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

The next morning, the sun rose late in the border region.

When Gu Mingyue opened her eyes, the light from outside the window had just begun to shine through.

After a quick wash, she took Taozhi downstairs.

The lobby on the first floor has been cleaned up and is now spotless.

Several square tables were pushed together, with steaming hot naan bread and a large pot of mutton soup bubbling with white steam on them.

The accompanying guards were eating breakfast at a long table near the door, their knives resting on the table.

Geng Zhi stood in the middle of the hall near the stairs.

Seeing Gu Mingyue come down, he bowed slightly.

"Master Gu".

"morning."

Gu Mingyue glanced around the lobby but didn't see her brother or Xiao Ye.

"Where is Second Master?"

Geng Zhi's lips twitched slightly. He looked up at the guest rooms on the second floor and lowered his voice, saying:

"Second Master and Eldest Young Master drank too much last night and haven't woken up yet."

Gu Mingyue: "..."

She silently looked up and followed her gaze to the guest rooms on the second floor.

It's understandable that Huang Jiaojiao didn't know her limits when she first tried strong liquor.

Her brother knew the power of strong liquor, so how come he couldn't stop himself and drank too much?

Gu Mingyue shook her head, took Taozhi, and sat down at the table.

The waiter quickly served them a bowl of mutton soup.

The piping hot soup noodles are topped with chopped scallions and a few crushed peppercorns, and have a rich and enticing aroma.

The naan bread was broken in half and soaked in the soup, making it very salty and fragrant.

Gu Mingyue had just drunk half a bowl of soup and a small half of a naan cake when Manager Tao and his wife Zhou Hui came out of the kitchen together.

Both of them had smiles on their faces.

Zhou Hui walked to Gu Mingyue's table, rubbed her hands together, and exchanged a glance with Manager Tao.

"Master Gu, we discussed this all night."

"We are willing to join Pujitang."

Gu Mingyue put down the soup bowl and looked up at her.

"Have you thought it through?"

"I've thought it through."

Shopkeeper Tao pulled up a stool and sat down, resting his hands on his knees.

"Twenty years has passed, I've hidden long enough. My son is fourteen this year, and in two more years it'll be time to arrange a marriage for him."

He reached out and put his arm around his wife's shoulder.

"We can't let our children stay in this poor, remote place with us for the rest of their lives."

Gu Mingyue nodded and smiled.

"In that case, let's start discussing the details."

She took out a contract that she had prepared the night before from her sleeve and laid it flat on the table.

"It's clearly stated in the contract. The secret recipe for Sanliangye belongs to you, and Pujitang will never inquire about the details of the recipe."

Gu Mingyue pointed to a line on the contract.

"Madam Zhou leads the workshop in making wine. The raw materials are purchased and supplied by Pujitang, and quality control is your responsibility."

"Pujitang handles all operations and sales. Profits are split 50/50, and accounts are settled quarterly."

Zhou Hui and Manager Tao's eyes fell on the contract, and they carefully read it line by line.

After a long while, the couple looked at each other, overjoyed.

Zhou Hui quickly poured Gu Mingyue another bowl of tea.

"Master Gu, these terms are... too generous."

Gu Mingyue picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and smiled gently:

"In business, honesty and integrity are paramount."

"As long as we operate with integrity, Sanliangye will surely be able to sell throughout all the states of Dayong and earn plenty of money in the future."

Shopkeeper Tao slapped his thigh in satisfaction.

"Okay! We'll do as the boss says."

He turned around and called to the waiter, who pulled out a calligraphy brush and ink pad from behind the counter.

The couple signed their names and pressed their fingerprints.

"There's one more thing."

Gu Mingyue folded up the contract belonging to Pujitang and put it into her sleeve.

"Come to Anyang in a couple of days."

"I'll have the accountant from the Jizhou branch take you to find the location of the distillery and determine the necessary internal structure."

"it is good."

Shopkeeper Tao readily agreed.

"We'll arrive the day after tomorrow once we've settled things at the inn."

As they were talking, Ji San led two of his men downstairs.

He was dressed in clean shorts today, and instead of carrying the knife on his waist, he placed it next to the table.

Gu Mingyue beckoned him to come and sit down.

"Master Ji, there's something I'd like to ask you for help with."

Ji San sat down with a bowl of soup in his hand. "Please speak, Master."

Gu Mingyue lowered her voice and spoke sincerely.

"The Cold Abyss Alliance has deep roots in the martial arts world and knows many people."

"If the alliance can still contact those capable and extraordinary individuals from the previous dynasty, please help pass on a message."

"Pujitang invited them to cooperate."

"We provide asylum, raw materials, and facilities, as long as they are willing to do their job properly."

"Pujitang can ensure that they will not be questioned about their origins or have their past grievances brought up in the future."

Ji San simply wore a warm smile, revealing no deeper thoughts.

He clasped his hands in a salute.

"I will certainly convey this message to the benevolent master of the house."

"Actually, we know quite a few brothers in the underworld like this. They've long wanted to find a stable place to settle down. It's just that they haven't had a truly stable place before."

Gu Mingyue could understand.

The late emperor had long lost credibility in the hearts of these people, and the new emperor had only been on the throne for less than two years.

"No rush, take your time. Take as many as you can."

The sun gradually rose higher.

Jianghu travelers came and went in the lobby, while the Dragon Scale Guards had already lined up outside the inn.

Gu Mingyue sat in the hall drinking tea, occasionally glancing up at the direction of the staircase.

Around noon, footsteps finally came from the stairs.

Gu Mingli, holding onto the wooden railing, swayed as he walked down from the second floor.

His hair was only roughly tied up, with stray hairs at his temples sticking to the sides of his face.

His face was a little pale, and there were two bluish-gray shadows hanging under his eyes.

Following half a step behind him was Xiao Ye.

This emperor, who controlled the entire Great Yong Dynasty and could turn the world upside down with a flick of his wrist, looked to be in no better shape than his unjustly accused ministers.

Even more than that.

His usual aloof, noble, and unapproachable demeanor has been completely shattered.

Xiao Ye's brows furrowed into a tight knot, and his thin lips pressed into a straight line.

When he walks, he unconsciously softens his steps with each step he takes.

It felt as if if I exerted even a little more force, my brain would pop out of my skull.

Gu Mingyue slowly put down her teacup, crossed her arms, and watched the two grown men sway and walk to the middle of the hall, utterly speechless.

Gu Mingli walked to the table and plopped down opposite his sister.

Then, his upper body fell straight forward.

His forehead slammed heavily onto the table with a "thud".

The sound was muffled on the table, barely audible.

"I'm dead... Burn paper money if you need anything..."

Gu Mingyue rolled her eyes.

"If you're dead, don't breathe, so as not to waste air, and you won't need to drink porridge."

Xiao Ye sat down in the empty seat next to Gu Mingli.

The emperor's inherent demeanor allowed him to keep his back ramrod straight.

He picked up his teacup and took a small sip of warm water.

He reached out and pinched his throbbing brow hard, exhaling a breath of stale air thick with the smell of alcohol.

"My head hurts...it feels like it's going to split open."

Looking at these two men who were full of vigor yesterday but were like dead dogs today, Gu Mingyue couldn't help but feel an overwhelming urge to complain.

"This is high-proof liquor, purified directly from the original mash at the distillery!"

She stretched out her slender white finger and poked her brother's head, which was slammed on the table, without any hesitation.

"Don't you have any idea of ​​your own alcohol tolerance?"

"You're crazy enough, but you dragged Second Master into drinking so much with you! Do you really think you're at home? That it doesn't matter how drunk you get?"

Gu Mingli buried his face in his arms like an ostrich, pretending to be deaf.

It was my own carelessness.

He even got Xiao Ye drunk while they were out.

Hearing Gu Mingyue's scolding, Xiao Ye put down his teacup and cleared his throat.

He tried to defend himself and save face a little.

"Well... it's not his fault... it's mainly because..."

Gu Mingyue abruptly shifted her gaze, glaring at Xiao Ye, her hands clasped in front of her chest, waiting for him to continue.

How careless can an emperor be when he gets drunk while traveling?

Xiao Ye: "..."

He covered his mouth and coughed lightly.

He tactfully picked up his teacup and continued drinking.