(Xiaoxiu)
On the day of the grand opening of Wang Ji Lou, Yu Shu did not show up at all. There was no dragon or lion dance, nor was there any musical troupe. Only two strings of firecrackers were placed in front of the door, and a long table was set up at the main entrance. Anyone who passed by could receive a large seal stick for free, and they could enter Wang Ji Lou to find a Master Yi to do a divination within a month, free of charge.
On that day, no one knew that the owner of this Great Exchange Hall was the current Celestial Commissioner, and most of the aristocratic families of the twelve prefectures had not heard of the news. The customers who entered the door were either people with a large seal stick to take advantage of the situation, or passersby who wanted to join in the fun.
Wang Ji Lou was not as grand as the Great Exchange Hall on Qianyuan Street, but inside, it was a completely different world. Inside the door, there were two waiters, dressed in black robes with red belts, looking refreshed. When they saw the customers enter, they smiled and reminded them — — "If you are looking for a fortune teller, please go to the 'Biying Hall' on the west side. If you have any difficult illnesses, please go to the 'Begging Hall' on the east side. Also, our Great Exchange Hall will announce tomorrow's weather every morning, so please pay attention to the 'Heavenly Secret List' in the main hall."
After entering the door, the customers would find that this place was very different from other Great Exchange Halls. First, they went to the 'Begging Hall', where the fortune teller would carefully ask for your name and date of birth, record it in a book, and give you a number, saying that if you come back within a month, as long as you reported your number, you would be able to receive a Good Fortune Talisman for free.
If the Master Yi in the 'Biying Hall' was not accurate, then go to the 'Begging Hall' on the east side of the main hall. There was a row of long counters in the hall, and behind the counters sat young female attendants wearing green skirts and silver red bikinis, with their hair combed into two buns. Each of them had a stack of yellow books and a plate of number sticks in their hands, specializing in dealing with difficult illnesses. What were difficult illnesses? For example, losing a cat or dog, looking for a person or thing, discord between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, discord between husband and wife, evil spirits, or bad luck, no matter how big or small, but as long as it could be solved with the Master Yi, they could all leave a reward here.
You only need to pay ten copper coins of paper and ink, and you can take away a stick. Leave your question and your reward, and set a time limit. If no one replied when the time was up, not only would they return the reward, but they would also get back the ten copper coins.
If there was a bounty, there would naturally be people who would accept it. Regardless of whether it was a Master Yi who had passed the Grand Yan Examination or not, as long as one entered the Building of Forgotten Opportunities, one only needed to pay ten copper coins and register in the register. Then, one could casually flip through the bounty list here. If he wanted to take the notice, he would need to pay a tenth of the reward as a security deposit, and he would be able to receive a corresponding number plate. He would meet the person who posted the bounty in the guest room on the second floor, and both parties would settle it themselves. Later, he would only need to take the bounty person's number plate to receive the corresponding reward from the Forgetting Opportunity Building. At the same time, he left a record and accumulated a sum of money.
Such clear rules could be read in detail on the signboard at the entrance of the Seeking Hall.
What was worth mentioning was that the three bounties with the highest reward would be posted on the Heavenly Mystery List in the middle of the hall for everyone to see.
Therefore, the customers who came and went in the Forgotten Opportunity Tower every day were not only ordinary people who needed to have their fortune told, but there were also idle traders. Ten copper coins was not much at all, so why not exchange it for a chance to earn some extra money?
On the first day of the opening, the Masters Yi in the Hall of Forgotten Opportunities were extremely busy. They were all customers who came to ask for their fortune for free, and the Hall of Begging Opportunities was deserted. Throughout the day, there were only a few dozen customers who paid and left their names.
However, under the Heavenly Mystery List in the middle of the hall, there was a group of people surrounding it. Most of them were here to see the weather tomorrow, but they were shocked to see two bounties that were posted on red paper and gold words on the list —
Son-in-law: Looking for a gentleman to marry into the family. He must have good facial features and a good character, have no hidden diseases, be skilled in both the pen and the sword, and be compatible with each other. Bounty: Head of the Yi Xue Family. Reward: 50,000 taels of gold.
Missing Person Notice: My teacher, Daoist Priest Qing Zheng, has traveled the world and is currently searching for his whereabouts. Bounty: Celestial Commissioner's advice. Reward: 10,000 taels of gold.
All the customers who entered the Forgetting Opportunity Building saw this bounty list and were amazed. They spread the news by word of mouth, not only because of the generous reward, but also because of the person who posted the bounty.
There were also people who doubted the authenticity of these two bounty lists, and when they asked the manager and staff of the Forgetting Opportunity Building, they could only smile mysteriously and reply, "Sir, you probably don't know who my master is." There was no further reply, but it made people anxious and curious to death.
Therefore, after three days, the name of the Forgetting Opportunity Building spread throughout the streets and alleys. Not to mention the south of the city, even the north of the city did not know about it.
.....
This evening, a red wooden sedan stopped at the back door of the Forgetting Opportunity Building. Lu Hong and Xu Qing, one tying the horse and the other knocking on the door. Ever since Yu Shu became the Celestial Commissioner, the two of them were promoted to fifth-grade imperial bodyguards and were allowed to travel in front of the Emperor. They finally made it out, and the group of brothers who were still idling around in the Jin Wu Guards were envious.
Yu Shu took over Gu Hong from Zhu Qingjue, and let this mysterious master help her train Lu Hong and Xu Qing. Now, the two of them were considered the best among the many black-robed guards.
The backyard of the Forgetting Opportunity Building did not change at all, and was still the same as when the restaurant was first opened. Other than the shopkeeper Lin Fu and a group of staff, there was also Xin Li Shan, the Great Yi Master who was in charge here.
The idea of Youqiu Hall and Biying Hall was thought of by Yu Shu, but it was the rules that Xin Li Shan deliberated over. As for the eye-catching Tianji List, the weather forecast was the work of Yu Shu, and the red list bounty was first proposed by Xin Li Shan. Yu Shu had a bright mind, and decided on a son-in-law recruitment notice and a missing person notice, which got Xin Li Shan's approval.
The two of them were birds of a feather. No, they appreciated each other, and worked together to open the Forgetting Opportunity Building. In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. Although it had not started to make profits, it was famous. If it continued to develop like this, it was only waiting for the melon to ripen and the stalk to fall.
Sitting in the tea room, Xin Li Shan flipped through the name list in his hand, and grinned at Yu Shu, "Today, there were seventy to eighty returning customers who got the protective talisman from the Biying Hall alone. The cheapest one was asking for money, and they collected more than two hundred taels. Half of the one thousand big seal scripts we gave out on the first day have been collected. In other words, we've got five hundred returning customers. "
Two hundred taels of silver didn't sound like much at first, but this was a newly opened Forgetting Opportunity Building, and it had no reputation to speak of. Every day, there were hundreds of customers asking for their fortune, and once it had a good reputation in the future, this number would multiply several times. This didn't include the sale of some trinkets to attract good luck and avoid bad luck, and the expensive Fengshui ornaments.
"What's the progress at Youqiu Hall?" Yu Shu asked.
Xin Li Shan was even happier when she mentioned this. "When you first came up with this idea, I was still nervous, afraid that it would mess things up in the end. I didn't expect that in just half a month, there would be more than a hundred offers, and the advance payment alone would be close to a thousand taels of silver. There are also people competing for the last place on the Tianji List, increasing the price one by one. As for the registered customers at Forgetting Opportunity Building, there are already more than a hundred people, and it's still increasing. "
A smile finally appeared on Yu Shu's face. Her fingers tapped the lid of the teacup briskly, and she said, "Let's wait for another month or two, and depending on the situation, we can add an Extraordinary People List to the Tianji List. The top five will be ranked according to the amount of money the customers have accumulated on a daily basis, and they can come to Forgetting Opportunity Building to collect a salary every month."
Not only did she want to build a trading platform at Forgetting Opportunity Building, but she also wanted to take this opportunity to win over a large number of idle customers, so that they could be used by Forgetting Opportunity Building and become a force in her hands.
Hearing this, Xin Li Shan secretly clicked his tongue. Although Yu Shu's attitude towards him was the same as before after she became the Big Tipping Point, he still felt that she was becoming more and more dignified by the day, and she involuntarily exuded a strong aura, which made people unconsciously feel inferior in front of her.
"Speaking of which, Fifth Uncle, have you considered the matter I mentioned to you last time?" Yu Shu changed the topic and looked at him.
Xin Li Shan touched his nose and said embarrassedly, "I'm used to being free. If you ask me to become an official at the Celestial Commissioner, I'm afraid I won't be able to stay there. Besides, I don't get along well with the Left Judge. It's fine if we don't meet, but when we meet, your eyes are red and your face is anxious. Aren't you afraid that I'll make a mess of the Celestial Commissioner? "
The resentment between Xin Li Shan and Xin Ya couldn't be resolved. Yu Shu didn't want to intervene, but she felt it was a pity that she couldn't accept such a capable and capable Great Change Master like Xin Li Shan into the Celestial Commissioner.
She didn't need to use the Great Insight Technique to see that it wasn't that Xin Li Shan didn't want to become an official, but because of Xin Ya, he didn't want to give in.
"Think about it again. I'll reserve the position of the Right Magistrate of the Astronomical Bureau for you. When you've thought it through, just let me know."
Xin Li Shan nodded lightly and understood her good intentions.
After the two finished discussing business, Yu Shu rested at Wang Ji Tower that night. She didn't sleep upstairs, but downstairs, in the room that Xue Rui had once lived in. The incense burner in the room was filled with the orchid scent that he loved. It was as fresh and elegant as he was, making her feel comfortable.
That night, she had a dream. She dreamed that she was sailing with him on Jade Lion Lake, admiring the wind and the moon, spending the night together.
When she woke up the next day, Yu Shu was in a good mood. The trace of a smile hung on the corner of her mouth all the way to the Celestial Commissioner. Just as she arrived at Tai Xi Tower, she heard the good news from the palace — Empress Xia Jiang had given birth to a little imperial son this morning and both mother and child were safe.
Yu Shu quickly changed her clothes and entered the palace to meet. When she hurried to Feng Zao Palace, there was already a group of women sitting in the side hall. Empress Dowager Rui and Empress Dowager Xue had come, as well as Rui Shu Fei and Mei Jieyu.
Three women were a play, and there was one more here. How could Yu Shu not know the undercurrents? But these women of high status in the palace had all suffered at her hands before, so for now, no one dared to provoke her.
Emperor Chong Zhen was probably keeping the Empress company in the bedroom. After a while, he led the wet nurse who was carefully carrying the Eldest Imperial Son over for the two Empress Dowagers to see.
"Aiyo, this nose and eyes, they're all good looking. One look and you can tell he's a child of good fortune." Empress Dowager Rui rushed to carry the child first and gave a string of compliments.
Empress Dowager Xue didn't keep her cold face and revealed a smile as she said: "Isn't that so? I think this child looks more like the Emperor." She turned her head to say to Emperor Chong Zhen: "This child looks exactly the same as you when you were born."
Everyone could see the Emperor's joy. No one present was disappointed. Even Rui Shu Fei didn't say any sour words.
"Lotus room," Emperor Chong Zhen waved a hand at Yu Shu, asking her to come forward to look at the child. He told her: "Celestial Commissioner, come up with a few auspicious words. Zhen has to choose carefully and give the Eldest Imperial Son a good name."
Yu Shu looked at the infant in the swaddling clothes. It was red and wrinkled like a monkey. It wasn't even as white and chubby and cute as Xiao Yu at home. But because it was Xia Jiangmin's child, her eyes couldn't help but soften, the fire between her brows warming.
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