Five Years After My Death, the Mad Emperor Still Summons My Spirit

Arriving at the second bookstore, Ming Lingyi looked up at the sign above.

"Guanwen Hall"

The calligraphy looked somewhat ethereal, yet possessed an underlying resilience. It was clear that the person who had written this sign had considerable skill in their craft.

Ming Lingyi pushed open the half-closed door and walked inside.

Just as Little Stone had said, the shop was indeed very small—even smaller than Ming’s Restaurant before its expansion. But it was clearly well-kept and tidy.

Ming Lingyi glanced around but couldn’t see the shop’s owner. She couldn’t help but call out, "Is anyone here?"

Just as her voice faded, a slight noise came from the direction of the back courtyard.

Then, a graceful figure appeared before Ming Lingyi.

The woman wore a deep red dress. It wasn’t extravagant, but she projected an aura that made it impossible to underestimate her.

"Can I help you?" Feng Shuyu, a carving knife still in her hand, looked placidly at the master and servants from the Ming Family who had appeared in her shop.

Ming Lingyi: "I’d like to have something printed. Might you be the owner of this bookstore, miss?"

Feng Shuyu set the carving knife aside, casually wiped her hands on the apron at her waist, and walked over. "That’s right, I am." She didn’t waste words, simply asking, "What do you want to have printed?"

Ming Lingyi briefly explained the official gazette she wanted to create. It would likely be just one or two thin sheets of paper, not even qualifying as a book, and she wasn’t sure if the other woman would be willing to take the job.

After listening carefully to Ming Lingyi’s idea, Feng Shuyu pondered for a moment. "No bookstore in Shangjing City sells anything like this."

The implication was that even if Ming Lingyi had it printed at her shop, it wasn’t guaranteed to sell.

After all, getting the public to accept something new is never easy.

Ming Lingyi, however, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. ’At least, for now, the Shopkeeper of Guanwen Hall hasn’t rejected the idea outright.’

"It’s precisely because there’s nothing like it on the market that it might pique people’s curiosity. Who can say what its potential might be?" Ming Lingyi said.

Feng Shuyu: "Our prices for printing are not cheap."

"Prices can always be negotiated."

"We use high-quality Scripture Paper and pine smoke ink. Our shop will not make many concessions on the price. If you cannot accept that, then there’s no need to discuss this business further," Feng Shuyu stated.

It sounded a bit unreasonable.

But Ming Lingyi didn’t find Feng Shuyu’s words too cold. ’In business, every shop owner has their own little quirks.’ Besides, in that short time, she had already sized up the female proprietor from head to toe.

Although the other woman wasn’t dressed in silks and satins, the white jade hairpin in her hair was clearly of no ordinary quality, judging by its color and finish.

When this young woman had first appeared, two maids were following behind her.

Judging from the way those two young maids carried themselves, they weren’t hired help for the shop.

Ming Lingyi deduced, ’This Boss Feng probably isn’t short on silver.’

"How much silver for one copy?" Ming Lingyi asked.

Feng Shuyu quoted a number.

It was indeed twenty percent higher than the market rate.

Ming Lingyi furrowed her brow in thought, but without much hesitation, she said, "Deal."

Behind her, both Xiao Chun and Shi Mingyue looked up in surprise. They knew their mistress had originally planned to conquer the bookstores of Shangjing City with a low-priced official gazette. But now, with the cost price so much higher than expected, how could they possibly capture the market with a low price?

Feng Shuyu’s expression remained unchanged. She extended a hand that looked slender but had several thick calluses on the palm. "I’ll need to see the manuscript first. The review process will take about two days."

A printing workshop couldn’t just print any book. If the content was inappropriate, having to shut down the business would be a fortunate outcome. The less fortunate might end up in prison.

Before leaving today, Ming Lingyi had already brought along the poems from the top three winners of her recent competition.

Feng Shuyu had originally intended to just glance at it briefly before discussing the deposit with Ming Lingyi. But after just a couple of looks, she suddenly raised her head.

"You’re the owner of Ming’s Restaurant?"

Feng Shuyu hadn’t gone to see the spectacle two days ago, but she had heard about the commotion in Huaided Fang.

Now that Ming Lingyi had produced exactly three poems, she quickly made the connection to Ming’s Restaurant.

Ming Lingyi nodded.

Feng Shuyu: "In that case, the review is passed. We can begin transcribing today and then prepare for printing."

"So quickly?" Ming Lingyi was surprised.

Feng Shuyu: "I heard that the Emperor himself was among the judges at your restaurant’s event a couple of days ago. The content must be fine."

’If it’s something Emperor Jing’an has approved, what could I possibly find wrong with it?’

Ming Lingyi couldn’t help but chuckle in surprise.

"The price I quoted you earlier can be reduced by twenty percent," Feng Shuyu said.

Ming Lingyi raised a questioning eyebrow.

It wasn’t that she lacked self-confidence, but she had no personal connection to the other woman. There was no reason for her to suddenly offer a discount.

Guanwen Hall’s ink and paper were not cheap items; the price the owner had quoted earlier wasn’t outrageous.

"Is there a condition?" Ming Lingyi asked directly.

The corners of Feng Shuyu’s lips curled up. When she looked at Ming Lingyi again, her eyes finally held a hint of admiration.

"For the first three days, the printed official gazette must be sold exclusively in our bookstore," Feng Shuyu said. "After three days, if you want to approach other bookstores, I won’t stop you."

At first glance, the demand was certainly quite domineering.

Of course, Ming Lingyi wished that every bookstore in Shangjing City could sell the official gazette she was publishing. Feng Shuyu’s condition made her hesitate.

"You have your own bookstore?" she asked.

Feng Shuyu gestured toward the back courtyard. "I wonder if Boss Ming has time to go to the back for a cup of tea? We can discuss the details."

This front part of her shop looked rather shabby; there wasn’t even a place to sit down and talk.

Ming Lingyi nodded.

The transition from the bookstore’s main hall to the back courtyard felt like stepping into a whole new, open space.

The bookstore’s back courtyard had a fairly large patio, and beyond it were rooms for book production.

The artisans employed inside were all busy with their respective tasks.

Feng Shuyu had built a small pavilion on the patio. She first poured Ming Lingyi a cup of tea, then began, "If our bookstore gets to sell it for the first three days, I can guarantee to you, Boss Ming, that during that time, we will prioritize and heavily promote it. We will absolutely not let you waste those three days with us."

After saying this, she seemed to suddenly remember something. "I almost forgot, my name is Feng Shuyu. In the future, Boss Ming, you can just call me by my name. This workshop and the bookstore are both my dowry, and I’m the one who calls the shots. If you don’t trust the proposal and guarantee I just made, Boss Ming, we can draw up a formal contract."

Ming Lingyi raised her teacup and clinked it against hers. "May I first hear how Boss Feng plans to promote it? Also, where is Boss Feng’s bookstore? What is its name?"

Her restaurant’s future reputation was at stake; she couldn’t agree to this casually.