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

After having breakfast at the inn, Gu Mingyue confirmed today's itinerary with Wen Yanzhi.

"Master, Miss Su Wan's textile workshop is ten miles west of the city. I have already arranged a carriage."

Gu Mingyue nodded and was about to get up when she heard footsteps behind her.

Xiao Ye and his entourage descended the stairs.

"A textile workshop?"

Xiao Ye heard her conversation with Wen Yanzhi, paused, and looked over.

"Is it the workshop that supplied masks during the pandemic?"

Gu Mingyue's heart skipped a beat, but she nodded outwardly.

"Yes, Second Master. That's right. At that time, hundreds of thousands of masks were rushed out there."

Xiao Ye placed the teacup on the table, speaking casually.

"I'm very curious, I'll go and take a look too."

Gu Mingyue's lips twitched.

Sir!

Are you a curious person?

Why do you want to see everything?

After seeing the braised duck, go to Peach Blossom Spring; after Peach Blossom Spring, go to Huanghe Tower; and after Huanghe Tower, go to the textile workshop.

Was he here incognito, or was he here specifically to audit her?

"Second Master, the workshop is full of female workers, the environment is noisy, and it's probably a bit rudimentary..."

"It's alright."

Xiao Ye stood up and straightened his cuffs.

"Those masks saved so many lives during the epidemic. I want to see with my own eyes how they were made."

Gu Mingyue opened her mouth, but couldn't refute it.

He could only swallow back the refusal that was on the tip of his tongue.

Okay, the client wants to come and inspect the production line, can she say no?

Hearing this from the side, Wen Yanzhi immediately asked Gu Mingyue in a low voice.

"Sir, would you like to travel in your own carriage, or would you like to experience the newly launched charter service offered by our Pujitang horse-drawn carriage team?"

"Charter a car?!"

Gu Mingyue's eyes lit up instantly.

The Pujitang horse-drawn carriage team was a project she started on a whim three months ago.

At the time, it was purely to spend money to solve the transportation problem for female workers commuting to and from get off work.

They even built a cement road here ahead of schedule during the epidemic.

This car fleet's business is guaranteed to lose money.

Gu Mingyue felt a little better.

Finally, she found a project that was losing money, which helped to boost her positive energy.

"Then hire a car for me."

"Charter several more vehicles."

Xiao Ye suddenly interrupted.

"Let's experience it together and see how Gu Dongjia's motorcade is different."

"Okay!"

With a confident smile on his face, Wen Yanzhi jogged out the door.

Before long, six horse-drawn carriages arrived.

The group exited the inn.

A row of wide carriages was parked at the entrance, each one larger than a regular carriage.

The exterior of the carriage was painted a light blue, and four large characters were written in white on the side: Pujitang Carriage.

Below the main text is a smaller line of text: Safe and comfortable, punctual delivery guaranteed.

Gu Mingli leaned over to take a look at the small print, then turned around and gave his sister a thumbs up.

"pattern."

The driver was a middle-aged man in his forties, with dark skin and a bright white smile.

He jumped off the carriage shaft, set up the wooden steps, and warmly opened the carriage door.

"Distinguished guests, please aboard! Tea and cushions are provided; please have a seat!"

Xiao Ye bent down and got into the car.

He paused for a moment as he went inside.

The seats inside the carriage are spacious, with thick cotton cushions and backrests, making them soft and comfortable to sit on.

Xiao Ye sat down.

He shifted his body and found that the curve of the seat conformed to his back and waist, even more comfortably than the soft cushions in the imperial carriage.

A thin linen curtain hangs in the window, allowing light to pass through without being glaring.

In the corner, there was a small bamboo basket containing several rough porcelain cups and a pot of cold tea.

The carriage started moving.

Once outside the city gate, we turned onto a newly constructed road.

The wheels rolled over the road, making a soft, even sound.

There was no bumpy ride.

Xiao Ye was somewhat surprised.

When he rode in the imperial carriage along the official road, no matter how well the road surface was repaired, there was always some vibration.

But the carriage seemed to glide smoothly on silk, so smoothly that it aroused suspicion.

"This road surface..."

Xiao Ye lifted the curtain and took a look.

The road surface was grayish-white, smooth as a mirror, without a single pothole.

"This is a cement road."

Gu Mingli leaned back in his seat, his head resting on a soft cushion.

"The one I told you about before."

Xiao Ye responded with an "oh".

Seeing something with your own eyes and talking about it on paper are two completely different things.

He always thought that "cement" was a type of "yellow mud".

Now it seems like they are completely different things.

The road surface was smoother than he had expected.

"But just because the road surface is good doesn't mean it should be this smooth."

Xiao Ye looked down at the floor.

"Is there something special about this carriage?"

The driver, who was leading the carriage, turned around with a smile when he heard the passenger's question.

"Distinguished guest, you have an excellent eye! This carriage is no ordinary carriage!"

The driver patted the carriage shaft with a proud expression.

"The chassis is fitted with shock-absorbing springs! The owner specially commissioned a blacksmith to make them! Each spring is worth three taels of silver, and there are eight of them underneath! The springs alone are worth twenty-four taels!"

Xiao Ye: A spring?

Before he could ask, the driver spoke again.

"And another thing! Distinguished guest, look at our horse! It has iron hooves! When it runs, its hooves won't slip, the horse won't get tired, and the rider won't feel jolted!"

The driver became more and more excited as he talked, and he opened up completely.

"When the owner first set up this carriage team, none of us drivers believed it. We said, 'How could a carriage not bounce? That's nonsense!' But guess what happened?"

"On the first day, all the passengers on the bus slept soundly!"

The driver burst into laughter.

"After that, people from all around, once they'd ridden in one of these carriages, never rode in any other. Now our bus routes are packed every day!"

He then took a bamboo pot from beside the carriage shaft and handed it in through the window lattice.

"Come, come, distinguished guest, have some herbal tea. It's minty, perfect for cooling you down. This is our VIP service."

Gu Mingli took the bamboo pot, lifted the lid, and smelled it.

It is indeed a mint herbal tea, with a refreshing aroma.

Gu Mingli poured a cup of tea for both the Emperor and the Prince of Qi.

Xiao Ye took a sip of the cold tea.

The coolness slid from my throat to my stomach, and it felt really good.

He looked at Gu Mingli.

"Is this carriage team also from Pujitang?"

Gu Mingli nodded proudly and lowered his voice, saying, "These are all my sister's little tricks."

The driver hadn't finished speaking yet.

"Honorable guest, I have something to tell you, please believe me!"

He kept looking back as he drove the carriage.

"Our horse-drawn carriage service started out cheap, only two coins per person. The owner said it was to make it affordable for ordinary people."

Xiao Ye and Xiao Jue exchanged a glance and immediately understood.

Gu Jia's daughter was only aiming to lose money from the start.

"And then?" Xiao Jue asked, fanning himself with a meaningful smile.

"And then!" the driver chuckled, his tone full of pride.

"Later, many merchants from other places rode in our carriage and were amazed! They said they had never ridden in such a stable and comfortable carriage before! They insisted on buying the same model!"

"We didn't sell them at first. But then so many people asked about them that Su Wan, the head manager of the caravan, suggested, 'Why don't we open a carriage shop and specialize in making these kinds of carriages with shock absorbers and horseshoes?'"

"And so it opened!"

The driver gave a thumbs up.

"Our car dealership is already booked until next year!"

"A carriage with shock-absorbing springs sells for 120 taels! Add another 20 taels for a full set of iron hooves! A caravan from the neighboring prefecture came to buy ten of them!"

The driver continued.

"Oh, right! And those iron hoof shoes!"

"Nobody knew about this stuff before, but now all the horses in Jiangzhou are wearing them! Our workshop can make three hundred pairs of hooves a day, and we can't keep up with the demand!"

"Many craftsmen from other places come here specifically to learn the trade. The tuition is five taels of silver per person, and the number of applicants is so high that the doors are practically bursting!"

After hearing these words, Gu Mingli lost his appetite for tea.

He lifted the carriage curtain and glanced at the carriage behind him.

I wonder how upset his sister must be right now?