"Where did you go last night? Did something happen?"
Looking at her worried expression, Mu Houchu realized that he probably couldn’t keep it from her, so he said solemnly, "There’s been some trouble in the capital."
Xin He blinked, "What sort of trouble?"
"The Shen Family was inexplicably divested of its power by the Emperor recently, with even Concubine Shen being demoted to Beauty Shen over a trivial matter."
"The Shen Family? What of it if a family like that was divested of its power?" Xin He sneered. She would never forget how despite Old Man Chen’s countless attempts to bring her down in the capital, the Shen Family had not been any less diligent.
Mu Houchu said solemnly, "I don’t care what happens to the Shen family. But since I stepped down from the court, openly speaking, the Shen family had the most influence in the Imperial Court. Now that they have been inexplicably dismissed, who are the real powers falling into the hands of?"
The color on Xin He’s face changed slightly. If it wasn’t known whose hands the power had fallen into, it would mean that control of the court was being lost.
Mu Houchu, observing her expression and realizing she was worried again, said softly: "You needn’t worry too much. I have already instructed someone to thoroughly investigate this. No matter what, the real power in my hands will not diminish in the slightest. The Emperor also trusts the people I have placed within the court -- he cannot touch us."
Only then did Xin He nod her head, leaned into his embrace, and mumbled, "I don’t know why, but I feel uneasy. In fact, I should trust you."
"It’s my fault, these matters should have been kept from you," Mu Houchu sighed softly. "Xin He, don’t always worry about these things. You must remember, I am always by your side, regardless of what happens. Do you understand?"
Only then did Xin He smile and say, "Okay!"
——
The reputation of Fu Man Lou was established overnight.
Because of a distinct Oiran competition.
These few days, the talk of Lian’an Town has been solely about the exceptional beauty of the girls at Fu Man Lou. Those who attended couldn’t stop praising the event, while those who couldn’t attend regretted it deeply.
Everyone was filled with excitement as they talked about the extraordinary figures of those girls.
"Goodness! I’m not exaggerating! The day I saw Miss Hua Rao sway her slender waist — my, oh my, I couldn’t take my eyes off her! It was like... "
The man seemed unable to find the right adjective. When people try to describe the beauty of a woman, they often compare her to a celestial being. But Hua Rao’s temperament clearly doesn’t correspond with that of a celestial being, yet she is incredibly beautiful. After some thought, he still couldn’t utter a word.
Others could no longer wait and urged him on, saying, "What? Hurry up and say it!"
The man could only laugh awkwardly before saying excitedly, "She’s like a demon!"
Everyone burst into laughter; "Is that a compliment?"
"Why not? Let me tell you, she is sexier than any goddess!"
"Really?"
"Absolutely! I saw it with my own eyes that day!"
"I think Miss Yi Ling is the best, her skin is so smooth, it seems like you could wring water out of it."
"They all are pretty, but the most beautiful has to be Miss Ah Lian!"
"Yes, yes, yes, when Miss Ah Lian performed ’Drunken Concubine,’ her dance was truly unparalleled, extremely beautiful!"
All of a sudden, the reputation of Fu Man Lou soared and even attracted some attention from the prefecture city. Fu Man Lou even outshone Yihong Courtyard and became the biggest brothel in Lian’an Town in a single leap.
Shopkeeper Wu was so pleased that he couldn’t stop grinning, secretly celebrating his foresight in entrusting Ji Xinhe with the banquet operations. With the popularity of Fu Man Lou and the courtesans being in high demand, naturally, the banquets also prospered, earning an overflowing amount of money. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
Even though half of the profit from Gui Lin Residence was to be given to Ji Xinhe, it still ended up making much more money than before.
When she arrived today, shopkeeper Wu welcomed her with a grin full of chrysanthemums, "Why did you come yourself? Whatever you need, I can bring it to you. There’s no need for you to take the trouble of coming all the way here?"
Seeing his eager demeanor, Xin He knew that he was more than satisfied with the results. She just slightly curved the corner of her lips, "Check the accounts."
She owned half of Gui Lin Residence now.
"Don’t worry! I’ll surely not withhold your share!" Shopkeeper Wu laughed heartily.
While chatting, they instructed a servant to bring the account book. As Xin He flipped through it, she found that the income was indeed quite good. Gui Lin Residence truly lived up to its reputation as the best restaurant currently in Lian’an Town.
However, Lian’an Town was after all a small place and could not compare with the capital city, let alone match the Fu Man Lou in the capital. But there was no rush. There were still many days to come, and Xin He was not in a hurry.
Xin He smiled and said, "I’ve always been assured of Shopkeeper Wu’s work. Now we are partners. As long as we work together well and support each other, I believe we will do even better."
"Yes, yes! That’s absolutely right!" Shopkeeper Wu was incredibly excited.
He couldn’t help but praise her, "Miss Ji is really impressive now. Despite her young age, she has already taken control of Gui Lin Residence and Fu Man Lou, the two largest industries in Lian’an Town. This makes me, an old man, feel rather inadequate."
Shopkeeper Wu’s words were sincere. Outsiders didn’t know who was the real owner behind Fu Man Lou. They also didn’t know who the other owner of Gui Lin Residence was now. And they certainly wouldn’t know that she was only a seventeen-year-old girl.
Xin He smiled and said, "No matter how much charming compliment you give me, I won’t give you any extra share, Shopkeeper Wu."
Shopkeeper Wu laughed out loud, "I wouldn’t dare to!"
Xin He’s gaze became more reserved, and her smile faded slightly. Up to now, this was just the beginning, and what she wanted was much more!
Shopkeeper Wu would never dare to guess how big her ambition actually was.
"Miss Ji?"
Xin He closed the account book and handed it to Shopkeeper Wu, "The monthly earnings should be sent directly to my residence. I’ll check this account book sporadically. Although Gui Lin Residence now partly belongs to me, it’s an industry that Shopkeeper Wu has been managing for many years. It’s better for Shopkeeper Wu to continue managing it."
"Don’t worry, Miss Ji!"
Xin He nodded her head and got up to leave.
Shopkeeper Wu immediately followed to see her off.
As soon as he stepped out of the elegant room, from the upper end of the corridor, a group of people led by a young master came forward. The young master at the forefront was cursing, "Just you wait! I’ll find out who that pretty boy is, and I won’t let him die easily! You all go and look for him! Even if we have to turn the whole town upside down, we must find him! Damn it!"
Xiaoyu’s face changed at this. Wasn’t this the young master of the Sun Family?
Xin He, however, reacted calmly and stopped. She turned around and murmured, "Face veil."
Shulan was startled, but she soon reacted and hurriedly took out a veil from her sleeve for Xin He to wear.
After all, it’s not unusual for the ladies from prestigious families to wear a face veil when they go out, and Xin He has always not used one. Now that she has put one on, it doesn’t seem strange.
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