GBP Chapter 32 Prince's Banquet Branch
Chapter 32 Prince's Banquet Branch
Feeling Li Mao's gaze, the shopkeepers present knelt on the ground once again.
"Now that we have pledged our allegiance to His Highness Prince Shou, how could we dare to go back on our word?"
“Your Highness, even if you gave us three times the courage, we wouldn’t dare to outwardly comply but inwardly disobey.”
"Please rest assured, Your Highness Prince Shou, from now on our lives are in your hands."
Li Mao nodded and said, "Alright, starting today, everyone will have their plaques remade. Once your families have moved to the horse farm, then go and draw lots."
"I obey my orders."
The change in their form of address will determine their future status.
After everything settled down, most of the restaurants in Chang'an changed their signs.
The sign above read, "Longevity Banquet for the Prince, Number One, Number Two..."
The people of Chang'an all knew the fame of the Prince Shou's banquet.
That was a name bestowed by the Emperor himself; ordinary restaurants wouldn't dare to do that.
When the restaurant owner, who had left Li Mao's place, saw this scene, he was filled with mixed emotions.
"If they agree, the bustling restaurant will probably be theirs."
"But there's nothing to regret. You can't trade the lives of your wife, children, and elderly parents for wealth and status,"
"Even without the Prince of Shou's recipes, we have long been deeply rooted in Chang'an. Even if we cannot become extremely wealthy, we can still live a comfortable life."
"The situation in Chang'an is about to change completely."
With the booming opening of the Shouwang Banquet.
All the restaurants suffered a devastating blow.
Unless they are long-established restaurants with their own unique characteristics, all the other restaurants that just hire any chef to cook are facing closure.
Even though it's a long-established brand, it still dates back to the Tang Dynasty.
The dishes are always the same few, and they're expensive.
So why don't the people of Chang'an go and eat the delicious food that is affordable and tastes just like the imperial cuisine?
When the other branches of the Shouwang Banquet opened, most of the people in Chang'an gathered at the entrance.
The restaurant owners stood in front of their restaurants, beaming with pride.
Especially Wang Fugui, whose dark, slightly chubby face revealed a set of big white teeth.
But they were all waiting, waiting for Prince Shou to send over the kitchenware.
Before long, a procession appeared on the street, with armored soldiers leading the way.
People along the street quickly made way for him.
Behind the soldiers, a young boy rode a chestnut horse slowly forward, followed by a group of cooks dressed in black and wearing tall black hats.
Each chef wore a confident smile.
He was personally selected by His Highness Prince Shou and personally led to various restaurants to serve as head chef.
Once there, all the chefs would have to follow his orders. No matter how many years of experience they had, they would all become his apprentices, at his beck and call.
Upon thinking of this, many chefs subconsciously straightened their chests.
We absolutely cannot embarrass His Highness Prince Shou at this time.
Upon seeing Prince Shou's entourage, Wang Fugui hurried over and bowed to Li Mao.
"Your humble servant... pays respects to Your Highness Prince Shou."
Li Mao glanced at Wang Fugui, and he immediately changed his tune.
After all, what he said to Li Longji was to benefit the people. Such a simple title and such a small detail, if reported by someone with ulterior motives…
It will definitely arouse that old man's suspicion.
Li Mao said in a low voice, "Liu Dazhuang, Liu Xiaoniu, step forward!"
"The little one is here."
"From now on, you will be the head chefs of the Shouwang Banquet No. 1 branch."
"I will certainly not fail Your Highness's trust."
"Ah."
Li Mao gave a soft "hmm" and then continued riding forward.
Wang Fugui quickly bowed to Li Mao's retreating figure and said, "Respectfully seeing off His Highness Prince Shou."
After watching Li Mao leave, Wang Fugui bowed to the two head chefs and said, "Welcome, brothers, to the place."
"Someone, release the bamboo and pear blossoms."
Bamboo pear blossoms are what later became known as firecrackers.
"Crackling and popping!"
The people of Chang'an gathered around the bamboo and pear blossoms, covering their ears, but unwilling to leave.
The restaurants were not far apart. The sound of bamboo and pear blossoms rang out from one of them, and soon after, firecrackers also sounded from another street.
After the bamboo and pear blossoms had burned out, the managers of the various branch restaurants, all smiles, unwrapped the red cloth from their plaques.
The people of Chang'an filed in instantly.
They also wanted to taste the imperial cuisine.
They could also eat the same food as the current emperor and experience what it's like to be an emperor for a while.
Even though there were twenty branches, and the chefs were all from the Shouwang Banquet, long queues of customers from Chang'an still formed in front of each branch restaurant.
Even as the people inside were slowly savoring their food, someone in line rushed in and slammed the plate of food onto the person's face.
In order to better accommodate these guests, the kitchen had made preparations in advance, cooking large batches of food directly.
Just like a canteen in later times, a single pot of food was cooked, and no matter how many people were there, they could all eat it.
The shopkeepers outside kept adding tables, and even rented the restaurant next door to expand their seating capacity. Tables and chairs were also set up all over the street.
However, this did not solve the problem of long queues. On the contrary, because the dishes were placed outside, even more people stood at the door, unable to resist swallowing their saliva as they smelled the tempting aroma.
Li Mao surveyed the bustling scene before him, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Nowadays, the headquarters of Shouwang Banquet can only make money from what's visible on the surface.
The branch offices are the most profitable; the headquarters should aim to make money from the high-end market.
First, it tastes the same as the imperial cuisine in the palace; second, it's about making money off gamblers.
It's not unreasonable for these high-ranking officials and nobles to use their winnings for entertainment.
When someone wins money, they can't just enjoy it alone; they'll inevitably be surrounded by friends and acquaintances.
At that time, there will be no need for further explanation; the dishes will be cooked in small batches right in front of these dignitaries.
In this way, even if these high-ranking officials and nobles have eaten at other branches, they can clearly distinguish the differences between them.
Although the taste is the same, the texture and cooking time are definitely slightly different.
Secondly, the headquarters sells not only taste, but also prestige.
Who would want to go to a branch office and squeeze in with a bunch of ordinary people when they can enjoy the best food at headquarters?
No one knows how much money the headquarters makes either.
Upon realizing this, Li Mao immediately summoned his servant and said, "Issue my order: effective immediately..."
Before Li Mao could finish speaking, a young eunuch rushed up to him and said, "Your Highness Prince Shou, please convey His Majesty's decree to summon you to the palace."
Li Mao chuckled softly, thinking to himself, "Is he regretting it now?"
"This old man doesn't dare to offend the entire court, so he comes to put pressure on me."