Chapter 580: The Emperor’s Personal Arrival

Outside the capital city, the autumn wind rustled through the dry leaves scattered everywhere. Inside the city, however, flowers bloomed in profusion. Aside from the cold winter and scorching summer, which could somewhat dampen the hustle and bustle, spring and autumn could not stop the crowds in the streets.

Early in the morning, the inner city was in an uproar. With drums and gongs blaring and flags flying, people of all ages and sizes knelt along the road leading from the palace to the northern gate of the inner city. Kneeling and waving their arms, they rushed to get closer to the road, hoping that the emperor’s mighty presence would allow him to see their devotion and bestow some reward.

Starting from the palace, the imperial carriage moved forward, and wherever it went, it was like a strong wind sweeping through the crowd. Thousands of people bowed their heads and cheered “Long live the emperor!”

Outside the inner city, the common people who had also heard the news were somewhat calmer than the families of the nobles inside. Of course, it was only slightly calmer—streets were still packed tightly, with no space even for a needle to pass through. Wherever the carriage went, it was like a strong wind, forcing everyone to bow and cheer “Long live the emperor!”

Yet, the common people outside feared the golden-armored guards more than anything. Compared to the families of the nobles, their desire to take a distant look at Emperor Qianwei and show devotion to earn a reward was outweighed by their fear of those armored guards.

As the carriage rolled along, though there was no red carpet, the streets were covered with autumn flowers, their fragrance filling the air, making it feel like one was in a garden full of blossoms.

The owners of the top restaurants stretched their necks, eagerly watching toward the end of the street. They had all heard that during the morning court session, Emperor Qianwei had casually mentioned that lunch would be held at one of the outside restaurants.

While the officials debated the possible meaning behind his words, those of lower rank, who didn’t need to devote all their energy to deciphering his intentions, sent servants after leaving court to inform the owners of the top restaurants—those who always gave them generous sums of silver each year.

It could be said that aside from the princes who could compete for the throne and the powerful ministers who held sway over the court, it was the owners of these top restaurants who were most anxious and concerned about the emperor’s sudden outing.

If their restaurant were chosen as the site for lunch and the emperor showed no dissatisfaction during the meal, their already famous establishments could break through their limitations and become the most popular top restaurants in the capital.

Unfortunately, the messengers who brought back the news disappointed them one after another.

After leaving the inner city and reaching the north side of the city, the owners of the ten top-rated restaurants in the south, east, and west sides immediately paled upon hearing the news. It was impossible for the emperor to take this route and dine at their restaurants. Undoubtedly, Emperor Qianwei was heading to another restaurant—any restaurant other than theirs. Even if it were an ordinary restaurant, although backed by the emperor’s authority, it could only create a temporary trend, which would fade away after a few months due to the restaurant’s lack of depth. Unless that restaurant could convince the emperor to visit regularly, it would pose no real threat to them.

Food and dishes were the most fundamental aspect of a restaurant, yet also its greatest weakness for those aiming to become wealthy overnight. Even with the emperor’s endorsement, chefs who stayed at home couldn’t quickly rise to the level of top-rated restaurants. Decoration was another factor—didn’t every top restaurant have its own unique style, whether luxurious, grand, or relaxed and comfortable? None of these could be imitated by ordinary restaurants in a short time. There were also staff, rules, and more. In short, as long as the emperor didn’t choose another top restaurant, their owners would merely be disappointed that he hadn’t chosen theirs, rather than worried that his visit might cause them trouble.

Soon, the owners of the top restaurants received urgent messages from their staff: the imperial carriage had left Tianyu Street. This time, it was the owners of the four top restaurants in the north side who were disappointed.

Leaving Tianyu Street meant they had passed their restaurants. The lucky one was undoubtedly one of the nearby restaurants.

However, events began to take a turn that exceeded the expectations of these restaurant owners. The imperial carriage continued on its way. Noon passed, then Wei hour, and by Shen hour, the route taken by the carriage grew increasingly alarming to the restaurant owners. It seemed to be heading straight for Linji Inn.

Just as You hour began, darkness fell, and the imperial carriage finally stopped at the entrance of Linji Inn.

The staff sent by the top restaurants to gather information also sensed trouble approaching. They rushed back to their own restaurants at full speed, ignoring the shouts of passersby.

Upon hearing the news, the owners of the top restaurants turned pale. The emperor dining at Linji Inn was like a thunderbolt and a devastating blow to them.

With Lin Ji Inn’s strength, it could surely reap the greatest benefits from Emperor Qian Wei’s visit. The owners of the top restaurants couldn’t figure out where Lin Dong got his luck—how, time and again, when they were at their wits’ end, he would suddenly find luck that turned the situation around. What surprised them even more was that several ministers invited by Emperor Qian Wei to accompany him discovered, upon entering Lin Ji Inn, a plaque hanging high in the center of the east wall of the main hall. The plaque bore just eight characters: “Prosperous business, abundant wealth.” Though not particularly grandiose, it shocked the ministers. Although the characters were written in an elegant style, the ministers, being experienced, could immediately see many flaws in them. What truly alarmed them was that the handwriting seemed all too familiar; upon closer inspection, it turned out to be written by Emperor Qian Wei himself. Suddenly, the ministers realized that Emperor Qian Wei had planned to dine at Lin Ji Inn all along. And this wasn’t the first time—likely not even the second. If it had only been once or twice, given Emperor Qian Wei’s frugal nature when it came to writing, he would never have inscribed a message for Lin Ji Inn. What the ministers didn’t expect was that Emperor Qian Wei also had a particular way of choosing those who accompanied him—there were high-ranking officials, as well as those of the third or fourth rank who could only stand in the corners of the court. This served two purposes: first, to confuse things and make it impossible for civil and military officials and princes to figure out his intentions; second, to use those lower-ranking officials to spread word of today’s event and maximize Lin Ji Inn’s influence. As soon as Emperor Qian Wei entered the main hall of Lin Ji Inn, the more than three thousand imperial guards and elite troops stationed there secured the place tightly, leaving no gaps. Although Lin Dong wasn’t particularly respectful toward the emperor’s presence, he still had to put on the proper show. The entire inn was thoroughly cleaned and decorated, with colorful banners and jade artifacts everywhere. Moreover, aside from the staff, there wasn’t a single customer in the inn. Of course, with the emperor present, no one dared sit under the same roof as him. Even if Lin Dong tried to attract customers, no one would dare come in—who knew if speaking up might result in being slashed by the guards. With Lin Dong leading the way and Ma Chun at his side, they guided Emperor Qian Wei and the ministers to sit in the main hall. With just a call, dishes and drinks were brought in continuously. The more the ministers watched, the more astonished they became. Even some of the most powerful officials in the court couldn’t help but glance at Lin Dong with admiration.

Master Lin did not perform the kneeling ritual, yet Emperor Qianwei showed not the slightest displeasure. After the meal, Lin Dong bowed and left. In the main hall, Emperor Qianwei raised his cup while his ministers pondered the will of heaven with reverence and compliance. Lunch and dinner were served together! In the back yard, Lin Dong ignored the guards everywhere and breathed a deep sigh of relief. Next, it would depend on how the owners of the top restaurants responded. Once today’s news spread throughout the capital, especially the fact that Emperor Qianwei had personally inscribed a message for Lin’s Inn, officials, nobles, and wealthy merchants would surely flock there. In the short term, Lin’s Inn would become extremely difficult to get into, with a spectacle of officials, nobles, and wealthy patrons lining up. After the peak period of three to five months, given Lin’s Inn’s strength, it could attract a large number of regular customers—more than any top restaurant, possibly even equivalent to the combined number of customers from a dozen such restaurants. Under such circumstances, the top restaurants had two choices: either retreat from competing with officials, nobles, and wealthy patrons and focus on serving larger clients, using their resources to overwhelm nearby restaurants and seize most of their clientele, reducing their profits from three to five hundred thousand taels per month to thirty to fifty thousand taels. Alternatively, they could compete head-on with Lin’s Inn. Doing so would come at a high cost—stock giveaways would need to continue; otherwise, only those officials and wealthy merchants in a hurry for business would visit daily, while others would go straight to Lin’s Inn because of Emperor Qianwei’s reputation. During the peak period, they would not only need to continue stock giveaways but also increase monthly dividends. Otherwise, most of their regular customers would likely switch to Lin’s Inn. After the peak, the dividend amounts could be reduced gradually, but stock giveaways would still be necessary to win back the original customers. Otherwise, they could not counter Emperor Qianwei’s influence on Lin’s Inn. It would be only after Emperor Qianwei’s death that the top restaurants could catch their breath, and then the favor he bestowed on Lin’s Inn would fade away. They could either continue with stock giveaways to regain customers or take a break to recover first.

With such back-and-forth, a year is absolutely necessary. Within that year, the dividends paid by the top restaurants to the shareholding papers will surely be exorbitant. Whether it’s worth paying such a high price to get another chance to compete with Linji Inn depends on the willingness of the owners of those top restaurants.