In the Ming Dynasty 1498, my restaurant connects two worlds.

In the afternoon, the Song Family Restaurant was packed to capacity on its first day of operation after the upgrade. After finishing the last dish, Song Xiaoyi sat down at the table to drink with Zhu Zhishan, Tang Bohu and others.

With the autumn imperial examinations approaching and Song Xiaoyi's earnest warning, Zhu Zhishan stayed close to Tang Bohu, and the group ate breakfast and lunch at Song's house, even declining several literary gatherings.

As the group of friends were enjoying their drinks, a travel-worn young scholar carrying a cloth bag entered through the door. After searching around, he spotted Tang Bohu, his eyebrows arched, and he called out loudly, "Brother Bohu! They said you must be at this Song's Restaurant, and you really are here! I've been looking for you for ages!"

"Chang Gu!"

"Brother Changgu!"

Clearly, Wen Zhengming and Tang Bohu were acquainted with the newcomer. They happily stood up and pulled the young scholar over, saying, "Brother Xiao Yi, let me introduce you. This is Bohu's childhood friend, Xu Changgu."

"Changgu, this is Song Xiaoyi, the owner of this Song Family Restaurant."

Another one! Xu Changgu! Song Xiaoyi just searched the information two days ago; Changgu is the courtesy name of Xu Zhenqing!

The "Four Great Talents of Wuzhong" have all arrived.

"Looking at you, Brother Changgu, you seem to have traveled a long way and haven't eaten yet. Let me go and order two more dishes." Song Xiaoyi said as he stood up and warmly invited Xu Zhenqing to sit down. "Have some iced drinks to cool off first."

Once in the kitchen, Song Xiaoyi pulled Song Yunqiu aside and whispered, "Sister, give Brother Bohu a cup of Wanglaoji on his table. The newcomer is Xu Zhenqing."

"Xu Zhenqing is here? Does that mean the Four Great Talents are all gathered?"

"Yes! I have an immature idea in my mind..."

"Alright, you go ahead and prepare the dishes."

Song Xiaoyi did indeed have a brilliant idea: he would get the rest of them together and give it a try that afternoon.

The space has ready-made semi-pre-made dishes. Take out the "Songfu Sugar Pig" and fry it in oil. It's sweet, and Xu Zhenqing, who is also from Suzhou, should like it. Then there's the "Songfu Roasted Duck", which can be taken out of the oven, sliced, and served.

As soon as he arrived, the shopkeeper's beautiful wife served him a large cup of her secret drink, which was sweet, refreshing and cooling. Then came roast meat and roast duck. Xu Zhenqing was flattered and overwhelmed. Such delicacies were probably beyond the reach of poor scholars like himself. He really didn't have enough money for his journey!

Seeing Xu Zhenqing's expression, Song Xiaoyi knew what he was thinking. "Brother Changgu, eat as much as you like. You will be treated the same as them and will not be charged. Just write a few pieces of calligraphy occasionally."

"You don't accept money?!"

"That's right. Brother Xiao Yi said that he wouldn't accept any money from any of us, whether it's breakfast or lunch."

Such an elegant affair exists in this world! I should have come to seek you all out long ago!

Seeing Xu Zhenqing wolfing down his food, Song Xiaoyi sat down to the side and said, "Brother Changgu, eat slowly, no one's going to take your food. You've just arrived in Yingtian Prefecture, and you don't have a place to stay yet, right? Why don't you stay at my house? You and Brother Bohu can go and take a look later."

"Brother Changgu must live with us, and I also wish to move to your house."

"You can't do it; you need to study hard."

"Ha ha--"

……

All four great talents have fallen into my trap!

Xu Zhenqing is too easily fooled.

After lunch, Song Xiaoyi, Zhu Zhishan, and Tang Bohu accompanied Xu Zhenqing to the Song residence. Xu Zhenqing chose a side room in the second courtyard as his bedroom, tidied it up, and settled in.

Seeing that Xu Zhenqing was settled in, Tang Bohu suddenly chuckled and seized the adjacent room, tidying it up himself and using it as his own bedroom.

What about the others?

Zhu Zhishan suggested, "Why don't we all move in together? It's not appropriate to keep bothering Brother Yan."

I have no qualms about bothering you, my dear brother Xiao Yi.

Suddenly, Song Xiaoyi had a brilliant idea. Since they had all moved in, and Tang Bohu and Xu Zhenqing were close, why not have Xu Zhenqing take the lead and help Zhu Zhishan keep an eye on Tang Bohu?

Such talent is too good to be wasted!

The "Four Great Talents of Wuzhong" have all gathered, and there's also the young Qiu Ying. If we don't do something, we'll be wasting this opportunity.

"No! No, no!"

"Brother Xiao Yi, what are you saying that's wrong?"

"I mean, why is Brother Changgu in Nanjing? Isn't Brother Changgu going to participate in this year's autumn imperial examination?"

"Aren't you studying at the school in your hometown?"

"The school could no longer impart more knowledge to me, and by chance I met a merchant from my hometown who was returning from Yingtian Prefecture. He told me that Brother Bohu was having a good time eating and drinking at Taoye Ferry."

"So you came looking for me?"

"Yes! With all this delicious food and drink, how could I miss out!"

"That's true! Now that you're here, get to work and eat."

As soon as Song Xiaoyi finished speaking, Tang Bohu and Gu Qian prepared to slip out the door. "If you two leave this door, don't come back in, hehe."

"Father, get them their weapons!"

"Du Fu's 'Five Poems on Leaving the Frontier': Brother Bohu, Brother Wenbi, Brother Qian, and Brother Changgu, the four of you plus Xiaoshifu, each of you write one poem. No one is allowed to leave."

"Ahhh, Master, help! My uncle is forcing us to work again!"

"You're asking for it!"

"Master Uncle, save me!"

"Tonight, let's have a good feast to welcome our esteemed brother Changgu!"

"Wonderful! Wonderful!"

"Brother Zhishan, farewell, wonderful poem! How many poems of your 'First Leaving the Frontier' have you written yet?"

"Forehead--"

Wen Zhengming covered his mouth with his sleeve, but Zhu Zhishan was already laughing so hard he was doubled over.

Using the excuse of preparing ingredients, Song Xiaoyi quickly returned to the second floor of the Song Family Restaurant after assigning tasks to everyone. He then retrieved his phone and searched for Xu Zhenqing's records.

During a previous search, screenshots were taken that preserved records of Xu Zhenqing's life trajectory. He participated in the Nanjing Autumn Examination in the fourteenth year of the Hongzhi reign. In the eleventh year of the Hongzhi reign, which is now, he should be preparing for the provincial examination at his home in Wu County, Suzhou.

The latest search results show that Xu Zhenqing, courtesy name Changgu, met with Tang Bohu and others at Taoye Ferry in Yingtian Prefecture in July of the eleventh year of the Hongzhi reign. He was treated as an honored guest by the owner of the Song Family Restaurant and invited to stay at the Song residence.

Taking this opportunity, Tang Bohu, Wen Bi, Gu Qian, and Zhu Zhishan moved from the crowded Yan residence to the Song residence, where they lived with Xu Zhenqing. Xu Zhenqing kept a close watch on Tang Bohu, forbidding him from attending any literary gatherings before the autumn examinations and turning down multiple invitations from Xu Jing from Yixing.

In the twelfth year of the Hongzhi reign, for unknown reasons, Xu Zhenqing accompanied Tang Bohu on his journey to the capital to take the imperial examination. Along the way, they met Mu Bin, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and became friends...

......

Xu Zhenqing died in the first year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1522).

With a gentle flutter of its wings, Xu Zhenqing's life trajectory was completely altered.

"Encountering Mu Bin, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, on the road"—could this have been arranged by himself? It's highly likely.

Mu Bin rose from a minor officer to a centurion quite quickly.

The key is that my memory is very clear, and the original historical records are very clear: Xu Zhenqing died in the sixth year of Zhengde in the Ming Dynasty (1511).

Song Xiaoyi took another screenshot and compared it with the previous screenshots. Sure enough, the great revisionism of history had not taken away the photos on his phone!