The clingy concubine ran away, and the sickly prince lost control.

Luo Qingyan came out and saw that Pei Shiyuan was already waiting, so she quickly went over to him.

Pei Shiyuan looked Luo Qingyan up and down and saw that she had dressed up carefully. He felt a little more relaxed. It seemed that she really wanted to open a shop.

If this girl has something to do in the future and can support herself, she probably won't keep trying to have children with him. After all, if he dies, she'll be a widow and won't be able to remarry.

The carriage slowly headed south of the city.

"Young Master, I don't have much silver. Let's go to the north of the city instead."

Luo Qingyan looked embarrassed, saying that she couldn't even afford to rent a shop in the south of the city, let alone buy one.

"It's alright, let's go to the south of the city. The north of the city is mostly populated by commoners, and they rarely eat medicinal cuisine." Pei Shiyuan said firmly. Business was not good in the north of the city, so we shouldn't close the shop after only a few days.

You must help Luo Qingyan open the shop; it would be best if you were too busy to pay attention to him.

Sensing Luo Qingyan's grateful gaze, Pei Shiyuan thought to himself, "Could you please stop looking at me like that? Forget about it!"

About half an hour later, the carriage stopped.

"Sir, we've arrived."

Yuan Qing lifted the carriage curtain.

Fanlou Street?

"Your Highness, please rest here. I'll go look after the shop myself."

Fanlou Street, the most bustling street in the south of the city, is probably where Pei Shiyuan used to frequent.

Pei Shiyuan had difficulty walking, so we let him rest here. We'll take care of the shop errands ourselves.

She would be very satisfied if Pei Shiyuan were willing to give her a second glance.

"Where to? Right here."

Pei Shiyuan called out to her.

Huixianglou? Luo Qingyan looked up at the signboard.

"Your Highness, we've been waiting for you!"

A man in his fifties came out to greet them.

"Uncle Qin." Pei Shiyuan nodded.

The group entered Huixianglou together.

After the conversation, Luo Qingyan learned that the owner of Huixianglou was going to rent out the second floor.

Pei Shiyuan suggested that Luo Qingyan rent it.

Luo Qingyan, however, wanted to speak privately: "Your Highness, let me tell you, I don't have that much money to rent. Even if I did, I wouldn't want to rent. Renting offers no security; I want to buy my own little shop for peace of mind."

If the renter can take it back whenever they want, then it's no longer hers.

"Huixianglou is doing well. Its customers on the first floor can help promote it and attract customers who need it."

"The surrounding area is full of food businesses, so putting them together is called 'starting momentum,' which means there will definitely be a lot of customers. The rest depends on your skills and whether you can attract people."

Pei Shiyuan insisted that Luo Qingyan wanted a small shop simply to have something to rely on, just like a shop is part of a woman's dowry when she gets married.

Her parents were biased and wouldn't give her even half a shop. She just wanted a shop of her own, something to put her mind at ease.

It's not a difficult thing.

Pei Shiyuan muttered a few words to Yuan Qing, who then obeyed and left. Today, he would satisfy Luo Qingyan's girlish desires.

"Your Highness, what you say makes sense, but..." Luo Qingyan didn't know how to refute it.

"You just focus on your business and make sure the medicinal cuisine is good. I've already talked to Uncle Qin about the rent, so you don't need to worry about it. It'll all be on the Duke's account."

Pei Shiyuan wanted to pay the money.

"Young Master, the rent is no less than a thousand taels a year. If the business fails, I won't be able to pay it back. Let's just forget about it!"

It wasn't until she entered the Duke's mansion that she saw the largest sum of money she had ever seen in her life: five hundred taels. A thousand taels was an amount she never dared to even dream of.

"What kind of shop can you open if you don't have money?" a male voice asked.

Two men walked in.

The younger one was speaking, holding a folding fan. The other man looked to be in his late thirties, with a beard, and wore a dark blue long robe.

"This is the owner of Huixianglou. I'm willing to pay a higher price to rent the second floor."

Pei Shiyuan recognized the man as Qian Fanghai, the younger brother of the second wife, Qian Shi.

"We ordered it first," Uncle Qin said angrily to Qian Fanghai.

"The highest bidder wins." Qian Fanghai raised an eyebrow. "Old Qin, this isn't a battlefield. You don't need to glare at me like that."

Uncle Qin joined the army when he was young, fought in many battles, and participated in many campaigns. After retiring from the army, he started a business and owned several shops, living a fairly good life.

"Boss, we arrived first."

The owner of Huixianglou looked troubled and pulled Uncle Qin aside: "Don't you know? He is the younger brother of the second wife of the Duke of Xun's mansion. I can't afford to offend him."

Offending the Duke of Xun's mansion would make crushing him as easy as crushing an ant.

"I don't know much about the second branch of the Duke of Xun's mansion, but I do know that the Duke of Xun's mansion, from the old Duke to the current heir, are all upright people who would never be unreasonable."

Uncle Qin glared at Qian Fanghai again, which made Qian Fanghai shrink back in fear.

Qian Fanghai's actions have truly disgraced the Duke's Mansion and tarnished its reputation.

"I've reserved it first, I won't give it to you," Pei Shiyuan's voice rang out.

"You have no choice but to give way, do you know who I am?" Qian Fanghai put away his folding fan and tilted his nose to the sky.

"I know, Qian Fanghai, the younger brother of the second branch of the Duke of Xun's mansion."

Pei Shiyuan recognized Qian Fanghai, but Qian Fanghai did not recognize Pei Shiyuan. He spent all his time in Zuixianglou and had never even seen Pei Shiyuan in person.

When Qian Fanghai came to the Duke's mansion to look for Madam Qian, Pei Shiyuan saw him from afar.

The owner of Huixianglou was so frightened that he swayed back and forth. He knew who the other party was, so why did he not give way?

"Then why don't you give me the second floor?" Qian Fanghai pointed at Pei Shiyuan, but was grabbed by the hand.

With a "crack" sound, followed by a scream, Qian Fanghai's mouth gaped open; his wrist had broken.

"Young Master, are you alright?" Uncle Qin asked.

"Young Master? Whose young master are you? How dare you act so arrogantly in front of me." Qian Fanghai held his wrists, which were hanging down.

"The heir of the Duke of Xun's mansion," Uncle Qin said leisurely.

Qian Fanghai's face turned pale instantly: "I'm leaving now."

They disappeared in a flash.

The owner of Huixianglou was also surprised to see Pei Shiyuan. He was stunned for a moment before he realized what was going on and said, "I was blind and didn't recognize you, young master. The lease is ready and just waiting for your signature."

"I don't want to rent it, it's this young lady."

Luo Qingyan awkwardly signed and affixed her fingerprint, but there was no indication of how the rent would be paid, leaving her feeling uneasy.

"This is the rent for the first three months." Uncle Qin took out a large silver note from his sleeve.

The lease has been signed, and the landlord has left.

Yuan Qing approached and said, "Master, it's all taken care of."

"Uncle Qin, I can't let you pay for it yourself." Yuan Qing handed over the silver note.

"Oh, Your Highness, you're too kind. Consider this a small token of my appreciation to the Duke." Old Qin said, his eyes already reddening.

He had fought alongside Duke Xun for many years, and the reason he stayed in the capital after retiring from the army was because he was attached to Duke Xun. Unfortunately, this man, who had always been in good health, suddenly passed away.

"Uncle Qin, don't be sad. Father often mentioned that you are a shrewd businessman. Qingyan's business will need your continued support."

Uncle Qin was my father's old subordinate, and he was in charge of managing the accounts in the military camp.

"I hope Uncle Qin will guide me in the future," Luo Qingyan said respectfully. It turned out that Uncle Qin was a man of Duke Xun.

"Miss Luo, you're too kind."

Old Qin watched them leave.

The Crown Prince has been in a bad mood since he fell ill, but he seems to be in a better mood today.

Back at Linfeng Residence, Luo Qingyan immediately went to make plum and almond cakes.

Pei Shiyuan revealed a strange smile and finally looked away from Luo Qingyan.