This is the first time Shen Hao has come to Qingfeng Garden, but he has heard about it a long time ago.
Just by hearing the name, you can tell what kind of store this store is. It adopts a fresh, refined and elegant style, somewhat like a combination of a tea house and a gallery.
Of course, ordinary people can't come here. On the one hand, the cost here is not something that ordinary people can afford. On the other hand, even if you have money, you may not be able to get in here. You need someone to recommend you.
It is said that this store is a business under the name of the royal family. It is unclear whether it is the Ministry of Internal Affairs or a relative of the royal family. Anyway, it has a good background and no one wants to cause trouble here.
The people who can enter here are either the top wealthy businessmen in the old Jing Dynasty, or high-ranking officials. Many of the big shots from various places who claim to be "high-class" are not qualified to enter Qingfeng Garden.
Moreover, Qingfeng Yuan is the company that purchases the most aged Wuliangye at high prices and is the most generous. The accounts of Zhangjia Liquor Store clearly indicate that Qingfengyuan’s quantity of aged Wuliangye is second only to Shen Hao’s wine cellar. Of course, they are all brewed in one or two years, and almost none are brewed in three or four years.
When you enter the bamboo forest path at the door, you will be greeted by a strong literati atmosphere. Even the green bricks under your feet have elegant flower and plant carvings.
Qingfeng Garden occupies a large area and is divided into a main building and two companion buildings.
The main building is five stories high and is made of magic arrays, rocks and logs. Each floor is very spacious, but there are not many tables and chairs. The picture shows a quiet place, with more calligraphy, paintings, flowers and plants, as well as a place for singing, dancing and music that can be used as a diversion.
There are also some specially designed places for literati games.
Such as the long table with a recessed sink. Water comes in at one end and water comes out at the other end. People sit on both sides of the long table, and then put a wine cup in the sink and go down the water along the twists and turns. When the wine cup stops due to the twists and turns, the person closest to him needs to drink the wine. Drink the wine in the cup and compose a poem.
There are many other ways to play this game.
Shen Hao has also heard about this. It is said that it is a drinking game that has always been popular among literati circles. But he was never interested.
There are so many formalities for drinking, how can you be so free?
Or is it comfortable to drink a large bowl of wine in the army, paired with a few dishes of appetizers, and coupled with rough drinking rituals such as "chopping firewood", the scene is lively and exciting, not much better than this formal game?
"Master Shen, please, Master Lu has been waiting for you at Banyun Pavilion on the top floor for a long time."
Speaking of airs, Lu Liang's airs were taken care of. Regarding Shen Hao's current status, he only sent a housekeeper down to greet him. This shows that in Lu Liang's eyes, Shen Hao's weight is not the same as that of an ordinary fourth-rank official. No difference.
This kind of mentality actually made Shen Hao, who saw the way out, feel more at ease. Lu Liang's current status and the expectations placed on him by both the government and the public are extraordinary. It is perfectly fine to call him "half a left prime minister." In addition, considering the rich capital of following the emperor from beginning to end, having his butler come to greet Shen Hao is actually considered a face-saving measure.
Walking up to the top floor, there is only one table on the huge floor, and the surroundings are decorated to look like a forest of strange stones and bamboos. Not to mention, it is quite unique and elegant. Even a semi-literate person like Shen Hao feels that the environment here is really well-arranged.
"Hahaha, Lord Shen, Lu has been admired for a long time!"
When I first came in, I met a man who was thin but tall, with a long beard, bright eyes, and a smile on his face.
"Shen Hao has met Mr. Lu!" Shen Hao also smiled back and bowed to salute, taking the initiative to put himself in the lower position in terms of etiquette. After all, even though Lu Liang only has one actual position as a judge of the Central Academy, Lu Liang's fourth grade is still worse than Shen Hao is half a level above.
Facing the most popular Mr. Lu at the time, respect should still be given.
"Hahaha..." Lu Liang smiled happily, and the stiffness in his eyes disappeared. The "Shen Evil Star" rumored by the outside world is indeed not a bully. His etiquette is thoughtful enough. It must be the essence of a scholar in him.
Thinking of Shen Hao's status as a great writer, Lu Liang became a little more kind.
On one side, Lu Liang was greeting Shen Hao, but on the other side, Shen Hao secretly thought: Sure enough.
There were two more people standing behind Lu Liang. It is the two most important figures of the Qin family who were named by Heishui and are now under special investigation: Qin Mu, the governor of Jingbei Town, Xuanqing Guard, and Qin Haiping, a thousand-household household in Jiang'an City, Jingbei.
The appearance of these two people here directly proved that Shen Hao's previous guess was correct. Lu Liang was just a middleman in this drinking party, and the real owners were the father and son of the Qin family.
After Lu Liang exchanged a few words with Shen Hao, he turned aside to let Qin Mu behind him, and then said to Shen Hao with a smile: "I was worried about being neglected when I first met Master Shen, so I asked Master Qin to accompany me. I thought Master Shen should be very familiar with me. Bar?"
"Master Lu, thank you for your trouble. Master Qin and I are colleagues and we are naturally familiar with each other." After saying this, Shen Hao took a step forward towards Qin Mu and said, "Master Qin, I haven't seen you for a long time. How are you doing?"
Shen Hao and Qin Mu naturally knew each other, and to a certain extent, he even knew Qin Mu quite well. It's just that this kind of understanding is a bit fatal to Qin Mu.
"Hahaha, thank you for your concern, Mr. Shen. I only had a few drinks at Mr. Shen's wedding last time. I must offer a few more glasses of wine to Mr. Shen today!"
The laughter was very harmonious. Lu Liang waved his hand and several people walked to the big table and took their seats among the guests of honor.
After Shen Hao sat down, he placed the three jars of wine he had brought on the table. Four-year-old Wuliangye is rarely seen even in top restaurants such as Qingfengyuan. Lu Liang only drank it once. It was the first time for the Qin family and his son to see it.
"I have long heard that the Zhang family wine shop that brews Wuliangye and other fine wines is Mr. Shen's business. Now it turns out that it is really true?" Lu Liang is also a good wine person, but even though he was happy, he didn't know whether his words were intentional or unintentional. , came over with just one sentence.
Shen Hao said without changing his expression: "Lord Lu, you have misunderstood. Although I am involved in the Zhangjia Liquor Shop, the bulk of it is in the accounts of Black Flag Camp. You also know that there are some errands in Black Flag Camp that require sufficient concealment, including money. In and out. So I have been dealing with wine shops a lot, so it’s okay to get some good wine, so I just took this opportunity to drink with Mr. Lu."
Seeing Shen Hao mentioning that the matter was confidential, Lu Liang nodded and stopped asking any more questions.
Three jars of wine were opened, and one jar was opened, leaving two jars for Lu Liang to take away. The waiter who had been responsible was sent away, and Qin Haiping took the initiative to pour wine on the table, with a natural look on his face.
After three rounds of wine and five delicious dishes, Lu Liang suddenly said: "Master Shen's origin is in Jingxi, which is close to Jingbei where Master Qin lives. We are neighbors. We should move around more to build good relations. Only by uniting can we serve the country." Just do your best. If the misunderstanding disappears with a sip of wine, what do you think, Mr. Shen?"
Qin Mu, who was beside him, also picked up his wine glass and said respectfully: "What Mr. Lu said is true. If Mr. Qin has anything that makes Mr. Shen uncomfortable, please just laugh it off. It will never happen again in the future. Qin is willing to pay homage to Mr. Shen. Lord Shen, this friend!”
