Chapter 796 Business is booming

When Shen Wantang walked out of Zuixianlou, it was already dark.

As dusk settles, the street comes alive with people coming and going, bustling with activity.

Looking at Zuixianlou again, it was brightly lit and radiant, exuding an air of wealth and grandeur.

Moreover, because the manager of Qingyunlou was killed, and rumors were circulating that he was killed by a vengeful ghost, no one went to Qingyunlou to eat or drink today.

As a result, many people came to Zuixianlou.

Today is the busiest and most popular day at Zuixianlou.

Du Juan couldn't help but exclaim, "Young Madam, this Drunken Immortal Pavilion is truly beautiful! There are so many people dining here. You have excellent taste; you've chosen this place. Drunken Immortal Pavilion is sure to make a fortune in the future!"

Shen Wantang smiled slightly: "That's right, my judgment is naturally good. From now on, we can just wait to collect the money."

She took Dujuan's arm, got into the carriage, and headed towards the Duke's mansion.

Meanwhile, at Zuixianlou, things were already incredibly busy.

Dressed in men's clothing, Li Yao stood in the lobby on the first floor, watching the diners come and go, her cheeks aching from smiling.

"Manager, business is booming today! This is the first time I've seen so many people come to eat since I took over this Drunken Immortal Restaurant!"

"Yes, yes, you're right, boss. Since I became the manager of Zuixianlou, I've rarely seen such a grand occasion! It's all thanks to you; you have such good judgment in choosing such a capable partner!"

The shopkeeper was beaming with joy. He whispered, "I sent someone to inquire. Although Qingyun Restaurant didn't close today and I heard they even got a new manager, nobody went there to eat. People didn't even dare to go to the restaurants and taverns nearby. So everyone came here today."

"That young mistress is really capable. She actually managed to cut off Qingyunlou's supply lines. With her around, Zuixianlou will definitely thrive."

Li Yao glared at the shopkeeper: "Don't talk nonsense, or you'll get into trouble. The matter of Qingyun Restaurant has nothing to do with the Second Young Madam."

The shopkeeper pretended to slap his own face: "Yes, yes, look at my mouth, talking nonsense. Business is so good today that I'm dizzy with joy, and that's why I'm talking nonsense."

Li Yao knew he didn't believe that Shen Wantang hadn't killed the manager of Qingyunlou, but she didn't explain further, since she herself didn't know the truth.

She was more concerned about the business: "Do we have enough ingredients? Do we have enough drinks? What if we can't supply enough food and drinks when guests come? Otherwise, the reputation of Zuixianlou will be ruined!"

The shopkeeper chuckled and said, "What a coincidence! Because we're making dishes for the second young mistress to try today, the kitchen specially purchased the freshest ingredients, and we have everything."

"And we bought a lot, thinking that if she wasn't satisfied with the food, we would have enough ingredients to remake it several times until she was satisfied. But she didn't eat much, and the ingredients we had left were enough for the guests!"

"Not to mention the liquor, we have plenty of good wine stored in our warehouse. In the past, we couldn't sell it because no one came. Today, it will finally have a chance to be put to good use."

Relieved, Li Yao looked at the bustling restaurant and felt a surge of pride: "Good! Tell the kitchen to bring out their best skills and cook everything according to the recipes that the Second Young Mistress improved today!"

"yes!"

"We must win over the stomachs of today's diners. If they enjoy the food, they'll definitely come back! They'll also promote our restaurant and attract even more people to dine here!"

"yes!"

"Hmph, I'll show all the men in the family that the daughters of the Li family are no less capable than men! I, Li Yao, can also earn money, lots and lots of money!"

——

When Shen Wantang returned to the Duke's mansion, it was already late afternoon.

The carriage stopped at the second gate. As soon as Shen Wantang got out of the carriage, she saw Qin Xin waiting there.

Qin Xin's eyes sparkled: "Oh my, Mistress, you're finally back! I almost went out to look for you!"

As Shen Wantang walked inside, she asked her, "What's wrong? Did something happen at home?"

"Something terrible has happened!"

Qin Xin lowered her voice, but couldn't hide the schadenfreude in her tone: "The eldest young mistress's father has been impeached! I heard that the emperor is going to dismiss Lord Meng from his post and imprison him!"

Shen Wantang's heart stirred. Before leaving home this morning, she had heard Gu Qianhan mention the Meng family, but she had been busy all day and had forgotten about it.

"What happened? How could it be so serious? Our young mistress comes from a distinguished family. She just showed off in the main courtyard this morning. How could this have happened? What could her father have done wrong? Why is he being dismissed from his post?"

Qin Xin then told him all the information she had gathered.

Shen Wantang was stunned after hearing this.

In their previous lives, the Meng family was spared any misfortune, and the daughter of the former prime minister never escaped to sue Meng Deguang.

Therefore, she had no idea that this had happened.

It turns out that Gu Qianhan actually had such a huge handle on Meng Yunlan's father!

Seeing Shen Wantang lost in thought, Qin Xin couldn't help but ask, "Young Madam, aren't you happy to hear this news? The Meng family is going to fall, and the eldest young mistress can no longer flaunt her power in front of you. She should also be too ashamed to bother the young master anymore. Shouldn't you be all smiles?"

Shen Wantang gently shook her head.

With the Meng family's downfall and Meng Yunlan's humiliation, she was naturally happy.

But when she learned of Ren Jingqiu's plight, she couldn't help but feel saddened, and she could no longer laugh.

First, she was favored by the emperor, which led to the destruction of her family and the exile of her father, who was the chief minister. Then, she was secretly kept and raised by Meng Deguang, and even became pregnant.

Even if Shen Wantang didn't recognize Ren Jingqiu, she knew that Ren Jingqiu must have had a very difficult time these past few years, given her tragic end.

Although five years have passed since Ren Hongru was exiled, the former prime minister is still being discussed.

Because when he served as Grand Secretary, he was honest and upright, cared about the people, and even argued with the emperor several times in the morning court in order to reduce the tax burden on the people.

His reputation as an official was still quite good, so when he was imprisoned and accused of a lot of crimes, many people did not believe it, and many even spontaneously petitioned the emperor to thoroughly investigate those so-called crimes and restore Ren Hongru's innocence.

Unfortunately, the emperor directly sent troops to suppress the petitioning people and fabricated even more serious charges against Ren Hongru.

Later, no one dared to speak up for Ren Hongru. Then, many people started to speak ill of him, saying that he appeared to be a gentleman, but in reality, he was using the guise of serving the country and the people to amass wealth, and was an out-and-out corrupt official.

Therefore, Ren Hongru is now a figure of mixed reputation; some say he is good, while others say he is bad, but few people know what kind of person he truly is.