Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

While the "elegant scholars" at that table were talking and dreaming about the beautiful "Zuixianlou", two guests who were out of tune with the hustle and bustle in the building were sitting in a secluded seat by the window.

Both men wore plain, unremarkable cotton gowns, the kind you'd miss in a crowd. The older man, about sixty, had a gaunt face and a calm gaze. He leisurely sipped his cup of coarse tea, his knuckles thick as if he were often holding a pen. The young man across from him, about thirty, frowned, listening to the increasingly outrageous boasting from the people at the next table, and couldn't help but lower his voice:

"Mr. Zhao," he quickly corrected himself, his tone tinged with worry and disdain. "Those guys are talking nonsense. Where in the world can you find a free banquet? Especially one so extravagant and extravagant? I think this is a trap! County Magistrate Zhang just left, and now a 'Drunken Immortal House member' shows up. It's a bit of a coincidence!"

The elder known as Mr. Zhao was none other than the then Prime Minister, Zhao Mingcheng. He had come incognito for important business. He set down his teacup, his gaze still calm, his voice low but carrying undeniable authority: "Why bother with these idle gossips? Don't forget why we've come this far."

The young man sighed, his face still etched with indignation. "Alas, how dare I forget? It's just...it's just that you saw it with your own eyes this morning, that Zhang Jingwei! Who could have imagined that the 'brilliant talent' who wrote 'Chen Shi Shu' and 'Salt Control Strategy' and who was so highly regarded by the upright officials in the court would be this...this smug, flattering, foolish face who is easily fooled by charlatans! It's truly disappointing!"

Zhao Mingcheng shook his head slightly, his eyes deep, as if he could see through people's hearts. "It takes time to observe people from the smallest details. I think this person is not as simple as he appears. Let's observe for a while, and don't jump to conclusions too quickly."

The young man rolled his eyes, and with a hint of youthful curiosity and encouragement, he said, "Then... Mr. Zhao, should we also go to the 'Drunken Immortal Tower' and take a look? We should see what kind of 'drunken life, dreaming death' scene is like inside?"

Zhao Mingcheng glanced at him, a smile on his face: "You want to go and broaden your horizons, right?"

The young man blushed and chuckled, "Hehe, how dare I... I just thought that if it really was a trap, seeing it with my own eyes would be good... I could confirm it. Besides, sir, aren't you curious about what kind of illicit entertainment this much-praised 'Drunken Immortal Tower' is? Why are so many people flocking to it?"

Zhao Mingcheng didn't comment, but said calmly: "Have some tea first and rest your feet for a while."

The young man understood and called out, "Little Brother, please bring my master another pot of hot tea."

"Here they come!" The waiter came quickly over, carrying a copper kettle. As he expertly refilled the water, he looked at the two quiet guests and said with a smile, "Gentlemen, judging by your accents and attire, you're not from our area, are you?"

The young man raised his eyebrows and asked with a smile, "Why, if I'm not from here, I can't drink tea in your Yuehua Tower?"

The waiter quickly waved his hands and said with a smile, "Oh, sir, you misunderstood! That's absolutely not my intention! It's just that lately, there have been too many people in the city who are just eating and drinking for free, and it's disrupting business. But I see that you two are calm and composed, with serious eyes. You can tell at a glance that you are serious and respectable people, not the same as those idlers."

Zhao Mingcheng smiled slightly upon hearing this and continued, "The flowers are the same year after year. Whenever the court promulgates a new policy or the government conducts inspections, it is inevitable that there will be these evil spirits and monsters jumping around. We come from the central government and have seen a lot, so we are not surprised." His tone was flat, but it naturally revealed the insight of someone who had been in a high position for a long time.

The waiter's eyes lit up, as if he had found a kindred spirit. "Hey! This gentleman is right! That's exactly what's going on! With all this commotion, the regular customers and serious merchants in the store are getting annoyed and don't want to come anymore. You two are still able to sit still like a mountain, you really have great composure!"

Zhao Mingcheng motioned the waiter to come closer and lowered his voice, as if he was having difficulty speaking: "Brother, please walk slowly. I... want to ask you something."

"Sir, please ask me anything. I will tell you everything I know." The waiter came closer.

Zhao Mingcheng carefully chose his words and tapped the table lightly with his fingers: "I have heard a little about what your county magistrate, Mr. Zhang, did today. Why did he... uh... do this..." He seemed to be unable to find the right words and paused.

The waiter was a shrewd man and understood immediately, saying, "You mean to say why our county magistrate was so... 'despicable', allowing that bunch of swindlers to fool him and even paying for them, right?" He said the word "despicable" very softly, but clearly.

Zhao Mingcheng smiled awkwardly and acquiesced: "Hehe, I made a mistake and it's really hard to speak."

The waiter looked around and, seeing no one was paying attention, lowered his voice, a strange sense of pride on his face. "Sir, if you asked anyone else this, you'd probably get a cold shoulder. But since you two are intelligent people, I'll chat with you. Don't be fooled by appearances! Our County Magistrate Zhang is a top-notch official! He's also incredibly intelligent! Those hooligans may be laughing so hard now, but there will be a time when they won't even be able to cry!"

"Oh?" Zhao Mingcheng leaned forward slightly, his interest growing. "Why do you think so?"

The waiter opened up as he spoke of this, "You didn't know? That Zuixianlou wasn't a good place back then, it was a mess! Later, it was bought out entirely by the 'Junxing' business. And after that, it was amazing! The whole of Gaoyang City became clean! Those filthy gambling dens, the backrooms that forced women into prostitution, and the shady liquor stores that sold fake liquor and cheated customers were all cleaned up almost overnight. They either closed down or were taken over by the 'Junxing' and new rules were established. Now, we ordinary people can do business honestly, live a down-to-earth life, and even dare to go out at night!"

Zhao Mingcheng pondered, "The governance measures are indeed vigorous and effective. But this 'membership system' of Zuixianlou still sounds like extravagance, not good governance."

The waiter chuckled, his expression a bit like, "You only know one side of the story, not the other." "Right! That's exactly what Lord Zhang wants! He's raised the bar for this kind of entertainment and enjoyment so high, so high that ordinary people can't even dream of it! Those gentry and bullies, their money, their thoughts, aren't they all trapped in that 'Drunken Immortal Tower'? I can't remember Lord Zhang's exact words, but the general idea was that he wants to 'drunk these troublemakers' in there to prevent them from going out and causing trouble for the neighbors!"

The young man next to him was listening intently and couldn't help but interrupt, asking, "But didn't you just say that Zuixianlou was opened by the Junxing? How did it become Lord Zhang's idea?"

The waiter looked at the young man as if he were a fool and said with a smile, "Oh my god! What you said is really outrageous! Everyone in Gaoyang City knows that 'Junxing' is Lord Zhang's property! And the Zuixianlou is naturally Lord Zhang's as well!"

"Huangfu Junxing... belongs to Zhang Jingwei..." Zhao Mingcheng repeated in a low voice, a complex glint in his eyes: shock, realization, and deep thought. Although he had suspected something before, receiving such definite confirmation from the public still left him feeling uneasy. A county magistrate could control such a vast commercial force and harness it for local governance. This method... was unheard of!

Seeing that they stopped asking questions, the waiter smiled and said, "Sir, do you two have any other instructions?"

Zhao Mingcheng came to his senses, fished out a small piece of silver from his sleeve, and calmly put it into the hands of the second brother: "Thank you for clearing up my confusion, second brother. This is just a small amount for tea, not a courtesy."

The waiter held the tangible silver piece in his hand, and immediately smiled, his attitude becoming more attentive: "Oh! Thank you for the reward, sir! You are so polite! I will go to the kitchen right away and make you two some freshly brewed tea!" After that, he picked up the pot and walked away briskly.

In the private room, Zhao Mingcheng and the young man exchanged glances, each seeing a deep sense of wonder and inquiry in the other's eyes. Outside, the bustling city throbbed, and in their minds, the small town of Gaoyang, and its young magistrate, became increasingly shrouded in mystery, yet also increasingly captivating.