The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 14

"The preparations are mostly complete."

"That's good."

Sure enough, not long after, just over ten minutes later, a large number of people arrived in carriages and horses and eventually stopped in front of the gate.

A large number of people came down, gathered around, and sat in front of the door, discussing the matter.

"Oh dear, it's quite a long way to find this place. It's a bit out of the way. Why not open it right next to the dam? It would be much more lively there."

"Good wine needs no bush, the taste must be good to be worth the long journey we've taken."

"Although this Huazi Tower doesn't look very refined, it is quite rugged and grand."

"The shop owner is very generous and immediately waived a lot of fees."

"A secret Taoist teaching, its authenticity is unknown."

“I’ve heard of this. It’s said to be different from other places. Several shops in Dingxiang City are trying to learn from this place, but they haven’t quite captured the essence. Some people have commented that the taste of the food is quite different.”

......

Manager Jiang, Song Liang, and several waiters came out to greet them and led them into the store.

Once everyone had entered the shop, Wang Yong asked them to quiet down, then pointed to Xu Tian and introduced him: "This is Xu Tian, ​​a man of great talent and reputation, a true young talent."

He is also the sworn brother of the owner of Huazilou Restaurant. Today, he took the initiative to suggest providing a free feast for everyone to enjoy. He believes that everyone will not be disappointed after tasting it.” Then he gestured for Xu Tian to speak.

Xu Tian walked to the main seat and said, "You are all outstanding talents from Xiangzhou. Your presence here today is truly an honor to this humble place."

It is an honor for us to meet you all. There are too few seats upstairs, so in order to treat everyone equally, we have to ask you to make do in this hall on the first floor. Please feel free to sit down; there are a maximum of eight people per table.

You have all traveled a long way and must be tired. The dishes will be served shortly; please enjoy them.

As for the arrangements and seating, Wang Yong and the other hosts had already made them in advance, following the established rules of the time, so the store didn't need to worry about it.

Once everyone had settled down a bit, they first brought a basin of water to wash their hands, then served tea and bowls and chopsticks, which were neatly arranged in front of them.

“Brother Zheng, you haven’t been in Dingxiang City for long, so I imagine you haven’t heard of Huazilou yet. The food here is different from other places in Dingxiang City, and it has a unique flavor. I’ve had takeout from here before, and it left a deep impression on me,” said Cai Ze, one of the hosts, to Zheng Zhuangyuan.

"It's quite by chance that I learned about Hua Zi Lou before for some reason, and heard about its reputation, but I haven't had the chance to come and experience it for myself yet," Zheng Zhuangyuan said at this moment.

"Oh, it seems that Hua Zi Lou's reputation has grown even greater now."

"I'd heard before that this place had exceptional food, but it was also quite expensive, so I never had the chance to come. Today, I can finally feast to my heart's content," someone said bluntly, eliciting laughter from the others.

Soon, the dishes began to be served, and the table was soon filled with large and small plates.

Many people had never been here before and therefore had never seen the food, leading to much discussion about the dishes.

"What is this? It looks like an egg but isn't quite the same. Is it edible? Or is it just a decoration?" someone asked curiously, pointing at the preserved egg.

"I'm so ignorant. This is a crystal egg. Its outer layer looks like crystal, and it's a rare find," said someone who had seen it before.

Someone else added, "I didn't expect to find crystal eggs here. They're not sold in stores, and they're a rare sight."

I once ate one elsewhere by chance. It was said to have been refined in a Taoist alchemical furnace for forty-nine days before taking shape, and that eating it had miraculous effects in strengthening the body, improving health, and curing diseases.

“I have seen people reselling this item, and one of them costs tens of coins.”

"Several tens of coins?" someone exclaimed in astonishment.

Hearing him say this, everyone became curious and tried it.

This was the first time Xu Tian had heard of the term "crystal egg," and he wasn't sure if it was just an advertising tactic used by the Du family.

"The taste is indeed unusual, quite strange, and hard to describe."

"It really is made from a secret recipe of elixirs; I can taste the flavor of elixirs in it."

"Yes, it does have the smell of medicine; it's astringent, but not bitter."

"Eating a piece of salted duck egg to balance it out makes the taste quite good."

Most of the people here today are not very old, and they look after each other, so there is no need to make special arrangements. There are staff members watching over them.

The crowd was in high spirits, and eventually all the rules were forgotten. They ate and drank, living a carefree life. Some played drinking games, some recited poems while drinking, and others echoed each other's voices. But in the end, they were all learned people, and nothing out of line happened.

"Of the three kinds of wine here, the flavors are strong in that order, but I still prefer this light one the most. It is delicate yet fragrant and has a lingering aftertaste."

"I actually like this kind of strong liquor; it's more fun to drink and you can get drunk."

"This dish is good; I've never had it anywhere else before."

"Alas, I only realized today that I should have come here to try it sooner. It's too late."

"Indeed, this place has a great reputation, and it is well-deserved. It's a pity that it's too far from my home."

"Come on, let's have a drink, don't waste good wine."

"Come, drink this cup to the full."

Xu Tian also carried a small wine glass and walked around, offering a small token of his appreciation.

Finally, he was caught at a certain table. A busybody grabbed his sleeve and said, "Young Master Xu, thank you for your hospitality today. However, it is a rare occasion that Scholar Zheng is here today, along with many others."

As a de facto owner, can you truly remain unmoved? You must compose a poem to express your feelings. What do you all think?

"Indeed, didn't someone say that Xu Lang is also a great talent? Let's raise a cup and compose a poem to share our joy."

"Yes, please compose a poem, Mr. Xu, so that it will become a beautiful story in the future."

At this point, the others joined in the commotion.

"Sigh, I'm already drunk today and can't hold my liquor. Let's do it another day," Xu Tian said, feigning confusion as he tried to decline.

“How can this be allowed? If we don’t compose poems, it means we don’t respect them,” someone said vehemently.

“In the past, Li Bai could write a hundred poems after drinking a bucket of wine. We will not force others to do so. Today, we can be satisfied with just one poem.”

“We have brought writing brushes and ink with us. Mr. Xu, why don’t you compose a poem? We will naturally return the favor with a poem of our own.”

It seems there's no way to avoid it. In this era, it's common for literati to compose poems at gatherings, and the host often responds with a poem to enhance the atmosphere.

Logically, Zheng Zhuangyuan, as the most talented person present, should compose a poem first. However, he was an official with a seventh-rank position, which placed him at a higher level than the others present, so no one dared to ask him to do so.

It seems there's no way to avoid it now; it would be awkward to refuse again, and it would defeat the purpose of today's banquet.

Since that's the case, let's be straightforward. Xu Tian filled a bowl with wine, raised the bowl to everyone, and said, "Thank you again for coming, everyone, whether I know you or not."