In the courtyard of the Imperial Palace, Queen Ariel and Olena are carrying the babies in their arms. They gathered regularly with their wet nurses when the mothers realized that the prince and the princess enjoyed playing with each other.
The sun was shining brightly in the sky. Prince Lucas squinted and raised his chubby little hand to block the sunlight. The beautiful journey of motherhood has developed a strong bonding between Queen Ariel and Olena. They become closer like sisters.
Queen Ariel often teased her prince but praised the princess. Simply because she feels bad for Olena. She was enthroned as a queen, furthermore, her son is the next in the line to ascend the throne of Shilla.
King Liam is watching them with happiness filled in his heart. He is glad that his wives are getting along very well with each other. He sometimes appeared in the courtyard to spend time with them.
In the research institute, Princess Mona, Mori, Yoona, Farah, Sora, and Leah received many complaints from several housewives. Courtesans had bewitched their husbands. In tearful eyes, they continued to complain that their husbands even beat them up and robbed their savings to spend on a courtesan.
The housewives are actually complaining about Madam Huang. Men are travelling across the country just to check out the beautiful courtesan.
In the brothel, Aliyah persuaded Madam Huang to expand her business into the neighbouring country. Madam Huang, as usual, agreed to her suggestion. After seeing her business grow so much.
While Aliyah is having lunch with Madam Huang, Beatrice, Jamie, Donna, Sarah, and Ella.. Aliyah encouraged her apprentices to start a business.
She looked at her apprentices and asked them, "Ladies, do you want to learn to manage a business?"
Beatrice responded, "What do you mean?"
Madam Huang looked at Aliyah, puzzled. She is wondering what Aliyah's plan is.
Aliyah chuckled and said, "Do you ladies want to operate a business similar to what Madam Huang is doing."
The girls were inexperienced, clueless but intrigued to hear about her suggestion. Madame Huang's face turned black. She disliked her suggestion. Thinking that she had a plan to sack her. She kept quiet.
Aliyah explained, "We could buy a few more buildings and use the building to establish a similar brothel just like this one." She pointed at the table, indicating Madame Huang's brothel.
Madam Huang could tolerate no more. She yelled, "Have I ever upset you? I have been doing everything as you told me."
Aliyah shocked her head and said, "Calm down, Madam Huang."
Madam Huang asked, "Why do you have to set up more similar businesses to create competition with each other?" Her eyes welled up with tears, disappointed with Aliyah.
The girls looked at Madam Huang, worried to speak.
Aliyah took her handkerchief and walked toward Madam Huang. She rubbed her tears after seeing her wet eyes. "Stop acting like a baby, Madam Huang. Can't you see the brothel is full every night? There are also huge crowds waiting to come in. Men fight with each other just to enter the brothel. The situation has become uncontrollable."
Ella nodded, "Aliyah is right. They were fighting with each other, trying to jump the queue."
Aliyah revealed her plan, "We could build four more brothels, just like this in different districts to expand your business."
Madam Huang scratched her head to mull over Aliyah's plan.
Aliyah continued to speak, "Beatrice can manage this brothel and we build four more in another district. Ella, Jamie, Donna, and Sarah manage the other four brothels. Madam Huang will be the primary boss. This is what I called franchising."
Madam Huang asked, "Expanding is good but, how do I earn money?"
Aliyah shook her head. She stood up and walked towards the front desk. She grabbed the abacus and gave it to Madam Huang. "You are basically selling your business to others, you can make a contract with them. They will submit their ledger every month to you. You check on their revenues. From their revenues, they will pay you a commission. Just like the royal family, collecting taxes from the citizens."
Madam Huang took the abacus and started counting. She is excited after seeing the huge profit coming from the five shops. Rubbing her tears, smiled again, she finally agreed with Aliyah's proposal.
"We are not like merchants who are selling products. We are selling our smile, our talents. Go to the villages and look for young and beautiful girls who wanted to earn money. They can work for you as a courtesan. Men...How can they resist beautiful women?" Aliyah chuckled.
Beatrice, Jamie, Donna, Ella, and Sarah loved her idea. They have determined to run the business after Madam Huang calculated and showed them their expected incomes.
The next morning when the sun begins to rise, Beatrice, Jamie, Donna, Ella, and Sarah travel to villages to look for young girls. They recruited more courtesans. Madam Huang invested in five buildings in different districts. She made a contract with Jamie, Donna, Ella, Sarah, and Beatrice. The five young ladies will manage the brothels. Aliyah tells Madam Huang that she does not have to work now, just waiting to collect commissions from the girls.
Aliyah continues to supply the tobacco rolls to Madam Huang and using the money, she bought a few lands in the neighbouring country, Ningbo to start more poppies plantation.
The men who puffed a tobacco roll become addicted to it. They continued to buy more from Madam Huang. Aliyah had emigrated to Ningbo and her wealth continued to increase.
In Shilla, King Liam called for a court meeting. He introduced Mori, Sora, Farah, Yoona, and Leah to the ministers and promoted them to be the 4th rank officials in the Shilla.
During the inner court meeting, the magistrate and sheriff are complaining about the rising crimes in the country. Citizens are robbing one another. Murder cases also increased. They have arrested a few men but they seem like drunk men but they were not drinking.
King Liam disguised himself as a local nobleman. He visited the prison cells together with Olena, Sora, Yoona, Mori, Farah, and Leah to find out what is actually happening.
The men vomited white and yellowish fluid. Mori checked their pulse but could not figure out the sickness. King Liam instructed the sheriff to release the men who were sick and send them to the research institute. He requested Mori to invite Master Woon to help to look into these men.
In the research institute, physicians were busy attending to many women. They had bruises on their face. Some of them have fractured legs and hands. They claimed their husbands had abused them for refusing to give them more money.
The brothels have made Beatrice, Jamie, Donna, Ella, and Sarah becomes rich. They moved into their own private pavilions. They recruited more girls now to boost their business.
Master Woon visited Mori. Mori took him to look at the men who were vomiting white fluid. Master Woo checked their pulses and noticed a dilated pupils in their eyes, He shook his head and said, "These men are suffering from drug addiction, poppies. These drug addicts need proper counselling and most important, is to find out the drug dealers."
Mori brings this issue to the attention of King Liam, Olena and his team.
Yoona, Sora, and Leah were interrogating the men. They forced the men to reveal the drug dealers. A drug addict spoke out, "We were not drug addicts!"
Their eyes looked sleepy, their faces were pale.
Mori asked, "What is the thing that comes into your mind right now? What do you wish to consume right now?"
They asked for rolled tobacco and they confessed the rolled tobacco was coming from the brothels.
King Liam, Olena, Sora, Leah, Mori, Yoona, and Farah discuss this issue in the research institute. King Liam and Mori will disguise themselves as local nobles to visit the brothel to find out more information.
When evening comes, Mori and King Liam dress up like nobles. They went into the restaurant where courtesans are dancing and singing. They got a freak-out, when they see the number of men queuing up just to get in.
As they entered the brothels, courtesans approached King Liam and Mori to buy rolled tobacco. They bought a few just to take back to give it to Master Woon. The girls were too persistent. They persuaded Mori and King Liam to try right away. King Liam gave the money to the girls and left the brothel.
They took the rolled tobacco back to the research institute. King Liam gave it to Master Woon to have a look. Master Woon sniffed at the rolled tobacco and said, "This is poppy. Once you puff, you will get addicted and want more of it."
Sora found out from a man that there were five brothels in the country selling rolled tobacco. Each of them is in a different district.