white jade style, his face was delicate and handsome, his skin was fair, and his eyes and brows carried a hint of heroic spirit.
Linglong, who was standing to the side, was instantly stunned, and Feng Li's pupils shrank sharply. He subconsciously looked away, his heart pounding with shock. The princess... she actually hugged a strange man like that in front of other men?!
Linglong turned pale with fright. If this got back to the Prince's mansion, they would be doomed! Without thinking twice, she quickly stepped forward, trying to block Feng Li's view with her small body. At the same time, she anxiously whispered a reminder to Li Bao'er, her voice trembling with tears: "Young Master! Young Master! Be careful! There are outsiders here!" She stamped her feet anxiously, afraid that Feng Li would go back and say something to the Prince.
After being interrupted by Linglong, Li Bao'er realized that she had gotten carried away in her excitement.
She released Mingyu and turned around to see Linglong looking like she was about to cry and Fengli stiffly avoiding her gaze. She was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but burst out laughing.
She patted Linglong's shoulder, then looked at Feng Li, who seemed quite uncomfortable, and explained with a smile, "Look how scared you are! Don't worry, your prince isn't that petty."
As she spoke, she affectionately put her arm around Mingyu's shoulder and introduced them to the two of them: "Come, let me formally introduce you. This is Mingyu, the general manager of my black market business, and one of my most capable sisters." She emphasized the word "sisters."
Then she winked mischievously at Mingyu: "Mingyu, quickly explain your intimidating outfit to them, otherwise my little girl and this guard brother might not be able to sleep when they get back."
Upon hearing this, Mingyu couldn't help but smile. She raised her hand and very naturally pulled out the jade hairpin that held her hair, and her ink-black hair instantly cascaded down. Although she was still dressed in men's clothing, her gentle eyebrows and the curve of her neck immediately and clearly revealed that she was a woman.
"My name is Mingyu." She introduced herself with grace and poise. Her voice was still clear and melodious, but the deliberately lowered tone had disappeared, and the original tone of a woman's voice had returned. "I have always dressed like this for the sake of convenience. It is not an intention to deceive anyone."
Feng Li: "!!!"
Linglong: "Huh?!"
The two were immediately dumbfounded.
Feng Li suddenly realized why he thought the "man" was too thin and had too delicate features! It turned out to be a woman in disguise! Moreover, her disguise and imitation of demeanor were so superb that even he was fooled for a moment!
I became even more curious about this princess and the people around her.
Linglong breathed a long sigh of relief and muttered softly, "That scared me to death! It was just a lady..."
Seeing the two men's fascinating expressions, Li Bao'er laughed even harder: "Are you relieved now? Feng Li, don't go back and complain to your prince, okay?"
Feng Li quickly bowed, his tone losing its usual composure: "This subordinate dares not."
Mingyu retied her hair, regaining her capable appearance, and led everyone to their seats to begin the main topic.
“Master, you’ve come at the perfect time,” Mingyu said, her voice regaining its previous clear and steady tone. “Even if you hadn’t come, I was planning to send you a message soon.”
"What happened?"
“The black market has been rather unsettled lately.” Mingyu frowned slightly. “A group of people started appearing about a month ago. They act arrogantly and are ruthless. It’s not like they’re just causing trouble. It’s more like they came prepared with a clear purpose.”
"They first deliberately raised and lowered prices in some large transactions to disrupt market order. Later, they began to secretly threaten several long-term merchants who had been cooperating with us for many years, forcing them to hand over their supply channels. A few days ago, they even caused trouble in one of our gambling dens and an auction house, injuring several of our employees and damaging a lot of things."
Linglong gasped upon hearing this and instinctively covered her mouth.
“They’ve said,” Mingyu’s voice turned cold, “that either the real owner of this black market comes out, kowtows, admits his mistake, obediently gives up 70% of the profits, and gets out of the capital, or we can just wait for this place to be completely wiped out, leaving no one alive.”
"What arrogance!" Li Bao'er sneered upon hearing this, lightly tapping the table with her fingertips. "Have you found out who they are? How dare they run wild on my turf?"
Mingyu shook her head: "The other party is very cunning. The leaders are all unfamiliar faces, but they are all quite skilled. They act cleanly and efficiently, leaving no loose ends. They disappear quickly after each incident. We initially suspect that they may not be local forces from the capital. They have their eyes on this lucrative opportunity and want to seize it by force."
She looked at Li Bao'er, her tone filled with worry: "Boss, they're clearly aiming to seize control of the entire black market. And I have a feeling that they have considerable backing, otherwise they wouldn't dare to be so blatant. What do you think..."
"When will they cause trouble again? And in which venue?"
Mingyu pondered for a moment: "Based on their previous patterns, they seem to particularly like targeting the Zhenlong Pavilion auction house, because that's where the profits are the highest. The event is tomorrow night! There's a pill auction at the Zhenlong Pavilion tomorrow night, and they're very likely to come and cause trouble!"
“Tomorrow night…” Li Bao’er tapped her fingers on the table faster, clearly racking her brains for a solution. A moment later, she suddenly looked up at Mingyu and Fengli, a cold yet excited smile playing on her lips:
"Fine! Since they want to force me out, then I'll do as they wish!"
"Mingyu, prepare for tomorrow night's auction as usual. Spread the word that the owner might personally come to oversee the event."
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