Reborn as Murong Fu: This Time I'm the Protagonist

Chapter 477 Fanlou
Fanlou is not a single building; more accurately, it was a Song Dynasty version of a five-star commercial district that integrated dining, entertainment, and shopping.

Fanlou consists of five independent buildings, each five zhang (approximately 10 meters) high and three stories high. The buildings are connected by a rainbow bridge. From the top floor, one can directly overlook the imperial palace. In modern terms, it is the prime location among prime locations.

The entire Fanlou was exquisitely decorated and luxurious, and its prices were naturally extremely high. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe it as spending money like water. Some people even spent hundreds of thousands of strings of cash at a time to buy precious jewelry and paintings. Keep in mind that the annual tribute paid by the Song Dynasty to the Liao and Western Xia dynasties was only about that amount. This demonstrates the immense wealth of Bianjing (Kaifeng). No wonder that when the Jin army later captured Bianliang, they looted extensively, finding 700,000 ingots of gold alone, while completely ignoring the copper coins. After the Jin army withdrew, people went to their camp to collect the spoils they had abandoned, collecting over two hundred baskets of ivory alone.

A city sustained by the wealth of the world is both extravagantly luxurious and incredibly fragile. Like a castle built on a sand dune, no matter how magnificent it may be, it cannot conceal its inherent fragility.

When Murong Fu's carriage was still a dozen steps away from Fanlou, a nimble servant came forward to greet them. The servants responsible for welcoming guests were all dressed in fine Shu brocade, demonstrating Fanlou's immense wealth.

Ignoring the scattered seats on the first floor, Murong Fu headed straight for the second floor, led by a servant. The servant, recognizing the extraordinary bearing of Murong Fu and his entourage, flattered them relentlessly.

"Gentlemen, judging from your accents, you seem to be from Suzhou? Our Fanlou restaurant gathers famous dishes from all over the world. Whether it swims in the water, walks on the ground, or flies in the sky, there's nothing you haven't heard of that we can't make. Today, the chef in charge of the kitchen is Madam Pan. She used to work in the imperial kitchen in the palace, and her lychee pork kidney and Song Sao fish soup are exceptional. Since you've come to the capital, you must try them."

The servant led Murong Fu and his companions into a private room. Dozens of bright lamps illuminated the room as if it were daytime, yet it wasn't stuffy at all. Behind the screen were several incense burners in the style of palace lanterns, each filled with ice, constantly absorbing the room's heat. In this sweltering summer, ice was far more expensive than ordinary spices, which alone indicated that the price here was not aimed at the common people.

Murong Fu picked up the menu and casually pointed to a few things: "These four."

The waiter glanced at the dishes Murong Fu had ordered and noticed that they were all the cheapest ones. He couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed, thinking that although the man put on a show, he was all show and no substance. Despite these thoughts, he still smiled and said, "Understood!"

Murong Fu laughed and said, "What do you understand? Except for these four things, order one of everything on the menu."

The waiter's breath hitched: "Sir, are you joking? There are about two hundred dishes on this menu, and if you include the fruits, vegetables, and desserts to accompany the drinks, there are probably four hundred in total. Is that really what you want, sir?"

Murong Fu said, "Just tell the kitchen to prepare it; you don't need to know how to make money. Also, give the order to send a Hundred Flowers Banquet to each of the tables on the first floor. I'll pay for all the diners' bills tonight; use this to settle the accounts!"

Murong Fu flicked his hand, and something floated lightly to the waiter's feet.

The waiter instinctively reached out and caught it. Upon closer inspection, his breath quickened: what he held was a lifelike gold leaf carved into the shape of a willow leaf, and its weight was well over an ounce. But that wasn't the point. The point was the inscription on it, which made the waiter exclaim in surprise: "Golden Willow Leaf!"

A single willow leaf of gold is worth a fortune of ten thousand copper coins.

The waiter had been working at Fanlou for a long time and was used to seeing high-ranking officials and wealthy people who spent money like water. But he had never seen anyone spend tens of thousands of coins on a meal before.

The waiter's mouth was wide open enough to fit a whole steamed bun, but as for the busy work in the kitchen, that's another story.

Murong Fu stretched and tapped the rosewood tabletop lightly with his fingers.

Wu Yazi had left him a whole trunk full of these willow-leaf gold ingots, all spoils of war he had amassed while plundering martial arts manuals from various sects throughout his travels. A'Zhu wasn't particularly surprised by Murong Fu's actions, but asked curiously, "Young Master, what is your intention in doing this?"

Zhang Dun, however, was quite disapproving of Murong Fu's actions: "Hmph, extravagant and wasteful. If all the people in the world were like you, I'm afraid the Song Dynasty wouldn't last long."

Murong Fu said, "In terms of extravagance, my occasional act is nothing compared to the long-term corrupt practices of some officials in the Song Dynasty. Besides, my actions are actually for the benefit of Prime Minister Zhang."

Zhang Dun asked in surprise, "You squandered your money, how did that become a scheme for me?"

Murong Fu smiled and asked, "May I ask, Prime Minister Zhang, who is currently in charge of the court?"

Zhang Dun replied, "Of course, he is the Emperor of my Great Song Dynasty."

Murong Fu said, "Uncle, there's no need for these polite formalities when we're chatting in private, is there?"

Zhang Dun remained silent for a moment before speaking: "Although His Majesty is now eighteen years old, Empress Dowager Gao still rules from behind the curtain and seems to have no intention of returning power to the emperor. The ministers in the court are all conservatives who control both the inner and outer courts and prevent His Majesty from hearing their voices."

Murong Fu said, “That’s right. Now the New Party has been completely wiped out, and the Old Party is in power. Although His Majesty is willing to do something, he is helpless due to the many obstacles in the court. Prime Minister Zhang’s departure from the palace must have been discovered by the Old Party’s spies in the court long ago. We have been traveling to the capital much faster than others, and I think that in a few days, news will be reported to the Old Party in the court. Rather than hiding it, we should act openly. I think His Majesty is also looking for someone to talk to right now, isn’t he?”

Zhang Dun pondered for a moment and said, "This Fanlou was originally named Fanlou, and it was originally a place for trading alum. Later, because of its good location and poor management, it attracted the current owner to take over. It is said that he has a royal family background. But whether this is true or not, no one can verify."

Murong Fu tapped the table lightly with two fingers: "Whether it is or not, we'll know once we try."

Fanlou truly lives up to its reputation as the number one restaurant in the world. With hundreds of chefs working simultaneously, they quickly served up table after table of food. After a brief moment of astonishment, the people sitting on the first floor were overjoyed, and for a time everyone was wondering what the identity of this generous person was.

Before long, one dish after another was served.

Murong Fu noticed that Abi had been silent since entering Bianjing, so he took the initiative to put a piece of lychee and pork kidney into Abi's bowl and plate: "What's wrong? Is the scenery here not as good as Suzhou? Then let's go back soon."

Abi gently shook her head and smiled, "Wherever you go, young master, I will go. It's just that I lived in Tokyo when I was young and have been away from home for many years. Returning to this old place brings me quite a few feelings."

"Sister Abi is from Bianjing? I've never heard her mention that before."

Azhu asked curiously, "Since you are the host here, you should lead everyone on a tour of Bianjing this time."

Abi smiled and shook her head, saying, "I left home when I was young and haven't been back for over ten years. Not only have I forgotten everything from my childhood, but I only have a vague impression of the sights and sounds of my hometown. How could I possibly do this?"