Just as the two were ordering, many more people entered the restaurant, equally intrigued by its novelty. The interior was much cooler than the outside, and featured a rockery and fountain in the center. In this day and age, whether in restaurants, brothels, or even wealthy homes, nobody kept plants indoors, except perhaps for young ladies who might have a few flowers on their windowsills. The restaurant's greenery completely exceeded their expectations; it was like being situated in a garden.

Surprise! Shock! It's unbelievable! The person who entered felt like a country bumpkin, and even spoke in a softer voice. Following the greeter into the restaurant, listening to the introduction, and choosing their seat, they were completely oblivious, like a wooden puppet, devoid of their own opinions.

As more and more people entered the restaurant, and as the dishes were served and the drinks were consumed, they began to talk.

There were quite a few people sitting in the private rooms upstairs, mostly those who had invited many friends. These greeters were all from brothels and had a knack for judging people. They arranged for people to enter the private rooms, and these were all people with strong spending power.

With so many customers, the waitresses and greeters were very busy, but none of them complained. They hadn't felt this sense of fulfillment in a long time. The customers couldn't reconcile these bare-faced, spirited, and neat young women with the image of courtesans.

The novel tables and chairs, the unique way of eating hot pot, and the novel flavors—everything was so distinctive that it instantly won over the hearts of diners. The pre-meal tea, post-meal pastries, fruits, and drinks all tasted wonderful.

The dishes from the kitchen were served to the table in a continuous stream. After the food and drinks were half-finished, the diners began to look around the restaurant and watch the waiters coming and going, finding it all quite novel.

Many other diners with ulterior motives also entered the restaurant. Like everyone else, they were amazed by the restaurant's facilities and service. These were connoisseurs or business people, and they saw more from it. The private rooms on the fifth floor offered a view of the ground floor, and a cool breeze blew through, making people feel comfortable.

As they rose from the sofa, Du Ying and Wei Yuanlin saw shock and excitement in each other's eyes. The restaurant's creativity made them feel there was so much to learn. The waiters' gentle yet polite service made them feel ashamed; compared to these waiters, their own business's service was far inferior.

"Why did you come up with the idea of ​​using women as waitresses?" This thought lingered in their minds.

With so many people coming, the two wisely chose to observe without speaking. Such a good idea should be kept to themselves; it's not something to be done to enlighten others.

"Manager He, it seems your method won't work! Look here, tigers, bears, leopards, wolves! We have them all!" someone asked as the dishes were served.

"Hmph! The Qin family, the Yuchi family, and the Cheng family have assembled a hunting team of one hundred people. They didn't even buy any from outside. How can they possibly block them?" Fatty Manager He said with a gloomy face.

"Doesn't that mean all the manpower and resources we invested were wasted?" someone asked, dissatisfied.

"Isn't there any other way? Looking at the presentation, taste, and price of these dishes, we probably can't compete!" someone sighed. They were all restaurant owners; seeing such beautifully presented and delicious dishes, how could they not tell the difference?

"I advise you not to resort to underhanded tactics. Look at each floor and the guards at the main gate; they've been on guard for a long time!" Wei Yuanlin warned.

"Hmph! Young Master Wei, you're exaggerating. There's no such thing as guarding against thieves for a thousand days. Besides, these little tricks aren't so easy to crack!" someone sneered.

"Then do as you please. If anything goes wrong, don't blame me for not warning you!" Wei Yuanlin said unmoved.

"Ahem! Just a friendly reminder, Duke Qin Qiong of Yi State is the chief constable of the new government's Six Doors, and the Cheng and Yuchi families both have members serving in it," Du Ying said with a dry cough.

"Six Doors? What's that for?" someone asked, bewildered.

News spread quickly in Chang'an, but only among the powerful forces, since the new government offices had not yet been officially announced and those who knew about them all had connections in the imperial court.

"The Six Doors and the Dali Temple are similar to the Bad People; they are in charge of arresting, investigating, and interrogating," Du Ying said with a smile.

"Thank you for informing me, Master Du!" Some people, having lost their nerve, stood up and bowed respectfully.

Du Ying had only intended to do someone a favor, so he smiled and nodded to indicate that he had received it.

Of course! Some people had a fierce glint in their eyes, feeling resentful and wanting to cause trouble before the new government office opened.

Wei Yuanlin and Du Ying's goal wasn't to bring down Ruguilou, so they were relaxed and focused on enjoying the dishes on the table. Although they were used to sitting separately, the use of serving chopsticks didn't bother them. The double-layered rotating table ensured that everyone could easily eat from both sides; they also loved the sweet and sour soup, which they ate non-stop.

……………

With a loud "smack!", Changsun Chong slammed his hand on the window and turned around with a displeased look, asking, "Didn't you say you were cutting off their vegetables? Look at this table, so plentiful, so many varieties, where are they short! And downstairs, it's already full of guests, and I haven't heard anyone say they're short!"

"This isn't our fault! They were prepared for this. There are five villages outside Chang'an City with whom we have agreements that vegetables can only be sold to them!" Chai Zhewei said calmly. Although they knew the Changsun family was more favored, the Chai family wasn't afraid, especially since their mother's reputation had recently soared, making the brothers feel more confident than ever before.

"It's alright! I've already ordered people to take action, I guarantee the restaurant won't be able to stay in business!" Zhang Wu said with a sinister smile.

"You want to cause trouble? Do you want to smash things up? I think you should forget it. There are plenty of guards down there." Changsun Chong shook his head and said.

"How could I possibly use such a stupid method! I had someone put flies in his food! I'll put them in him every day and see how long he can keep going!" Zhang Wu grinned maliciously, as if he could already see Qin Mu's dejected look.

"Hehe! Impressive!" Changsun Chong's eyes lit up, and he gave a thumbs up in praise.

…………

Qin Mu was unaware that someone was already preparing to make a move. He sat in his booth, watching the endless stream of customers with satisfaction.

"Hehe! I didn't expect business to be so good, Huai Dao?" Princess Changning walked over with a smile.

He quickly composed himself and asked with a smile, "Why did you come out? Don't you like those dishes?"

"We've already eaten, let's come out for some fresh air!"

"Ouch!" Just as she was about to approach the booth, Princess Changning suddenly tripped and fell hard.

Qin Mu was startled and instinctively reached out to steady her. Fortunately, they weren't far apart, and he managed to catch her.

"Be careful, you almost bumped into the table." Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief. Falling on flat ground was fine, but if he had bumped into the table and broken his skin, he probably wouldn't have been able to explain himself.

Princess Changning's body went limp, then she hurriedly stood up, taking a step back, her face flushed with shame. She was utterly mortified! Breaking free and regaining her footing was merely an instinctive reaction; her mind was completely blank, oblivious to the sounds around her. Her body felt like it was being struck by lightning, a tingling, pleasurable sensation.

Actually, it's not Qin Mu's fault. He instinctively reached out to help her, and his quick action was quite forceful. However, she was so startled that she didn't react in time.

"Oh dear!" Having just regained her senses, Princess Changning was mortified. She gasped and lowered her head, refusing to look at Qin Mu. If Qin Mu had looked closely at that moment, he would have noticed that Princess Changning's ears and neck had turned bright red.

Qin Mu's powerful memory also brought back the scene from earlier, and he still felt a little embarrassed, after all, he had been too reckless.

"I'm sorry! I... I didn't mean to," Qin Mu hurriedly stood up and explained.

It would have been better if she hadn't explained. The explanation almost made Princess Changning cry with embarrassment. Although she was usually carefree and a bit like a hedgehog, and would hit people at the drop of a hat, she was, after all, an unmarried girl.

"I...you...hate me!" Princess Changning's face was flushed, as if she were drunk. She looked up but didn't know what to say. Finally, she kicked her little feet and twisted her hands tightly together, not knowing where to put them!

The mere thought of it was already incredibly stimulating, and now this breathtakingly beautiful sight before him made Qin Mu's heart flutter, followed by a burning sensation in his nose.

Qin Mu thought he had a runny nose, so he quickly reached up to touch it. He glanced at it and saw a red spot. He realized he had a nosebleed and exclaimed, "Holy crap!" He then quickly looked up and covered his nostrils with his hand.

"Oh dear! You're bleeding!" Startled by Qin Mu's exclamation of "Holy crap!", Princess Changning looked up and exclaimed in surprise. She then rushed forward, looked around, and hurriedly pulled a handkerchief from her bosom to help stop the bleeding.

Qin Mu pressed the handkerchief down, and the two pressed their hands together, their breaths so close they could feel each other's warmth.

"How utterly humiliating!" Qin Mu cried out inwardly, his face turning bright red as he turned his head away in shame, unable to look at Princess Changning.

"Pfft!" Seeing Qin Mu's expression, Princess Changning was no longer shy and couldn't help but laugh out loud. Usually, people who saw her were either afraid or sneaking around, leering at her; no one was shy at all.

Qin Mu's appearance was so adorable to her, and she knew that this was her greatest charm, so she deliberately moved a little closer and said gently, "Don't move, why are you bleeding!"

As Princess Changning spoke, she used the corner of a handkerchief to wipe away the blood.

Qin Mu knew he was bleeding and dared not move, since the handkerchief would fall off if he pulled it. He also dared not look at Princess Changning, so he could only look down.

"Tragedy!" Qin Mu cried out in his heart, and hurriedly reached out to cover his other nostril, because he could already feel the warm current.

Two scarlet streaks appeared on Qin Mu's face, like two dragons emerging from their cave. He could no longer stay there. If he continued to stay, he was afraid that the bleeding would not stop and he would become the first Confucian scholar to die from a nosebleed. That would truly make him famous for all time!

"I'm going to wash up!" Qin Mu said in a muffled voice, then covered his nose and ran off.

Princess Changning watched Qin Mu leave in a panic, her face still flushed with embarrassment, but her heart was filled with sweetness.

"Pah! You bad guy!" Princess Changning spat lightly, laughing as she cursed. Then she sat down in the booth and glanced around guiltily.

They were in a corner tower on the third floor. The third floor was mostly private rooms, with very few booths. These were mainly for large groups with entourages. If the private rooms were full, people could sit outside. There was no one else there at the moment.

Seeing no one else, Princess Changning's embarrassment subsided. She rested her chin on her hands and looked downstairs, though a smile occasionally appeared on her face, as if she had seen something amusing.

As noon approached, the number of guests increased, including many officials who had come after court, dressed in plain clothes. Many knew that this was the work of Qin Mu and his associates; while it was inappropriate for officials to offer gifts, it was still necessary for them to personally show their support and goodwill by patronizing the business.

It's so easy to gain a favor; such good fortune is rare, so quite a few people came.

The restaurant was soon almost full, and everyone was extremely busy. Cheng Huaimo and Yuchi Baolin were both upstairs and downstairs greeting guests. Qin Mu's task for them was to entertain acquaintances. After all, they were most familiar with Chang'an City and knew many officials there.

This kind of work would normally be difficult for Cheng Huaimo and his partner, but Qin Mu had a solution.

They greeted acquaintances, offered them drinks and food, and gave discounts based on the guests' status. The two handled this simple yet impressive task with ease, and although they didn't drink, their faces were flushed.

"Ah! General Li, thank you for your kindness! The drinks are on me today, everyone must have a good time!"

"Waiter! Bring me a bottle of Hero's Spirit liquor, it's my treat for General Chang!"

Heroic Blaze is a higher-grade version of Blaze, with a temperature of around 60 degrees Celsius. It's one of the reasons it gained fame today. A bottle contains about half a jin (250 grams), so many have been given away as gifts.

The sounds of the cooking engine echoed continuously upstairs and downstairs, making the guests extremely satisfied with their meal.

A muffled thud followed by a deafening roar: "Boss! Boss! What the hell is this?!"

The loud shouts echoed through the restaurant, startling everyone. The once bustling restaurant fell silent as everyone looked in the direction of the sound. In the middle of the hall, several burly men were standing.

"Gentlemen, I am the shopkeeper. I don't know what has made you so angry!" Uncle Fu stepped forward, smiling and cupping his hands in greeting.