Help! The innocent prince always tries to seduce me clumsily

In the silent room, Chu Shitong didn't know if it was her illusion, but she seemed to hear Rushuang breathe a sigh of relief.

"I haven't told you why I called you out yet."

Rushuang's nerves, which had just relaxed, immediately tensed up again.

Chu Shitong asked, "How are the master-servant relationships of your shadow guards taught?"

Rushuang said: "The Shadow Guards of the Dark Shadow Pavilion only recognize one master in their lifetime. When the master dies, the Shadow Guard dies too."

Chu Shitong knew about this matter, but she was not sure whether it was true or not. She didn't know whether she should be the master or whether she should attach more importance to the emperor's words. If so, she could not trust her too much.

"I'll give you a mission."

Chu Shitong said, "You go to the Duke of Qing's mansion now to see Prince Zhao, stay by his side all day tomorrow, and come back the day after tomorrow."

"I obey my orders."

After receiving the order, Rushang quickly disappeared into the night.

Chu Shitong's move was, firstly, to test Zhao Heng's movements to determine whether Zhou Hengchuan was colluding with him, and secondly, to test Rushuang.

If the shadow guard was arranged by His Majesty to be by his side, Chu Shitong could make use of her.

......

The next morning.

Chu Shitong resumed his original routine and woke up early in the morning.

Ji Shu hired a cook into the mansion, so Chu Shitong no longer had to cook. But before every meal, Bishui or Ji Shu would still taste the food to test for poison.

Chu Shitong ate quietly while Ji Shu reported on the investigation in Changchun Street in the past few days.

"Currently, there are three restaurants that have changed hands on Changchun Street, namely Hongyun Restaurant, Hao Zai Lai Restaurant and Changchun Restaurant."

"Hongyun Restaurant has been open for less than three years, specializing in Jiangnan cuisine. However, in recent years, the chef left and no good chef could be found to replace him, so fewer and fewer people went there. After two years of running at a loss, the owner decided to sell it. I saw the decoration and it is really good. A new chef can use it directly. The tables and chairs are also in good condition. There are three floors in total with a backyard. The asking price is 3,500 taels.

"Hao Zai Lai Restaurant has been open in the west of the city for nearly seven or eight years. Originally, it had more customers than Xi Bao Lou, but in recent years, it has been gradually surpassed by Xi Bao Lou. I heard that Xi Bao Lou is backed by the prefect of Beijing. Last year, the prefect intervened in the business struggle between the two restaurants and closed Hao Zai Lai Restaurant for three months on the grounds that the dishes of the restaurant caused problems for the customers. Since then, Hao Zai Lai's reputation has been getting worse and worse, and gradually no one has left. Although it is still open now, the shopkeeper has been preparing to sell it for a long time. It is also a three-story restaurant with a backyard, and the asking price is three thousand taels.

"Changchun Restaurant is an old archway on Changchun Street. It was opened when the late emperor was alive. It has a history of more than 40 years and has always had a good reputation. However, a murder occurred in the restaurant at the end of last year. Since then, it has been said that the restaurant has been haunted. Many waiters and customers have been scared. Now no one dares to go there. It is three stories high with a backyard. The price is the lowest among the three restaurants. The tables, chairs and decorations are all old. If they are not repaired or refurbished, they may be banned from use. However, the price is very low, only two thousand taels.

"There is also a brothel for sale. It is the same size as the restaurant. I heard that they had a dispute with Hua Xi Lou and have been targeted by Hua Xi Lou. There are fewer customers and it closed at the beginning of the year. But because it used to be a brothel, it has not been sold until now. The area is the same as the restaurant and the asking price is 2,500 taels.

"Two of the shops have courtyards. One was originally a rouge shop. Something happened to the shop owner's family, so he planned to sell it at a low price and return home. The asking price was 1,500 taels. The other was a bookstore. It caught fire two days before we moved in. Although it was quickly put out, a lot of books were damaged, and a lot of doors, windows and walls inside the shop were also burned. The shop owner wanted to sell it quickly, and asked for a very low price of only 800 taels. But if we take over, we will definitely have to completely renovate it."

Chu Shitong put down his chopsticks and said, "I'll go with you to take a look later."

"Yes."

After listening to Ji Shu, Chu Shitong felt that the following shops were all quite cost-effective.

Changchun Street is a planned commercial area. Basically, the area of ​​the shops is similar. It mainly depends on the decoration, whether the shop is on a floor, and the specific number of floors.

There are regulations on the number of floors of shops or residences in the capital city. The height of all floors, even those inside the imperial palace, must not exceed the height of the Dingzhou Tower.

At the foot of the mountain in the northwest corner of the capital, there is a temple tower named Dingzhou Tower. This tower existed as early as in Tianxuan Kingdom. After the establishment of Beiqing Kingdom, it has always been used as a place for sacrifices. People in the capital generally go here to burn incense and pray for blessings.

It is rumored that Dingzhou Tower is a place where gods blessed the continent and used it to stabilize it. Humans cannot be on the same level as gods, so all buildings in the capital are not allowed to be taller than Dingzhou Tower, but there is no such rule in other places.

Chu Shitong did not care about the original reputation of these shops. After all, these were imposed by the world. At the moment, cost-effectiveness was the most important thing. Chu Shitong was very satisfied with Ji Shu for being able to find these cheap shops on the most prosperous streets of the capital, where every inch of land was worth a lot of money.

After breakfast, Chu Shitong got on the carriage and left the house.

I visited several stores in turn, and they were basically the same as what Ji Shu described.

Chu Shitong didn't want to show up himself, so he kept wearing half a mask, hiding his identity and followed Ji Shu around Changchun Street.

My original jewelry shop was located on the street next to Changchun Street. Although it was not large, the quality of the jewelry was excellent and I had a stable customer base.

Chu Shitong looked around and decided not to consider the two most expensive ones. After all, the difference of one thousand taels was more than enough for decoration and renovation.

Chu Shitong subscribed to Changchun Restaurant and Rouge Shop. Two thousand taels plus one thousand five hundred taels made up three thousand five hundred taels. Chu Shitong was also very interested in the bookstore. After all, students from Beijing often bought books here, even Chu Shitong used to. Once this bookstore was his, then in the future, if he wanted to obtain or publicize any news from students from Beijing, the efficiency would become surprisingly high.

The asking price for the bookstore is very low, but the funds for renovation and reconstruction should be very expensive. Chu Shitong only has about 6,000 taels of liquid funds in his hand. It will cost 4,300 taels to buy all three shops. Adding the cost of decoration, there will be basically not much left of the 6,000 taels, not to mention the costs of labor and the like.

Seeing that Chu Shitong was a little hesitant, Ji Shu took the initiative to speak.

"If Your Highness is willing to give me a few days, perhaps I can lower the price a little bit."

Chu Shitong glanced at him and said, "Forget it. I still remember the tea you made for the eldest prince yesterday."

"......" Ji Shu immediately bowed his head and admitted his mistake: "I know I was wrong, Your Highness, please give me another chance."

Chu Shitong really couldn't understand. Everyone knew that the princes appeared to be friendly with each other but were actually stabbing each other in the back. So why did Ji Shu make such a terrible tea for the eldest prince just because he was angry?

Chu Shitong didn't like these royal brothers, but he couldn't show it on the surface. After all, they had never treated him like that, and he couldn't take the initiative to treat others like that.

"How much can you push if you're given the chance?"

Ji Shu thought about it and reported a number, which made Chu Shitong silent.

She looked at Ji Shu uncertainly, "These shops are not registered under my name. If something happens and someone investigates, it will be difficult for me to get rid of the interests involved. You know all this, right?"

Ji Shu swore, "I know, Your Highness, please rest assured."

Seeing that he was so sure, Chu Shitong thought that Ji Shu should not use any legitimate means. However, he was not a good person anyway, and he was short of funds at the moment, so he might as well save as much as possible.

"Then you can try it. I asked you to contact the cook at Xibaolou before. Have you managed to get in touch with her?"

"I've contacted her. The cook lives not far to the west of the city. Your Highness, do you want to meet her?"

Chu Shitong shook his head. "This prince just wants to tell you that if you really buy the shop, remember to invite the cook over when you decorate the restaurant. I have already discussed it with her. If she has any problems, let her contact you and tell me."

"Yes."

The restaurant continued to reopen in its previous business. Chu Shitong decided to renovate the rouge shop and the bookstore. The rouge shop was merged with the jewelry shop. The small storefront that originally served as a jewelry shop was temporarily vacant, and the bookstore continued in its original business.

By the time I finished giving these instructions, it was already noon.

Today is the third day of June, six days away from the second princess' birthday.

Chu Shitong had previously sent someone to the jewelry shop and asked them to prepare a set of gold and jade jewelry in advance for him to give as gifts. Bishui said yesterday that it was already ready. They were new goods from the Western Regions, with low prices and novel styles.

It is most suitable to give it as a gift, especially to those who don't want to spend a lot of money.

Bishui asked outside the carriage, "Your Highness, are we going to the jewelry store?"

Chu Shitong opened the curtains and took a look. The sun in early June was very scorching. Seeing the clear water coming and going, his forehead was already sweating from the heat. Chu Shitong suddenly had a new idea and said, "No, let's go back home."

"Yes."

Ji Shu drove the carriage all the way back to the mansion.

As soon as Chu Shitong arrived, he couldn't wait to go to the study, wrote something in the study and gave it to Ji Shu.

"You should be able to read, right? Although there weren't many words on the blueprint I gave you before, you were able to understand it, so I guess you should be able to read."

"I know some, but not many." Ji Shu took it and looked at it, then said, "What does Your Highness want saltpeter for?"

Chu Shitong said: "Make ice."

Ji Shu's eyes showed a hint of surprise, "Can saltpeter make ice?"

"it should be OK."

Chu Shitong remembered that in his previous life, Xie Chuchu was able to open such a big restaurant in the capital, partly because of Bing.

The ice made from saltpeter was provided by Xie Chuchu's partner who opened the shop with him, and was later provided by one of his subordinates, so Fang Zi Chu Shitong also knew about it.

In the hot summer, Xie Chuchu's restaurant launched several ice desserts that were very popular.

Ice was a rare commodity even in the imperial palace. Xie Chuchu's restaurant had single-handedly made it possible for common people to enjoy cheap icy desserts, and its reputation spread quickly.

The alley where the jewelry shop is located is a deep alley next to Changchun Street. The small courtyard behind the shop is cool all year round. If some cellars are dug to make ice, it will certainly be possible.

Chu Shitong said, "Take the information I gave you and try to make it. If you succeed, the place where the jewelry shop is located will be used exclusively for making ice. I have my own way to turn this small shop into the largest ice supplier in the capital."

When Ji Shu heard these words, his eyes brightened a little.

"Your Highness is truly intelligent, unparalleled in the world."

His praise was extremely sincere, but it was precisely this kind of praise that made Chu Shitong look at him with more profound meaning.

But she didn't ask anything, just changed the subject lightly.

"Did you buy the person you were asked to buy from Ren Yazi?"

"I bought it." Ji Shu said, "Except for the few I bought myself, I only found one person with the characteristics and appearance of the others given by His Highness, and I bought it last night."

Upon hearing that Ji Shu had bought back one of his subordinates from his previous life, Chu Shitong immediately asked, "Which one did you buy?"

"I will bring her here right away."

Ji Shu turned around and walked out, and Chu Shitong just felt that he deserved to die.

If you have something to say, why not just say it directly? Why bring someone here?

Chu Shitong hasn't figured out how to communicate with his subordinates from his previous life.

Bishui asked, "Your Highness, who are you looking for? I feel like Your Highness seems very happy."

Chu Shitong smiled and said, "Of course, I found these because they are all people with whom I have a deep affinity."

Upon hearing this, Bishui instantly became curious.

"If you are destined to be with Your Highness, you must be someone as powerful as Your Highness. I remember that when the Fourth Princess came back a few years ago, she gave you a purse, saying that Master Wuji of Kaiyuan Temple asked her to give it to her, and that she was destined to be with you."

Chu Shitong was stunned. It seemed to be true, but he had never noticed that purse in his previous life.

The fourth princess, Chu Shijing, was weak and sickly since childhood. After giving birth, her mother went to the Kaiyuan Temple under the Dingzhou Pagoda to pray for the country. When Chu Shijing was less than five years old, she was also sent to Kaiyuan Temple. The mother and daughter lived in the temple ever since then. Except for some necessary banquets, they never returned to the palace.

The last time he returned to the palace was for the Empress Dowager's sixtieth birthday. For such a grand banquet, only Chu Shijing came to the palace by carriage. He left the next day and was even unwilling to stay any longer.

I have met Master Wuji Chu Shitong in Kaiyuan Temple before, and I had a very bad impression of him. He did not have the demeanor of an immortal at all. He was just like a swindler in the market.

As a prince, Chu Shitong would follow Chu Shiyu to the Buddhist temple to pray when the country was hit by too many natural disasters. Naturally, he also went to Kaiyuan Temple and met the so-called Master Wuji.

Chu Shitong had always been annoyed by that stinky old man, who kept asking him questions. Mainly because he recognized Chu Shitong as a woman at a glance. If that stinky old man had not sworn that he would keep it a secret, Chu Shitong would have attacked Kaiyuan Temple with a knife that night and killed him.

"What purse? Why can't I remember it?"

"It's just a purse. At that time, the Fourth Princess said that Master Wuji asked you to wait until you reach adulthood before opening it. Your Majesty wanted to take it away at that time, but the Fourth Princess wouldn't let you, so you let me keep it."