Chapter 125 Banquet
Not only are grain prices rising, but also cabbage, eggs, pork, chicken, mutton... and all other grain-related foods are increasing in price. If Ye Mingsheng only relies on the salary given by the court to eat, he is probably already stretched to the limit and unable to make ends meet.

If a seventh-rank military officer like him who was paid by the emperor was like this, one can imagine how miserable the lives of ordinary people in Luoan City were.

Walking on the streets of Luoan, Ye Mingsheng could already clearly notice that the number of ragged beggars on the road was obviously twice as many as before he set out for the expedition to the palace capital!
There is no doubt that the signs of this chaotic world have already been revealed...

Seeing such a scene undoubtedly made Ye Mingsheng more eager for military power. In this chaotic world, rituals and music collapsed, morality declined, and the big fists were the real law. No matter how much money and land you have, you are just a big fat sheep. Not only can you not defend it, but it may also bring disasters at any time. Only when you have military power in your hands, you don't have to look at other people's faces!

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In the evening, after giving instructions and asking the people around him to stay put in the yard, he dressed in a black robe and went to Zui Xiang Ju for a banquet. Maybe it was because he went a little early, the dancers of Zui Xiang Ju had not yet performed on stage. Although there were many diners in Zui Xiang Ju, it did not have the feeling of being packed with people as in the past.

After all, Ye Mingsheng came here to do business, not to drink, eat, relax and have fun, so he didn't pay too much attention to the dancer. He went straight to the private room and waited for Qian Buli to arrive.

Qian Buli did not let Ye Mingsheng wait too long. He came to the private room under the introduction of the waiter.

"I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting, Brother Ye!" Seeing Ye Mingsheng waiting in the private room, Qian Buli, who was dressed in a green robe, said politely:

Ye Mingsheng waved his hand and said generously: "Brother Qian, you came at the right time. I just arrived not long ago too!"

After some pleasantries and the host and guest were seated, Ye Mingsheng asked the waiter to bring the menu. After receiving the menu, Ye Mingsheng handed it to Qian Buli without even looking at it, and said:
"I haven't been to this place many times, so I don't know what dishes are delicious here. I know you are a frequent customer here, so please take the trouble to order some food!"

"I haven't been here many times, Brother Ye, just order whatever you want!" Qian Buli politely declined.

Although Qian Buli was reserved, he was not too reserved under Ye Mingsheng's repeated requests. After a few polite words, he took the menu. This guy was quite familiar with Zui Xiangju. He ordered four dishes as soon as he flipped through the menu.

Looking at the four dishes ordered by Qian Buli, three of them were raw materials and only one, the braised pork, was a meat dish. Ye Mingsheng nodded secretly in his heart, knowing that Qian Buli was quite particular today. He didn't order any hard dishes to trick him just because he heard that he was treating him...
Seeing this, Ye Mingsheng, who was ready to bleed, suddenly said when Qian Buli finished ordering and closed the menu: "Give us another sturgeon, steamed, and a plate of fried tripe. Oh, and give me two jars of the best Fenjiu in your store!"

Hearing what Ye Mingsheng had added, the waiter immediately looked at Qian Buli with a questioning look. Seeing this, Ye Mingsheng laughed and scolded, "You bastard, I'm the host today!"

After saying this, Ye Mingsheng casually threw a penny of silver over to receive the reward. The waiter's originally droopy face instantly brightened up, smiling like a flower, and immediately said respectfully:
"Okay! I'll go take care of the kitchen!"

After the waiter left, Qian Buli narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at Ye Mingsheng and said nonchalantly: "It seems that Brother Ye has made a fortune in the palace..."

Qian Buli, who often comes to eat here, knows that although Ye Mingsheng only asked for an extra fish, a plate of fried tripe, and two jars of wine, it is not much.
But the consumption level in Zui Xiang Ju is high. That sturgeon alone costs three taels of silver. The whole meal would probably cost seven or eight taels of silver. Half a month's salary of Ye Mingsheng, the seventh-rank commander of the Imperial Guards, was gone just like that!
Ye Mingsheng had eaten at Zui Xiang Ju before, and he was very familiar with the prices here. Although Ye Mingsheng was not a stingy person, he was not reluctant to treat himself to a meal like this.

Therefore, since he came back from the palace and was willing to spend such a huge amount of money to treat me to a meal here, it seems that he has been very busy in the palace!
Feeling the temptation in Qian Buli's words, Ye Mingsheng smiled slightly and said vaguely:
"Hey, Brother Qian, don't you know us yet? We are just trying to make a living! Brother Qian, your place is the real gold mine..."

Seeing that Ye Mingsheng did not deny it, a faint light flowed in Qian Buli's small eyes. The two people looked at each other and smiled at each other tacitly.

Zui Xiang Ju serves dishes quite quickly. Ye Mingsheng and Qian Buli just chatted for a while and all the dishes were served.

After some more politeness, the two grown men, who were already seated and a little hungry, began to eat and clink glasses.

After tasting all the dishes on the table and taking a few sips of Fenjiu, Ye Mingsheng nodded with satisfaction. Although the price of Zui Xiang Ju was very expensive, the food and wine were indeed worth the price. Today was the best meal he had ever had since he came to this world.

The sturgeon is fresh and tender, with a light fragrance. The fried tripe is crispy and chewy, without any peculiar smell. The sesame sauce is a secret recipe with moderate saltiness and a particularly mellow taste of sesame. The braised meat is also good, with thin skin and tender meat, bright red color, and especially tasty...

Although the dishes were very good, what satisfied Ye Mingsheng the most were the two jars of Zi Fenjiu brought out by Zui Xiang Ju. They were pure and fragrant, with a refreshing aftertaste that was simply hard to put down. In Ye Mingsheng's opinion, the taste was no worse than the Pearl Spring he drank in Fang's house, but the price was only one tenth of that of Pearl Spring. When he thought of this, Ye Mingsheng wanted to buy two jars and return to his small courtyard to taste them slowly.

After three rounds of drinking and five dishes, Ye Mingsheng and Qian Buli, who were full, put down their chopsticks at the same time.

After they complimented each other and boasted a bit, they realized that the groundwork had been laid and it was time to get down to business. Ye Mingsheng immediately pretended to speak casually:
"I heard from a friend that Prime Minister Shangguan is planning to set up a new army in Liaoyang called the Zhenwu Army? I guess Brother Qian must be very busy..."

(End of this chapter)