The Queen’s Husband Chapter 37

The next morning, as Yu Xinruo was still half-asleep, she suddenly felt an itch on her nose. She turned over and impatiently waved her hand in front of her face, only to have it grasped by a warm, large hand.

Qu Yang’s voice, filled with a smile, gently spoke in her ear, “Little lazy pig, it’s time to wake up.”

Yu Xinruo opened her eyes to see Qu Yang already dressed, sitting by the bed and looking at her tenderly. Her cheeks flushed with a blush, and her heart was filled with happiness.

Seeing the mischievous glint in his eyes, she pouted and playfully scolded, “It’s all your fault. You exhausted me last night.”

Such ambiguous words made Qu Yang’s handsome face turn red. He smiled awkwardly and placed a neatly folded set of clothes in front of her, saying, “Alright, it’s all my fault. I’ll make amends. These clothes are from Xiao Li. Hurry up and put them on.”

Yu Xinruo smiled gracefully, lifted the blanket, and sat up, immediately noticing a streak of red on the bed.

“What are you looking at? I’m going to get dressed. Can you go outside?” Yu Xinruo realized she was completely naked and quickly pulled the blanket back around herself. Seeing Qu Yang staring at her, she felt a bit shy and pretended to be annoyed.

“Okay, I’ll call Xiao Li in to help you,” Qu Yang said, retracting his gaze and giving her a radiant smile before turning and leaving.

In a couple of days, he would go to the palace to ask the emperor for a marriage decree. That way, he could be with her forever, he thought sweetly.

For him, the thing he looked forward to most was waking up every morning to see her sleeping peacefully beside him, with a satisfied smile on her sweet face. That would make him content.

Happiness, it turned out, was this simple.

Yu Xinruo remained stunned in bed, mesmerized by his star-like smile. She hadn’t expected him, who usually seemed as cold as the moon, to look so charming when he smiled, lighting up her heart like a brilliant star…

…

The people of the capital all knew that the Du family in the southern part of the city was incredibly wealthy, rivaling the nation, and was the most famous wealthy family in the capital. Besides their immense wealth, the Du family’s fame was also due to their remarkable third young master.

It was rumored that Du Qiulun, the third young master of the Du family, though only nineteen years old, was exceptionally handsome and charismatic. Not only was he exceptionally talented and extraordinary in appearance, but he was also skilled in business. At fourteen, he took over all of the Du family’s business, and in just five years, their business skyrocketed, covering all industries in the capital. In other words, nearly seventy-five percent of the businesses in the capital were owned by the Du family, including restaurants, inns, teahouses, fabric shops, clothing stores, and even brothels. They dominated every industry, showing a strong tendency to monopolize the entire city’s commerce.

Fearing that the Du family’s wealth might lead to rebellion or collusion with enemy nations, the royal family once decreed that the fifth princess should marry Du Qiulun to prevent them from amassing too much power. However, Du Qiulun politely declined. The emperor at the time was the bedridden Emperor Jun Xingyao, father of Jun Yilie. The news infuriated him; how could a monarch’s daughter be rejected by a commoner? He was about to issue a decree to confiscate the Du family’s assets and cut off any rebellious ambitions when Du Qiulun personally came to apologize, saying that he was inherently lazy and flirtatious and was not worthy of the royal daughter. He also promised to pay an additional three hundred thousand taels of silver to the national treasury each year, aside from the regular national taxes, as gratitude for the royal family’s support of the Du family.

Du Qiulun’s sincere attitude and generous promise made Jun Xingyao calm down immediately. After a pleasant conversation, he let Du Qiulun go. In truth, he was not entirely willing to marry his daughter to Du Qiulun. Despite his talent, the third young master’s notorious reputation as a playboy made him reluctant to accept him as a son-in-law.

Du Qiulun’s audacity to refuse the royal marriage decree without punishment, and the fact that the Du family’s business received royal protection, became a hot topic in the capital. Thus, Du Qiulun became a legendary figure in the business world.

As for Du Qiulun’s reputation, it was well-known. It was said that he spent every day indulging in entertainment districts and nightly frolicking among beauties. It was also said that he could easily spend tens of thousands of gold on a courtesan or reach for the stars for a beloved woman, seeking only one night of pleasure, not caring for eternity.

Yet, despite his notorious reputation, countless young women still harbored secret affection for him, hoping to catch his attention, even if it was just for one night.

At this moment, Du Qiulun, the renowned third young master of the Du family, was sitting in a private room on the third floor of the Du family’s largest restaurant, Qiu Yu Lou, reviewing several account books. His long, handsome fingers tapped rhythmically on the table, and his handsome face was indifferent and composed.

Usually, his face was a gentle, almost smile-like expression that made him appear friendly and approachable. However, when reviewing accounts, his expression was more serious and focused, making it intimidating to others.

Two plump middle-aged men stood quietly in front of him, not daring to breathe, their hearts pounding with the rhythm of his tapping fingers, their foreheads sweating with nervousness.

The young man before them was only eighteen or nineteen years old, the same age as their own son. Though he usually treated them kindly, they were always anxious and afraid whenever he came to check the accounts.

A faint orchid scent lingered in the room. The handsome young man seemed to be infused with the fragrance, like a delicate orchid blooming in a quiet valley, drawing everyone’s gaze.

Finally, the young man raised his head, elegantly stretching and revealing a hint of a smile. His narrow, beautiful eyes lazily looked at the two men, and he spoke in a relaxed tone, “This month’s revenue is half of last month’s. Can you explain why?”

His voice was soft and pleasant, with a hint of lazy magnetism, but to the two men, it sounded like a death knell.

The third young master had set a rule that monthly revenue must increase, remain steady, or, in the off-season, decrease by no more than one-third. Otherwise, the monthly salary would be deducted, and an additional penalty of ten taels of silver would be imposed.

The head steward of the Du family’s inn received twenty taels of silver a month, and with the additional penalty, it was a serious threat to those relying on their monthly salary to support their families.

This month was not the off-season, but the inn’s revenue had dropped by half, which understandably terrified the two stewards.

The steward on the left, Du Ping, thought for a moment, wiped the sweat from his forehead, took a couple of steps forward, and respectfully bowed to Du Qiulun, saying with a forced smile, “Third young master is right. The revenue of the Du family’s inn this month is indeed half of last month’s. But there is a reason for this, and we hope the third young master will understand.”

“Then explain the reason,” Du Qiulun said, glancing at him, picking up a white jade porcelain cup from the table. He lifted the lid, and a faint orchid scent immediately wafted out. After sipping, he found it sweet and delicious.

Good tea! Du Qiulun’s eyes showed a satisfied smile. The “Yao Lan” tea from the Du family’s Orchid Tea House truly lived up to its name.

Du Ping cleared his throat and said hesitantly, “Young master, ten days ago, a new inn named ‘Empress Hotel’ suddenly appeared in the eastern part of the capital. I went to investigate and found that it used to be the County King’s residence. Now, it has been turned into a hotel with the name of the current Empress’s previous title, Princess of Changting. However, for some reason, it has been transformed into an inn with the Empress’s name. Moreover, the small maids serving guests wear clothes similar to those of the palace concubines, which is quite surprising.”

At this point, he paused, and the deputy steward, Du Song, glanced at Du Qiulun’s expression. Seeing that he was attentively listening, Du Song boldly continued, “People have a curious nature. The name ‘Empress Hotel’ alone attracts a lot of attention. Additionally, the maids dressed like palace concubines, all of whom are beautiful and graceful, offer warm and enthusiastic service, which increases people’s curiosity and vanity. I believe the owner of the Empress Hotel is quite skilled in psychological tactics.”

Psychological tactics… Du Qiulun’s face gradually showed a hint of a cold smile. “The psychological tactics of the Empress Hotel are indeed brilliant. In just half a month since opening, they’ve taken away half of our revenue. If they continue for a month, our inn might be forced to close!”

The Du family’s inn was the largest in the capital, established for decades. A new inn opening just half a month ago causing such a significant drop in revenue was alarming.

He couldn’t help but blame himself for being too complacent, thinking that no one in the capital could surpass him, and thus relaxed his vigilance over some industries, leading to this mistake. Had he known earlier, he would have made it difficult for the Queen’s Inn to even open.

Hearing this, both Du Ping and Du Song immediately broke into a cold sweat. They then heard Du Qiuluan’s stern voice asking, “You only informed me about the Queen’s Inn after it’s been open for half a month. Did you intend for Du Family’s Inn to go out of business?”

The two men were so frightened that they immediately knelt on the ground, their heads lowered, not daring to look at him.

Du Ping stammered, “Young Master, we didn’t mean to conceal it. We thought they were just bluffing and wouldn’t be arrogant for long. We didn’t expect…”

“Enough!” Du Qiuluan said with a cold face, waving his hand. “I see that you’re no longer fit to be the chief manager. For now, you’ll take on the role of accountant at the inn for a month. As for the position of chief manager, Du Song will take over.”

He really couldn’t understand why his father insisted he become the chief manager! The fact that they failed to spot the potential of the Queen’s Inn compared to the meticulous Du Song was a major flaw.

“Thank you, Young Master!” The two men, one worried and the other relieved, thanked Du Qiuluan in unison.

The accountant’s monthly salary is half of the chief manager’s, and the deputy manager’s salary is ten taels less than that of the chief manager. It’s no wonder that Du Ping looked glum while Du Song looked pleased.

“By the way, do you know who the owner of the Queen’s Inn is?” After a moment of contemplation, Du Qiuluan suddenly asked.

Du Ping and Du Song exchanged glances, and Du Song spoke up first. “I’ve heard that the owner of the Queen’s Inn is named Zhong Wenshu. However, I always feel that although this person is quite shrewd, he is not the real owner. There must be a more powerful figure behind the scenes.”

Du Qiuluan nodded thoughtfully, which matched his suspicions.

“Will there be any punishment for us this month?” Du Ping asked cautiously, glancing at his expression. He felt that the lower revenue at Du Family’s inn this month was due to the arrogant Queen’s Inn, not their fault.

“As for the punishment for this month’s lower revenue…”

Du Ping and Du Song immediately perked up their ears.

Du Qiuluan glanced at them and said slowly, “Considering that you have loyally worked for the Du family for over ten years, I will let you off this time. However, if it happens again, there will be no leniency! Now, you may leave.”

The two men breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that there would be no deduction from their salaries this month. They bowed respectfully and then left.

The Queen’s Inn is indeed an attractive name… It seems he needs to carefully investigate who is truly behind this inn.

He heard that the Changing Princess now lives in the residence of Minister Qu and no longer resides in the princess’s residence. Given that this person boldly uses the Queen’s name and occupies the current Changting Princess’s residence, they must be closely related to the royal palace.

Could the true owner of the Queen’s Inn be the former Queen now turned Princess? Based on what he has learned about her, it is ninety percent unlikely. A frivolous and simple-minded woman couldn’t possibly have such advanced business acumen.

Du Qiuluan absently toyed with the white jade cup on the table, slowly pondering, with a lazy and unruly smile on his lips.