The Prince's Beloved Little Wife

After returning to the Prince's Mansion, Chen Mengyao and Ouyang Han chatted for a long time in Chen Mengyao's courtyard before going back to rest. Before going to sleep, Chen Mengyao went into her spatial dimension and downloaded a new design plan for a room specifically for selling women's products and an office. The next day, Chen Mengyao dragged Ouyang Han to the two-story shop to check on the renovation progress and to tell Chen Yufan to set aside a room on the second floor specifically for selling women's products and to design an office.

When they arrived at the shop, the craftsmen were working hard. Chen Mengyao found Chen Yufan, gave him two design drawings, and told him to decorate according to the design drawings.

Chen Yufan unfolded the design drawings and his eyes lit up immediately. The design of the women's quarters room was full of classical charm, with exquisite carved shelves for displaying items such as cosmetic boxes and handkerchiefs, antique-style paintings hanging on the walls, and an incense burner emitting a delicate fragrance in the corner. The office design, on the other hand, focused on comfort and practicality, with a spacious desk, soft cushions, and bookshelves filled with books behind it.

Chen Yufan thought the design was excellent, so he said to Chen Mengyao, "This design is truly ingenious. I will definitely decorate according to this plan, and I'm sure you'll be satisfied." Chen Mengyao nodded in satisfaction, and after walking around and finding no problems, she returned to the palace with Ouyang Han.

Back at the palace, Chen Mengyao said to Ouyang Han, "May I visit your Longyuan Pavilion? And could you also ask how Mu Xue and Lin Yu's recruitment is going? Do they live in the Longyuan Pavilion?" Ouyang Han replied, "Yes, they all live in the Longyuan Pavilion. If Yaoyao wants to go, I'll take you there. It's a bit far from the palace; it takes about half an hour by carriage."

So the two quickly packed their things. Chen Mengyao only took Bizhu, who knew martial arts, and Meixiang, who knew how to do hair, with her, leaving the other two at the Prince's residence. Ouyang Han took Lingfeng and Lingyu with him; Lingfeng drove the carriage for them, and Lingyu drove the two maids' carriages. To avoid boredom on the journey, Chen Mengyao took out a game of Go from her spatial storage. She carefully explained the rules to Ouyang Han, and he quickly mastered the techniques. At first, Chen Mengyao won, but later, after Ouyang Han became familiar with the game and understood the tricks, he won several games in a row.

Chen Mengyao pouted, unconvinced, and pulled out a chess set from her spatial storage. "Your Highness, this is chess. The rules are a bit more complicated than Gomoku," Ouyang Han said, looking at the board with interest as Chen Mengyao explained the rules. After the opening moves, Chen Mengyao played cautiously, but Ouyang Han always made quick judgments. Each of his moves seemed casual but was actually full of hidden strategies, and soon Chen Mengyao was on the defensive. Despite racking her brains, she ultimately lost. Ouyang Han looked at Chen Mengyao's adorable pouting face and couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't be discouraged, Yao Yao. I just have a bit more strategy," Chen Mengyao huffed. "Your Highness, let's play again."

Next, she took out checkers and Ludo (a board game). In checkers, Chen Mengyao was focused on blocking Ouyang Han's path, but unexpectedly, her own pieces got trapped instead. Ludo was largely a matter of luck, but the dice seemed to favor Ouyang Han, his moves always appearing perfectly timed. As for Ludo, Ouyang Han's strategy was flawless; he deployed his pieces methodically and captured Chen Mengyao's flag in no time.

Chen Mengyao was completely deflated and threw down the chess piece. "Your Highness, how come you know everything? Your Highness is exceptionally intelligent, and I am completely outmatched." Chen Mengyao sighed helplessly. Ouyang Han smiled indulgently, "Yaoyao is also very clever. It's just that I have studied various military strategies since childhood, and there are many similarities between them and this game of chess."

Ouyang Han pulled her into his arms and said gently, "Yaoyao is exceptionally intelligent, but she spends less energy on these kinds of amusements." At this moment, the carriage slowly came to a stop, and Ling Feng said, "Your Highness, Your Highness, we have arrived at Longyuan Pavilion." Chen Mengyao hurriedly straightened her clothes and prepared to get off the carriage, secretly thinking that she must surpass Ouyang Han in other matters.

Ouyang Han alighted from the carriage first, then reached out to help Chen Mengyao down. Chen Mengyao looked up and saw a grand, ancient pavilion before her, surrounded by lush greenery, tranquil and mysterious. Two guards dressed in black stood on either side of the Longyuan Pavilion's gate, their eyes cold and vigilant. Entering the gate, there was a spacious courtyard with a flagstone path in the middle, lined with exotic flowers and plants, their fragrance filling the air. At each of the four corners of the courtyard stood a large water vat, filled with koi carp.

Upon entering the pavilion, the first-floor hall was extremely spacious, furnished with many sandalwood tables and chairs, where several servants were wiping and cleaning. The walls were adorned with numerous calligraphy and paintings, all by renowned artists. Ascending the stairs, the second floor contained many rooms, each guarded by a dedicated person. These rooms housed individuals skilled in intelligence gathering and martial arts, tasked with either gathering information about the martial world or protecting the secrets of the Dragon Abyss Pavilion.

Three floors up was Ouyang Han's private area, accessible only to a select few trusted confidants. The room was elegantly and luxuriously furnished, with bookshelves filled with ancient texts and military treatises, and exquisite writing implements on the table. Next to it was a secret room containing the Dragon Abyss Pavilion's most precious treasures and confidential documents. Chen Mengyao looked around curiously, her eyes filled with amazement.

Ouyang Han led Chen Mengyao to the third floor, had Mu Xue and Lin Yu brought over, and ordered tea and pastries to be served to Chen Mengyao. They had barely sat down when Mu Xue and Lin Yu arrived. They first bowed to the Prince and Chen Mengyao and then waited to the side. Chen Mengyao inquired about their respective recruitment progress and the name of the department store. Mu Xue respectfully replied, "Your Highness, the skincare shop has found several women skilled in skincare and makeup. They are adept at techniques and knowledgeable about various rare medicinal herbs used in skincare products. As for the person collecting payments, a reliable candidate has been found, recommended by a gentleman who has managed accounts at a large bank for many years; he is extremely reliable."

Chen Mengyao nodded in satisfaction and looked at Lin Yu. Lin Yu hurriedly said, "Your Highness, I've thought about the name of this department store for a long time, and finally decided on 'Baobaoji' (百宝集). It's easy to understand and can cover the wide variety of goods in the store. As for recruitment, we've basically found skilled people from all walks of life, such as carpenters, blacksmiths, and tailors, which will definitely ensure the smooth opening of the department store. The person in charge of collecting money is also a very capable person from Longyuan Pavilion."

Ouyang Han nodded slightly in approval. At this moment, Chen Mengyao's eyes lit up, and she said, "This name is nice, but it lacks a certain charm. How about 'Wanbaoxuan'? It would sound more grand and noble." Everyone was taken aback, then exclaimed in admiration. Ouyang Han looked at Chen Mengyao with a hint of doting in his eyes, thinking that his princess was truly exceptionally intelligent. Lin Yu was even more impressed, repeatedly thanking the princess for bestowing the name. Seeing this, Mu Xue secretly admired the princess's abilities and also felt a surge of anticipation for the soon-to-open shop.

After the two finished explaining the situation, Chen Mengyao expressed her satisfaction. She then instructed them to thoroughly train their staff, especially Mu Xue's makeup and skincare workers. She emphasized the importance of ensuring they mastered the usage of Mu Xue's skincare and makeup products. She also instructed them to recruit some quick-witted, literate female shop assistants to handle the sales of the store's skincare products. Lin Yu, on the other hand, was instructed to train his staff to understand the store's products and how to promote them. She said she would arrange for someone to deliver the products and instructions to Longyuan Pavilion in a few days, and that they must memorize and master their use. Once they were fully proficient, she would send a message to the Prince's residence, where she would personally come to test them. Mu Xue and Lin Yu nodded quickly to indicate they understood, and seeing that there were no further instructions, they went about their business.

After seeing that she had finished explaining things, Ouyang Han took her hand and said, "Yaoyao, come, let me show you around, and let them all get to know you." Ouyang Han led her to the backyard, which was filled with all sorts of exotic flowers and plants, some shimmering with a faint light, others emitting a captivating fragrance. Ouyang Han pointed to a patch of brightly blooming flowers and said, "These flowers are extraordinary. They can be used to make special perfumes. In our intelligence organization, sometimes the transmission of messages relies not only on people, but also on the scent signals emitted by these unique things."

Chen Mengyao curiously approached a small blue flower. As soon as she got close, the flower swayed gently, as if greeting her. She exclaimed in delight, "This flower is so interesting!"

At this moment, a group of teenagers dressed in uniform were practicing martial arts in a corner of the backyard. Their movements were synchronized and powerful. Ouyang Han explained, "They are all new recruits trained by the Dragon Abyss Pavilion. In the future, they may become excellent intelligence agents or bodyguards."

Further on, there were several small houses, from which came the sound of reading. Ouyang Han said, "That's a place for learning. Whether it's the customs and culture of different places, or encryption and decryption techniques, you'll learn them all here." Chen Mengyao nodded repeatedly, her admiration for the Longyuan Pavilion's operations growing. Suddenly, a carrier pigeon landed on Ouyang Han's shoulder, seemingly bringing urgent intelligence.

Ouyang Han took the note from the carrier pigeon's leg, unfolded it, and his expression changed slightly. Chen Mengyao asked, "Has something serious happened?" Ouyang Han handed her the note and said, "Our neighboring country has been frequently mobilizing its troops recently, and there have been some unusual activities along the border. I'm afraid there's some kind of conspiracy."

After reading it, Chen Mengyao frowned. Ouyang Han immediately summoned the key members of Longyuan Pavilion, and everyone gathered together. Ouyang Han stood at the front and said solemnly, "The situation is dire now, and we must send someone to find out the true intentions of our neighboring country as soon as possible."

A young man named Afeng stepped forward and said, "Sect Leader, I am willing to go." Ouyang Han nodded in agreement and instructed, "Be careful in everything, and retreat immediately if there is any danger." Afeng accepted the order and left.

Then, Ouyang Han turned to Chen Mengyao and said, "Yaoyao, this matter is of great importance, and I must also participate in devising countermeasures. But don't worry, Longyuan Pavilion is heavily guarded, you will be very safe here." Chen Mengyao shook her head and said, "Although I don't understand military matters, I still want to do my part. I'll help organize intelligence and such here. Besides, I still have my spatial storage, right? I can hide inside if there's any danger." Looking at her determined eyes, Ouyang Han felt a surge of satisfaction.

Afterwards, Ouyang Han led Chen Mengyao to the backyard. There stood a group of men and women dressed in close-fitting clothes, their movements lithe and agile. Upon seeing Ouyang Han's arrival, they all bowed respectfully.

Ouyang Han announced loudly, "Everyone, I have gathered you all here today to announce something important. This is Miss Chen Mengyao, who will be an extremely important person in the Dragon Abyss Pavilion from now on. You must treat her as you would treat me, and do everything in your power to protect her." Everyone responded in unison, but there was a hint of doubt in their eyes.

A woman in the crowd couldn't help but ask, "Master, what's so special about Miss Chen? Why are you treating her so well?" Ouyang Han gently patted Chen Mengyao's shoulder, his gaze tender yet firm: "She is my future queen consort. Mengyao means a great deal to me. She has a strong sense of justice and will surely be a great help to the Dragon Abyss Pavilion in the future. You must protect her." Everyone was genuinely happy for the prince, knowing how difficult his life had been all these years, and how no woman had ever gotten close to him. Someone so highly regarded by the prince must possess extraordinary qualities. So they all said in unison, "Yes, Your Highness, we will protect the queen consort with our lives." Ouyang Han nodded in satisfaction upon hearing their words.

Just then, a servant came running up from afar, panting, and said, "Master, I just received news that Ah Feng is in some trouble. It seems the enemy has discovered his whereabouts." Ouyang Han's expression hardened, and he clenched his fist. "Pass down the word to strengthen defenses. I'm going to support Ah Feng immediately." He then looked at Chen Mengyao with concern, "Yaoyao, I'll be right back," and hurriedly left. Some of his men followed him. The rest quickly took Chen Mengyao back to the third floor, with two maids naturally attending to her.