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

Xiao Ye looked at Gu Mingyue intently.

"I hope that Master Gu can use Pujitang as a bridge to legitimately bring in these rare talents and their lost skills."

"This process was conducted without the official involvement of the imperial court or any government affiliation."

Gu Mingli's mind worked quickly, and he understood instantly.

Wonderful!

It would be almost impossible to recruit former officials and craftsmen in the name of the imperial court, because the Dayong court itself had lost its credibility.

Moreover, those deeply entrenched powerful clans will inevitably be on guard and may even try to intercept and kill them along the way.

But what is Pujitang?

That was just a profit-driven private business!

In business, to develop new products and expand production lines, it's necessary to hire a few skilled craftsmen.

This is simply a matter of course, a perfectly normal business practice.

Who would be wary of a new business reeking of money?

Xiao Ye's voice was deep and steady, and his eyes revealed his planning and anticipation for the future.

"Officially, it's just that Pujitang is expanding its business."

"But in reality, I want to use your Pujitang to nurture a brand new force little by little from the very foundation of the people."

"Once this force, born from the grassroots, grows strong enough, it can revitalize people's livelihoods."

"By then, the people's livelihoods would have been freed from the control of powerful clans, and they would live in peace and prosperity."

"The imperial court will then have no more concerns and can fully confront those deeply rooted powerful clans."

After listening quietly to this grand vision, Gu Mingyue and Gu Mingli both breathed a sigh of relief.

My heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

Xiao Ye was indeed a wise and magnanimous ruler.

Unlike many suspicious emperors in history, he did not choose to kill a thousand innocent people rather than exterminate them simply because the remnants of the Great Qi dynasty "might" threaten his imperial power.

What he truly desired was not a world built of bones, but a peaceful and prosperous era where the people were wealthy and free from the control of powerful families.

"Since Second Master has such ambitions and wants to recruit talented people, then we businessmen should also agree on three rules."

Gu Mingyue completely relaxed, her hands elegantly folded on her knees, and the corners of her mouth slightly upturned.

"The imperial court is going to issue a special pardon to Pujitang."

"No matter what earth-shattering changes occur in the court of Dayong in the future, no matter how fierce the factional struggles are, the court must never investigate the identities of the employees of my Puji Hall or dredge up old grievances to kill people."

"Regardless of whether they were originally from Daqi, once they enter Puji Hall, they are dutiful employees protected by Puji Hall and can be re-registered."

Xiao Ye nodded with considerable appreciation as he looked at Gu Mingyue's assertive demeanor.

"Very well. My word is as good as gold."

Gu Mingyue stood up, deftly smoothed the wrinkles in her dress, and smiled frankly.

"Then please grant us the imperial decree at that time, Second Master. In this way, Puji Hall will be able to rest assured and recruit people without restraint."

"There's no time like the present, I'll go down now and have a good talk with Manager Tao and Madam Zhou."

"Let's see if we can bring these talented people from Daqi, who are hiding in the shadows, under the command of Pujitang."

President Gu's occupational hazard kicks in.

Never procrastinate when you have an idea.

She quickly put forward a preliminary business acquisition plan.

"The Sanliangye business in Longmen City can serve as the first pilot project for our cooperation."

"Pujitang will act as the intermediary to jointly operate the winery."

"They provide the core technology and alcoholic beverages, while we provide the transportation channels and the protection of official backing. We split the profits equally and share the risks if anything goes wrong."

Xiao Ye nodded slightly, his eyes full of approval, and made the final decision:

"Very good. Everything is aimed at revitalizing people's livelihoods and accumulating strength."

"The specifics of how it will be carried out will be entirely decided and arranged by Mr. Gu."

"Just go ahead and do it, I will give you my full support in secret."

……

In the lobby on the first floor, most of the individual customers had already left by this time.

An oil lamp by the window was still lit, illuminating the table where Ji San and Shopkeeper Tao were sitting.

The proprietress brought a plate of hot peanuts from the kitchen and placed it on the table for them.

Seeing Gu Mingyue come down the stairs, his eyes flickered slightly, then he greeted her with a smile.

"Are you still not resting, sir? Come, come, sit here. Here are some freshly fried peanuts."

Upon hearing this, Ji San turned around and stood up to greet him.

"Why is the landlord coming downstairs so late?"

Gu Mingyue sat down next to Ji San and said with a smile to the proprietress:

"I can't sleep, I want to talk to the landlady."

Zhou Hui stood by the table wiping her hands, her smile warm but somewhat perfunctory.

"What would you like to talk about, Master Gu? If you're hungry this late, there are freshly steamed naan breads in the kitchen."

Gu Mingyue looked up at Zhou Hui.

"Boss lady, I want to ask you a question."

Her tone was flat, without any hint of threat.

"You're from the Great Qi, aren't you?"

The moment those words were spoken, all three of them froze in their tracks.

Zhou Hui froze in mid-air while wiping her hands.

Shopkeeper Tao held a wine cup in his hand, but didn't drink from it.

Ji San sat to Gu Mingyue's right, one arm resting on the edge of the table, his ear tips twitching.

Gu Mingyue glanced at the three people with different expressions and smiled frankly.

Pointing to the spot beside him, he politely said to Zhou Hui:

"Sit down and talk slowly."

Zhou Hui forced herself to sit down.

She twisted the handkerchief in her hands and placed it on her knees.

He pulled his sleeve up with one hand, covering the brand of the word "sin" on the inside of his wrist.

Ji San picked up the teapot on the table and poured half a bowl of warm tea into the empty bowl in front of Gu Mingyue.

What are the employer's thoughts?

He asked directly, without denying anything.

Gu Mingyue took the teacup and took a sip.

"Hiding for a lifetime is not a solution. You are hiding between these two countries. How long can the treaty with the Northern Di be maintained? The border patrol lines of the Dayong army are expanding outward year after year."

Zhou Hui and Manager Tao exchanged a glance.

Gu Mingyue continued, "Pujitang is an imperial merchant, with a gold plaque bestowed by the emperor. All the artisans and employees under Pujitang's name are protected by the laws of the Great Yong Dynasty, and their identities are not checked, nor are old accounts brought up. I can help you re-register in the household register."

She looked at Zhou Hui, her voice becoming even more subdued.

"Those who join Pujitang are only asked about their skills, not their background."

Zhou Hui stopped twisting the handkerchief with her fingers.

The wick popped, sending out a spark.

Shopkeeper Tao remained silent for a long time before finally tilting his head back and drinking the wine in his cup, then gently setting the cup down.

"Master Gu".

He looked up, revealing a hint of wariness.

"We've been living here for almost twenty years. Life isn't great, but we're at least surviving."

"But they're just surviving."

Gu Mingyue replied softly.

"What will happen to your descendants? Will they also continue to live this life of hiding?"

Zhou Hui's eyes shimmered.