Xiang Song's reaction made Xiang Yang's heart skip a beat. Based on his many years of experience, Xiang Yang suddenly realized that he had said the wrong thing again.

A moment later, Xiao Jingzhao came out of the house.

He stood in the courtyard and looked towards the neighboring courtyard, then waved his hand, "Return to the palace."

...

The next morning, Gao Mu took two servants to the city gate.

Looking around, the streets are bustling with traffic, and from time to time, one can see a scholar, travel-worn and weary, heading to the capital for the imperial examinations.

Once outside the city gate, Gao Mu found an excellent spot to wait.

The servant looked at the carriage entering the city and asked Gao Mu, "Is there any marking on the carriage? I've never seen Young Master Su before. What should we do?"

Gao Mu sat on the carriage shaft, leaning back lazily. "Miss guessed that Young Master Su drove the carriage himself. You two don't need to rush. I've met Young Master Su before. He's handsome, and I recognized him at a glance."

After Jiang Shuyue obtained the Juxian Pavilion, she felt refreshed and invigorated when she woke up in the morning.

At breakfast, Sui Sui noticed that her eyes and brows were full of smiles, so he asked, "Mommy, you're so happy, will Uncle and Uncle come to the capital today?"

"Not necessarily, it might arrive tomorrow." Jiang Shuyue particularly missed her previous life at this moment, where everything was so convenient. Unlike now, transportation relied on walking, and calling for help relied on shouting. The journey was so long that she was like a fortune teller, relying entirely on guesswork and estimation.

"Uncle Nangong said he'll take me to the city gate to greet my uncle in a little while," Sui Sui said, quickly swallowing the porridge in her mouth.

Qiuju hurriedly called out, "Young Master, slow down, don't choke."

Jiang Shuyue placed the steamed egg custard in front of Sui Sui and said, "No rush, Gao Mu has already taken his men out. It's not too late to go after you've eaten the egg custard."

This time, the private school is on holiday for a relatively long time, and classes will not resume until at least after the imperial examinations.

"Qiuju, don't stand there, sit down and eat. We're going to check out the restaurant later."

"Whose restaurant is being sold?" There was no one else in the room, and Qiuju picked up a steamed bun and took a bite.

Jiang Shuyue's eyes crinkled into a smile. "Juxian Pavilion."

"Wasn't Juxian Pavilion shut down? Yesterday, that broker said he didn't know who the owner of Juxian Pavilion was." Qiuju wondered why her young lady had found the owner of Juxian Pavilion overnight.

Jiang Shuyue smiled mysteriously, "Don't ask so many questions, I have a benefactor to help me."

Qiuju instantly had a flash of inspiration; she didn't even need to guess who this benefactor was.

After finishing her meal, Sui Sui put down her bowl, picked up a handkerchief to wipe her mouth, and gave Jiang Shuyue a sweet and adorable smile: "Mommy, I'm going to find Uncle Nangong now."

"Yes, there are many carriages entering the capital through the city gates these days, so please be careful." Jiang Shuyue tidied up Sui Sui's bangs. Looking like this, even Su Nan might not recognize him at first glance.

"Don't worry, Mother. With Uncle Nangong here, we're safe."

Seeing that Sui Sui had run out in a flash with her short legs, Qiu Ju turned around and asked, "Miss, did the Emperor come last night?"

Jiang Shuyue didn't hide it from Qiuju and told her about her cooperation with Xiao Jingzhao.

"Miss, Juxian Pavilion is good, but where can we hire a trustworthy manager?"

Qiuju was a little worried. Juxian Pavilion had three floors and several shops connected to it on the left and right. There was a restaurant in front and an inn in the back. It was really impossible for someone without some ability to be the manager there.

Jiang Shuyue put down her bowl and said confidently, "I'm not worried about the staff. The key is to find our old cook."

Nangong Zeyue bought Juxian Pavilion's signature dishes, and Jiang Shuyue also tried them; the taste was indeed extraordinary.

When Jiang Shuyue and Qiu Ju arrived at Juxian Pavilion, the seals on the restaurant's doors had already been removed by the government.

Looking up, the three-story restaurant with its flying eaves and painted corners is magnificent and spectacular.

On that imposing, dark plaque, the three large characters "Juxian Pavilion" were written in gold-embossed dragon and phoenix calligraphy.

A large brass lock secured the door. Qiuju reached out her hand to Jiang Shuyue, "Miss, just give me the key."

Jiang Shuyue: "..." Oh dear, how could she forget about this in her excitement?

“He didn’t mention the key, and I hadn’t even thought about it.” Jiang Shuyue looked back.

This is a bustling street, and passersby cast curious glances at it.

Jiang Shuyue frowned slightly. What should she do? Performing hairpin unlocking in the street was not appropriate.

Qiuju understood, and she waved to the coachman, who quickly went over.

Qiuju pointed to the large lock on the door, "Go to a lock shop nearby and buy a lock of this size. It would be best if you could find one exactly the same."

The servant was quite clever. He stepped forward and examined the lock from all angles. "I've got it," he said. "There's a general store on the street behind."

Qiuju gave some loose silver to the servant, and after the servant left, the two returned to the carriage to wait.

A moment later, the servant returned with the lock and key.

"Please wait, Miss, I will open the door."

The servant returned the remaining silver to Qiuju and strode forward.

To his surprise, he tried to poke the lock several times with the key, but the lock didn't budge. The servant was convinced that buying an identical lock would open the door.

Jiang Shuyue and Qiu Ju walked over and said to the servant, "Step back, let me try."

Jiang Shuyue took the key from the servant, aimed it at the lock, and after only a dozen or so turns, the lock popped open.

The servant scratched the back of his head, puzzled. It was strange that he couldn't open it, but the young lady could open it so easily.

What the servant didn't know was that Jiang Shuyue could open the lock even with a hairpin.

Jiang Shuyue pushed open the door and entered. She saw that the hall was very spacious, with the front hall connected to the back courtyard. The light was plentiful, and the hall was very bright.

The walls were adorned with magnificent tapestries in an exotic style, and on one side of the front hall was a counter with an abacus and writing implements on it.

On the other side of the hall were several peach-colored tables and chairs, with elegant embroidered brocade covering the tabletops.

Qiuju clicked her tongue in amazement. "Tsk tsk tsk, such a large front hall with only these few tables and chairs, what a waste."

Jiang Shuyue pointed to the few peach wood tables and chairs, "This is the reception area. Guests can sit here, have tea, and wait for the next guests."

Actually, the layout of the restaurant's main hall is very similar to that of later generations.

The massive red pillar, too large for one person to encircle, stood bare. Jiang Shuyue shook her head inwardly; what a waste! If a few elegant poems were inscribed on it, the entire restaurant's ambiance would be elevated.

The two walked into the courtyard and saw a spacious courtyard with a stage in the middle, which was probably where the storyteller in the restaurant told stories. There were staircases on both sides of the stage leading to the second floor.

Seeing this scene, a bold idea popped into Jiang Shuyue's mind.

Jiang Shuyue looked up and saw that the second floor was a wide corridor. There were tables and chairs on one side of the corridor near the stage, which was a place for guests to listen to storytelling.

As the two climbed the steps, the first thing they saw was a row of guest room doors.

Each door has a room number marked on one side, and the openwork windows are draped with gauze curtains, creating an antique atmosphere.

"Miss, someone outside requests an audience."

As Jiang Shuyue was looking at the layout of the guest rooms, she heard the coachman reporting from downstairs.