Daming: Stealing Chen Yuanyuan at the beginning

Chapter 108 The Great Ming Dynasty on the Tip of the Tongue, King of the Big Stomach

When the guests entered the restaurant, they were first attracted by the luxurious decoration.Delicate palace lanterns are hung upstairs and downstairs, thick and soft carpets are laid on the stairs, beautiful potted plants are placed everywhere, the tables and chairs are all high-quality wood, and the copper pots on the tables are shining.

The waiters were respectful, and there were also the hostesses in gorgeous costumes. All of them had smiles as bright as flowers, bright eyes and white teeth, and they were like orioles singing sweetly: "Welcome!"

In a corner of the lobby, a landscape screen was erected, a platform was set up, and potted plants with blooming flowers formed a barrier around it.

Sitting on the table is a storyteller, the famous Liu Mazi Liu Jingting.Mr. Liu was sitting upright, talking about "Ghost Blowing the Lamp" incessantly, with a serious and fascinating look.

Liu Jingting was also a well-known figure in the late Ming Dynasty, just like Li Guinian in the Tang Dynasty, who often went to the mansions of high-ranking officials and nobles to tell stories to the lords and wives.Many literati and ink writers listened to his storytelling and wrote many words of praise.

Zuixianlou was originally one of the best hotels in Nanjing. After some renovations, it has become more magnificent and dignified everywhere. It is worthy of being a shop run by the royal family.

Some customers showed timidity and said: "My God, how much does such a luxurious restaurant cost? I'm afraid I can't afford it!"

With that said, I'm about to go out.

A waiter waiter welcomed the guests with a smile, and introduced: "This restaurant is engaged in hot pot, which is suitable for all ages, regardless of high or low. It can serve a table of thousands of taels of silver, and can also do small business of hundreds of pennies. Customers order according to their own needs. Food, no matter how much it costs, everyone who comes is a customer, and the store treats everyone equally.”

"Really? With such a friendly and enthusiastic attitude, you feel at home!" The guest laughed and took his seat immediately.

After a while, the store was full.The rich and powerful entered the private room upstairs, while the shy with purses sat in the lobby. The outside of the store was crowded with people, staying to watch the excitement.

Not long after, there was a strong smell of hot pot in the building, and the sound of chewing was heard everywhere.After a while, there was a yelling.

"Oops, my tongue is going to explode!"

"Happy, really happy, all the pores of my body are open!"

"Man, man, what's in this dip?"

The waiters all said in unison: "Old Godfather Chili Sauce, you deserve it!"

The guests suddenly realized and said with a smile: "Haha, it turns out that the old godfather was referring to chili sauce..."

A guest burst into tears and raised his arms and shouted: "I have a godfather who worked as an imperial cook in the palace during the Tianqi period. Today's hot pot reminds me of the food made by my godfather. They are all delicious in the world!"

……

Sitting in a private room, Li Cunming and all the courtiers smiled when they heard the noise and joy of the guests.

Cao Huachun pushed open the door and walked in, saying, "Long live the master, the business is very good, and the guests are full of praise after eating."

"Very good!" Li Cunming nodded and ordered, "Director Cao, go find a well-known beggar in the city, and follow the plan in five days."

"Your Majesty, why are you looking for a beggar?" Gong Yonggu asked.

Li Cunming smiled without answering, picked up the "Jian Lai" newspaper on the table, pointed to a piece of news and said, "Ruan Dacheng's article is well written, it has that flavor! Gong Aiqing, let him make a special topic, Published for several months in a row."

Gong Yonggu took the newspaper, and saw the headline of the news, "Dashun perishes, Manchu Qing enters Sichuan, our dynasty may become the biggest winner".

At this time, cheers erupted in the restaurant. It turned out that Chen Yuanyuan came on stage to sing.The most beautiful woman in the world hugged her pipa, gracefully and gracefully arrived on the stage, and before she could speak, she completely ignited the atmosphere in the restaurant.

When the pipa sounded, Chen Yuanyuan gently opened her vermilion lips and sang the song "Qinhuai Scenery" taught to her by Li Cunming:
"I have a love story, sing it for you gentlemen.

Ladies and gentlemen, be quiet, be quiet.

Let me sing a Qinhuai Scene.

Carefully, the Tao comes, and sing it for all the gentlemen to hear.

The Qinhuai River flows slowly, from Pangu to the present.

Jiangnan is beautiful, Jinling is elegant.

In Zhanyuan, the hall is broad and the space is deep.

Bailuzhou, the water is rippling, a paradise. "

The guests were sweating profusely after eating hot pot, and their whole bodies were dry and hot.After listening to Chen Yuanyuan's singing, I suddenly felt like wandering in the Qinhuai River, and also like playing in a deep and quiet courtyard. My heart was calm, my bones were crisp, and my soul flew away.

After singing a song, the applause lasted for a long time, like a mountain roaring and a tsunami.

"Beautiful, eating hot and spicy hot pot, listening to Liu Jingting's storytelling, listening to Chen Yuanyuan singing, where can I find such enjoyment?"

Satisfied, the guests caressed their chubby bellies and smacked their lips with endless aftertaste.

Lameizi Hot Pot Restaurant became an instant hit and became famous all over the city of Nanjing.

For the next five days, the store was full of customers, and the business was booming from early morning to night.Even so, there are still some people who have not been able to get their fill of the meal, and fight for the table.

……

In the early morning of the sixth day, Lameizi Hot Pot Restaurant opened on time, and there was still a long queue outside the restaurant.The guests were about to go in, but they were stopped.

Just when he was surprised and puzzled, Cao Huachun, who was wearing a green shirt, appeared at the door, and said with a cheerful expression: "Everyone, our store has issued an imperial decree today, and we are going to hold a competition. Welcome to sign up."

Two eunuchs carried a bucket of paste and posted a notice on the wall.The guests gathered around to watch, and someone read word by word:

"In order to thank the customers for their support, Lameizi Hot Pot Restaurant will hold a 'Big Eating King' competition at noon today. The number of places is limited to 50 people, and they will eat hot pot for free. The top ten winners will also have generous rewards. For households, 1 taels of silver will be rewarded."

Someone asked: "What is a big eater?"

Cao Huachun explained with a smile: "It's just a competition who eats more, that's all."

"Ah, is there such a cheap thing? I sign up, count me in!"

The guests got excited, this is really a pie in the sky, not to mention eating and drinking for free, there will be rewards for winning, such a good thing happens once in a hundred years!
Some people murmured in their hearts: "You can still be an official after eating a meal. Jinyiwei tried a hundred households, but he was a sixth-rank official, and he still had 500 taels of silver. Oh, there is nothing strange, right?"

A dirty beggar emerged from the crowd, showing his yellow teeth and asking, "Can I sign up?"

"No one will be rejected!" Cao Huachun said.

Seeing that the beggar signed up, he was not rejected, and the guests were not far behind, and the quota was soon full.

The news spread that the Lameizi Hot Pot Restaurant was holding a eating contest, and people from the city came to watch one after another, crowding the street to the brim, crowding into clouds.

At noon, the guys in the store moved out fifty tables and placed them in front of the store.Every table is full of vegetables, and the soup in the copper pot exudes fragrance.

A few gongs and drums sounded, hundreds of guards guarding both sides of the street, and more than 1000 soldiers came to maintain order.Then I saw the emperor riding a fine horse, surrounded by his courtiers, all the way to the restaurant.

The common people knelt on both sides of the street, not daring to breathe.Li Cunming got off his horse and said loudly: "I'm here to watch the competition and have fun with the people. You don't have to be cautious. Get up."

Cao Huachun announced: "Everyone who participates in the competition takes their own seats, and the vegetables on the table in front of you are all the same. You have two sticks of incense time, feel free to eat during this period, don't waste it. When the time is up, there will be judges to judge the vegetables. Ten winners, and the first champion, Big Eater. Alright, the competition officially begins!"

The contestants sat down at the table and gorged themselves.An eunuch stood next to them, taking notes with a pen and paper.

Ren Qidao: "Your Majesty, isn't it just for dinner? The minister should be allowed to participate."

Silly Dazhu said: "I can do it too, I don't know anything else, it's more than enough to be a fool."

"You two want to eat farts!" Li Cunming laughed.

When the two sticks of incense for timing were burned out, Cao Huachun immediately stopped the game.The eunuchs began to make judgments, and soon there were results. Ten winners were selected, and No. 1 was the beggar.

This result was expected, the beggar was found from the area of ​​Qingliangmen, and he was clearly explained to him in advance, and he was hungry for a day.

Li Cunming sat on the chair and waved his hand: "Reward!"

Wang Cheng'en came out with several eunuchs and several trays of money in his hand.The top nine winners received 30 taels, 50 taels, and 100 taels of silver respectively. These people were surprised and delighted when they got the white money.

Li Cunming personally took 500 taels of silver and stood in front of the beggar and said: "Congratulations on winning the title of 'Big Stomach King'. This is a reward of 500 taels of silver. Please accept it. From today on, you will be a member of the Jinyiwei Trial Hundred Household. Report to Jinyiwei later!"

The beggar was ecstatic, yet unbelievable, and stammered, "Really...really?"

Li Cunming laughed loudly, looked at the people and said, "I am the son of heaven, my words are golden words, and I rule the world with integrity! But all the edicts I issue and the promises I make are naturally guaranteed!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you, Your Majesty!" The beggar kowtowed.

The common people were very envious, some regretted that they did not sign up, and some were a little jealous: "A beggar ate a hot pot meal, immediately became an official, and got a lot of silver. This is a step to the sky!"

"Could it be someone from the palace pretending to be it?"

"No, this beggar has been begging in Qingliangmen all year round. He is called Laipi Wu's second child. I have seen him many times, and it is absolutely true."

"In this way, Wu's second child is lucky!"

"It's not that he got shit luck, it's that our emperor keeps his word and does what he says."

"That's right, the emperor keeps his word, and the common people of Ming Dynasty are blessed!"

Discussions continued one after another, and the guys in the shop cleared the tables and cleaned the street.Lameizi hotpot restaurant reopened and started business.

The guests were still full of ideas, chatting and laughing as they walked into the store, but they were stopped again.

Cao Huachun said: "From today onwards, this store only accepts newly-made copper coins. Customers who do not have 'Daming Tongbao' on their bodies, please go to various banks in the city to exchange copper coins before visiting. In addition, anyone who uses newly-made copper coins in the royal shop in the city There are discounts for consumption!"

"Why is there such a regulation, is it not allowed to use silver?"

"This is the rule set by the emperor!"

Guests look at me and I look at you, someone said: "I am addicted to eating hot pot, but if I exchange silver for copper coins, will I suffer a loss?"

Someone thought for a while, then made up his mind and said, "I wouldn't exchange it at any other time. But the new copper coins were issued by the current emperor, who is wise and powerful, and keeps his word. I choose to trust the emperor!"

As soon as this remark came out, many people ran away, yelling: "Yes, I believe the emperor is right, go exchange for copper coins. Drinking wine, eating hot pot, listening to Chen Yuanyuan singing, who would give up such a fairy life Gotta go!"

(End of this chapter)