You Can Do Business Like This?
The layout of the restaurant's main hall was especially strange.
It was just like the venue for a gala in a later era.
At the front was a raised platform covered with a red carpet, surrounded by tables that seemed to be where the audience would sit.
No matter how one looked at it, this didn't resemble a restaurant at all. It looked more like a theater stage.
"What's that fellow Jun Jingyi up to?"
Bai Ruoli frowned inwardly.
She had been trying to figure out what Jun Jingyi was thinking lately.
Because only when she could fully analyze what she was thinking would he truly understand this person.
Then it would be easy to scheme against him.
But now, just as she had finally begun to feel she had some hope, this happened...
Clang...
A bronze bell rang out.
At that moment, a middle-aged man in a long black robe slowly emerged onto the red-carpeted platform.
He swept his gaze over the crowd, bowed, and said with a light chuckle, "The Journey to the West Restaurant thanks all the honored lords, ladies, young masters, and young ladies for gracing us with your presence!"
The people around him smiled.
Though their status meant they were accustomed to seeing servants bow and scrape before them, this was an obviously formal occasion.
Being greeted with such a bow in front of everyone still made them quite happy.
They simply felt that the Journey to the West Restaurant was a fine place, and they could come often in the future.
Seeing this, the middle-aged man continued, "Our proprietor said that since you have honored our restaurant with your presence on such a fine holiday, we must ensure that you enjoy the festivities even more."
"So our restaurant has decided that, tonight, all honored guests present may drink Dukang Liquor at discounts starting at fifty percent off, and take it home at discounts starting at forty percent off!"
"Wah..."
An uproar swept through the venue.
Members of the various great families whispered among themselves.
This was a lavish gesture.
This was Dukang Liquor, after all. A single jar could fetch a sky-high price.
And there were quite a few people here now.
On this alone, the restaurant stood to lose a great deal.
"Could the rumors on the streets really be true? Did Young Master Jun open a restaurant solely for the benefit of Tianfu City's talented scholars?"
The crowd buzzed with discussion.
Below the platform, Bai Ruoli was dumbfounded.
You could do business like this?
No... what exactly was he after?
Surely this would cost the Jun Residence a whole year's income!
"And there's more..."
The middle-aged man spoke again from the platform. "Our proprietor said that with so many talented young men and women of Tianfu gathered here for such a fine holiday, how could there be no stage for them to display their talents?"
"So he had the restaurant specially remodeled for you to drink wine and compose poetry here!"
"And to liven things up, our proprietor is willing to pay out of his own pocket to offer a small prize."
"Of the poems composed today by our talented guests, the third-place winner will receive one jar of Dukang Liquor, the second-place winner three jars, and the first-place winner nine jars!"
"Wah..."
Another uproar broke out around them.
At a hundred taels of silver per jar of Dukang Liquor, didn't that mean the first-place prize was worth nine hundred taels?
"Good heavens..."
Some of the scholars who had a little fame but came from less privileged backgrounds secretly swallowed, their gazes burning.
The next moment, they were preparing to think about what poems to compose.
Their hearts were filled with excitement.
On an occasion like this, the powerful and influential figures of Tianfu City had all gathered. If they could compose a fine poem...
Leaving aside the already generous prize, if some powerful person took a liking to their literary talent, then...
Just then, the middle-aged man on the platform spoke again.
"Our proprietor also said that he is willing to display the top three poems in every restaurant belonging to the Journey to the West Merchant Alliance in Tianfu City for three months, so that people from beyond Tianfu may admire them as well."
"Boom..."
This time, many young men and women from wealthy families with powerful backgrounds also sprang to their feet.
All people sought in life was fame and fortune, wealth, beauty, and power.
But now Jun Jingyi had copied the methods of capitalists from a later era and laid them all out, ensuring that tonight would be extraordinary for the Journey to the West Restaurant.
The restaurant was buzzing with excitement.
One after another, the talented young men and women who considered themselves to have some literary ability stepped forward.
Outside the restaurant, Tianfu City, too, was passing a sleepless night.
The events of the day were being discussed in ordinary households everywhere.
Overnight, the Journey to the West Restaurant became a household name, and a place everyone longed to visit for conversation and to entertain guests.
Before long, it was late at night.
The excitement inside the Journey to the West Restaurant gradually died down.
The top three had also been decided.
Because the restaurant had left the selection of judges to those present, the Tianfu City county magistrate was elected as one.
The one from the Jin Family was elected as another.
The eighth prince was elected as the third.
Jun Jingyi didn't even need to guess the final results: the top three were all talented scholars with powerful backgrounds.
The restaurant kept its promise and handed out the prizes.
By rights, that should have brought the day's literary contest to a close, but there just had to be someone eager to stir up trouble.
Liu Xuan, the Liu Family scholar who had taken first place, was arrogant and overbearing as he called directly to the restaurant.
"I hear your proprietor is Young Master Jun, Jun Jingyi, right? Isn't he supposed to be very good at composing poetry? It wouldn't be quite right for him not to come out and compose a poem on an occasion like this, would it?"