GBP Chapter 28 demands the publication of recipes.
Chapter 28 demands the publication of recipes.
After Li Mao left, his whereabouts were immediately reported to Li Linfu.
Li Linfu sat in his study listening to his subordinates' reports, a slight smile playing on his lips.
He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, secretly guessing, "There must be some kind of deal between Li Mao and Zhang Jiuling."
"I imagine things will not be peaceful in the court tomorrow."
The next day, in the court hall.
Inside the main hall, civil and military officials stood in order of rank.
The civil officials, dressed in embroidered official robes and wearing black gauze hats, stood on the left, while the military generals, clad in armor, stood on the right.
Li Mao stood in the front row, waiting patiently.
"A sage has arrived!"
A sharp voice rang out.
Li Longji, dressed in a magnificent dragon robe, walked in from outside the palace, and the civil and military officials hurriedly tidied their appearance.
All the civil and military officials bowed and clasped their hands in salute, shouting in unison, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
The sounds of officials bowing echoed in the empty court hall.
Li Longji slowly walked up the steps, sat firmly on the dragon throne, and slightly raised his hand, saying, "No need for formalities."
Gao Chen stood to the side, took a small step forward, and then called out in a high-pitched voice: "Speak if you have something to say, otherwise the court is adjourned."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Rui, a disciple of Zhang Jiuling, stepped forward.
He first bowed respectfully to Li Longji, then cleared his throat and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
Li Longji glanced at him indifferently and asked, "What is it you wish to report?"
"Your Majesty, the banquet for the Prince of Shou was so popular that many restaurants in Chang'an have been forced to close down."
The civil and military officials below the court began to whisper among themselves.
An official from the Ministry of Rites frowned and whispered to the person next to him, "The popularity of this birthday banquet is not necessarily a bad thing, but it would be inappropriate if it affected the livelihoods of other restaurants."
The official next to him responded softly, "Yes, this is not a good matter. Look at Zhang Rui, he is Zhang Jiuling's disciple. I'm afraid he has some ulterior motive for doing this today."
"Hmm, what you said makes sense. But the success of the Prince Shou Banquet can't be entirely blamed on His Highness."
There were also whispers among the military officers.
A general said gruffly to his colleague, "Business between restaurants is inherently about making and losing money. How can you blame it on the Prince's banquet? Isn't Zhang Rui making a mountain out of a molehill?"
Another military officer nodded in agreement: "That's right, I think there must be something fishy going on behind the scenes."
Sitting on the dragon throne, Li Longji's expression changed slightly upon hearing Zhang Rui's words, and a surge of anger welled up within him. He frowned and said, "Zhang Rui, tell me in detail what happened?"
Zhang Rui bowed again and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, nowadays the people of Chang'an only go to the Prince Shou's Banquet Restaurant, and no one goes to other restaurants. If this continues, those restaurants will surely go out of business, and countless merchants will be ruined."
Li Longji's face darkened further. He looked at Li Mao and said with a hint of anger, "Li Mao, give me an explanation!"
Li Mao sensed Li Longji's anger, but he did not back down.
He stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I find this matter quite strange."
Li Longji raised an eyebrow and asked, "Oh? What's the strange thing about it?"
Li Mao retorted calmly, "Your Majesty, it is common for so many restaurants in Chang'an to go out of business every day due to poor management. Why do you say it's because of the Prince's birthday banquet? Although my restaurant has some reputation, it's not enough to make other restaurants unable to survive."
Li Linfu stood in his position, eyes downcast, inwardly watching the spectacle with a cold smile.
He thought to himself, "This is probably because Prince Shou and Zhang Jiuling haven't reached an agreement on their interests."
He glanced at Li Mao furtively, but showed no intention of speaking up for him.
Li Mao bowed even more respectfully, raised his head slightly, and complained with a wronged expression: "Your Majesty, my restaurants are all located in very remote places, and there are not many customers on weekdays. They will not affect the business of other restaurants in Chang'an City at all."
"Moreover, all of my profits have been deposited into the national treasury, which can be considered as taking from the people and using it for the people."
"Your Majesty, I am wholeheartedly devoted to serving the Tang Dynasty and would never do anything to harm the Tang Dynasty's commerce. I beg Your Majesty to investigate."
Upon hearing Li Mao's words, Zhang Rui's lips curled into a slight smile. He stepped forward and said with a hint of provocation, "Your Highness Prince Shou, you say you are devoted to the Tang Dynasty, yet your restaurant has so many unique recipes. Since you care about the people of the Tang Dynasty, why not make the recipes public and teach them to the people of the world?"
"In this way, other restaurants will also have business, the people will benefit, and they will even be grateful for His Highness Prince Shou's achievements."
Li Mao frowned and replied in a displeased tone, "Lord Zhang, how is your statement any different from bandits openly robbing us? This recipe is the culmination of my restaurant's hard work, created through the tireless efforts of all the chefs. If it were to be made public so easily, what would be the point of my Prince Shou's Banquet?"
"Besides, other restaurants can develop their own new recipes, so why should they covet the recipes for my Prince's Birthday Banquet?"
Upon hearing this, the civil and military officials had different thoughts.
An old minister frowned and muttered under his breath, "This recipe is the culmination of His Highness Prince Shou's hard work. How can it be made public so easily? Zhang Rui probably wants a piece of the pie too."
A young official standing nearby said softly, "That's true, but if the recipes could be made public, it would be a good thing for the people. You see, people's livelihoods are already difficult, and now that the prince is doing business, who would dare to compete with him?"
The old minister shook his head: "Hmph, those restaurants are just poorly managed, how can you blame it on His Highness Prince Shou? Zhang Rui is probably acting under someone else's orders."
On the other side, two military officers were also talking in hushed tones.
One military officer said, "Things in the court are getting more and more complicated. How did the matter of the Prince's birthday banquet end up in the court?"
Another military officer lowered his voice and said, "Who knows? They probably touched a nerve with some bigwigs. Let's just observe and not take sides or say anything rash."
The atmosphere in the imperial court became somewhat tense.
Finally, Zhang Jiuling stepped forward.
He first straightened his wide sleeves before slowly walking to the center of the court.
He then bowed and clasped his hands in greeting to Li Longji before speaking slowly and deliberately: "Your Majesty, I believe that His Highness Prince Shou, as a prince, should benefit the people."
"His Highness Prince Shou's restaurant is doing so well. If the recipes could be made public, other restaurants would follow suit, and the people would be able to enjoy delicious food at home. We are grateful for His Majesty's boundless grace."
After listening to Zhang Jiuling's words, Li Longji pondered for a moment, then looked at Li Mao and said, "Prince Shou, what do you think?"