Princess Tingyu swept her gaze sharply over the soldiers, a cryptic smile playing on her lips: "What's the deal with this seal?"
The official pursed his lips, a thousand reasons flashing through his mind: "It seems there's been a mistake. I'll go back and find out right away!"
Having found a pretext to leave, the official lifted his robe and ran as fast as he could, fearing that Princess Tingyu would hold him accountable. The people behind him followed closely behind.
The torn seals lay scattered on the ground, their fragments lying across the floor. The words "etiquette" on them had been stepped on, the dark footprints obscuring the original characters.
This is the power of authority; just hearing a name can make ordinary people tremble with fear.
This society is a cannibalistic society. Song Tangxue glanced meaningfully at the backs of the fleeing officials.
They were just acting all high and mighty, making a big deal out of nothing.
Song Tangxue withdrew her gaze, and led Princess Tingyu over the seal and into the Treasure Pavilion: "I have to thank Princess Tingyu this time, otherwise I don't know what to do."
Princess Tingyu smiled faintly and said, "You have a big idea. You could have solved these things even if I hadn't come today."
With a smile, Song Tangxue didn't reply. She asked the shopkeeper to bring out the gold hairpin, and the somewhat chubby shopkeeper agreed.
The gold hairpin was placed in a small wooden box, and when it was opened, its dazzling light fell into Princess Tingyu's eyes.
Princess Tingyu eagerly took out the gold hairpin, playing with it with great affection. Holding the hairpin in her delicate fingers, she asked, "Are you really giving it to me? I can buy it too."
This gold hairpin is clearly no ordinary item.
Song Tangxue laughed heartily: "A golden hairpin needs to be paired with a beautiful woman to show its specialness. Leaving it here is just like a pearl covered in dust. I consider the princess a friend, so this is my gift to the princess."
Princess Tingyu immediately beamed with joy: "I've decided to be your friend. You must come to the Princess's residence to visit me whenever you have time."
She liked Song Tangxue very much and also liked this gold hairpin. If she hadn't had something to do today, she would definitely have stayed to talk to her more: "I have something to do today and can't stay any longer. Let's meet another day."
Song Tangxue nodded in agreement: "Definitely."
Having received her assurance, Tingyu Jun then left, turning back every few steps, carrying the gold hairpin box in her hands.
Seeing that the people had gone far away, Song Tangxue's smile faded. The shopkeepers scattered and rushed back to prepare to open their shops. The shopkeeper of Zhenbaofang came up to her: "Miss, would you like to take a look at the newly arrived jewelry? They are all rare finds in the capital."
"I won't look at the jewelry." Song Tangxue thought about what had happened today. If she couldn't get power for the time being, then she had to hold onto the money tightly.
That way, they won't be left with nowhere to turn. Even on the road to exile, one can spend all their wealth to save their life. Thinking this, Song Tangxue said, "Manager, bring out the account book."
She hadn't taken stock of these shops yet, and since she had nothing else to do today, she might as well take a look at the account books.
The shopkeeper's eyes darted around: "The ledger was taken away for revision yesterday and I haven't had time to get it back yet."
Song Tangxue's gaze fell on the shopkeeper, who was backlit by the sunlight, his face hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to see his expression clearly.
Under such scrutiny, the shopkeeper's forehead gradually broke out in a cold sweat. He swallowed hard and said, "Miss, why don't you come tomorrow? I'll have someone bring the account books over."
"Heh." Song Tangxue snorted coldly, "What a coincidence, the account book isn't here today."
The shopkeeper gritted his teeth and said, "Yes..."
"Give me the ledger, I'll look at it myself!" Song Tangxue interrupted his excuses, silently watching him. The shopkeeper inwardly groaned.
Song Tangxue had never checked the accounts, so he was at ease. He never expected that she would suddenly pull something that caught him off guard.
He slowly and deliberately took out a thick stack of ledgers that were placed under the counter.
Song Tangxue took it and went into the private room on the second floor. This room was for noble ladies and had a special mirror for them to try on.
The shopkeeper followed Song Tangxue in with a trembling heart. The curtain was closed, cutting off the sounds from outside, and his heart was pounding like a drum.
Song Tangxue's face was reflected in the mirror, her lips taut. She turned the pages one by one, and the turning of the pages also disturbed the shopkeeper's heart.
The shopkeeper's palms were sweaty, and he clenched them tightly, afraid of letting go.
The ledger was gently closed, and Song Tangxue sighed softly, her fingers lightly stroking the surface a few times: "I didn't know this shop was so profitable. Where did all this money go?"
The shopkeeper was sweating profusely and knelt down, panting heavily. Over the years, it had accumulated into a considerable sum, and if he gave it to the authorities, his life would be over.
Thinking about this young lady's family background, the shopkeeper felt even more disheartened. With just a flick of her finger, he couldn't even save his own family's lives!
Large beads of sweat slid down his cheeks, dripped onto the ground, and struck the shopkeeper's heart.
"Miss, I was momentarily bewitched. Please forgive me this time, I'll never dare to do it again!"
"Only half of the money was handed over each month," Song Tangxue murmured meaningfully. If she hadn't decided to check the accounts on a whim this time, she wouldn't have known that these shops were making so much money.
Half of their income was enough to support the entire Song family.
Song Tangxue lowered her eyes and turned to look at the shopkeeper who was still kneeling on the ground: "I don't blame you. How can anyone resist temptation?"
Song Tangxue has no immediate plans to pursue this matter, firstly because he doesn't have a suitable replacement for the position.
Secondly, if one thing happens, another will follow. This kind of thing can't just be an isolated case. If we alert them now, other managers might run away with the money, which would be a huge loss.
"Hand over the money you embezzled. Keep half for yourself as a dividend. You can also take 0.5% of the dividend each month. But you are not allowed to touch the rest of the money." Song Tangxue stood up, the ledger lying quietly on the table.
The shopkeeper, having narrowly escaped death and received an unexpected windfall, repeatedly kowtowed in gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Miss, thank you, Miss."
The private room was on the second floor. Song Tangxue pushed open the door and went out. The first floor was already full of people, and the smell of rouge wafted into her nose.
She couldn't find anyone who could manage the Treasure Shop so well for the time being; it was just a matter of spending some money.
It's better than feeding the Song family's people; it can also bring greater benefits to oneself, so it's undoubtedly a worthwhile deal.
The shopkeeper followed carefully behind her, shushing her as he cautiously introduced the jewelry: "Most of the jewelry in Treasure Shop is made by famous craftsmen or is rare from foreign lands, and is rarely seen in the capital."
"Many noble ladies are proud to own one."
The shopkeeper had indeed run the Treasure Shop quite well, and he had secretly done some calculations in his mind. Even the monthly dividends he received were a sum of money that ordinary people could hardly attain.
Treasure House earns a considerable amount of money every month.
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