Chapter 113 Extra – Journey to the Capital

At the third quarter of the morning hour, a luxurious carriage arrived from the east side of Zheng Er Street. Anyone with keen eyes could tell from the carriage’s specifications and the accompanying guards that it was not an ordinary official.

The princess’s purpose for this trip was to play a role in promoting the goods and to deter malicious competitors among her peers. Therefore, the carriage moved slowly, and the four strong horses leisurely strolled with a rhythmic “da da da.”

“Nanny, do you know who the Jing family in Qingzhou Prefecture is?” a playful voice sounded from the carriage.

“I really don’t know, hoping the princess can enlighten me,” another elderly and kind voice spoke.

“Hehe! I’ve inquired about it from my elder brother and mother. Ordinary people might not know about the Jing family, but when it comes to the things presented by their family head, Jing Yi, we are quite familiar!” The princess teased her nanny, who had served her since childhood.

“Oh? How impressive? Quickly tell this old servant, Your Highness.” The nanny took a sip of water, playing along.

“Speaking of the small things, like the scented soap, jade soap, ice cream in the summer, and hot pot in the winter. On a larger scale, there are warm beds for commoners, cement on the roads, and also…”

The princess glanced around mysteriously. There was no one else in the carriage, making her playful antics entertaining for the nanny. “I heard there’s the Da Yuan Monthly and the Shengjing Daily, all ideas of Mr. Jing Yi.” The clear and bright voice carried a strong sense of admiration.

In fact, there was more to it, but the princess had limited access to information. Anything related to upgrades in technology or paper-making advancements, all of it was presented willingly. Jing Yi didn’t want to risk losing control, so he handed over anything with far-reaching consequences to the Emperor.

Now it seemed he hadn’t made a mistake. The person on the Dragon Throne was indeed worthy of trust and following.

The carriage finally swayed to a stop at the entrance of Ze Run Jewelry.

The receptionist in the store, seeing this grand display, immediately understood that these were the distinguished guests the bosses had repeatedly emphasized. He hurriedly went to the private room on the first floor to inform them.

After receiving the message, Jing Yi and Chuxia immediately led their brothers out to welcome this esteemed royal lady.

“Miss Li, it’s an honor to have such distinguished guests. I am Jing Yi, and this is my wife, Lin Chuxia. These are the other proprietors of the store. Please come in.” Jing Yi politely exchanged pleasantries.

Due to the need to conceal the princess’s identity, everyone just performed a simple salute.

“Mr. Jing is too kind.” The princess nodded slightly and walked inside with poise.

The others followed closely behind, and Jing Yi winked at Chuxia and quietly said, “Now, no need to worry.”

Indeed, Chuxia felt much more at ease upon seeing the princess.

The princess appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, with a young and fresh face that tried hard to portray maturity and composure. However, the curiosity on her face and the bright innocence in her eyes were impossible to conceal.

At a glance, she seemed to be a curious child pretending to be an adult. Chuxia was quite skilled at entertaining this type of person.

After leading the princess to the VIP room on the third floor, Jing Yi took his brothers and left. “Please forgive us, Princess. From now on, my husband will attend to you. He is very knowledgeable about our products, probably even more than me.”

Upon hearing this, the princess also felt a bit relieved. With so many men around, she was nervous as well. “Thank you, Mr. Jing.”

“Princess, please feel free to explore. I will instruct someone to bring tea and snacks.” Chuxia, accompanied by Xiao Shu, entered the VIP room with the princess and gently closed the door.

After chatting for a while, Chuxia showed the princess some of the most precious treasures hidden by Ze Run. He carefully introduced each one, covering design concepts, manufacturing processes, and value retention.

Then, he made several horizontal and vertical comparisons, highlighting the unique selling points of each piece.

Additionally, influenced by Jing Yi’s marketing ideas that selling stories is better than selling products, each exquisite piece had a captivating and emotional story behind it—some were touching love stories, others were earth-shattering, while some were heart-wrenching tales.

The young princess was subtly moved, her eyes slightly reddening. If not for maintaining royal dignity, she might have burst into tears in her nanny’s arms. Even the elderly nanny, who had mastered the art of composure in the deep palace, couldn’t help but be deeply touched in certain places.

“Princess, don’t be sad. These are the conceptual foundations behind our precious creations.” Chuxia comforted the young girl, finding the princess quite endearing; after all, both Jing and Lin families didn’t have daughters, making her quite a novelty.

“Sorry to let Mrs. Jing see me like this,” the princess said with a soft voice, her throat slightly choked.

“These precious pieces are for you to choose freely, Princess. Today, your presence is our great honor.” Chuxia sincerely expressed, “Look at this necklace and this bracelet; they are both perfect for a princess.”

The princess eagerly picked up a particular bracelet, examining it closely. Ze Run’s jewelry was crafted with precision and uniqueness, featuring designs and concepts distinct from other brands, and it even incorporated some avant-garde elements.

The young girl was overjoyed, pledging to support her brother’s business by purchasing these items. Chuxia, amused by the princess’s enthusiasm, mentioned that the Emperor intended to gift them to her as a token of gratitude for her support.

This remark brought a touch of redness to the princess’s eyes. “Ah Xiu” was her childhood nickname, only used by her elder brother, the Emperor, and her mother. However, ever since her brother became the Emperor, he rarely addressed her this way.

After the princess regained her composure, she started asking various questions out of curiosity.

“Mrs. Jing, is this ‘Ze Run Jewelry’ a collaboration between you and my brother?” The young girl asked with bright eyes.

“No, it’s mainly my husband and a few brothers.” Xia Chuxia answered truthfully.

Unexpectedly, the princess, who was lively just a moment ago, suddenly seemed disheartened. Her fingers absentmindedly tapped the chair’s armrest.

Chuxia felt a bit panicked, unsure of where he went wrong or offended the princess. After calming herself down and organizing her thoughts, he attempted to speak, “My business is all in Qingzhou. Over there, everyone calls me Boss Lin.”

To his surprise, the princess, who had lost some of her spark, looked up. Her eyes sparkled again, and she happily said, “Can you tell me about your business at home? I want to hear.”

Upon seeing this, Chuxia realized he had guessed correctly. This distinguished princess was genuinely interested in the business dealings of both gers and women.

Without letting the fact that the princess was a young woman affect him, Chuxia briefly and vividly described his entire experience, recounting joyful and interesting anecdotes. He even deliberately chose a few instances where he had been mistreated due to him being a ger.

The princess, indignant on his behalf, vented her frustration. Chuxia, who was amused by the reaction, said, “It’s all in the past, and everything has been resolved. Those who used to look down on me eventually became friends or ended up defeated under my command.”

Chuxia wasn’t sure how his words had affected this esteemed royal princess.

Five years later, the Da Yuan Dynasty witnessed its first princess to hold an official position. Although she only held the position of a fifth-rank official, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, it was enough to astonish the entire court. This role was specifically responsible for managing matters related to businesses owned by all men, gers and women.

Ten years later, the Da Yuan Dynasty saw its first female imperial inspector, who diligently upheld justice and executed numerous corrupt officials. Subsequently, the Emperor bestowed upon her the title of Princess Zhongyi, concurrently appointing her as the third-rank Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

Twenty years later, Emperor Yongkang, with the staunch support of several newly appointed officials, defied public opinion and established the “Vigilance Bureau.” This bureau was dedicated to assisting women and gers in vulnerable positions within the Da Yuan Dynasty, fostering mutual support. Princess Zhongyi was appointed as the inaugural head of the bureau.

The road ahead was long, but fortunately, there were always individuals persevering in their commitment.