Carrying the little lucky star, leading the villain on the road to exile

Chapters 634 and 635. The Tavern
Several old drunkards stopped drinking, and even the innkeeper, who was sitting to the side, came over. Of course, he was holding a wine pot, so he couldn't take advantage of his guests.

"Everyone, please keep your voices down, in case we attract the patrolling soldiers."

"Don't worry, boss. Those soldiers are too busy patrolling every day to stop and eavesdrop on us."

"If the emperor really reaches that point, who do you think will be next?"

"Who knows? You guys aren't going to bet on this, are you?"

"How could that be? If we were really going to place a bet, we wouldn't be sitting here relaxing right now."

"Sigh, it seems that peaceful days won't last much longer."

"Can't you have a little more confidence? Actually, those princes are not bad either. As long as the successor to the throne is decided, things won't get too chaotic."

"That's easy for you to say. You know there's already a drought in the north. Several of my relatives have already returned, but look at the court, there's not a single word from them. This must be being deliberately suppressed."

"No way! This is a capital offense, who would dare?"

“They wouldn’t do it unless it was a capital offense. This is a good time to eliminate dissidents.”

At this point, everyone fell silent. Local officials certainly wouldn't dare to conceal the truth, so who did it? It's obvious.

"These princes, for the sake of their own imperial ambitions, truly don't treat people like human beings..."

"Shut up, or one day your mouth will bring you trouble."

Then came a series of sighs and lamentations as the innkeeper refilled their drinks. "Yes, it's fine to drink and chat a bit here, but you can't let your words cause trouble."

We're in the capital, which is much better off than other people. As long as we get through this turmoil, we'll all be able to continue living our lives as usual.

Our ancestors all lived this way. Buying more food and stockpiling it at home during this period is the best option, if absolutely necessary, to save our lives.

"Manager Chen, you are very experienced."

"There's nothing I can do about it. This is a century-old business. If it weren't for the profits, it wouldn't have lasted a hundred years."

"Then we should toast you," the drunkards raised their glasses. They had really gotten a good deal on the wine today; the innkeeper was quite generous, serving them fine wine.

Manager Chen went to the kitchen and brought them two more bowls of snacks to go with their drinks. "Let me tell you," he said, "this is the last of my stock. If you want some, it'll be gone."

"Sigh, you shouldn't have let the chef go back. I crave your braised dishes every day if I don't eat them."

"That's right, Manager Chen. You run a tavern, but your braised dishes are better than other braised food shops. Aren't you afraid of people coming to cause trouble?"

Manager Chen didn't take their words seriously; these people just liked to talk a big game.

Besides, that braised food shop belongs to the Bai family. Their patriarch is the Bai family's son-in-law, so they're all family. They often exchange goods with each other in private.

These people claim that their braised dishes are better than those from braised food shops, but that's pure nonsense; they all use the same recipe.

Just a few drinks were all it took to win over these people.

“We’re all in business, and harmony brings wealth,” said Manager Chen, who is getting old and wrote to his boss wanting to retire. After several attempts, his boss finally replied and agreed, and arranged a place for him to retire. He has been packing his things these past few days and is waiting for the new manager to take over.

These old drunkards were his longtime friends; otherwise, he wouldn't have risked letting them ramble on here tonight. Of course, he wouldn't let them stay here unchecked, so he had the waiter keep watch outside, signaling if anyone approached.

"So, Manager Chen, this is what you do in business. Why don't you quit? You seem to be in good health. Continue to keep us old brothers company. Without you, we don't know where we'll find a good place to drink."

Manager Chen said, "Hey guys, even if I leave this tavern, it will still be open as usual. The new manager will do the same thing as me. You guys still have to come and support the business."

"Your boss must be incredibly lucky to have found you. Even at this point, you still remember to help him get business."

Shopkeeper Chen said, "There's nothing I can do. My employer treats me well. Although I'm old, they've already found me a place to retire. I'll be enjoying my golden years there from now on..."

"Speaking of which, your employer is too mysterious. All these years, you haven't told us who your employer is?" A drunkard, emboldened by alcohol, squinted and probed.

“Our boss doesn’t like to be in the public eye. Besides, we’re a business that values ​​integrity. We’ve always operated on a low-profit, high-volume basis. We haven’t been selling at a high price, have we?”

"That's not true."

Manager Chen slammed his hand on the table. "That's more like it! We'll get drunk and forget about everything else."

"Manager Chen, you're right. Come and have a drink," he said, filling Manager Chen's glass with wine. "When are you leaving? The brothers will see you off then."

"I don't know yet. I have to wait for the person who will take over before I can leave, but it should be soon."

"Now that I'm leaving, I'm afraid we may never have the chance to meet again. Please take care of yourselves."

Over the years, these old buddies have provided him with a lot of intelligence, so of course he has to keep these people in check for his boss.

"I'll introduce the new manager to you later. You can still come here for drinks as usual. I still have some face to give you."

"That's a good feeling."

The group then abandoned that topic and started talking about gossip outside.

Manager Chen listened quietly, but when he heard the mention of Prince Ning, his ears perked up again.

The master had some entanglements with Prince Ning in the past, and they had been keeping an eye on him for a long time. However, in recent years, they have asked less about Prince Ning's residence, but they still habitually collect information.

"More good news has come from the Prince Ning's residence. I heard that someone in the inner courtyard is pregnant again."

"What kind of good news is this? The Prince of Ning's mansion has already produced seven daughters. If he doesn't produce a son soon, he may truly have no chance of inheriting the throne."

Manager Chen chuckled along, recounting how the Prince Ning's mansion had caused quite a stir over the years.

With no heirs born in his harem for many years, Prince Ning has been the subject of much ridicule behind his back.

A few years ago, news finally came out, but the first child she gave birth to was an illegitimate daughter. Then it was as if a curse had been broken. She gave birth to seven more children in a row, all of them daughters, and they were jokingly called the Seven Fairies.

If another eighth brother were to appear, I wouldn't know what to call him.

"It shouldn't be that bad, right? He's already had seven daughters. Could it be that Prince Ning really isn't destined to have a son?"
In a few more years, I'll probably have to be adopted from one of my brothers.

"This is not something we should worry about. He is a prince, and many people would like to be his son, since he would get a title as soon as he takes over."