Dongchang Prefecture is located in Shandong Province, sitting on the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and is one of the important transportation hubs of the Grand Canal. Outside the city is a huge lake named Dongchang Lake, also known as Phoenix Lake and Rouge Lake. Its size is similar to that of West Lake in Hangzhou. It is known as "There is West Lake in the south and Dongchang in the north".
Dongchang Prefecture is backed by the Grand Canal, and its water transportation is particularly developed. The Grand Canal has brought hundreds of years of prosperity to Dongchang Prefecture.
There is a restaurant that combines accommodation and dining on the shore of Dongchang Lake, named Phoenix Building. It has an excellent location, is simple and elegant, and is noble and luxurious.
"Hehe, people all blame Emperor Sui Yang for being ambitious, aggressive, and miserable, but we Dongchangfu people don't. We should thank Emperor Sui Yang. If Emperor Sui Yang hadn't opened the Grand Canal, we would still be eating dirt in the fields. How could we have the good life we have today? Look at this river. Even in winter, there are endless ships. The canal ships and business ships will stop by our Dongchangfu to rest. When they rest, they have to stay and eat, and replenish their daily necessities. Our Fenghuang Tower is rich because of Emperor Sui Yang. Let's burn three incense sticks to Emperor Sui Yang."
The shopkeeper of Phoenix Tower was calculating the day's revenue on an abacus while happily giving instructions to the waiter beside him.
"Okay, boss, I'll go right away." The waiter Fugui responded and went to the back to burn incense to the statue of Emperor Yang of Sui.
"Boss, you look so happy. Did you make a lot of money again today?" The young waiter Fugui asked with a smile after returning from burning incense.
The waiter Fugui is a relative of the shopkeeper, and they are usually close to each other and not so restrained.
"Hehe, I did make a little money, but it's nothing compared to the day before yesterday. The day before yesterday, a eunuch from the capital passed by our restaurant and stayed overnight. He paid a gold ingot and booked a whole floor. When he was dining, he even cleared the place. The scene was really unforgettable. You see, we welcome and see off many dignitaries who have stayed in our Phoenix Tower. Compared with the eunuch from the palace, they are nothing..."
The shopkeeper was still deeply impressed by the scene of the day before yesterday, and of course he was even more impressed by the gold ingot.
"That's right. We clean our tables and chairs every day, but they still complain and clean them again before dinner. Also, the chef in the kitchen was told several times that my father-in-law likes light taste and he must cook Huaiyang cuisine..." The waiter Fugui was also very impressed. "He is so noble. He is also generous and gave me a silver bean as a reward."
"It would be great if we had such distinguished guests every day..." said the waiter Fugui with a chuckle.
"You're dreaming. You should burn incense and pray to the Buddha if such a good thing happens once a year." The shopkeeper glared at him and said, "Don't be lazy. Go and help quickly. Don't take advantage of me being your cousin to get special treatment."
"I'm the one who does the most work..." The waiter Fugui said this with confidence. He turned around and was about to go to work. However, as soon as he turned around, he saw a group of people coming outside the door, heading towards the restaurant. The scene was even grander than the day before.
"Boss, should I go to burn incense again?" The young waiter Fugui swallowed his saliva and said to the shopkeeper.
"We just finished cooking, what else are you cooking..." The shopkeeper was checking the account book. After hearing what the waiter Fugui said, he couldn't help but start to retort. He stopped halfway because he also saw a group of distinguished people coming in.
Outside the door, an extremely luxurious double-decker pleasure boat was docked on the lake, and five large ships were slowly docked in a protective manner.
A large ship had already docked, and people were getting off the ship one after another. The people who got off first had already reached the door of the restaurant.
There were more than a dozen burly men in tight clothes, carrying swords on their backs. The scabbards were decorated with brass tiger heads. The scabbards were thick and long, and it was obvious that they were heavy machetes, much heavier than the standard swords of the Dongchang Prefecture Guard. One cannot wield them without a strong arm. However, these burly men walked as if nothing was happening. They were scattered but not in a disorderly manner, and their eyes looked around. It was obvious that they were well-trained and were definitely not ordinary guards.
They looked more sturdy than the guards that the eunuch had brought with him the day before yesterday. Of course, the day before yesterday, the eunuch only brought twenty guards to live in the Phoenix Tower, and the rest of the guards were staying in an inn about a hundred meters away. The inn there was much cheaper.
A dozen burly men surrounded a girl of about seventeen or eighteen. The girl was wearing gorgeous clothes and a fox fur cape. She was delicate and pretty, and very capable. Behind her were a dozen old maids and little girls.
"Please come in, distinguished guest. I hope you will forgive me for not welcoming you in person..." Two waiters at Fenghuang Tower had already come forward to greet him.
"The environment is pretty good." The girl in the fox fur cloak came in, took a look around and nodded slightly.
"That's right. Our Fenghuanglou is one of the best in Dongchang Prefecture." said the shop assistant proudly.
"Our young lady likes quietness. We will reserve your restaurant for today and tomorrow." The girl in the fox fur cape took out a gold ingot from her sleeve and threw it to the waiter. Then she instructed, "Please negotiate with the guests who have already checked into the restaurant. Their expenses will be ours. We are also willing to pay double compensation to ask them to move to another restaurant."
ah?!
Book the entire restaurant?!
The day before yesterday, my father-in-law only booked one floor, but today's distinguished guest actually wants to book the entire restaurant for two days? !
This gold ingot is so heavy, much bigger than the one my father-in-law gave me the day before yesterday.
etc
Our lady?!
Ah, such a noble master is just a maid? !
For a moment, the shop assistants and the shopkeeper seemed to be struck by several thunderbolts in succession and were shocked one after another.
Money makes the world go round.
With gold paving the way, the shopkeeper fully met the fox-fur girl's request to book the entire place and clear the venue, offering double compensation. The guests in the store did not have many complaints, as there were several other restaurants nearby to stay in anyway.
"Wang Xiaoer, call your people and leave about ten of them on the first floor to protect us secretly. It's very safe here. Let's arrange for the others to stay in the restaurant next door. The lady likes quietness..."
"Auntie Liu, have someone wipe the tables and chairs with hot water a few more times, and use the tableware we brought..."
"Xiaohong, go and clean the room on the Tianzi a few times carefully, and replace the bed with the ones we brought. The young lady is afraid of the cold, so remember to heat up the room and make sure it is ventilated so that it doesn't feel stuffy..."
"Auntie Wang, go take over the kitchen and make some light and delicious side dishes that the young lady likes, as well as nourishing soups. The young lady has had a bad appetite after the bumpy journey, so you have to be careful when cooking..."
The girl in the fox fur cloak directed the accompanying guards, nannies and maids in an orderly manner, making all arrangements meticulous.
The shopkeeper and his clerk were all stunned.
This is because they despise us. They replaced our beds with their own, as did their tableware. They also took over the kitchen, and didn't even use the restaurant's cooks and apprentices. They had their own...
What noble ladies they are! Compared with them, the eunuchs who came to the palace the day before yesterday pale in comparison.
"Sister Qin'er, the young lady is about to get off the boat." A little girl trotted over and said.
"Oh, you stay here and I'll go pick up the young lady. She's heavy and I don't want to trust anyone else." Qin'er, the girl in fox fur, lifted her skirt and ran out.