The Empress' Livestream - Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Picking Servants (II)
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Servants? 1
The shopkeeper was dumbfounded. She subconsciously shifted her gaze towards the old head servant.
This detail did not escape Jiang Pengji. She raised an eyebrow before tapping the closed fan against her palm. “Problem? Hm?” she asked coldly.
Hostility immediately began flashing through her cold gaze, and everyone who fell under it felt suffocated.
Even though this slave shop was officially recognized, the money that it earned was not “clean.” To stay in this business, one had to adapt and take advantage of any situation. The shopkeeper was definitely an exceptional person. How else could she have sustained her business for so long?
But the shopkeeper found it hard to breathe under Jiang Pengji’s penetrating gaze. She steeled her fat body as beads of sweat started oozing out. The silk flowers that were pinned in her hair shivered with her movements.
Nongfu Shanquan Youdianxuan: “Excuse me? You’re streaming on how to pick servants today?”
Shuibian Sanguo Nanshen: “Hahaha… Bedding all the officers now seems hopeful. You’re planning to raise your own army?”
Yimi Yangguang: “But I’m curious. Why would the trader react like that when the host said she wanted to buy servants?”
That was something Jiang Pengji wanted to know as well. But when she saw the head servant’s expression, she understood. Her lips curled up and she said, “Don’t bother showing me those from the Liu manor.”
The servants had been sold to this slave shop.
Most rich and influential families used young servants who would grow up in the household because this would guarantee their loyalty. The way that Jiang Pengji was buying servants, however, not only made it difficult to guarantee the servants’ loyalty, but it also made it difficult to know the servants’ histories.
Though the Liu family was not at the height of power and splendor, they still had centuries of history. Naturally, the slave trader was surprised that Jiang Pengji had personally made the trip to purchase some servants.
The head servant motioned for the shopkeeper to bring some suitable servants over, causing her to finally come out of her stupor.
The old lady was the best in the industry, and she was efficient. Within a moment, she gathered some servants.
“I have brought the servants. They’re waiting in the courtyard,” the old lady replied sweetly.
Had it not been for her trembling, the old shopkeeper would have sounded more natural and less like she was trying to give someone diabetes with her sweet tone.
This was truly strange. The shopkeeper had originally thought that this would just be a normal sale, and she was quite anxious to get it over with. She had not thought that she would feel so exposed by the boy’s gaze.
Jiang Pengji smirked when she noticed the shopkeeper’s unnatural behavior.
“I’ll go have a look now. If none of them are suitable, I will need to trouble you to bring the next batch,” Jiang Pengji said as she got up.
“That goes without saying. There are no other slave shops better than mine in the whole of Hejian County.” The old woman almost smacked her own chest in assurance.
All the servants were waiting in the courtyard, and the shopkeeper eagerly led the way. She hinted, “Langjun, are there others you’re interested in?”
She had an ulterior motive.
Imperial officials and even wealthy citizens also visited this shopkeeper for concubines, singers, dancers, chefs, or seamstresses. That was how she earned most of her income. Even though guards and page boys were pricey, not many people were looking to buy them.
The head servant might have been old, but his ears were still sharp. When he heard her question, he nearly exploded.
Jiang Pengji was also surprised. She raised an eyebrow and asked, “What do you have here?”
The old shopkeeper perked up and began her selling tactics. “Langjun, my shop may be small, but I pride myself in quality goods. Even those stars in Langlang Alley were from my shop. Top notch beauties!”
Langlang Alley was a red light district.
“Oh? Is that so?” Jiang Pengji pretended to be excited as she ignored the head servant’s embarrassed cough. “I’ve heard of the girls in Langlang Alley. I heard that they are not only gorgeous but also fairly talented. I had wondered who groomed them. And that person is right before my eyes…”
Head servant: “…”
Yimi Yangguang: “I did not expect that! Even the slave trader is not immune to your flirtations. #laughcry”
When Jiang Pengji flattered someone, she loved looking straight into their eyes. The eyes were the windows to the soul, so it made people believe her every word. Even the old shopkeeper blushed at the flattery.
“Second Langjun…” the head servant murmured.
“Everyone loves beauty. If everyone could bring home a beautiful person to look at every day, wouldn’t they be happy?”
Head servant: “…”
The head servant had a bad feeling… Surely his second young master had not gone to Langlang Alley just to look at the beautiful women, right? 2
As they were speaking, they reached the courtyard. The servants were lined up from the tallest to the shortest.
Even though the servants were wearing roughly sewn hemp garments that had patches on them, their attitudes looked good. Their skin was clean, and they gave a good impression.
It made sense why this slave shop flourished and did better than the others in Hejian County.
“Do you have records of these people’s histories?” Jiang Pengji asked as she walked towards the servants. She swept her gaze over each of them as information about each individual trickled into her mind.
As a slave trader, the old woman naturally had all the details about her “products.”
The information was not complicated, but it had not been recorded in an orderly manner, so it was hard to understand at a glance. Jiang Pengji flipped through the pages quickly. To onlookers, it looked like she was using the book to fan herself.
The shopkeeper was not pleased. She felt that Jiang Pengji would not select any good servants with her attitude.
The old lady summoned up her courage and pointed at a tall and sturdy man. He was the strongest out of the group and had some fighting abilities.
“Langjun, what do you think of him? He’s diligent and honest. If it hadn’t been for the famine that turned his home into a wasteland, which ultimately led to his parents’ deaths, he would not have sold himself to me for some money to bury them…” The old woman might be lacking a conscience, but she did not dare try to defraud Jiang Pengji.
Under normal circumstances, the strong man would have been the best choice. But he was not what Jiang Pengji wanted.
“Heh, it’s alright. You can discard him,” Jiang Pengji said without sparing him a glance. “His parents’ deaths were caused by his laziness.”
Audience: “…”