Su Ya shot Xiao Ce a fierce glare. "General Xiao is so high-ranking, how would I dare to lie to you? The Princess Consort is busy and has no time to see you!"
"By the way, the Prince is also busy and has no time to see you. If you have an urgent matter, you can rest in the side hall. When he's finished, the Prince will naturally see you!"
"Prince, Princess Consort, what are they busy with? They don't even have time to see me?" Xiao Ce didn't believe it. He asked the soul-searching question and then reached out to push the door!
Su Ya panicked and blocked the door with her body. In her haste, she blurted out, "Are you an idiot? The Prince and Princess Consort are busy together, what else could they be busy with! Don't you see this door is closed? You're still barging in. Aren't you afraid of going blind!"
At this, Xiao Ce finally understood!
He took two steps back, his face flushed red. He chuckled awkwardly and shifted uncomfortably, "I didn't know. If you'd just told me, I would have understood!"
It was so awkward. But then again, it was his fault. He had never experienced romantic love and simply couldn't imagine that they could be so... ahem... affectionate during the day!
Su Ya stamped her foot in anger, her face even redder than his. She snapped, "I already said the Prince and Princess Consort are busy, and you still have to pry. Do I have to tell you that the Princess Consort and the Prince are making babies for you to understand?"
Xiao Ce knew he was in the wrong. He mumbled, "Well... it's not necessary to go that far. Just saying they were... being affectionate would have been enough for me to understand!"
With that, he turned and ran. He hadn't run far before he doubled back. "Tell the Prince and Princess Consort that the girls from the brothel have come to the manor, saying the madam is gone and they have no one to rely on. They want to take back their deeds and go home, but they searched the entire brothel and couldn't find them. So they went to the prefectural office. The prefect is asking the Prince and Princess Consort how to handle this matter!"
He finished speaking in one breath and turned to flee again!
He ran faster than a rabbit, as if being chased by dogs!
Half an hour later, water finally came from inside the room!
Fan Zehao was satisfied and looked at his shy wife with a smile. They were an old couple, yet she was still so reserved. It seemed he hadn't practiced enough. He should increase their practice sessions in the future!
Su Ya helped the Princess Consort get dressed and said, "General Xiao came. He said those girls from the brothel are now without support. With the madam dead, they want to take back their deeds and go home, but they searched the entire brothel and couldn't find them. The girls don't dare to leave on their own, so they went to the prefectural office. The prefect is asking how to handle this matter!"
The madam was dead, the brothel was ownerless!
If this establishment were to continue operating without someone in charge, it wouldn't be able to function. The girls and the young servants would have no way to earn a living. This was a problem!
"Husband, what do you think?"
Fan Zehao's hand, which had been playing with her long hair, paused slightly. "Then seal the brothel and disband those girls. Let the prefect re-register the origins of those girls, issue them travel permits, and let them leave."
This was a good solution, but her idea was the exact opposite of his!
"Since we're sealing the brothel, why not give it to me? I'll take over this brothel and run a different kind of pleasure house!"
When Fan Zehao heard his wife wanted to open a pleasure house, his blood pressure immediately soared. "Don't even think about it. Give up that idea!"
She could do any business, but not this one. He absolutely could not agree!
Zhao Jiaqi cast a gentle glance at him. Her face, devoid of joy or sorrow, showed no surprise at his opposition. It was as if she had already expected this outcome!
In the afternoon, after receiving the Prince's orders, the prefect began processing the girls' requests. Throughout the afternoon, over thirty beautifully dressed women with seductive appearances entered and exited the prefectural office, becoming a stunning sight in the inner city!
In the evening, Bai Lu arrived with a joyful expression!
"Madam, our shop opened today, and the income alone was over three thousand taels. This is a good start!"
Zhao Jiaqi was also happy. If it continued to develop like this, they would earn at least ten thousand taels in profit per month!
This was a good beginning!
However, Zhao Jiaqi didn't want to save this money. She wanted to use this money to make more money!
Once her mind started working, it was like a seed sprouting in her heart, growing uncontrollably.
She whispered to Bai Lu about the brothel. "I want to buy out that brothel!"
With a whoosh, Bai Lu's mind immediately became nimble. Her eyes lit up. "This is a good business, but what about the Prince..."
She worried that the Prince, being old-fashioned, wouldn't allow the Princess Consort to engage in this line of work. However, in terms of commercial value, this was certainly a profitable industry!
Bai Lu's question hit the mark. She quietly said to Bai Lu, "We'll be the behind-the-scenes bosses. You find a reliable person to act as the buyer. As for the girls in the brothel, go and ask the original staff. If any are willing to stay, keep them. Their treatment must be improved!"
Bai Lu also felt that being a behind-the-scenes boss was a feasible plan, but where to find such a reliable person?
After much thought, she felt her own husband was the most suitable.
"I think Zhang Heng can handle it!" Bai Lu paused. "Firstly, he is the deputy general of the inner city and holds military power. Those who want to cause trouble in the brothel will be wary of that. Secondly, this man is stubborn. If he's the public face of the business, I don't think he'll betray us!"
Zhao Jiaqi was stunned. "Zhang Heng is your husband. Aren't you afraid the girls in the brothel will take a liking to him? And you'll end up with another younger sister at home? Wouldn't that be losing the wife and the soldiers? A loss!"
She, however, was unfazed and confidently said, "If I didn't have the confidence with these skills, would I dare let him do this line of work? Besides, if his heart isn't with me, what use is it to keep his body?"
If you can't find a three-legged golden cicada outside, there are plenty of two-legged men!
"If he dares to eat grass from the nearby field, I'll eat flowers from the nearby field!"
Zhao Jiaqi was confused. She didn't understand what the latter half of the sentence meant and asked, "What do you mean?"
Bai Lu grinned slyly, revealing a row of pearly white teeth. "He opens a brothel, I open an escort agency. We can all play together!"
Pfft...
This idea was too outrageous. If she hadn't known Bai Lu was a native, she would have suspected she was also a transmigrator!
She quickly waved her hand, saying, "This won't do! What if they all cheat? This would be equivalent to breaking up a family!"
"Forget it, don't think about this matter. Let's focus on our current business!" Zhao Jiaqi had completely abandoned the idea.
Bai Lu nodded, but her heart had already flown to the heavens!
In the following time, the shop's business was very good. The daily income increased. Perhaps it was because it was the end of the year, or perhaps some people had received good news, but the repeat customers also increased day by day!
At that time, the vegetables in the greenhouses on the estate had just sprouted. As long as the temperature was suitable and they were watered properly, the small leafy vegetables would be ready to eat in less than half a month!
Zhao Jiaqi inspected the greenhouses. The vegetables were growing very well, with many varieties. Each greenhouse was numbered, so as long as she mentioned the name of the dish, the manager would know which greenhouse it was in!
She sighed, realizing that managing people was also a skill!
"Steward Xiao has done a great job and managed things effectively. You will receive a ten percent bonus at the end of the year. I hope you will continue to work hard next year!"
Xiao Xi was very surprised. He didn't expect the Princess Consort to give him a bonus. He was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes. He repeatedly thanked her, "Thank you, Princess Consort. Your servant will definitely not fail your trust and will guard this estate well!"
Zhao Jiaqi smiled and said, "I believe you!"