The equally high steps, spread out far apart, make the shops on the commercial street look like they belong to the same family; early in the morning, many horse-drawn carriages stopped in front of the shops, carrying goods inside. The wide street was shaded by green trees, with stone benches placed under the shade, seemingly for tourists to rest.
"Your Majesty! Once the commercial street is officially open, horse-drawn carriages will not be allowed inside, so this place will also be called a pedestrian street. It is said that this is to prevent horse-drawn carriages from affecting tourists' enjoyment." A pale-faced, beardless man bowed and explained in a high-pitched voice.
These were the eunuchs that Changsun had arranged to be stationed in the commercial street and in charge of the shopping mall. Changsun nodded slightly and said, "I am traveling incognito, so please remember to call me Madam!"
"Yes, Madam!" The two palace maids and eunuchs beside her hurriedly and respectfully responded.
As she strolled slowly along the pedestrian street, stepping onto the clean bluestone pavement, Changsun looked around curiously. The busy people didn't find it strange that someone like her was passing by with servants, as there were quite a few of them every day. They were just amazed by Changsun's beauty, and many of them secretly glanced at her, but only dared to steal a look, as they didn't want to offend someone as wealthy and powerful as her.
Halfway down the street, the view suddenly opened up before them. Ahead stood a five-story building surrounded by a spacious open space planted with many large trees. Under the trees were even more stone benches; not only stone benches, but also various swings and hanging baskets, making even Changsun want to sit on one for a while.
"Madam! This is the shopping mall you and Master own! Twenty businesses have already agreed to move in, and they will pay a rent payment every year," the eunuch introduced.
"How much?" Changsun asked curiously. She didn't know the amount yet, but she believed the people below wouldn't lie to her. She didn't know yet; it probably hadn't been handed over.
As expected, the eunuch replied with a hint of resentment, "Cheng Huailiang said to let the merchants sell for a month first, and then we'll discuss the price! If you're not satisfied, you can leave."
"Let's do as they say." Changsun didn't care about these things, although she understood why the eunuchs weren't in a hurry to take credit.
"Madam! Let me introduce you," the eunuch said with a fawning smile, bowing deeply.
"Hmm!" Changsun responded noncommittally, making a sound through his nose.
"The shopping mall has five floors and covers an area of ten acres. In addition to the sales area, there are also warehouses and four passages. Three are for tourists, and the other is for the mall's exclusive use. The first floor is currently vacant. The second and third floors are for merchants, with a maximum capacity of 120 businesses. The fourth floor is rented by the Duke of Yi's mansion to sell various furniture. The rent of 20,000 strings of cash has already been agreed upon. The fifth floor is for the exclusive use of the royal family. We are just waiting for the Madam and the Master to decide what to sell there," the eunuch explained.
Changsun looked at the empty first floor and went upstairs. The second and third floors were the same as the outside, constantly being stocked with goods. There were shops selling gold and silver jewelry, as well as rouge and face powder, and all sorts of other things.
"Why are all the cosmetics and face powder vendors gathered together?" Changsun asked.
"Your Majesty! This is to increase competitiveness. If everyone sells the same thing, of course people will see whose is better and whose is cheaper. This way, merchants will be more dedicated to their work, and the ones who benefit from the lower prices are the buyers; it can also increase the store's reputation and make it the preferred place to buy."
Not only cosmetics, but also gold and silver jewelry, and ready-made clothes were all gathered together.
As the eunuch explained, Empress Zhangsun discovered that the third floor was indeed full of merchants selling clothes and fabrics.
Upon reaching the fourth floor, Changsun was immediately struck by the sight of various styles of furniture arranged in a pleasingly orderly fashion. Many of the styles were completely unfamiliar to her, exhibiting remarkably novel designs. Based on Qin Mu's past behavior, she was certain that this furniture possessed something extraordinary about it.
Just then, a staff member was cleaning up. She knew the manager of the mall and was immediately called over to explain things to Changsun.
The palace already had sofas, tables, chairs, and recliners. There was also a large mattress, which the eldest grandson immediately liked when he sat down. The soft quilt was very bouncy, much more comfortable than the hard wooden plank bed.
The dressing table inlaid with bronze mirrors and the wardrobe with clothes hangers—Changsun could imagine that he would no longer have to fold his clothes and put them in chests. He could hang them all in the wardrobe, not only to admire them at any time, but also to make them look better than those in chests, and to store other small items.
Furniture of all styles and heights is dazzling and makes it hard to know which type to place in your home.
The ones Qin Mu commissioned were certainly not square and conventional; they not only had different patterns and were carved with various designs, but even their shapes were different. Some were tall, graceful trees, while others resembled strange rocks.
After looking through them, Changsun finally made a difficult decision, selecting several styles of coffee tables and wardrobes. Of course, a large bed with a mattress and a four-piece bedding set was also essential.
The use of leather is well-established, whether for tanning or clothing making; however, no one really thinks of using feathers. Qin Mu understands this situation, since unless someone is specifically collecting them, no one has that many feathers to use. At most, they collect some pretty ones for decoration.
Collecting feathers and processing them simply allows you to make down comforters, down jackets, and wool. Wool with the skin on is a valuable commodity, a favorite among ordinary people, but what about the wool itself? Well, this, of course, benefits Qin Mu even more.
As for the fifth floor, Changsun only glanced at it before walking down the wide staircase. She was very satisfied with the mall. The entire mall had as many windows as possible, allowing for ample natural light. The specially designed white tiles reflected the light, making it easy to see clearly even without candlelight, without any of the gloomy feeling of a grand palace.
"Take me to see the new homes for ordinary people!" Changsun said casually, glancing back at the shopping mall.
"Yes!" the eunuch replied, leading the eldest grandson towards the back of the commercial street.
Changsun then discovered that behind the commercial street was a hidden world, a small alley with a row of identical three-story buildings on the side, the same height as the shops in front, which explained why they couldn't see it from the front.
Not only are they the same height, but their styles are also very similar, neat and tidy, exactly the same.
"Grandpa, may I take a look at your house?" The eldest grandson asked an old man sitting in the sun at the door as they entered a courtyard.
"Hehe! Please feel free to look around, esteemed guests." Upon seeing the group arrive, the old man hurriedly stood up, speaking awkwardly. Although they had experienced this situation many times before, they were still genuinely afraid of nobles in their fine clothes.
The garden was quite large, with four gates at the back. Some farm tools and firewood were placed there, making it look a bit messy. The old man was busy picking up some things that were blocking the way.
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