Chapter 165

Da Wang's Pin Hai Lou offers top-grade seafood and a rich variety of dishes—frying, stir-frying, braising, deep-frying—clearly superior. This restaurant merely tweaks Great Jin traditional cuisine; it can't match Pin Hai Lou's variety.

A few young gentlemen also came to the table next to Dawang's; before lunchtime, the second floor was nearly full, not counting the unseen private rooms, and Dawang felt sour.

Business is really good—customers come fast; at this time it's already eighty or ninety percent full.

Wei Shen: "Add a plate of stir-fried potato shreds in vinegar."

Lingyin: "There's no potato here, right?"

Dawang: "... You guys are really annoying."

They exchanged a few words, and the waiter had already started serving the dishes.

Obviously the neighboring table was also entertaining guests; the waiter brought a tray with two portions of grilled lamb chops, placing one plate on each table.

The neighboring table introduced to their friend: "Brother Dongyang, try the signature grilled lamb chops at De Yue Lou—outside crisp and fragrant, inside tender and juicy, extremely delicious."

At Dawang's table, Dawang took a bite and exclaimed, "Yi! These lamb chops must be from an old sheep that's become a spirit!"

The next waiter brought another jug of Youzhou white liquor; the neighboring table remarked, "No wonder it's the finest liquor under heaven—great wine!"

Dawang can't drink alcohol; Wei Shen took a sip and said, "Shameless, it's been watered down!"

Dawang fumed: "Black-hearted shop!"

The gentleman hosting guests at the neighboring table directly threw his wine cup onto the table and stood up, shouting, "Where did you country bumpkins come from! I've tolerated you long enough! Have you ever eaten anything good, you lot?!"

Dawang widened his big round eyes: "Ah lie~ Are we going to get beaten?" Looking closely, this guy showed no fear, only excitement. Was it his turn to be the bully in Chang'an?

Wei Shen remained calm; this guy wasn't a tyrant in the southwest either, so why would he fear such a threat?

"Who are you calling a country bumpkin? Is this restaurant yours to run? Why are you meddling in this idle affair?"

"What bad luck! For this young master to have a meal, there's a table of country bumpkins sitting next to him, and they're rebellious country bumpkins at that!"

Wei Shen: "Calling watered-down liquor fine wine? Who exactly is the country bumpkin here?!"

Crack!

The opposite side, enraged, flung the wine pot; war was about to break out. Dawang jumped forward and shouted loudly, "You, you, you—did you hear it's fake liquor, so you don't want to pay and don't want to offend the host, thus using us as an excuse?"

Well, a fight wasn't necessarily inevitable, but that remark ignited the other side.

Originally, Qian Qing had casually invited a fellow student who happened to be studying in Chang'an to come eat; having made no reservation and lacking a private room, they sat by the window on the second floor. As a result, the neighboring table kept dragging his face through the dirt from start to finish—first complaining about the lamb chops being old, then about fake liquor, interrupting his speech, as if it weren't intentional, who would believe that!

"Do you know who this young master is, you country bumpkin! Does this young master lack money for a meal?!"

Dawang blinked his eyes: "Tubizi?"

Wei Shen: "Pfft~ Sorry, it's actually not that funny hahaha~"

Lingyin: ……

Qian Qing was so angry his head seemed about to smoke; he took a few steps to the stairwell and shouted downstairs, "A Wu, come up!"

Downstairs, a row of retainers surged up at once……

"Break the legs of these three blind men!"

"How are they blind again?!"

Dawang: "... No, as victims, shouldn't we be jointly attacking those selling fake liquor?"

Qian Qing gave a cold snort: "You scared? Too late! What are you looking at? Hit them!"

Dawang: "..." You don't know what's good for you—you dare not expose the fake liquor sellers, yet you come to strike those who expose them!

Dawang patted his cousin: "Ah Shen, the time has come to test your two years of effort; a rabble—beat them!"

Wei Shen: …… Suddenly feeling bored.

Regardless of whether Wei Shen wanted to, the opponent was serious, and he had to fight back; in an instant tables overturned and stools collapsed, with crackling sounds as the fight truly began.

Just a bunch of Chang'an city retainers; Dawang watched the bustle with no pressure, cheering on his cousin from the side.

When the Capital Prefecture's Peace and Stability Office arrived, even though Wei Shen hadn't used his full strength, the opposition was already down. Qian Qing, furious and ashamed, shouted insults and tried to rally more people, while Dawang was clapping and cheering, just missing a bowl of peanuts.

The scene was utter chaos; the head of the Peace and Stability Office drew his sword and slashed at the broken tables littering the ground, shouting loudly, "Everyone stop! Stop!"

Seeing everyone quiet down, he asked: "Who reported this? Tell me what happened."

The shopkeeper immediately leapt up from the stairs, pointing at the three of them: "These three outsiders came to our De Yue Lou to wreck the shop! They treat Chang'an's public security laws as a game—officer, quickly arrest them and make them compensate our losses!"

Dawang couldn't stand seeing the shopkeeper's petty triumph; he said, "You're talking nonsense! Clearly it's this person who wanted to break our legs, yet you dare to file a false complaint?!"

The minor official of the Peace and Stability Office followed the direction Dawang pointed and saw Qian Qing.

Qian Qing nodded at him; Dawang, seeing the situation turn sour, said, "Oh oh, you know each other! I warn you—don't play favorites!"

Despite Qian Qing, that minor official rebuked Dawang: "Shut your mouth!"

He indeed knew Qian Qing, the son of the Qian Shao Fu.

Dawang: ……

Besides his father the emperor, this was the first time someone had rebuked him like this… how strange.

Obviously Chang'an's top liquor house isn't something just any nobody could run; in a few quick moves, the Peace and Stability Office personnel decided to arrest these three outsiders, Dawang included.

Dawang heaved a long sigh: "Dark! Dark! They clearly know each other!"

Wei Shen whispered: "Who oversees the Peace and Stability Office? Let him come rescue you?"

Dawang replied softly: "The Capital Prefecture. I just filed a complaint against him yesterday."

Wei Shen: "……What to do? Really go with them? That would be embarrassing; hurry and tell them you're the You King."

Dawang: "Cousin, have you been to the Peace and Stability Office?"

Wei Shen startled: "……You want to go have a look?"

Dawang's innocent eyes: "Mm!" There's nothing much interesting on the street either; this afternoon just happens to be free.

The officer holding the shackles waved at Dawang: "You three come over! I'll have to come lock you up, right? Just follow us honestly for a trip, pay the fine and spend a few days in detention and it'll be fine." Seeing Dawang was young, he unusually added two more sentences.

Dawang: "We can go with you to the Peace and Stability Office for investigation, but they must go too! I feel I'm terribly wronged; you know each other yet can't show favoritism—is it the law of the Great Jin that in a brawl only the victims are arrested? That country bumpkin, are you guilty and dare not go?"

Qian Qing looked like he was about to explode, but his fellow student who hadn't participated grabbed him, saying, "All right, as this young master says, we'll also go explain things clearly."

Brother Lu!

Go.

Great King stepped out of the corner, Ling Yinmu with a grim face following close behind, his aura extending 2.8 meters.

Great King pokepoked the lock frame held by the Jing'an Office: "Can you not lock me up? I'm scared—I didn't take part in the fight, I promise I won't run away."

Both well-behaved and timid.

Wei Shen was left speechless; Great King's tricks are enough to learn for a lifetime.

That clerk of the Jing'an Office also agreed, seeing the situation—it's fine to enforce the law without violence, without fighting and killing; it's not a major case, so we might as well take it easy and save effort. He gestured to the smug shopkeeper beside him and nodded, "You come too."