Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 286 Hangzhou Literary Scene
"Just one more line, just one more line!"

Looking at the West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce on the table in front of him, Lin Dao shook his head repeatedly.

"I just forgot to remind you, whatever you do, don't buy West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce!"

Shi Nai'an, who went to order takeout, has returned.

He went to several restaurants and ordered more than two hundred dishes, plus soup.

As for Lin Dao, he directly ordered eight dishes for the Ming King.

Everyone else had two dishes, but Lin Dao had eight.

Despite such a disparity, no one felt it was unfair; on the contrary, they were extremely grateful to Lin Dao.

Differences in social status can often be a driving force for progress.

When the deliverymen from Qiantang County brought the dishes, Lin Dao immediately spotted the famous West Lake Vinegar Fish.

This dish is famous not because it tastes good.

Rather, it was because it was so unpalatable that even the famous gourmet Su Dongpo was forced to make Dongpo pork himself.

It's awful, absolutely awful.

Lin Dao pointed to the plate of West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce and said, "It's yours, take it."

People in the Central Plains always believe that good things come in pairs, so Lin Dao gave him another dish.

Shi Nai'an, who once served as an official here, must have eaten West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce.

Just thinking about West Lake Vinegar Fish, with its sour and astringent outer layer and fish meat inside that tastes like chewing wax and has no texture, makes me want to say something.

He repeatedly apologized, saying, "Your Majesty, it was my fault for not handling things properly; I didn't even think of this matter for a moment."

"Stop talking nonsense, I'll watch you eat."

Shi Nai'an forced himself to eat West Lake Vinegar Fish, and the subtle changes in his expression left Lan Yu, who was serving Lin Dao his meal, completely baffled.

It's just eating fish, is it really that big of a deal?

He used to be excited for days just to catch a fish in the ditch of his hometown.

Aside from having a lot of bones that can prick your mouth, the fish is quite delicious.
"Alright, alright~~~"

Seeing that Shi Nai'an's face was almost contorted into a ball after eating half of it.

Lin Dao waved his hand, "You don't need to eat the rest."

"Remember this for the future: when you come to Hangzhou, you can eat anything, just don't eat West Lake Fish in Vinegar Sauce!"

The next morning, Lin Dao and Shi Nai'an went their separate ways.

Lin Dao went to collect information on the lifestyles of different social classes in Hangzhou.

Simply put, it's about strolling around and enjoying the festivities.

Shi Nai'an, on the other hand, went to find his apprentices and friends.

This era is actually quite chaotic.

Farmers from villages and towns outside the city would arrive early, pushing carts and carrying loads to pay taxes and enter the city to sell firewood, grain, vegetables, meat, fruits, and other goods.

They set up stalls on both sides of the street, outside the shops, and no one came to drive them away.

Even the peddlers and laborers in the city, those who peddle their wares from carts, get up before dawn.

The shops along the street opened a little later.

After the door panel was opened, they busily cleaned and organized the goods.

The entire city of Hangzhou seemed to come alive.

At this hour, only Mongols and beggars are probably still sleeping in.

There are many teahouses in Hangzhou.

It offers a variety of breakfast and catering services, and also has a special stage for storytellers to perform.

Tapping the fan that Tang Bohu held in his hand, Lin Dao stepped into the largest and most crowded teahouse.

Those who come to drink tea and listen to storytelling in the morning are definitely idle people.

It's hard to say that they were all dressed in fine silks and satins, but at a glance, there was no sign of commoners.

Ordinary people are all struggling to survive.

The waiter warmly greeted the unfamiliar Lin Dao and led him to a table closer to the podium.

These workers, in addition to the tips from regular customers, also receive commission income, which is considered middle-class income in Hangzhou.

Their commissions come from constantly bringing in new customers.

It's okay if you're unfamiliar with the subject; you'll get used to it after a while.

The waiter was very enthusiastic and took the initiative to introduce various tea snacks.

Lin Dao nodded and ordered several dishes: "Crab-stuffed orange, scallion-wrapped pine nut, glutinous rice ball, and a pot of Longjing tea."

"Please wait a moment, sir~~~"

The surrounding noise was incessant.

Everyone was talking, but thankfully no one raised their voice.

Lin Dao listened for a while and heard his own name several times.

"Although Ming Wang Lindao occupied Jiangdu, he did not cut off the canal transport."

"As long as taxes are paid, merchant ships can still operate."

“My family has a boat. We brought back furs from the north. When we passed through Gaoyou Prefecture, we happened to be there when Ming Wang Lindao attacked Gaoyou Prefecture.”

"I thought that the people, the boat, and the cargo would all be lost."

"Unexpectedly, we were allowed to pass."

"You have no idea, I was completely dumbfounded when I saw the ship coming back~~~"

"Although this Ming King is a rebel, he is a rebel with principles."

"Such a person is bound to achieve great things in the future."

Hearing that someone was praising the Ming King, Lan Yu, who was serving nearby, also felt honored.

As for Lin Dao himself, he listened silently and drank his tea quietly.

He was rebelling, not becoming a bandit or brigand.

As long as it's not a ship belonging to the Mongols or Semu people, but a normal merchant ship, he certainly wouldn't rob it.

Throughout history, dynasties have strictly suppressed merchants in order to facilitate governance.

Lin Dao has a different opinion on this.

He felt that channeling this power outward to earn wealth from all over the world was far more useful than suppressing it.

Before long, amidst cheers from the crowd, a storyteller went on stage, bowed, and began his storytelling.

The term "storyteller" refers to these kinds of people.

These storytellers often also worked as playwrights, reciting their own works.

"Guan Hanqing of Jiezhou, today I will talk about the third act of the four-act play 'Guan Yu Goes Alone to the Single-Blade Meeting'."

"Oh?" Lin Dao, who was drinking tea, looked up.

The title of this drama is so familiar; it's a famous scene from Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

"Jiezhou in Shanxi? Guan Yu's hometown?"

“Guan Hanqing, what a name~~~” “I heard that Luo Guanzhong often frequented teahouses in Hangzhou.”

"His Romance of the Three Kingdoms was probably written by mixing these Yuan Dynasty plays together."

On the stage, Guan Hanqing began to tell his story with great emotion and passion.

Lin Dao drank tea, ate breakfast, and listened to a storyteller.

It's quite interesting.

In terms of specific details, it is similar to the story of "Single-handedly attending the meeting" in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Lin Dao curiously looked around to see if Luo Guanzhong was there.

After the play was finished, the crowd cheered.

The waiters carried plates, collecting tips from table to table.

Those who are willing to give can give, and those who are unwilling will not be forced to consume.

Lin Dao took out a two-hundred-wen note and placed it on the tray.

The waiter bowed repeatedly and respectfully inquired, "May I ask your honorable surname, sir?"

"His surname is Lin."

The waiter shouted, "Master Lin, a tip of twenty coins!"

Guan Hanqing, standing on the stage, bowed and thanked Lin Dao.

"Wait a moment."

Lin Dao gestured for the shopkeeper to stop. "This is clearly a 200-coin note, why did you say it's 20 coins? What about the 180 coins? You've pocketed them! Your shop is even more shady than the platform!"

The platform only takes half, but your store is taking 90%?

What a rip-off!
"Master Lin has misunderstood."

The waiter cried out in protest, "The imperial court has issued new paper money, and it's issued far too much!"

"The paper money was already discounted, but now it's discounted to one-tenth of its original value."

"After that, I guess they won't accept paper money anymore."

"Today's latest exchange rate is ten Treasuries to one."

"By tomorrow, it will probably be 15 to 1."

Lin Dao frowned slightly. "New banknotes?"

Why didn't I see this news when I read the official gazette before?
Lin Dao was aware of the issue of excessive money printing.

Later generations always say that Zhu Yuanzhang did this, which led to the collapse of the currency. In fact, he learned it from the Yuan Dynasty.

After all, all you need to do is print paper, and you can use it as money; anyone would be willing to do that.

It's just that they were too greedy, didn't understand the concept of moderation, and issued bonds recklessly.

The result was soaring prices, leading to inflation.

In the end, it became a matter of trading goods and commodities, and all the banknotes accumulated by the public and private sectors became worthless.

The people aren't stupid.

Your money has lost its value, so they simply won't acknowledge it anymore and won't play with you anymore.

Lin Dao waved, and the waiter took the plate to the next table.

"It's really asking for death."

"The economy was already in collapse, and you kept printing money."

"The common people have worked hard and risked their lives to earn some money, but now it's all worthless. Who would still risk their lives for the Yuan Dynasty?"

"This is the true loss of popular support."

"Without the support of the people, we can only wait for our demise."

After the lively event, Guan Hanqing prepared to leave the stage, allowing other storytellers to take the stage.

In their line of work, no matter how popular they are, they can't just hog the stage and keep talking.

The industry standard is that everyone has time to talk about their work.

The difference lies in the opening and closing acts, which are usually performed by renowned artists.

At this moment, a wealthy merchant stood up and stepped forward to speak with Guan Hanqing.

“Mr. Guan, my surname is Xue, and I come from Wujun (Suzhou). I will be holding a banquet at my home in a few days, and I hope that you can attend and say a few words.”

"Greetings, Master Xue." Guan Hanqing smiled and cupped his hands in greeting. "I am delighted that Master Xue has invited me."

"May I ask, Master Xue, what kind of opera would you like to hear?"

"Hahaha~~~" Master Xue stroked his beard and laughed. "I have two daughters who love to compose poems and write essays."

"They did say that they liked 'Du Ruiniang's Wise Appreciation of the Golden Thread Pool'."

"Very well." Guan Hanqing nodded repeatedly. "I understand. I will definitely visit when the time comes."

Master Xue's attendants presented a visiting card and an invitation.

Lin Dao listened for a few minutes and then stopped paying attention.

He drank tea and listened to storytelling until the afternoon before leaving.

Afterwards, I visited several military camps along the city wall and took photos to document them.

He also sent Lan Yu to the government office to spend money to buy information about the local garrison.

Upon returning to the courtyard he had previously purchased, Shi Nai'an, who had arrived earlier, hurriedly stepped forward to pay his respects.

"Your Majesty, I have already discovered the whereabouts of my good-for-nothing disciple."

Lin Dao casually placed the fruit and candied fruit he had bought on the table, sat down, and asked, "Where are they?"

"We don't know exactly where he lives, but we have heard that he has been getting very close to the Iron Flute Taoist recently."

Tie Di Dao Ren was Yang Weizhen, a famous poet, writer, and painter of the late Yuan Dynasty, whose courtesy name was Tie Ya.

Yang Weizhen was a leading figure in poetry at the end of the Yuan Dynasty.

His poetry was renowned for a time, and he was known for his "Iron Cliff Style".

He dominated the literary scene of the Yuan Dynasty for more than forty years, and was praised by all under heaven.

The fact that Luo Guanzhong could associate with him suggests that his talent had been recognized.

Lin Dao jokingly asked, "Could it be that you're thinking of joining another sect and abandoning your master?"

Shi Nai'an also smiled and said, "It would be a good thing if Luo Ben and Guan Zhong could become disciples of the Iron Flute Taoist."

He continued, "Master Tiedi is hosting a banquet at the Shuxiang Courtyard tonight. My good-for-nothing disciple will probably be there."

"Famous poets from Hangzhou, such as Zhang Miaojing and Cao Miaoqing, will likely attend the banquet."

"Liu Bowen lived in Hangzhou, so he would probably go there too."

Before Lin Dao could ask, he took out the invitation.

"very good."

Lin Dao expressed his satisfaction and appreciation, saying, "Let's eat."

"Let's set off after we finish eating."

(End of this chapter)