Chapter 54 Cooperation
His words, at first glance, seemed thoughtful and considerate.
After a moment's thought, it was a veiled criticism of Meng Lingge, the Crown Princess, for not having a good life, having been confined to the mansion since her marriage. It also mocked the two women for their noble status, their lack of worldly experience, and their ignorance of even the dishes at the capital's premier restaurant.
He wasn't just making things up.
Before Guan Yi'an came to the South Opium Den, he specifically asked someone to check whether Wen Zhiming had visited the store and whether Wen Zhiming had taken Meng Lingge out to eat, drink, and have fun in the past month or two.
The information received indicated that the South Opium Den had only opened in the last two years, and Wen Zhiming, unless there were special circumstances, usually ate at the Prince of Anshun's residence and wouldn't go to restaurants in the capital. This continued even after his marriage to Meng Lingge.
That's why he was certain that Wen Zhiming and Meng Lingge had never been to the South Opium Den, and he wanted to use this opportunity to further highlight the difference between him and Wen Zhiming.
Another point is that the dishes at this opium den all have elegant and unique seven-character names.
For example, the Dongpo pork that the official just ordered is called Dongpo Wenhuo Weijinrou in the Nanyanguan.
Typically, when customers order, they will name a common dish, and the waiter will choose a corresponding elegant and longer name.
Many people don't know what the long names of the dishes on the menu are, and they can't remember them.
Guan Yi'an suggested that the waiter read out the menu for them, precisely because he knew that Wen Zhiming wouldn't understand and wouldn't be able to choose.
The officials present sensed something unusual in his words and chuckled, waiting to see what would happen.
Only Meng Xingyuan said seriously, "Everyone has already ordered enough. The imperial court has repeatedly issued orders to strictly prohibit extravagance and waste. Let's prepare these first, and we can add more if needed later."
He spoke, and the other officials echoed his sentiments.
Guan Yi'an was waiting for Wen Zhiming and Meng Lingge to make a fool of themselves, but he didn't want to offend Meng Xingyuan.
Just as he was about to dismiss his companion in disappointment, Wen Zhiming, who hadn't spoken until now, asked curiously, "Can we really order whatever we want?"
He looked cautious and somewhat uncertain, after all, Meng Lingge had told him before he left that he should not get into arguments with anyone, try not to pay attention to Guan Yi'an, and attend the banquet quietly.
But in Guan Yi'an's eyes, his expression made him seem like someone who had never seen the world, hesitant and timid even when ordering food.
Guan Yi'an's smile brightened, and he said gently, "Of course, Your Highness, please feel free to order any delicacies you wish to taste. As long as it's available at the Southern Opium Den, we will certainly serve it to you."
Wen Zhiming still cautiously looked at Meng Lingge, "Wife, may I order whatever I like?"
Meng Lingge glanced at Guan Yi'an, then turned to Wen Zhiming and said with a faint smile, "Since Minister Guan has so kindly invited us, it would be too impolite of us not to order. Husband, you can order a few more dishes to show your hospitality."
Hearing this, Meng Huanyan thought her chance to save face had finally come. She covered her mouth and giggled, "What the Princess Consort said is absolutely right. My master said that we can order whatever we want to eat. The young master is so knowledgeable that he probably doesn't need the waiter to recite the dishes. He can just tell us what he likes."
She snatched the menu from the waiter and waved it at everyone, "I'm talking about the dishes on the menu of the Southern Tobacco Shop. The young master should know them, right?"
When Guan Yi'an asked Wen Zhiming and Meng Lingge to order, Meng Huanyan glanced at the menu curiously.
Upon discovering the complexity of the dish's name, she immediately grasped Guan Yi'an's intention.
But she felt that seeing Wen Zhiming's bewildered and helpless look was not satisfying. She wanted to see Wen Zhiming rack his brains but not be able to name a single dish correctly.
So she cleverly increased the difficulty, making Wen Zhiming voluntarily recite the elegant and complicated seven-character dish name.
After she finished speaking, she glanced at Guan Yi'an as if seeking praise, and Guan Yi'an returned her gaze approvingly.
The two worked together seamlessly, a rare occurrence that made Meng Huanyan secretly pleased with herself.
But her happiness didn't last long before Wen Zhiming said without hesitation, "Golden broth stewed with jade-fat palm, emerald lips reflected on a jade plate, secret recipe fried amber peak... As for the wine, let's take my wife's favorite Nanling Chun."
Wen Zhiming had indeed never been to the South Opium Den.
As the heir of the Prince of Anshun's mansion, he was unable to study literature and martial arts due to illness, so the Princess of Anshun was unwilling to mistreat him in any other way.
After the Nanyan Pavilion opened in the capital, Princess Anshun often had her servants buy food and bring it back to the palace for Wen Zhiming to enjoy. Later, because the food was cold by the time it arrived at the palace, affecting the taste, Princess Anshun simply invited the chef from the Nanyan Pavilion to the palace to cook for Wen Zhiming herself.
The regulars at the South Opium Depot only knew that the restaurant was closed for two days each month, but they didn't know that on those two days, they would go to the Prince of Anshun's mansion to be the private chefs for Prince Wen.
These dish names were indeed hard to remember, but Wen Zhiming had eaten them countless times over the past two years, and they were all his favorite dishes. After repeating them many times, he remembered them.
Everyone present, except Meng Lingge, was surprised that he could name so many complicated dishes. Meng Huanyan stared wide-eyed, unable to believe that these words came from Wen Zhiming's mouth.
The one with the worst complexion was naturally Guan Yi'an.
It wasn't just that he wanted to see Wen Zhiming make a fool of himself but failed; he knew that the dishes Wen Zhiming had listed were actually rare and expensive dishes such as bear paws, orangutan lips, and camel hump, each costing over a hundred taels of silver, and that bottle of Nanling Chun wine cost as much as three hundred taels of silver.
Just the items Wen Zhiming ordered earlier were far from enough for him to have enough money.
What's more, there were also those officials who ordered it before.
The officials present knew he had just been promoted and that his family wasn't particularly wealthy. Knowing that the South Opium Den offered expensive dishes and wines, they were too embarrassed to order such pricey items. But Wen Zhiming didn't care about any of that. Since he was allowed to order, he naturally had to order what he and his wife liked best.
Guan Yi'an forced a smile on his face, but inwardly he was groaning in despair.
He had no time to worry about why the intelligence was wrong or why Wen Zhiming was able to order so many expensive dishes. His most pressing need was to solve the problem of not having enough money.
He wanted to give the waiter a meaningful look, signaling him to say that these dishes were temporarily unavailable.
But Meng Huanyan, unaware of his predicament, stood between him and the waiter, questioning, "Your Highness must be making things up. I've never heard of any dishes with these names at Nanyan Restaurant."
The waiter took the menu from her hand and pointed it out to everyone. "These are all the signature dishes of our Nanyan Restaurant. They are so rare and expensive that very few customers order them. This is the first time we've ever ordered such a complete set at once."
Meng Lingge smiled knowingly, "Can all these dishes be arranged now?"
"Of course. It's just that some dishes will take a little longer. I'll go arrange it now." The waiter smiled broadly, put away the menu, and left.
This is a rare and large order.
The officials looked at each other, each lost in their own thoughts.
Some felt sorry for Guan Yi'an because of the money he had spent, some were happy to be able to eat delicious food they had never eaten before, and some kept stealing glances at Wen Zhiming, trying to see if he was pretending to be stupid.
Guan Yi'an's face was gloomy. Although he was still trying his best to maintain his composure, everyone could tell that something was wrong with him.
The host was distracted, and the guests were unable to enjoy their conversation.
Of the large group of people at the table, only Meng Lingge and Wen Zhiming remained calm and spoke softly.
Of course, there was another person who was not only calm, but even somewhat proud.
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