20 Chapter 20
◎Welcome banquet for His Royal Highness Prince Gong.◎
Another day, still in the Northern Frontier Governor's residence.
As the season gradually approached summer and the sun became brighter, Shen Jiao, persuaded by Shen Zhenyuan, finally did not go out. Instead, he gathered his friends at home and held a tea party for the distinguished ladies in Yunzhou.
This wasn't limited to the nobility. Perhaps due to the relatively open customs of Yunzhou, in addition to the daughters of officials, many daughters of merchants were also included.
Chen Jiao was the host today and was in high spirits. He specially asked the maid to take out the top-quality goods he bought from Li Hengqing to entertain the guests.
When the maid brought the tea, a noblewoman exclaimed, puffing out her cheeks and saying, "Is this milk tea from the Northern Goods Store? How come it's a flavor I've never seen before?"
While Fuzhong wasn't far from the Northern Goods Store, it wasn't close at all. If I really went all the way there to buy so much milk tea, it would still take quite a while. After all, to prevent scalpers from reselling the milk tea and to ensure a constant supply, the Northern Goods Store had a per-person limit on milk tea, just like on the day it opened.
"It's a new model that hasn't hit the shelves yet," Chen Jiao boasted calmly. "Make the milk tea into powder. Just add warm water and stir it when you want to drink it."
Although the taste is not as good as in the store, it is much more convenient.
The lady gave a thumbs-up, raised her head, and drank it all in one gulp. "In that case, another one! Miss Shen is truly generous."
Chen Jiao twitched her lips with a pained look as the maid filled her cup again. A moment later, the noble lady asked again, "This stuff tastes good, why isn't it sold in the store?"
The others turned around and echoed, "Yeah, it's so hot out here, it's definitely more convenient to be able to drink right away."
"Why?"
"Hurry up and confess the truth!"
Surrounded by people, she held her head high and puffed out her chest, lowering her voice mysteriously. "The owner of the Northern Goods Store originally had a stable supply of goods, but encountered obstacles when looking for a warehouse. The shop we had agreed on suddenly fell out with the person we had agreed on. Otherwise, I could still open a new store near my home!"
The others sighed upon hearing this. The lady who had just asked about the milk tea flavor frowned and pondered, "Could this nearby warehouse be my shop? I need to go home and ask."
The topic quickly faded, and someone else noticed Shen Jiao's new clothes. The off-white pants had an irregular bamboo-like texture, slightly stiffer than soft cotton, yet not as rough and fuzzy as ordinary coarse cloth, giving them a unique texture. The style and cut looked fresh, too, fitting and comfortable, neither too loose nor too tight.
When someone asked about the clothes, Chen Jiao explained again, "This is also the material from the second floor of the Northern Goods Store. Their people are responsible for finding tailors to make it. It's not as delicate as silk, but it's very cool to wear in the summer."
*
Manager Qian of the Northern Goods Store suddenly received a large order for linen, all of which were specifically requested by the young ladies in the city.
She squinted under the lamp for a long time, confirming that it was indeed this cheap linen that the wealthy young ladies wanted. Then she raised her head and said with an embarrassed smile to the man who looked like a housekeeper in front of her, "Master, you don't know that this batch of linen has been ordered by everyone. I'm afraid we have to wait for half a month for the next batch."
The housekeeper remembered the young lady's instructions and said, "Money is not a problem."
Shopkeeper Qian was overjoyed, but he could only refuse: "No, you know, the most important thing in business is credibility. Once our store's warehouse in Yunzhou City is approved, we won't have to wait so long. What do you think?"
The boss said he had someone else take care of the warehouse, and that it would be completed soon. Although there had been some obstacles recently, the boss always had a plan.
*
However, the boss, who had plenty of solutions, was now frowning. She had pretended to casually mention this matter during their last meeting with Shen Jiao, and Shen Jiao had readily agreed to intercede for her.
But the letter sent back by Shen Jiao said that no matter how the young lady of the merchant family pleaded, the store refused to give in.
That means someone is behind this. Li Hengqing curled her lips, thinking that these people were waiting for her here.
Just opening a store is fine. Expanding it, or even opening branches, is not. The imperial maneuvering of combining kindness and severity, as expected, only works with a true prince. Even before the news of this person's arrival in Northern Xinjiang was released, he was already trying to trip others up, both overtly and covertly.
You know, the Northern Frontier region is home to more than just the Northern Frontier General. Nansheng is vast, and the speed of transportation is limited. The emperor must have been reluctant to grant real power to frontier officials, otherwise he wouldn't have sent the Sixth Prince, Prince Gong, the representative of imperial power, to the Northern Frontier. While ostensibly appeasing the officers and soldiers, everyone knows his hidden agenda.
A marriage alliance with the Northern Di, sending the prince to the border for training... Together with several high-ranking officials, including Shen Zhenyuan, they barely managed to even the precarious chessboard of the Northern Frontier. You know, the Northern Di had always clashed frequently with the Southern Sheng, until the last Northern Di civil strife caused the Sand Fox Tribe to retreat to the northern border, giving the Southern Sheng a chance to breathe for over a decade.
The Northern Frontier Governor's daughter was still a few steps away from being on the same boat as Li Hengqing. It was unknown what the Northern Frontier Governor himself was thinking. Li Hengqing narrowed his eyes slightly.
*
Shen Zhenyuan, the governor of Northern Frontier who was being talked about, sneezed violently.
The adjutant sitting across from him hurriedly and cautiously asked, "Have you caught a cold, Lord Governor?"
Shen Zhenyuan shook his head. "I'm in good health. Perhaps it's just the girl who's talking about me again. Where were we just now? Is Governor Song planning to hold a welcome banquet for His Royal Highness Prince Gong?"
The adjutant nodded vigorously. "Exactly! I just heard about it yesterday, and I'm sending you a letter today."
"Humph." Shen Zhenyuan sneered, "Prince Gong's lackey, that bastard surnamed Song is good at nothing but flattery."
Everyone knows that Shen Zhenyuan is a loner and upright person. To put it bluntly, he has a stubborn temper. What he despises most are those people in official circles who are particularly good at manipulating others and are eager to gain personal connections. Prefect Song Lin and Prince Gong Li Rongyu are the best among them.
He got angry and continued to curse: "If it weren't for those kids messing around, why would it have happened twenty years ago——"
"Your Excellency!" The adjutant's face changed slightly, and he raised his voice to interrupt Shen Zhenyuan. Shen Zhenyuan slumped back into his chair, his face dejected. He waved his hand and said, "Well, go back. I know about this matter. Try to get a few more invitations."
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