inspire-indiana Chapter 232 Surprise
Chapter 232 Surprise
Chapter 232
Ye Yunzhou paused, then finally made a move. He bowed slightly and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, she is Miss Luo, who was brought into the mansion by my father earlier."
Emperor Yuanzhen stroked his beard, lost in thought for a moment. He was usually preoccupied with affairs of state, and while he had some inkling of the two girls' affairs, he couldn't quite grasp everything. After a moment, he raised his eyebrows and asked, "But what about that commoner girl?"
It’s not that he could remember the names of the two, but the main reason was that the other one was from the Lu family in Ping’an County and couldn’t have the surname Luo, so it could only be the commoner girl.
Ye Yunzhou nodded slightly and replied, "Your Majesty, that's right."
Upon hearing her words, Emperor Yuanzhen couldn't help but sigh slightly, "This woman is truly extraordinary. Even with the support of the Marquis' Mansion, she's managed to build a business of this magnitude in such a prosperous place like the capital in such a short period of time. Her ability is truly remarkable and rare. Furthermore, the items in her shop are all exquisitely crafted and uniquely ingenious. I'm sure they'll become a sensation in Kyoto soon. This woman is incredibly intelligent and should not be underestimated."
At this point, Emperor Yuanzhen suddenly changed the subject, looked directly at Ye Yunzhou, and said: "Besides, the Marquis' Mansion probably didn't give her much help." His tone was calm, but it revealed an unquestionable certainty.
When Miss Luo revealed she was the host, Ye Yunzhou's expression remained unchanged, but the flash of surprise in his eyes was no act. Just by looking at the way the two interacted, it was clear their relationship was unusual and extremely close. If even he didn't know about it, then the Marquis' Mansion must be unaware of it either.
Clearly, the Marquis's residence was unaware of this matter, so how could they possibly offer assistance? Throughout their time together, the girl had displayed both courage and foresight. She must have already discerned his identity, yet remained composed and composed, never betraying a trace of emotion. Such composure and composure were not commonplace. It was a pity that her humble origins and status meant that even her intelligence, in a world that prizes family status, was like a pearl in the dust. The Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery would likely not take it too seriously, but the Marquis's wife was a different story.
It's a shame this kid has finally shown some interest, so I'm afraid the two of them will have a hard time figuring it out. But that's okay, this kid always has his own ideas. Let him worry about it. After all... what you fight for yourself is more appealing, isn't it?
Thinking of this, he looked at Ye Yunzhou with a hint of teasing in his eyes, "Do you need me to grant you a marriage?"
How could Ye Yunzhou not sense the teasing in Emperor Yuanzhen's words? But his expression remained as calm as ever. He bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness. However, the time is not right yet, so I will not trouble you for now. When the time is right, I will kneel respectfully to beg for your grace."
Emperor Yuanzhen was not surprised by this answer. He simply nodded slightly and said, "Very well, I will wait patiently for that day to come. But you must expedite your actions. Look at other young men your age; they all have wives and concubines, and several children, yet there is no activity in your own room. Your father is often worried about this. Now that you have made up your mind, you should make good plans and arrange to marry that girl as soon as possible. If the position of principal wife is not convenient, taking a concubine first is also acceptable."
Ye Yunzhou lowered his eyes slightly, not arguing. He clearly understood some things. He had no interest in the happiness others enjoyed. He simply desired a devoted partner, and how could he bear to involve an innocent woman in this?
Emperor Yuanzhen was just saying this casually, not intending to interfere in his ministers' affairs. When the carriage reached the palace gate, he waved his hand and said, "Alright, don't stand around here. Go back quickly. I have others to escort you."
Ye Yunzhou did not refuse and got off the carriage neatly after responding. Then he stood there respectfully, watching Emperor Yuanzhen disappear through the palace gate before turning around and leaving.
.........
In the Qingyu Building, after the last group of guests had finally left, the place gradually quieted down. The staff each went about their duties, some busy tidying up the scattered tables and chairs, others sweeping the floor. Everyone's face wore a hint of fatigue as they concluded a busy day.
Upstairs, Chuntao took the account book from Hua Chenguang, and then the others hurriedly gathered together to carefully calculate it. It was obvious until you saw it, and everyone's faces were stunned.
Fang Yueniang had been sitting aside with dignity, just watching them with a smile. Seeing their expressions, she felt uneasy. She nudged Hua Chenguang and said, "Master Hua, what is this...?"
Hua Chenguang swallowed hard, his throat rolling slightly as he squeezed out words from his dry throat, a mixture of disbelief and excitement: "Manager Fang...Manager Fang, the total amount received today is 1,300 taels."
As soon as these words were spoken, not only did the several managers gathered to check the accounts, but even the usually calm and composed Fang Yueniang couldn't help but raise her voice and ask anxiously, "How much did you say? One thousand three hundred taels?"
After a long while, she finally found her voice and murmured with suspicion and shock, "How could there be so many?"
You have to know that most of the people who came today didn't pay anything. Although there seemed to be a lot of people, many of them were eating for free. I'm afraid that less than one-tenth of them actually spent money.
Although there were many people today, she had a rough estimate in her mind, but she thought it would be at most seven or eight hundred taels. Who would have thought that it would far exceed her expectations.
Only Luo Shuiyao sat on one side with a faint smile on her lips. She just watched everyone's reactions quietly without saying a word.
Fang Yueniang turned to glance at Luo Shuiyao. Seeing no sign of surprise on her face, she suppressed her inner turmoil and turned to look at Chuntao. "What about the net profit? After deducting all expenses and wages, how much is the net profit?"
Chun Tao had calmed down a bit by this point. After hearing Fang Yue Niang's question, she took a deep breath and replied, "After deducting all costs, the net profit is about six hundred taels. This is because most of the people who came today took advantage of the free meals. If you exclude these free meals, the profit is nearly 60%."
Fang Yueniang couldn't help but gasp again. You have to understand that a 60% profit is indeed quite high. The profit she was talking about must be the amount after deducting all costs. If she could earn 600 taels a day, and calculate it as 30 days a month, the profit would be 18,000 taels, which is simply unimaginable.
Besides, today was only the first day of business, and many customers were still waiting and watching. Once the news spread tomorrow, with the power of word of mouth, one person would tell ten, ten would tell a hundred. She simply couldn't imagine how prosperous the future would be.
Outside the Qingyu Tower, a man stood quietly not far from the gate, waiting.