The Yuelai Inn was located on the most bustling street by Qingyan. Every day, merchants from all over the country who came to the capital would choose to stay here.
Upon seeing the carriage arrive at the new residence, the shopkeeper immediately opened the back door to welcome the master of the house.
Each Yuelai Inn reserves a private room specifically for Qingyan, so she can dine there immediately.
Feiyangu led the children up the back stairs. When they passed the medium-sized private room on the second floor, his colleagues approached the cult leader.
"Feiyanggu, you actually brought the children here?" Qingyan saw a man in his forties or fifties standing in front of him through the veil.
The man's gaze involuntarily drifted towards Qingyan, but Eshuo and Saito stood in front of Qingyan, preventing him from seeing her again.
"Can you control me?" Fei Yanggu frowned. The man in front of him was a problem. He was a newly promoted censor who was going to accuse Xiao Guai in the Golden Palace. Fei Yanggu couldn't refute him.
"Feiyanggu, we're such good friends, what do you think... about the cost of our meal..." Feiyanggu was getting annoyed. This guy...
Qingyan tugged at his two older brothers' belts, urging them to speak up. "It's not a big deal to waive that person's meal fee once," he said.
Eshuo and Saito didn't want their sister to get involved. That person was like a persistent leech; he would definitely come running whenever there was a bargain to be had.
“It’s just this one meal. Next time you come, you have to pay. Manager, we’ll add his meal cost to our table’s bill later,” Fei Yanggu said openly.
Imperial Censor Liu nodded quickly. This meal would cost at least several dozen taels of silver. While officials had extra income, he felt it would be better to save some money.
The Ulanara clan, however, did not follow this path. They entered the pass with Emperor Taizong, and their early plundering laid a solid foundation. In recent years, Fei Yanggu held an important position, and the tributes he received, such as ice and charcoal, were much more than those of ordinary people.
"You go up first!" Fei Yanggu stood by as Liu Yushi prepared to go to the room to offer a toast. He stepped aside to let Saito and Eshuo take Xiao Guai upstairs. This was originally a man's business, but Liu Yushi's arrogant gaze made people uncomfortable.
Under the protection of the crowd, Qingyan made it safely to the third floor. As she went upstairs, the censor's fiery gaze made her feel uncomfortable all over.
"Ah Hun, this Imperial Censor Liu won't last long." Qingyan smiled; the man's gaze was unsettling.
“No, his principal wife is related to Suo'etu. As long as the crown prince doesn’t fall, he won’t be removed from power.” E’shuo didn’t want her to get too involved in politics.
She blinked her big eyes and smiled as she looked at Ah Hun's rebuttal.
"He has a powdery smell about him, the kind that only singers use," Qingyan whispered to her two older brothers.
etc!
Her little face hardened; Yuelai Inn would absolutely not allow the singer to come in.
How did that person develop that smell?
"Akdun, go and bring the shopkeeper here!" Eshuo placed a book of light Longjing tea in front of her.
"Ah Hun, we're in for a good show." Qingyan didn't want the innkeeper to curry favor with the powerful and cause Yuelai Inn to cross a line that Kangxi disliked.
When the shopkeeper walked in, his face was rather unpleasant. He was annoyed by what his master had repeatedly forbidden.
Censor Liu was a regular customer here, often bringing his entourage from the Censorate to their gatherings. To retain this important client, they would frequently offer Censor Liu small favors.
"Manager, what are the rules of the shop?" Qingyan asked the manager with a stern face. The managers who had followed her the longest were her confidants, and she couldn't just dismiss them all.
"Princess, the rules of the shop haven't changed. The one that Imperial Censor Liu brought is his family's maid," the shopkeeper explained helplessly.
He was perceptive enough to notice that the young woman had a somewhat worldly air about her, so he went up to ask her about it.
They insisted that she was a servant girl from their household, but the rules of Yuelai Inn are well-known.
Qingyan squinted, damn it!
As expected, Yin was right; for every policy from above, there's a countermeasure from below.
"Hmph, little girl!" Qingyan sneered.
"Next time, if you see anything suspicious, don't let anyone in at all." Qingyan was in a bad mood; she didn't want anyone tripping her up behind her back.
"Yes, Your servant obeys." Seeing that Qingyan had spared him, the shopkeeper quickly left, thanking him profusely.
As soon as the door was opened, a series of cries came from outside.
Qingyan got up and went out. Listening to the intermittent pleas for mercy, she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed.
"I didn't see Huang leave, and a little white flower actually appeared!" Qingyan muttered softly, while Eshuo chuckled.
The brother and sister fought side by side. She saw a girl on the second floor wearing a flowing ivory-white dress. Her sad expression and tearful eyes spoke volumes about their cruelty and inhumanity.
"Is this woman wearing mourning clothes?" Qingyan's clear voice was heard by everyone on the second floor, who couldn't help but take two steps back.
The woman kneeling on the ground looked up, her neatly styled hair bun adorned with a pink crystal plum blossom silver hairpin from Mei'ai. This hairpin was no cheap item.
"My lady, how can you speak to my daughter like that?" As she finished speaking, tears streamed down her cheeks. "My family is poor, and we have no choice but to sing with my father to make a living. If you drive us out, aren't you sending us to our deaths?"
Qingyan twitched her lips. Those words were so sarcastic that her cheeks ached.
"Please, have mercy and allow my father and me to continue living together." After saying this, the woman kowtowed twice to Qingyan.
Some onlookers felt sorry for the young woman singing, but Qingyan's forceful questioning left her with no chance of survival.
The shopkeeper quickly led his men upstairs, intending to drag the father and daughter away. Unexpectedly, the young woman pushed him to the ground and knelt before him, leaving him at a loss.
"Live on? How can you not live? The laws of the Qing Dynasty clearly stipulate that inns and restaurants cannot have singing. Do you want tens of thousands of people from Yuelai Keshan to be buried with you?" As soon as Qingyan said this, many onlookers quietly left. He said that this was in accordance with the laws of the Qing Dynasty, which was not something that ordinary people could resist.
The young woman gazed at E Shuo through teary eyes, hoping that this tall and handsome god would speak a word of justice for her.
E Shuo has always been a doting brother to his sister, and he will always stand by her side when it comes to matters of principle.
"No, no!" The young woman quickly shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "I only wish for a place where I can have enough to eat and wear. I don't want to hurt anyone. Please don't say that."
Qingyan couldn't help but find it strange that Xiaobaihua's makeup hadn't smudged at all despite so many tears; it was practically an art of crying.
"Ah Hun, see that little white flower? Such crying skills are really hard to achieve without special training!" Qing Yan looked at him with a smile. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)
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