It's been almost a month since Tian Yu and Zhao Moyan left the military camp. Tian Yu washed her clothes and sent them over, but they haven't met again. Firstly, Tian Yu was intentionally avoiding Zhao Moyan, and secondly, she was busy with the final preparations for the opening of Yanyu Tower and had no time for anything else. Tang Yuan and Li Yong told them that Zhao Moyan was also very busy. The case involving the magistrate of Shancheng County and the embezzlement of soldiers' pensions had been largely investigated, and they were preparing to escort him to the capital for further trial and sentencing. The newly appointed magistrate was Lord Shangguan Qing, who had come with Zhao Moyan, and they were currently reorganizing Shancheng County.
More and more soldiers were patrolling the streets, and the number of soldiers patrolling at night had also increased. It felt like something big was about to happen. Tian Yu felt uneasy and thought that it must be related to Chen Chong. So Tian Yu sped up the process and wanted Yan Yu Lou to open for business as soon as possible.
To Tian Yu's relief, everything went smoothly with the help of Yu Niang and Mudan. They also managed to recruit many people they knew, and the dance and music rehearsals were largely finalized after a month of hard work. Since Tian Yu couldn't personally appear, she only showed up occasionally as an instructor. Apart from Yu Niang and Mudan, no one else in the shop knew Tian Yu was the owner, let alone a woman; they all assumed Yu Niang had returned to her old ways. Tian Yu later established a rule: instead of standing at the door soliciting customers, each man entering would be charged a five-tael silver entrance fee. The shop's main source of income was its liquor. Tian Yu had scoured the entire mountain town for the best wines, and the girls would receive a commission for every jar sold. This meant that in addition to the money from customers, they would also receive a monthly commission on liquor sales. The girls were naturally very happy, all looking forward to opening soon and starting to make money.
Of course, Yu Niang was worried that the entrance fee might be too expensive, fearing that no one would come. Tian Yu told her not to worry, although this mountain town was small, its logistics were well-developed, and the merchants passing through were all wealthy. The remaining residents of the town had also accumulated considerable wealth through business and were quite prosperous. On the other hand, it could also prevent those scoundrels who had no money and wanted to cause trouble from entering, which could be considered a form of indirect screening of customers. After hearing Tian Yu's explanation, Yu Niang was half-convinced, but she accepted it anyway, thinking that if it didn't work out, they could always change it later.
Three days before the opening, Tian Yu made countdown posters, which quickly became known throughout the city. Merchants coming and going eagerly awaited the opening, some even traveling from elsewhere specifically to be there for the occasion. Prince Wu, curious, had come several times, but Tian Yu had always turned him away. This noon, Tian Yu took Tangyuan to the Yuelai Restaurant for lunch and bumped into Prince Wu again. Prince Wu smiled and said, "What a coincidence! I'm hungry too, let's eat together!"
"Please go ahead!" Tian Yu said without any hesitation.
"Of course, please!" Prince Wu replied gentlemanly.
The three of them sat down in a private room on the second floor. Tian Yu asked, "Why haven't we seen Huang Xuan lately? It seems like the Prince is always out alone."
He had to leave early.
"No wonder I haven't seen it for so long."
"And what's going on between you and Zhao Moyan?" Prince Wu asked with a chuckle.
"It's nothing, we're doing great!" Tian Yu said with a smile, looking at Tangyuan.
"Oh, ever since he came back from the military camp, this Marquis has been working hard all day long. He's almost handled all the affairs in the mountain city by himself. Isn't it because of you?"
"Your Highness is joking. I don't have that ability. Besides, isn't it good that he's working hard? We're doing well, we've just been busy lately so we haven't seen each other much," Tian Yu explained with a smile, looking at Prince Wu speechlessly, indicating that he still had a child and could perhaps change the subject.
"When will the store open? I'm really looking forward to it!" Prince Wu finally received the signal and changed the subject.
Tian Yu picked up some food from the table for Tangyuan before saying, "It'll be ready soon, in three more days."
"I want to be the first one in."
"Don't worry! Your Highness will definitely be our first customer. We've prepared a private room for you, just waiting for you to come and spend your money. Remember to bring plenty of money, as we don't allow credit in this shop."
"What a snobbish woman! How did our dignified Marquis of Zhenbei fall into your hands?"
"Your Highness is joking." Tian Yu then gestured to Prince Wu that Tangyuan was still there and that he should not speak carelessly.
Prince Wu glanced at Tangyuan lazily and said, "He's starting to look more and more like Zhao Moyan."
“He’s my father, so of course I look a lot like him,” Tangyuan said, rolling her eyes.
Prince Wu was amused by his expression and said with a smile, "Look, even your expressions are similar."
"Your Highness doesn't have any children yet, does he?" Tian Yu asked with a smile.
"No, I'm not married yet. Where would I get a child?"
"Are you full from eating tangyuan?"
"Yes, I'm full."
"Tangyuan, go play in the kitchen for a while. Mother and the Prince have something to discuss. She'll be back in a bit, okay?"
"Okay, then Mother, hurry up!"
"Mmm." Tian Yu made a heart shape with her hand for Tangyuan, and Tangyuan happily went downstairs with Xiao Er.
"What does this mean?" Prince Wu asked, mimicking Tian Yu's gesture by crossing his thumb and forefinger.
"I love you!" Tian Yu said casually. After saying that, she picked up a piece of food from the table and put it in her mouth. She saw that Prince Wu was still looking at her in surprise in that gesture. Tian Yu thought he must have misunderstood, so she quickly waved her hand and explained, "What I mean is that this gesture means I love you. Don't misunderstand."
"That boy is so lucky! Meeting you as his mother is a blessing he's accumulated over many lifetimes," Prince Wu said, still looking at his clenched fingers.
"Luckily, it was me, not him. Meeting him is the greatest blessing of my life."
"If all mothers in the world were like you, how could there be so many messy things happening in this world?"
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