Not only the small courtyard, but the entire Duke Yi's mansion almost became a workshop. Many carpenters were borrowed from the Yuchi family, the Cheng family, the Li Jing family, and even the Yan Lide family, just to make tables and chairs for the restaurant.
Truckloads of timber were continuously being delivered to the Duke of Yi's mansion, which puzzled outsiders. Some even asked Qin Qiong if he was building a house and why he needed so much timber.
Qin Mu became even busier. He practiced his martial arts early in the morning, then ate breakfast, let his younger siblings study on their own, and went to inspect the construction site before returning home to teach them to read. It is worth mentioning that Qin Huaiyu's good friend Li Dejiang, Yuchi Huan, and Cheng Huaibi joined him in their studies.
Qin Mu gradually became known to the people of Chang'an because he would ride his unicorn rhinoceros to the construction site every day, which not only saved time but also allowed him to give his mount a good ride.
After returning home, the afternoon was training time. Not only did I train the apprentices in knife skills, but I also trained the waiters in etiquette and important matters.
By purchasing large quantities of meat and vegetables, I honed my knife skills and was able to cook for the increased population—a win-win situation.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
"Shubao, rise."
Inside the palace, Qin Qiong bowed before sitting down to the side.
"Ahem, Uncle Bao, although you've become younger now, you still need to take care of your health," Li Shimin coughed twice to remind him.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am in good health," Qin Qiong said, bowing with his hands clasped in thanks.
"Hmm, judging from your brisk and energetic walk, I know you are in good health," Li Shimin nodded.
"I feel I have returned to my peak, and I am ready to fight for Your Majesty at any time," Qin Qiong declared loudly. He was extremely satisfied with his health; his current strength was even greater than during his previous peak. Of course! He was very grateful to his son for giving him such precious elixirs.
"Uncle Bao, do you perhaps have some secret recipe or technique? Could you share it with me?" Li Shimin hesitated for a moment, then asked expectantly.
"Your Majesty, what did you say? Is it about becoming young again? The elixir is no longer available. According to my son, it can only be refined after he becomes a Grand Scholar. If Your Majesty wishes to use it alone, I can have my son hand it over," Qin Qiong asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Ahem, I don't need any prescriptions," Li Shimin waved his hand. As emperor, he had no shortage of health-preserving remedies. He had consulted the imperial physicians about Qin Qiong's condition, and they explained that it was only because Qin Qiong had damaged his foundation and was suddenly being replenished that condition; most people wouldn't experience this.
"Second Brother, I heard you're still going strong despite your age, and you bought eighty courtesans in one go, making Pingkang Ward a bit short-handed," Cheng Zhijie said with a grin.
Qin Qiong was stunned for a moment before realizing that Li Shimin's hesitation was because he wanted to ask him if he had the art of seducing women. His face flushed red, and he hurriedly waved his hands, saying, "No! No! Your Majesty, you misunderstand. Those women were all bought by my son."
"What! Uncle Bao, your son is only fifteen years old, right? How could he be so outrageous! Has he become so arrogant now that he's the son of a duke?" Li Shimin stood up in surprise, then frowned.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. It's not that my son is acting recklessly. He's recently been planning to open a restaurant, and those women are all women he bought to work as waitresses. They're currently being trained," Qin Qiong explained.
"Why would a restaurant need so many courtesans? Wouldn't that damage its reputation?" Li Shimin asked, somewhat skeptical.
"This is entirely true. I also asked him about it, and my son said that ordinary people wouldn't let the women in their families work in restaurants; and if they wanted to buy slaves, they wouldn't have enough young women available in a short time. They were forced to go to brothels to redeem people from their slavery. This way, some unfortunate women could be rescued. Once these women earned enough money to redeem themselves, they would be set free," Qin Qiong said solemnly.
“I knew it,” Cheng Yaojin nodded. “How could Huai Dao be the kind of person who is lustful?”
"Those women were all redeemed by Cheng Huaimo and sent to my residence. Zhijie, didn't you know that?" Qin Qiong asked.
"I don't know! Is that true?" Cheng Zhijie shook his head blankly.
"Hehe, so it was Cheng Huaimo who went to the brothel," Yuchi Gong said with a smile. He was happy to see Cheng Zhijie unhappy.
"Hmph! That brat hasn't been seen for days," Cheng Zhijie said with dissatisfaction.
"I haven't seen my sons for several days." Speaking of his sons, Yuchi Gong couldn't help but frown.
"They're all busy. The kids are all doing very well. They're very motivated because of the restaurant where they all work. They're busy from early morning until late at night every day," Qin Qiong said.
Upon hearing Qin Qiong's words, Yuchi Gong and Cheng Zhijie smiled, completely relieved that they were associating with Qin Mu.
"What? Is the little guy going to build a restaurant together? Making such a big fuss, I wonder what it will turn out like in the end." Li Shimin sat down with disappointment, then listened with curiosity.
"It's truly impressive, a five-story restaurant. Mu'er said he wanted to make it the biggest and best restaurant in Chang'an. I've seen the blueprints; it's indeed very beautiful and novel," Qin Qiong said with a smile. Qin Mu had caused chaos at home, so he naturally had to inquire. Only after Qin Mu's repeated explanations did he temporarily believe him. However, in front of outsiders, he naturally had to appear confident.
"Oh! This place is quite large, the biggest and best restaurant in Chang'an. I'd like to go and see it myself," Li Shimin said in surprise.
"I've eaten hot pot at Huaidao Lane before, and it was indeed delicious. The wine was also exceptional," Cheng Zhijie said, reminiscing.
“It’s really good. It would be even better to eat it in winter,” Yuchi Gong nodded in agreement.
"Hmph! So I'm the only one who hasn't tasted it," Li Shimin said with dissatisfaction. As an emperor, he was naturally unhappy that he was enjoying fine food after his subjects, especially since he had arranged for the wine to be obtained last time.
Of course, he wasn't really angry; he was just venting his emotions slightly in front of his trusted subordinates.
"Your Majesty, I know my crime!" The three hurriedly bowed.
"Since you know you're wrong, then let me have a taste as soon as possible," Li Shimin said, waving his hand.
"Your Majesty, please forgive us. The flavor of the hot pot is still being adjusted. Mu'er said she would try her best to make it the best. I dare not try to fool Your Majesty with a half-finished product," Qin Qiong said, bowing again. Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger; Qin Qiong knew this principle. He didn't want Qin Mu to come to the palace to make hot pot for Li Shimin because he was afraid Qin Mu would unintentionally cause trouble.
"Yes, Your Majesty, although it's called hot pot, it's actually just sweet and sour soup, only the preparation method is a little different," Cheng Zhijie explained.
"Since that's the case, I won't insist. I'll try it when it's ready," Li Shimin said, waving his hand. He had only been venting his emotions; he didn't actually want to eat it. As the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, he was not lacking in delicious food.
"Your Majesty, why not send a royal chef to my residence to learn how to make hot pot? With their experience, once they learn, they will surely be able to make an even better-tasting version for Your Majesty," Qin Qiong suggested, his eyes lighting up as he cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.
"Excellent, excellent, that's a good idea. I'll issue an imperial decree shortly to send the imperial chefs to your residence, Uncle Bao." Li Shimin nodded in satisfaction. He certainly trusted the imperial chefs' abilities. As Qin Qiong had said, once they knew the preparation method, they could definitely make something even better. After all, the palace had a wider selection of better ingredients.
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