The Ming Dynasty's henchmen, working from nine to five

Chapter 101 Unexpected Visit

The next day, early in the morning.

As dawn broke, Shen Lang suddenly opened his eyes.

He heard a familiar voice coming from outside the courtyard gate.

"Has he been living here ever since he arrived in Yujing?"

"Poor thing..."

'

"Why didn't you tell me sooner that no one could live in such a place?"

That's Princess Jing'an's voice. Why is she here?

Shen Lang was taken aback, then got out of bed, changed his clothes, and left the room.

Just then, a soft voice sounded again from outside the door.

"Living in the capital is not easy. Everything is expensive in the capital. For Lord Shen, who is new to the city, it is already quite good that he has such a secluded courtyard."

Princess Changning has also arrived?

Shen Lang paused, then turned back into the house to wash up and brush his teeth.

"Sigh, this yard looks so bare, there's not even a single flower or plant. It's such a shame for him."

"Li Zhong, go find a house near the Prince's residence and buy it; Consort Li wants to give it to Shen Lang!"

"He's already a sixth-rank centurion; if he continues to live in a place like this, won't his colleagues laugh at him?"

"Your Highness... there are no vacant houses around the Prince's residence!"

"Then let's go door-to-door and ask them how much they want; let them name their price!"

"This... I'm afraid it's not a good idea to ask. Would it be alright if we went a little further away?"

"No, the Imperial Guards are so busy every day, how can they possibly come to pay their respects to me if they're so far away?"

"this..

'

Shen Lang couldn't help but smile as he listened to the conversation outside.

She throws money at people with a wave of her hand; the princess is as domineering as ever.

However, her request was indeed putting Manager Li in a difficult position.

The people living in the Shiwangfu Street area were all wealthy and powerful, mostly influential figures in the imperial court. For them to sell their houses would be a pipe dream.

However, the princess's words served as a reminder to him that after bringing Sister-in-law Qin and the others to Yujing, there would be female relatives in the household, and it would be inappropriate to let them stay longer.

A courtyard without even a main hall or side rooms is indeed quite inconvenient.

Shen Lang pondered for a moment and felt that the location of Shiwangfu Street was indeed quite good.

It is very close to the Jing'an Prince's Mansion and the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) Office, and there are restaurants, shops and markets nearby, making life quite convenient. It is a quiet place in the middle of the hustle and bustle.

"Have someone investigate later to find out who else lives there besides the princes."

"If they find out he's not clean... then just confiscate his clothes. The money goes to Jiajing, and the house is mine!"

Shen Lang dried his face, put down the towel, and walked into the courtyard.

The noise outside was still going on, and after listening for a while, he roughly understood why the princess and the others had come.

It turns out that the flying fish robe and embroidered spring knife that were sent for sampling yesterday have been retrieved.

Princess Jing'an, knowing that he was going to the government office to report early this morning, made a special trip to deliver it to him.

In the words of the princess: "This is a big day, one only gets this opportunity a few times in a lifetime, so it must be celebrated solemnly. The bestowed robe cannot be refused."

Shen Lang quickened his pace and headed towards the door.

The debate continued, as Princess Siping was determined to have Steward Li go door-to-door asking people if they were selling their houses.

Manager Li dared not indulge her in such nonsense and could only offer quiet advice.

Shen Lang found it amusing and placed his hand on the door latch, about to open the door, when he heard the princess's soft voice.

"Mother, please don't make things difficult for Steward Li. How can you force someone to sell their house?"

"Offending someone can lead to trouble."

Princess Jing'an snorted, "It's just a question, what can you do about it? Do you think I can force you to buy or sell?"

"Besides, what is there to worry about? Do you think I'm afraid of offending anyone?"

The princess said gently, "We must think of Lord Shen!"

"He's just entered officialdom, and this is precisely the time when he needs to build connections. If word gets out, it will damage his reputation!"

Princess Jing'an fell silent, pondering it over, and it seemed to make sense.

At this moment, the princess said gently, "A house is for a long time to live in, so we can't be perfunctory. We need to plan it carefully."

5"

"However, it's really not appropriate for Lord Shen to continue staying here. I think..."

"Let him move into the Prince's mansion!"

"That side courtyard next to the Xiulou has been empty all this time. Go back and have it renovated, then invite Lord Shen to move in."

This way...

'

"He's now a retainer of the Prince's household, it's all right, and no one will gossip!"

Shen Lang was completely confused. Why was he being arranged to live in the inner quarters of the Prince's mansion?

Those houses are inhabited by women; it's against etiquette for him, a foreign official, to live there!

Fortunately, before he could refuse, the princess took the initiative.

It means they're really going to make a move, literally.

A series of crisp "snap snap" sounds rang out.

"You brat, what are you trying to do? You're not even going to pretend anymore, are you? What did I tell you? You've already forgotten..."

'

Although you can't see it, you can tell from the noise that things outside are in complete chaos.

Shen Lang placed his right hand on the door bolt, momentarily caught in a dilemma; it seemed that opening the door was neither an option nor an option.

After thinking for a moment, he tiptoed back into the house, stood at the door, and called out from afar, "Who is making a commotion outside?"

There was a moment of silence outside, then Steward Li's voice rang out: "Lord Shen, Her Highness the Princess and the County Princess have arrived."

"Um?"

Shen Lang strode over, opened the courtyard gate, feigned surprise, and bowed respectfully: "Greetings, Your Highness, greetings, Princess. What brings you here?"

Good morning, Lord Shen!

Princess Changning flashed a bright smile and waved her hand like a lucky cat.

Princess Jing'an gave her a furtive glance, smoothed her disheveled hair from when she had just beaten her, and said, "I've come to deliver your official robes."

Shen Lang quickly stepped aside and invited everyone in.

Princess Jing'an looked around, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.

This dilapidated courtyard, while not exactly bare, is not far off; at first glance, there isn't even a single decent piece of furniture.

However, she did not mention the house again.

Hmm... I'm mainly worried that the princess might have another brain fart and say something inappropriate again.

In recent years, vernacular novels about human relationships have become very popular in the capital city, and Princess Changning is a loyal fan.

She would buy and read any popular book on the market; she was quite obsessed with it.

Princess Jing'an initially followed the trend, but later found it too pretentious and quickly lost interest.

It wasn't until Princess Changning suddenly fell ill that she went to find out what was going on.

It turns out that recently, storytellers in various taverns have been telling a collection of worldly stories called "Jin Ping Mei".

This vernacular novel has not yet been officially published, and everyone has their own interpretation of it, but because of its unique theme, it has become one of the most popular vernacular novels recently.

Princess Changning naturally wouldn't miss it; she already had more than a dozen handwritten copies in her boudoir.

The princess secretly flipped through it, and then her face turned red.

It's one thing to describe romance and love, but to actually describe...

Unmarried girls who watch this kind of stuff all day long, no wonder they don't know what modesty is!