Chapter 3

The Liusian Winehouse is located on the bustling Yong'an Street in the city center. By noon, it was bustling with customers. While the first floor was noisy and crowded, the upper floor was elegantly quiet.

By a window overlooking the street, two men sat at a table, drinking. One of them was Lu Zheng. The other, dressed in fine white silk with a kind and handsome face, was named Pan Zhisuo, who was well-known in Qingliu County for his good looks.

At this moment, Pan Zhisuo raised his wine cup, ready to drink, but couldn't help smiling and then put the cup back on the table. He muttered to himself, "Lu Brother's generous act at the Drunken Spring Pavilion yesterday truly impressed me!"

Pan Zhisuo's words made Lu Zheng's face stiffen. He then coughed and said awkwardly, "I didn't expect this matter to reach your ears, Brother Pan. There's no need to hide anything between us. The act of breaking the jade kirin yesterday at the Drunken Spring Pavilion is something I still deeply regret today..."

"Not entirely. To win the heart of a beauty, although the jade kirin was your gift for a birthday, it was worth breaking to gain her favor!"

Lu Zheng smiled helplessly and said with a tone of complaint, "If Brother Pan had helped me, I wouldn't have had to do this. With your talent, you could have easily passed the three tests and helped me win the heart of Qianyu..."

"Brother Lu, that's not right. Since Qianyu uses her talent to make friends, wouldn't your actions be considered cheating?" Pan Zhisuo's expression became particularly serious as he spoke.

Lu Zheng was rather dismissive, opened his fan, and said with a sneer, "The rules don't say we can't bring an advisor! Brother Pan, we studied together, can't you help me?"

Seeing that Pan Zhisuo remained unperturbed, Lu Zheng continued, "Moreover, since Qianyu uses poetry to make friends, her talent must be on par with yours. Why not come with me to meet her?"

Pan Zhisuo was initially taken aback, then put down his wine cup and fell into a brief silence. The always confident Pan Zhisuo was somewhat moved by Lu Zheng's words.

It turns out that the Drunken Spring Pavilion recently acquired a talented and beautiful woman named Liu Qianyu. In just three days, she had become the most sought-after courtesan. Wealthy young men and talented scholars flocked to see her.

However, Liu Qianyu announced that she would only make friends through poetry, offering her skills but not her body. She set up three tests for the guests. Those who passed could listen to music, watch her play the zither, and discuss poetry and painting with her. Those who failed would only hear her voice but never see her.

Yesterday, Lu Zheng, unable to see Liu Qianyu, smashed the jade kirin he carried, expressing his feelings for her. Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain.

Although Pan Zhisuo and Lu Zheng were former classmates, their styles of conduct were vastly different. Pan Zhisuo always viewed the world of courtesans and pleasure as contemptible.

As Pan Zhisuo was deep in thought, the sound of hurried footsteps came from the stairs, and a young servant in a green robe appeared before them.

"Master, I'm back!" This was Lu Zheng's servant, Lu San.

Lu Zheng nodded slightly and asked, "What news?"

"Master, there was no movement at all. I only saw the maid Qiulan go to the market to buy a bottle of wine!"

"What? No movement at all? Does Ye Yu not take my words seriously?" Lu Zheng's face showed disbelief after hearing Lu San's report.

But he soon calmed down, drank from his cup, and said, "Well, since that boy has conceded, it saves me a lot of trouble! Have you found out about his background?"

Lu San bowed slightly and replied, "I have found out. Ye Yu is from the Ye family in Lai'an Prefecture. His parents died, and his uncle took over the family business. Now he is disabled and lives in poverty, relying on the maid Qiulan for his livelihood. It is said that Ye Yu is not a member of the Ye family, which is why he was expelled..."

Lu Zheng listened to Lu San's detailed account and finally smiled coldly, "Whether he is a member of the Ye family or not, it's just a means to seize the family business. But this is good, I can act without any qualms!"

"Master is wise!" Lu San flattered him appropriately.

Pan Zhisuo, sitting beside them, listened to the conversation between Lu Zheng and his servant, and couldn't help but feel puzzled. He put down his wine cup and asked, "Brother Lu, what is this about?"

"Hmm, Brother Pan, you don't know. Yesterday, I left the Drunken Spring Pavilion in a bad mood and unexpectedly met a beautiful laundry maid on the street..."

As Lu Zheng spoke about his encounter, he became animated and eloquent. He not only told Pan Zhisuo about meeting Qiulan on the street but also about the bet he made with Ye Yu.

Lu Zheng spoke with enthusiasm, but after hearing the story, Pan Zhisuo frowned and said solemnly, "Brother Lu, this is a bit too much to ask. Moreover, since Ye Yu is disabled, how can he live without the maid's care?"

"Ha ha ha! Brother Pan, you always worry too much. There are many poor people in the world, and many with disabilities. If they can survive, why can't Ye Yu?"

After hearing Pan Zhisuo's words, Lu Zheng laughed mockingly and continued, "Some people are born to be lowly, just like maids and servants. There are inherent differences in status, so how can you blame others?"

"Brother Lu..."

"Lu San, is what I said right?" Pan Zhisuo was about to speak, but Lu Zheng interrupted him and threw the question to Lu San.

The sudden question caught Lu San off guard. He then smiled flatteringly and said, "Master is right. I was born lowly, and it is a great honor to follow Master!"

"Brother Pan, that's the truth!"

Lu Zheng smiled smugly, looked at the sky, and closed his fan. "It's noon. Why don't you come with me?" He then got up and walked downstairs.

Pan Zhisuo watched Lu Zheng leave, a look of helplessness on his face. He then called a servant, whispered a few words, and left alone.

Lu Zheng had come on horseback, intending to take Qiulan back with him. Despite the discomfort of riding, he found a certain charm in it.

Imagine riding for leisure, with a beauty sharing the horse. If the beauty sits in front, it's like embracing soft jade, with the scent of a maiden close to your nose. If the beauty sits behind, her arms around your waist, her face close to yours, and her breasts pressing against your back, it's a delightful experience.

The jostling and swaying add to the unspoken charm...

Lu Zheng leisurely rode along the road and soon arrived at Ye Yu's house. Entering the courtyard, he saw Ye Yu sitting by a stone table. He snorted, "Ye Yu, is the apology feast ready?"

Without waiting for an answer, he scanned the courtyard, looking for Qiulan.

Ye Yu lightly brushed the dust off his sleeve and smiled, "Master Lu, you have come at the right time. The feast is ready!"

"What!?" Lu Zheng was shocked. He turned to look at Lu San, his eyes full of confusion and disbelief.

Lu San was also puzzled and didn't know how to respond.

At this moment, Ye Yu clapped his hands, and Qiulan appeared before them. She carried a ceramic bowl filled with dishes, moving back and forth between the kitchen and the stone table. In no time, the small table was filled with dishes.

Lu Zheng looked at the stone table and saw eleven dishes, all made from leeks. He frowned and asked Ye Yu, "Is this the feast you prepared?"

"Exactly! Is there anything wrong with it?"

Ye Yu's response made Lu Zheng pause, and then he burst out laughing, "Ye Yu, if you can't prepare a proper feast, why use such a trick? Since you can't fulfill the agreement, you must accept the consequences!"

"Oh, is that so? Does Master Lu think I have lost?" Ye Yu smiled coldly.

"Isn't that the case?"

Ye Yu pointed to the dishes on the table and said seriously, "The dishes are right here. Can Master Lu not see them?"

"You! You, Ye Yu!"

Lu Zheng was thoroughly enraged by Ye Yu's words. The table was filled with ordinary home-cooked vegetarian dishes, far from the exotic delicacies he had demanded.

"Hum! Then I'll listen carefully!" Lu Zheng crossed his arms and stared at Ye Yu, eager to see what he would do.

"Yesterday, Master Lu said that the apology feast must have ninety-nine dishes! And these ninety-nine dishes must include birds from the sky, beasts from the land, and creatures from the water... Is that correct?"

"Correct!"

"Ha ha ha!" Ye Yu laughed heartily at Lu Zheng's certainty.

Lu Zheng frowned and asked, "Why are you laughing?"

"Laughing at your blindness!"

"You!..."

Ye Yu stopped arguing with Lu Zheng and pointed to the eleven dishes on the table, asking, "All these dishes are made from leeks. Leeks are also known as 'nine vegetables.' There are eleven dishes, which is equivalent to ninety-nine dishes, isn't it?"

"But these are all vegetarian dishes, and I clearly said..."

Before Lu Zheng could finish, Ye Yu interrupted him and pointed to one of the dishes, "This is sparrow stir-fried with leeks, a bird from the sky, named 'sparrow rising'! How about that?"

"This..."

"This is leeks braised with rats, a beast from the land, named 'too many to enumerate'! How about that?"

"You..."

"This one took some effort..." Ye Yu pointed to another dish, "This is leek soup with duckweed, a creature from the water, named 'ascending step by step'! Master Lu, what do you think?"

Thump, thump, thump!

Lu Zheng took three steps back, his face turning red with anger. He was speechless, a mix of shock and fury.

After a long while, he finally calmed down and glared at Ye Yu, "Ye Yu, even if you managed to do this, don't forget that we also agreed on one hundred bowls of wine!"