After completing a round through the shopping areas—daily necessities, groceries, clothing, fruits and vegetables, toys, gold and silver jewelry, and so on—the layout was quite orderly.

So, had they really come across someone from their “hometown”?

None of them had made any purchases. As Wenren Ying explained, “This place does have a lot of items, but in terms of quality, they’re only average. If you want to buy really good stuff, you’ll need to go to specialty shops. However, picking up some novel little trinkets for fun isn’t bad either. Fourth Sister, is there anything you want to buy?”

Wenren Xu and You Shi both agreed with her point. Despite the crowd, they weren’t interested in the goods they saw.

Meanwhile, Xiao Si, still somewhat out of it, muttered, “When did this place open? I’ve never heard about it before.”

You Shi smiled without saying a word, and Wenren Xu looked a bit helpless, while Wenren Ying rolled her eyes. “Fourth Brother, you only ever study the classics. How could news of such mundane matters reach your ears? This place has been around for more than a year now! When it first opened, it caused quite a stir. Even in the outer city, not many people wouldn’t know about it. You, as it happens, are likely one of the few.”

“Now that you mention it, although I’ve never been here before, I have heard people talk about it before,” said Xiao Cao.

Though Xiao Cao lived in the inner city, her place was comparatively in a more remote area. She had heard bits and pieces but had paid little attention to it.

Wenren Yang absentmindedly responded with an “oh,” which nearly made Wenren Ying hit him out of frustration.

“Who owns this ‘Southern and Northern Bazaar’? It’s quite novel,” asked Xiao Cao calmly.

“Fourth Sister also finds it interesting, doesn’t she? The first time people come in here, they all find it so. This bazaar is owned by the Consort Kou of Prince Heng. Prince Heng is the fifth son of the Emperor, born to Noble Consort Xian. In rank, he holds the second-highest status among the princes. Fourth Sister, shouldn’t we acknowledge how clever Consort Kou is? She comes up with one brilliant idea after another. She’s truly remarkable,” Wenren Ying said admiringly. She leaned in closer to Xiao Cao and whispered in her ear, “Even things like personal undergarments and scented body creams were developed by Consort Kou herself.”

However, within Wenren Ying’s heart, she couldn’t help but find it odd. This Consort Kou, or Kou Danping, was the daughter of the Left Councilor of the Directorate of Communications, an official role that carried not insignificant power. However, being a mere fifth-rank official in the capital wasn’t considered prestigious in the grand scale of things. For such a background, becoming a prince’s concubine was already a stretch. A prince usually only has two concubine positions, which are highly limited resources used for cementing alliances. Logically, Noble Consort Xian should have been the first to object, and yet, Kou Danping smoothly became Prince Heng’s concubine, with no opposition from Noble Consort Xian, who even treated her well. On top of that, Kou Danping became Prince Heng’s favorite, to the point where even the legal princess consort reportedly avoided clashing with her.

There are actually two more branches of this bazaar in the imperial capital. Although they are not under Consort Kou’s name, they are ‘franchise’ bizarres. One is also situated in the inner city and belongs to the Empress Dowager’s family. The other is in the outer city, under the name of the deceased Empress’s family.

As you can see, it’s quite impressive.

Of course, the items sold in each of these bizarres are slightly different.

Moreover, Consort Kou also runs a place called “Beauties’ Makeup Studio.” The name is blunt and to the point—it’s entirely dedicated to women. Consort Kou is renowned for her magical makeup skills. Through her hands, even someone considered ugly can be transformed into a beauty, it’s almost like a new face emerges. Additionally, she crafts stunning nails, styles hair, and refines custom-made clothing. In short, any woman who leaves her studio becomes the center of attention wherever she goes.

Because of this, “Beauties’ Makeup Studio” lives up to its name, attracting aristocratic women like moths to a flame. There, Consort Kou has also trained a group of maids skilled in grooming and beauty maintenance. Though they aren’t as skilled as Consort Kou herself, they are much better than what’s available elsewhere. There’s even advice on whitening and weight loss. As a result, the studio has become a daily gathering place for noble ladies. Wenren Ying has been there twice before, and she reminded everyone that, thanks to Consort Kou’s status, commoners could hardly get close to such a person.

Though Consort Kou’s methods could be seen as superficial or even a little deviant, one must not underestimate a woman’s pursuit of beauty. On the surface, Consort Kou seems to have formed connections with countless aristocratic ladies, connections that could prove influential in future events.

Therefore, it seemed almost inevitable that Consort Kou would win favor.

But, in Wenren Ying’s past life, no such person had existed! Something strange was definitely afoot.

Moreover, Prince Heng was none other than the future Emperor Tianshun, the one who had seized the throne from his brothers after much struggle.

Putting aside what Wenren Ying remembered from her previous life, in this life, Prince Heng was currently the strongest contender for the throne. Although he had an elder brother who had been born to the Empress, this brother had been blinded by smoke from a great fire several years ago and had lost all standing in the competition for the throne. He had been stripped of his title of Crown Prince and was now merely Prince Duan, utterly sidelined and no longer a threat.

Wenren Ying didn’t know where Consort Kou had come from, nor did it matter what plans or ambitions she had. They did not concern her. In fact, she thought that the bigger Consort Kou’s schemes got, the more likely they’d draw disaster.

After all, as an imperial prince, anyone coveting the throne inevitably faced opposition. The more successful Prince Heng became, the more enemies he’d accumulate. Should his rivals join forces against him, there’d be no guarantee that he could maintain his position, much less think about seizing the throne from his brothers.

Wenren Ying also told Xiao Cao about the Beauties’ Makeup Studio. As she went on, even You Shi had more to say on the matter.

Listening attentively, Xiao Cao concluded that this Consort Kou might very well have a past life like her, with business acumen ripe with modern concepts. In reality, her methods weren’t that sophisticated—any experienced merchant could take her ideas and expand on them instantly, perhaps even driving her out of the market. Her special status and network of aristocratic clients were what shielded her from competition.

Moreover, it seemed her true expertise lay in makeup artistry and perhaps in being a stylist and fashion designer. Xiao Cao guessed her makeup techniques were exceptionally good, while the other skills, though possibly less masterful, were still impressive. A talented individual, indeed.

However, Xiao Cao had no interest in establishing a connection. Plenty of people wanted to be “unique”—who knew what trouble such a connection might bring? Moreover, getting involved with the imperial family would inevitably entangle one in the fight for the throne, and Xiao Cao had no desire to be sucked into such a turbulent storm.

After leaving the Southern and Northern Bazaar, they moved on to explore other places.

There were shops with ancient books and manuscripts from past and present dynasties, bronze artifacts, bronze mirrors, paintings, and calligraphy that spanned several empires. There were also boutiques filled with jewels, jade, embroidery, and silks from the four corners of the empire. Put simply, these were all places where the upper classes—the imperial family and aristocrats—did their shopping.

Since Xiao Si was present, shops dedicated to books were a must-visit.

TL: Xiao Si means ‘Little Four’.