“Vice President Pei, Steward Fu warned you not to bring the Imperial Censor to the granary, but why didn’t you listen? Now the entire Chamber of Commerce is implicated because of you!”
“Vice President Pei, that’s not fair! Didn’t you say you had no grain reserves? Didn’t you forbid us from selling grain? How come your Pei family sold so much grain all at once? You can’t just do whatever you want because you’re the vice president of the Chamber of Commerce!”
“Yes, Vice President Pei, we are all one family in the Chamber of Commerce. But we don’t have a powerful backer like Magistrate Pei. We have no say in such important matters, but we have to take the blame when something goes wrong. How unfair is that!”
...
Vice President Pei looked at everyone with a gloomy expression and gritted his teeth, saying:
"You didn't know the granary was damp and moldy, and no one stepped forward to stop it. Only after something went wrong do you turn around and blame me. How despicable and underhanded you are!"
"Don't think I don't know how much grain your own shops have in stock. Aren't you waiting for the price to go up in a few days before you sell it?"
"Without our brothers' financial and logistical support for the development of the Chongqing Chamber of Commerce, would you have achieved your current prestige and status? A bunch of ungrateful bastards!"
Enraged, the members of the Chamber of Commerce rose up and confronted him.
...
Upon returning to the post station, Imperial Censor Wu worked through the night to write a memorial to the throne and dispatched it to the capital.
The following day, Prefect Leng, along with Imperial Censor Wu and others, once again visited Jiang's Private Kitchen to bid farewell to the Imperial Censor Group.
This time, the banquet was booked a day in advance.
Jiangshan also reserved the best private room, expressing their utmost enthusiasm.
There weren't many officials accompanying them this time; there were no officials from other counties, nor was there Magistrate Pei.
Jiang Shan's eyes darted around, and his smile widened even more.
Imperial Censor Wu, with his protruding belly and pigeon-toed gait, would stop every few steps to look at the posters hanging on the wall, nodding vigorously as he looked.
"I've never eaten this dish before!"
"I'd like to try this dish too!"
"This fish looks good, let's give it a try!"
"Um...we can order a tempura!"
"Mao... Xue... Xue Wang? The name sounds weird, but the color looks tempting. I'll have one!"
From the first floor to the third floor, we ordered a whole table of food before even looking at the menu.
The attendant beside him wore a bitter expression, a hundred little voices screaming in his mind: No, sir, you can't do this! All you get are seafood and spicy dishes; it's all show and no substance! You'll definitely regret this!
After looking at the menu ordered by Imperial Censor Wu, Jiang Shan smiled with pursed lips.
This person has been in Chongqing for so many days, taking two meals a day home from the store, and has tried almost everything. Is he now trying to push his limits?
Jiang Shan, holding the menu, walked up to Imperial Censor Wu with a smile and stopped. After their eyes met, Imperial Censor Wu puffed out his cheeks and said somewhat hesitantly, "I have already ordered the dishes. Is there a problem?"
The attendant standing to the side kept giving Jiang Shan meaningful glances, his eyes almost twitching from exhaustion!
Jiang Shan smiled and said, "No problem, I just want to confirm the menu with the Imperial Censor."
In front of Prefect Leng, Fu Qiyuan, and all the members of the Imperial Censorate, Jiang Shan briefly explained the ingredients and cooking methods of each dish, subtly telling Censor Wu that this dish was actually seafood, that dish was spicy, this one was deep-fried, and that one was raw marinated.
Well, you know you can't handle it, but you still want to try. Besides praising your courage, I still have to tell you about the potential risks. Even if there's trouble afterward, it's none of my business.
A group of people watched with bated breath as Jiang Shan left with the menu. Apart from Imperial Censor Wu, who was extremely excited, the rest of the inspection team were on tenterhooks.
Everyone knows Wu Yushi's limitations. It's like someone who can only drink three ounces of liquor insisting on challenging himself to drink three jin of strong liquor; nobody thinks he'll succeed.
But he was the superior, and no one dared to object.
The Prefect Leng communicated silently with Fu Qiyuan through his eyes, indicating that he did not want to take the blame.
Fu Qiyuan shrugged, clasped his hands in a polite gesture, and indicated that he was powerless to help.
Jiang Shan went to the kitchen and gave Chef Ding a detailed explanation before returning to his office.
The visit of the inspection team this time is tantamount to cutting off one of the Pei family's hands. Their influence in the Chamber of Commerce and their official career in Yuzhou will be greatly affected. This round is a complete victory!
Having solved one major problem, Jiangshan still has a bunch of smaller problems to solve.
Although she sent a set of bamboo mahjong tiles to Hongxiufang, she hadn't yet fulfilled her promise to choreograph dances and costumes for them. She needed to design the costumes first, and then find some time to choreograph the dances for them.
Also, the New Year is coming soon, and there's a whole list of holiday gifts to prepare. She not only has to prepare the gift list for Guyang County, but also for Fu Qiyuan's colleagues and their families, as well as for the Fu family's stronghold in Qingcheng Mountain. The most troublesome big spender for her is Princess Liyang of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion in Jiangling.
Rong Yue said that her mother was very concerned about her image, and the gift list she received couldn't be the same as everyone else's. She had to have what others had, and she also had to have what others didn't have.
Last month, I sent two cartloads of various daily necessities to the Rongguo Duke's mansion. I don't know if they liked them. I can't be so casual with the Spring Festival gifts I send next month!
Sigh, this cost so much money!
Inside the private room, Imperial Censor Wu watched as dishes identical to those on the poster were served one by one, and his eyes narrowed into slits with laughter.
Boss Jiang is truly a very reliable person; he didn't treat me perfunctorily at all!
He absolutely had to befriend her!
Imperial Censor Wu reached for the Eight-Ingredient Pearl Balls on the table. These balls were made from different kinds of seafood, coated in egg wash, and deep-fried until crispy, chewy, sweet, and delicious.
The seafood prepared at Jiang's Private Kitchen is truly exceptional!
Imperial Censor Wu ate one, then another, and found it so delicious that it made his tongue tingle, but he didn't taste any of the fishy smell that seafood is known for.
Imperial Censor Wu reached for the tripe strips in the spicy blood curd.
The dish was very spicy, and everyone watched as Imperial Censor Wu put the shredded tripe into his mouth without changing his expression.
He even looks like he's really enjoying it!
Wu Yushi's deputy, out of curiosity, also took a bite.
After finishing his meal, he chuckled.
Everyone picked up their chopsticks to taste it, and after tasting it, they all laughed.
Absolutely amazing!
Jiangshan replaced the spiciness of this dish with a mild numbing spiciness, and used a red fruit sauce instead of bright red chili oil. The combination also has a hint of sweet and sour flavor, creating a rich and layered taste.
In this way, even though Censor Wu couldn't eat spicy food, he could still taste the numbing and spicy flavor, which was acceptable to his stomach. The taste was also rich, with perfect color, aroma, and flavor, completely satisfying Censor Wu's curiosity and appetite.
To be able to do this shows that you've put your heart into it!
Overwhelmed with excitement, Imperial Censor Wu stood up, waved his sleeves, and shouted, "I've made Mr. Jiang my friend today! None of you can object!"
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