The Jia Zhen was quite satisfied with the progress of the shop in Xiaolan Village.
It could open for business as early as this year.
At the latest, it could open for business at the beginning of next year.
However, the people who performed here also had to be prepared.
Not only did they have to prepare operas.
Storytelling, juggling, and dancing were also possible.
"Count,
How is it? "Halcyon was still very proud of the progress of Xiaolan Village.
"Not bad.
At this rate,
It can open for business by the beginning of next year.
Now, it's time to find some performing troupes. Opera is not only Peking Opera. You can also find some Kun Opera, Cantonese Opera, and so on.
It's better to have a variety. It's not good to be alone.
With other competition, these operas will become more and more interesting.
Then …
Storytelling, dancing, singing, juggling, and so on.
You can also find some and watch one every day.
It's also boring. "The Jia Zhen smiled.
If you want to do something, you have to do your best.
What's one performance?
"Yes." Halcyon nodded. Their shop did not have beauties to accompany them. The performances had to be more exciting in order to keep the customers. "But, Sir, are we really not going to find some girls for our shop?"
The Jia Zhen thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I don't mind if there are girls in our shop. It's just that my wife sympathizes with the plight of those women. They have to accompany so many men." The Jia Zhen shrugged. He was afraid that his wife's reputation had already spread. He did not care anymore. Indeed, with the Jia Zhen's local experience, he really did not care about girls. He did not want to do that kind of business in his shop. It was all for the sake of Xia Lu.
"But there are too many unfortunate people in this world. For example, those official prostitutes. After they have this reputation, they have to accompany men for the rest of their lives. If we get them to our shop, at least, with us taking care of them, their lives will be much better than outside," Halcyon said.
The Jia Zhen did not say anything. After a long silence, he said, "Alright, I'll go back and ask my wife." "Yes.
"Yes, Master and Madam, please reconsider. These days, this subordinate has also been to the brothels in the capital. There are also performances in the brothels, but they don't have massages. This kind of shop might be very new at the start, but it won't be long before others learn it, unless the remaining few items appear one after another. However, it is still very difficult to create the remaining few items in one go. The amount of manpower, resources, and financial resources needed cannot be calculated. When the other shops learn and launch items like massages, the massages might not be as good as theirs, but the other shops have women accompanying them, so they can completely ignore this condition. At that time, the flow of customers will be diverted to other shops again." For Halcyon to be able to think so much, it showed that he also had a talent for business. However, if he didn't have the talent for business, Tu Chen would not have let him come.
Jia Zhen sighed. Indeed, he had taken it for granted. A prostitute?
When the Jia Zhen returned home, he directly said to Xia Lu, "What do you think if the shops in Xiaolan Village set up women who specialize in accompanying men?"
Xia Lu frowned slightly and said, "Why do you say that?"
"This will be better for business. Moreover, the business in our shop is not unreplicable. If other people also set up a shop like this and set up some girls to accompany them, when the next few projects come out, the speed of business will be very fast. In this way, we might not be able to recover the initial funds," Jia Zhen said.
Xia Lu thought about it carefully. That was indeed the case. However, her conscience could not bear to use those innocent women to accompany customers. "Who suggested this to you? That Halcyon? "
The Jia Zhen nodded.
Xia Lu instantly understood that this matter was set in stone. This was because Halcyon had told the Jia Zhen that he represented the Emperor. Indeed, since ancient times, brothels were the best places to gather information. Men could never escape from their wives. There were many things that could not be hidden from their wives.
"Then there's no other way." Xia Lu frowned and said, "Even if we have to add this project, no matter what other brothels do, in our shop, the women must be willing. We cannot force them to do business." Xia Lu sighed. She really did not want to be involved in this kind of business. That was why her shop in the city did not accept men.
"Don't worry." Halcyon heaved a sigh of relief.
After receiving the Jia Zhen's approval, Halcyon finally heaved a sigh of relief. However, when he heard the additional conditions mentioned by the Jia Zhen, he smiled and said, "Don't worry, the Count and Countess are kind people. I am not a ruthless person. After the Count agrees, our shop will cooperate with the official prostitutes. From then on, the imperial court will no longer keep any official prostitutes. Our shop will take over all the official prostitutes and the palace servants who teach them."
The Jia Zhen finally heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Is this the will of the higher-ups?"
Halcyon naturally understood what the Jia Zhen meant by the higher-ups. The higher-ups were naturally referring to the Emperor. "It is indeed his intention. Officials are not allowed to visit prostitutes privately. If there is a need, they can only find an official prostitute to accompany them. The official prostitutes are also supported by the country. His Majesty feels that if the imperial court takes the initiative to support these prostitutes for the officials to play with, it is really … Therefore, he intends to privatize these official prostitutes and make some money at the same time," Halcyon explained simply.
Jia Zhen understood that if the official prostitutes were to be privatized, they would have to rely on the imperial court. In this way, the imperial court's image would be tarnished when it was recorded in the history books. Therefore, his shop was chosen. This shop was not under his name, but under his servant's name. After all, the servant was also his private property. If they investigated the background of this shop, the servant would find out that he was involved. However, at the same time, they would stop at him. They would not be able to find out anything more than that.
As for why the Emperor asked for his opinion first, even if the Emperor and he both had shares in this shop, the Emperor could not show up. Officials who opened shops were competing with the people, not to mention the Emperor. The Emperor could provide him with some hidden benefits, but this shop, on the surface or in the dark, could only belong to him. It was that simple. Therefore, the Emperor asked for his opinion first.
"Then I understand. It seems that we have profited." The Jia Zhen smiled and thought, "Now, his daughter-in-law should have no burden. The so-called official prostitutes were mostly the wives and daughters of officials who had committed crimes. This kind of crime was relatively serious and involved the whole family of officials. Recently, the most serious case of this kind of wife and daughter without an official position was the Crown Prince forcing the Emperor to abdicate. At that time, many wives and daughters had no official position. Of course, there were also some children who were adopted by the official prostitutes and were trained from childhood. After they were branded as official prostitutes, they had to accompany men for the rest of their lives.
However, official prostitutes were different from ordinary prostitutes. Official prostitutes usually accompanied the officials, while ordinary prostitutes accompanied all men, from the officials to the nobles. At the same time, there was a difference between the two. Official prostitutes were supported by the imperial court and did not need the officials to pay out of their own pockets. In simple terms, they did not need to wipe their buttocks after taking off their pants. However, after ordinary officials found an official prostitute, they would still leave some money for the official prostitute, while the private prostitutes outside had to pay out of their own pockets.
Similarly, the quality of the two types of prostitutes was different. Official prostitutes were highly cultured. First of all, they were the wives and daughters of officials. They were not proficient in everything, but they knew one or two things. Even if they did not know one thing, when they were in the official prostitutes' camp, they would be personally taught by nannies. The most important thing was that they knew one or two things. Moreover, they were highly cultured in literature. They could not speak eloquently, but they knew how to appreciate essays and poems. After all, officials, other than the generals who had achieved military exploits, were generally educated people who liked this kind of elegant and romantic affairs the most.
With such high quality official prostitutes, the Jia Zhen said that he had profited.
"However, you still have to spend money to shut the mouths of the officials," Halcyon said.
The Jia Zhen's face instantly froze. He cursed in his heart. The Emperor still had half of the shares in this shop, okay? He only knew how to scam money out of his hands. The Jia Zhen understood the Emperor's meaning. Although their family was favored and the official prostitutes were privately owned, if they wanted it, others would naturally want it too. Otherwise, why would they give it to him? Moreover, because they were born as official prostitutes, they were still under the name of the official prostitutes' camp. They could not be redeemed, so they could only be rented, not bought. "This idea was thought of by the Minister of Revenue, Lord He, right?" The Jia Zhen's face was cold. Only the Minister of Revenue would think of all kinds of ways to scam money.
Halcyon looked at the sky and did not look at the Jia Zhen. In fact, the idea of privatizing official prostitutes and the imperial court not keeping official prostitutes was also thought of by the Minister of Revenue. Moreover, it was the Minister of Revenue who convinced the Emperor that there were benefits to having such women in this shop. Only then did the Emperor ask him to bring it up to the Jia Zhen.
The Jia Zhen pursed his lips. He knew that the old fox was scheming against him before he even opened the shop. Fortunately, he would go to the Hanlin Academy first after he entered the imperial court. Then, his father would secretly arrange for him to go to the Ministry of Rites. If he was under that old fox's tutelage, he would be oppressed to death. He did not want to do that. However, it was not his style to let that old fox plot against him. The Jia Zhen looked at Halcyon and said, "Don't tell the higher-ups that I have already agreed."
Halcyon looked at the Jia Zhen in confusion.
"That old man wants to plot against me, right? I will accompany him in his plot. "The Jia Zhen narrowed his eyes. The Minister of Revenue always wanted to take advantage of him and did not allow him to have a little temper.
Halcyon shrugged his shoulders. This was a battle between Jia Zhen and Official He. It had nothing to do with him. No matter what, his master was worthy of being called the Minister of Revenue. If the Minister of Revenue won, the national treasury would be more plentiful. If there were any natural or man-made disasters, his master would not be restrained by anyone. It was even better if Jia Zhen won. His master's private treasury would be more plentiful. If the national treasury could not operate, his master's private treasury would be more plentiful. "Alright, you can go and talk to him personally."
"En, you don't have to respond to this first. No, you can still tell the higher-ups first. As for the rest, just pretend that you have not told me personally. Anyway, we are not in a hurry. The shop will take a few more months to complete." He was not in a hurry, but someone else was. How long he waited was how long that person would have to keep the official prostitutes. That stingy old fox was happy.
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