The Princess Agents Want a Divorce

After spending a few days in the space, Gu Lingxi emerged. Due to the time difference, it was still dark outside! The streets were quiet! Gu Lingxi roughly estimated that it was a little after five o'clock. She needed to hurry and quietly return to the General's Mansion, because the servants usually got up at six o'clock! The patrolling guards were also at their most relaxed at this time, because the shift change was about to begin!

After a series of close calls, they finally returned to the room! Hua Ying was fast asleep, completely unaware that Gu Lingxi hadn't been in the room all night! Sigh! That girl, she didn't even realize her young lady was missing! Leng Feng and Leng Yu, on the other hand, were quite alert. They noticed her when she climbed into the courtyard, but she quickly dismissed them! The two were also very sensible and professional, not asking a single unnecessary question, which pleased her greatly. If it had been that little girl Hua Ying, she couldn't even imagine how much more pleasant it would have been to hear her ears ache!

Lying fully clothed on the bed, Gu Lingxi wasn't sleepy! She also didn't plan to continue cultivating, having already spent several days cultivating in her spatial realm. A proper balance between work and rest was necessary!

Yesterday, after leaving Xiangyue Tower, I saw the two shops next door. A rough idea of ​​a plan came to mind, but I didn't know if it would be easy to execute. After all, she was currently weak and powerless, with very limited financial resources. All she had was a clever mind and her silver tongue!

She originally only wanted to upgrade Xiangyue Tower, but now she has an even bigger idea! She wants to create an ancient-style mega-club where both men and women can patronize! A comprehensive place integrating consumption, entertainment, beauty, body treatments, and foot baths, with performances and auctions on the first floor!

Gu Lingxi knew this was easier said than done, not to mention the funding! As for personnel, perhaps that young master Hua could handle those! But how could she acquire ownership of the two neighboring shops? Acquiring Xiangyue Tower was an expected surprise! But the other two shops were a different story! The power dynamics in Kyoto were incredibly complex, with each industry controlled by different factions!

Another challenge is mindset! How do we break free from the perception that the upgraded Xiangyuelou is merely a brothel? How do we address the outdated notion that women can also patronize it? There are many problems, and we must solve them one by one!

With a creak, the door was gently pushed open! It was Hua Ying who came in carrying the toiletries! She saw that Gu Lingxi was already dressed! Hua Ying wondered, why did Miss get up so early today?

I knew the girl would ask, so I smiled and said, "It's nothing, I just missed Ying'er's breakfast so much that I got up a little early!"

Miss, you're teasing me again! I'm ignoring you! (Huaying stomps her foot!) Breakfast will be brought to you right away!

After Leng Feng and Leng Yu finished their breakfast, they came in to greet Gu Lingxi.

Miss, as you wished, I found a suitable house from the servant yesterday! You can go and take a look when it's convenient for you!

Leng Feng respectfully handed over the few sheets of paper in his hand!

Hmm! Very good! Well done! What's this one?

Oh! Please forgive me, Miss, but Leng Yu took it upon herself to buy an elderly couple for the house! They'll be there to watch over and clean for you! If you don't like them, Leng Yu will send them back!

Gu Lingxi glanced at him but didn't blame him! As long as it was good, she could accept it; a more flexible subordinate was always better than a blockhead!

It's alright, you did a great job, you thought it through very well! Is your background clean?

Seeing that she wasn't being scolded, Leng Feng breathed a sigh of relief! "They're completely innocent, Miss. Don't worry, this couple is deaf and mute. Their son died young, and they have no one to rely on. I saw them looking for a house when I was looking for a servant to buy a house, and they seemed quite pitiful! I figured that if Miss bought the house, she would need someone to manage it, so I just bought it! It only cost one tael of silver!"

Yes! As long as they're innocent, that's all that matters! The price doesn't matter! One or two taels of silver is cheap enough for two people! Deaf-mute is perfect! They'll be even better at keeping secrets!

Miss, Bizi has already signed an agreement with a brewery, and the goods will be delivered in the next few days. I wonder where all this wine will be stored? Leng Yu was very curious about why Miss needed so much wine. What was it for? Was it for opening a shop?

Then let them deliver the wine to the new house! From now on, name this house the Ling Mansion! In public, call me Young Master Ling!

Yes, it is your subordinate. I will remember this!

Hmm, these drawings show some bottles and jars! I'll go out and find a porcelain shop to order them later, and make a hundred of each to send to the Ling residence!

Yes, miss!

Spirit wine, spirit tea, and beauty products for women! She should stock up now before the shop opens! Once the initial troubles are resolved, she believes establishing a firm foothold with these products will be a piece of cake! Making a fortune will be a given!

Leng Feng, how well do you know about the major powers in the capital?

It's alright. I know some things, but not all of them. May I ask what you would like to know, Miss?

Prince Hua, do you know this?

Miss Hui knows that this young master Hua! His real name is Jun Xizhi.

Hmm? Why is his surname Jun? Isn't Jun the imperial surname? Could he be a prince?

Miss guessed correctly, Prince Hua is the Emperor's third son! He was adopted by the old Marquis Hua when he was ten years old!

I've never heard of princes being allowed to be adopted. What was the emperor thinking?

Back then, the only son of the old Marquis Hua, Hua Yu, was the emperor's chief bodyguard. He took a sword to save the emperor on the battlefield and died on the spot! In order to comfort the old Marquis Hua who lost his son in middle age, he promised to give one of his sons to the old Marquis to take care of him in his old age and see him off in his old age!

The Crown Prince's mother, Consort Yue, was only a lowly concubine at the time, and had no one to rely on in the palace! The other princes all had powerful figures protecting them, so the Emperor naturally had no choice but to choose him!

So pitiful? Helpless and alone? Doesn't that mean the emperor has abandoned them, completely declaring their chances of inheriting the throne gone?

The mother of the young prince was just a dancer. After a banquet, she was favored by the drunken emperor. The emperor didn't remember her at first, but unexpectedly, Consort Yue's belly was full of children and she became pregnant with the third prince! The emperor reluctantly gave her the title of talented woman! It wasn't until the third prince was adopted into the Hua family that she was promoted to the rank of noble woman!

This third prince is also pitiful. He was looked down upon by the other princes since he was a child, and he is also the only prince who was not granted the title of king!

This third prince is also a good-for-nothing. I heard he's incredibly absurd, no different from any other spoiled brat from a wealthy family! He spends his days idly wandering the red-light district! He's a notorious troublemaker in the capital, known for his drunken antics. Although he was adopted into the Hua family, he's still the emperor's son, and the high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital who know him give him some face. Those who can't afford to offend him stay far away, all afraid of getting involved with this scoundrel!

Gu Lingxi covered her mouth and chuckled. She hadn't realized Hua Hua had so many flaws! It seems that good looks easily make flaws go unnoticed. Yesterday, Hua Hua had given her so many gold ingots! And even kindly shared more than half of the brothel with her! Today, her subordinates were badmouthing him! If that guy found out, just thinking about it made her want to laugh! Looking at that guy's unserious behavior, his smiling, peach-blossom eyes were all hazy with drunkenness—he really did look like a spoiled brat! She hadn't expected his background to be so pitiful!