I am a prince in Zhutian Films

Chapter 367: Stay in Tokyo and open a teahouse
When Zhao Pan'er came back, Song Yinzhang also came over with a pipa in his arms.

"Your Highness, shall I play some music for you?"

"Um, that's fine, then let's go outside to the garden courtyard."

In fact, Zhao Wei didn't want to listen to any music. He wanted to chat with Zhao Pan'er more. But since Song Yinzhang said so, it was hard to refuse.

The group came to the garden pavilion, and after everyone was seated, Song Yinzhang sat down not far away, holding his pipa.

"I am going to play the song of Ming Fei, please appreciate it, Your Highness."

After saying that, Song Yinzhang took a deep breath to calm himself down, then held Gu Yue with both hands, and the clear and pleasant sound of the pipa began to sound.

I have to say, this drama has a lot of bugs.

For example, the "Ming Fei Qu" that Song Yinzhang is playing now has a BUG. This "Ming Fei Qu" was composed by Wang Anshi, and Wang Anshi was not born yet. As a result, the two "Ming Fei Qu" have become famous all over the world.

Zhao Wei was a prince after all, and learning the arts of music, chess, calligraphy and painting were compulsory courses. In addition, he had been hanging out in brothels before, so he had a certain appreciation for various musical instruments. Perhaps he could not be called a great musician, but his understanding of music was definitely better than Song Yinzhang's.

When the song ended, Zhao Wei led the applause.

"Well, Madam Song's song of the Concubine Ming is truly wonderful and unforgettable."

Zhao Wei didn't like songs about love that were full of sorrow. In comparison, he preferred songs with majestic momentum, such as "The Qin King Breaks the Formation Music".

However, it is undeniable that Song Yinzhang played really well. Even if he thought there were some flaws, it was definitely outstanding, and was no worse than the famous musicians in the palace. Song Yinzhang was only seventeen years old. To be able to achieve such a level at this age, both talent and hard work were indispensable, and he deserves praise.

Afterwards, Zhao Wei made a few more comments, which filled Song Yinzhang's eyes with surprise.

She originally thought that Zhao Wei was not good at music, but Zhao Wei's comments actually hit the point. If he did not have an excellent level of music, he would never have been able to say those words.

Zhao Pan'er on the side also looked at Zhao Wei with surprise. She didn't expect that Zhao Wei was also good at music.

As she came into more and more contact with Zhao Wei, she could no longer see him clearly.

Look at the abilities Zhao Wei has shown in recent days. He is skilled in martial arts, understands tea art, and knows medical skills. Now there is another person named Zhi Yinlu. Is there anything in the world that he doesn't know?

Zhao Wei understood music, which made Song Yinzhang more interested, so he played a few more songs and then asked Zhao Wei for comments with great expectation.

Time passed quietly until Sun Sanniang came to call for dinner and the pipa performance ended.

Compared with Song Yinzhang's pipa, Sun Sanniang's cooking skills were obviously more attractive to Zhao Wei. He praised her while eating, and even made Sun Sanniang feel a little embarrassed.

After dinner, Zhao Wei chatted with the three girls for a while and was about to leave, but was stopped by Zhao Pan'er.

"Your Highness."

"Well, is something wrong?"

Anyway, she owed Zhao Wei a lot of favors, so Zhao Pan'er didn't be polite to Zhao Wei.

"There is one thing I need to trouble you with, Your Highness. I have hidden some gold in my home in Qiantang. There is a hole under the bed and under the south wall of the kitchen. There are two boxes in the big box. There are deeds to the land and the house, as well as some gold and silver ingots and calligraphy and paintings. These are my savings over the years. Could you please send someone to exchange them for Feiqian, and then bring them to Tokyo with the calligraphy and paintings, so that we can not only pay off your debt, but also have the capital to make a living."

Zhao Wei nodded: "No problem, do you want me to bring you the small box as well?"

"That small box is from Yinzhang."

Hearing this, Song Yinzhang turned and looked at Zhao Paner with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Zhao Paner explained: "I have kept all your money safe for you. The reason I didn't give it to you before was because I was afraid that you and Zhou She..."

Before he finished speaking, Song Yinzhang interrupted with a guilty look on his face: "I understand, I was ignorant at that time."

Zhao Pan'er smiled and said, "It's all in the past. If you feel that it's more secure to keep the money with you, you can also ask His Highness's people to bring it to you."

"Change them all. One more cent is a good thing."

Zhao Paner smiled and nodded, then turned to look at Zhao Wei: "Your Highness, is this convenient for you?"

"That's convenient." Zhao Wei smiled and ordered, "Huai En, you heard it, send someone to do it."

"It's the head of the family."

When the matter was settled, Sun Sanniang couldn't wait to ask, "Pan'er, have you decided not to return to Qiantang and stay in Tokyo?"

Her husband and son no longer wanted her, and there was nothing for her to stay in Qiantang, so Sun Sanniang naturally wanted to stay in the prosperous Tokyo.

Zhao Paner nodded solemnly: "Yes, I have thought about it. Anyway, there is nothing worth remembering in Qiantang, so I decided to stay in Tokyo. Since we can live well in Qiantang, we can also live well in Tokyo."

Sun Sanniang agreed: "Yes, we will definitely live a good life. I know your ability, Pan'er. If someone else said this, I might doubt it, but if you say it, I will definitely believe it."

It is true that her fruits are delicious, but when she was in Qiantang, she would not have been able to make any money without Zhao Pan'er's help.

If it weren't for Zhao Pan'er, she might still be slaughtering pigs now.

Therefore, Sun Sanniang firmly believed that as long as they followed Zhao Pan'er, they might not become rich, but they would definitely not starve, and Zhao Pan'er would not treat her unfairly.

"Sister Pan'er, have you thought about what we are going to do after we stay here?" Song Yinzhang asked.

She is also very happy about staying in Tokyo. She wants to get rid of her citizenship and have a new life.

"Yes, Pan'er, if we want to stay in Tokyo, we must have a way to make a living. Now the place we live in belongs to His Highness, so it's not good to live there for free." Sun Sanniang said, and suggested: "Pan'er, why don't we continue to open a teahouse? We are familiar with this business."

"Sanniang, you and I are on the same page. Our most impressive business is running a teahouse. I've also been around the city these days. Although there are many teahouses, most of them sell local teas and fruits. You can hardly see any special products from Jiangnan."

Zhao Pan'er took a sip of water and continued, "My idea is that the tea and confectionery in Jiangnan are no worse than those in Tokyo. If we open a teahouse with Jiangnan flavor, the business will definitely be good."

"Pan'er, when did you go to see it? How come we didn't know?" Sun Sanniang looked surprised.

"I just wandered around casually. I'm quite familiar with this area. I look and smell, and sometimes I understand."

Sun Sanniang hummed and asked a question.

"Pan'er, do we have enough money to open a teahouse?"

Zhao Pan'er sighed, "It's definitely not enough now, but when His Highness's people send our money, it should be enough. As long as we can make money, we can keep it going. I've also thought of a way to run it, it's still the same as when we were in Qiantang."

"You are in charge of the tea, and I am in charge of the fruit?"

"Yes, if we can be number one in Qiantang, we will definitely be able to do well in Tokyo."

Sun Sanniang nodded heavily: "Pan'er, I believe you. I will do whatever you say."

Seeing Zhao Pan'er and Sun Sanniang discussing excitedly without mentioning him at all, Song Yinzhang said anxiously: "What about me, Sister Pan'er, what can I do? I also want to join you."

Zhao Pan'er smiled dotingly: "Yin Zhang, even if you don't say it, I will definitely call you. I have thought about it. You are the best pipa player in Jiangnan, and you are an important means for us to attract customers." "Ah?"

Song Yinzhang was stunned. She thought Zhao Pan'er had forgotten about her, but she didn't expect Zhao Pan'er to say that she was very important. This feeling of being needed made her very happy.

"Okay, Sister Pan'er, I'll listen to you. I'll do whatever you tell me to do."

She and Sun Sanniang had the same opinion. They both believed that Zhao Pan'er thought more than them, understood more than them, and was more capable than them. It would be right to listen to Zhao Pan'er.

"Pan'er, have you chosen a location for your teahouse? I heard that there seems to be a tea lane in the inner city that specializes in this business. Should we go there too?" asked Sun Sanniang.

They spent quite a bit of time in Tokyo, didn't chat with anyone, and got to know a little about the situation in the city.

"I've inquired about it. The rent of the shops there is too high. The money we have is simply not enough." Zhao Pan'er said with some regret.

Hearing this, Zhao Huai'en couldn't help but interject.

"Madam Zhao, our master is rich."

Zhao Pan'er shook her head and looked at Zhao Wei and said, "I already owe Your Highness a lot. I won't bother Your Highness with the teahouse. I've taken a fancy to a shop on Ma Xing Street. The money we have now should be enough."

Zhao Wei nodded and said nothing.

Zhao Paner continued, "There are many pedestrians passing by that street every day, and there are many spice vendors on the nearby street, which is convenient for us to buy. It is popular enough, convenient for purchasing, and the rent is cheap, so my idea is to open a teahouse on Ma Xing Street."

Song Yinzhang was confused and Sun Sanniang seemed to understand as well, but this did not stop them from listening to Zhao Paner.

"Pan'er, it's up to you to decide."

With Zhao Pan'er in charge, the three women quickly decided on the matter.

Zhao Pan'er and Song Yinzhang paid for the money, while Sun Sanniang worked hard. The three of them had a clear division of labor and it was three shares. Zhao Pan'er took 40%, and Song Yinzhang and Sun Sanniang each took 30%.

Zhao Wei didn't say anything about the whole thing. After they had discussed it, he said, "Huai En, send five hundred strings of cash to Madam Zhao tomorrow."

"Your Highness..."

Zhao Wei interrupted, "I'm not giving it to you, I'm lending it to you. When your money arrives in Tokyo, you can return it to me. As for Miss Song's departure, I'll have Shuangxi take her to the Jiaofangsi tomorrow."

Zhao Pan'er was delighted, and hurriedly stood up, pulling Song Yinzhang to salute and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

"No need to be polite between us." Zhao Wei shook his head, stood up and said, "Is everything okay? If there is nothing else, I will go back home first."

"Your Highness, let me see you off." Song Yinzhang said excitedly.

If it was Zhao Pan'er who offered to send it off, Zhao Wei would naturally be happy to do so, but unfortunately it was Song Yinzhang who sent it.

Zhao Wei waved his hand: "No, you guys are going to open a teahouse, so you must have a lot of things to discuss. No need to bother, I'm leaving."

In the following days, Zhao Paner and her colleagues began to take action, first renting a house, looking for purchasing materials, and then decorating the house, etc.

Several days passed in a flash. During this time, Zhao Wei asked Shuangxi to take Song Yinzhang to the Jiaofangsi to get rid of his membership in the imperial court. He also asked someone to send money to Zhao Pan'er and asked someone to help them, but he himself never showed up.

At the same time, Ouyang Xu also waited to leave Tokyo, and the emperor issued an edict allowing three top-class Jinshi to enter the palace to meet the emperor.

It has to be said that Ouyang Xu was quite intelligent and quick-witted. When he entered the palace to meet the emperor, he only needed to see the Taoist Master Tongxuan in Chengtian Temple to think of a legitimate way to leave Beijing.

Wende Hall is where the emperor would stop and rest before and after court.

The first-class Jinshi candidates were summoned here this time. In addition to Zhao Heng, Zhao Wei was also present in the hall.

Ouyang Xu's flattery made Zhao Heng very happy.

But just when Zhao Heng appointed Ouyang Xu as the Assistant Director of the Imperial Library and the Deputy Envoy of the Ziji Palace Ceremony and went to Xijing to summon Bao Yi Taoist, Zhao Wei stood up.

"Father, you like to write poems and practice Taoism. These are your hobbies. I dare not interfere. But I am a top scholar in the imperial examination of the Song Dynasty. How do you let the scholars in the world view you if you are given such an official title?"

Zhao Heng frowned: "Your Majesty, do you think it's inappropriate?"

"Of course it's not appropriate. He's just an old Taoist priest. Just send someone to summon him. You are the Son of Heaven. You are the most honorable in the world. If a Taoist priest dares to offend you, then there's no need to keep him. I will personally send him to heaven."

Zhao Wei paused for a moment and continued, "And you won't forget, right? Aunt Cao and Concubine Gao asked Gao Hui for permission, and Ouyang Tanhua has already received your marriage proposal. It's really inappropriate for you to let him go to Xijing now."

Zhao Heng was stunned: "I have forgotten about this matter. What should I do according to your opinion?"

"I will naturally listen to you, Father. However, if you want Ouyang Tanhua to go to Xijing, it would be better for him to go to Jiangnan to serve as an official after he marries Gao's daughter."

Zhao Heng was silent for a moment: "Is Jiangnan really as chaotic as you say?"

The reason why Zhao Wei did not go to find Zhao Pan'er these days was that he had been discussing the affairs of Jiangnan with Zhao Heng in the palace. Now Zhao Heng is still in this state, which makes him speechless.

"Father, I have ordered the troops to go south of the Yangtze River. What do you think? Your opening of the Shipping Department is of course beneficial to the country and the people, but many officials do not appreciate the emperor's grace, oppress the good people, and take bribes. You should clean them up."

Zhao Heng was silent for a while, then smiled and said, "Okay, Jiangnan's affairs will be handled according to your wishes."

"Thank you, Father."

In this way, Ouyang Xu stayed in Tokyo, but at the suggestion of Zhao Wei, his specific official position was not granted for the time being. He needed to first go to the six ministries for internship, and then the decision would be made based on the evaluation of the officials of the six ministries.

As for the other two, the runner-up Xu Qingwen went through the same process as Ouyang Xu. Only the top scorer Shen Jiayan entered the Hanlin Academy as per the convention.

Speaking of which, the system of the top scholar entering the Hanlin Academy was only changed in recent years.

Before this, the top three Jinshi were actually demoted to local areas and served as Tongpan of a certain state.

This was an official position personally established by Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, in order to strengthen the imperial power. The emperor personally appointed the top three Jinshi candidates to go to various states to assist the prefects in governing the local areas.

They are generally responsible for local grain transportation, water conservancy, litigation and other related matters. In addition, they have the responsibility to supervise the highest officials of the state. Therefore, their status is very special and they can directly bypass the prefect and report the affairs of each state to the emperor.

Although they are deputy positions in each state, the highest officials of each state are very wary of them. If placed in modern society, except for the special rights granted by the emperor, their duties are equivalent to deputy mayors.

This led to many prefects writing letters to the emperor, finding all kinds of faults with the top-ranking Jinshi candidates.

Even when Ke Zheng was prime minister, he brought civil servants to the court several times, stating that a first-class Jinshi was not suitable to directly serve as a prefect of a state, so this practice was changed in recent years.

As soon as Ouyang Xu and the others left, the next ones to come were Gu Qianfan and Lei Jing.

This time Zhao Wei didn't say anything. He just held a banquet and invited Gu Qianfan, Shen Jiayan and other students after leaving the palace the next day.

It was his idea to invite Gu Qianfan to the banquet, but it was Zhao Heng's idea to invite this year's Jinshi.

The reason was very simple. Zhao Heng was planning to make him the crown prince and let him form his own team.

(End of this chapter)