Chapter 25: The Grand Banquet for the Moneyed Crowd

Four days later, Li Tingbiao requested an audience and presented two lists.

One was a list of all wealthy merchants in the capital with family assets exceeding one hundred thousand taels, and the other was a list of all officials in the capital with family assets exceeding one hundred thousand taels. Most names had an approximate figure of their family wealth noted after them.

Zhu Cilang glanced over them and clicked his tongue in astonishment—this was practically a rich list of the late Ming!

Especially the officials. Ming officials did not draw high salaries, yet these officials were each dripping with wealth—a single piss from them could fertilize two mu of land.

Zhu Cilang made his plans and ultimately selected one hundred fifty wealthy merchants and fifty officials from the list, then sent people to their homes to distribute invitations, saying that His Highness the Crown Prince would host a banquet for them at the Prince Duan Mansion the following day.

Having heard that His Highness the Crown Prince was playing host, many wealthy merchants and capital officials arrived at the Prince Duan Mansion the next day, every face beaming with delight.

Although many wealthy merchants knew that the Eastern Palace was currently carrying out the imperial order to relieve the people, and that they would likely be asked to contribute funds, they were still excited nonetheless.

Because in that era, with the hierarchy of scholar, farmer, artisan, and merchant, merchants occupied the lowest status. For His Highness the Crown Prince, the heir apparent, to invite them was naturally their good fortune, and it invisibly elevated the standing of merchants.

However, at the gates of the Prince Duan Mansion, the dignitaries awaiting summons to enter had split into two circles—merchants on one side, capital officials on the other.

The merchants wore smiles, but the capital officials frowned. They had not expected the Crown Prince to have them attend the same banquet as merchants. Feeling insulted by His Highness the Crown Prince, many officials wore expressions of indignation.

"We are scholar-officials—how can we sit alongside merchants?" one official said angrily, immediately drawing agreement from many others.

The merchants overheard this and were rather displeased, thinking to themselves: you lot put on airs now, but that wasn't how you acted when you were taking our money.

Yet the merchants dared not say anything openly. Every dynasty had discriminated against merchants; their status was lower than even that of farmers, let alone compared to these officials.

"Silence!" Wu Zhong bellowed at full volume, subduing the whispering officials. He secretly gestured for the young eunuch behind him to report to His Highness the Crown Prince.

Though the Crown Prince was young, he was still the sovereign, and they were his subjects—proper respect was required. These officials, despite their grievances, could express displeasure at most through dry coughs and fidgeting.

"What's this—is His Highness truly going to make us share a banquet with these worthless merchants?" The Duke of Cheng, Zhu Chunchen, stepped forward with a cold laugh.

As a hereditary Duke of Cheng who also held command over the Capital Camps, Zhu Chunchen harbored none of the reverence others felt for the young Eastern Palace. Moreover, he had never forgiven Zhu Cilang for cutting off his source of income, and this was a fine opportunity to take a jab at him.

If Zhu Chunchen knew that the boss of the capital's underworld, "Brother Haonan," was in fact the current Crown Prince, he would probably have blown his top.

"Duke of Cheng, please watch your words!" Wu Zhong stared at Zhu Chunchen as he spoke. Wu Zhong was deeply displeased with Zhu Chunchen for targeting his master.

"Hmph! What a piece of trash!" Zhu Chunchen flicked his sleeves and gave a light snort. No one could tell whether he meant Wu Zhong or was indirectly cursing the Crown Prince.

Wu Zhong's face turned green with rage, but he was helpless. The other party was a hereditary duke of exalted status—not someone a mere seventh-rank chief eunuch like himself could talk back to. Still, when Wu Zhong recalled the matter of Brother Haonan, he felt somewhat comforted.

The wealthy merchants watching from the side felt thoroughly disgusted. The more they looked at these officials, the more irritated they became—especially this Duke of Cheng. If he had not held official rank, these merchants would long since have had their household retainers beat him to death in the streets.

At that moment, the young eunuch who had gone inside to report returned, whispered a few words into Wu Zhong's ear, and retreated to the side.

Wu Zhong stepped forward two paces and announced: "By decree of His Highness the Crown Prince, all shall enter the banquet. Should any be unwilling to attend, they may return tomorrow—there will be another banquet then."

Hearing the decree, the crowd hesitated. What did it mean? That they could attend in two shifts?

The wealthy merchants wanted to enter the mansion but dared not take the first step, since those officials across from them had not yet gone in.

"Gentlemen, please proceed!" Wu Zhong smiled and made a gesture of invitation toward the merchants' circle.

"We wouldn't dare trouble you, Eunuch!" Several merchants with sharp wits hurried forward with courteous words and entered the mansion first.

The merchant who entered first turned back and secretly spat at the officials outside, thinking to himself: "What a bunch of trash—looking down on your grandpa, yet Grandpa still got in before you lot, didn't he?"

Seeing someone enter the mansion first, many merchants followed suit, no longer paying any mind to the officials with their livid faces.

"These riffraff are getting more and more out of line!" one official fumed.

"I absolutely refuse to share a banquet with these people!" Another official flicked his sleeves and stormed off.

"Forget it—let's go home and come back tomorrow." Several more officials departed.

Before long, all the officials had left. Many declared as they went that they would submit memorials to Your Majesty impeaching the Crown Prince.

In the Chengyun Hall, all manner of dishes had long been prepared. Though decent enough, they looked somewhat meager in the eyes of these wealthy merchants accustomed to delicacies from land and sea—yet they did not mind.

What astonished everyone was that each banquet table bore a special dish. One man of wide experience called out its name on the spot: "This is hotpot!"

"Oh! It really is Dezhuang Hotpot's hotpot!"

Many wealthy merchants knew that there was a Dezhuang Hotpot on Qianmen Street. Though it had not been open long, its reputation had already spread throughout all of Beijing. Its signature dish was a new menu item called "hotpot"—unique in flavor, wonderfully satisfying, and the more one ate, the more one craved it!

Many of those present had eaten there before. They never imagined that His Highness the Crown Prince's banquet would include this fashionable dish—truly incredible.

Wu Zhong announced in a loud voice: "By decree of His Highness the Crown Prince: His Highness has been delayed by matters and will arrive shortly. You need not stand on ceremony—eat and drink freely. Any breach of etiquette shall be pardoned."

Hearing this, these patrons were thrilled and faintly moved. This Crown Prince was so benevolent—truly admirable!

Merchants of their lowly station were always afraid of being trapped by a scheme—of eating happily when suddenly a guard would leap out and seize them, declaring them guilty of impropriety before the prince, first giving them a beating, then confiscating all their property.

Now that His Highness the Crown Prince had issued his decree, they no longer had any worries. Each of them was all smiles.

For an entire day, the Prince Duan Mansion was extremely lively. To the music of the Bell and Drum Office, the banquet guests toasted one another in great merriment.

Especially the fiery, spicy hotpot paired with fine wine—everyone ate with blazing enthusiasm, exclaiming how satisfying it was.

In such a scene, it was rare that no eunuch stepped in to stop anything, letting everyone cheer as they pleased.

Only as the banquet drew to a close did His Highness the Crown Prince emerge. The guests, slightly tipsy from eating and drinking, hurriedly paid their respects—some even swayed on their feet, committing minor breaches of decorum.

Zhu Cilang took no offense at this; on the contrary, he smiled, which moved the assembled wealthy merchants deeply.