Chapter 69

Qu Duanbian spread his hands and said, "Please, my fourth brother said you were in trouble, and I promised to help you. I have done my best, okay?"

He and Xia Fuyang are a doomed couple.

This guy called him sister when they met for the first time. No one exposed this, not even Qu Watanabe, and they were secretly doing bad things.

The second time they met was in a hairpin shop. Qu Dubian accompanied his grandmother to choose jewelry and met Xia Fuyang who was buying a gift for his sister.

He immediately pounced on her and shouted, "Sister, why are you wearing boys' clothes?"

The people in the hairpin shop all looked at him sideways.

He will remember Xia Fuyang's confused expression for the rest of his life.

At this point, I have finally let out a sigh of relief.

The two of them started to interact with each other from then on. Xia Fuyang, who looked careless and like a fool, was actually very thoughtful and it was very difficult to gain his favorability.

After only three years in Beijing, he quickly found his place, listened to music in teahouses and taverns, made friends, read books and practiced martial arts, but never took sides.

Xia Fuyang: "We are going together, hurry up, where are the things you brought?"

“Yes.”

Qu Watanabe took out three volumes of storybooks, which were the ones that Yi Twelve had recorded and given to him a few days ago.

“Okay, okay!”

Xia Fuyang's eyes sparkled, "With these books, our bookstore will surely flourish and drive the bookstore across the street out of business!"

He had read the half volume of the storybook he got from Qu Watanabe. It was a breath of fresh air among the cliché stories about a young lady from a wealthy family falling in love with a poor boy.

Qu Watanabe: "It's your family, I'm just helping you, if you make money just give me a share, if you lose don't blame me."

"How can that be possible?" Xia Fuyang patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, if we can defeat our rivals, we will definitely cooperate with them for a long time. If they say it's our family, then it's our family."

Among the shops and land purchased by the Xia family in the capital, there was a bookshop. Wang taught him how to manage the bookshop as a practice. It was a simple job, but unexpectedly, a new bookstore opened opposite his bookshop. Not only were the prices cheaper, but it also sold collections of literati from Baojiangfang.

With so many new things, all the customers of his bookstore were instantly snatched away.

Xia Fuyang was so anxious that he was about to get angry. After all, whether the bookstore made a profit or not was related to whether he had pocket money.

"I know you have a lot of ideas. Do you have any other ideas to grab customers?"

Qu Dubian sighed and lay down on the stone table.

Xia Fuyang's expression fell, and he frowned and stroked his back, "Are you feeling unwell? I heard that Concubine Xuan invited the imperial physician again a few days ago."

Qu Watanabe: "No, I'm just helping you think of something, right?"

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Don't print the book yet. Take it to a teahouse or a tavern and ask a storyteller to tell it."

Xia Fuyang: "Then how do we make money?"

Qu Watanabe: "It will be divided into two volumes, and we will stop at the most interesting part. Then your bookstore can publish the whole volume."

"That's great, but if that's the case, then few people will buy what the storyteller has told about it."

"During the break in printing the book, you can find someone to draw small elephants of the characters in the book and make them into bookmarks. One hundred colorful drawings and five hundred ink drawings. The more you buy, the greater the chance of winning..."

"If you buy the whole set, you can get the author's signature. The top ten buyers will be given autographs."

The main character is a little elephant, the supporting characters are a little elephant, a handsome guy, and a beautiful girl.

Rich people go all in when collecting cards, while poor people are more likely to buy the full set just for the autographs.

There is also the concept of previous life peripherals and voting for popular characters, each of which is a way to deduct money from consumers.

Qu Dubian explained it to Xia Fuyang in detail.

The latter's expression changed from confusion, to understanding, to shock that it was still possible, to you are a devil.

Xia Fuyang looked him up and down and asked, "What's wrong with your brain?"

Qu Watanabe: "Of course, the premise for these to be successful is that the storybooks are read by many people and are very popular. The initial gimmick and the spread of teahouses and wine shops are very important."

It's unpopular and unattractive, so who would pay money for a paper man?

Xia Fuyang: "Don't worry about that. I have many friends."

Qu Dubian pointed and said: "This book, 'Even After Death, the Fragrance of the Chivalrous Spirit Can Still Be Smelled', is worth promoting." It is a group portrait novel with both male and female characters playing outstanding roles. If it becomes famous, it will surely reach a wider audience.

Liuliu also likes this book the most.

“Leave it to me!”

Xia Fuyang happily put away all the books.

In this capital city, isn’t it easy to make a book popular?

Qu Duanbian thought for a moment and said, "Since we have done it, we should do it to the best of our ability. I will go back to the Marquis' Mansion in a few days and invest some money in you."

Xia Fuyang didn't bother to be polite with him: "Okay. But why doesn't this book have a title? Who is the author? Who is the great man in the palace?"

Qu Watanabe: "It can't show up."

After pondering for a moment, he said, "The author's name is, Mr. Flower Planter."

-

Inspection and transportation department.

A mule pulling three baskets of fruits and vegetables stopped outside the palace.

The transport officer, Ren Zongguan, stood in front of the mule cart.

"The eldest prince is hosting a banquet for guests, and the food in the kitchen is running out. Let's quickly send a batch of food over from the palace. We must not make any mistakes. Xiaochun, I'll leave this mission to you."

Wen Xiaochun was stunned for a moment, "Butler, I'm not supposed to be on duty today."

Manager Ren smiled and said, "I trust you and am waiting for you to take over my job. Go quickly. The more capable you are, the more work you will get. I will also be relieved if you can guard this train with your time."

"The eldest prince is hosting a banquet, and the other princes and princesses are all here. This is a rare opportunity to show off. Who knows, you might even get a reward."

The face of the young prince flashed through Wen Xiaochun's mind and he swallowed his words of refusal.

He hasn't seen the little prince for a long time.

It would be nice if I could take a glimpse from a distance this time.

"Okay, I'll go and take it."

He changed into clean clothes, washed his face, put on his hat, and then set off.

The mule cart drove towards the back door of the eldest prince's mansion. Butler Ren's smile faded slightly, and a hint of coldness appeared on his face.

"Don't blame me. Who told you to crawl so fast?"

-

Shu Wenxin, the daughter of the Minister of Revenue, was waiting at the gate of the Crown Prince's mansion.

She is the future Crown Prince's consort and one of the protagonists of this banquet. She arrived neither early nor late, but never went in.

When the eldest prince heard the news, he rushed over from the main hall.

Shu Wenxin was a proper lady from a well-off family, with a beautiful appearance. She took a half step back and saluted, "Your Highness."

The eldest prince scratched his head awkwardly, "Well...you're welcome. Miss Shu, why don't you go in? Zhiyi and the others are already having fun."

Shu Wenxin: "My father hasn't arrived yet, but he asked me to go in with my brother."

The eldest prince: "What about your brother? Do you want me to send someone to pick him up?"

"My brother has already left. I came after him. It doesn't make sense that I am here but my brother is not," Shu Wenxin said apologetically. "I will wait a little longer. I am sorry to trouble His Highness."

The eldest prince: "We are all family sooner or later, no need to be polite!"

After saying that, he suddenly stopped talking and said, "Sorry, sorry, I'm sorry."

Shu Wenxin's lips curled up slightly: "It doesn't matter."

The eldest prince coughed twice, stood with his hands behind his back, and tried to act calm and mature.

After waiting for a while, Shu Wenxin's personal maid came running over from a distance, panting and saying, "Miss, I met the young master's servant. He said that the young master entered the eldest prince's mansion early in the morning and should be in the mansion now."

Shu Wenxin: "Already in?"

The eldest prince said: "Perhaps the servants in the mansion didn't notice it. In this case, you go in first and I will ask someone to look for it in the mansion."

Shu Wenxin nodded: "Thank you, Your Highness."

The eldest prince waved his hand and whispered to the people around him, "Send someone to find him."

He led Shu Wenxin all the way to the female guest seats, then stopped and did not go in. "I'll have someone call you when I find you."

"Um."

From afar, the second prince and the third prince, with their arms folded, standing in the corridor enjoying the breeze, saw this scene.

The second prince smiled and said, "I didn't expect that my eldest brother has such a restrained side."

The Third Prince: "In the future Yue family, the Ministry of Revenue is in charge of the purse strings, so it is natural for him to be nice to Miss Shu. And if she behaves well, the other young ladies from other officials' families may not be unwilling to covet the position of my eldest brother's concubine."

The Second Prince: "Big brother is actually not a bad person, he just speaks too bluntly sometimes. Third brother, among the female guests, are there any girls of the right age that you like?"

The Third Prince: "In the end, it is Father who has the final say."

Just like when the three brothers went to court together, it was just a matter of a word from their father.

He glanced into the main hall.

Xiao Si was arguing with Xiao Liu, and Xiao Wu was trying to stop them, just like the three older brothers they used to be.

I felt annoyed at the time, but now I think that the years I spent in school were the most innocent time of my life.

-

backyard.

Wen Xiaochun directed people to move all three baskets of fruits and vegetables from the mule cart.

He happened to run into Ye Xiaoyuan who had just come out of the backyard kitchen.

Ye Xiaoyuan thought for a moment that he had seen the wrong person, but when he looked closely, he saw that it was indeed him, and then he called out, "Xiaochun?"

Wen Xiaochun turned his head and subconsciously looked around him.

Then disappointment appeared between his brows.

Ye Xiaoyuan smiled and said, "I thought I was seeing things. How come you, the deputy of the North Gate Inspection and Transportation Office, are moving things here? It's really not in line with your status."

Wen Xiaochun: "How is your Highness?"

Ye Xiaoyuan: "You can see for yourself, Your Highness—"

In the backyard kitchen, Qu Dubian and Xia Fuyang came out with a plate of yam and grape jam amid the steaming aroma of food.

He asked in surprise: "Xiaochun??"

He stuffed the plate to Xia Fuyang and ran over, "Xiaochun, Xiaochun, I missed you so much!"

Wen Xiaochun couldn't help but smile, squatted down and caught him, "It's been a long time since we last met, Your Highness has grown taller."

He followed what Xu Jin told him before he left, and had less contact with the young prince if it was not necessary, so that people in the palace would gradually forget that he had ever been with the young prince. This would allow his direct superior to trust and rely on him more in the future.

Qu Watanabe: "Hehe, of course."

Ye Xiaoyuan chuckled.

Xiaochun's appearance has not changed, but her eyes seem more stable than three years ago.

He understood that the inspection and transportation department was the most challenging place, with all kinds of people and all kinds of items, which tested his vision and social skills.

It is easy to stay here for three years, but it is not easy to climb directly to the position of deputy after three years.

Qu Dubian stayed close to Wen Xiaochun for a while, and his nose suddenly wrinkled.

A faint fishy smell wafted up.

Qu Watanabe began to feel uncomfortable and a little nauseous.

He has no reaction to normal fishy smells. The only thing that makes him feel uncomfortable is the smell of human blood.

"Xiaochun, are you hurt?"

Wen Xiaochun: "Hmm? No."

Qu Dubian let him go, suppressed his nausea and sniffed it. He took a few steps and stopped in front of the basket of fruits that had just been taken down.

Ye Xiaoyuan: "Your Highness, what's wrong?"

Qu Dubian whispered in his ear: "Banban, there is a bloody smell in here."

Xia Fuyang felt intimidated, and Ye Xiaoyuan and Wen Xiaochun's faces changed.

They all knew that what the little prince could not stand the smell of blood was the smell of injured and bleeding people.

Is there human blood in the vegetable basket?

Ye Xiaoyuan glanced at the people working around him and cleared his throat: "Everyone, go down and stay away. We're going to kill chickens and geese here later. Let's avoid making a fuss."

After everyone around them left, Wen Xiaochun's eyes suddenly darkened: "Take His Highness away as well, away from him."

Before Ye Xiaoyuan could make any move, Xia Fuyang quickly picked up Qu Dubian and flew away.

Wen Xiaochun opened the vegetable basket and ate half of it when his pupils suddenly shrank.

There's a dead person curled up inside.

Ye Xiaoyuan took a look and was surprised: "This is... the eldest son of Mr. Shu, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue."

Xia Fuyang's ears twitched and he cried out in his heart, "He's dead."

He put the plate on the table, covered Qu Watanabe's eyes with his hands, and pressed his thumbs on his ears.

"What a sin! Young people shouldn't listen to this."

Qu Watanabe: “…”

There was a noise not far away, "Why are you all out? Is the kitchen not busy anymore?"

"Report to the housekeeper, they said they were going to kill a chicken. What are you doing here?"

"We are here to look for someone, the brother of the future prince consort Miss Shu. This is the only place left to look for him. We need to go in and take a look if there is any."

Even with his ears covered, Qu Watanabe could still hear a little.

He looked ahead at the corner of the archway.

Someone is coming.