Chapter 1

The spring breeze caressed the face, and the willows sprouted new green leaves.

The sun hung high in the sky, and the sunlight was warm and gentle.

The Bian River. The river water was clear and smooth, flowing like silk. Boats shuttled back and forth on the river, and from time to time, the sound of soft music, laughter, and recitations of poetry could be heard, making the scene very lively.

On both banks of the river, the willows swayed gently. The sunlight shone on the tender green willow leaves, making them glisten like pearls, as if they had been splashed with water, looking very beautiful.

The streets near the river were even more splendid, with flowers blooming like brocade. The streets were bustling with people, some carrying loads on their shoulders, some driving donkeys to deliver goods, and some literati and scholars stopping by the river to admire the beautiful scenery of the Bian River, occasionally reciting a few lines of poetry. The houses on both sides were closely packed, including teahouses, taverns, pawnshops, and workshops.

This street was called Bianhe Street and could be considered the central area of Bianjing City.

On the west side of an arched bridge, a three-story pavilion stood tall, with eaves and walls that soared, looking magnificent.

A large sign hung from the eaves of the second floor, with three large vermilion characters written on it—Zuixianju (Drunken Immortal Pavilion).

As the name suggested, this was clearly a tavern.

At this moment, a drunkard was lying motionless under the eaves to the left of the main entrance of Zuixianju, seemingly dead or alive. Due to the recent wars, the number of refugees fleeing here had been increasing day by day, so passersby were no longer surprised by such scenes, at most feeling a bit curious about the drunkard's attire.

The drunkard was dressed in black clothes and black pants, with small cuffs and a turned-up collar, wearing a white shirt underneath, and a pair of black, shiny boots. However, they were not exactly boots, but rather very unique.

Outside the building, the streets were bustling with traffic and lively, but inside, it was cold and quiet, with very few customers.

The difference was so great that it was hard not to feel curious.

In the first-floor hall, only two people stood, a shopkeeper and a waiter. The shopkeeper was about fifty years old, wearing a scholar's hat and a yellow silk robe, with a long beard of mixed black and white, standing behind the counter, one hand holding a brush and the other moving the black abacus on the table.

The waiter was only sixteen or seventeen, looking young and inexperienced, wearing a blue robe and a blue cap, with a white cloth draped over his left shoulder, leaning against the door frame, looking listless.

The old shopkeeper stopped writing halfway, as if thinking of something, stretched his neck, and looked outside. After a moment, he waved to the waiter at the door and called, "Liu Zi."

The waiter, called Liu Zi, hurried over when the shopkeeper called him and asked, "Uncle, what's the matter?"

The old shopkeeper nodded toward the door and whispered, "Go see if the drunkard is gone. Why has he been so quiet for so long?"

Liu Zi, impatient, said, "Hey, Uncle, we can't even take care of ourselves, why should we bother with him?"

The old shopkeeper frowned and waved his hand, "Go, go, go. I told you to go, so go. Don't chatter here, or I'll beat you."

"Okay!"

Liu Zi, intimidated by the old shopkeeper's threat, responded weakly, lowered his head, and walked to the drunkard, crouching down and gently pushing the drunkard, calling, "Hey, hey, are you dead?"

"Ugh—!"

The drunkard mumbled a few words and turned his head toward the corner.

"Heh, he's really sleeping soundly!"

Liu Zi, seeing this, felt both angry and amused. He called a few more times, but there was no response, so he returned to the counter and told the old shopkeeper, "He's still sleeping."

The old shopkeeper sighed and shook his head, "Alright, alright, go back to work."

Work?

Liu Zi looked around, seeing the empty hall, and felt worried. He wanted to be busy, but there was nothing to do!

"Waiter, waiter!"

At this moment, a shout came from the second floor.

Is it that effective?

Liu Zi, hearing this, broke out in a cold sweat!

"Are you just standing there? Hurry up and go upstairs to serve the guests!" The old shopkeeper, seeing Liu Zi still standing there, shouted urgently.

"Okay, okay, okay!"

Liu Zi, slightly stunned, quickly picked up a pot of tea and ran upstairs.

On the second floor, the situation was not much better than downstairs. Only two young scholars were sitting at a table by the window, one wearing a white robe and the other a blue robe.

Liu Zi came to the table, bent over, and smiled, asking, "Gentlemen, may I ask—"

"Bang!"

The young scholar in the white robe, before Liu Zi could finish, suddenly slammed the table, stood up abruptly, his face full of anger, and pointed at the three dishes on the table, saying, "You waiter, how dare you mock me? I ask you, what did you serve us?"

Liu Zi, frightened, glanced at the three dishes on the table, and softly read, "Lotus seed soup, braised beef, and stir-fried duck feet." He frowned, thought for a moment, and nervously said, "Sir, I don't think I made a mistake. You did order these three dishes."

"Hmph, you didn't serve the wrong dishes, but—" The young scholar in the white robe coldly laughed, then continued, "This lotus seed soup is sickeningly sweet, this braised beef is so salty it's hard to eat, and this bowl of stir-fried duck feet is harder than a rock. It's not fit for human consumption, let alone for pigs. This is outrageous."

The young scholar in the white robe spoke with great vehemence, and Liu Zi listened, breaking out in a cold sweat.

A few years ago, he might have thought these two were looking for trouble, but now, thinking of the bald old man in the kitchen, he felt extremely anxious and said, "Sir, I think there might be some misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding? I think you won't cry until you see the coffin."

The young scholar in the white robe coldly laughed, grabbed the chopsticks in front of him, and threw them at Liu Zi's feet, saying, "Try it yourself."

"Yes, yes, yes! I'll try it right away!"

Liu Zi picked up the chopsticks, looked at the three dishes on the table, swallowed hard, and his eyes showed a hint of fear. He first used a spoon to scoop a small spoonful of lotus seed soup into his mouth, and it was indeed so sweet it made his teeth hurt. Liu Zi frowned, then picked up a piece of beef and put it in his mouth. After chewing a bit, he closed his eyes, his eyebrows almost knitting together. This wasn't beef; it was salt.

Liu Zi didn't dare to chew anymore and forced himself to swallow the piece of beef. But as soon as he swallowed it, his stomach churned, and he vomited.

The young scholar in the white robe, seeing this, coldly laughed, "How about that? I didn't falsely accuse you."

"Sorry, sorry! I'll immediately ask someone to replace them." Liu Zi hurriedly bowed and apologized.

"That's not necessary," the young scholar in the white robe shook his head, pointed at the three dishes on the table with a white paper fan, and smiled, "If you eat all three dishes, I won't hold it against you."

Eating these three dishes would be worse than fighting a pig for food.

Liu Zi's face turned pale, and his legs trembled.

The young scholar in the blue robe, seeing that the waiter was just a child, felt a bit sorry for him, stood up, and bowed, saying, "Changyuan, please calm down. We shouldn't get angry with a waiter. How about this: I'll treat you, and we can invite a few friends to the Emerald Pavilion across the street for a drink and poetry. What do you think, Changyuan?"

The young scholar in the white robe, hearing this, thought it made sense. As a scholar, he shouldn't be quarreling with a waiter, which would be beneath him. He bowed and said, "Shao Guan, you are right." With that, he and the young scholar in the blue robe went downstairs.

Before leaving, the young scholar in the blue robe left some silver on the table.

These literati and scholars were very proud and cared about their reputation. Even if they didn't pay for the meal, it would be understandable, but they wouldn't let a meal cost them their dignity.

After they left, Liu Zi finally breathed a sigh of relief, looked at the three dishes on the table, and sighed, "Good, they're all gone."

---

The night was deep, and the cold wind blew. Except for the brothels, all the taverns and teahouses had closed their doors.

"Ah—! I wonder when this will end!"

The old shopkeeper of Zuixianju, after checking the accounts, couldn't help but sigh. They had only done one business all day, and even that customer had left in anger. Such a dismal business was truly outrageous.

"It's almost the third watch. Liu Zi, close the door."

The old shopkeeper, after giving the order, suddenly added, "By the way, Liu Zi, take the leftover food from today's customer to the drunkard at the door."

"Okay!"

Liu Zi responded, walked to the kitchen, and muttered, "I don't know what Uncle is thinking. There's no business now, and if we keep that drunkard here, who will dare to come to our shop?"

Liu Zi's voice was low, but the old shopkeeper heard it clearly and sighed again.

Liu Zi carried the three bowls of leftover food from the kitchen, came to the drunkard, and placed the food on the ground, shouting impatiently, "Hey, hey, it's time to eat."

The drunkard moved a bit, mumbled a few words, suddenly opened his eyes, and quickly got up, grabbing Liu Zi's arm tightly and asked nervously, "What's the date today? Where am I?"

"Ouch, ouch, let go, you're hurting me." Liu Zi felt a sharp pain in his arm and cried out in pain.

Liu Zi's cry seemed to wake the drunkard, who quickly let go, looked at Liu Zi with red eyes, and his gaze became dim.

Liu Zi, rubbing his arm, frowned and said, "I've told you so many times, this is Bianjing, and it's the seventh day of the second month in the fourth year of Xuanhe."

He had never seen such a strange drunkard. Every time he got drunk, he would wake up and ask, "What's the date today? Where am I?" After being told, he would look very disappointed and then desperately ask for more alcohol.

At this moment, the old shopkeeper, hearing Liu Zi's cry, came out and saw the drunkard standing with his head down, swaying, and muttering to himself.

The old shopkeeper first waved to Liu Zi, signaling him to go inside.

Liu Zi glanced at the drunkard and went inside.

After Liu Zi went in, the old shopkeeper called, "Young man, young man."

The drunkard was startled, looked at the old shopkeeper, and asked, "Uncle, are you calling me?"

The old shopkeeper laughed at being called "uncle" and nodded, "Old man, may I ask, what's your name? Where are you from?"

"Oh, Uncle, my name is Li Qi, I'm from—." At this point, Li Qi suddenly choked up, and his eyes became moist.