The excitement of the New Year was still permeating the streets and alleys of Beijing. Bai Linglong's idea of opening a large supermarket became stronger and stronger, like a seed that could not wait to sprout.
On this day, warm sunlight shone into the room through the carved window lattices of the palace study.
Bai Linglong sat at the table, spread out a thick piece of paper, and drew quickly on the paper with the charcoal pencil in her hand.
She frowned slightly, thinking, and then nodded gently, her eyes very focused.
After a short while, a design sketch of a four-story supermarket was completed, with the layout of each floor and functional area clearly divided.
At this time, Nangong Yan gently pushed open the door and walked in.
He was wearing a dark robe, standing tall and with a gentle smile on his face.
Seeing Bai Linglong's concentration, he walked to the table with light steps and asked softly, "Madam, is this the supermarket design you've been talking about?"
Bai Linglong raised her head, her eyes sparkling with excitement, and she grabbed Nangong Yan's hand and said, "My Lord, you are finally here!
Take a quick look. I plan to turn this first floor into a fresh food area and a household item area. People can buy everything from fruits and vegetables, firewood, rice, oil, salt, pots and pans in one place without having to run around. ”
She pointed to the blueprint and continued, "The second floor will hold some novelties, like massage chairs, bicycles, and simple household appliances.
These are things that we have never had here before. They will definitely attract many people and make travel and leisure more convenient for everyone in the future.
The third floor is the clothing area, whether it is beautiful clothes made of silk and satin, or coarse cloth clothes commonly worn by the elderly, men's clothing, women's clothing, children's clothing, all kinds of styles are available to meet the needs of different people.
The fourth floor is set up as a boutique pavilion, selling rare antiques, valuable calligraphy and paintings, and uncommon jewellery. These rare treasures can be collected by dignitaries and can also broaden the horizons of ordinary people. ”
Nangong Yan came closer and looked at the blueprint carefully, his eyes full of admiration, and nodded and said, "Madam, this idea is really novel and unique. With this supermarket, the people with the surname of Wang in Beijing will probably change drastically!
I will support you with all my strength. Just tell me what you want me to do. ”
As they were talking, there was a sound of brisk footsteps at the door, and then four babies ran in like four happy little deer.
Nan Jinxuan ran the fastest, rushed to Bai Linglong, grabbed her arm, tilted his head and asked, "Mother, mother, what are you doing?"
Nan Jinyu also followed, staring at the blueprint with curiosity in her big eyes and said, "Yes, mother, we heard that you are very busy."
Nan Jinyi came over and reached out to touch the blueprint, shouting, "Let me see, let me see, is there anything interesting?"
Nan Jinyao obediently walked to Nangong Yan, held onto the corner of his clothes, and looked at Bai Linglong with her big watery eyes blinking.
Bai Linglong smiled and touched each child's head and said, "My dears, let me draw a blueprint for you. We are going to build a super-large supermarket in the future. There will be many fun, delicious and useful things in it."
"supermarket?
What is that? ”
Nan Jinyi asked with a puzzled look on his face.
Bai Linglong patiently explained: "A supermarket is a very large store with everything in it, just like a shopping mall in space. You can find all the toys, beautiful clothes, and delicious snacks you want in it."
“Wow, that’s great!
Then can I go to the supermarket every day in the future? ”
Nan Jinyi jumped up with excitement.
Nan Jinxuan said seriously, "Mother, when the supermarket is built, I can help greet customers."
Nan Jinyu also quickly said: "I can help, too. I will fold the beautiful clothes neatly."
Looking at the innocent and cute children, Bai Linglong and Nangong Yan couldn't help but laugh.
Nangong Yan said: "In this case, let's act quickly.
I will send people to inventory the famous industries and find a suitable place to build a supermarket. ”
Not long after, the housekeeper came hurriedly to report that there was an abandoned mansion in the north of the city, which was bought by the Nangong family in the early years. It was large and close to a major transportation route, with a lot of people coming and going, and it was a good place to build a large store.
Bai Linglong's eyes lit up when she heard this: "Quick, let's go take a look!"
The two of them brought the children to the north of the city. Although the mansion in front of them was a bit shabby, it was still imposing. Bai Linglong fell in love with it at first sight with its open courtyard and tall houses.
"Your Highness, this is it. The place is big enough and the location is good. Let's build the building here.
It will definitely become the most lively place in Beijing. ”
Bai Linglong said excitedly.
Nangong Yan looked around and nodded with satisfaction: "Well, it's really good. Let's do as Madam said and start the construction as soon as possible."
On the second morning, Nangong Yan walked into the palace solemnly wearing court robes and an official hat.
When the bell for the morning court rang, the ministers walked into the hall one after another and stood in two rows.
After everyone finished paying their respects, the emperor sat on the dragon throne, swept his eyes majestically across the hall, and first dealt with a few important state affairs.
Then his eyes fell on Nangong Yan, and he suddenly asked: "Yan'er, I heard that Linglong has been very busy recently. What is she busy with?"
Nangong Yan stepped forward, clasped his hands together, and answered respectfully: "Reporting to the emperor, Linglong is planning to open a large supermarket.
This supermarket has four floors, which is quite novel.
The first floor is the fresh food area and the daily necessities area, where you can buy what you need most.
The second layer is for novelties such as massage chairs, bicycles and small household appliances;
The third floor is a clothing area that can meet the different clothing needs of men, women, young and old;
The fourth floor is the boutique pavilion, which displays rare antiques, valuable calligraphy and paintings, and rare jewelry. ”
As soon as these words came out, the court became lively.
Zhao Zhongliang, the Minister of Finance, was full of doubts and quickly stepped forward to ask, "Prince of Zhennan, how much does it cost to open such a large supermarket?
Purchasing goods, renting a place, hiring people, which one doesn’t cost money?
If the business is not managed well and loses money, the palace will suffer a huge loss and may even owe others money that they cannot repay. This risk is too great. Isn't it too adventurous? ”
Sun Wenyuan, the Minister of Rites, waved his fan and said with a worried look, “Although the things the princess showed before were amazing, no one has ever seen these things in the supermarket.
People are wary of unfamiliar things. If no one buys them, won’t the money invested be wasted? ”
Minister of Works Zhou Wu frowned and said, “Building a four-story building is no small matter.
From design, purchasing materials to construction, no problem can be allowed in any link.
What if the building is not built stably and collapses later and hits people? ”
Zheng Xiong, the Minister of War, could not help but say: "The border situation has just stabilized, and we cannot relax our military reserves.
If too much manpower, material resources and financial resources are used in supermarkets, if a war breaks out and there are not enough resources, the consequences will be disastrous. ”
Nangong Yan was not in a hurry. He first bowed to the Minister of War, and then said in a logical manner: "Lord Zheng is devoted to the country, which is admirable.
However, the human and material resources used in the construction of this supermarket are arranged by the palace itself, and no military resources will be used. ”
Then he turned to the Minister of Works Zhou Wu and said, "Sir Zhou, the princess has already invited the most powerful team of craftsmen in the capital.
The design plan has been discussed and revised repeatedly, and strict supervision will be carried out during construction to ensure that the building is safe and stable, and there will be no safety hazards. ”
Then, he said to the Minister of Rites Sun Wenyuan: "Sir Sun, the surname 땡 is actually very curious about new things.
The massage chairs at the previous palace banquet were highly praised by everyone after they tried them.
The things in the supermarket are practical, affordable, and well advertised, so people will definitely accept them. ”
Finally, he said to the Minister of Finance Zhao Zhongliang: "Sir Zhao, the princess has carefully calculated the costs and benefits, and has also formulated a flexible business strategy.
Moreover, supermarkets can drive commercial development and increase tax revenue, which is good for both the country and the people. ”
Prime Minister Li Guoan stroked his beard and nodded slightly: "Your Majesty, the Princess of Zhennan has always been smart, and her previous ideas have brought many benefits to the capital.
If this supermarket succeeds, it may create a new situation for Beijing's business. ”
Other ministers also started discussing the issue, some expressed support, while others were still a little worried.
The emperor listened carefully to everyone's words, thought for a while and said: "Prince Zhennan, since it is for the sake of the capital's surname and business development, I approve it.
But we must ensure the quality and safety of the project. If there are any difficulties, feel free to report to the court. ”
Nangong Yan quickly knelt down to express his gratitude: "Thank you for your trust, father. I will do my best to live up to your expectations."
After the court session, Nangong Yan returned to the palace with great joy. When he saw Bai Linglong, he smiled and said, "Madam, the big thing has been accomplished!
In the court, His Majesty and the ministers all agreed to our plan to build a supermarket. ”
Bai Linglong's eyes sparkled with surprise, and she said excitedly: "Really?
Very good!
My Lord, thanks to you for arguing in the court. ”
Nangong Yan looked at Bai Linglong tenderly and said, "This is all thanks to Madam. Even His Majesty and the ministers are looking forward to your novel idea."
Following the arrangement of the Nangong Banquet, the most famous craftsmen in the capital soon entered the venue and started work.
On the first day of work, people with the surname Dong surrounded the room in three layers.
"This palace is really quick to act, they do things as soon as they say they will!"
An old man stroked his beard and sighed.
"Yeah, I don't know what this supermarket is like. I heard there are a lot of things I haven't seen before."
A young man next to him looked curious.
As the project progressed, the news spread among the powerful circles in the capital, and the wives of ministers, noble ladies and young masters also began to pay attention to this supermarket.
One afternoon, the wife of the Minister of Revenue Zhao Zhongliang and the wife of the Minister of Rites Sun Wenyuan met to see the progress of the supermarket construction.
The two stood not far away, looking at the busy construction site.
Mrs. Zhao couldn't help but say, "You said that the Princess of Zhennan is really thoughtful. If this supermarket is built, it will be much more convenient for us to buy things in the future."
Madam Sun waved her round fan and nodded in agreement, "Who says it's not? I heard that they will sell a lot of novelties, but I don't know what they are."
At this time, several noble ladies also came together. Among them, Li Ruoxue, the daughter of the Li family, said excitedly: "I heard from my father that the third floor of this supermarket is all about selling clothes. Maybe there are new styles from the Western Regions!"
Zhang Yaqin, the young lady of the Zhang family, said with sparkling eyes: "Really?
That's great, I've been wanting to replace those old styles in my wardrobe for a long time. ”
The young masters were not to be outdone and gathered together to discuss.
Wang Yuxuan, the son of the Wang family, crossed his arms and said, "What I'm most curious about are the novelties on the second floor, such as massage chairs and bicycles. I don't know what it feels like to use them."
Liu Haoran, the son of the Liu family, smiled and joked: "When it's built, let's go and try it out together. Don't be scared by those things then."
As time went by, the appearance of the supermarket gradually revealed its full picture. The exquisitely carved doors and windows and the imposing gate attracted people to stop and watch, and their expectations were getting higher and higher.
"This house is so magnificent. Our lives will definitely be more convenient after we build this supermarket!"
"Yes, I am looking forward to it being completed soon so that I can see what treasures are inside."
Just as the supermarket was about to be completed and everyone was looking forward to its opening, Liu Ruoli heard about it and became jealous, and began to secretly plan to sabotage it...
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