At the Zhenbei Prince’s Residence, Zhenbei Prince’s Residence.
The steward led in the money shopkeeper from “Humanity Department Store.”
The shopkeeper walked in with brisk steps, clutching a thick account ledger tightly in his arms. His face was glowing so brightly it could practically serve as a lantern.
“Your Highness, great news!”
His voice trembled the moment he spoke.
“That book ‘Thirty-Six Strategies to Control Your Husband’ sold out five thousand copies in less than an hour after launch!”
“All the printing workshops in the capital are working overnight to reprint it—the orders are already booked up until next month!”
“And ‘How to Please Your Wife’—all the men who came to buy it are wearing bamboo hats, faces covered, sneaking around like thieves!”
【Not bad. The product precisely hit market pain points. Cultural industry dimensional strike, basically.】
Xiao Mingyu took the account book and ran her fingers across the satisfying profit figures.
She nodded. “Begin second wave pre-orders immediately.”
“Also contact the best bookbinders in the capital. Launch a silk-covered deluxe edition and a rosewood-box collector’s edition.”
“Price—multiply by five.”
【Ordinary chives get harvested, premium chives get precision-cut. No favoritism.】
“Your Highness is brilliant! I’ll do it right away!”
The shopkeeper rushed off like a general receiving military orders.
Xiao Mingyu leaned back in her rocking chair, sipping iced sour plum juice with her eyes half-closed in comfort.
【System, activate after-sales feedback mode. I want user experience reports.】
【Coming right up! Live broadcast from the front line!】
The system screen flickered, switching to the residence of a Ministry of Revenue official.
Inside the household of a Ministry of Revenue assistant minister, Ministry of Revenue Assistant Minister.
Late night. The minister’s wife sat under the lamp, fingers turning the pages of a brand-new copy of “Thirty-Six Strategies to Control Your Husband.”
【She is currently executing “Strategy 3: Retreat to Advance.”】
The official entered the room, rubbing his hands together with an ingratiating smile.
“Madam, it’s late. Time to rest?”
She flipped a page without even looking up and gave a soft indifferent “mm” through her nose.
Undeterred, he moved closer.
“Did Madam find any jewelry today? I’ll buy it for you tomorrow.”
Only then did she close the book and set it down gently.
She looked at him calmly.
“No need. Lord Minister is always busy and your salary is modest. Better spend your money on those young beauties outside.”
“I, an old withered flower, do not dare trouble you.”
Cold sweat immediately formed on the minister’s forehead.
“Madam, how could you say such a thing! In my heart, it has always been only you!”
Panicking, he suddenly rushed to the bed, pulled open a hidden compartment, and took out a small wooden box with both hands.
“Madam… this is all my private savings. Take it. Please don’t be angry anymore!”
She opened the box.
Stacks of silver notes lay inside.
A victorious smile finally appeared on her lips.
【Impressive. Learned and applied effectively. Results are obvious.】
The system switched scenes again.
Inside the Ministry of War, a loud crash echoed.
“BOOM—!”
【This one used “Strategy 18: Capture the Leader,” but… equipment failure.】
In the bedroom, dust filled the air.
The carved rosewood bed shattered cleanly in the middle and collapsed.
The Ministry of War officer and his wife crawled out of the wreckage, staring at each other in silence.
“You… didn’t the book say it should be done like this?” the officer said, rubbing his aching waist.
His wife still held half a broken bedpost, looking confused.
“The book said ‘strike unexpectedly and catch them off guard’… who knew the bed was this fragile…”
【Hahahaha! Too much force, bed eliminated first!】
Xiao Mingyu laughed so hard she rocked in her chair.
【System, note this down! New material for the next story—“Strange Tales of Capital Couples”!】
Soon, this wave of domestic “learning strategies” spread across teahouses and taverns.
Men no longer only discussed state affairs.
“Hey, that ‘How to Please Your Wife’, Chapter Six ‘Know Her Preferences’ actually works!”
“I bought my wife her favorite osmanthus cake—my allowance increased by 30%!”
“The best is Chapter Ten ‘Romantic Surprises’!”
“I laid flower petals on the way home like the book said—my wife cried on the spot!”
A young scholar leaned in nervously.
“Brother… does the book teach how to deal with… bad-tempered wives?”
Everyone gave him a sympathetic look.
A weathered middle-aged man patted his shoulder.
“Brother, in that case, just flip to the last chapter: ‘One Hundred Postures and Techniques of Kneeling’.”
Meanwhile, another product from “Humanity Department Store” unexpectedly went viral.
At the Princess Changning’s Flower Banquet, the future imperial consort Fang Ziqin gently peeled grapes for Princess Anning and fed them to her.
Fang Ziqin blushed as he did so.
The surrounding noble ladies laughed warmly.
When he raised his teacup, a silver bracelet on his wrist caught the sunlight.
Simple in design, yet polished to a mirror shine.
The sharp-eyed minister’s wife immediately asked, “Young consort Fang, what a beautiful bracelet. Which silversmith made it?”
Fang Ziqin awkwardly tried to pull down his sleeve.
But Princess Xiao Mingxi gently held his hand and proudly answered for him:
“It was custom-made at the Zhenbei Prince’s ‘Humanity Department Store.’”
Under the persuasion of several ladies, Fang Ziqin finally revealed the bracelet.
Inside the band, an elegant engraved character read “Xi.”
And beside it, even smaller words: “Fang Ziqin’s lifelong love.”
“Wow—!”
The entire hall erupted in envious exclamations.
This was more powerful than gifting mountains of gold or silver!
Before the banquet even ended, the news spread across the capital like wings.
The “facial-blind bracelet” counter was instantly flooded.
Xiao Mingyu immediately instructed the shopkeeper:
“Rename it ‘Beloved Bond Bracelet’! Meaning: lifelong love, intertwined forever!”
“Launch gold, silver, and jade versions immediately. Price—multiply by ten!”
【Host, you really are a remarkably ordinary business genius.】
Within a single night, the bracelet became the ultimate public symbol of affection.
Men began rolling up their sleeves when meeting others, casually showing off their bracelets.
“Ah, Brother Wang, nice gold bracelet!”
“Haha, my wife insisted I wear it—she calls it ‘the shackles of love’!”
The bracelet became a new status symbol in the capital.
And on one moonless, windy night, this trend finally led to a spectacular disaster…
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