I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 251 Investment Promotion
After a busy two weeks, the abandoned house was completely demolished, and a four-story building is rising from the ground.

Outside the canyon pass, the sounds of battle cries shook the heavens, but Tang Zhao did not go to the battlefield again. Instead, he was busy attracting investment and setting up operations.

Shen Jiawen asked, "Do we need to attract investment for all of them?"

Tang Zhao shook his head, "The cubicles on the first and second floors are small, so they can be left for people who set up stalls outside. They only need to pay a small amount of rent each month."

"The third and fourth floors have large spaces and are well-decorated, which is the focus of our investment attraction efforts."

"How do we attract investment?" Shen Jiawen didn't know much about business.

"Sell at a set price," Tang Zhao said simply and bluntly.

Are the prices the same in every store?

"Naturally, the rent is different. Shops with good locations near the stairs and high customer traffic have high rents, while shops with remote locations and low customer traffic have low rents."

What would be a suitable price?

"The price doesn't need to be too high in the first year. Once the department store has established a reputation, we can raise the price as we see fit."

Shen Jiawen: . . . . . .

"Just kidding. We built the department store to provide people with a place to buy and sell things. It's a public welfare project."

Shen Jiawen worried, "What if the people complain that the rent is too high?"

You should know that there is no rent required to set up a stall on the street.

“Lord Shen comes from a wealthy family and has never experienced the hardships of running a stall,” Tang Zhao explained to him. “Not to mention being exposed to the wind and sun every day, just cleaning up the stall equipment every day is a hassle.”

When it rains or snows, you can't set up a stall.

For ordinary people who would go without food if they didn't set up their stalls for a day, it was a very difficult time.

"If there were a place where I could set up a stall year-round, rain or shine, without having to move my equipment every day, and without being chased away or bullied by yamen runners or local thugs, I would gladly pay two times the rent to rent it if I were an ordinary citizen."

After all, the rent for department stores is really too low.

"I understand," Shen Jiawen said, looking at the rapidly progressing construction behind him. "I will send someone to investigate and estimate a suitable price to report to the Princess."

Three days later, Shen Jiawen visited Tang Zhao and reported the price range that the people could afford.

Based on Shen Jiawen's quote, Tang Zhao filled in the price on the mall's layout map and handed it to Shen Jiawen.

"Have Lord Lu prepare to attract investment tomorrow!"

The next day, the sky was bright and clear.

Before dawn, the gates of the government office were suddenly flung open, and a dozen or so yamen runners set up tables and chairs in the open space in front of the gates, banging gongs and drums incessantly.

"Come and see! The department store is looking for tenants. The monthly rent is anywhere from twenty to one hundred coins. First come, first served!"

Department store? The people's eyes subconsciously turned to the newly built four-story building in the east of the city.

They had heard the workers say more than once that the building was built so that the princess and the adults could set up stalls for them.

The people setting up stalls were very excited. Those who have never experienced the hardships of setting up a stall don't understand. They think that setting up a stall is just sitting there shouting, which is very easy.

Actually, the hardships and exhaustion involved are similar to those of farming.

Their only worry was the rent.

Now that I hear that the maximum monthly salary is 100 coins, I can finally put my mind at ease.

Old Wang, who sells roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) at a stall outside the government office, was the first to want to rent it.

The clerk, who often ate at his family's roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), pointed directly in Shen Jiawen's direction and said, "Go pick a seat at Lord Shen's place."

"Alright, alright." Old Wang walked up to Shen Jiawen's table. "My lord, I'd like to choose a seat."

Shen Jiawen pointed to the layout map of the third floor of the department store on the table and asked, "Uncle Wang, which location do you want? The rent is different depending on the location."

"Those closer to the stairs are more expensive, seventy coins a month, while those farther from the stairs are cheaper, fifty coins a month."

Old Wang mustered his courage and asked, "Sir, can't we choose the first floor?"

"The first floor is rented to shops selling vegetables, meat and fruit, and the third floor is for food."

"Okay, okay, I understand," Old Wang stared at the map for a long time before finally choosing a shop near the staircase.

Shen Jiawen noted it down and then handed a plaque to Old Man Wang.

"With this badge, you can enter and exit the department store. It will open in three days, so get everything ready in these three days."

"Thank you so much, sir," Old Wang said happily as he took the sign and hurried home to pack his things. That same day, he moved all his tools into the shop and, together with his wife, son, and daughter-in-law, cleaned the shop spotlessly, waiting to open for business three days later.

On the first day, more than half of the shops in the department store were rented out, especially the shops in good locations, which were all rented out.

Some people even asked if they could rent a place for a year directly.

Just kidding, such a great shop must be coveted by countless people.

His wife's older brother missed out on a good shop location because he overslept, and he was extremely regretful at home.

The constable glanced at the wealthy commoner and said, "Alright, I'll take you to see Lord Lu."

Inside the government office, Lord Lu was happily counting his copper coins.

The princess said that all the profits from the department store would go to the government.

In other words, the government office can receive thirty taels of rent every month!

Thirty taels! He can add more meat to the government canteen now!
The constable led in a grinning young man. "Sir, this brother wants to rent for a year directly."

Lu Ying sighed, "The princess is truly a prophet."

Lu Ying took the sign from the young man and looked at it. "The location is at the top of the stairs on the third floor. It costs seventy coins a month, which is eight hundred and forty coins a year. That's not cheap. Are you sure you want to rent it?"

The young man nodded, took off his bundle, carefully took out a string of coins, counted out 840 copper coins, and pushed them to Lu Ying, saying, "I've brought all the money."

"It seems your family has participated quite a bit in the work-for-relief programs over the past few years."

The young man chuckled, “My family has several brothers and sisters. We all work together, so naturally we earn more. But we are also very fortunate to have met you, sir and princess. Otherwise, we would not have such a good life.”

Lu Ying personally registered him, took back the ordinary wooden plaque from the young man, and replaced it with a high-grade wooden plaque carved with a ginkgo tree, with the official seal of the Wuwei Prefecture government engraved below.

"Return it in a year. Keep it safe and don't lose it. You'll have to pay for it if you lose it."

"Thank you, sir!" The young man held the sign and ran out happily.

The next morning, the area outside the government office was packed with people looking to rent shops, and in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, all the remaining shops were snapped up.

There have even been cases of people fighting over renting shops.

Lu Ying personally stopped them and punished them by prohibiting them from renting shops in the department store for a year.

The first day of the seventh lunar month is auspicious and suitable for opening a business.

Tang Zhao personally cut the ribbon in front of the department store, announcing, "Today, the department store opens, and all goods are half price! Please come and support us!"

When the onlookers heard that the price was half price, they immediately went wild and rushed into the department store, wanting to buy and eat everything they saw.

Princess Xuan disguised herself as an ordinary citizen and mingled in the crowd. She had only managed to browse through the first floor of the department store when her legs became sore. She went to the third floor and found a ramen restaurant to sit down, looking around while waiting for her food.

Starting tomorrow, I'll be updating twice a day, my darlings, so please shower me with your votes!