Qin Mu did not tell Princess Changning about the curse. Today, the commercial street began to receive tourists, and the flow of people was expected to be very large. After discussing with Liu Renshi, he arranged for the Six Doors and the Bad People to deploy spies, both overt and covert, to maintain order and for security.
This arrangement was made mainly because Chang'an had never experienced such a situation before, and the imperial court would not send too many people over. Even though Qin Mu had reminded them, at most it would only be a few more military commanders.
Fortunately, the Six Doors were nearby, so it wasn't difficult for the constables to come and help in plain clothes.
As the red cloth hanging at the entrance of the commercial street was pulled down, a gong sounded, and the waiting crowd was ushered into the street. At the same time, the shops on both sides of the street also pulled down their red cloths, revealing their own signs. Neatly dressed receptionists stood smiling at the shop entrances, while the shopkeepers were inside, looking expectantly at the street.
What's most intriguing is that there are more than ten shops where girls stand at the entrance and are also the shopkeepers. These women, dressed in uniform and with smiling faces, make you want to go inside and take a look.
Popcorn, chicken wings, duck necks, chicken feet, gizzards, chicken and duck intestines, and all sorts of vegetables are skewered on strings; pastries, tofu, cold noodles, and a dazzling array of other foods are on display. Many of these items come from all over the country, and many people have only heard of them or have never even heard of them before.
The entire street was lined with over thirty shops, all selling food and drinks—a sight no one had ever seen before. Whether out of curiosity or a craving, most people opted to buy.
Those who have time to stroll around usually have some spare money, so spending a few coins to try something new is no problem at all. The biggest headache, however, is that their stomachs are too small and there's too much to eat. To be honest, even noble families haven't tasted all the delicacies. After all, some of the food was selected by Qin Mu from merchants all over the country.
At first, the merchants didn't believe it either. Local street food could be so popular in Chang'an, and it shouldn't even be enough to cover the rent here.
Qin Mu proposed a "run first, pay later" arrangement. While this required some renovation costs and adherence to the commercial street layout, there were no other conditions. Therefore, these merchants were willing to pay a price to cultivate a good relationship with Qin Mu. Their real desire was to have Qin Mu build the Rugui Tower in their area.
Business was booming, making the shop owners on the commercial street beam with joy. The constant flow of people coming and going made every shop feel crowded. You'd never see such a bustling market scene in a shop before.
The mall was also packed with people. There were many people buying vegetables and fruits on the first floor, and most of them were asking about prices. After all, there was such a wide variety of products, and they could let their families buy them here in the future.
The second and third floors house branches of some well-known Chang'an products. Because the mall is so large and there aren't many shops, there are a lot of people watching.
People have never seen a store like this before. With its unique design and candlelight illuminating the space, every item looks beautiful and tempting. Gold and silver jewelry, cosmetics—the designs are small and the prices are reasonable. The key is that several similar shops are located side-by-side, making it look like one huge store.
Anything, once it reaches a certain quantity, becomes quite spectacular. The mall has sufficient security personnel, so these merchants feel very comfortable letting people view these goods.
The fourth floor is the Qin family's furniture store, the largest in area, and attracts the most visitors and inquiries. Qin Mu also allows people to experience and feel the furniture there. Everything here is for sale, but it's primarily for display; once a customer has chosen their item, it will be delivered to their door.
Furniture is, after all, a large commodity, and its price is not low, so there were still many people looking at it. However, at this time of year, not many of those looking at it were extremely wealthy or of high status. Some were sent by prominent families to inspect the goods, while others were merchants from Chang'an who were still observing the situation.
The staff patiently explained that this was something they had been taught many times during their training: treat all guests equally.
On the contrary, the fifth floor was full of wealthy people. Changsun had already sent out invitations to the noble ladies of Chang'an to attend the opening of the royal boutique. Of course, she wouldn't say it was the boutique opening; she would say it was to invite people to see the new clothes.
More than a hundred palace maids trained in the palace are introducing the clothing to the guests, while the twenty or so most outstanding ones are acting as models, wearing the clothes and showcasing them.
The exquisite clothes pleased the ladies greatly. They also felt it necessary to provide their maids with handbags and backpacks to carry their everyday essentials, even though they rarely went out. They didn't mind owning a few themselves. For them, practicality wasn't important; what mattered was that others had them while they didn't—that would be shameful.
As the eldest grandson had predicted, sexy clothing and new-style strapless tops were what drove the wealthy ladies wild.
"Your Majesty is indeed wise; this little item is the most popular!" Consort Yang complimented in a low voice.
Seeing the palace maids surrounded by noblewomen seeking their advice, Changsun smiled and said, "Isn't this normal? They are also worried about losing favor, or rather, they want to please others."
"Your Majesty is right. What man isn't attracted to beauty? Who wouldn't want to make themselves more attractive?" Consort Yang said with a smile, covering her mouth.
“Yes! To see if a man is lustful, just put your hand under his nostrils. As long as he’s still breathing, he’s bound to be lustful. Sister, do you know who came up with these ideas?” Empress Dowager exclaimed, then before Consort Yang could answer, she added, “It was that fifteen-year-old Qin Huaidao!”
"Ah! He came up with this!" This time, Consort Yang was truly dumbfounded. Originally, she only knew that those bags were made by Qin Mu. As for the other things, she originally thought they were the secret weapons of the Changsun family. After all, no one could match Changsun's position in Li Shimin's heart.
After the initial shock, Consort Yang glanced at the curvaceous models with a strange expression and asked curiously, "Could all of this be his doing?"
"What do you think? Do you think I would even think about such things?" Empress Zhangsun said irritably.
"Hehe! Of course Your Majesty wouldn't, but I didn't expect this little fellow to be thinking about such things!" Consort Yang said with barely suppressed laughter.
"So you see! As long as a man is breathing, there isn't a single one who isn't lustful."
On the fifth floor, the wealthy ladies were enthusiastically selecting their favorite items, and some even placed orders for unique outfits. Business was booming, even the eldest grandson found it unbelievable; it was as if money wasn't money at all, with orders pouring in like snowflakes.
Keep in mind that this is under the royal brand; while not everything is unique, at most it's similar to other items. Of course, the price is also a bit high.
Going up to the fifth floor, each noblewoman could only bring one maid, so most of them brought their own juniors, wanting to broaden their horizons. As a result, there were naturally more customers.
Clothing, jewelry, and cosmetics are just some of the things people dream of experiencing. The palace maids who specially made up for the imperial concubines and empresses and served them were the real attraction.
Qin Mu had put in a lot of effort for the fifth floor, providing not only bags, shoes, and various delicate hair accessories and decorations, but also sketches. This was a piece of cake for him; he could simply search his memory. These items were now fully displayed on the bodies of these wealthy ladies.
The person was still the same, and their clothes weren't any more expensive than before, but with the addition of various small accessories, everyone had a refreshing feeling.
The powder made from pearls, when skillfully applied, concealed some minor imperfections. The same person appeared to have a cleaner face, a more prominent nose, and was overall more beautiful than ever before.
"This money was well spent! Not only did I buy things, but I also learned a lot of skills." This is the sentiment of most people.
Long eyeliner, a touch of gold and silver sparkle on her eyelids—she exuded a cold and alluring beauty. Her large eyes glanced around, drawing admiring glances from all around. This look was infinitely more stunning than the heavy red and white makeup she usually wore.
Crazy! Many wealthy women are going crazy for this kind of outfit, their eyes gleaming with a determined look, as if they're ready to fight to the death if you don't give it to them.
After the court session, Li Shimin remembered that his eldest grandson had taken many people from the palace to the commercial street. Having just finished dealing with government affairs, Li Shimin also wanted to go out for a stroll to relax.
The emperor's departure from the palace was not a spur-of-the-moment affair. Zhai Changsun first led the Xuanjia Army to scout for danger, while Li Shimin, accompanied by a group of ministers, went to the commercial street in plain clothes. He had inquired about this place several times but had not yet seen it with his own eyes.
When they arrived, it was midday, the busiest time of day, and what they saw left everyone stunned!
It's not surprising that there are many people; there are also many people in the imperial court. But it's only during festivals that you can see so many people crammed together in the city.
The crowds nearly blocked the wide street. Emperor Li Shimin and his ministers looked at each other in bewilderment, and then, with a hint of curiosity, they also entered the commercial street.
The shops on both sides of the street were crowded with people, but they certainly didn't go in to squeeze in. Instead, they walked along the street under the protection of the guards.
This group was clearly distinguished, accompanied by numerous guards, so the common people naturally kept their distance, and they weren't worried about their safety. However, the open space near the mall once again surprised them. Everything there was clearly marked as a children's playground, and there were many children there, mostly relocated residents who had come out to see what was happening and bring their children to play. They had known about this place for a long time, but it had never been open to the public.
"With constant singing and laughter, this is what a peaceful and prosperous era looks like!" Fang Xuanling exclaimed.
"Compared to other parts of Chang'an, this place is indeed quite different. Merchants and common people alike seem very happy," Changsun Wuji said, surveying the scene.
"Let's go! I heard that the original inhabitants have been resettled in new houses. Let's go see what's going on," Li Shimin said, looking around with great interest.
Soon, a large group of people arrived at the back of the street, where it suddenly became much quieter. Looking at the rows of buildings, most people were speechless.
Many people gathered in their courtyards, talking about the spectacular scenery outside. It wasn't that they didn't want to go out and play, but they had already gone for a stroll early in the morning. Plus, there were too many people, and they were worried about leaving their homes, so they all came back.
They were all high-ranking officials of the imperial court, and one could discern much from certain details. Therefore, he did not enter other people's houses, but simply walked around outside casually, or listened to the conversations of the common people.
“Your Majesty, the people here are dressed neatly in new clothes; they don’t look like poor people at all,” Wang Gui said softly.
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin frowned, realizing it was indeed true. He withdrew his gaze and asked calmly, "What do you mean, my dear minister?"
“The houses here are indeed beautifully built, but is it really necessary to build them this nicely to resettle the people? Couldn’t someone be profiting from this? Resettling the people elsewhere while selling these houses?” Wang Gui said with a slight smirk, his head bowed.
"Let's ask him first," Li Shimin said calmly. Although he wasn't sure whether Wang Gui was targeting Qin Mu or simply had genuine doubts, Li Shimin didn't believe his explanation.
Soon, two elderly men were brought from different courtyards and brought before Li Shimin.
"Esteemed guests, what are your instructions?" one of the elders asked, bowing slightly as he looked at the crowd somewhat timidly.
Li Shimin revealed a gentle smile and said kindly, "Old man, don't be nervous. I invited you here simply to ask you some questions."
"Please ask, sir. I will answer to the best of my knowledge." The old man's expression relaxed, and he bowed respectfully again.
"How is your life after you moved here? Has it been affected? I see you're all wearing new clothes, did someone tell you to dress like this?" Li Shimin asked repeatedly.
Hearing Li Shimin's question, both old men smiled. One of them, speaking with a Guanzhong accent, said, "Life is wonderful! Wearing new clothes is all the neighbors' own idea."
"Why?" Wang Gui couldn't help but ask.
"It's a long story. Before, we were so poor here! Even though we lived in Chang'an, we could only do manual labor and lived a miserable life. The imperial court made us relocate, and not only did they build us new houses, they also arranged jobs for us."
"His Majesty is a good man! Everyone's life is better now, and our relatives and friends are all very envious. We can't let this place be tarnished by such a good life, can we? So everyone has consciously bought new clothes," the old man replied.
When Li Shimin heard the people praising him, he immediately smiled happily.
Wang Gui frowned slightly and asked again, "The imperial court has assigned you jobs? What kind of jobs? Then why are you all at home?"
“Yes! When the commercial street was being built, people of all ages from our area went to help. We were paid every day. After the construction was completed, the local residents were given priority for sanitation, security patrols, and other service work. Even if they couldn’t do those things, they could help move goods. You know, horse-drawn carriages weren’t allowed on the commercial street, so moving goods could earn them a good amount of money in a day.” An old man grinned, revealing his missing teeth.
“Most of our work is done in the early morning and late evening, so everyone is resting at this time,” another person added.
"Are there so many work arrangements? What about you old folks?" Li Shimin asked curiously.
"Stopping the night watch! Keeping watch! These are the jobs best suited for us old men who can't sleep!"
"Yes! Yes! It's just sweeping the streets and carrying some trash. These are easy jobs, and the pay is pretty good!"
"Yes! The imperial court is so good, taking special care of us old men." The two old men spoke clearly, one after the other, and Li Shimin was very pleased. He then sent them away.
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