Why My Domineering Prince Regretted Filing for Divorce?-Chapter 701 - 547 Raising the Price on the Spot

Due to an outbreak of plague in the city, Yu Wenquan ordered that people from the noble families were not allowed to wander around casually, so all these restaurants and street stalls ended up deserted. The tavern in front wasn’t large, with only a single shop assistant, who was leaning against the door yawning.

Seeing Pei Xingyuan get off the carriage, the shop assistant looked as if he had seen a god of wealth, swallowing the yawn halfway with forced enthusiasm, he greeted him cheerfully: "This gentleman, are you here to drink or dine?"

The silhouette behind the second-floor window flickered and then disappeared.

Pei Xingyuan withdrew his gaze, smiled at the shop assistant and said: "To drink."

"Alright, this way please!"

The shop assistant immediately bent over and led him inside. Upon reaching the entrance, he saw the hall on the first floor, which had several tables; it was entirely empty and eerily quiet. The shop assistant accompanied him with a smile and said, "Sir, currently the city doesn’t allow dining or drinking in the hall, you can only go upstairs."

Pei Xingyuan nonchalantly waved his hand: "This young master has visited every tavern in the city these past days, yet isn’t aware of this rule? Lead the way."

The shop assistant was rather surprised—since the outbreak, the taverns seldom had guests and were almost on the verge of closing down. Only a few, with some connections, dared to keep their doors open. However, ordinary citizens were afraid of contracting the disease and wouldn’t dare visit. Unexpectedly, this gentleman had visited every tavern in the city these days.

Isn’t he afraid of contracting the disease?

Although puzzled internally, seeing an affluent guest arriving, he dared not hesitate, and hurriedly led him to the second floor.

On the way up the stairs, Pei Xingyuan asked again: "By the way, how many guests do you have on the second floor today?"

The shop assistant hurriedly replied: "Besides you, sir, only one esteemed guest has just arrived."

Then he quickly added: "But don’t worry, sir, I will make sure you’re seated far away, so you’re not disturbed."

Pei Xingyuan waved his hand: "I am not afraid of being disturbed. I just like to enjoy the view, so find me a spot facing the street."

The shop assistant replied: "Oh, that’s no problem!"

With that, the two had reached the second floor, which had eight private rooms on three sides, all eerily silent. The curtains at the entrances of seven rooms were rolled up, with only the street-facing room’s curtain down, swaying slightly, revealing a faint silhouette of a thin person within.

The shop assistant glanced around, finding only the adjacent room next to the occupied street-facing room available.

He led Pei Xingyuan to sit there, and Pei Xingyuan casually ordered some dishes. The shop assistant promptly promised to pass on the order, leaving behind the bead curtain at the door on his way out.

As the shop assistant’s footsteps faded away, the sound of the swaying bead curtain gradually settled, making the second floor quiet as an empty box. Only with extreme focus could a faint sound of two people’s breathing be heard.

After a while, Pei Xingyuan chuckled: "Brother Jin, have you not made a decision yet?"

"..."

No response.

Pei Xingyuan poured himself a cup of tea from the pot on the table, sipping slowly while speaking: "I know you’re dispensing medicine in Yanzuo Square, with every portion of the herbal soup made from a few dozen coins’ worth of herbs, three times a day. To avoid shortage, you make over a hundred extra portions daily, which are all discarded."

"..."

"These herbal soups, if brought to Changle Square, could suffice for three hundred people for two to three days."

"..."

"I sell medicinal soups at Changle Square for one silver coin each. Calculate how much money you’re throwing away daily."

"..."

"Brother Jin, don’t tell me wasting resources will bring divine retribution, even your conscience can’t be at ease, right? Otherwise—you wouldn’t have argued with me for so many days, would you?"

As he spoke, there was still no response from the second floor.

Until the last word fell, a sharp voice, laced with cunning, echoed from the private room behind him, coldly laughing: "My conscience wouldn’t trouble me."

"..."

"I only care about money."

"Caring about money? That’s simple."

Pei Xingyuan was delighted and immediately said: "I’ll give you five hundred silver taels, you supply me with five days’ worth of medicine. This amount—it’s merely what you discard in a day or two, it’s pure profit!"

Once his words were finished, there was sudden silence.

In that silence, the second floor, even the entire tavern, seemed to fall into a dead quiet, inexplicably causing some unease.

Pei Xingyuan frowned slightly, just as he was about to speak again, the voice suddenly rang out, stiffly: "It’s one thousand taels."

"What!?"

Pei Xingyuan’s eyes widened and he suddenly turned around.

Although separated by a screen and unable to see the person in the private room behind him, when he stood up, he knocked into the chair behind him, creating a loud clanging sound that reverberated through the second floor, reminiscent of distant thunder, causing a tremor in the heart.

At that moment, the shop assistant came upstairs.

He held a tray with a wine pot, cups, and a small dish. Perhaps hearing the loud noise and thinking Pei Xingyuan was growing impatient and angry, he quickly walked into the private room, nodding and smiling apologetically: "Sir, please calm down, the kitchen is cold today, thus their hands were slow. I’ve already urged them. This wine, you may enjoy first, this side dish is compliments of the shopkeeper."

Being a noble family’s offspring, Pei Xingyuan was always easy-going and never angry with the servants. Though still a bit anxious in expression, he quickly composed himself, smiled and said: "You certainly know how to conduct business, place it down."

"Certainly!"

The shop assistant mimicked a formal tone, intentionally making him laugh, placed the wine and side dish down, and eagerly asked: "Is there anything else you need, sir?"

Pei Xingyuan waved his hand: "Go hurry up the kitchen again."

"Yes."

The shop assistant finally breathed a sigh of relief, hurriedly exited the private room and soon descended the stairs.

As soon as he left, the second floor quieted down again. Pei Xingyuan gradually calmed his mood and breathing, looked at the wine and dishes on the table, poured himself a cup of wine, took a sip—though the tavern’s wine wasn’t particularly good, the slight pungency unexpectedly calmed his nerves.

Pei Xingyuan chuckled lightly and said: "Brother Jin, are you hiking up the price on the spot now."

"Indeed, I am hiking up the price on the spot."

"..."

"If I give you these medicines, within days you’ll eradicate all the disease in Changle Square. When that happens, I won’t have any opportunity to make money, might as well take advantage of this time to make a big profit."

"..."

"Moreover, I’m taking a risk selling you these medicines."

Upon hearing this, a glint of sharpness flashed in Pei Xingyuan’s eyes, he said: "I indeed want to know, Brother Jin, exactly how much risk you’re taking."

"..."

"Who’s backing you, exactly—"