bayedsolid Chapter 459 Xianghe Restaurant!
Chapter 459 Xianghe Restaurant!
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the day of the so-called treasure appraisal event is almost here.
Mu Xin Nuan had arranged everything well in advance. The restaurant she had chosen was called Xiang He Restaurant, and today, the menu was delivered for her to see in person.
There was a reason she chose this restaurant. On the surface, it was owned by the Fu family, a local wealthy family, but in reality, the head of the Fu family was subordinate to Duanmu Chuze.
In fact, the entire Fu family is essentially Duanmu Chuze's direct descendant!
I'm afraid very few people actually know this.
What Mu Xin Nuan wanted to do was to use this treasure appraisal event to let the whole Yan region know that Xianghe Restaurant in Yanzhou City was the most beloved place by all the powerful and wealthy, especially for those who were not from prominent families but were obsessed with saving face. It was likely that in the future, they would only recognize Xianghe Restaurant for their social engagements.
There was another reason why Mu Xin Nuan chose this place: Fu Hongyang, the young master of the Fu family, had once visited her residence to pay his respects. The implication in his words was that the prince wanted Xianghe Restaurant to open all over Yan.
Wherever there are powerful and wealthy people, there must be a Xianghe Restaurant.
That seems a bit of an overstatement!
However, Mu Xin Nuan always had confidence in Duanmu Chu Ze. If it didn't work in one year, she would try for two. If it didn't work in two years, she would try for ten. One day, she would succeed.
In fact, Mu Xin Nuan understood that Duanmu Chu Ze's real purpose in wanting to expand the Xianghe Restaurant was not just to make money.
This restaurant business is inherently fraught with trouble. You can't easily mess with the local bullies, nor can you mess with the young masters of prestigious families. If you don't have enough power, you'll probably have to close down after only a few days.
But the Fu family is different!
The Fu family has a century-old heritage in Yan.
No prominent family in Yan would dare to provoke the Fu family. In any matter, they would naturally give the Fu family some face. This was not only because the Fu family was a well-known and respected family in the area, but also because of another reason that was both laughable and lamentable.
The current head of the Fu family was originally a military officer, which seems inconsistent with the Fu family's generations-long tradition of scholarship.
Not only that, this head of the Fu family is also an extremely irritable person with an outrageously bad temper! It is said that when he was young, he once walked into the Emperor's palace with a sword in hand!
He was almost mistaken for an assassin and killed by the Imperial Guards!
Fortunately, everyone recognized his face, and he entered the palace alone; otherwise, it's hard to say whether he would have died under a hail of swords.
With such an audacious patriarch in charge, no one in Yan dares to provoke him. He dares to even storm the Golden Palace, so who is he afraid of?
With such a background, it would be quite unreasonable if the Fu family's businesses weren't widespread throughout Yan.
Given the Fu family's status and lineage, if they were to lower themselves to associate with some thugs, it would only tarnish their own reputation and damage the family's standing. However, by utilizing their assets, no one could say anything.
No matter what, these are ordinary people, even scoundrels, dealing with servants and lackeys, not the noble masters of the Fu family.
It has to be said that Duanmu Chuze really took advantage of the Fu family too thoroughly.
Mu Xin Nuan glanced at the menu, sighed softly, and then shifted her body slightly to adjust her posture to make herself more comfortable.
Duanmu Chuze, who was leaning against her, put down the official document in his hand and affectionately ruffled her hair. "Tired?"
"It's alright. Aze, is it really okay for you to take such excessive advantage of the Fu family?" Mu Xin Nuan pouted.
"Use? Do you think so? I don't think so," Duanmu Chuze said shamelessly.
Mu Xin Nuan rolled her eyes at him. "Duanmu Chu Ze, don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You just want to use the Fu family's businesses and manpower to make money for yourself while gathering information from all sides. Do you really think I don't know? Besides, you've used the Fu family head's reputation for being audacious so thoroughly. Do you really think everyone else is a fool?"
"Hehe! So far, you're the only one who knows that I'm the master of the Fu family. Oh, right, Zi Yi knows too."
"Aze, I'm really curious, how did you manage to subdue someone like the head of the Fu family? On the battlefield?"
Duanmu Chuze gently tapped her forehead. "Silly girl, he had already retired and was at home when I went to the border. Speaking of which, this time, we need to ask the Fu family to contribute more to our efforts in setting up the escort agency."
"The Fu family has been a family of scholars for centuries, but in his generation, it has been transformed into a family of military generals? I've heard that Young Master Fu is also highly skilled in martial arts and well-versed in military strategy. Is Aze considering training him in the army?"
"Hmm. Nothing can be hidden from you. However, now is not the time. If we are to cultivate talent, we must wait for the right opportunity. At least now, it is not appropriate."
Mu Xin Nuan knew he had many concerns.
Managing the entire Yan region is infinitely more difficult than managing the backyard of a small royal palace. Add to that the prestigious families below her—which one doesn't have powerful backers in the capital? Don't they all have masters they've secretly chosen? Take the Lu family and the He family, for example; aren't they both people of the Crown Prince?
“Aze, if it’s too tiring, let’s slow down. Some things can’t be rushed. I know you’re carefree, but it’s not worth it if you hurt your health for this.”
"Don't worry, Nuan, I know what I'm doing. Now that Mr. Liu has come to Yanzhou, most of my work has been transferred to him and Xu Hai. Otherwise, how would I have time to stay here with you?"
Mu Xinnuan blushed. "Tomorrow is the treasure appraisal event. I hope it won't be a dull affair."
"Don't worry, I've already made arrangements. Many of these prestigious families dislike each other. I've arranged for people to handle the bidding, so the results will be surprisingly good."
"What do you mean?" Mu Xin Nuan's intuition told her that this guy was plotting against her again.
Duanmu Chuze smiled slightly awkwardly, then coughed lightly, covering his mouth with his loose fist. "Actually, it's nothing much. It's just taking advantage of their little pride and vanity! Those few things aren't necessarily things their families need, but if they're provoked by their rivals, they can't help but take them."
Mu Xin Nuan's eyes lit up, and she immediately understood what he meant. She chuckled and said, "You, how could you come up with such a method! You're even more cunning than a fox."