Volume 1 Chapter 16: First Establish a Foundation
“You were so impressive just now, Miss!”
In the carriage, Lu Zhi was exhilarated.
Madam Zhen had always acted as if she were Madam Yan, trying to overshadow the mistress and the young lady everywhere. Now she was forced to admit in front of everyone that she was merely a concubine—it was truly satisfying.
Yan Qing smiled, pursing her lips: “It’s still you, clever girl—where did you find such eloquent people?”
If those few hadn’t guided public opinion among the commoners earlier, Madam Zhen wouldn’t have panicked so quickly.
Lu Zhi blinked: “It wasn’t me who found them.”
Yan Qing: “Hmm?”
When she heard Qing Luan recount what happened at the main gate earlier in the manor, she guessed that Nanny Li must have come for Lu Qiao Nan’s sake—Madam Zhen wanted her to go out and embarrass herself.
So she decided to turn the tables.
She immediately asked Lu Zhi to find people disguised as commoners to hide among the crowd, intending to expose Madam Zhen and Yan Tan’s actions. Originally, she just wanted Madam Zhen to trip over her own scheme.
She hadn’t expected it would also force her to publicly admit she was a concubine.
It was also a way to vent some anger for her mother.
And the greatest credit undoubtedly belonged to those few who stirred things up among the crowd—they weren’t found by Lu Zhi?
Lu Zhi covered her mouth and laughed: “It was the cousin who found them.”
“Cousin… cousin?”
Yan Qing was surprised—it was Gu Huaizhou?
Those people were found by Gu Huaizhou?
Lu Zhi nodded: “Madam Zhen treats the cousin so harshly every day—he must have long been dissatisfied with her.”
Yan Qing frowned without speaking.
Gu Huaizhou wouldn’t step forward for such matters.
In her previous life, he never acted against Madam Zhen, who had framed him, even after ascending to the throne. Why would he easily intervene this time? He simply didn’t regard Madam Zhen as worth his attention.
So he did it to help her?
Was it because of Yang Xuan?
From this, Gu Huaizhou seemed to be someone who knew how to repay kindness.
Thinking of this, Yan Qing felt relieved in her heart. The imperial family was the most ruthless; since her rebirth, she had never treated Gu Huaizhou as an ordinary person. Sometimes, seeing him even inexplicably frightened her.
She always acted cautiously when facing him.
Afraid that a single careless move might anger this future emperor.
Now, knowing he still had some goodness, Yan Qing inexplicably felt relieved.
She looked at Lu Zhi: “What else did cousin say?”
Lu Zhi shook her head.
Yan Qing didn’t ask further.
Thinking she would thank him when there was an opportunity later.
Qing Luan asked: “Miss, where are we going?”
Yan Qing pondered: “Chang’an Street.”
Yongjing was divided into the inner city and outer city. The inner city housed high officials and nobles, while the outer city was for ordinary commoners.
And Chang’an Street was the most prosperous street in the inner city.
Influenced by her mother, Yan Qing hadn’t liked going out before. In her previous life, after marrying into Wu’an Marquis Manor, she also stayed secluded in Dong Yuan, so she wasn’t deeply familiar with various places in the capital.
She could only act based on memory and hearsay.
She already had ideas in mind now, but needed to investigate further before making a decision.
…
The carriage arrived at Chang’an Street.
Yan Qing didn’t continue riding but walked on the street with Lu Zhi and Qing Luan.
She originally thought the street would be bustling with crowds, but after walking several alleys, there were only scattered few people.
Yan Qing frowned: “This is Chang’an Street?”
It seemed different from what she imagined.
Qing Luan explained, "Miss, you seldom venture out, so you're unfamiliar with the capital. Chang'an Street is inhabited by powerful and influential people. To prevent anyone from offending the nobility, the authorities prohibit street stalls within the inner city. If someone wishes to conduct business here, they must open a shop along the street to attract customers."
Yan Qing looked at both sides of the street.
Bookstores, chess clubs, tea houses… Indeed, as Qing Luan said, they were all shops, and each shopfront was elegantly and exquisitely decorated, appearing quite luxurious and high-end.
Presumably, this was to cater to the preferences of the nobility.
After gazing for a while, she disappointedly said, "Are there no other shops? Such as cosmetics, jewelry, or ready-made clothing stores?"
Yan Qing had thought it through clearly: if she wanted to change the outcome of her previous life, she first needed sufficient strength to resist.
But women in the Dayong Dynasty had no power.
"At home, obey the father; after marriage, obey the husband; after the husband's death, obey the son"—this was the lifelong portrayal of women in Dayong. From birth, they existed in this world like vines, dependent on others for survival.
Now Yan Qing had divorced and returned home, lacking even a foundation to stand on. How could she have strength?
So she needed to establish herself first.
Scholar, farmer, artisan, merchant—the world believed that official rank was the foundation for standing firm, so men gloried in entering government service. Yet Yan Qing felt that the lowest-ranked merchant was the true foundation of humanity.
Money can make ghosts turn millstones.
Money is desire; it can manipulate hearts, and naturally, it can manipulate other things.
If in her previous life she had possessed immense wealth that even a nation feared, how would those people dare treat the Ye Family and her mother that way?
Thus Yan Qing planned to engage in commerce.
From this moment onward, she would begin accumulating wealth.
Among commercial ventures, the most profitable were food, drink, prostitution, and gambling. Yet Yan Qing wandered Chang'an Street for half a day and saw not a single shop related to these.
Qing Luan said, "Miss, you may not know. This lane mostly contains places for the nobility to entertain themselves. If Miss wishes to see jewelry, you must go to the nearby Sanbao Lane. Conveniently, Madam has a shop there as well, so Miss can visit it along the way."
Yan Qing showed surprise: "Mother also has a shop?"
Qing Luan: "…"
Miss truly is like Madam, utterly unconcerned with daily necessities.
She explained: "Madam's dowry was abundant. The Old General and Young General nearly emptied Jiangjun Fu to assemble one hundred loads of dowry for Madam, including over ten plots of fertile land and shops. Now all household expenses for food, clothing, and daily use are supported by Madam."
"Yes! Madam Zhen eats and uses Madam's resources yet schemes against Miss like this—she truly has a blackened heart!"
Lu Zhi also indignantly said.
Yan Qing: "…"
So it turns out both her mother and herself were easy targets.
"Then let's go see the shop in Sanbao Lane."
Since she intended to engage in commerce and knew her mother had some assets, naturally she should inspect them.
Qing Luan immediately led Yan Qing toward Sanbao Lane.
Shortly, Yan Qing stood before a very luxurious shop, bewildered: "A bookstore?"
Qing Luan: "…Yes."
Yan Qing: "…"
Mother opened a bookstore on a street selling cosmetics and jewelry?
She asked confusedly: "Can this shop earn money?"
Qing Luan cleared her throat: "It doesn't earn money, so Madam gave this shop to Miss as part of your dowry."
Yan Qing: "…"
Truly her own mother.
But Lu Zhi puzzledly said: "Madam said this area is all shops exclusively for women. If one opened a bookstore for men here as an exception, it would surely attract attention. But why doesn't it earn money?"
Yan Qing's mouth twitched: "You just said all the shops here are exclusively for women. Would any men come?"
Lu Zhi suddenly understood: "So that's how it is! Young Miss is truly clever!"
Yan Qing shook her head helplessly.
No wonder Grandfather and uncles had nearly emptied the Jiangjun Fu to prepare so much dowry for Mother. They must have known she was skilled at squandering the family fortune.
"Let's go, let's take a look inside."
Yan Qing stepped forward, intending to examine the shop's operations.
But just as she approached, two figures were suddenly thrown out.