Tang Dynasty Little Godfather

Chapter 97 Unstoppable
One fresh and delicious dish.

"Hey shopkeeper, didn't you say that many restaurants are starting to talk about Dream of the Red Chamber today? Why are there still so many people?"

A customer arrived at Yi Xian Jue early, thinking he would definitely be able to find a seat today, but to his surprise, the place was still packed.

Bai Siyong smiled wryly and said, "That's because those restaurants all start from the beginning, while I tell my story faster."

"I see." The customer nodded and said, "That's good. There will be plenty of customers, but it won't be so crowded. The other day was really tough!"

“That’s right, that’s right.” Bai Siyong said, “However, I will slow down a bit here, and the other restaurants will talk more, so it won’t take more than a few days to catch up, and then things will be normal.”

backyard.

"Huh? Girl, isn't Wang Xiaoque here?"

Bai Ningsu looked around for a moment, then asked Hongxiu.

Before Hongxiu could speak, Linghu Baodi said, "Little Sister Bai, who among us isn't more handsome than that dog-headed vulture? Why are you still thinking about him?"

Cui Gu'er also said, "That's right. I really don't know what's so good about that dog-headed vulture. It shakes its head all day long and comes up with all sorts of bad ideas."

Bai Ningsu blushed and hurriedly defended herself, "Who's thinking about him? I was just asking. Besides, why didn't you say that when Wang Xiaoque was around?"

Linghu Baodi chuckled and said, "After all, he is my senior brother, so I still have to give him some face in person."

Hongxiu shook her head in distress and said, "Little Sister Bai, don't listen to their nonsense. Wang Xiaoque is in charge of the East Market today."

Bai Ningsu asked again, "Why didn't you go, young lady?"

Hongxiu said, "I like staying here. What, you don't welcome me?"

Bai Ningsu smiled and said, "Of course I welcome you. I hope you can come every day."

Hongxiu didn't want to go to the East Market, since there were too many acquaintances there, and they were all people of status, so it would be difficult to greet them. Therefore, she and Wang Xi split up, each taking charge of one side.

东市
Zhang Baishou Shop.

Early this morning, Zhang Huai paced back and forth in front of the gate, sometimes craning his neck to look forward, until he saw the convoy of the Nameless Academy slowly approaching, and only then did his heart finally settle down.

Although he had signed a contract with the Nameless Academy, could that contract really restrain that group of spoiled brats?

He was still very nervous before he met the person.

Heaven knows what kind of trouble those spoiled brats will cause this time.

He immediately went forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Young gentlemen, this way please, please come in."

He carefully led Wang Xi and the others to the backyard and said, "This is a rest room that I have prepared especially for you young men. I wonder if you young men are satisfied? If you have any dissatisfaction, I will have someone make arrangements immediately."

This was the first time he had ever asked someone to perform in such a humble manner.

Wang Xi chuckled and said, "I do have one thing I'm not satisfied with."

Zhang Huai immediately said, "Young Master Wang, please speak."

Wang Xi said, "I'm still used to how you used to treat us so perfunctorily, Lao Zhang. This time you're so sincere and hospitable. I feel like I've come to the wrong place. Can you change your attitude?"

Dou E, Han Xiaohu, and the others behind him all burst into laughter.

"Ouch!"

Zhang Huai said, "Young Master Wang, please don't make things difficult for me. I have always been sincere towards all of you young masters."

"Ha ha.!"

The laughter grew louder and was filled with sarcasm.

Zhang Huai could only force a smile.

Dou E suddenly asked, "Old Zhang, have you made arrangements for my brothers?"

Zhang Huai hurriedly said, "Don't worry, brother, everything is arranged. They are drinking inside the building right now."

They're in the limelight now, and many people are trying to curry favor with them, asking for seats or anything like that is a given.

The building was already packed with people, as if all the high-ranking officials and nobles of Chang'an had come here.

Previously, when Dream of the Red Chamber was performed at Yixianjue, it was very unfriendly to them. Many people could only squat on small stools to watch it, and many more were too embarrassed to watch it. But now, the hottest topic is Dream of the Red Chamber!

Therefore, they all hoped that Dream of the Red Chamber could be staged at Zhang Baishou's shop, because there wouldn't be any of these problems there.

Because the social hierarchy in the East Market was very, very clear.

Zhang Huai wouldn't just let ordinary citizens in, nor could he simply pay money to sit inside. It depended on their status, and seating was reserved according to their rank.

"Brother Shangguan? What brings you here too?"

Why can't I come?

"Haven't you always looked down on Wuming Academy and Dream of the Red Chamber?"

"That's precisely why I should come here. As the saying goes, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.' If I had never even heard of Dream of the Red Chamber, how could I truly be indifferent to it?"

"Oh, I see. That makes sense, haha."

".."

As the saying goes, black and red are still red, and black and pink are still pink.

It's important to know that most of Zhang Baishou's customers dislike the Nameless Academy because the Nameless Academy doesn't care about social status and often does things that annoy them.

But they were also looking forward to this day, because if they wanted to criticize, they at least had to know what kind of story it was before they could criticize. But the problem was that the chance to criticize was too small, and they didn't even have the chance to wait at the door. They could only look on with disdain. But today they arrived even earlier than the fans of Dream of the Red Chamber.

They're already itching to get started and can't wait.

Before long, the musician came to the stage, and the building immediately fell silent as everyone looked at the stage.

A little while later, Han Xiaohu and Dou E appeared on the stage, and cheers immediately erupted from the audience.

They weren't their fans, but rather their cronies.

Many others simply dismissed it.

What the hell.

Both of them had performance experience, as they were in the second batch of students to enter the Nameless Academy and had previously rehearsed the story of "Catching and Releasing Cao Cao".

Although this is a charity performance, it's still about the money. Zhang Baishou Shop gave the most, so naturally they sent the most experienced performer.

Moreover, while Xue Jun and Cui Gu'er were performing at Yixianjue, they had been practicing intensively at the academy, so their performance on stage was even better than Xue Jun and the others' initial performance.

Furthermore, the story begins from the beginning.

After all, most people have only heard of the Dream of the Red Chamber but don't know its true nature.

However, since Dream of the Red Chamber is ultimately about stories within a mansion, the customers of the East Market are more likely to understand some of the metaphors and relationships, making it more interesting to read.

There were hundreds of customers, but not a single chopstick was touched; the only sound was the storyteller's voice on the stage.

Zhang Huai, who had been observing from backstage, was relieved to see everyone so engrossed. He then glanced at Wang Xi beside him and said, "Young Master Wang, actually, I would like to cooperate more with Wuming Academy?"

Wang Xi looked at him curiously.

Zhang Huai said, "I also hope that the Hero Wine can be sold in my shop."

Wang Xi chuckled and said, "Old Zhang, you've already missed out on this incredible fortune, so don't dwell on it anymore. Some things, once lost, are truly lost forever."

"Yes, yes, it's my fault for being blind back then."

Zhang Huai nodded awkwardly, but in his heart he thought, "The Hero Wine is selling well, but it's not exactly making a fortune."

It's clear that Wang Xi's refusal was so decisive, yet he couldn't help feeling a bit uncertain about the outcome.

Wang Xi saw this and thought to himself, "Once I brew my new wine, you'll regret it."

Just as Zhang Huai was feeling conflicted, he suddenly heard a murmur of complaint.

It goes without saying that the classic "Want to know more" message appeared.

But what's the point of complaining? The performers on stage are from the same social class as them. We're just going to say this much, what can you do about it? What can you do?

snort!
We didn't know to make a reservation, we'll come again tomorrow.

Really.

After that, customers flocked to the counter to reserve seats, as if to say, "If Dream of the Red Chamber isn't finished, keep going!"

Even some haters are all hypocrites.

Zhang Huai was overjoyed; the money he spent was definitely worthwhile.

I earned back the money on the first day.

That's absolutely insane.

The situation at the other stores was no different from that at Zhang Baishou's store.

It's just a shame there aren't enough of these positions.

This storm in the Dream of the Red Chamber came swiftly and suddenly, as if the students of the nameless academy were roaring at those who had once looked down on them: "We're back!"

But unlike the storm, it didn't recede quickly. On the contrary, its popularity continued to rise, since many people had never heard of Dream of the Red Chamber before.

Whether they are commoners, scholars, noblemen, or young ladies, they are loved by everyone.

It's truly unstoppable.

Those restaurant owners were secretly glad that they hadn't backed down at the last minute; otherwise, it might have really changed their fate.

However, there are bound to be envious people when something like this happens.

Wu Xin was certainly one of them.

These days, he has been meticulously preparing for one thing: a singing competition. Although it is just a competition, it is of great significance to the Wu family.

This would help him win over the ministers in the outer court, which is exactly what the samurai family lacks right now.

Now, seemingly overnight, the singing competition has become completely ignored.

Objectively speaking, while poetry and prose are elegant and undoubtedly represent the pinnacle of Tang Dynasty culture, it would be difficult to generate such a buzz even if Li Bai, Du Fu, and Bai Juyi participated together.

Few people can truly appreciate its nuances, and the poems and essays offer very little to discuss, making them incomparable to novels.

Wu Xin quickly summoned Li Linfu to discuss countermeasures.

If this continues, it's bound to fail sooner or later.

“Don’t be upset, Grand Master Wu. The one who should be troubled is someone else,” Li Linfu said with a smile.

Wu Xin asked, "Who is it?"

"Master Zhang."

Li Linfu said, "Please forgive me for speaking bluntly, but Wu Jijiu is only in charge of education reform. The real reforms of the imperial examination system and politics are all the responsibility of Zhang Xianggong. This is one of the reasons why His Majesty appointed Zhang Xianggong."

Wu Xin nodded slightly, "Actually, I had already consulted Master Zhang before."

"This humble official is aware of this matter."

Li Linfu laughed and said, "Minister Zhang even sent someone to Wuming Academy to ask them to restrain their students, which led to this incident."

Wu Xin asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Li Linfu said, "As far as I know, the reason they went to perform at the restaurant was because they were dissatisfied with what Master Zhang had done. They did it to prove themselves, or rather, to vent their anger."

"really?"

"It's true."

Li Linfu said, "Hongxiu was somewhat worried about this before, so she specifically came to ask me about it."

"I see."

Wu Xin seemed to be deep in thought.

Li Linfu said, “To be fair, Dream of the Red Chamber is indeed well-written, and it is difficult to suppress it with poetry. Since that’s the case, why doesn’t Grand Master Wu stay out of it and let Minister Zhang handle it?”

If it can be controlled, it will naturally benefit the Martial Chancellor; if it cannot, Minister Zhang will certainly remember it. In any case, the Martial Chancellor will benefit from it.”

Wu Xin said, "Then I'll go see Master Zhang again."

"No."

Li Linfu said, "If Chief Martial were to go to see Minister Zhang again, it would backfire. Besides, Chief Martial has no need to do that at all."

All Wu Jijiu needs to do is order someone to tell Zhang Xiangong the truth, and given Zhang Xiangong's character, he will certainly not let it go.

In this way, the Martial Chancellor can reap the benefits without lifting a finger.

Wu Xin smiled and nodded: "Li Zhongyun's plan is brilliant. Come, let me toast Li Zhongyun."

As the popularity of "Dream of the Red Chamber" continued to rise, Li Qiao was also riding high, because it was all included in his education reforms, and more opportunistic officials began to curry favor with him.

When he returned home from his official post, he walked with a brisk pace.

"Your Highness, what a coincidence!"

Li Qiao turned around and saw that it was his friend Jiang Jiao. He quickly cupped his hands and said, "Doctor Jiang."

Jiang Jiao returned the greeting with a cupped hand, then sized up Li Qiao for a moment. "Your Highness seems to be riding high lately!"

Li Qiao hurriedly replied, "No, no."

But the corners of her mouth that she couldn't suppress said it all.

Jiang Jiao said in a low voice, "Your Highness, you must not be too happy too soon."

Li Qiao's expression changed, and he hurriedly asked, "What is it?"

Jiang Jiao asked, "Your Highness, may I ask you, is the matter of Dream of the Red Chamber related to you?"

Li Qiao hesitated for a moment, then said, "There is some connection."

Jiang Jiao asked again, "Then what is it for?"

Li Qiao looked around and whispered, "Naturally, it's to compete with Wu Xin."

Is that all?

Jiang Jiao asked again, "Isn't this to target Minister Zhang?"

Li Qiao hurriedly said, "I have no grudge against Minister Zhang, so why would I target him?"

Jiang Jiao said, "But there are rumors that the reason why Mr. Wuming had his students perform at the restaurant was because Mr. Zhang warned Wuming Academy to restrain its students."

Li Qiao hesitated and remained silent.

Jiang Jiao said, "Since Your Highness has something difficult to say, then I will take it upon myself to speak out."

"Oh dear! Doctor Jiang, please don't be offended."

Li Qiao quickly replied, "Perhaps...perhaps it has something to do with this matter, but it's mainly aimed at Wu Xin."

Jiang Jiao said, "Those children are young and impetuous, but you are not young anymore. Minister Zhang has just returned to court and is in the process of establishing his authority. Yet you are doing this. What do you think Minister Zhang will think?"

Li Qiao frowned and asked, "Then what does Doctor Jiang think I should do?"

Jiang Jiao said, "This is not a big deal, but the rumors outside have embarrassed Master Zhang. You should quickly tell Wuming Academy to stop making a fuss over a small matter."

Li Qiao said, "Now that 'Dream of the Red Chamber' is so popular in Chang'an, it's hard to stop it!"

Jiang Jiao said, "It's good to put on a show; we need to give Master Zhang a way out."

Li Qiao nodded and said, "Yes, yes, I'll go and talk to them about it later."

(End of this chapter)