How arrogant must the Li family be to actually dare to take the initiative to provoke us.
Are you looking for death?
She didn't cause trouble for the Li family, but the Li family dared to come to them on their own initiative, thinking that she was an ordinary woman in the inner house who could be bullied at will.
Gu Jiu's face darkened. "Go, call Qian Fu."
Qian Fu was Liu Zhao's eunuch, mainly responsible for external affairs.
Gu Jiu asked straight to the point: "Did the Master ask you to collect information about the Li family? Give me a copy."
Qian Fu was surprised, "What does Madam want the Li family's information for?"
Gu Jiu sneered, "The Li family has come to my door, how can I just sit there and wait for death? Give me a copy of the information."
"I obey your command."
Qian Fu went to get the information, thinking in his heart that he would report this matter to the young master.
Gu Jiu got the Li family's information and read it page by page.
Liu Zhao remained silent, but secretly he had already collected a lot of the Li family's dark history. He even found witnesses and evidence, waiting for the right time to attack.
Gu Jiu suddenly stopped and stared at a certain page in the document, reading it word by word.
Finally, she asked Qian Fu, "Is all the Yuhua Lane in the south the Li family's property?"
"That's right!" Qian Fu said with a bow.
Gu Jiu chuckled softly, "I never thought that the Li family is actually a famous landlord in the capital."
"Ever since Concubine Li became pregnant, her status in the palace has skyrocketed, and the Li family has been buying up a lot of land and real estate. It's true that the Li family is a well-known landlord in the capital. However, the Li family had to use some trickery to acquire Yuhua Lane. However, that place is not good, and business has never taken off. The Li family lost money on this deal."
“Why can’t the business be done?”
"When it rains hard, it floods, up to waist height. All the goods get rotted away by the water. There were merchants who went there for the low rent, but within a year they all moved away. The place is so awful, it's only inhabited by the poor."
Gu Jiu chuckled softly, "How could the Li family, father and son, who are so smart, do business at a loss? Is there something special going on here?"
"I heard that it was someone from the south who deliberately set up a trap to ensnare the Li family father and son. Nowadays, there are some scammers who specifically prey on nouveau riche people with shallow backgrounds and set up traps to defraud them of their money. By the time they realize it's a scam, they've already run away."
Gu Jiu was curious, "Didn't the Li family father and son go to the site to check before buying Yuhua Lane?"
Qian Fu said, "Yes. Before they went, the scammers had already made preparations and hired people to create a buzz on the street. When the Li family father and son went to check on the scene, they naturally couldn't see any problems. They thought Yuhua Lane was a good feng shui location and spent a lot of money to buy the entire lane. In the end, they found out they had been deceived when they collected the rent."
Gu Jiu laughed out loud. "I'm really curious about who this liar is. I really want to meet him. So, the Li family is anxious to sell the entire property in Yuhua Lane?"
"Exactly! But everyone in Beijing knows that Yuhua Alley is not a good place, so it will be difficult for the Li family to make a move."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "The Li family is lucky this time. This lady is very interested in Yuhua Lane."
Gu Jiu wanted to be the developer of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but he didn't expect that the opportunity would come so early.
She also planned to become a developer once she saved up enough capital of 100,000 taels.
Start from the capital and then radiate across the country.
She is determined to become the largest developer in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
As the largest developer, she is naturally a super rich woman.
Qian Fu was horrified. "Madam, are you planning to buy Yuhua Lane? You can't buy it. Whoever buys that place will suffer a loss."
Gu Jiu smiled softly, "Don't worry. Ask the people around me if I've ever lost money in business over the years."
Qingmei said to Qian Fu, "Let Eunuch Qian know that any business that seems impossible to others can be profitable in the hands of my wife. Yuhua Lane is no exception."
Qian Fu was shocked and confused.
Gu Jiu didn't explain much, but asked, "How many houses are there in Yuhua Lane?"
"There are a total of 105 houses and 178 shops."
"If I remember correctly, there's a river behind Yuhua Lane?"
"Exactly. But the river is very dirty. In the summer it stinks to high heaven, and people and animals are not allowed to approach it."
Gu Jiu smiled softly, "It doesn't matter, as long as there's a river. The Li family is selling Yuhua Lane. How much is it asking?"
"All the houses along Yuhua Lane are for sale. The Li family wants one hundred thousand taels."
"Tell him to get lost. A hundred thousand taels for that shabby place? You're dreaming. Find someone with a Northwestern accent, claim to be from the Northwest, and come forward to negotiate this deal with the Li family. I'll give you a base price of ten thousand taels for the entire Yuhua Alley."
"Ten thousand taels? Madam, the Li family will definitely not agree to that. They spent a full fifty thousand taels to buy Yuhua Lane."
Gu Jiu smiled softly, "If the Li family doesn't agree, we might as well divert the water from the inner river into Yuhua Lane. This will let the Li family know that business is not something they can just do whenever they want. There's no reason to do business without paying tuition."
"But..." Qian Fu looked embarrassed, convinced that this was an impossible task. His wife was making it too difficult for him.
"You think it's impossible, impossible?"
Gu Jiu looked at Qian Fu with a smile.
Qian Fu bowed and said, "I am an old servant, too stupid to do this."
"Baizhong!"
"The little one is here."
Gu Jiu asked directly: "I'll give you 10,000 taels and ask you to buy the entire Yuhua Lane. Can you do it?"
"Please give me another thousand taels, Madam. I need to hire someone to set up a scheme."
"In other words, if I give you 10,000 taels, can you buy the entire Yuhua Lane?"
"My dear madam, yes, I can buy the entire Yuhua Alley for ten thousand taels."
Gu Jiu looked at Qian Fu again.
Qian Fu was shocked and confused.
Gu Jiu said straightforwardly, "Bai Zhong, I'll leave this task to you. Once you've finished this, it's up to you to decide whether to go to Jiangnan or stay in the capital."
If you stay in the capital, I'll leave the renovation of Yuhua Alley to you. But the prerequisite is that you go to the Shaofu to learn how to build houses from the master craftsmen and learn how to control costs.
This lady never does business at a loss. This time in Yuhua Lane, this lady will not only make a profit from the Li family, but also make a fortune from them. Prepare for the subsequent plan."
Bai Zhong looked excited, "I am willing to stay in the capital."
The glamorous world of Jiangnan is indeed very attractive, but Bai Zhong firmly believes that only by staying with his master can he have great development.
Gu Jiu nodded. "Okay, you stay in the capital and tell Rong Xin to take people to Jiangnan. You must do your job well. Before the matter is completed, you are not allowed to reveal your identity, and you must not let the Li family know that it was me who bought Yuhua Lane. The Li family is bullying us, and this time, I will definitely slap them back hard."
Bai Zhong said excitedly, "Madam, if you want to slap the Li family in the face, I will hand you the knife."
"This lady is someone who likes to pass the knife. Go down first and think carefully about how to deal with this matter and how to run your plan. When you have thought it through, report it to me and I will approve the money for you."
"As you command."
Bai Zhong retreated in excitement.
Gu Jiu looked at Qian Fu, who looked confused. "Eunuch Qian is good at handling external affairs and collecting all kinds of information for the young master. I shouldn't have asked Eunuch Qian to discuss business. That is not his area of expertise. I'm really sorry for making things difficult for Eunuch Qian before."
"Madam, you're killing me. I'm really curious. How did you manage to buy Yuhua Lane, which is worth 50,000 taels, for 10,000 taels?"
Gu Jiu smiled mysteriously, "I'll keep it a secret for now. Once I'm done, I'll reveal the answer to Eunuch Qian."
"I will wait and see."
This time, Gu Jiu not only wants to make the Li family bleed heavily, but also wants the Li family to regret their decision.
If she doesn't fight back against someone who dares to steal her business and poach her people, the Li family will never know what's good for them.
Do you really think that the Li family can do this business whenever they want?
The tuition fee of a few tens of thousands of taels was far from enough. She wanted the Li family to pay more tuition until they went bankrupt.
Gu Jiu continued to look through the information.
The Li family has been really crazy in the past two years, trying to get involved in everything.
West, north, east, south, there is no business that the Li family dares not get involved in.
They even want to get involved in the horse farm.
I really don’t know how much money the Li family has made in the past few years.
Gu Jiu thought about it, picked up his pen and wrote a letter to Dazhuang, explaining various things.
Then send someone to deliver the letter.
…
A few days later, the Li family's jewelry shop opened.
Gu Jiu appeared in Zhenbaozhai in a carriage without any emblem.
The Li family's Jubaozhai is located opposite Zhenbaozhai, and it is clear that they want to compete with Zhenbaozhai.
Not only that, they also learned various business methods from Zhenbaozhai.
For example, for a grand opening promotion, you can directly give a 20% discount.
Free snacks and tea are provided when you shop in the store.
We invited a gong and drum band to play at the door, making it very lively.
Even if you don't go in to buy anything, you can't help but take a few more glances when you hear the noise.
The shopkeeper stood in front of Gu Jiu and said, "Madam, once the Li family's shop opens, our business will definitely be affected. What should we do?"
"Have you forgotten what I told you? Our Zhenbaozhai is a boutique boutique. We only have ten pieces of jewelry of each style. Do you think Jubaozhai across the street can do the same?"
Shopkeeper Qiu was stunned. "The Li family just copied the original design and invited craftsmen from the Imperial Household Department. But they don't know that the most important thing about our Zhenbaozhai is design. Those craftsmen can easily make jewelry according to the design, but asking them to design their own is too difficult for them."
Gu Jiu smiled softly, "What do you have to worry about now?"
"Ma'am, you're right. There's nothing to worry about."
Gu Jiu added, "Let them be proud for a few days. Afterwards, they will realize that going against our Zhenbaozhai will not end well."
After leaving Zhenbaozhai, Gu Jiu told Song Zheng, "Arrange a few more people to come and protect us. This lady is worried that the Li family might become desperate and resort to despicable means. We have to do this."
"I'll make arrangements right away. It's fine if the Li family doesn't come, but if they dare to send someone to use such despicable tactics, they'll be sure to leave without a trace."
Gu Jiu nodded and said, "I'll leave the safety of Zhenbaozhai to you. If there's any problem, I won't blame anyone else but you."
Song Zheng was under great pressure and doubled the originally planned number of people.
Gu Jiu left in a carriage.
Leave all the noise behind.
She instructed the driver to go to Yuhua Lane.
Yuhua Alley is really a place that people don’t want to set foot in.
Sewage was flowing everywhere and the stench was overwhelming.
Shops closed down one after another.
But there are quite a few people living there, most of them are from poor families, and some are people of unknown identity.
Gu Jiu stood at the intersection and took a few looks.
Even though this alley is disliked now, its location is excellent.
It is also close to the inner city river.
If a wharf is built by the river, goods can come in directly and land in Yuhua Lane, and the value of Yuhua Lane will double.
Once she successfully transforms the entire Yuhua Lane into a street that makes people feel comfortable both physically and mentally, the value of the houses in Yuhua Lane will increase by at least ten or a hundred times.
Gu Jiu is very confident about the future of Yuhua Lane.
The Li family has a mountain of treasure but doesn't know how to utilize it. They are still stuck in the primitive business world, only knowing how to buy and sell. The Li family's refusal to pay tuition is unjust.
Gu Jiu didn't stay for long. She got on the carriage and prepared to go to the pharmacy.
As a result, her carriage was blocked halfway.
She lifted the car window curtain and looked outside.
The door of the other party's carriage opened, and Princess Fuya sat inside.
Gu Jiu understood.
This was not an accident. Princess Fuya deliberately blocked her carriage, obviously for Mr. Luo.
Gu Jiu sat upright in the carriage and bowed slightly, "Greetings to Her Royal Highness the Princess."
Fu Ya stared at Gu Jiu, "Madam Zhao, would you be willing to have a drink with me?"
"I am honored to be here."
"Then follow me to the teahouse ahead."
"Your Highness, lead the way."
Arriving at the teahouse, Gu Jiu followed Princess Fu Ya into the backyard.
The backyard is full of birdsong and flowers, and is decorated very elegantly.
They drank tea among the flowers, enjoying the spring breeze and the fragrance of flowers, feeling extremely comfortable.
All the maids retreated behind the doorway and were not allowed to come in without permission.
Princess Fuya made an inviting gesture and said, "This is this year's new tea. Madam, please taste it."
"Your Highness, please embarrass me, young one."
After saying that, Gu Jiu picked up the teacup and took a sip.
"How is it?" asked Princess Fuya.
Gu Jiu savored the tea for a moment, "The tea has a long-lasting fragrance that is refreshing to the heart. It must be good tea."
Princess Fuya smiled and said, "Good tea should be paired with someone who understands tea. You are someone who understands tea."
"I only know a little bit about tea, I can't say I understand it."
Princess Fuya held the teacup, obviously a little uneasy.
Gu Jiu did not speak actively.
It would be better for her to pretend she knew nothing.
After a long pause, Princess Fuya finally opened her mouth and asked, "I heard that Mr. Luo, who teaches at the Marquis's residence, is ill. Has Madam Zhao visited him?"
Gu Jiu nodded, "I went to visit him and arranged for someone to take care of him. The servants reported that Mr. Luo's condition has improved."
"Is her illness very serious?" Princess Fu Ya looked at Gu Jiu nervously.
Gu Jiu pondered for a moment and said, "Ms. Luo was depressed, and her condition worsened earlier, which was also related to her mood. I also advised her to relax and take good care of herself. But she didn't seem to listen."
Princess Fuya pursed her lips, her face serious. "Where does she live? Is she still in the Marquis' Mansion?"
Gu Jiu shook his head slightly. "Because they were afraid of the spread of her illness, she was moved out of the mansion. Now she lives in the back alley of the mansion, in a courtyard with an iron ring on the door. Two maids are taking care of her, and the pharmacy sends people to bring her medicine every day. The doctor comes to check her pulse every three days and adjust the prescription."
Princess Fuya clutched her teacup tightly. "She's lost weight, hasn't she?"
Gu Jiu nodded, "I've lost a lot of weight."
"Are you old?"
Gu Jiu didn't know how to answer.
After thinking for a moment, she said, "That's what she should look like at her age."
Princess Fuya laughed and said, "I am old too."
She raised her hand and lifted the hair from her temples, "I'm not young anymore."
Gu Jiu was silent.
Princess Fuya solemnly said to her, "Everything you did for Mr. Luo, I will remember. I will send you an invitation to drink."
"Everything is up to Her Royal Highness the Princess."
Princess Fu Ya left and took a carriage to visit Mr. Luo.
Gu Jiu was actually very curious. Princess Fuya could have just come to visit Mr. Luo directly. Why did she go to her to inquire about the situation before leaving?
Is it because she hasn't seen each other for many years and is timid, and needs someone to help her make up her mind?
She didn't know much about the relationship between Princess Fuya and Mr. Luo, but that didn't stop her from understanding the timidity in their hearts.
There is someone hiding in my heart, and I dare not meet him/her. I can only ask him/her indirectly and find out some information about him/her.
After learning that the other person is seriously ill, I want to see him but I am afraid to meet him. I am afraid that after meeting him, I will be left with more regrets, and I am even more afraid of regretting it myself.
I'm confused and conflicted and can't make up my mind.
Until one day, I finally realized that if we didn't meet again, we might never have the chance to meet again in this life, so I made up my mind to meet that person.
Gu Jiu looked at the carriage going away, hoping that Princess Fu Ya and Mr. Luo could both open up their hearts and live the rest of their lives in peace and stability.
However, things don't always go as planned.
Two days later, Erzhuang sent someone to report that Mr. Luo's condition suddenly worsened and no medicine was effective.
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