If Song, the magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture, and Lin, the head of the criminal department, who had been to Yuexiu Hutong yesterday, revisited the place today, they would find that the Xinglong Teahouse, which Zhang Shou had casually given a good name, was actually a very shabby little tea stall, which had disappeared because the tea seller moved to another location. However, the original place was no longer bleak with the autumn wind sweeping the fallen leaves, but was crowded with people.
It wasn't the place where the tea stall was located that suddenly became lively, but a building near Yuexiu Hutong that was still covered with a curtain when Song Tui Guan and his companions arrived yesterday and had been under construction for days, suddenly revealed its true face today.
The three-story teahouse has an octagonal double eave, a pointed roof, red painted doors and windows, and shiny black tiles. At first glance, it is not simple or shabby like a folk teahouse, but rather shows the luxury of a wealthy family. There are even copper wind chimes embedded on the eaves, and the sound of the bells is clear when the breeze blows.
The heads of various guilds and chefs who had rushed over today were all amazed when they saw the heavy curtains being removed from below.
Not only these people, but also the people nearby who heard the news and came to watch the fun, all opened their mouths wide. This place was fenced off with wooden pillars and various barriers at the beginning of the year. At that time, some people with dirty hands and feet sneaked in to see if there was any money to be made, but in the end they could only get in but not get out. In the end, it became a taboo place in the eyes of some people.
The news spread quickly, and no one knew where it came from, saying that this was the property of Weinan Earl Zhang Kang, and that he planned to renovate the original three-story teahouse here to house his mistress. Since there were rumors that a large piece of land nearby belonged to a wealthy family, ordinary people were even more afraid to spy on what was going on inside. Who would have thought that it would be like this after it was completed
Only Lu Sanlang knew that the reason why the Imperial Chef Selection Competition was held here was not only because the land belonged to the emperor, but also because there was a royal teahouse that was almost completed here - yes, the emperor wanted to transform it into a private club that could be open to the public on weekdays, and when he occasionally went out of the city in disguise, he could book the entire third floor and take people to enjoy the scenery of the outer city.
Of course, the emperor's original construction plan was much more than that. It also included connecting several ponds in the nearby Xuannanfang to create a Suzhou-style garden, providing it to several mathematics masters including his teacher Ge Yong as a base for daily activities, and even proposed an amazing organization such as the Jiuzhang Academy, which was opposite to the Jiuzhang Hall.
Anyway, when Lu Sanlang heard Zhang Shou mention the emperor's series of grand plans, he was amazed and deeply admired. But when he heard that the inner treasury had money, but the emperor did not dare to spend it so excessively, so this was a plan made ten years ago, and only now was a teahouse renovated, he felt horrified.
As an emperor, he is still so restricted when spending money. It's really depressing!
At this moment, facing a large group of leaders who were exclaiming in amazement, Fatty Lu certainly would not show such emotion, but said to everyone calmly: "This is the second home of Lord Weinan. He and I are close friends regardless of age difference, so I persuaded him to take over this teahouse which has not yet been officially opened. If you want to be amazed, you should praise Lord Weinan for his ingenuity."