Making you a son-in-law is not about making you conquer the world.

When the city walls of Yingtianfu were laid bare before him, Lin Ping's heart was filled with excitement. This ancient capital of six dynasties was still as prosperous as ever.

Many people wanted to enter the city in the early morning, most of them were wealthy merchants who handed some money to the guards and easily entered.

This has become a tacit agreement. For these wealthy merchants, what they lack most is time, not money. Even if there are no prohibited items on the carriage, they still waste time being inspected.

Lin Ping imitated her with great care, making sure the crossbow in his arms wasn't discovered; otherwise, losing his weapon would be a minor matter, but being thrown into jail would be a major one.

Yingtianfu is a typical Jiangnan water town, featuring not only distinctive white walls and black tiles, but also the charming Qinhuai River that runs through it from north to south.

As a seasoned loser, Lin Ping's first thought was naturally of the "Eight Beauties of Qinhuai" and the "Thirteen Beauties of Jinling," etc. Since ancient times, there have been many brothels along the Qinhuai River.

This was a product of prosperity. After all, brothels belonged to the tertiary industry, which was enough to show the wealth of Jinling City. Now, Yingtian Prefecture is definitely even more prosperous.

"Pear blossoms like snow, grass like smoke, spring is on both banks of the Qinhuai River. A row of boudoirs stand by the water, each house reflecting the beauty of a woman." Looking at the vast Qinhuai River, Lin Ping was moved to write this poem, but he did not feel the sentiment of "the courtesans are oblivious to the sorrow of a fallen nation, still singing 'flowers in the backyard' across the river."

Walking along the banks of the Qinhuai River, watching the bustling traffic on the streets, Lin Ping was filled with emotion.

This is the capital of the Wu Kingdom, and the central area is inhabited by the wealthy and powerful. It is also Lin Ping's ultimate goal. However, given his current status, he would probably be crippled before he even gets inside.

To gain recognition among the feudal lords, one must proceed steadily and cautiously, step by step, and never simply throw tens of thousands of taels of silver in someone's face.

To be honest, very few people would even look at your tens of thousands of taels of silver notes. Anyone who can open a shop on the banks of the Qinhuai River has assets of at least tens of thousands of taels.

Lin Ping walked along the banks of the Qinhuai River from north to south for about half an hour, when his stomach started growling loudly.

Before arriving in Yingtian Prefecture, he had already walked thirty li, and with the sun at its zenith, it was no wonder he was hungry.

Eating is an important matter, and Lin Ping can't just find any restaurant to eat at. He not only needs to eat his fill, but he also needs to eat well.

"Le Shi Xuan!" A restaurant located on the banks of the Qinhuai River caught Lin Ping's attention. This restaurant was clearly a level above ordinary restaurants, and the three gilded characters on the lintel were the best proof of that.

So, Lin Ping, dressed in tattered clothes and looking travel-worn, walked into the restaurant, immediately attracting a crowd of onlookers, most of whom looked at him with disdain.

Le Shi Xuan is a high-end place, and only the rich and powerful can afford to dine there. Lin Ping doesn't seem to want to be rich or powerful at all.

The ancients valued eating at certain times. It wasn't mealtime yet, and the restaurant was empty. Lin Ping casually found a seat by the window, where he could enjoy the cool breeze, admire the beautiful scenery outside, and most importantly, attract attention.

It's not unusual for a wealthy gentleman to sit here, but it's Lin Ping, who looks so poor, that's a real eyesore.

Sure enough, the waiter reluctantly came over and kindly reminded him, "Sir, this seat will cost extra."

"Extra charge? What kind of rule is this? In my prosperous empire, no restaurant is allowed to charge extra for private rooms, but your main hall is treated like a precious gem." Lin Ping was quite displeased.

It wasn't just the extra money that bothered him, but also the waiter's attitude. Given his previous personality, he would have definitely been furious. However, he was in an unfamiliar place and had no father-in-law to protect him, so he couldn't easily lose his temper. Even if he did get angry, he couldn't lose his temper with a waiter.

Pingye has one good point: he likes to squeeze the hardest persimmons.

Lin Ping gave him a cold look and slapped a tael of silver on the table, as if to say, "Which eye of yours sees me as someone who is poor?"

The waiter was quick-witted and promptly pocketed the one or two taels of silver as a tip.

Although it would take at least ten or eight taels of silver to get here, a tip of one tael of silver is quite a lot for the waiter.

He didn't care whether Lin Ping was trying to dine and dash; he just put the money in his own pocket first. So he put on a smile and said, "Sir, what would you like to eat?"

"Bring me the menu," Lin Ping said lazily, resting his chin on his elbow and gazing out the window.

"Menu?" The waiter was a bit confused. He had heard both words before, but he didn't know what they meant when put together.

Lin Ping then realized that menus only appeared during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China period; nowadays, at most, there would be a sign on the counter saying "Today's Specials." To order, you had to rely entirely on the waiter to recite the dishes; the art of crosstalk originated from life.

After careful consideration, Lin Ping decided not to order any beef.

In this agrarian society, oxen have made indelible contributions to farming, and killing oxen without permission is illegal.

If you really want to eat beef, you should find a restaurant in a remote area and secretly tell the waiter. You must never say it openly in a busy city.

"One of each of those specially supplied dishes," Lin Ping said, pointing to the menu.

This time, the waiter dared not speak, glancing back at the shopkeeper's dazed expression, as if seeking help.

In this era of inconvenient transportation, many ingredients could not be delivered every day. Therefore, these large restaurants would have several special dishes every day, and as for the price... it was exceptionally expensive.

"What? Are you afraid I don't have money? Or are you saying that your Le Shi Xuan restaurant is bullying its customers?" Lin Ping deliberately raised his voice, just in time to be heard by several customers who had just entered.

We're just ordinary folks, and we're most afraid of big businesses bullying us. If we can't afford to eat there, can't we at least avoid it?

This reflects the feelings of ordinary customers, and these people are no exception. Therefore, if the waiter dares to nod, Lin Ping can make Zuishixuan's business go out of business.

Don't you know who Master Ping is? He didn't come here for a meal; he's here specifically to stage an accident.

At this moment, the shopkeeper walked up to Lin Ping with a smile and said respectfully, "Sir, we've sold out of shark fin for today, but we still have one salted duck left."

The famous shark fin in ancient times is actually the gelatinous fin filaments contained in the shark fin. It is not only precious but also rare. Sharks cannot be caught every day, and even if they are caught, they may not be delivered to Zuishixuan. Therefore, this dish is not only a special supply, but it may not be available for a long time.

Lin Ping smiled to himself, thinking: Do you think I'm stupid? Sold out before even opening?

"Is this today's special offer listed on your sign?" Lin Ping asked loudly, needing to attract a few onlookers to achieve the desired effect of drawing a large following.

The shopkeeper nodded; he dared not lie about something that was a done deal.

"Then tell me, which customer ate the shark fin today? Or is it that your Le Shi Xuan looks down on the poor, reserving the shark fin for the rich kids?" Lin Ping said sternly. "Are the rich people human beings, and the poor not human beings?"