They arrived early that morning at the wasteland outside the city, a place few people ever visited.
Everyone said land in the Capital City was worth its weight in gold, yet this empty plot seemed to have been collectively forgotten by the entire world.
Not only did nobody usually come here, but not a blade of grass grew on the land either.
Wenren Luoshui and Yunjian dismounted. They had barely found their footing when they spotted her youngest martial uncle and his classmate waving to them from nearby.
Yesterday, she had sent her youngest martial uncle her idea through a communication talisman, and he had arranged to meet her here today.
"Morning, martial uncles! By the way, when did you two get here?"
"Come with us."
Her youngest martial uncle did not answer Wenren Luoshui's question. He led her and Yunjian forward, pushing the young man in the wheelchair.
Wenren Luoshui and Yunjian exchanged a glance, then followed the two of them.
They had only taken a few steps when, in the next instant, the scene before their eyes changed so completely it was as though heaven and earth had been overturned.
The wasteland had become a bustling place.
The ground around them turned into a smooth road paved with blue stone, lined with exquisite, magnificent buildings.
People thronged the street. Upon seeing her youngest martial uncle and the young man in the wheelchair, the residents all stopped to greet them.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and follow!"
"Um, youngest martial uncle, this wouldn't happen to be the Ghost Market, would it?"
Looking at the ghostly aura emanating from the people here, Wenren Luoshui suddenly remembered that such a place existed in this world.
The young man in the wheelchair nodded slightly, readily admitting it.
"So, are you trying to tell me someone's already claimed this place? Why don't you negotiate with them and have them work for me?"
"You little brat. After all that, this is what you're worried about?"
Her youngest martial uncle tapped Wenren Luoshui on the head, torn between amusement and exasperation, as though lamenting that iron would never become steel.
"Youngest martial uncle, making a living isn't easy! I have an entire prince's residence to support! Surely you don't want your most adorable martial niece performing on the streets?"
Wenren Luoshui pitifully clutched the hem of her youngest martial uncle's robe, even trying to squeeze out a few tears.
The next instant, her youngest martial uncle's palm smacked her on the head.
"Spare me the act."
They sat down at a square table before her youngest martial uncle leisurely explained things to her.
"We'll leave this place to you from now on. But the things here come out at night, so you'll need to set your business hours accordingly. We'll also remove the illusion concealing this place, which should save you the trouble of putting up new buildings."
"Martial uncle, are you really not going to let them sign contracts with me?"
Wenren Luoshui refused to give up. What a wonderful workforce!
Letting it go to waste like this hurt!
"You want them to work for you?"
She nodded.
"All right. If you can't give me a convincing reason, not only will I refuse to let them work for you, I'll take this place back too."
Her youngest martial uncle's expression turned cold, his voice stern.
It felt remarkably like a company boss interviewing a prospective employee.
"Of course I can! This is ancient times. Do you know what ancient times mean?"
Her youngest martial uncle said nothing, signaling with his eyes for Wenren Luoshui to continue.
"It means there's gold lying everywhere! Look, transportation is slow in ancient times. It takes ages for a letter to arrive. They could deliver letters! Write one in the morning, and it'll reach the recipient by the afternoon. The same goes for parcel couriers and food delivery workers, right?"
"We could also have them spread news. We could start a newspaper and get them to promote it across the country. Wouldn't that be as easy as lifting a finger?"
The more she spoke, the happier she became. Mwahahaha! The blueprint for my business empire is about to unfold!
"Stop right there. Do you really think you can deliver on that enormous pie you're dangling before everyone?"
Unable to hold back, her youngest martial uncle doused her enthusiasm with a bucket of cold water just as she was getting carried away.
"How many ghosts do you have here?"
Wenren Luoshui stopped her endless stream of ideas. If she really launched everything she had mentioned, she would certainly need plenty of workers.
She swallowed, unable to resist asking her youngest martial uncle across the table.
"Not as many as you're hoping for, at any rate."
Wenren Luoshui: ...
Fine.
"That's okay too! We can tackle them one at a time~"
"Oh, right. Do any of you have decent acting skills?"
Her youngest martial uncle beckoned, and a male ghost carrying a butcher's knife floated over to them.
"He's the head steward here. Discuss your questions with him. All right, don't keep coming to find me unless there's something you need."
Before Wenren Luoshui could speak again, her youngest martial uncle and his classmate vanished from her and Yunjian's sight.
Wenren Luoshui shook her head. Her youngest martial uncle was treating them far too much like outsiders. Staying here with them a little longer would hardly cut into the time he and his classmate could spend together.
Perhaps the ghosts were tired of being cooped up in this Ghost Domain too. Upon hearing that signing a contract with her would allow them to leave, they immediately scrambled to sign without another word.
She picked out several ghosts with outstanding looks and decent acting skills, tossed them a script, and sent them off to rehearse.
The remaining ghosts helped them remodel the layout here first.
After more than half a month of bustling about, they portioned their home-brewed medicinal wine into small bottles.
The next day, they brought a heap of bottles and jars to morning court. While waiting for the session to begin, Wenren Luoshui and Yunjian wove among the ministers with their home-brewed medicinal wine.
"Grand Commandant Chu, this is medicinal wine I brewed myself. Would you like to..."
Before Wenren Luoshui could finish, Grand Commandant Chu snatched the bottle from her hand, saying, "If Commandery Princess Luoshui brewed it, it must be good. I'll take a bottle."
She had brought about ten bottles this time, with her and Yunjian each taking five.
At first, they had thought getting their sales pitch underway today would be difficult. Who knew that the moment they started, the ministers would surround her and Yunjian, scrambling over one another like old men fighting for eggs at a supermarket?
In the end, the bottles went to the highest bidders.
The emperor arrived at the Golden Throne Hall. He had barely sat down when he heard Wenren Luoshui laughing incessantly in her mind. Even as she laughed, she felt she had set the price too low and could raise it further once they officially opened.
The emperor: ...
If everyone weren't afraid you'd dig up their family affairs whenever you had nothing better to do, who would buy your wine?
But the emperor only dared think that to himself. If he actually said it aloud, how would he get to feast on all the gossip about his ministers?
Being an emperor was boring too. Unfortunately, everyone thought that since he already sat at the pinnacle of power, how could he ever be unhappy?
After morning court ended, Wenren Luoshui followed behind the emperor with a sly grin.
"Little Luoshui, why are you following me?"
Sensing someone behind him, the emperor turned around and saw a girl whose grin almost stretched to her ears, nearly giving him a fright.
"Hehe, Uncle Emperor, I saved this especially for you. Remember not to drink too much at once, or you'll have to bear the consequences yourself."
[Salty Fish System: Didn't you say you'd sold out, host?]
[I saved this especially for Uncle Emperor. Even when everyone bid the price up to a thousand taels a bottle, I didn't bring out this last one.]
[See how loyal I am to Uncle Emperor?!]
[Uncle Emperor will definitely love me even more! And love our Prince of Beiping's Residence even more too!]
[Salty Fish System: Humans really are the most cunning creatures!]
The emperor: ...
Whatever the medicinal wine's effects might be, it was nice that the little girl had thought of him.
The emperor accepted the medicinal wine she had saved especially for him. "I hear you and young Yunjian are doing business together?"
"Why don't I write a signboard for you?"
[A signboard handwritten by the emperor!]
[Hahahahaha! What great advertising. When we open, we'll have another selling point to promote.]
The emperor's expression briefly stiffened. Why did this little girl seem even poorer than him?