Ding Dusai asked, "Sir, how big a charity performance do you want to hold?"
Zhang Shixun casually replied, "At least 30,000 to 50,000 people."
The three women were startled.
Nowadays, any performance, even in the bustling capital, is considered good if it has a thousand or so people.
The exception is the court’s annual Lantern Festival performance in front of Desheng Tower.
Ding Dusai stammered, "Sir... Sir, if there are 30,000 to 50,000 people, it will be difficult to find a venue for the performance in the city."
Zhang Shixun said with a smile, "Since this is a charity performance for disaster relief, there's no need to be restricted to a specific venue. We can hold it outside the city as well."
Sun Sansi shook his head and said, "Absolutely not outside the city."
"Why?"
"Who would go out of town to see a show?"
Before Zhang Shixun could answer, Li Shishi said, "With Master Zhang here, are you worried that no one will go to see you?"
Sun Sansi was startled, then patted his forehead. "Look at my brain. How could I have forgotten this? Sister Li is right. With Master Zhang here, there's nothing we can't accomplish."
Zhang Shixun smiled and said, "There's a lot of open space outside Nanxun Gate. Let's go there. The stage doesn't need to be too elaborate. A wooden frame will do. Leave it to me."
Li Shishi nodded and said, "The three of us will be responsible for contacting the sisters. Once we have contacted them, we will draw up a program list... Mr. Zhang, regarding the rehearsal..."
"Come to my restaurant for rehearsal then."
The decision was made, and Sun Sansi, being in an impatient mood, hurried off to contact someone.
After she left, Zhang Shixun smiled and said to Li Shishi and Ding Duchide: "It's already dusk, time for dinner... Come on! Follow me to the restaurant, we can eat and chat. I haven't seen you for so many days, I miss you so much."
Ding Dusai didn't think anything of it, but Li Shishi blushed.
Although her relationship with Zhang Shixun was not made clear on the surface, with Ding Dusai's instigation, the relationship between the two was basically confirmed.
It's tacitly understood.
From childhood to adulthood, Li Shishi had never felt so at ease.
When the three of them arrived at this paradise on earth, it was still full of guests.
When Zhang Shixun walked into the restaurant, many people greeted him. He just nodded at them lightly and went straight upstairs with the two girls.
In the lobby on the third floor, Gao Yanei was sitting behind the clinical table, his thighs pressed against his legs, drinking alone.
"Yanei, you are living a very comfortable life."
Gao Yanei turned his head and saw that it was them. He stood up and grinned, "Brother, I have been thinking about you day and night and finally you are back."
Zhang Shixun waved his hand and said, "You continue drinking. Madam Li and the others have something to discuss."
"Okay." Gao Yanei sat down and muttered, "Forgetting righteousness for the sake of beauty."
Zhang Shixun asked, "What did you say?"
"nothing."
Zhang Shixun ignored him and turned to Xiaoju, who was in charge of the reception, and said, "Xiaoju, prepare four dishes for us, two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes."
Xiaoju happily agreed and went.
The five palace maids rewarded by Zhao Ji are now arranged to work in the restaurant.
Zheng Yuanyuan and Xiaoqiu both have a strong interest in cooking. They started learning how to cook from Hei Wuchang as soon as the restaurant opened. After only a few months of study, both of them mastered many cooking methods.
After Hei Wuchang and Zhang Shixun went to Taihang Mountains, the kitchen here was handed over to them. The two women became the chefs of the restaurant and also took in seven or eight apprentices.
When Zheng Yuanyuan and Xiaoqiu heard that their master had returned, they became extra attentive and quickly prepared four dishes. They then went to meet the master with Xiaoqiu.
"Meet the master."
Seeing them, Zhang Shixun smiled and said, "I originally wanted you to enter the entertainment industry, but by some strange twist of fate, you ended up being chefs. Are you used to that?"
Zheng Yuanyuan said, "Xiaoqiu and I both like being a chef. Although it's a bit busy, it makes us feel at ease."
"Yeah, if you don't want to do it anymore, just tell me."
"I want to do it."
The two girls said in unison.
Ding Dusai smiled and said, "Being a chef is much better than us. People respect you. A good chef is highly sought after by all the major restaurants."
Li Shishi also said, "I went to Fanlou some time ago, and their head chef asked me to tell Zheng Yuanyuan if she would like to be the chef at Fanlou. The price is negotiable."
"Haha! This is poaching." Zhang Shixun asked Zheng Yuanyuan with a smile: "Fanlou is one of the best restaurants in the capital. Would you like to go?"
Zheng Yuanyuan refused without a second thought: "I won't go no matter how much money you offer. We only work for our master."
Zhang Shixun shook his head. "I've already told you that you are free. If you seek better employment, I won't blame you."
The two girls said together, "We will follow the master."
"Well, since you want to follow me, then do it first. When there's a suitable opportunity in the future, I can hand over the restaurant to you... Go ahead and get busy. The two ladies and I have something to discuss."
The two women knelt together and saluted, then turned and left.
After they left, Ding Dusai asked, "Sir, what do you want to say to us?"
Zhang Shixun picked up his chopsticks and said with a smile, "It's nothing important. Let's talk while we eat."
The three of them were eating and chatting.
Ding Du racetrack: "Sir, there is one very strange thing when the Jin soldiers besieged the city this time."
"What's strange?"
"You have such great magical powers, yet none of the new emperor or the ministers in the court have ever mentioned you, as if you don't exist. Isn't that strange?"
Zhang Shixun sneered, "It's not surprising at all. I saved the retired emperor before, and he personally awarded me the title of Jinshi. The new emperor and his men treat me as the retired emperor's man, so they're lucky they don't cause me any trouble... No! The Jin soldiers have just retreated, and they're already causing trouble here."
He recounted the story of the winery, then added, "Gao Lao Zhuang wine is a hot seller in the Song Dynasty, and these people are jealous. The most important thing is that the shareholders of the winery are powerful people like Prince Yun, who have no connection to the new emperor. With such huge interests at stake, they naturally won't remain indifferent."
Ding Dusai asked worriedly, "Apart from the winery, they haven't caused any other trouble, right?"
"Not yet."
Li Shishi said, "The new emperor is now eliminating dissidents. He is demoting and killing the ministers that the retired emperor once favored. He is very busy."
She counted on her fingers and said, "Li Yan was directly sentenced to death. Zhu Jie was demoted and sent back to the fields, then exiled to Xunzhou, and soon beheaded. Wang Fu was demoted to the deputy governor of Chongxin Army and his property was confiscated. Wu Min and Li Gang requested that Wang Fu be killed, and the matter was handed over to Kaifeng Yin Nieshan, who did exactly what he wanted, so he sent people to kill Wang Fu. As for Cai Jing, he was demoted again and again, and I heard that he was finally demoted to Danzhou. He should be on his way now..."
Zhang Shixun listened quietly. The endings of these people were the same as recorded in history books.
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