I inherited my grandfather's Tang Dynasty assets.

Chapter 39 Official Road Restaurant

"Hey, giddy up, giddy up!"

Zhang Si quickened his pace, and soon they arrived at Lan Gui Zhai, a two-story building in the typical Tang Dynasty architectural style, which was very beautiful.

Zhang Si sat in the carriage, took out two coarse flatbreads from his pocket, and took a bite.

"Aren't you going to come in and join us?"

Chen Yue looked at him and asked.

Zhang Si seemed to have heard something unbelievable. He was stunned for a moment, then quickly shook his head, looking somewhat panicked.

"Thank you for your kindness, sir. I am but a lowly person, how could I possibly dare to dine at the same table?"

He then held his pancake up a little higher, saying, "This is for the little one."

"It's alright, come in and have some with us. We won't miss you. I happen to have some things to ask you."

As a modern man, Chen Yue wasn't that particular. He wasn't being overly sentimental and insisted on treating him to a meal; it was just a matter of having an extra pair of chopsticks.

Most importantly, Zhang Si had been driving carts and pulling carts on the official roads for many years, so he must have known a lot about Chang'an through his experience.

After much persuasion from Chen Yue, Zhang Si finally agreed, but he was still very nervous.

He had been driving carriages on this official road since he was ten years old, and had met all sorts of people, but he had never seen anyone like Chen Yue, who actually invited him, a mere coachman, into a restaurant.

He's already very happy if those men speak to him in a nicer tone.

It was almost noon, lunchtime, and Chang'an was just over twenty li away. Many travelers and merchants were eating there, as were those leaving Chang'an for other places.

Lan Kwai Tsai is very expensive, and most people can't afford it, but the service here is also excellent.

It was cold outside, but very warm inside. The interior was beautifully decorated, and the lobby on the first floor had about twenty tables, which were almost all full.

At the very front of the stairs, a beautiful platform was set up, where five women dressed in dance costumes danced gracefully to the accompaniment of melodious piano music.

"Sir, these women are all dancers from Chang'an. If you like them, you can pay to take them to a private room upstairs for a drink alone."

Although Zhang Si had never experienced it before, he knew the ins and outs. Seeing Chen Yue staring intently at these women, he leaned close to his ear and whispered something.

"Oh? In that case, Lan Gui Zhai isn't much different from those brothels."

Zhang Si said with a smile.

"The difference is huge. There aren't many women here. Although I've never been to a brothel, I've heard the gentlemen mention that the women in Pingkang Lane are all beauties who can steal your soul."

Although they were dancers, they were not performers; they were merely earning a meager living through hard work. There were many such people in Chang'an, as well as musicians and storytellers.

Chen Yue understood immediately.

These people are equivalent to modern-day entertainers who perform at various venues for a fee.

"The people of the Tang Dynasty were indeed open-minded. If this had happened during the Ming or Qing Dynasties, they would have been condemned to death."

Looking back over two thousand years of feudal history, these two dynasties were the most oppressive towards women, almost to the point of being pathological and harsh.

It would be absolutely impossible for an ordinary, respectable woman to show her face in public and dance in a restaurant to earn money.

Chen Yue looked extraordinary, and the waiter immediately ran over with a big smile on his face.

"Sir, would you like to eat or stay at the inn?"

"The three of us will eat."

Xiao Er was somewhat surprised to hear this. Seventh Sister was obviously a maid, and Zhang Si was even more pathetic, just a coachman on the official road. But he didn't say anything more.

They very politely led the three of them to an empty table.

"I've heard that your Eight Treasures Feast is quite famous. Please bring us a serving first, and then we can have a few other specialty dishes and a pot of wine."

After sitting down, Chen Yue casually said that the waiter beamed and said, "Please wait a moment, sir," before running off to give the instructions.

Chen Yue looked around at the diners, most of whom were from some business associations, and some were scholars dressed in blue robes.

They ate while watching the song and dance performance on stage. Chen Yue was also enjoying it. Seventh Sister was doing better, but Zhang Si sat up straight, looking very uncomfortable.

Upon seeing this, Chen Yue smiled.

"Ah Si, why are you so nervous? It's just a meal, relax."

Zhang Si forced a smile.

"Master, I can't control myself!"

Although he had fantasized countless times in his dreams about one day being like those gentlemen, when it actually happened, he was still very nervous, feeling both inferior and worried that he would lose face and embarrass Chen Yue by being impolite.

"Ah Si, have you ever heard of a shop called Wanbaolou in Chang'an?"

Seeing this, Chen Yue shook his head and changed the subject to talk to him.

This was his grandfather's property. Before he came, the old man specifically instructed him to find a Hu man named Ang and get some silver from him to redeem Hongyu from her servitude.

But now that the token ring can't be brought over, the other party will probably not recognize it, especially since the old man has been missing for ten years, making this possibility even higher.

"Wanbaolou? Is the one you're referring to in Chongrenfang, sir?"

Zhang Si immediately recognized the name and pressed for details.

"That's right, it's Wanbaolou in Chongrenfang. Tell me about it in detail."

Zhao Qimei glanced at Chen Yue curiously.

Isn't this Shennong Envoy's first visit to the Tang Dynasty? Why does he know about Wanbaolou? He seems quite interested in it.

Zhang Si pondered for a moment, organized his thoughts, and then began to speak.

"Young master, Wanbaolou in Chongrenfang is very famous throughout Chang'an. It mainly deals in spices and jewelry, but also sells other gold and silver ornaments. It is considered the shop with the most complete range of products in Chang'an."

It was founded in the third year of the Zhenguan era. At that time, they even held a kind of opening sale, where the more you bought, the cheaper it was, because the prices were fair and the quality was also very good.

"Nowadays, Wanbaolou is undoubtedly the number one shop in Chongrenfang, and many people like to shop there..."

Listening to Zhang Si's introduction, Chen Yue couldn't help but suddenly laugh.

"This old man has quite the business sense. No wonder it's called Wanbaolou; it's just a simplified version of a supermarket..."

Chen Yue had a general idea of ​​what was going on with the store.

"That doesn't make sense. According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, businesses need to be categorized by trade and cannot sell mixed goods. A whole street should specialize in one type of goods. Why is Wanbaolou so special?"

Before coming, he had looked up some information, which mentioned this type of situation.

Zhang Si smiled.

"My lord, that is indeed the case according to the law, but it is not uncommon for mixed goods to be sold in Chang'an, especially among these barbarians. The court is more lenient in this regard."

Furthermore, these kinds of shops must have powerful figures backing them; as long as they don't go too far, there shouldn't be any problems.

Chen Yue thought to himself, "It seems that no matter the dynasty, having connections makes things easier."

"Do you know who the big shot behind Wanbaolou is? Also, do you know anything about their head manager, Ang?"

Zhang Si shook his head vigorously this time.

"Sir, how could I possibly know such a confidential matter?"

Chen Yue thought about it and agreed, then asked what new things had happened in Chang'an recently.

"Master, yesterday our Chang'an Immortal Cultivation Hall held an Ascension Ceremony, but you'd never guess the result—it was incredibly convoluted and bizarre..."