"As a chef and someone who was born into a family of chefs, I absolutely understand what you were thinking at that time." Li Qi nodded repeatedly and said, "However, the appearance of the crab roe feast made you realize that the real opportunity was coming."
Zhang Chun'er hummed and said: "Master Cai has always been a guest at the Four Kingdoms Banquet, and his evaluation is very important. Although he was at home when he became an official, I know that the emperor thinks highly of him, especially in terms of food, so if there is
With Master Cai's help, everything will go much smoother. More importantly, I also heard that General Manager Zuo is looking for a successor."
Li Qidao: "So, you regard the crab roe feast as your springboard to enter the imperial dining room."
Zhang Chun'er said: "Yes, I have tried my best for this, but it's a pity that because of your appearance, I fell short in the end. To be honest, I was very unconvinced at the time. I have tasted your crab roe tofu, and it's not me Zhang Chun'er who said
Literally, the taste of your crab roe tofu dish is slightly inferior to my dish of 'Hundred Sons and Thousands of Suns'. It's just because your dish is served at the end, and Taishi and his friends have eaten more greasy dishes in front of them, so they are more able to taste it.
Highlight the taste of your dish, but the most important thing is your words, otherwise, it’s still unclear who will win.”
Li Qi smiled and said: "Mrs. Zhang, you can't say that. Your dish is also a bit of a slap in the face. It's just that everyone chose different directions. Besides, since it's a competition, of course everyone relies on their ability. The result is
I won, and I won reasonably."
"I know that."
Zhang Chun'er nodded helplessly, changed the subject, and said: "But this does not mean that I will think that your cooking skills are superior to mine. Therefore, I have always wanted to compete with you openly. Later, when you entered the imperial dining room,
And I participated in the Four Kingdoms Banquet on behalf of the Song Dynasty, which made me even more angry. Because this qualification originally belonged to me."
Li Qidao: "I didn't know that the crab roe banquet meant so much to you, but even if I knew it, I would still try my best to win, because the crab roe banquet is also very important to me. Besides, this matter has been in the past for a long time.
It’s useless to say anything now.”
"Yes! It's useless to say more now." Zhang Chun'er nodded and said, "But I really want to know why you just don't want to compete with me again."
Li Qi snorted and smiled: "I'm afraid you've been hiding this question in your heart for a long time, but you should also know the answer. In fact, as the number one cook in Tokyo, you are definitely qualified to compete with me. But, don't you
I know that since you left Fan Lou, you have become my enemy. Since you are an enemy, of course I will not give you any favor. The more you want to compare with me, the less I will compare with you and deal with enemies. I never know how to do it.
He who is kind-hearted and soft-hearted, even if it is just a little effort."
"As expected."
Zhang Chun'er sighed softly and said, "Do you also think that it was wrong for me to leave Fan Lou?"
Li Qidao: "I'm not sure, but in my personal opinion, your approach is definitely not correct. Mr. Fan has saved your life and raised you. Isn't it ungrateful for you to do this?"
Zhang Chun'er asked back: "Mrs. Qin and Shopkeeper Wu of Zuixianju also have the kindness to save your life and help you, but why didn't you sell yourself to Zuixianju for this kindness? Why did you try your best to follow Qin's side?"
Madam wants 50% of the shares, and I am not afraid to tell you that the biggest reason why I left Fan Lou was because of your influence."
This statement made Li Qi stunned for a moment, and he thought to himself that if he had his character, he would probably not be able to work as a chef in Fanlou for a lifetime. He hesitated for a moment and then said: "Judging from the current facts, both Mrs. Qin and Uncle Wu have obtained
You have made more, and Fan Lou has suffered heavy losses because of your departure. I think your example is unconvincing."
"But that's what it is."
Zhang Chun'er said: "When people go to higher places, water flows to lower places. Before you appeared, I thought that cooks should stay in the kitchen all their lives, but you told me that cooks can actually do a lot more, and can even do more than
Ordinary people have to do better. I saw that you and Cai Yuanwai have become the leading wealthy businessmen in Tokyo. You even became an official. I thought why don't I do this. If I don't change now,
Then I will have to stay in the kitchen for the rest of my life, and my fate will probably be the same as that of your former chef, Master Zhou, of Zuixianju.
In this regard, Fan Lou cannot give me anything, because Mr. Fan will not allow anyone to take Fan Lou away from Fan Shaobai. I ask myself that I am not Mr. Fan’s opponent in business, so I chose to set up my own business, which I have never done.
I don’t think there is anything wrong. As for Mr. Fan’s kindness, I don’t think I should use my whole life to repay it. Then what’s the point of my life? I have been cooking diligently in his Fan Building for more than ten years. I should also
It's almost done. However, Mr. Fan's death was beyond my expectation. I could have left a long time ago. But Mr. Fan was not in good health at the time, so I waited until he got better before leaving. But I didn't.
Come to think of it, he finally left."
Unexpectedly, the starting point of the matter still lies with me. Li Qi thought it was funny and said: "Maybe what you said is very reasonable. No one likes to be inferior to others, but why did you write that letter and why did you want to collapse it again?"
Fan Lou?"
Zhang Chun'er shook his head and said: "I have explained this a long time ago. My departure cannot be hidden from Mr. Fan. Although Mr. Fan had handed over most of the business to Fan Shaobai at that time, he was still the real helmsman.
Therefore, once I leave, someone will immediately tell Mr. Fan. Instead of doing this, I might as well tell him personally and explain it clearly to him. As for the collapse of Fan Tower, I think this has nothing to do with your Zuixianju and Jade Pavilion.
There are similarities in the relationship between them. There is a saying that one mountain cannot tolerate two tigers. Since I have chosen to set up my own business, I must defeat Fan Lou. Moreover, Fan Shaobai will not let me go. Jin Lou and Fan Lou compete with each other.
inevitable."
Li Qi suddenly glanced sideways at Zhang Chun'er and said with a half-smile, "I believe Yuan Cai and I are not the real reason why you left Fan Lou."
Zhang Chun'er smiled softly and said, "Is this what you care about most?"
Li Qi nodded and said: "Although I am a little dissatisfied with your approach, I can at least understand it. To be honest, if Zuixianju refused to sell me the shares, I would have chosen to leave, but maybe the way
I will be different from you. I will wait for the best time. But that doesn’t matter. Everyone has their own ideas, as long as they don’t do anything harmful to nature. However, the reason why you left is not simply because you want to start your own business.
This is also the main reason why I regard you as my enemy."
Zhang Chuner said: "Then how much do you know?"
Li Qidao: "Jin Kingdom."
Zhang Chuner suddenly chuckled.
Li Qidao: "What? Did I say something wrong?"
Zhang Chun'er shook his head and said: "You are right, I am indeed helping you with the Kingdom of Jin."
What kind of tricks is this woman playing? You must be honest. Could it be that she wants to persuade me to defect to the Kingdom of Jin? No one should be so stupid! Li Qidao: "You are also half Han, so you don't have to worry about your conscience being hurt by doing this."
To be condemned?"
Zhang Chun'er said: "But the Kingdom of Jin gave me everything I wanted. Besides, only the Kingdom of Jin is willing to give me all this. Do I have any other choice? Although the Kingdom of Jin destroyed the Liao Kingdom, I don't know anything about it.
I don’t hate the Jin Kingdom, but I am very happy to see the Liao Kingdom perish, and it would be best to kill that foolish king Yelu Yanxi.”
At this point, she restrained herself a bit, as if she didn't want to describe the grievances too much, and returned to the topic. "Just when I was extremely envious of you and your Zuixianju being prosperous, my senior brother suddenly sent someone to deliver a message.
He told me that he had become the imperial chef of the Kingdom of Jin and would come to Tokyo to attend the Four Kingdoms Banquet. He also advised me to join the Kingdom of Jin. However, the reason that moved me the most was that they would give me a restaurant in Tokyo.
Among the seventy-two main stores, the one I know best is Fan Lou’s old rival Pan Lou. Moreover, I also know that Pan Yuanwai was suppressed by Fan Lou and had long wanted to quit. Coupled with the rise of Zuixianju,
He was already beyond his means, so I quietly bought Pan Lou from Pan Yuanwai and gave him a sum of money that he might never be able to earn in his life, on the condition that he leave Tokyo."
"You did hide it from many people at that time, including me." Li Qi recalled the scene at that time and couldn't help but sigh. He had never been able to understand why the Jin State chose Zhang Chun'er. What was there in Zhang Chun'er that was worthy of Jin Guo's trust?
Yes, now he finally knows that Zhang Chun'er is a Khitan and has such a relationship with the imperial chef of the Jin Kingdom. He added: "However, there is no such thing as a free lunch in the world. A restaurant may not be as valuable to a country."
It’s nothing, but I believe that Jin Guo will not give it to you for nothing.”
Zhang Chun'er said: "You are right. Their request may be simple or difficult. It is to let me know everything near Tokyo, including the terrain, defenses, and the situation of the forbidden army."
Li Qidao: "You did it."
Zhang Chun'er hesitated for a moment and said: "I should say that I have done everything I can, but I can't say that I have completely achieved it."
Li Qi's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he said calmly: "It seems that the Kingdom of Jin is very satisfied with your meticulous work."
Zhang Chun'er smiled and said, "You can say that."
Li Qidao: "I believe that when you learn all this, you should also know what Jin Guo wants to do, right?"
Zhang Chun'er nodded and said: "They made it so clear. How could I not know? Obviously, the Jin Kingdom was planning to attack the Song Dynasty at that time. Maybe you don't know one thing. In fact, this matter has something to do with He Shilie who came to Beijing at that time.
It has nothing to do with Bo He, he was not involved in the whole thing, there is someone else behind the scenes."
Li Qi already had the answer in his mind, but he still asked: "If you don't mind, I would like to know?"
"That is the second prince of the Jin Kingdom, Wanyan Zongwang." Zhang Chun'er said.
Sure enough, it is this guy. He has been planning for so long, no wonder he can't wait now. Li Qi said: "It turns out to be him! It's not surprising."
At this point, he looked up at Zhang Chun'er and said: "As you talk, you are confusing me. Why do you want to tell me all this? Do you want me to defect to the Kingdom of Jin? If that's the case,
Then I can only say that I am very disappointed with you, and I am an official of the Song Dynasty. Do you think it is possible for you to get out of here after you confess?"
Zhang Chun'er smiled and said, "Do you think I would do such a stupid thing?"
Li Qi shook his head and said: "No, so I am very curious about it."
Zhang Chun'er said: "The economy makes you so smart, can't you guess it at all?"
Li Qicheng sincerely asked for advice: "It's not that I'm pretending to be low-key. I really have no clue as to the purpose of your trip. I'd like Madam Zhang to give me some advice."
This was quite the truth. He still couldn't figure out Zhang Chun'er's intention.
"I am really proud to be able to make the economy unable to do anything." Zhang Chun'er laughed and said: "Actually, the reason is very simple. It is that the Kingdom of Jin is ready to invade the Song Dynasty."
Li Qi frowned and said, "This reason is really unique. I would like to hear the details."
Zhang Chun'er said: "This time the envoy from the Jin Kingdom came to Beijing and brought me a letter. The letter told me that within three months at most, the Jin Kingdom would send troops to attack the Song Dynasty, so that I could be prepared to respond internally.
"
Li Qidao: "Did the letter also say that you should tell me all this?"
"of course not."
Zhang Chun'er smiled and said: "I came to you on my own initiative."
Li Qi frowned and said, "In other words, you have betrayed the Kingdom of Jin."
Zhang Chun'er nodded and said, "You can't say that, because I have never submitted to the Kingdom of Jin."
"Why?"
"I have already mentioned the reason before."
Li Qi let out a surprised sound, pondered for a moment, shook his head and said, "I'm really sorry, I'm stupid, I don't know what the reason is?"
Zhang Chun'er said with a smile: "As I said before, the main reason why I agreed to the Kingdom of Jin was because the Kingdom of Jin gave me a restaurant and allowed me to start my own business. Unless I took the initiative to help the Kingdom of Jin, I hated the Liao Kingdom the most.
But compared to the Kingdom of Jin, I have more feelings for the Song Dynasty. In the past two years, I have been taking care of the Jinlou seriously. I am not using the Jinlou as a cover to do some shameful things.
As of now, Jinlou has been able to stand on the same level as Zuixianju and Fanlou. I don’t deny that Jin Guo has given me a lot of help here, but I have also paid a lot. And... yours
The reform has brought more benefits to us businessmen. I like the current environment very much, and I don’t want anyone to destroy this environment. The most important thing is that I want to get rid of the Jin Kingdom and become the true master of the Jinlou.
, rather than being a puppet.
However, the Kingdom of Jin wants to attack the Song Dynasty. Once the Song Dynasty is destroyed, the Jurchen tribe's barbaric style will not understand what business is at all. Then my efforts will be in vain."
"I see." Li Qi nodded and thought to himself, this woman's ambition is really not ordinary. I really underestimated her. He smiled and said, "I'm afraid Wanyan Zongwang never imagined that he would be raped by a woman.
I have to say that I really admire your courage now. You first used the Kingdom of Jin to get rid of Fan Lou and obtained the Jin Tower. Now you want to repeat the same trick and use the Song Dynasty to help you.
To get rid of the Jin Kingdom, fully own the Jin Tower, and be able to move between the two big countries with ease, you are probably the first person. However, have you ever thought about the success or failure of this war, you are just a very big person.
Small factors cannot play a decisive role. If the Jin Kingdom still wins the final victory, what kind of situation will you face? "
"Of course I have thought about it. In fact, I struggled for a long time before I came to you, but if I had not come to you, I would not be Zhang Chun'er." Zhang Chun'er said with a firm face: "Maybe in your opinion, I am
A duplicitous and ungrateful villain, but in my opinion, I just fight for what I want, and it has always been like this, and it has never changed."
"Yes, although on the surface, you are constantly changing camps, your ideas and goals have never wavered, or the direction of your efforts has never changed." Li Qi nodded and said: "
In fact, there should be one thing you haven't said yet, that is, I will never tolerate you living until the Jin soldiers come to Tokyo. Your coming here has saved half of your life so far."
Zhang Chun'er disagreed and said: "Although I am a woman, I am not so stupid that I don't even leave a way out for myself. Maybe you think that I have no wings to fly, but if I want to leave, you can't keep me at all."
.”
It seems that I don’t know her well enough! Li Qi frowned a little. If Zhang Chuner ran away, it would be the greatest humiliation for him, because he always thought that everything was under his control.
, Unfortunately, this does not seem to be the case. He said: "But now, you seem to have blocked this way of survival. Why are you so sure? Now I will leave you with this life."
Zhang Chun'er said: "The fact that I came to you has proven that I am willing to risk everything. I think I still have some value to you. Besides, I am still your savior."
"Yeah, I almost forgot that you were my savior. By the way, why did you save me? You couldn't have thought that I was the savior of Song Dynasty at that time."
"Of course not. I saved you because there is still an unfinished contest between us. At that time, I had not thought of such a long-term outcome."
Li Qi expressed his deep belief in what she said, because it was now time and she no longer had the need to hide herself. He said: "But the sincerity you showed is not enough to make me give up the idea of killing you."
Zhang Chun'er smiled and said: "I can tell you everything you want to know, but first you must agree to a few requests of mine."
Li Qidao: "If I don't agree."
"Then just pretend I haven't been here."
"This is impossible. I asked myself that I can't do it."
"Then it's up to you. But I dare say you will regret it then."
"Are you threatening me?"
"It's not a threat, I'm just talking about business with you. It's impossible for you to get everything you want without giving anything. This is not what a businessman should do. Of course I come here for a purpose."
Li Qi was silent for a moment and said, "Go ahead."
Zhang Chuner smiled slightly and said: "Actually, my request is very simple. First of all, of course, you must promise to save my life and everything I have now; secondly, you must compete with me in cooking skills; finally.
I will attend the next Four Nations Banquet on behalf of the Song Dynasty."
"I promise you."
Zhang Chun'er was stunned and said, "Why did you agree so readily?"
Li Qidao: "You said your request is very simple, so do I have any reason to refuse? And you don't seem to give me any room to bargain. Do I mean to keep you half alive? As for the cooking competition, I have actually been
I don't mind, just because you are helping the Kingdom of Jin. Now that you have joined the Song Dynasty, of course I am willing. Finally, the Four Kingdoms Banquet has lost its novelty to me. You went to attend and saved me a lot of trouble.
"
Zhang Chun'er hesitated for a moment, nodded and said: "I believe you." As she said this, she took out two documents from her arms, put them on the table, and said: "This contains a list of all the Jin Kingdom's detailed works in Tokyo. In addition, there is this
This is the strategic map of the recent deployment of your Imperial Army."
"Awesome, I got it so quickly."
"Concession, concession." Zhang Chun'er smiled proudly and said: "There is another secret, which is also my last escape route. I believe this can also show my sincerity. You should know that after I become the proprietor of Jinlou,
Another building was immediately built near the Jinlou."
Li Qi was stunned and said, "I know that. Is there something unusual about that building?"
Zhang Chun'er said: "Of course, because there is a tunnel downstairs that leads directly to the outside of the city. This tunnel can also allow me to disappear into the capital without anyone noticing. In addition, it may be able to help Jin Jun a lot in the future."
Damn it, I never thought there would be a tunnel battle these days. Li Qi broke into a cold sweat and said, "Thank God, you finally chose the Song Dynasty."
Zhang Chun'er said: "I have told you everything I know. I hope you can keep your promise."
Li Qi chuckled: "You do believe me. You told me everything with just one sentence from me."
Zhang Chun'er said: "Maybe this is because I have been influenced by Mr. Fan. Since I have already planned to do this, I don't plan to give myself any room for maneuver. If you want to go back on your word, no matter how much you give me, you can still do it."
Regret, this is beyond my control, all I have to do is trust you."
Li Qi sincerely praised: "It seems that your success is no accident." As he said that, he picked up the two documents and read them. The further he looked down, the closer his brows were to the middle, as if he was thinking about something.
Although Zhang Chun'er's expression remained calm, there were beads of sweat on her forehead. To be honest, she couldn't figure out Li Qi's character. She was also very afraid that Li Qi would regret it and let her die without a burial place.
After quite a while, Li Qi suddenly raised his eyelids and said, "If I remember correctly, you just finished talking about Yan Zongwang's letter and asked you to continue to be an internal correspondent."
Zhang Chun'er was stunned and said: "Not bad."
Li Qidao: "In other words, he doesn't know that I have already discovered that you are a spy of the Kingdom of Jin?"
Zhang Chun'er said: "This is my only use value. How could I let him know about it? Of course, this is also thanks to you not doing anything excessive and treating me equally."
Li Qi chuckled: "I never thought that my temporary forbearance could achieve such an effect. But one thing makes me curious. You seem to have some influence in the court."
Zhang Chun'er was stunned for a moment and said: "You don't think this is the credit of the Jin Kingdom, do you?"
"To be honest, I have always thought so."
Zhang Chuner shook his head and said: "Of course not. It is impossible for the Kingdom of Jin to expose the relationship between us."
"Oh? Then how did you do it?"
"Money." Zhang Chuner said: "I gave them a lot of money, and the targets I relied on were all your opponents. They had no reason to reject me. In order to conceal my relationship with Jin Guo, I also borrowed money from you.
For economic construction, we used several ministers from the DPRK and China to 'get acquainted' with several nobles from the Jin Kingdom. Of course, this was all arranged in advance, so that our interactions would go smoothly."
"So that's it. I'm really stupid. I didn't even think of this." Li Qi shook his head depressedly and suddenly handed back the strategic map.
Zhang Chun'er said in surprise: "What do you mean?"
It turns out that you still know how to be afraid, and I still think you are so powerful. Li Qidao: "You have shown so much sincerity to me, of course I have to give you something in return. Have you ever thought about the key to your success? It’s not up to me, but whether the Song Dynasty can win. If the Jin Kingdom wins, then it won’t matter whether I keep my promise or not. Therefore, I will give you an opportunity to have the best of both worlds, so that you can stand on both sides. A place of defeat.”
Zhang Chun'er frowned and said, "What do you mean?"
Li Qi curled his lips and said: "It's very simple, you continue to be the internal agent of the Jin Kingdom."
Zhang Chun'er was stunned for a moment, then understood and said: "I think this is the reason why you let me live."
Li Qi shook his head and said: "You can't say that. I am a person who keeps my promises. Even if you don't agree, I will not make things difficult for you. Of course, I will still give you special care before all this is over. God knows if this was a ploy between you and Wanyan Zongwang. Don’t blame me for being petty, because I really can’t afford to lose this battle.”
.......
ps: It’s a big chapter with nearly 7,000 words, but there will still be a chapter in the evening, which adds up to 10,000 words. I’m just asking for more recommendations and monthly votes for Monday. If I can be on the historical classification recommendation list, that would be great There is no better. (To be continued, please search Piaotian Literature, the novels are better and updated faster!