Chapter 4

Hearing Liu the Butcher's enthusiasm, Qin Shaoyou didn't hold back either, quickly selecting various types of meat. Liu the Butcher instructed his assistant to pick them out and send them to the tavern first.

This made Qin Shaoyou feel relieved, but he still felt something was off. He was particularly cautious when writing the IOU, fearing any hidden traps or loopholes.

Liu the Butcher took the IOU with a smile, but Qin Shaoyou was still uneasy and couldn't help asking, "Brother Liu, I've already owed you quite a bit of money. You're not upset, are you?"

Liu the Butcher replied frankly, "Not at all. It doesn't matter whether you pay or not, anyway, this account will be transferred to Lord Zhou."

Lord Zhou...

Qin Shaoyou now realized that something was really wrong. After some probing, he learned that Miss Zhou's father had promised many people here that if they came to Chunjiu Tavern and owed money, they could transfer the debt to him in exchange for real gold and silver.

Qin Shaoyou was lost in thought as he bid farewell to Liu the Butcher and left.

Liu the Butcher watched Qin Shaoyou's back, his smile fading, and spat out, full of disdain, "A parasite, the Qin family has produced such a fool, it's a disgrace..."

Lord Zhou had sent someone to arrange a marriage for Qin Shaoyou, and then Lord Zhou helped him settle his debts. The neighbors, even the pigs, knew that Qin Shaoyou was planning to marry Miss Zhou, most likely as a son-in-law, which naturally invited ridicule.

Liu the Butcher's voice, not too loud or too soft, reached Qin Shaoyou's ears.

His body paused for a moment, then he turned back.

Liu the Butcher had to put on a smile again, "Young Master Qin, is there anything else?"

"Oh, yes," Qin Shaoyou looked at him sincerely, "I just thought about it, and suddenly felt that the ingredients in the tavern are not enough."

Qin Shaoyou paused, then continued, "So, let's add one more pig, three sheep, and by the way, do you have any geese? Bring a few, and deliver them to the tavern tomorrow."

"..." Liu the Butcher looked at this confident guy in surprise, a bit stunned.

This guy is really not holding back.

...

Although he had ordered a lot of ingredients, Qin Shaoyou was still very sad.

He returned to the tavern with a heavy heart, still thinking about what Liu the Butcher had said.

First, he half-sold and half-gave his daughter to him, and when that plan failed, he came up with another one. If there was no conspiracy, it would be strange.

Qin Shaoyou never thought he was so lovable that Lord Zhou would insist on giving him a daughter, silently working hard for him, just waiting for him to change his mind and become his son-in-law. Although he thought he was quite good, he wasn't that amazing. Even if he were as handsome as Pan An, Lord Zhou was still a man, right?

So, there could only be one reason.

Could it be... he wanted to take over the tavern?

Hmm... it's possible, but why would he want to take over this tavern? The Zhou family also runs a tavern, and while it's true that competitors are enemies, the business at Chunjiu Tavern has plummeted. Logically, it shouldn't pose any threat to the Zhou family. If they wanted to expand, there were always other shops in Luoyang they could buy.

"How dare they target me!" Qin Shaoyou was angry.

He suppressed his anger and returned to the tavern. Qin Shou was carefully wiping the tables and chairs, looking quite serious.

Qin Shaoyou tried to get used to the tea the Tang people drank, took a sip, endured the dry and astringent taste, and called Qin Shou over, "Don't rush to tidy up. Come, I have a question. What's special about our tavern?"

"Special..." Qin Shou looked puzzled and finally said, "There are hundreds or thousands of taverns in Luoyang, big and small, and ours has the least business. Is that special?"

Qin Shaoyou felt as if he had been pricked by a needle and couldn't help saying, "I mean good things, not bad things."

Qin Shou scratched his head and finally smiled flatteringly, "The most special thing is having a young master who is well-versed, handsome, kind to the staff, and pays wages on time. Does that count?"

Qin Shaoyou blushed and said, "If you mention wages again, I'll be angry with you."

Qin Shou put on a sad face, "Cousin, I'm praising you, how can you not appreciate it? Oh, I remember." Qin Shou suddenly perked up and continued, "When Uncle was alive, he often told me about something. When the previous emperor was still alive, a prince happened to pass by this tavern and ate a dish Uncle made, called 'Ruyi Soup.' The prince praised it highly and even wrote a dedication, 'Unmatched Culinary Skills,' for Uncle. Uncle was overjoyed and had it framed and hung outside our tavern. At that time, Cousin was still young and focused on studying, so you didn't know about this..."

Qin Shaoyou squinted his eyes, sensing something. The Zhou family was marrying off their daughter and transferring all the tavern's debts to his name, which must mean they had designs on the tavern. And their designs on the tavern might be related to this prince's dedication.

Qin Shaoyou was excited, never expecting his tavern to have such a glorious history. He asked, "So, where is the plaque?"

Qin Shou said, "In the back courtyard storage room."

Without a word, Qin Shaoyou rushed to the storage room. Sure enough, there it was. The dedication was carefully pasted on a plaque, and the plaque itself was finely crafted, with the words 'Unmatched Culinary Skills' and a small inscription below: "In the first year of Xianqing, during the hunt at Mangshan, I visited Chunjiu Tavern and tasted this exquisite dish..."

The meaning was clear: in the first year of Xianqing, this prince went hunting at Mangshan, returned to Luoyang, and passed by Chunjiu Tavern, where he tasted a dish made by Qin Shaoyou's father and was very pleased, thus writing this dedication.

Qin Shaoyou's eyes lit up. He saw the signature at the end, 'Prince Hong of Dai.' He couldn't help but exclaim, "Prince Li Hong? He truly has a keen eye, indeed a noble son of the emperor. Just by looking at his handwriting, I can see his discernment and good heart. Ha... such a person, though I have never met him, I admire him greatly. Ha... we're going to get rich, Cousin, Cousin, why are you just standing there? Hurry up and hang it! We owe our good fortune to this Prince of Dai."

As he spoke, Qin Shaoyou suddenly had some doubts. On one hand, a prince's dedication is indeed more valuable than a tavern, no wonder the Zhou family coveted it. But why did his father suddenly take it down if he had hung it up before? That didn't make sense.

"Cousin, why did Father take down the plaque?"

Qin Shou said, "Cousin, don't you know that Prince Hong later became the Crown Prince?"

Crown Prince...

Qin Shaoyou was excited. A prince is precious, but in an era with many princes, he was still a bit lacking. However, there is only one Crown Prince, and such a dedication would be even more valuable.

This would ensure a comfortable life for the rest of his days.

Qin Shaoyou was so excited that his heart almost leaped out of his chest. His voice trembled as he said, "Ah... it's only natural. This Prince of Dai is clearly very wise. From his words, I see his steadiness and his ability to handle heavy responsibilities. He must be a prince of great virtue. Such a person becoming the Crown Prince is truly a blessing for us."

"But... later, he died suddenly at Qiyun Hall in Hebi Palace during a trip to Luoyang with the emperor and empress."

"Dead? What a pity." Qin Shaoyou almost pounded his chest in grief for the poor Crown Prince, but inside, he was overjoyed. It's better that he died. If he were still alive, he would keep writing dedications, and how would this one stand out? Look at Van Gogh; if he lived to be a hundred and painted one a day, his works wouldn't be worth much. Cough... the Crown Prince died a noble death and will be remembered for eternity!

Qin Shou hesitated and continued, "After the Crown Prince's death, there were many rumors that he was killed by the current emperor."

"Ah... what did you say? The current emperor?"

"The current 'Holy Divine Emperor' of the empire."

The Holy Divine Emperor, Wu Zetian. Suddenly, with Qin Shaoyou's sharp mind, everything became clear. If Li Hong had not died, how could Wu Zetian become the empress? And now, with the Holy Divine Emperor on the throne and the Wu Zhou dynasty established, it would be like having a piece of calligraphy by Emperor Yang of Sui during the Tang dynasty. Hanging it up would be courting death.

Qin Shaoyou's face turned dark. Moreover, if the Crown Prince was indeed killed by the current empress, Qin Shaoyou felt his eyes welling up. He had to tilt his head back at a forty-five-degree angle to keep the tears from falling.

Seeing his cousin about to cry, Qin Shou couldn't help but say, "Are you mourning the Crown Prince? He was indeed quite pitiful."

"Hmph! Nonsense," Qin Shaoyou said sternly. "Our Qin family is law-abiding. Why would we mourn some fake Crown Prince? We are in business, who has the time to mourn nobles!"

"Then, should we hang the plaque or not?"

After a false hope, Qin Shaoyou felt empty inside. But he still had a question. If it was just a dedication from a former prince, why did the Zhou family want to take over? Could their goal be something else?

"No, we can't rely on others to do business. Our ancestors have always been diligent and law-abiding, never seeking to climb the social ladder. Do I look like someone who would use someone else's golden signboard to show off? I regard fame and wealth as fleeting clouds. Diligence and hard work are my virtues."

Qin Shou looked at Qin Shaoyou deeply and said seriously, "You didn't use to be like this, but now... cough... it's hard to say."

Qin Shaoyou pretended not to hear and walked out with his hands behind his back.

...

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