Disclaimer for Alcohol Consumption
His friend chimed in from the side: "Qi Dahu, the chief镖师 (bodyguard/escort) of the number one镖局 (escort agency) in the capital, is here. Quickly bring us some wine!"
Upon hearing Qi Dahu's background, everyone present put away their indignation. Ordinary people were one thing, but who could defeat the chief镖头 (chief镖头, a high-ranking镖师, a powerful bodyguard)?
Xingzheng Escort Agency, as the top escort agency in the capital, has a considerable reputation among the people. Qi Dahu, as the chief escort, is capable of taking on five people at once.
Xingzheng Escort Agency has a wide range of services, including escorting private property, guarding homes, and protecting merchant houses.
As the year draws to a close, the escort agency stops taking on some long-distance missions, giving Qi Dahu time to eat, drink, and have fun.
Fu Zhiqiao had just come down from the second floor when she saw someone brandishing a knife: "What happened? Where is Cheng Yexuan?"
Gong Anyang, who was standing at the counter doing the accounting, met Fu Zhiqiao and briefly explained the whole story: "Master Cheng is changing shifts in the backyard, and we've already sent someone to invite him."
There are guards in Taibai Tower. Who would have thought that something like this would happen in such a short time between shift changes?
After listening to Gong Anyang's explanation, Fu Zhiqiao understood that this person was causing trouble under the influence of alcohol. She had a plan in mind and instructed Gong Anyang, "Go and get some paper and pen!"
Soon, Fu Zhiqiao finished writing a page and handed it to Gong Anyang, instructing Yinxing to take him to get it stamped: "Go and get the restaurant's stamp on it quickly!"
"Who is causing trouble at Taibai Tower?"
Fu Zhiqiao walked up to Qi Dahu, and everyone's attention was drawn to her.
Under everyone's gaze, Defu bowed to Fu Zhiqiao and said, "Miss!"
Qi Dahu frowned and looked at Fu Zhiqiao, "Are you in charge here?"
Fu Zhi Qiao didn't answer him, but addressed everyone in the hall: "Tai Bai Lou has rules. Anyone who deliberately causes trouble will be blacklisted and will never be allowed to enter Tai Bai Lou again!"
The other guests stared wide-eyed at this, surprised that Taibai Tower had such a strange rule.
A few breaths later, Qi Dahu realized that he had actually been suppressed by the aura of a young woman.
Qi Dahu could no longer contain his agitation. He slammed his hand on the table, and the long sword wrapped in cloth was drawn from its sheath, flashing with a cold, sharp light.
With his long sword in hand, Qi Dahu's aura immediately became sharp. He held the sword with one hand, the cold blade positioned an inch from Fu Zhiqiao's nose.
Goosebumps instantly covered her entire body, and Fu Zhi Qiao could even feel the chill emanating from the tip of the knife.
As the situation was about to spiral out of control, the other onlookers gasped in surprise, but Fu Zhi Qiao remained expressionless.
She knew she couldn't show weakness at this moment; if she did, the other party would become even more aggressive.
*
As soon as Zhao Junhui entered Taibai Tower, he saw a somewhat familiar figure from behind.
He could hardly believe his eyes, frozen in place as if under a spell, everything around him losing its color, his gaze fixed on that figure's back.
The servant boy, Lai Bao, followed his gaze and saw a group of people gathered together. What was so strange about that? Why was the young master staring at that place?
"Young Master?" Lai Bao called out twice, and Zhao Jun returned from his daze.
One step, two steps, three steps... He walked closer and closer, and this time he finally saw Fu Zhi Qiao's face clearly.
It's definitely Miss Fu!
Zhao Junhui's heart was pounding. When he saw Fu Zhiqiao being held at knifepoint, he didn't have time to think and shouted, "Stop!"
Qi Dahu turned around impatiently: "And who are you? How dare you meddle in my business?"
Fu Zhiqiao turned around and was stunned for several seconds before she remembered who this person was. A moment of surprise appeared on her face. Zhao Junhui, what is he doing here?
Before Zhao Jun could speak, Cheng Yexuan arrived. He deflected the broadsword pointed at Fu Zhiqiao with his sword and shielded Fu Zhiqiao behind him.
Fu Zhiqiao abandoned her speculation about how Zhao Junhui ended up there; more important was to resolve the immediate trouble.
Qi Dahu and Cheng Yexuan, one wielding a knife and the other a sword, faced each other in a tense standoff, as if they were about to start fighting at any moment.
The onlookers could no longer contain themselves. They feared that if the fighting broke out, they might get hurt. So, they all stood up and decided to leave this dangerous place.
Zhao Jun looked at Qi Dahu with a serious expression: "Whose family are you from?"
Qi Dahu retorted, "What's it to you which family I belong to!"
Instead of getting angry, Zhao Jun smiled and said, "According to the laws of the Great Wei Dynasty, anyone who engages in armed fights and injures others shall be punished with flogging and fined ten taels of silver." His words stopped everyone from leaving.
Zhao Junhui was handsome and had an outstanding demeanor. Soon, people recognized him and began to whisper among themselves.
"Look, doesn't he look like this year's third-place scholar?"
"I think so too. He's so young and handsome. I went to see the parade this year, and the third-ranked scholar looked just like that!"
"Wow! The top scholar is over thirty, how come the third-place scholar is so young?"
"This is incredible! Such a young third-place scholar is probably one in a hundred years. He is very likely to become a prime minister and be granted a title in the future."
"I've heard that the top scholar in the imperial examination is a middle-aged man who is already married with children, while the second and third place scholars are still unmarried!"
Since breaking off his engagement with Fu Zhiqiao, Zhao Junhui has worked even harder. After studying diligently behind closed doors for a year, he chose to take the imperial examination and passed with flying colors, becoming a third-ranked scholar in August of this year.
On the day the top scholar paraded through the streets, the capital was practically deserted.
People spontaneously went out into the streets to watch. Elders brought their children to witness the ceremony, hoping to share in the joy of the top scholar. Young women dressed up in their finest clothes, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the newly appointed scholar.
The Imperial Guards led the way, accompanied by the sounds of gongs and drums. The newly appointed scholars, dressed in bright red robes, rode at the head of the procession, with the top scholar (Zhuangyuan) followed by the second and third scholars (Bangyan and Tanhua). They rode tall horses along Zhuque Avenue, with the crowds lining both sides of the street.
On the day of the parade, Zhao Junhui's popularity seemed to overshadow that of the top scholar.
The reason is simple: young and talented men are really pleasing to the eye!
With his handsome appearance, Zhao Junhui stood out like a crane among chickens among a group of people in their thirties and forties.
Zhao Junhui is currently an editor at the Hanlin Academy. Although he is only a seventh-rank official, his main job is to help the emperor draft documents. The emperor intends to support scholars from poor families, and Zhao Junhui has just caught the wave.
Although the third-ranked scholar was not as famous as the top scholar, his reputation was in no way inferior.
Only a few months had passed since the parade, so naturally people remembered Zhao Junhui's appearance, and everyone's eyes instinctively fell on him.
Qi Dahu was getting drunk, but he wasn't stupid. Everyone understood the principle that the common people shouldn't fight with officials, and no matter how arrogant he was, he wouldn't dare to confront the court officials.
Faced with this situation, he couldn't bring himself to bow his head and apologize.
Bowing down and apologizing to a young woman would not only damage his reputation but also diminish the prestige of the capital's premier escort agency.
Qi Dahu was extremely proud, but his friend was quick to judge the situation and stepped in to smooth things over: "I'm so sorry, so sorry! We were drunk, please don't take offense, sir!"
Originally, he was in the right, but this apology put him at a disadvantage. Qi Dahu immediately put his face stern and said, "What are you apologizing for? They were the ones who refused to give me wine first! Everyone, tell me, what kind of restaurant refuses to give people wine?"
When you're in business, how can you not offer your customers drinks?
This remark garnered the agreement of many, with some bolder individuals advising, "Shopkeeper, if he wants a drink, just give him the wine; it's not like he's not going to pay."
"That's right! Let him drink it!"
"It's unprecedented for restaurants to restrict drinking."
It's so frustrating to have good wine but not be able to drink it!
Clearly, the guests were puzzled by this rule.
One pot of wine per person was a rule set by Fu Zhi Qiao. She was worried that someone might get drunk and cause trouble in Tai Bai Lou. The capital was full of powerful and wealthy people, and she couldn't bear the responsibility if someone got into trouble here.
However, if a customer really drinks too much, there is a way to deal with it: simply have them sign a waiver.
"Ginkgo!" Fu Zhi Qiao called out, and Ginkgo ran out from behind her and respectfully replied, "Miss, the stamp is ready."
Fu Zhiqiao took the paper from Yinxing and held it up to Qi Dahu: "Sign this waiver of liability for drinking. As long as you can afford it, you can drink as much wine as you want at Taibai Tower from now on!"
Qi Dahu could make out the words "Disclaimer for Intoxication" in large characters, but the densely packed small characters made his eyes hurt.
"What the hell? You have to sign a contract just to have a drink? What if you try to trick me with a contract of servitude?"
Fu Zhi Qiao remained unmoved and replied expressionlessly, "If you want to drink, you must sign this waiver!"
Qi Dahu, impatient with so many words, turned his gaze to the next table and said to a scholar-looking man, "You, come and see if this is really a contract of servitude?"
Qi Dahu exuded a strong aura of menace. The scholar tremblingly accepted the disclaimer and glanced at it, saying, "The shopkeeper is right. This is a disclaimer, not a contract of servitude."
"Come on, read it to me!"
The scholar was caught between the two groups of swordsmen and knivesmen. He felt like he was about to faint, and he could no longer see the contents of the disclaimer.
Seeing this, Zhao Jun took the disclaimer from the scholar's hand and said, "I'll read it. Do you have any objections?"
Qi Dahu grunted twice, not daring to disagree.
"Today I forced Taibailou to serve me wine. If I get drunk and lose my temper, smashing glasses and bowls in the restaurant, causing losses to the restaurant and other customers, I am willing to compensate for the losses. If I leave while drunk and suffer an accident or death, Taibailou will not be held responsible, and neither I nor my family will hold Taibailou liable. I will bear all the consequences."
After Zhao Jun finished reading, everyone present was stunned and looked at Fu Zhi Qiao in disbelief.
What kind of new trick is this?
Qi Dahu and his friend exchanged a glance, and this time they both saw the surprise in each other's eyes.
Fu Zhiqiao: "Are you going to sign or not? If you don't sign, you can't drink any more Taibaijiu."
"Hmph! Sign it then, do you think I'm afraid of you?!"
Upon hearing this, Defu immediately gave Wang Youzheng, who was standing next to him, a wink. Wang Youzheng quickly handed the inkpad to Qi Dahu.
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