Dad, don't be greedy! My brother climbed into the emperor's bed, and I became famous overn

Halfway through my tea, the sun began to set.

Gu Mingyue quickly went through the next phase of expansion and planning for Wen Yanzhi.

Golden nanmu pavilion, rosewood boardwalk, and artificial lake excavation.

Expedited construction costs, material costs, and transportation costs.

Adding them up one by one, the total came to 140,000 taels.

Gu Mingyue finally showed her first genuine smile of the day.

140,000 taels.

It can be spent now.

She signed the document, instructing Wen Yanzhi to make the purchases the next day.

With 220,000 yuan remaining, Gu Mingyue took out another 100,000 yuan to pay taxes.

Wen Yanzhi was instructed to distribute the 60,000 silver coins as a reward to the workers and himself.

The ratio is the same as Chen Sandao's, with the head manager taking 30%.

Wen Yanzhi was stunned for a moment, then his eyes reddened, and he knelt down, kowtowing to Gu Mingyue.

"I will never forget the great kindness of my employer."

Gu Mingyue waved her hand.

"Alright, alright, get up. Do your job well from now on. Remember, this street values ​​integrity, not money."

Spend money recklessly, don't try to earn it!

"Hey! I remember, boss!"

When Wen Yanzhi stood up, the tip of his nose was still red.

He will definitely make Peach Blossom Spring the "Number One Literary Holy Land of the Great Yong Dynasty"!

Gu Mingli silently refilled the emperor's tea.

A quick glance at Xiao Ye's upturned lips told her that his sister had pleased the emperor.

Another 100,000 taels of silver were directly deposited into the national treasury.

If things continue like this, the emperor will have a steady stream of income coming from a small tributary.

Everyone in the room was happy, but Gu Mingyue was melancholy.

The remaining profit of Peach Blossom Spring was 60,000 taels, which went into her system account.

[System task balance: 270,000 taels.]

o (╥﹏╥) o

On their way back to the inn in the evening, the group passed by the river.

The lanterns on the street were lit one after another.

The light from the gauze lanterns reflected on the bluestone pavement, creating warm yellow halos.

The streets were much more crowded than during the day.

They passed by in twos and threes, chatting and laughing.

"...I've heard that there's a Huang He Tower in Peach Blossom Spring, full of talented scholars."

"Really? What kind of genius?"

"He writes poetry and paints. It is said that if someone hangs a sign in that building, his fame will spread all the way to the capital. He will then have a place in the literary world, and high-ranking officials and nobles will vie to invite him."

"That's amazing? I definitely have to go see it."

The sound wasn't loud, but the emperor could hear it clearly.

Gu Mingli listened intently and identified one of the voices.

It was indeed the young master of the Pei family.

He chatted casually with the person next to him, his tone carrying the unique aloofness and nonchalance of a scholar.

Gu Mingyue pursed her lips and exchanged a glance with her brother.

The palace intrigue drama has begun.

Isn't that how it's always portrayed in TV dramas?

The eunuchs never said what they wanted their masters to know directly.

They all started chatting "coincidentally" in places where their master was passing by.

The young master of the Pei family used the same tricks as those old foxes in the palace.

Sure enough, Xiao Ye, who was on his way back to the inn to rest, stopped in his tracks.

He turned his head and looked in the direction from which the sound came.

"Huang Helou?"

Gu Mingli rolled his eyes, speechless.

Tsk! Even as emperor, he can still be so naive.

Can't you see they're trying to hook you?

Hearing the "Second Master" ask a question, Wen Yanzhi quickly replied.

"Second Master, Huanghe Tower is the most famous literary gathering place in our Peach Blossom Spring."

He himself was a scholar, and he became interested when the topic came up.

"That building is at the end of Caizi Lane on the west bank of the river."

"It's full of literati and scholars from all over the country."

"During the day, we would write calligraphy and paint; at night, we would drink wine and compose poetry. Everyone would compete in the building, and the best work, as recognized by all, would be displayed in the center of the building."

"Whoever's work gets displayed will spread throughout Jiangzhou within three days. The more famous ones will even reach the capital."

"Many literary figures and writers have recently become famous through Huanghe Tower."

A light shone in Xiao Ye's eyes.

He had always been fond of literature.

After ascending the throne, he was busy with state affairs and had not touched the poems and songs on his desk for a long time.

Upon suddenly hearing about this place, my interest was immediately piqued.

Like a bird that has been trapped in a cage for too long, suddenly hearing the sound of the wind in the forest.

"Let's go take a look."

As he said this, he had already changed direction.

Xiao Jue didn't say anything, but simply followed.

The two brothers exchanged a glance.

Xiao Ye's cold gaze swept over the group of people from the Pei family on the side of the street.

Xiao Jue immediately gave a hand signal to his imperial guards.

"Why……"

Gu Mingli still wanted to try and bring the emperor back.

As a result, someone grabbed his sleeve.

Gu Mingyue shook her head slightly.

"Brother, what's coming can't be avoided, but you must stay close. Tonight, capture the emperor's attention and don't let him be distracted by anyone else."

"Okay. Don't worry."

Gu Mingli rolled up his sleeves, his face full of seriousness.

"Even if I have to go all out tonight, I'll make sure Lao Xiao won't have time to look at anyone else."

Gu Mingyue: "..."

No! You'd better not risk it.

Because she still had to save face in front of her friends.

Huang Helou was larger than Gu Mingyue had expected.

The three-story wooden building, with its upturned eaves, blends in with the surrounding shops from the outside, but is the largest in size.

Two octagonal palace lanterns hung at the entrance, with the words "Huang He" written in clerical script on the lantern screen, the ink strokes vigorous and powerful.

Pushing open the door, the layout inside surprised both her and Gu Mingli.

The first floor is a spacious hall.

Dozens of square tables were scattered among them, with wine pots and cups on them.

Some guests sat alone, while others sat in small groups, with paper and pens beside them.

Some people dipped their brushes in ink and pondered, some raised their glasses to drink alone, and some argued heatedly with the people at the next table.

In the very center of the hall is a circular platform.

Made of wood, polished smooth, surrounded by low railings on three sides, with the front open.

The stage is currently empty, but the walls behind it are covered with calligraphy and paintings.

Layer upon layer, densely packed.

The three paintings hanging in the very center are noticeably larger than those on the sides.

That was last month's "Queen" work.

The corridors on the second and third floors were also crowded with people, craning their necks to look down.

It was very lively.

The smell of alcohol and ink mingled together, mixed with the slightly burnt smell of burning candlelight, filling the entire hall.

As soon as Xiao Ye entered the room, his eyes were drawn to the calligraphy and paintings on the wall.

He walked closer and looked up to examine it more closely.

The one in the very center is a seven-character quatrain, describing the night view of the Suhuai River.

"He has some skill."

Xiao Ye commented with great interest.

Xiao Jue glanced at it from the side and nodded.

"This poem is also quite good. It could easily rank in the top ten at a literary gathering in Kyoto."

Wen Yanzhi explained to the two gentlemen in a low voice from behind.

"These are the rules in this building."

"Guests would drink wine and compose poems, and those who thought they wrote well would present their poems to the judges on duty."

"The judges will screen the works and select the best ones to display on the wall. If anyone disagrees, they can submit a new work to compare."

"The one that remains in the very center will be the champion of the month."

He pointed to the high platform.

"If two poems are evenly matched, please have both of them come up on stage and recite them in front of the audience. The guests below will then raise their hands to vote."

"Perfect timing, today is the last day of the month. The champion of the month will be decided tonight."

Wen Yanzhi turned to look at the Second Master and the Fourth Master.

"If you two gentlemen are interested, you may also submit a poem. In any case, do not leave your name at the end of the poem, only your table number. You can register only if you are on the stage for the competition."

Xiao Ye found it novel.

"Let's find a table and sit down."

Gu Mingyue and Gu Mingli exchanged a glance, and then quickly followed.