Chapter 504: Hide and Seek

The Zhangsun family acted quickly; the next day they transferred ownership of Wangyuelou and several brothels in Pingkang Lane belonging to the Zhangsun family over.

According to the agreement, Chen Yan gave the other side one‑tenth of Zui Xian Lou's revenue.

Gao Yang didn't understand this; after the Zhangsun people left, she asked in puzzlement, "You exchanged one‑tenth of Zui Xian Lou's profits for Wangyuelou and three other brothels?"

"If you owe someone a favor, why not give a little more?"

Chen Yan raised an eyebrow, "Why do you say that?"

"Do I even need to ask?" Gao Yang thrust her hips out, then began to display her astonishingly clever speculation, "Do you know how much a brothel like this is worth? What its daily profit is? Do you realize a single head courtesan is worth several thousand strings of cash?"

"Wangyuelou is the premier establishment in Pingkang Lane; with so many famous courtesans, just the paper‑ticket value already reaches ten thousand strings, even up to several tens of thousands."

"Moreover, Wangyuelou's true value lies in the influence it represents and the network it contains. You swapped one‑tenth of Zui Xian Lou's revenue for it and even threw in three solid brothels for free. To me, that's a bargain price!"

"Zhangsun Wuji definitely wants to sell you a favor!"

"Short‑sighted!" Chen Yan glared at her, able to say nothing else.

Gao Yang was startled, irritated, "Who did you say is short‑sighted? Did I say something wrong?"

"Even I, a woman, know that Pingkang Lane is frequented by scholars, refined guests, and most officials. As the top establishment there, it's a hub of connections, hosting a top‑level banquet every night. Isn't that the true value of Wangyuelou?"

"Isn't it better than your restaurant?"

"So I told you, you're short‑sighted!" Chen Yan persisted in his view.

Gao Yang clenched her teeth, suppressing anger, "Then tell me—where exactly am I short‑sighted? Give me a reason!"

"Fine, then I ask you!" Chen Yan sat up straight, seriously, "You say Wangyuelou is a hub of connections—I don't deny that—but have you considered where Zui Xian Lou falls short?"

"Isn't it different because it only entertains top‑tier guests? Can ordinary folk afford a meal there?"

"Do you know how many officials and merchants each day pay huge sums just to secure a spot in Zui Xian Lou for negotiations?"

Gao Yang was at a loss for words; she had always been focused on Chen Yan's silk trades and had never paid much attention to Zui Xian Lou, so she didn't understand it well.

Has Zui Xian Lou's influence become this great already?

Chen Yan continued, "In terms of potential value, Zui Xian Lou isn't lacking at all; moreover, there's something Zui Xian Lou has that Wangyuelou can never match!"

"That's that Zui Xian Lou keeps expanding, while Wangyuelou is just a single entity!"

"Yes, Wangyuelou does have many famous courtesans, even a good number of head courtesans, but how many such women can be found throughout Chang'an?"

"And how many such women exist in the whole world?"

"Can its development compare to Zui Xian Lou's? With the royal backing, Zui Xian Lou will someday become the number one establishment in the world—can Wangyuelou do the same?"

Gao Yang fell completely silent.

Indeed, Wangyuelou's existence relies on famous courtesans, on head courtesans.

That single factor alone stalls Wangyuelou's development.

"Alright, stop babbling, here, look!"

Chen Yan tugged her away, turned toward Sizi and Chengyang playing on the open ground, and Xiao Qingyue, saying, "Go play with them. Let Xiang Lan and the others look after the daughter; when the daughter grows a bit, you'll have another playmate."

Gao Yang:???

What does that mean?

Is she saying she's only fit to play with kids of a certain age?

As she was about to speak, Chen Yan turned his head and called out to Li Tai passing by.

"Where are you going? If you have nothing else, come out with me; the two of us will pick a spot and quickly rebuild a research institute."

Li Tai instantly became excited, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go right away!"

"Fine, since you're free, let's go!"

The two kept talking, arm‑in‑arm, and walked away, leaving a bitter‑hearted Gao Yang behind.

"Sister, want to play hide and seek together? It's so much fun!"

Sizi stuck out his little head and asked.

Gao Yang: "......"

"......"

"Brother Chen, where shall we go first?"

As soon as they stepped out the door, Li Tai impatiently asked.

Having been used to immersing himself daily in cannon research, he was still a bit unaccustomed to an unexpected break.

"Find somewhere a bit closer and more secluded; whatever you built is somewhat dangerous," Chen Yan mused.

"Besides, I'm preparing to start a merchant guild, and I need to pick a location!"

Li Tai frowned, "Then why bother looking for a place? Let's go straight to the palace and let the Crown Prince and Father Emperor decide; the research institute is meant to help the Tang Dynasty study useful things, right?"

"Most of your merchant guild's profits also go to them, so why waste our effort searching for some place?"

"If you ask me, just hand everything over to them; they're the ones who should be in a hurry."

"…hiss!" Chen Yan at first paid no mind, but upon closer thought……

Exactly!

Why look for it ourselves?

Can't we let Li Shimin find it?

"Great idea!" Chen Yan gave a thumbs‑up, "You truly are your father's great son; having you is his blessing!"

"Let's go back!"

"Go back?" Li Tai was taken aback, "Weren't we supposed to go to the palace?"

"Go back and bring Sizi and Chengyang, those two little guys, and let them stay back for a few days!"

Li Tai thought of his two increasingly sharp‑tongued sisters, nodded heavily, "Great idea!"

They acted immediately; the two grown men turned and rushed back home, grabbing Sizi and Chengyang—still playing hide and seek and about to hide—and ran off.

The two little guys looked utterly bewildered.

They had no idea what to do.

After everyone had run off and disappeared, Xiao Qingyue turned her head to look at Princess Gao Yang far away, lying on a pillar counting, scratched her head, then turned and went to the back kitchen to help her mother work.

"Twenty-eight...... twenty-nine...... thirty!"

"Are you all hidden? I'm coming!"

Gao Yang turned around, seeing no trace of Sizi and the others around her, she remained calm.

You're joking!

She's a married woman who's had a child—how could she possibly lose a childish little game to kids?

Absolutely impossible!

"Make sure you hide well, don't make a sound—I'm coming~"

Gao Yang clapped her hands, strolling about full of confidence, every now and then glancing sideways to see if there were any hiding places.

But soon, she gradually couldn't bring herself to smile.

Gao Yang searched every spot in the designated area, still couldn't find a single person, and began to doubt herself.

"No, where are they?"

"......"