Early fame
Taibailou's fame is limited to the vicinity of Liuhe Lane and is far less than that of well-known restaurants.
"Qiongxianlou's dishes and drinks are inferior to ours, yet its business is better than ours. This shows that good food and wine are only a small part of the story. The kind of restaurant people dine at symbolizes their status and position..."
Qiongxianlou is located on the most bustling street in the capital, and it is a favorite dining spot for high-ranking officials, wealthy people, and gentry.
Generally speaking, scarce and expensive items are used by people of high status and wealth.
Qiongxianlou's high-end image has been deeply ingrained in everyone's mind in the capital. Taibailou would definitely be no match for them if they went head-to-head. Fu Zhiqiao could only try to find a way to carve out her own path.
"Our guests come to Taibailou to drink fine wine, eat delicious food, and enjoy our service and the pleasant atmosphere of the restaurant. Therefore, we must pay close attention to our service attitude!"
Fu Zhiqiao instructed Defu to train the waiters in the restaurant well and to make sure they remembered the restaurant's rules.
At Fu Zhiqiao's request, Taibailou strictly controls the quality of its dishes, drinks, and service. Almost all diners who come to Taibailou praise its food and drinks.
At first, it was just people asking each other, "Have you heard? A new Taibai Tower opened in Liuhe Lane. I heard their Taibai wine is really good. Shall we go try it sometime?"
In the past, when people talked about going to a restaurant, most would think of Qiongxianlou first. But now, when people talk about going to a restaurant, Taibailou is definitely on the list of recommendations.
To cater to different consumer levels, Taibailou's dishes don't just focus on high prices; you can find both delicacies from land and sea and home-style dishes here.
Ordinary people who occasionally want to splurge will choose Taibailou when dining out.
The restaurant boasts a refined and comfortable dining environment, unique dishes and wines, and attentive service. The waiters are all dressed in white shirts and black trousers, looking clean and energetic.
The excellent service at Taibailou will make you feel that the money you spent was well worth it. More importantly, the waiters at Taibailou do not fawn over anyone. As long as you enter Taibailou, regardless of your status or whether you are a guest in a private room or in the main hall, the waiter will bow and greet you.
Dining and drinking at Taibailou gives you the feeling that even ordinary people can enjoy high-class VIP service.
These are all things that other restaurants cannot match. The emergence of Taibailou has stirred up the originally peaceful restaurant competition in the capital.
Seeing how booming Taibailou's business was, the other restaurants were both envious and jealous, and they racked their brains to find out what Taibailou was all about.
How did it develop so well in such a short time?
The predecessor of Taibai Tower was Liuxiang Residence. Following this clue, they found Uncle Xiang, the original owner of Liuxiang Residence. Then, they followed the trail from Uncle Xiang to find the broker who introduced the house.
The broker dared not betray the young master. He subtly revealed that it seemed that the person who bought Liuxiangju was from the Prince Duan's mansion. The broker said no more, fearing that saying more might lead to his death.
The Prince Duan's Mansion? That's a true member of the imperial family!
Most people instinctively shrank back; the news that the owner behind Taibai Tower was Prince Duan made everyone afraid to make a move.
Even if they had powerful backers, and even if they were extremely jealous, they wouldn't dare to have any ulterior motives towards Taibai Tower, nor would they dare to provoke the people of the Prince's Mansion.
*
"Your Highness, I've heard that a new and interesting restaurant has opened in the capital. Why don't we go check it out together?"
The speaker was Yu Haoying, the Minister of Rites. His wife, Guo Sulan, told him about her conversation with the Princess Consort. Upon hearing that she had the opportunity to form a marriage alliance with the Prince Duan's family, he immediately invited Xie Chi out for a meal and drinks to strengthen their relationship.
Xie Chi smiled mockingly: "What? Is Lord Yu reluctant to spend money? Why won't you invite me to Qiongxian Restaurant?"
Qiongxianlou was their favorite place to eat, and Xie Chi was a little curious as to why Yu Haoying suddenly suggested changing the location.
Yu Haoying coughed lightly and replied with a smile, "Not at all. It would be my greatest honor to invite Your Highness to dinner. I have heard that Taibai Tower has a special wine that is as clear as spring water, and I would like to invite you to try it together."
Xie Chi smiled with interest upon hearing about the specialty wine: "Alright, let's go to Taibai Tower today."
By the time we arrived at Taibai Tower, it was already late afternoon, the time for dinner. Taibai Tower was packed with people and business was booming.
"Waiter, bring me a serving of ginger wine duck, a serving of wine-scented rabbit, and a pot of plum wine!"
"One serving each of braised chicken with chestnuts, fish slices in sake, and lotus seed tofu, plus two bowls of red bean porridge."
"Give me a plate of Flaming Drunken Shrimp, along with Steamed Chicken in Rice Wine, Duck Breast with Wine-infused Egg White, and Golden Silk Rolls... and two jugs of Taibai Wine!"
The sound of ordering food could be heard from time to time in the hall, mixed with the chatter and laughter of the guests.
Xie Chi saw the lively scene as soon as he walked in. His gaze moved from the artificial hill and pond to the decorations around him. This Taibai Tower was indeed an interesting place.
Wang Youzheng, standing at the door, immediately noticed the unfamiliar guests outside. He quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said respectfully, "Esteemed guests, I'm so sorry! There are still more than a dozen guests waiting in line on the first floor, and all the private rooms on the second floor are booked. Only the deluxe private room on the third floor is available. What do you think..."
Wang Youzheng didn't recognize Xie Chi and Yu Haoying, but he could tell from their clothes that these two guests must be wealthy.
Upon hearing Wang Youzheng's words, Yu Haoying immediately replied without hesitation, "We want a private room!"
"Alright! Please, distinguished guests, proceed to the third floor!"
Xie Chi and Yu Haoying headed up to the third floor. The other people waiting for seats by the entrance watched their retreating figures, sighed deeply, and exclaimed, "It's so good to be rich!"
They also wanted to skip the wait and go straight to the luxury private room on the third floor for dinner, but the third-floor room was too expensive for them!
Each floor of Taibai Tower has dedicated reception staff. The third floor has six luxurious private rooms: "Fu Shou", "An Kang", "Ji Xiang", "Ru Yi", "Cheng Xin", and "Qing Shen". Each private room has a separate service staff at the door, who can meet the guests' needs at any time.
Every window in the private room is designed so that the view is not obstructed even when you are seated, and you can take in the scenery of the street from the window.
In the private room in Ankang, Xie Chi sat down without even looking at the menu: "Bring me all your restaurant's signature dishes, and two jugs of Taibai wine too!"
The kitchen staff naturally didn't dare to neglect the order from the guests in the luxury private room. In less than fifteen minutes, the private room's dedicated receptionist brought over a table full of dishes.
Yu Haoying picked up the wine pot and poured wine for Xie Chi: "Your Highness, please try this Taibai wine. I've heard that its potency is extraordinary!"
Xie Chi took the wine glass from Yu Haoying, sniffed it lightly, and praised, "What a pure and mellow aroma! The wine is so clear, yet the taste is so rich and fragrant."
Yu Haoying: "The waiter just said that Taibai wine must be drunk slowly; taking a big gulp will make you drunk!"
Xie Chi licked his lips, tilted his head back and took a small sip. His eyes were filled with disbelief. This wine was indeed fragrant and rich, smooth on the palate and easy to swallow. It was a rare and excellent wine!
Judging from Xie Chi's reaction, Yu Haoying was quite pleased: "Your Highness, what do you think? This Taibai wine is different from any you've had before, isn't it?"
"We can't compare, we can't compare!"
Night fell quickly.
Xie Chi and Yu Haoying happily drank one glass of wine after another, and ate to their hearts' content.
As the alcohol took effect, both of them became quite drunk, unable to stand steadily, let alone walk. In the end, they left the restaurant with the help of their servants.
Back at the Prince's Palace.
"I don't need your help, I can walk by myself!" Xie Chi swayed his body, taking crooked steps, as if he was about to fall to the ground at any moment.
He could barely stand with the help of two servants. He kept hiccuping and shouting, "Good wine, good wine! Today's wine is really enjoyable!"
Zuo Murui was a little disgusted by the smell of alcohol on him: "Why are you so drunk?"
The servant replied, "The prince and the Minister of Rites are drinking in the Taibai Tower."
Taibai Tower? Doesn't the Prince usually drink at Qiongxian Tower? Why did he suddenly change locations today? Zuo Murui was a little curious, so she asked, "What Taibai Tower?"
Why does this place sound so familiar? Granny Zhang thought for a moment and reminded her, "Your Highness, Taibai Tower seems to be a restaurant owned by Miss Fu."
Miss Fu? Is it Fu Zhi Qiao?
Zuo Murui frowned: "Tell me in detail!"
Upon hearing Fu Zhiqiao's name again, Zuo Murui's emotions became complicated.
Since she was humiliated by Fu Zhi Qiao last time, Zuo Murui has stopped paying attention to her affairs.
Anyway, as long as Zuo Murui is around, that little girl Fu Zhiqiao will never be able to enter the Prince's Mansion, so she doesn't know that Fu Zhiqiao opened a restaurant in the capital.
Granny Zhang was Zuo Murui's capable assistant and her other pair of eyes. Granny Zhang had to know everything that Zuo Murui didn't know.
"Taibai Tower is a restaurant that Miss Fu opened last month, and it's quite famous in the capital now." Granny Zhang briefly told her about Taibai Tower.
After hearing this, Zuo Murui lowered her eyes and said, "That's truly impressive!"
Granny Zhang wouldn't lie to her; it was true that the Prince had gotten drunk at Taibai Tower. It seemed that this Fu Zhi Qiao really had some ability, at least she was very shrewd in business, and she wasn't just a pretty face.
Granny Zhang stood quietly to the side, unsure whether the Princess's words were a compliment or sarcasm.
"Has she been in contact with Huaiyan?"
"To the best of my knowledge, no."
"She's smart to know her place!"
Thinking of Fu Zhi Qiao's words when she talked back to her last time, Zuo Murui snorted coldly. So what if she can do business? No matter how smart or capable Fu Zhi Qiao is, she is just a lowly merchant's daughter. The gap between aristocratic families and merchants is beyond her imagination.
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