Chapter Sixty-Three: Grand Opening

Shangguan Wan’er was clearly frightened. Her eyes were red, and even her chin and nose trembled slightly, a clear sign she was on the verge of tears.

Li Yuechen spent a long time explaining things beside her, only then managing to keep her from actually crying.

Madam Zheng hurried over, gently stroking her daughter's head to comfort her, while thanking Li Yuechen, "Your Highness has shown such kindness. I am deeply grateful!"

After all, in this era, servants had no status. The saying "the law treats them like livestock" was no exaggeration. For someone of Li Yuechen’s standing to explain her actions, even apologize in a gentle tone—such a thing was unimaginable in these times.

Shangguan Wan’er understood this well. Once her emotions had steadied, she immediately bowed, "Your Highness, please do not apologize. I dare not blame you!"

Li Yuechen nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that, in truth, she didn't owe anyone an explanation. But coming from a society where everyone was equal, she had an instinctive aversion to such feudal customs. And besides, watching a little girl nearly brought to tears, she simply couldn't bear it.

Once Shangguan Wan’er had been comforted, Li Yuechen returned to her own chambers and lay on her bed, lost in thought.

She lifted her hand, the nails painted a vibrant crimson, and examined it. There seemed nothing amiss on the surface. Yet her strength was undeniably problematic—far more than anyone her age should possess.

Li Yuechen had traveled the world and, thanks to her circles, met men who could lift a person one-handed or even pull an airplane by themselves. But these men were all huge, with muscles bulging to the point of seeming ready to burst. The veins beneath their skin coiled like black snakes over their muscles, exuding an intimidating aura even when standing still.

Looking at herself, though—aside from being a bit taller and more well-proportioned than other children her age, and having a pretty face—there was nothing about her physique that suggested such strength. Shangguan Wan’er couldn’t have weighed much less than her, yet she had lifted the girl with one hand with almost no effort. It was uncanny.

With this thought, Li Yuechen decided she needed to conduct some experiments.

…

Inside her private chamber, there was no one but Li Yuechen. Fulai and Xiao He had both been ordered out.

At this moment, Li Yuechen was holding her body up with only her hands, in the middle of the room. She shifted her weight carefully, lifting her palms so that only her ten fingers touched the ground, supporting her whole body. Even then, it only felt somewhat strenuous.

Growing bolder, she tilted her weight further, until all of it rested on the five fingers of her left hand, her right hand leaving the floor entirely. The pressure increased dramatically, but Li Yuechen felt she could manage.

She slowly bent her left arm, attempting a one-handed handstand push-up. This was clearly taxing, but she persisted. Controlling her center of gravity, she kept her body from toppling.

A bead of sweat slipped from her nose and splashed on the floor, close at hand.

Then, gathering her strength, she pressed herself back up, straightening her arm completely, thus completing a one-handed, five-finger handstand push-up.

"Heh heh..."

Excitement bubbled up, and Li Yuechen couldn't help but laugh. Gritting her teeth, she did several more.

After the tenth, she set her feet back on the floor and stood up. She could have continued, but given the rudimentary state of medicine in this era, she didn’t dare risk injury from overexertion. Better to stop here.

As for the source of her bizarre strength, she would simply observe and experiment further. At least so far, she detected no ill effects, aside from a slightly larger appetite...

Currently, Li Yuechen ate significantly more than Shangguan Wan’er, but not to an astonishing degree. However, she was still a child; what her abilities might become in the future—only time would tell.

…

That afternoon, Li Yuechen rode in a carriage to Jixianfang once again.

Seeing the slaves busily moving materials, she nodded and told Fulai, "Remember to build two dormitories here for them—separate rooms for men and women in the future. Bunk beds..."

"Bunk beds?" Fulai echoed, not knowing what she meant.

Li Yuechen didn't elaborate, but simply grabbed paper and brush and drew a rough sketch. "Like this—it saves a lot of space."

…

"Ah! Your Highness is truly ingenious!" Fulai exclaimed, eyes wide. "I understand!"

He turned and looked at the slaves working nearby. "His Highness treats them so well; serving her is their good fortune!"

Li Yuechen took his flattery lightly, merely smiling, "If you want a horse to run, you have to feed it well, at the very least."

Fulai nodded, "Your Highness is right!"

With matters settled, Li Yuechen got back into the carriage to return to the palace.

On the way, she mused, "The New Year is approaching—the canned goods can start selling soon."

Fulai ventured cautiously, "Your Highness, I have an idea, but I’m not sure if..."

"Speak."

"The method for making canned goods is too easy to figure out. My suggestion is, when we sell them, we open them ourselves, and then..."

Li Yuechen considered his idea and nodded, "Very well, do as you suggest."

This worked well; just like future milk tea shops, they could provide tables and chairs for customers to eat in, like a tavern. If someone wanted to take food home, they could, but it would need to be eaten quickly.

With little money and only just beginning her enterprise, this approach would help extend her monopoly on canned goods.

Looking at Fulai, who had made the suggestion, Li Yuechen smiled sweetly, "A clever idea!"

"Being able to help Your Highness is my good fortune!" Fulai bowed hastily.

…

In December, a shop quietly opened in the southern market, with a table at the door offering samples.

The shop had once sold spices, but now the sign above the door read, "Sugared Fruit Shop."

Most people in the area didn’t know exactly what it sold, but when the manager, Wang Xiang, lifted the red cloth from the table, the onlookers were astonished.

On the table were porcelain bowls filled with various peeled fruits soaking in water.

In the chill of winter, the translucent flesh of the fruit dazzled many eyes.

Wang Xiang bowed to the crowd, "Everyone, our sugared fruit shop opens today. We hope you’ll support our business. For just ten coins, you can sample a bowl. If interested, please come inside to discuss further."

At this price, much of the crowd dispersed—ten coins for a tasting was enough to make many turn away. But the fresh fruit caught the eyes of the servants who bought groceries for noble households. They quickly handed over ten Kaiyuan Tongbao coins.

As soon as they tasted a mouthful of that fresh fruit, they decided to report back to their masters.

After a few brief inquiries, they hurried away.

At forty coins per bowl, it was expensive, but for the wealthy, being able to eat fresh fruit in winter was worth it. Especially since the shop even had lychees!

Lychees—rare even with money!

A shop in the southern market selling fresh winter fruit... word spread through the Eastern Capital like wildfire.

Many officials remembered that last year the emperor had bestowed some fruit preserved in syrup, so he must have a way to preserve fruit long-term. But now a shop was selling it… there was clearly more to this.

Some noble families, knowing nothing of the details, immediately began trying to deduce the recipe—it was obvious this was a lucrative business.

Of course, they weren’t foolish. Nobody could open such a shop in the Eastern Capital without powerful backing. Soon, they sent people to investigate.

What they discovered shocked them—the person behind the shop was none other than the emperor’s most beloved little princess!

This wasn’t really a secret—the shop had originally belonged to the Princess of a Thousand Gold Coins. Now it was managed by another princess; nothing strange there.

But such a monopoly brought huge profits. If they couldn’t find a way to get a share, it left them itching with envy.

…

In the blink of an eye, the shop had been open for more than ten days, and business was booming.

Each morning, Li Yuechen practiced yoga with her two sisters and Shangguan Wan’er. After her martial arts training, just as she was about to bathe, Fulai suddenly appeared. "Your Highness, I have something to report."

"Mm," Li Yuechen replied, following Xiao He with steady steps into her inner chambers.

She undressed and soaked in a wooden tub, while Xiao He gently washed her. The hot water was infused with medicinal herbs, filling the room with their fragrance.

…

The tub was screened off by a solid wooden partition. Fulai stood outside, reporting in a low voice.

"In recent days, many people have approached Wang Xiang, offering large sums to buy the canning recipe… Of course, he turned them all down!"

Li Yuechen, sitting in the tub, smiled, "Didn’t anyone approach you?"

"Well… yes," Fulai admitted, bowing his head, "but I refused as well..."

"Good," Li Yuechen nodded.

Fulai silently breathed a sigh of relief. They had offered a lot, but he dared not take it! Given the emperor and empress’s affection for the princess, if he took that money today, he’d probably lose his head tomorrow.

Fulai considered, "Now I’m worried they might secretly bribe some of the other servants, or..."

"You handle it as you see fit," Li Yuechen said.

She rose from the fragrant steam, stepped out of the tub, and spread her arms for Xiao He to dry her.

There were many things about this era she did not understand. As an outsider, there was no need to handle everything personally.

Fulai had risen to his position in the palace through ability—she trusted him to take care of things.

Once her body was dry, she put on cotton undergarments, wrapped herself in a clean robe, and emerged, tousling her damp hair.

Fulai bowed his head, awaiting orders.

"You’ve looked after me since I was little—I trust you won’t let me down," Li Yuechen said with a smile.

Fulai bowed deeply, "Your Highness has shown me great favor; I will do my utmost never to disappoint you!"

"If you have nothing else to do, take some canned goods for yourself. Don’t neglect your own well-being," Li Yuechen added with a smile.

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

…

In Renshou Hall, Wu Zetian slapped a memorial onto her desk with a loud crack, pinched the bridge of her nose, and sighed.

Li Zhi, lounging in a rocking chair nearby, paused his exercise ball and asked, "Meiniang, what troubles you?"

With a wry smile, Wu Zetian replied, "Every one of them hints in their memorials that the princess is competing with the people for profit—some all but impeach her by name!"

"Speaking of which..." Li Zhi narrowed his eyes in thought, "That canned goods shop of Chen’er’s—how long has it been open now?"

Wu Zetian nodded, "I think more than ten days."

Li Zhi nodded, raising his voice, "Someone! Summon Fulai!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

…

Soon, Fulai hurried into Renshou Hall and bowed respectfully. "Your servant greets Your Majesty and Your Grace!"

"Rise," Li Zhi said with a smile. "Chen’er’s shop must be doing well. Have people been approaching you recently?"

Fulai answered respectfully, "Yes, Your Majesty, many! But none have revealed their identities..."

"I know!" Li Zhi laughed, waving a hand. "If they were so careless as to leave evidence, there’d be nothing to worry about."

Fulai bowed again, silent.

Wu Zetian looked up and asked, "Have you reported this to Chen’er?"

"Yes, Your Grace. She told me to handle it as I see fit," Fulai replied.

"And how do you intend to handle it?" Wu Zetian inquired.

Fulai thought for a moment, "I’ll assign people to protect the shop, to prevent any underhanded tricks..."

Wu Zetian and Li Zhi exchanged a glance and nodded. "Security is important. Don’t worry—if any scoundrels break in, don’t even report it. Just kill them on the spot!"

Fulai’s eyes lit up at these words. He bowed, "As you command!"

He knew exactly what weight these words carried, and his estimation of the princess’s favor with the emperor and empress rose even higher.

Even after leaving Renshou Hall, Fulai’s astonishment had not faded. Judging by this, it seemed the emperor and empress didn’t merely want her to be an idle princess—they had deeper hopes for her.

Thinking this, Fulai glanced around and couldn’t help murmuring under his breath, "It seems this Highness has a brilliant future ahead!"