Capital City · Spring Mud Ward
Thirty years after the dynasty's founding, the city grew more prosperous by the day. Shops had opened early, streams of people came and went, and vendors' cries rose and fell amid the bustle.
A young man came down from a nearby bridge, stopped, and looked back wistfully. "Everything has changed!"
Half a year ago, he had still been a servant. Now he was the heir to the Marquis of Pacifying the South. Yet his father had lost even his noble title. Though he still held an honorary third-rank office, his fortunes were sinking ever lower.
As an heir, he had no title to inherit and received little regard. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"But at least I have a chance to rise now. Before, I would have been a slave all my life." Xie Hongdao smiled ruefully, then turned his gaze and spotted a restaurant!
"This is the place."
A new restaurant had recently opened on this street, and business was booming.
He had heard that this large restaurant, Four Seasons Fresh, had poached several chefs from other establishments. Their specialty was the food favored by the palace's noble occupants.
Once anything became associated with the imperial court, even a cricket could double in value.
Besides, the dishes here really did taste good. Though they could not rival those of the finest restaurants, Four Seasons Fresh did not charge nearly as much either.
This made it a favored place for scholars, merchants, and officials of moderate means to enjoy a good meal or entertain guests.
Sometimes, newcomers from outside the city with comfortable family fortunes would also gather their friends here for a feast.
For them, this was an excellent place.
Better still, the owner of Four Seasons Fresh had hired