Chapter 56 "Our boss's use of the word 'sealed'..."
Birds chirped and the dense forest provided ample shade.
The afternoon sunlight filtered through the dense thatched roof of the pavilion, casting dappled and gentle shadows that imprinted patterns of varying shades on the moon-white skirt.
Feng Mian sat on a wooden stool with an open map in front of him, talking quietly with Lu Mingzhu sitting opposite him.
Lu Mingzhu pointed to several locations on the map, "The clerks below have already purchased shops in these places, and they can open for business immediately."
This was the task Feng Mian had given him to open branch shops. He made several choices and finally selected four towns around Yunzhong County that had the most soldiers to persuade.
Once these shops are running smoothly, they can continue to expand outwards, harnessing the wealth that is not afraid to spend money. In as little as six months or as little as three months, it will be possible to ensure that all Dingbei Army soldiers and their families in the northern border region can enjoy the benefits.
Lu Mingzhu glanced at the person beside her, wondering if she was satisfied.
Feng Mian leaned forward slightly, her gaze following Lu Mingzhu's slender fingertips to the drawing, her expression extremely focused.
The sunlight illuminated half of her cheek, her delicate skin like fine warm jade, her long eyelashes drooping down, casting a small, quiet shadow on her eyelids.
When Gu Chunwen turned into the courtyard, this was the scene he saw. He stepped forward and sat down between the two without making a sound, picked up the teapot and refilled their cups with tea, then pushed the cups to each of them, naturally intervening in their interaction.
"Princess, Brother Lu, how did the talks go?"
Feng Mian took the teacup, smiled and thanked him before continuing to say to Lu Mingzhu, "I am most at ease entrusting the shop's affairs to Lord Lu. There is no need to be stingy with money, but the choice of the shop manager needs to be more careful. Those who are cunning, deceitful, and hypocritical are absolutely unacceptable."
"Of course, Your Highness, don't worry." Lu Mingzhu nodded happily.
Gu Chunwen sighed at the opportune moment, "Brother Lu has had a smooth journey, but for me, it's far from smooth..."
The venue for the trade market has been prepared by the village chief and his team. Each stall has been neatly divided and wooden road signs have been installed, making it a very well-organized place.
However, none of the tribes that sent the message have replied yet. As for the merchants of Dayong who participated in the trade... apart from the shops under the princess's name and a few shops provided by Lady Zhe, the rest of the small businesses are all holding their breath and watching, and no one dares to take the lead.
Even though the princess had personally come to Black Stone Gully, they were still uneasy. If the Northern Barbarians caused trouble, the Swift Feather Battalion and the Luan Yi Guard would naturally protect the princess closely, as she was a member of the imperial family and the Crown Prince's consort!
They touched the heads on their necks, but still couldn't put their minds at ease.
This has resulted in most of the way signs being empty.
Three days before the official opening of the trade fair, some interested but timid merchants happened to pass by and came to the long-awaited trade fair to see what was going on.
They were more interested in seeing what kind of formidable princess was in charge of the trade market, and how she dared to do business with the northern barbarians.
Upon seeing that it was a delicate beauty, they were even more disappointed. If it had been a stronger woman who could wield a bow and arrow, they might have felt a little more at ease.
With its appearance that it could be bent over by a gust of wind, can it really be effective?
They naturally dared not discuss these things to each other's faces, but the look in their eyes clearly conveyed their contempt and disappointment.
Even Gu Chunwen, who was usually gentle, turned cold and was about to lose her temper when Feng Mian gently patted her shoulder from behind.
Feng Mianchong shook his head slightly, indicating that he didn't need to get angry.
She then took two steps forward, her gaze calmly sweeping over the group of merchants, her voice clear and not loud, yet loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Gentlemen like you are all well-traveled and knowledgeable individuals. I know you have many concerns, wondering about the risks and potential profits."
"I won't talk to you about grand principles like benefiting the country and the people, or securing the borders and governing the world. I'll just talk about three practical things."
"First, all merchant caravans engaged in trade can obtain escort flags. The Swift Feather Camp and the Luanyi Guard will patrol the roads regularly, eliminate bandits, and escort you all the way out of the Northern Frontier. If any mishap occurs on the way, resulting in damage to the goods, the Princess's Mansion will compensate 80% of the value of the goods."
Feng Mian showed no arrogance whatsoever; his tone was resolute, and everyone listened attentively. Trading in the Northern Frontier was inherently riskier than elsewhere, and many planned to only travel the trade route two or three times before giving up. The Northern Frontier market was vast, but it was entirely possible to make a fortune one time and lose everything the next.
What's even more terrifying is that they lost their lives.
The princess now says that there are soldiers patrolling the trade route, so there's no need to worry about encountering bandits along the way!
"Secondly, there are laws governing the trade area. Anyone who engages in market manipulation, robbery, theft, or malicious injury, regardless of whether they are from Dayong or the Northern Barbarians, will be severely punished according to the Trade Regulations! The Swift Feather Battalion and the Luan Yi Guard will also patrol the area to ensure the safety of every citizen."
"Third, for the first three years of the border trade, the city tax will be halved and the stalls will be free. The warehouses near Heishigou will also be rented to everyone at the lowest price for stockpiling and turnover."
Feng Mian's clear gaze swept over everyone. "Today, there's no need for you to immediately stake your entire fortune. I only ask that you trust me this once."
"Merchants who wish to participate in this trade fair may come forward. We will sign a written agreement as proof. From now on, we will act in accordance with the agreement!"
A murmur of discussion immediately arose from below the stage. With these three guarantees, everyone was tempted and whispered among themselves, eager to try and ready to make their move, but they were all waiting to see if anyone would dare to be the first.
Just then, a commotion broke out at the edge of the crowd, and a middle-aged wealthy businessman, looking travel-worn, stepped forward.
"I'll go! Your Highness, this humble subject wishes to participate in the trade!"
His hair ornaments were covered in dust, and the corners of his robes were stained with mud, clearly indicating that he had just come from a long journey. However, his eyes were surprisingly bright, and he looked to be in excellent spirits.
He squeezed to the front in a few steps, and after standing still, he turned around with sweat dripping from his forehead, looked around at everyone present, and said in a booming voice: "Gentlemen! I, Zhao, have been a merchant for thirty years, traveling all over the country, and have traversed all the towns and cities in Dayong. To be honest, encountering robbers and losing money is nothing new. As long as I'm still alive, I just swallow the loss, go home with my tail between my legs, borrow some money, and then carefully make another trip."
"A few days ago, I encountered a group of refugees disguised as bandits near Yongxue Pass..."
In the crowd, the village chief of Heishigou quietly hid himself at the back.
"They didn't touch my goods or hurt my people; they only stole some food and a few small amounts of silver. Compared to other bandits, they don't even deserve the title of 'bandit.' Yet, the princess still cared about my losses and personally sent people to catch up with me and compensate me double!"
Feng Mian was stunned for a moment before realizing that this was the unfortunate wealthy merchant that the people of Black Stone Gully had robbed before.
Gu Chunwen and Lu Mingzhu's gazes also fell on Feng Mian. Her words and her thoughtful act of kindness, done without intention or expectation of reward, unexpectedly laid a good foundation for this trade fair.
All the schemes in the world cannot compare to the warmth of the human heart.
"This isn't about the amount of money; it's about a kindness and righteousness that money can't buy." The wealthy merchant surnamed Zhao thumped his chest and said with great pride, "I, Old Zhao, am making this clear today! The princess is truly a person who cares about the people; she would never treat our lives and fortunes as a joke!"
"I trust this trade market!"
His words struck like a boulder falling into water, instantly stirring up the silent crowd.
Gu Chunwen then announced loudly, "The number of stalls at the trade market is limited, first come, first served."
The crowd surged forward like waves crashing against the shore.
"I believe it too! I want to participate in the trade!"
"Me too, me too!"
"Don't push me! I was here first!"
"Everyone, please don't rush, line up and come one at a time!" Lu Mingzhu quickly helped maintain order, and then he was stepped on from the left and punched from the right.
Gu Chunwen couldn't stand it anymore and pulled him out, "With your constitution..."
He sighed softly, "Then let's not go in and squeeze in."
"Come, have some tea." Feng Mian, who was already sitting under a giant umbrella that had been unfolded to the side, smiled and waved to the two of them, indicating that they should come and rest. "Finally, we don't have to worry about the market days being empty anymore. Let's rest first, there's still a lot to do later."
Gu Chunwen readily agreed and sat down next to Feng Mian, and Lu Mingzhu eagerly followed.
"Thank you both for your hard work." Feng Mian personally filled their teacups and pushed them towards them.
Lu Mingzhu was flattered: "It's no trouble at all. It's only right for me to do things for the princess."
Gu Chunwen chuckled and said, "Brother Lu and I dare not take credit. So far, it seems that there is nothing the princess has been unable to accomplish."
Upon hearing this, Feng Mian thought back carefully and suddenly remembered that she had originally wanted to run into Gu Chunwen at the Spring Banquet, but that plan hadn't come to fruition.
She gave Gu Chunwen a strange look, then quickly shook her head, banishing those old thoughts from her mind.
The unfinished history has already been rewritten. From now on, we are colleagues, so let's not have any wild thoughts.
Gu Chunwen: ...?
I feel like I've missed something.
While the trade was getting off to a good start, several shops in a small town called Quecheng, hundreds of miles outside Yunzhong County, had already quietly changed hands.
A sign reading "Sealed" was hung in front of a shop that had been vacant for a long time on Xinghua Street.
Passersby chatted with the busy workers, "Hey, young man, what does that sign say?"
"It's the character 'Feng,' which is our master's surname."
A young man sitting with his back to the tea stall turned around upon hearing this, glanced at the sign hanging there, his pupils dilated slightly, and asked, "Whose 'seal' is this?"
He wore an indigo robe, his features were handsome and dashing, and he bore the marks of a life of travel.
The young servant proudly raised his head, "Our master's title is incredibly prestigious! She is the Princess Qingping, personally bestowed by His Majesty, and is now the Crown Princess of Dingbei!"
The onlookers exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, that's incredibly prestigious! Why would they choose to open a shop in a small place like ours?"
"Do any of you have sons in the Dingbei Army?" the worker asked, keeping everyone in suspense.
An aunt in the crowd tugged at the hand of the shy woman beside her, "Her family has them. Zhang's two sons, one big and one small, have both joined the Dingbei Army!"
"That's incredible! The Dingbei Army is extremely powerful."
The shy woman lowered her eyes and withdrew her hand, feeling bitter. Her sons insisted on joining the army for the ideal of serving the country. The neighbors all admired her family for having two soldiers in the Dingbei Army, but what good was it?
The household chores fell entirely on her and her husband's shoulders, and her parents-in-law were also constantly busy, not daring to tell her even when they were ill. Even though all the wages for her two sons were sent back, they were still barely making ends meet.
She dared not even think about what would happen if her two sons died for their country. How would she survive?
"Aunt Zhang, have you received your son's letter? Did he send a metal tag with it?"
Zhang nodded. The two iron plates bore the names of her sons, along with strange numbers. At first, she was so frightened she almost fainted, thinking they had been salvaged from a corpse...
"That is the blessing that our princess sought for all the soldiers of the Dingbei Army!"
The worker explained the purpose of the iron nameplate in such a way that Zhang was completely bewildered. How could such a good thing happen to her?
Everyone around was amazed. The aunt who had been holding her hand earlier quickly pulled her back, saying, "Quick, let's go back and see your iron plaque. Let's get it and see if it really works!"
The crowd dispersed, treating the news as gossip and spreading it among themselves.
The young man at the tea stall stared intently at the "sealed" sign hanging below the stall, his eyes as deep as a still pool. After a long while, he suddenly let out a cold laugh.
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