The news that Li Wanming was about to become the future princess of the Prince of Ning's heir had already spread among the shopkeepers in Changyi Square along with the farce in Pingkang Square.
No one could have imagined that the straightforward and unconventional woman would one day become a noble of exalted status. People were in awe and discussed it for quite a while...
Therefore, when the two strong men heard Shopkeeper Chang call her "Lady Li the Third," they were so shocked that they stood there like wooden chickens, at a complete loss.
The... future princess of the heir?
This little girl who had sneaked into their backyard was the legendary future princess of the heir?!
It's over!
They had just scolded her so fiercely. Would she hold a grudge?
While the strong men were still in fear, they saw the shopkeeper winking at them desperately. They immediately came to their senses, quickly dragged the huge leopard to one side, and carried a dirty screen to block the view of the backyard completely.
Shopkeeper Chang invited Li Wanming into the inner room and personally served her a bowl of tea on a small lacquered wooden tray, carefully placing it in front of her.
"Letting Lady the Third see such unsightly things is all my fault! This is Poria tea from the Western Regions. Please have a taste to calm your nerves."
As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Li Wanming's expression, feeling extremely uneasy.
The business of wild animals, although legal according to the laws of the Great Sheng Dynasty, and their warehouse had the official approval from the Ministry of Revenue. However, there were always some high - ranking officials and nobles with peculiar tastes who specifically demanded some rare and strange beasts.
Since they were rare and strange, they were surely hard to obtain.
Since they were hard to obtain, the origin of these beasts must be somewhat shady...
Shopkeeper Chang's eyes fell on the ephedra cloth bag in Li Wanming's hand. Seeing the faint bloodstains seeping through the bag, his heart skipped a beat, and he felt even more uneasy, unsure of her purpose.
You should know that Li Wanming was now the unmarried future princess of the Prince of Ning's heir, and in the future, she would be the princess, a first - class noblewoman. Her status was extremely noble, far beyond what a small merchant like him could afford to offend.
If she came here deliberately to pick on them today, it would be enough to give them a hard time!
Shopkeeper Chang stood there with his hands at his sides, and the smile on his face became even more cautious.
Li Wanming picked up the teacup, smelled it lightly, but didn't drink. She just said indifferently, "The tea from the Western Regions always has a strange spice flavor. I can't get used to it."
She put down the teacup, threw the bag in her hand in front of him, and looked at him sharply, "Shopkeeper Chang, I've come today to ask you something."
Shopkeeper Chang quickly replied, "Lady the Third, you're being too polite. If you have any questions, just ask. I'll surely tell you everything I know..."
Saying that, he was about to untie the bag on the table, but Li Wanming raised her hand to stop him, "Not yet. Shopkeeper Chang, before you look at what's inside, I have a business deal to discuss with you."
"Business?"
Shopkeeper Chang was a bit stunned, and then a surprised smile appeared on his face.
"Does your family want some rare game? Or do you want to raise some exotic pets from overseas? Or maybe you want a fur coat made of white tiger skin? As long as Lady the Third says the word, I guarantee I'll get it for you!"
Since Li Wanming was the future princess of the heir, if she spoke, it must be something the Prince of Ning's family needed.
If he could form a connection with the powerful Prince of Ning's family, his prosperity for the rest of his life would be guaranteed!
Li Wanming stared at him for a long time. Suddenly, her eyes shifted, and a tinge of sadness appeared on her face.
"Shopkeeper Chang, the thing I want might be even more strange than those furs and game..."
She sighed deeply, a trace of desolation appeared between her eyebrows, and her voice dropped a few tones, "My grandmother was injured a few days ago and hasn't recovered. Recently, she's been worried about my marriage, and her condition has worsened. Now... she's even showing signs of dementia."
Shopkeeper Chang listened attentively while secretly pondering in his heart.
Everyone in the capital had heard about how the old matriarch of the Li family was beaten with a cane on New Year's Eve for offending a noble in the palace.
But it had been more than two months. Wasn't she better yet?
However, he had also heard that when the Prince of Ning's family came to the Li family to propose marriage some time ago, there was a big commotion. The old matriarch of the Li family even shouted that she wanted to pluck the engagement goose on the spot and roast it...
Thinking about it, it did seem like the symptoms of dementia.
So, it seemed that what Lady Li the Third said might be true.
Moreover, seeing her sad expression, it was obvious that she was extremely worried about her grandmother.
Thinking of this, Shopkeeper Chang quickly said, "Lady the Third, don't be anxious. If there's anything I can do to help, just tell me. As long as I can do it, I'll surely do my best."
Li Wanming's eyes were slightly red, and her tone became even more plaintive, with a sob in her voice.
"My mother and I have invited many doctors recently, but it's always ineffective. Grandmother's dementia is getting worse. Sometimes... she doesn't even recognize me..."
The more she spoke, the sadder she became. Her voice trembled, and she was almost on the verge of tears. She quickly covered her face with a handkerchief, took a deep breath, and barely managed to compose herself.
"Just yesterday, a wandering Taoist came to my house and gave me a prescription, saying it could cure this illness."
"You know, my eldest sister has some knowledge of medicine. When she saw the prescription, she said that the other medicinal materials were easy to find, but the fresh 'Silver - wrapped Iron' was the hardest to find."
When Li Wanming said this, Shopkeeper Chang already understood.
"Silver - wrapped Iron" was the gallbladder of a poisonous snake. If it was to be used as medicine, the best ones were those from snakes over an inch long.
Such snake gallbladders could only be obtained from the Western Regions' seven - step snakes that were over three years old. And Li Wanming specifically emphasized "fresh" ones... This was not an easy task.
He rubbed his hands, and a hesitant smile appeared on his face, "Lady Li the Third, this 'Silver - wrapped Iron' is indeed a rare thing, especially the fresh ones. I'm afraid only the Western Regions' seven - step snakes can produce them. But you know, the capital is different from other places. Poisonous snakes and such things... are not easy to obtain."
Hearing this, Li Wanming's face suddenly darkened. She slapped the table hard and said, "What? Just now you were so confident, saying you could get anything for me from anywhere in the world. Now you're making excuses. Were you just kidding me?"
Shopkeeper Chang was startled by her sudden outburst and quickly waved his hands, "I wouldn't dare! It's just that our shop does legitimate business. Poisonous snakes and such things are prohibited items. Our shop really doesn't have them..."
He wasn't lying.
The capital was different from ordinary counties. The control of dangerous items was extremely strict. Poisonous snakes, gunpowder, knives, etc., were all prohibited items clearly banned by the Jinwu Guards.
The Western Regions' seven - step snake was a highly poisonous thing and it was impossible to enter the capital through legal channels.
"Really none?"
All the sadness on Li Wanming's face had disappeared. Now her eyes were as sharp as knives, as if she wanted to see through him, "Shopkeeper Chang, are you sure you've never sold a single seven - step snake here?"