After escorting Gu Yuzhi back to his room, Xie Changshi took the plum blossoms and searched the courtyard for a white jade vase, claiming that he wanted to paint.

Soon, everyone in the Manwen Mansion knew that the young prince had given Chief Secretary Xie a sprig of plum blossom, and envious, jealous, and resentful looks burst forth from everyone's eyes.

Pooh!

Are you looking for a vase?

You're just showing off that the young prince gave you a plum blossom!

Everyone secretly scoffed, as if they'd never seen plum blossoms before!

But soon, some people started going to the plum tree, looking at the remaining branches and muttering to themselves, how should they tell the young prince that they wanted this plum blossom?

Why not just say you've suddenly become interested in painting?

In the next instant, all of these people were swept away by Granny Xu with a broom. Only a few branches had blossoms left, and these people still dared to covet them.

If she doesn't keep an eye on things, all these plum blossoms will be plucked bare!

However, she implied that it wouldn't have any impact if the young prince sent her one.

When Qi Chenglang finished his bath and came out happily to find Xie Changshi, he vaguely heard people in the mansion discussing plum blossoms and the young prince.

Qi Chenglang immediately felt guilty and touched his nose before tiptoeing back to his room.

Is it really that exaggerated?

However, in the short time it took him to take a bath, everyone in the mansion knew that he had rushed to his destination without changing his clothes.

How can he maintain his status as a wise and powerful chief bodyguard now?

Qi Chenglang was filled with melancholy. He wished he could go find Xie Changshi right now and fight him to the death, but he was afraid of being caught and questioned after going out. So he stayed in his room obediently for a day and then rushed to the escort agency the next day.

He thought that once he hid in the escort agency, the rumors in the manor would disappear, but unexpectedly, a plum blossom craze swept through Changzhou Prefecture within two days.

Qi Chenglang's brow twitched as he looked at the plum blossom branch with buds about to bloom that the镖局 (escort agency) servants had placed in the mansion. He waved his hand and said, "Wait, what are you doing bringing plum blossoms in here?"

The style of the escort agency has always been tough and masculine. When has it ever featured plum blossoms?

The servant explained blankly, "I heard that His Highness Prince Wen is very fond of plum blossoms. Many wealthy families in Changzhou Prefecture have started decorating with plum blossoms, and I heard that all the plum blossom hairpins in the jewelry shops are sold out."

The servant shook the plum blossom branch, a hint of smugness in his voice: "I heard that the plum blossom manor in the suburbs has been almost trampled flat. As soon as plum blossoms appear on the street, they are surrounded by people. I managed to snatch these plum blossom branches with great difficulty."

Qi Chenglang waved for the servants to leave, then stroked his chin, thinking to himself, "Does the young prince like plum blossoms?"

Qi Chenglang recalled the radiant smile on his face when he reached for the plum blossom that day, and finally realized that something was wrong.

Was the plum blossom that the people in the manor talked about that day completely unrelated to me?

Qi Chenglang went to the Plum Blossom Manor overnight to pick two plum blossoms and delivered them to Gu Yuzhi's door. At that moment, Wen Xiuzhu was so surprised to learn that plum blossom hairpins in the jewelry stores of Changzhou Prefecture were in short supply.

Although he understood that women's money was easier to earn, wasn't it a bit of an exaggeration that the plum blossom hairpins sold out just because the people in the mansion said a few words?

He immediately said, "Your Highness, I believe it's time for us to open a jewelry store!"

Wen's Inn finally opened just in time for the winter solstice. Wen Xiuzhu combined the opening activities that Shu Xiaohan had mentioned and specially customized an opening event for Wen's Inn.

Three days before the opening, people were sent to spread the word throughout the prefectural city, and ordinary people all knew about the opening of the Wen Family Inn.

Two days before the opening, Prefect Qi was sent to the inn with his officials to sample the food. This immediately made it known to high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants that the Wen Family Inn was backed by Prefect Qi.

Three days before the opening, the plaque personally written by Xie Changshi was hung up, attracting scholars and students to come and admire it!

These characters are truly the work of Guanshan Jushi!

In no time, news of Guanshan Jushi's travels to the northern desert spread, and there were even rumors that the inn was opened by Guanshan Jushi. Otherwise, how could it be explained that Guanshan Jushi, who regarded money as dirt, would inscribe a small inn?

Upon learning that he had been portrayed in such a lofty manner, Xie Changshi said he was a little flustered.

He certainly possessed the aloofness of a scholar, but he wasn't truly ignorant of worldly affairs...

Manager Wen's relentless methods over three consecutive days caused a huge sensation. On the opening day, East Street, where Wen's Inn was located, was packed with people, all wanting to join in the fun.

Scholars and literati, usually quite aloof, flocked to the place, eager to know whether the Hermit of Guanshan would be coming today…

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Manager Zhou of the inn vigorously promoted the differences between his inn and other inns.

There are daily special dishes, including both meat and vegetarian options, with the aim of allowing ordinary people to occasionally try the food at Wen's Inn.

For dignitaries and wealthy merchants, Wen's Inn not only provides door-to-door delivery and pick-up and drop-off services, but also allows Wen's Inn's chef to come to their homes as long as a deposit is paid in advance.

The local famous lion dance troupe's lion dance and acrobatics captivated the attention of the people of Changzhou.

When the number of people reached its peak, Manager Zhou threw down a lot of dried fruit from the second floor. At the same time, Manager Zhou revealed to everyone that the chefs of Wen's Inn came from the imperial kitchen.

This made Wen's Inn an instant hit!

If Prefect Qi hadn't sent his yamen runners to surround the scene, something terrible would have definitely happened with such a large commotion!

On the opening day, Prince Wen Gu Yuzhi also appeared in front of everyone. He was wearing a white fox fur cloak, and the large cloak hood almost hid his small face in the shadows.

Accompanied by Prefect Qi, Gu Yuzhi entered the last room in the inn's corridor.

The appearance of His Highness Prince Wen brought the atmosphere of the inn to a climax.

The wealthy officials and merchants, who were not short of money, did not want to squeeze in the front yard, so they simply booked rooms and planned to enjoy the imperial chef's cooking here.

On the opening night, after finishing the accounts, Manager Zhou went to report to Chief Secretary Xie. Shu Xiaohan looked at Wen Xiuzhu for a while before giving him a thumbs up and saying with heartfelt admiration, "Manager Wen is indeed worthy of being called Manager Wen. These three days of pre-opening activities have managed to win over people from all walks of life in Changzhou."

It was rare to hear such convincing words from Shu Xiaohan, and Wen Xiuzhu immediately smiled so much that his eyes narrowed into slits.

Shu Xiaohan immediately praised Gu Yuzhi: "Your Highness's ability to promote products is truly amazing!"

Wen Xiuzhu didn't quite agree with this statement. In his opinion, the young prince's influence was not as great as Xie Changshi's. But now, a plum blossom has finally made him realize the reality!

Whether they are ordinary people or high-ranking officials, they will make a big purchase before the New Year to reward themselves for a year of hard work.

He made no attempt to hide his ambition: "Your Highness, the New Year is just around the corner. If our jewelry shop can open before the New Year, business will surely boom!"